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The UNOFFICIAL
King Crimson & Robert Fripp
Live Recordings Database
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ND Ateneo
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ozzmittel September 18, 2014
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Game 189: Eye of the Beholder (1991)
Despite the 1990 copyright, I don't think it received a release until 1991.
I think I picked the right game to start 1991. I chose it first because it's a Dungeons & Dragons game, and D&D-based games rarely offer bad CRPG experiences; and second because I knew it was inspired by Dungeon Master, which set the standard for real-time multi-character dungeon crawlers. I didn't know if it would be great, but I knew it wouldn't suck.
Hoping for nothing more than a competent dungeon-crawling experience, I fired up the .exe and was greeted with a great introductory sequence with exciting music, evocative sound effects, and attractive animated VGA graphics, all of which finally said to me: 1) "you're in the 1990s!" and 2) "you're no longer a jackass for choosing the DOS version!"
Yet, if there was one thing that gave me pause, it was this screen:
Westwood and I do not have a good history. Years later, I'm still mad at them about the endings to BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception and Mines of Titan. The first Westwood/SSI pairing, Hillsfar, was flawed at the outset. I like to imagine that after Hillsfar, SSI had a "come to Jesus" meeting with Westwood. "We're going to give you another contract," they said in my fantasy, "but none of your bull$%#t this time. You're going to make a good game, or we're going to bury you." I like to think that the Westwood folks left the meeting shaken, threw back a few drinks, and decided that to avoid screwing this one up too badly, they'd better just copy Dungeon Master.
Eye of the Beholder's dependence on Dungeon Master is so stark that you wonder why there weren't lawsuits involved. The similarities are readily apparent at the macro level--they're both first-person, multi-character, tile-based, real-time dungeon crawlers--and the micro level. You attack enemies in the same kind of interface by right-clicking on the chosen weapon, which makes a "whoosh" sound and requires a cool-down period before you can attack again. Only the front two characters can attack in melee; rear characters can throw missile weapons, and they have a pouch which automatically restocks them with up to four "refills" in the same combat. Picking up thrown missile weapons is tedious. You can do the same sort of real-time tricks, like the side-step attack dance and the fighting backpedal. The puzzles are also the same, involving hidden buttons, weighted pressure plates, and remote door switches. Many treasures are found in little alcoves on the wall.
Tossing a dagger at an approaching giant worm.
There are a few differences, mostly caused by the integration of a Dungeon Master mechanic with AD&D rules: classes are different, the magic system is different, and leveling is by experience rather than use of skills. And of course, being a later game, Eye of the Beholder has better graphics, sound, and animation, though not staggeringly so.
If there's one thing you'd want a developer to copy from Dungeon Master, it's the ability to crush enemies in doors. Alas, that doesn't seem to work here. Even though the door is in the space in front of you, it comes down behind any enemies in that space.
"I'm crushing your h...uh oh."
Unless I'm missing some bit of documentation, the backstory to Eye of the Beholder is left somewhat vague. Taking place in the city of Waterdeep, this is the first CRPG on the Sword Coast, and I was delighted to see Baldur's Gate, Amn, and Neverwinter on the game map. The manual goes into the long history of Waterdeep and its constant transfers of power between various guilds and factions before finally coming into the rule of the semi-anonymous Lords of Waterdeep.
Something or someone named Xanathar--I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's probably a beholder--is causing trouble for the city, but the nature of the trouble is left undefined. The problems seem to be coming from beneath the city, and so the chief Lord, Piergeiron, has commissioned a party of adventurers to enter the underworld and eradicate the threat. The game has the party start with a "Commission and Letter of Marque" giving the party "full rights of passage beneath the City of Waterdeep," as if some guard was going to come along and question our right to be in the sewers.
From the opening animations.
Character creation is all standard AD&D. You choose from the six usual races (human, elf, half-elf, dwarf, gnome, halfling) and six classes (paladin, fighter, ranger, cleric, mage, thief) including multi-classes. The rules for non-human races are a bit less draconian than in the Gold Box series; for instance, elves and half-elves never hit a cap in any class they're allowed to select, and dwarves only cap as clerics. Oddly, gnomes can't be mages; I had thought the "gnome illusionist" was a well-established trope by now.
Even though you can get two NPCs to join you later, I decided to get every class available in my four-character party, so I went with.
Starling, a female human paladin
Bugsy, a male dwarf fighter/thief
Marina, a female elf mage
Gaston, a male half-elf cleric/ranger
With Gaston having some ranger skills, this gives me the ability to swap him in as a fighter if Starling or Bugsy (otherwise in the front ranks) get too wounded.
Beholder offers the same ability to modify a character's attributes that the Gold Box games offer, theoretically so you can bring a favorite tabletop character into the setting--not that you can modify levels, equipment, spells, or anything else. Resisting temptation to ratchet everything up to 18 wasn't hard, since a few clicks of "reroll" got some pretty high statistics anyway. Characters start at Level 2 or 3 already depending on race and class.
The game begins on Level 1 of the dungeon, with the party facing the rubble that has crashed down behind them, sealing the exit and trapping them inside. I pick up a couple rocks to use as missile weapons. Nearby, the bones of a slain halfling hold a set of lockpicks that I give to Bugsy. A lever opens a door and we begin exploring the level.
Finding the remains of a previous adventurer adds a nice bit of realism.
Level 1 ends up being quite small, 171 used squares in a 22 x 22 grid. There are only two types of enemies on the first level: kobolds and giant leeches. They don't seem to respawn; this might become a problem for my multi-classed characters if no enemies respawn
The first two levels of the dungeon.
There are some light puzzles on this level, consisting primarily of finding hidden buttons and weighing down pressure plates with rocks to keep doors open. Nothing terribly difficult, but of course on this level the game is just introducing me to mechanics.
Level 2 is much larger, over 400 used squares in a 30 x 30 grid. The only enemies on the level appear to be skeletons and zombies, but there are a lot more puzzles: spinners, keyed doors, secret doors, arcane messages, teleporters, slots on the wall that accept daggers and open remote areas of the dungeon, pits that close based on pressure plate--some of which must be weighted down, and at least one of which must be weighted down by throwing something on it from across a pit.
Tossing a rock across a pit to land on the plate on the other side, which will close the pit. Dungeon Master taught me this.
There are buttons that seem to reconfigure the wall pattern, and at least one keyed door for which I can't find the key. Although I've mapped almost all of it, I need to take another pass through the level to make sure I didn't miss anything. There are also a few buttons that I don't understand, and I need to more thoroughly investigate their effects.
The party contemplates entering a teleporter.
A dagger placed in a slot on the wall produces a non-helpful message.
I don't find much in the way of equipment upgrades--just a few daggers for throwing weapons, a single shield, a sling, and an axe that replaced my fighter's initial short sword. One unfortunate adaptation from Dungeon Master is the inability to tell anything about your weapons and armor. Familiarity with the standard D&D equipment list will probably help a little, but why couldn't the game have displayed weapon and armor statistics when you right-click on them or something?
Miscellaneous observations:
One thing that I like much better than Dungeon Master is the redundant keyboard and mouse controls. You can do everything from either controller, so it's easy to settle into a pattern based on your own preferences. This is also one of the first games I've seen (maybe the first) to allow you to turn off music independent of other sound.
You can also replace the "bar graphs" for hit points with actual numbers.
Floor drains occasionally show pairs of eyes, and clicking on them often produces a message like the one below. I don't know if I'll ever find anything in a floor drain, but I suspect I'll click on every damned one of them.
I'm not sure if food is going to be a problem. Each character has a food meter that depletes a tiny bit with each action. You have to eat to restore it. So far, I've found just enough food (packaged rations, not loose ears of corn or hunks of cheese) to restore what I've been losing. But the locations and amount of food seem to be fixed, so I wonder if I eventually get into trouble by doing things like taking a second look through the same dungeon level.
Marina finds a ration package just as her food level gets low. I don't know what the "special quest for this level!" was all about.
So far, I haven't done much with magic, mostly because restoring spells involves resting for a long time and exacerbates the food issue. My mage has a few "Magic Missiles" and "Melf's Acid Arrows" (appearing for the first time?) and my cleric has some "Cure Light Wounds" and "Hold Persons."
Preparing to blast some zombies with a "Magic Missile."
I like that the maps create irregular wall patterns and don't feel compelled to use every space. It makes it feel like more of a real place.
Like Dungeon Master, the game appears to have no economy.
Unlike Dungeon Master, the game requires no torches or "Light" spells. The dungeon is just naturally light, I guess.
You seem to get experience here for solving puzzles as well as killing enemies.
Gaston levels from finding a hidden area.
I have no idea how you resurrect, or if it's even possible before you get the fifth-level cleric spell "Raise Dead." Fortunately, combats have been easy enough that no one has come close to dying. Just for fun, I let some skeletons kill me to see what the "full party death" screen would look like.
Four Level 3 heroes is all that the city had to stand against the Minions of Evil?
There are apparently NPCs in the dungeon, but I haven't met any yet. When I do encounter them, I hope they're distinguishable as such and I don't end up killing them by accident.
You can save anywhere, but there's only one save slot. That gives me the heebie-jeebies just because of corruption issues. I think I'd better back that up occasionally.
So far, Eye of the Beholder is exactly what I was looking for: not a highly original game, but one that's exceedingly competent at a standard set of RPG tropes. Oh, there are weaknesses to this type of CRPG, and I'm sure I'll grouse about them before the end, but for the moment I'm having a lot of fun.
Time so far: 3 hours
Reload count: 0
Labels: Eye of the Beholder
Filip van den Bergh May 25, 2015 at 3:06 AM
I'm so happy your blog arrived at my childhood. EoB was the second RPG I played. U6 was the first, and I found that game more interesting. Your remark about weapon stats reminded me that EoB got me into D&D2e. Because I had no idea what I was doing, I got my parents to buy me the Player's Handbook, and one thing led to another.
Some things: (1) don't worry about the two additional NPC's: you're good. (2) Each level has a "special quest".
Man of Stone May 25, 2015 at 4:46 AM
The manual for the second game has a chart with damage values for normal weapons, so I guess someone at Westwood eventually realized that's basic information.
CRPG Addict May 25, 2015 at 10:47 AM
So I should be looking for that specific text on every level? Huh. I wonder what I missed on Level 1. Did it have something to do with the eyes in the grates?
Tristan Gall May 25, 2015 at 11:12 AM
(yes to looking for that text on every level)
try putting some "solid" into that carvings on Level 2 to solve the Special quest 8-)
Kenny McCormick May 26, 2015 at 7:49 PM
ROT13!!!
marco May 26, 2015 at 8:17 PM
There are some early grates and holes in level one only that, on Amiga version (not sure on DOS, but should be the same) would give you a modicum of exp points if clicked: Some you have to click more than once, they just allow some of the characters in party to level up, as much as some tiles in the maze do the same when you pass them, and then that's it. I suppose they are a form of early balancing device, or a hint to pay attention to the game environment from now on.
Mikrakov May 25, 2015 at 3:23 AM
I would definitely back up your save. I decided to fire this up last month in anticipation of you playing it, but on level 3 I was suddenly unable to memorize any spells when sleeping, it claimed i "needed a mage in the party" whenever I clicked on the menu item :(
PetrusOctavianus May 25, 2015 at 3:28 AM
"There are only two types enemies on the first level: kobolds and giant leeches."
No Flinds? They are present in the Amiga version.
Personally I used to like EoB, when when trying to replay it, the combat just felt wrong. In a Gold Box or IE game it's usually no problem killing four kobolds without using spells or taking any damage, but not so in EoB. Combined with the Vancian magic system, it means having to rest too often.
It seems they took quite a few liberties to shoehorn AD&D into the Dungeon Master formula. Why do characters in AD&D video games suddenly need food and water?
And why do they no longer need training halls to increase levels?
Too bad SSI went belly up despite the financial success of the EoB games. :-(
Tristan Gall May 25, 2015 at 4:07 AM
Flinds are present, just not on level 1.
If you're taking damage fighting kobolds, it means you're not making use of the combat engine. You shouldn't ever really engage enemies face on. I agree that this doesn't feel like fighting, but that's the way the game is designed. You quickly run into serious trouble if you stand in front of every enemy.
Eh, combat always seemed easy enough in this game that you could just retreat, rest, and heal and do fine anyway.
PetrusOctavianus May 25, 2015 at 2:22 PM
For some reason the two step dance didn't work very well when I played the enhanced Amiga version a few years ago.
And the enemies seem yo hit much more often than in the turn based games.
Combined with inferior level design and puzzles compared to DM and CSB, it made EOB one of the very few old CRPGs I did not enjoy when (re)playing lots of old CRPGs the past four or so years.
Canageek May 22, 2016 at 10:07 PM
As I understand it, training halls have long been an optional rule in D&D. By second edition they were not needed, I'm not sure about first.
As to the taking damage from weak monsters: That was because other D&D games, including the tabletop ones, abstract out the dodging. This one makes you do it yourself.
fireball December 26, 2016 at 2:05 AM
By reading Tristan's comment, I feel like I have a confession to make, though I noticed this way before in the Dungeon Master posts. I'm very ashamed to admit that it never ever occurred to me to use the engine of these types of crpg's to win combats. EOTB was my first real-time blobber, and I always played it like Wizardry, making a stand in every combat. I made it down to level 6 or 7 before finally giving up. Even later when playing Lands of Lore I made the same mistake. Well, I have a whole lot of crpg's to play again sometime.
Tristan Gall December 26, 2016 at 5:48 AM
Me too. The first time I played EoB I didn't realise the trick, and my parties got hammered at the lower levels despite my kiddie practice of maxing all my characters with the modify function. Years later, after realising the trick it felt like a cheese to use it, so I usually didn't.
A lot of games have an exploitable engine and sometimes it's hard to tell whether the exploit was intended or not. It generates a bit of is-this-the-genuine-experience angst for me at times!
There wasn't much reason for a lawsuit. Game mechanics are not part of the copyright, you have to patent them. And since Westwood didn't copy the graphics or text, they were good.
And actually with EOB1 you are still screwed for choosing DOS over Amiga (rot13): Gur Nzvtn irefvba unf n erny raqvat frdhrapr.
Even as I typed the bit about lawsuits--which was tongue-in-cheek anyway--I realized I didn't know enough about the associated legalities. It seems wrong that you can't copyright gameplay elements. It makes me wonder why the makers of Questron felt they had to license the "look and feel" from Richard Garriott.
SNES has that same advantage that you mention, but with one major problem that outweighs all of its advantages: you can't import your party into EotB2/3, partly because they don't exist on the SNES, and partly because transferring saves wasn't really practical on consoles.
Peter May 25, 2015 at 11:09 PM
(IANAL.) Questron's license was almost certainly motivated by the big "look and feel" lawsuits of the late 80s. In 1987, Lotus sued several competitors for copying its 1-2-3 spreadsheet and in 1988 Apple sued Microsoft for copying the Mac UI in Windows 2.0 and 3.0. Some years later it became clear that user interfaces are not protected by copyright. And if neither a program's "idea" nor it's user interface is protected, there doesn't seem to be any obstacle to cloning software...
But those cases were about business software. Video games are a different thing, and court rulings about video games have been a complete mess. This is an article that valiantly tries to make some sense of it: http://adlervermillion.com/copyright-illustrated-video-game-clones/
From the introduction: "In a 1994 case, copying Chun Li’s ‘head stomp’ was improper imitation, but in that same case, copying Sagat’s ‘tiger knee’ was just sincere flattery. In one case, copying the size of the Tetris game board (10x20) was infringement, but in another case, copying the size of the Triple Town game board (6x6) was allowed."
The conclusion I draw is that I wouldn't want rely on the "mechanics" defense alone...
Peer May 26, 2015 at 4:27 AM
Im an (analog) game designer and I have to weigh in - Sorry ;-)
The problem with copyrighting single mechanism is that 1) its to difficult to draw the line "How small" a mechanism can be - rolling a die? Rolling 2 dice (yes, thats to old to be copyrighted, its just an example) and 2) how much needes to be changed to have a different mechanism.
3) a single mechanism in a different game can be used in a total different game - You could argue that the "First Person" of DM was later used in "Doom" and alike. It would also making new games virtually impossible.
So normally copyrigths see the whole product. DM/EoB is a grey zone, but since EoB uses the D&D system and a different story, different monsters, different riddles as such, its different enough to be considered a single game.
TBS It is considered good etiquette to ask the original inventor if you are consciously using a mechanism from a different game. Especially if the mechanism is somehat dominant.
Captain Kal May 26, 2015 at 1:16 PM
"And actually with EOB1 you are still screwed for choosing DOS over Amiga"
Not to mention, that there is an updated Amiga 1200 version, by fans, with 256 colors and a handy automap!!!
jrodman June 5, 2015 at 9:52 PM
Gameplay elements are concepts. There are no intellectual property laws that allow people to lock down general concepts like that, and it would make us all *much* poorer if it was.
The closest thing is a trade secret, which is a thing that you've figured out and gives you an advantage as a business and you are choosing to tell no one about. Obviously game mechanics do not qualify.
Specific implementations of game mechanics can be protected. It might be possible to patent such things, but this is generally considered more harmful than helpful.
Making similar game mechanics is a time-honored tradition -- cloning and improving upon a baseline, and it should be celebrated. If you tread too close to a litigous company, they may make you sorry for what you've done, but the law does not offer any fundamental protection against your competitors making *similar* games.
"why couldn't the game have displayed weapon and armor statistics when you right-click on them or something?"
It really annoying - especially when you get magic items. Thankfully the second game makes identifying much easier. Thankfully, magic weapons are all given names, so don't feel you have to lug around all the axes and maces you find. On the other hand, keep -everything- else.
You won't accidentally kill any NPCs
I don't think there are any randomly generated monsters in the game, and loot is fixed.
We're getting further into spoiler territory here, but there are monster respawns and random drops.
I would not say magic weapons have names is a reliable rule, but there's a spell Chet already has access to that should help with that.
Boroth May 25, 2015 at 5:41 AM
I don't recall respawns on the first level, but pretty sure some levels do have them.
Some magic weapons are more obvious than others, I'd certainly not ignore that spell (oo mysterious, hardly rocket science to which we mean), handy to know which you can safely dump on a pressure plate. There's at least one other type of item its useful for (not counting armour, you can check your ac for that).
I await Chet's visit to level 4 :)
You're talking about "Detect Magic"? That seems to make magic items glow, but it doesn't actually tell you anything about them.
I wouldn't recommend long-term spawn-camping though. Food is, though plenty enough for you to reach the endgame, scare enough to dead-end you if you are trying to max out your multi-class characters.
You don't have to worry about them as they can be transferred to EotB 2. That said, singular class specialists are still more effective. Clerics can actually hold their fight pretty well and do not need to be multi-classed with Rangers since;
a) Clerics can wear heavy armor and not be restricted with Spell Failures,
b) Rangers lose their Dual-Wielding ability when weighted down by heavy armor and
c) Dwarven Clerics have astounding Saving Throws that makes them really good for frontline defense against magic/disease/poison attacks.
The following party composition is the most popular (and boring) configuration:
1 - Human Paladin (or Fighter if you want to have Evil characters)
2 - Dwarven Cleric
3 - Elven Magic User
4 - Halfling Thief
In any case, you don't have to worry about the starting party anyway. You'd be surprised at what/who you will find in the sewers and I'm not going to ruin it for you.
Malor May 25, 2015 at 11:16 PM
>You're talking about "Detect Magic"? That seems to make magic items glow, but it doesn't actually tell you anything about them.
I haven't played EoTB (well, I did a little bit, many years ago, but gave up in disgust), but in the paper game, Detect Magic will typically tell you if an item is enchanted, and works on many items at a time, everything you can currently see. To find out what an item actually is, you use the Identify spell.
There's no Identify spell in this game, but Detect Magic works as you describe, making magic items glow without telling you their plus or minus.
There is no identify spell, but there is a way to identify your whole inventory, which you will find later: Chg na Beo bs Xabjyrqtr va gur Benpyr bs Xabjyrqtr sbhaq va gur qjneira ehvaf.
That sounds like what a guy would say who was born after the late 80s era with a 90s childhood.
Every level has a bit of respawning actually, it's timed or set on a number of steps done. In the first level, it is a leech close to the alternate / secret passage at the end of the level, and a few kobolds close to where you find the 'special quest' for that level. But it's not whorty of the time needed to get it, There's much better few levels down to do some grinding.
For those who want to play along with Chet but hate mapping:
http://personal.inet.fi/koti/jhirvonen/ase/
It maps for you, but it is a bit cheaty in the sense that teleporters/spinners/etc are now meaningless.
I'm amazed that I nearly finished this game when I was 11. I had no concept of the aforementioned traps, no concept of the two step fight technique, and I never mapped. I must have had a lot of patience - I know that due to teleporters, there were numerous gameplay sessions where I'd spend half an hour walking down the same corridors and then give up in disgust.
I booted it up yesterday and realised that, despite my nostalgia, I hate DM-clones. I settled for watching a guy speedrun it in 10 minutes.
I respect the effort that went into that automap application, but a big problem with it is that it'll crap out if you swap the position of your party members, which is a life-saving tactic for those times you can't dance around enemies.
Pedro Q. May 25, 2015 at 4:12 AM
EoB1 (and I think possibly EoB2, if you intend to import) limits characters by level (8, I think), not by combined XP. This means when your paladin or mage get to level 8, they don't gain more XP. On the other hand, a F/M/T can go all the way to 8/8/8
The level limit varies by race and class, and is almost always higher than 8. You'd have to grind like crazy to max-out as anything other than a halfling fighter, or a halfling or gnome cleric.
I don't love Dungeon Master-style games, but Eye of the Beholder's my favorite of them. Still, I look forward to your potentially harsh criticism, since I could be overrating it.
The DOS version's solidly better than the Amiga port, which has a lower color depth, less music & sound at the beginning, less fancy effects for some spells, and lacks keyboard commands for most functions other than movement. There's a fan-made upgrade to the Amiga version (mentioned by other commenters in the past) which improves the color depth and adds an automap. I have to admit, though I owned a copy of the game in the '90s, I didn't beat it until more than a decade later with the help of that automap.
The classes in my preferred party are almost the same as yours, except that I like a single-class cleric instead of a multi-class one. Since you don't have a gnome in your party, I don't think it'll be a spoiler if I tell you that a gnome could have read the kobold writing on Level 1.
I've never heard anyone say that the DOS version of anything is better than the Amiga version of anything. Others are going to debate you on that, but even to have it as a possibility shows that we've entered a new era.
Was the writing something important?
dahauns May 25, 2015 at 1:22 PM
Well, at the time affordable 486's and VGA cards found increasing prevalence, as well as good, cheap sound cards like SB Pro. It's indeed the tipping point and the start of a new era.
There are, as Man of Stone said, scribblings on the walls that only certain races can read, but it's never anything critical and is at most a very minor hint or direction.
Ralph The Avatar May 25, 2015 at 9:59 PM
The two words that ended the DOS Amiga Debate - Wing Commander. When that came out in 1990 Amiga users realized that the change was happening and I was one of them :) Bought my first PC in 1991 and put the Amiga in storage
>I've never heard anyone say that the DOS version of anything is better than the Amiga version of anything.
The advent of VGA and the Soundblaster was about when the balance started to shift. The Amiga was hard to program, and it did some things really well, but VGA, while slow, was very easy to deal with as a programmer. (Amiga graphics were 'planar', meaning you had to touch up to five different bits in memory, in different bitplanes, to color one pixel, where VGA was 'chunky', one byte per pixel.) Games with fast graphics didn't start to get good on the PC until, hmm, probably around '94, but slower games, especially strategy titles, were shifting hard to DOS at this point.
At the beginning of '91, the Amiga was five years old, in the middle of the fastest advances in computer power we ever saw. (To someone in 2015, this would probably be about like a computer from 2000; usable, but very slow.) The 'fast PC' of 1991 would have been a 33MHz '486, typically with, hmm, probably about 2 megs of RAM, possibly 4. Admittedly, that would probably cost around $3K: the computer you really wanted, all through this era, was usually that much.
The 7.1MHz 68000 in the Amiga was looking pretty dismal in comparison, and the A500 would be discontinued later in the year.
By the time EoTB shipped, it was obvious to almost everyone that the Amiga was losing badly, and that Commodore was being run by chuckleheads.
The SVGA VLB came out in '92 and that's when PC graphics really amped up. One of the reasons EoB looks so nice is that it's well drawn - even the EGA mode looks pretty good, which I played on my 8mhz 8086.
Man of Stone May 26, 2015 at 10:03 AM
The kobold writing's trivial, but I find the dwarf and elf language skills helpful.
Ricky Skegg May 25, 2015 at 4:48 AM
The Amiga version that has automap is the A1200 AGA version. That is pretty much the definitive version since the DOS ending just takes you straight to the OS.
The fact that the DOS ending does that was spoiled for me before, long ago, in a different post, but I wouldn't have remembered if you hadn't written that. I'd rather have discovered that for myself.
Helm May 25, 2015 at 2:24 PM
I'm very sorry for repeating that if you feel it's a spoiler. Would you mind explaining your reasoning on cases like these being spoilers? The missing end in the DOS version is a result of a bad porting job, it's not plot or mechanics related.
I know a lot of people are sensitive about mechanics spoilers and I tend to agree on those, but for me the lack of an EOB ending is similar to saying to someone that EOB in the Amiga was a more limited palette.
Or is it that EOB has or hasn't *any* sort of ending that you'd have rather found out on your own?
A. Freed May 25, 2015 at 2:46 PM
Quick pedantic correction: At least according to the usual sources, the Amiga version was a port from the DOS version. So it has nothing to do with being a "bad porting job." (I don't know whether the ending was created purely for the Amiga after negative press for the DOS version, or whether it simply wasn't included in the DOS release because of disk space issues.)
Steve May 25, 2015 at 4:16 PM
The DOS ending is the same as the Amiga ending, but the Amiga version has graphics to accompany the text and the DOS version doesn't have graphics. And the Amiga version may or may not have a credits sequence too. Probably the thing that annoyed people about the DOS ending is that yes you just get unceremoniously dumped back into DOS after you beat it.
CRPG Addict May 25, 2015 at 4:24 PM
First commenter: {Spoiler}
Me: Please try to avoid spoilers
Next commenter: {Reiterates spoiler and provides even more detail}
Yes, Helm. I consider knowing anything about the ending--whether it has one, whether it's good, whether it's bad, whether it's long and elaborate, whether it just dumps you to the DOS prompt--to be a spoiler.
Raifield May 26, 2015 at 7:50 AM
I'm ashamed to admit that I think I was the original spoiler, my apologies!
Another vote for the Amiga version (though I never played the AGA version - time to dust off an Amiga emulator!). I never encountered a single bug or crash in that version and the graphics and sound felt like a real jump from Dungeon Master.
Have fun. The second game is even better.
And here we go... :D
EOB2 is, to me the worst of the series. Any game with deathtraps should be shot and burnt and forgotten.
But those deathtraps can be avoided. Super Mario has deathtraps too but is celebrated, not despite of, but because of!
Pedro Q. May 26, 2015 at 7:47 PM
Deathtraps in a RPG aren't acceptable. "Hey you just stepped on the wrong square, the game is over, reload"
Wow... you're gonna hate Wizardry then.
When did Wizardry 1-3 have deathtraps?
Kenny McCormick May 26, 2015 at 11:13 PM
Right. Sorry. Wizardry IV.
Wizardry IV is so... shall we say, uniquely designed, that it doesn't even deserve to be in the same category as regular dungeon crawlers.
Wizardry 4 was a deliberate "okay 2 and 3 were too easy for all of you? We can fix that."
Zalmoxis May 25, 2015 at 6:23 AM
Was the theme for the names you've chosen, by any chance, something like "characters from 1991 films"?
Not just films--Oscar nominees for best picture!
Helm May 25, 2015 at 6:29 AM
It's not a spoiler to tell you that the DOS version doesn't have an ending cutscene and the Amiga version has a very satisfying one. You could just watch it on youtube after you're done, of course. Otherwise this is an alright port.
I recently finished EOB1 and 2. I had fun with because I employed an external mapping application, but seeing how you actually like making your maps I think you'll like the flow of this game even more. EOB2 is vastly superior to 1, but 1 was alright. Dungeon Master is a significantly more fleshed out and together game, but for a first outing in the 3d step dungeoncrawler, Westwood did good.
EoB2 has so many issues, it's by far the worst of the trilogy (and EoB3 is quite average).
Helm May 25, 2015 at 10:00 AM
I'd ask you to expand on EoB2's issues but let's just wait for the blog to get to that.
I love when this discussion comes up, as if I'll ever, under any circumstances, play the Amiga version of anything as long as there's another version to play.
I'm with Helm. I found EotB 2 great. 3 had issues, but was still enjoyable (but some of those dungeons are massive!).
Inspire by Chet to play and beat MM I a few years ago, I fired up the EotB series, which I could never get anywhere in as a kid, and beat them. Fun games, but hardly perfect. Looking forward to your assessment Chet.
Boroth May 25, 2015 at 11:56 AM
EotB2>EotB>DM>EotB3 would be how I would order them. Back in the day people were divided over which was better out of EotB and DM, I guess nothing has changed :)
As for amiga vs Pc, early gold box games were hands down better on the amiga, but I think now as you say, you are reaching the point where the systems converge. I think amiga might still have slightly higher quality for a little while, but possibly not so much to outweigh the fact you have to run an emulator to use them (Some things are easysauce to run, others have annoying waits, or quirks to get running).
I wonder what people's favourite dm clone/deritive is their favourite, since a lot were spawned from it.
Pedro Q. May 25, 2015 at 12:12 PM
The "which EoB is better" discussion always comes up in these situations. :) What's that website to "encode" text? I can explain my reasons but I'd rather not have to spoil Chet :)
Raifield May 25, 2015 at 12:37 PM
@Pedro:
Do a search for a 'ROT13 Converter'
Three reasons why EoB2 is the poorest game in the series:
1) Qrngugencf. Cynprf jurer, nsgre lbh tb va, gur tnzr vfa'g svavfunoyr nalzber
2) Tryngvabhf phorf. Ybfvat lbhe vzcbegrq +4 jrncbaf sebz RbO1 vf greevoyr
3) Gur fxryrgba ebbz. Va gur jbefg cbffvoyr pnfr, vg'f n qrngugenc nf fbba nf lbh bcra gur qbbe. Va gur orfg cbffvoyr pnfr, vg'f n onq grfg gb gur cynlre'f cngvrapr.
I'll make finding an ROT13 converter even easier:
http://www.unit-conversion.info/texttools/rot13/
Jason Dyer May 25, 2015 at 2:10 PM
@Pedro,
When did #1 happen? I must have lucked out.
I also don't remember #2, but it's been a while and I might just have avoided that somehow.
I know exactly what you mean with #3, since that took me the longest of any part of the game, but it took some major thinking to get through and when I finally did it felt like triumph.
MOZA May 25, 2015 at 2:24 PM
Pedro Q, all of your complaints can be adequately countered with "git gud".
(imagine a stick figure with arms defiantly crossed here)
I find EOB2 by far the best game in the series, simply because it's the only one whose challenge level isn't pathetically easy. It's as if it's the only EOB game whose designers were aware that they were making a DM clone, a genre that grants the player ability to dodge any attack, and therefore they should not just copy D&D monster statlines into their engine and call it a day. They actually made an effort to balance it properly.
EOB1 is second best EOB, though vastly inferior to 2. EOB3 is utter trash. Dungeon Hack is an interesting experiment - failed, but interesting.
Sorry, but there's simply no excuse for #1 . Ever . In any RPG. I won't spoil the location, but I'll quote the hintbook:
"this room is a trap. There is no way to exit
this room. Now is the time to load that
last save of yours. You were warned!"
Also, the game overall is very easy for an imported party, with the exception of #3 mentioned above. I'd say the only difficulty is with finding good NPCs to join you, but that's yet another (minor) design fault.
EoB3 had side dungeons (unncessary to complete the game) and interesting NPCs, like Delmair.
Raifield May 25, 2015 at 8:03 PM
Aw, I really enjoy Dungeon Hack. It's okay Dungeon Hack, you and Fantasy Empires can still play together.
Petri R. May 26, 2015 at 2:31 AM
Just a little hint: The original Rot13 can still be found from www.rot13.com unchanged from the -96 :)
The part he brings up in his third point isn't tough, just tedious, and a major pacing killer so early in the game.
jrodman June 5, 2015 at 10:00 PM
It seems to weird to reject the Amiga versions outright, though you're pretty much already past the time window where it's worth selecting that platform.
Gnoman June 5, 2015 at 10:30 PM
The Addict's explained before that he finds the Amiga emulator a nightmare to configure, so he plays Amiga versions only if they're the only version available or all the other ones are unplayably broken.
EoB 1 was the first cRPG I played - which made me fell in love with the genre in general.
It also spoiled me a bit as the graphics are much better than many games that followed it.
I like EoB 2 even better as the dungeon makes more sense - you revisit some areas and discover new things ...
I just use the save/load mechanism supplied by the game - so I don't care for the mentioned points.
EoB 3 is for my a big step backwards. The graphics are ugly - the well-known faces you imported from 1 and 2 just look awful ...
And the game is just to hard. I had a fully equipped party from EoB 2 but I could not leave the starting level without being killed ...
So I never got any further than lvl 1 with EoB3 ...
Panta82 May 25, 2015 at 6:52 AM
Westwood will really hit their stride with Lands of Lore, which is phenomenal. I couldn't really get into EOB due to lack of auto-mapping, but I might give it a try now that I learned about the DosBOX and AGA ones.
sucinum May 25, 2015 at 7:08 AM
I did create several dungeons with an editor for Dungeon Master and it was impossible for me to think of a single riddle inside the engine which wasn't in DM or CSB. Also, when looking at the original dungeons, I was amazed how many riddles they had, basically every few steps.
EoB lacks a bit in that department. The engine allows a bit more and that is made use of, but it also has larger areas where you only hunt buttons, weight pressure pads and avoid spinners. But it has other means to make the dungeon interesting, like the NPCs and the special quest per level.
You could say EoB is a better rounded game than DM, but a bit weaker in the strongest parts. Compared to DM, it mostly lacks replayability, I completed DM dozens of times, each EoB title "only" 2-3 times.
I think it's a trope of "pure" dungeon crawlers to hold back with the story. Even newer games (Lands of Lore etc.), which have far more options like outside areas and cut scenes, are basically just a hunt for the end boss. The first person view makes it hard to transport any kind of epic feeling, since your view is always limited and game world is (and feels) small, also for the reason that far travels are almost impossible to include.
Games which combine dungeon crawling with a 2D map interface do much better in that regard. Dragonflight did that, but totally got the balance between dungeons and overland wrong, but there will be better games in future (Amberstar!).
Oh yes, this is good for Chet to know if he wants to squeeze everything out of EOB. There's a special, secret thing you can do on every level of the dungeon that gives you rewards. Experimentation is key.
Time to go back and hunt around on Level 1, I guess. I assume the special, secret thing on Level 2 was the dagger thing that resulted in that text?
So far, I don't see what would make DM more "replayable" than EotB except that you might just like it better. I mean, once you know how to solve the puzzles, nothing really changes, right?
Yeah, you burn 3 or 4 daggers getting it. Possibly not even worth it. Daggers are good.
I believe the reward outshines the loss of 3 or 4 daggers :)
I don't see why story has to be tied to epic. I'd love for RPGs to do more small, local stories. Baldur's Gate went epic later on, but at the start is is just a quest to find out who you are, and to help with an IRON SHORTAGE. Not save the world, not stop an army, help restore trade and stop an iron shortage.
sucinum May 25, 2015 at 11:24 AM
I did solo and duo runs in DM, which is somewhat easier since a single character can do anything and it offers you the option to dodge missiles and spells. In the dungeon, very few is random, items are always at the same place, only monsters wander around a bit. Also, a lot of it is optional, you can leave out a lot.
CSB is different, many items have random places and there are a lot of invisible teleporters, especially around the junction of ways, which makes the game very random. For example, every way has 3 different starts - and you can also choose your way. I don't know of any game as masterfully designed as the dungeon in CSB even until today (disclaimer: I don't know every single game). The engine is fully used to every limit.
So yes, I liked DM better - running and fighting feels a lot faster and more direct, that makes the parts you repeat less tedious. And it has more rewards, since you gain more levels and solve more riddles. That lead me to creating dungeons, so I could play it more.
It's mostly personal preference, yes. ;)
That makes sense. The nature of characters and character development does lead to some interesting possibilities with DM. From what I've experience so far, a single character--maybe a fighter/mage/thief?--could probably win at EotB, too, since the side-step-turn works so well, but perhaps this changes later.
Given what speedrunners have accomplished, probably so. (Do you consider it a spoiler to bring up things like speedrun times and techniques that are irrelevant to a standard playthrough? Or for that matter, saying how many floors there are or how long normal playthroughs could take/have taken?)
I dunno about Chet but, to me, as long as something that is not stated in the manual or anywhere in the introductory and/or tutorial phase of the game, everything is a spoiler.
Yeah, but saying "the speedrun record is X hours and Y minutes, and does A, B, and C" (without giving hints that are useful in a regular game) doesn't *seem* spoilery to me (but then again, neither does sharing the DOS/Amiga difference that got brought up.) You *might* be able to infer from a speedrun time what actually completing the game boils down to (although that's a stretch if you haven't actually completed it.)
About the speedrun, gur gvzr vf rvtug naq n unys zvahgrf cyhf bar naq n unys ebyyvat punenpgref, vg oneryl yriryf hc sbhe punenpgref, naq fcraqf n tbbq ovg bs gvzr jvgu gjb bs gurz qrnq. Fb vg jbhyq frrz yvxr vs sbhe vaperqvoyl haqrecbjrerq punenpgref pbhyq orng gur tnzr yvxr gung, bar rvtug/rvtug/rvtug punenpgre pbhyq.
Link to said speedrun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAhrQfpTV64
The speedrun I saw used a single character, and you were close on the class. Didn't even modify or re-roll, which is pretty awesome.
Jonothan May 25, 2015 at 1:19 PM
I remember buying the SNES port of this some time after it came out and being excited because it would be the first time I'd actually get to play a D&D game instead of just rereading the rulebooks. The game quickly broke my heart when I got completely lost in a teleporter & spinner maze before falling into a pit full of poisonous spiders and losing everyone except my mage to venom (and being completely stuck because I couldn't use his daggers as anything but thrown weapons and thus couldn't cut through webs). I think I owned that game for maybe a month before I traded it in for something less arcane.
As for the SNES version (and I think others,) gurer ner gjb arhgenyvmr cbvfba cbgvbaf va gur ragver tnzr, fb vs fbzrbar trgf cbvfbarq, gurl'er cenpgvpnyyl nf tbbq nf qrnq.
Fry May 26, 2015 at 12:37 PM
FARF cynlre urer. V pbhyq unir fjbea vg jnf cbffvoyr gb urny guebhtu cbvfba ol pnzcvat naq pnfgvat Pher Yvtug Jbhaqf ercrngrqyl hagvy gur cbvfba jber bss. Bs pbhefr, gung erdhverf lbh gb svaq n cynpr gung jvyy nyybj lbh gb pnzc.
V nyjnlf erzrzore gur tnzr jneavat lbh vs lbh gevrq gb erfg juvyr cbvfbarq naq cbvfba qnzntr unccravat sne snfgre guna lbhe pyrevp(f) pbhyq er-zrzbevmr fcryyf, gb n cbvag jurer vg jnf pbzcyrgryl ubcryrff...
That's not the only dead-end there's also gur cneg jurer V'z whfg gebyyvat Purg jvgu na rapbqrq zrffntr yvxr guvf bar.
V'z tbvat gb pnyy gurfr "Xbobyq Zrffntrf", va ubabe bs gubfr fpenjyvat ba gur jnyyf ur sbhaq va guvf tnzr.
"Xbobyq zrffntrf" znxvat gur tnzr hajvaanoyr vf cbffvoyl gur jbefg qrfvta qrpvfvba rire, naq V'z fher jvyy erfhyg va zvahf bar uhaqerq obahf cbvagf jura vg pbzrf gvzr gb TVZYRG gur tnzr. Urer ner zber jbeqf va "EBG guvegrra", cevznevyl qrfvtarq gb znxr vg ybbx yvxr na rkgerzryl rynobengr qrngugenc vf orvat qrfpevorq. Urer'f n enag nobhg ubj jura V gel gb cynl Rlr bs gur Orubyqre va QBFobk, vg'f pbzcynvavat nobhg n "YRIRYF [QBG] GZC" svyr abg orvat cerfrag, arire zvaq gung vg jbexrq whfg svar yvxr n lrne ntb.
Yeah, I'm sure he's read our messages for the hints when he gets there. It's not like he could proceed any further without having to waste time restarting all over again.
Pedro Q. May 27, 2015 at 10:59 AM
Wasn't it in Ultima Underworld that lbh pbhyq bayl svavfu vs lbh erzrzorerq gur pbeerpgyl pbyberq cngu va n ivfvba evtug va gur svefg yriry bs gur qhatrba?
And Kenny, funzr ba lbh!!! ;)
Another thing that can put you in a "walking dead" situation is if lbh trg n "YRIRYF [QBG] GZC" vffhr yvxr V qvq. Guvf jnf fbyirq ol svaqvat nabgure pbcl bs gur tnzr bayvar, zretvat vgf svyrf jvgu zl pbcl, naq ehaavat vg. Sbe fbzr ernfba "YRIRYF [QBG] GZC" jnf zvffvat sebz zl pbcl, fbzrubj, juvpu qvqa'g nyybj fnivat be ybnqvat.
Obdurate Hater of Rhythm Games May 27, 2015 at 3:27 PM
I love Sierra games, but they have annoying dead ends, like yrnivat gur ebcr va gur ubgry, abg gnxvat gur jerapu sebz gur ercnvezna, abg unttyvat sbe gur wrgcnpx naq gur zbarl, yrnivat gur fplgur ba gur qehvq vfynaq, tvir gur jebat cvrprf bs rivqrapr gb gur rivqrapr ebbz vafgrnq bs gur whqtr, yrggvat gur png frr lbh, zvffvat gur genafyngvba xrl gur obbg, yrnivat gur sver cynarg jvgubhg ernyvmvat lbh unir gb jnvg sbe gur fheirlbef gb yrnir, vzcebcreyl nqwhfgvat lbhe tha--V ungr gung cneg--no matter how well I remember a Sierra game, I always end up in one of these.
You don't need to ROT13 an adventure game that Chet will not be playing, OHRG.
I played this on the SNES in middle school, and remember liking it. Plus, it was three bucks, which is nice when you're too young to get a job. The SNES version is virtually identical except for using the SNES controller (though it does allow you to use the SNES mouse), a soundtrack, not giving you a way to transfer your characters to EotB2/3 (never mind that they don't exist on the SNES, which saddens me) and that one advantage the Amiga has that keeps coming up. Somehow I beat it without mapping (Nintendo Power had some decent coverage of it, so that helped.)
The GBA port of EotB... of all things, ports a battle system very similar to Gold Box into the game. Somehow, it doesn't work very well, but I want to try it again now. (I think a major part of it is forcing 3rd edition rules into EotB, too.)
As for the food issue...
-Gurer vf n yriry 2 (be jnf vg 3?) pyrevp fcryy "Perngr Sbbq" gung vapernfrf rirelbar'f sbbq zrgre.
-Naq naljnl, lbh pna trg ol whfg svar shyyl erfgvat nsgre rirel svtug jvgu rarzvrf gb erfgber lbhe fcryyf. Pyrevpf pna nhgburny lbhe cnegl, gbb, fb sbbq ernyyl vfa'g na vffhr.
(Can someone tell me if the first point is in the manual? I don't remember.)
Okay, I see now that the manual has a Level 3 cleric spell called "Create Food and Water." It also specifies that starving characters only lose 1 HP every 24 hours, so I guess that's manageable.
I didn't originally read that because I figured I already had a handle on D&D spells. I didn't realize I'd be encountering new ones!
Well, manageable except if you need to rest :)
You should be able to heal more than 1 HP per character per hour if you have a cleric, though.
As for D&D spells you haven't seen before, I think some computer implementations of D&D remove spells that are completely irrelevant to their campaign (for example, Create Food wasn't in any of the Gold Box games to my knowledge.)
The manual also notes that you can't replenish spells while starving- so it's probably a good idea to keep either a Create Food and Water spell ready or have a few rations (if not both.) This seems like more of a problem than losing 1 HP/24 hours.
"Create Food and Water" works so well that it basically renders the entire food system moot. I figured when I cast it, it would edge up everyone's hunger bar slightly. It entirely replenished it!
There's plenty of food for the first five or six floors, so casting Create Food seems like an annoyance that doesn't really add any resource management to the game- so why was it included? The Gold Box games show that TSR didn't insist on every single mechanic from D&D being represented in every computer implementation of D&D rules (and they did just fine without hunger mechanics. Why not at least give you an option to autocast Create Food when resting, like Cure Wounds spells?)
A word of warning: Before opening a lock with a key, ALWAYS try lockpicks first. Certain locks that use key type X can be picked, others can't, and wasting keys can cause you to miss treasures or even potentially become permanently stuck. The critical key type is Dwarven Key - there are way fewer keys of that sort in the game than there are locks they fit in.
EOB takes some shortcuts with the D&D rules. One important difference is that the least restrictive armor and weapon restriction of a multiclassed character is what applies (ie. fighter/mages can wear platemail and still cast spells).
"Special quests" are a bit of a misnomer - they'd be more appropriately called "hidden objectives", as none of them are given to you as explicit quests. All of them basically require you to do some specific counterintuitive thing, and the rewards are usually meaninglessly small, so don't worry about missing them.
Food won't be a problem in the series as long as your party has a Cleric in it.
Tristan Gall May 25, 2015 at 8:25 PM
Are you sure it's not the case that when you use keys to open doors, it simply generates that kind of key somewhere for you to find? I got the impression that lockpicks were useless.
I've never heard of the game spawning additional keys. They're all fixed drops as far as I know, and there's not enough of them to open all the locks in the game.
A warning for your warning is that every lockpicking attempt has a small chance of critical failure, which will destroy the lockpick.
I always thought it was weird how in lots of games like EoB and Wizardry it always explicitly tells you what your AC is but doesn't say how much damage your weapons do. So if you get a new piece of armor you can see at a glance whether it's better than what you already have, but when you get a new weapon, you just have to play around with it a bit to try to get a feel of whether it's stronger or not.
AC is essentially your defense and durability, your ability to protect the HP you have. So I don't think it's much stranger than revealing your max HP, at least in Wizardry-likes.
With the exception of magic weapons, I can answer how much damage any normal weapons in D&D does without referencing to any guide.
Dagger, Blackjack/Sap - 1D4
Mace, Spear, Quarterstaff, Shortsword, Hatchet - 1D6
Broadsword, Scimitar, Longsword, Hand Ax - 1D8
Battle Ax - 1D10
2-Handed Sword - 1D12
Oh dang, wait.
I'm mixing my D&D editions.
Screw this, I'm outta here.
smallmj May 25, 2015 at 6:07 PM
I bought all 3 beholder games on a collectors CD I found in the bargain bin sometime in the late 90s. I was excited because it was a D&D game and my brother really enjoyed his gold box games. I was expecting something similar.
Instead I got a real time first person combat game that I did not enjoy at all in the 15 minutes that I played. It has been sitting on my shelf ever since.
Quirkz May 25, 2015 at 7:57 PM
I'm always unaccountably excited by the Dungeons&Dragons games, even the ones I've never played. I think it's because I know D&D enough that I'll recognize those components, even if I don't really know the game. That said, I actually found this one and played a few minutes, thinking I might try to play along, and at least initially it felt a little weird trying to wedge D&D together with Dungeon Master. I assume it works based on how popular it is, but it felt like when I'm trying to talk Spanish, and it comes out half German. Then I got sidetracked when I realized I'd need to map and never made it very far.
The eyes in the grates did make me keep checking them obsessively, too.
Eye of the Beholder isn't as confusing to navigate as something like Wizardry, and plus every step doesn't count in the same way- maps can be helpful but aren't necessary, and I managed to beat EotB1 without making or using any maps at all.
The maps are also how I annotate places I need to return to in order to solve mysteries and whatnot. I agree the levels could be navigated without maps (at least, so far), but I would still need those notes.
A thought on that dagger thing.... this is purely a guess, because I haven't meaningfully played this game, and this is definitely not a spoiler.
In D&D, higher-level illusions can be tactile, so the thing about 'solid illusion' makes me think that there might be a wall you can pass through only if you can see the illusion. It may feel solid, unlike the usual illusions in dungeon crawlers.
There are 5th level spells called True Seeing and True Sight (one for mages, one for clerics, don't remember which is which), but at 3rd level, you'll be nowhere near those. But I think there's a second level spell, Detect Illusion, and that might be helpful. I think there might be a cleric version, which would give you access from any cleric.
I don't know, by the way, if those spells are even in the game, so if you don't see them, I'm barking up the wrong tree.
The Trickster May 25, 2015 at 11:51 PM
Good to see you enjoying this one Chet. :)
I LOVED this game as a thirteen year old. One of my favourites from the good old Amiga days. I unfortunately haven't had time to read a lot of CRPG Addict lately, but I'll be along for this ride.
Kenny McCormick May 26, 2015 at 2:31 AM
This was the 1st CRPG I ever played that had me worried about dysentery because it's the 1st one to implement hunger system, being trapped from civilization AND starting out in the sewers at the same time.
I remember thinking who the heck would eat "food" that is being stowed in a slimy and lichen-ridden alcove. It might not be displayed but sewers generally are full of human wastes, garbage and pests (unless the kobolds also double as full time janitors between their passion-fueled hero-killing sprees).
Other similar games happened in dungeons. It might not be extremely sanitary but at least the food is less questionable since dungeons are expected to be inhabited. Sewers? Not so much. Who the hell would set up a kitchen in a sewer? Or handle and store foodstuff, raw or cooked?
I could think of hundreds of places that even includes wrapping the food in paper and burying it in dirt which would still make the food more palatable than leaving that chicken drumstick lying on the floor at the end of a sewer passageway.
The only reason I could think of for doing that is to, probably, poison the poor moron who is stupid enough to pick that shit up and eat it. For all it's worth, it probably IS a piece of turd that was lovingly hand-molded into the shape of a chicken drumstick by kobold sculptors.
Obdurate Hater of Rhythm Games May 26, 2015 at 3:28 AM
I think that in the days before refridgeration, plastics, preservatives, pesticides and antibiotics, pretty much all of the food would carry such risks. Fun fact: If farmers failed to produce sufficient food in the summer, half the population would die of starvation in the winter--and during the winter, food would come from unrefridgerated, rat-infested storehouses.
Walen May 26, 2015 at 4:56 AM
About the food - I believe it has already been an established rpg convention that caves/dungeons/sewers exist for the sole purpose of waiting to be explored by unfortunate groups of adventurers and are inhabited by monsters that are mysteriously level par with the player party after being sealed from the outside world for hundreds of years. Apparently monsters do not have to eat/sleep/pursue other acivities. Strangely the food you find is ok though. A hundred year old chicken leg found in a slimy, dank corner? Hmmmm, yummy.
Seriously though EoB at least tries to be convincing in the matter. Instead of apples and pieces of bread found elsewhere you get travel rations that from a real life historical counterpart consist of preservable articles like dried salinated meat that could become swallowable after just under fifteen minutes of chewing.
Fallout: Tactics and Dungeons of Dredmor both joke about the quality of the 'food' items.
According to D&D lore, Slimes, Molds, Jellies, Oozes, and Otyughs are part of an important sector of the dungeon ecology - Waste eradication.
Of all these non-sentient scavengers, my favorite is the Gelatinous Cube. It supposed evolved into such a shape through many generations of living in a dungeon with 10'X10' wide and tall corridors.
The strange thing is... if they are really products of evolution, how are they found in different unconnected dungeons? Do they come out of their own dungeon and travel to other dungeons to asexually reproduce?
Anyway, funny discussion about Gelatinous Cubes on Reddit. http://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/2zu5k2/how_big_can_a_gelatinous_cube_grow/
In this game, Chet's joke aside, I don't think you are exploring the sewers: I think you are exploring The Undermountain. Waterdeep is built on the foothills of a mountain, by the sea. Kind of like Vancouver.
I forget the start of it, but over the years an underground complex was started. A previous ruler of Waterdeep, The Mad Archmage, Halastar Blackcloak used his magic and summoned creatures to greatly expand the existing ruins there, and eventually abandoned the city to live there. He also connected it to a series of caves that run under the entire world (The Underdark) and all sorts of other planes and worlds. So I suspect you are exploring the caves and passages in the undermountain, rather then the sewers. (The sewers connect to the undermountain, but don't flow into it.)
Red_Cardinal May 26, 2015 at 4:57 AM
>>Oddly, gnomes can't be mages; I had thought the "gnome illusionist" was a well-established trope by now.
If I recall the AD&D 2nd edition rules correctly, although Gnomes could be Illusionists, this was a specific sub-class of the Magic-user class with its own, separate set of spells. Gnome players could therefore choose to be Illusionists but not Magic-Users.
So yes, they are magic-users but not Magic-users :)
In 1st Ed, Illusionists had a different spell list, in 2nd Ed they were merely the 'example' specialist mage class, each of which used the same list but were barred from casting spells of the opposite school (Necromancy, in that case).
A Gnome Illusionist/Thief was the only way to have a multi-classed specialist mage.
So because EoTB didn't implement specialized classes, no gnome magic user? I guess that makes sense.
Same for Gold Box I think.
And then along came Jan Jansen.
Thanks Tristan, I was confusing 1st edition with 2nd (but I was kind of correct :) )
It's fair enough, they're very similar products. It wasn't until 3rd Ed that the D&D experienced significant change.
bladededge May 26, 2015 at 9:02 AM
I loved this game, but not on the computer. Never played Eye of the Beholder on computer, in fact. The version I played was the Sega CD version, which I remember begging for as a present years ago just because I had a Sega Mouse but no games to play with it besides Fun & Games, which was a Mario Paint clone made by Tradewest.
Eye of the Beholder on Sega CD is unique because it includes a soundtrack created by Yuzo Koshiro, who created among others the soundtracks to the Ys games which Chet played in this article some years ago. He really missed out by playing the Dos version of that, incidentally, the excellent soundtrack is completely gutted there.
The Sega CD version also has what I consider to be a very atmospheric color palette, where the graphics are all kind of blue-tinted and earth toned. I'm still getting used to the colors in the screenshots being posted here. The reds just look too red!
The Sega CD soundtrack is amazing, although, to be fair, the original DOS tune is pretty catchy itself.
Oh man, by the Ys composer? Ys has some of the best game music I've ever heard.
Meh meh meh my last Posting was eaten.
Looking forward to this one, usually I'm just lurking and reading your Blog but I had to say something to EoB ... like Dungeon Master it holds a special Place in my Nostalgic Heart @.@ Gosh I love these types of Dungeon Crawler.
There are some Riddles that are a tad .... strange and I got stuck badly at the end. Maybe I missed a hint or couldn't interpret it properly since I had the game on my SNES in English and being a native German speaker my English wasn't THAT fluent with .. ... 12? ... damn thats a long time ago ...
Anyways! Hope you'll enjoy that one! My Muscle Memory forces me to rush this game ... when I made my LP of it it took me 2h 45min from Char Generation to end credits xD
Btw did you pick up the Deceased Adventurer? You only mentioned taking his Lockpicks ... .. uuh ... I'm sure your Paladin would have insisted on giving him a Proper Burial! *coughs*
You mean take his bones? Why would I do that? Is THAT how I get NPCs to join me? I have to take their bones and resurrect them? Man, I think I've left two of them behind me now.
Boroth May 26, 2015 at 5:29 PM
It's not the only way, but it is probably the main way, anyhow, first rule of rpgs leave nothing behind unless you physically can't carry anymore :) If nothing else bones can be left on pressure pads as much as a spare battle axe could. I can remember who the bones of the first npc were for (no big loss tbh), I can't remember the second. Their gear with the bones should give you a clue to their class at least.
Walen May 26, 2015 at 5:31 PM
It is one of the ways to do it, yes.
I don't really need another thief. I wouldn't mind an extra mage or cleric. I just got a dwarf fighter.
Xrzf May 26, 2015 at 6:29 PM
You'll get both.
Do not forget to scribe the mage scrolls you find.
Gehr, ohg lbh bayl trg bar pyrevp naq bar zntr gb wbva lbh, naq irel yngr va gur tnzr. In the meantime, it's probably worthwhile to let anyone join you rather than nobody.
I hope that wasn't too spoilery but yeah like Boroth said unless its nailed down I tend to carry EVERYTHING with me even if it just gets used to weigh a pressure plate down "Sorry Random Adventurer, those Stones may be easier to carry around than your sorry corpse" :P
Not only is it morbid, it's downright creepy.
I guess it depends. We are talking about a World where Ressurection is possible, don't Cleric get a Talk to dead spell? Maybe you found the deceased son of a wealthy Merchant and he'd pay gladly for the return of the bones!
*rolls his Persuasion check to see if it worked* :P
Bobbledog May 26, 2015 at 4:38 PM
The portraits you've chosen for Starling and Marina seem to be the same character re-coloured and with different accessories - out of interest, where most of the portraits like that? That kind of re-use is pretty common I know, just stuck out to me since the other two portraits you've picked are so obviously different.
Also - "Tossing a dagger at an approaching giant worm" - does the enemies hit box fill the full "grid square" so you could actually hit those worms with thrown weapons? It looks like they should fly right over them.
That's funny. All of the male portraits seem to be unique, but THREE of the female portraits use the same face--the two I chose plus one additional one with elf ears.
The hit box extends vertically, I think. The game does the same thing as DM where enemies can be on the left or right side of the square, and if they're on the left and the attacking character is on the right, the missile weapon sails on by.
Vicarion May 26, 2015 at 5:27 PM
'I like that the maps create irregular wall patterns and don't feel compelled to use every space'
In the gold box games the walls were 'between' the squares - each square had 4 potential walls around it, any of which could be blocked, or a door. In EOB each wall or door takes up an entire map square. That's why the maps look less compact than in Pool of Radiance.
I prefer EoB's take on this, though.
It's kind of stupid to have a micron-thick wall. I mean, was it a magic wall or a nanotech wall?
I agree with you, but the EOB approach means the map has to be twice as wide and twice as high to have the same level design, which means 4 times as much memory is needed. Pool of Radiance had to run on 8 bit machines like the Apple II which had only 48k of RAM, which may be why SSI went with the micron thick walls and limited the map size to 16x16 (EOB seems to have a limit of 32x32)
I definitely agree that games that fill in every single square like the early Wizardrys feel less dynamic and realistic.
10-foot thick walls don't feel particularly realistic (at least to me), either, though. At least the walls in the Gold Box or Wizardry games could be thought of as taking up some small part of the squares they're on (for example, six inches or a foot thick in each of the two spaces that each section of wall separate.
If it's only six inches thick, a warrior with STR 18/00 wielding a warhammer could easily bash it down.
If it's 1 foot thick, think of the Gelatinous Cubes! They will be squished into 9'X9'X12.35' shapes! Does this make them move faster since they are now longer? Or does it make them slower because of the additional friction caused by a larger surface area contact?
Gelatinous Cubes would obviously be slower, due to the additional friction. As for the walls, how's "thick enough to be impenetrable, not thick enough to take up an entire dungeon space?"
Vicarion May 28, 2015 at 2:15 AM
I'm not an engineer, but I suspect underground walls should be thick, the corridors narrow and the ceilings arched or heavily supported by beams or pillars so they don't collapse under the hundreds of tons of rock and dirt above them. Those flat, brick ceilings look like they'd cave in instantly...
The walls at the salt mine I visited in Poland seemed quite thick, so I'm going to the 10 foot thick side of things.
Nest May 26, 2015 at 6:32 PM
Re: Comparison between DM and EOB.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned thus far that whenever you cast a spell in EOB, the movement of the party and monsters pauses until the effect of the spell is completed (contrary to what happens in DM, where you can move freely while the spell is still evolving). I don't know if it is bad programming or plain integration of D&D turn-based system to real time gameplay, but to me it is very irritating, spoils the atmosphere and immersion to a great extent, and destroys any effort of fast side-step dodge/fight. This and the fact that DM has much better level and puzzle design (as another commenter pointed out), are the two major factors which in my mind render DM much superior to EOB.
A couple of other minor factors where DM excels (in my opinion) is the display of the dungeon itself (which seems wider and with better perspective than EOB), and the sound design (in DM you can actually hear a monster approach and determine its proximity and direction from its sounds - increasing greatly the atmosphere and tension - while in EOB you just hear a vague sound which is irrelevant to the position and movement of the monster).
I agree with you about the spells. I've started casting them more often, and the pause is really annoying given that nothing else causes the action to stop like that.
As for the sound...I'm not sure if there are platform differences, but the volume of approaching monsters definitely increases with their approach. I'm not sure how you'd possibly be able to tell the direction, though.
Regarding the spells, the pause is actually there, but it means a sure hit only (resistances and thac0 besides) when the spell flies from a tile to the adjacent one, so strafing or dancing around is possible, and often required: it means that you need to get some distance from the monsters attacking with spells.
Footfall sounds volume increases with proximity, in both Amiga and DOS versions, but, you are right, it is not positional.
A side note on the actual maze design that you mention: having toyed with wallsets extensively, I'm amazed at how smart the choices by the developers were, how many problems in rendering the environment they had to tackle;
For instance, in each wallset, a 3D item can have a maximum of 8 or 9 different positions on a grid, and therefore 8 or 9 different images, they intersect seamlessly and they, at least in Amiga and EGA versions, have to share with all of the rest of the game a very limited palette, of which a part is fixed and a part changes between wallsets (the differently themed levels) while both in structure and palette DM is much more limited.
To save space, for instance some item, like the drains is mirrored, or doorways are 'hidden' in the tile they stand by the adjacent wall cubes.
The only trick DM uses in relation to the perspective Nest mentions, is to have a larger view, but that is a merit in itself, because too much of that and the monsters on lateral tiles get visually mixed with the ones in front of the party
The sound is non-positional because, I guess, each of your character is listening to each of the cardinal direction?
Nifft May 27, 2015 at 2:33 AM
DM uses stereo sound, at least in the Amiga version, so it is possible to identify (roughly) the direction of monsters, opening/closing doors, etc., relative to the player.
Being able to located monsters by sound was very useful in the area in Chaos Strikes Back with dragons behind illusionary walls.
Very satisfactory to do the two step dance against dragons you can't see but who can see you, and will roast you if you stand still for more than half a second.
EoB has more varied graphics, and it has NPCs, but apart from that I think DM and CSB are superior in every way.
One of the problems is of course shoehorning AD&D into a real time "blobber".
Nest May 27, 2015 at 7:04 AM
Strafing and dancing is still possible in EOB, but very unsatisfying due to this pause. The mechanics in DM (and Captive) are much better.
I was also annoyed (to a lesser extent) by the instant vanishing of monsters when you kill them in EOB (compared to the dust effect in DM which gave you a greater sense of accomplishment - especially in those dreaded knights).
The gradual darkening of the dungeon in DM - and the constant concern for a light source - also added some bits of atmoshpere (greater in my mind than a different set of colors and tiles every 3 levels).
Regarding the sound, I suppose they did a stereo trick by having one speaker sound louder than the other depending on the relative position of the monster. It was definitely present in the PC version of DM as well, but in no version of EOB or EOB2.
marco May 27, 2015 at 12:04 PM
I think that part of the favoritism many of us have with the one game we like more is due to the fact that that was the first game that introduced to the mechanic of pseudo 3D; me for instance have played EoB first, and never got into DM afterwards no matter how I tried to; the things you like in DM: the importance of the dancing around the monsters, the cloud when killed them, the lightsource (plus the water and food / stamina thing), the 'walk around' puzzles that opened hidden areas in DM made it unplayable to me..
Man of Stone May 27, 2015 at 1:43 PM
I mentioned that the Amiga version lacks the fancier spell effects of the DOS, but I see now that that could be considered a plus. For spells like Magic Missile and Fireball, you only get the actual projectile and not the time-freezing cloud of particles on impact.
Sure, your point is valid, but not always true (for example, Knight Lore introduced me to the isometric arcade-adventure genre, but I'll always remember fondly Head Over Heels as the best game and pinnacle of the genre, and this also happens for Wolfenstein/Doom, Dune2/C&C and many other genre-defining games).
The thing is that I remember waiting (and over-hyped by the magazines of the era) for EOB to re-live the DM experience in better graphics and D&D rules, but I was disappointed to find an inferior game (good, but not quite as good). I even fired up both games recently, only to find out that EOB has not aged as well as DM.
I tried to identify and express here some little or big things that in my opinion rendered EOB a lesser experience than DM as a whole (and yes, I think the dancing tactics are an integral part of a real-time tile-based RPG - otherwise, why not play a turn-based RPG like Might and Magic?).
Overall, I think the exploration in EOB matched closely the one in DM, but I couldn't say the same thing about combat (PetrusOctavianus mentioned that before and I totally agree with him) - be it for the pause in spellcasting, or the lower challenge (I don't remember being hunted down by monsters in any case), or the overall feel and mechanics (which were captured perfectly by Captive), or the satisfying cloud vs indifferent vanishing when killing a monster, or for some undefined reason.
Chet himself (who doesn't like this sub-genre) said he felt real satisfaction when he killed some tough enemies in both DM and Captive. Let's see if he draws the same satisfaction about killing an enemy in EOB.
To me it's not about inferior superior games, I just love EoB 1 for what it is, and dislike DM and Captive (and I really would like to love them too, I just can't bear to play them after just few minutes, my loss).
EoB is not perfect, but is still one of my favorite games, so much that I made my dayjob to create a game inspired from that.
In a way, one of the reasons I like CRPG Addict, is that Chester plays through so many games I would love to but I simply can't get into :) and here I can read of the cool things in them without tinkering with DOSbox
You think that is morbid? Hmm You may want to stay away from dwarf fortress then, certainly away from the forums (mermaid bone farming, dwarven daycare..) :D
I'm sitll waiting for a game where I can craft bread from the bones of Englishmen.
Hey, Leave my bones out of this :P
Not sure about the English but you could definitely make some from Italians.
http://www.yummly.com/recipes/italian-bone-bread
Harland May 27, 2015 at 2:41 PM
"you're no longer a jackass for choosing the DOS version!"
Right on. Hits 1991 on the head there. Couldn't have said it better. Especially with MIDI music, DOS games have a fighting chance against the still-in-its-prime Amiga. And as time goes on, Amiga only goes down and DOS only goes up.
"Eye of the Beholder's dependence on Dungeon Master is so stark that you wonder why there weren't lawsuits involved."
Yeah no shit! The worst part about EOTB was that so many people were exposed to it, that they thought D&D invented this sort of first person party dungeon crawl. A perception reinforced by the later release of Dungeon Hack, a EOTB/nethack crossbreed. By then FTL had long since ceased to exist, and Amiga was only known as a computer that Came Before and was briefly awesome before becoming irrelevant to the idea that you had either 256k or 512k in your video card, and if you had a SoundBlaster or PC speaker.
Well, that Commission and Letter of Marque is a lot more important than you'd think. It gives the PCs legitimate carte blanche to whatever they find. This was notable back in the day, as it recognized you needed some sort of legal basis for your expedition rather than just "slay everyone and loot the bodies". Another 1991 hallmark.
Wow...the amazing part isn't that there is a MUSIC on and off...the real news is that there is a MOUSE on and off! Imagine anything on the Amiga offering something like this. A sign of the practical DOS mind. Make it all keyboard-accessible, even though the mouse is easier for new players. After a while, you're going to get good at the game and want to blaze through it. Why not enable that from the beginning? Moreover, in 1991 a lot of PC users simply didn't have a mouse. It was an optional peripheral. It was hardly required. Nice, certainly (if you can spare the COM port) but you won't miss out without one, because most people don't have one. I know myself that I didn't get one until 1992 when I got Civilization. After a game or two I saw how the interface was workable with a keyboard but could be improved with a mouse, went down to the computer store and paid $50. The world shook, and ever after life was better.
Man, this is so awesome seeing EOTB through fresh eyes. Even Gaston's lame-ass portrait brings back memories. And his dumb greyed-out holy symbol. Thanks for this.
UncertaintyLich May 30, 2015 at 7:40 PM
I guess I'm the only one young enough to have played this on a Gameboy first. I have fond memories of mapping the dungeons in math class with the teacher thinking I was doing work XD
Wait, you convinced your teacher you were doing work while using the automap in the GBA EotB? You must have been REALLY good at that. And considering I was old enough to have a separate math class, but young enough to still get in serious trouble for cutting school when this came out on GBA, I can't decide if you just made me feel really old, or really young.
UncertaintyLich May 30, 2015 at 10:02 PM
Aww, man you're right. It did have an automap. Who would make a GBA game without an automap? I remember I had a game that expected me to carry around graph paper with me for some dungeon crawler on that thing, and it seemed kind of ridiculous, but I was in math class so it didn't bother me. As for the "serious trouble", you might count me failing the class as that, but I was sneaky enough to play gameboy in class in high school.
Ethanland May 24, 2017 at 5:20 PM
Eye of the Beholder. I think this was the first CRPG I ever played, back in 2010. All I remember was playing for about an hour, getting stuck because I couldn't figure out how to open the first door, then getting killed because I didn't know how to attack. At the time, my main RPG experience was Pokemon, so that explains the extreme ineptitude I displayed.
The Savage Empire: Seeking Home
The Savage Empire: Love in the Time of Dinosaurs
Savage Empire: Won!
Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire: Final Rating
Game 188: Lone Wolf: Flight from the Dark (1984)
Eye of the Beholder: Out of the Sewers, Into the S...
Eye of the Beholder: Made it this Far
1990 Loose End #1: Legend of Faerghail
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Home Gaming ‘Destiny 2’ Prestige Raid Dates and Times Announced
‘Destiny 2’ Prestige Raid Dates and Times Announced
written by Liz July 8, 2018
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So, first, Bungie, you give us back Cayde-6 RIGHT NOW! Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, Bungie just announced the upcoming Destiny 2 prestige raids are going to be released on a staggered basis. Since the raids are going to a “World’s First” race, the decision has been made, with feedback from the community, to release one raid on July 17 and the next on July 18. That way, those clans who want to try and get that title of “World’s First” won’t have to decide between the Eater of Worlds raid or the Spire of Stars raid.
The prestige raids were announced in Bungie‘s weekly update blog last week. This week, Senior Raid Designer Joe Blackburn updated the community on what to expect in these raid updates.
Based on player feedback–and to ensure each World’s First race has a clean start–we’re changing the release times of each activity. Eater of Worlds will receive a one-hour delay to ensure player have ample time to download and install Destiny 2 Update 1.2.3 once it becomes available. Spire of Stars has been delayed 24 hours to offset the activity release.
In the earlier release, he outlined what they believe are going to be the main focuses when it comes to the new update. With the major expansion coming out in September, Bungie believes the community will be looking for 400-level weapons, Raid Armor Ornaments, and exotic masterwork Catalysts. The raids will be the only way to get 400-level weapons before Forsaken and each prestige raid will have its own unique armor ornaments.
Blackburn does toss the community a bit of a bone, however. He says the modifier for the new raid will be brand new and called Arsenal.
It’s weird, and that’s all I’ll say about it. As far as the curated loadout goes, I can only give you a little advice about one slot: I’ve been looking out from my Time-Worn Spire and I feel an Autumn Wind blowing.
So that is what we have so far when it comes to the upcoming raids. Destiny 2 has had a rough go of it and the community has shrunk considerably since its release. This upcoming major release is going to need to do a great deal of work to get the community up and running in the way it was back in its most popular days.
The Eater of Worlds Prestige, 11 a.m. PDT on July 17
Spire of Stars Prestige, 10 a.m. PDT on July 18
Are you looking forward to these upcoming raids or do you think Destiny 2 has jumped the shark? Let us know in the comments!
(Seriously though Bungie, give us Drunk Uncle Cayde back.)
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‘Destiny 2’ Prestige Raid Dates and Times Announced was last modified: August 21st, 2019 by Liz
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Nativity scene with shepherds, by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, a famous Spanish baroque painter (1618-1682).
Downeastblog wishes all its readers of good will a Merry Christmas. Take your time to save a prayer for someone who might need it.
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: MOONLIGHT SONATA.
Delicate beauty.
One of several piano sonatas, the Mondscheinsonate, dedicated to one of Beethoven's numerous botched romances, Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. It's not so much that she turned him down, rather, one of her parents, possibly her father, forbade her to marry the then thirty year old piano virtuoso.
All in all a rather tragic life, actually. Despite this, a prodigious if intermittent output.
Dead White Male.
Labels: Dead White Males, Music
ON THAT GLOBAL WARMING THINGY...
A couple of years back, we had us this nice and sophisticated leftist commenter here, who posted under the creative moniker of "anon". Anon was very skeptical, to say the least, of the threat of islamization. On the other hand, he was very, very much concerned about GW, or rather, MMGW (Man Made Global Warming).
Anon was smart. At some point (about two years ago) he called it quits at DowneastBlog. Had he stayed on, he would by now be blushing fiercely red. Via American Thinker:
DEATH OF THE GLOBAL WARMING MYTH, by Peter Heck.
"... The disintegration of this political juggernaut known as global warming is as imminent now as it is remarkable. The heights from which these scientists' credibility has plunged is equaled only by the speed.
Consider that it was only last year when the scientific and political world was held spellbound by the deliberations of the U.N. Climate Change summit held in Copenhagen. Nearly 45,000 attendees anxiously anticipated a global climate agreement that could spare us all from the imminent planetary incineration about to befall us thanks to the unholy alliance of SUVs, deforestation, and belching cows. American taxpayers alone shelled out nearly $400,000 for Nancy Pelosi to lead a cadre of liberal congressmen and staffers to attend the Warmer deliberations.
Yet now, just one year later, political leaders are staying as far away from the annual climate summit (this year held in Cancun) as possible. Even the Congressional Warmer triumvirate of Henry Waxman, Dianne Feinstein, and Barbara Boxer skipped the festivities. Remember, it was Boxer who proclaimed not so long ago that global warming was her "signature issue." Yet when it came time for this year's convention, Boxer merely murmured, "I'm sending a statement to Cancun."
Meanwhile, across the pond, things aren't much better for the global warming hysterics in the British Meteorological Office. As the Met geared up for Copenhagen in 2009, they were warning of the "warmest year on record." Fast-forward to this year, and as Britain is in the grip of yet another extraordinarily frigid winter, their admonitions are much more subdued. Even the Daily Mail noted why: "Buried amid the details of those two Met Office statements 12 months apart lies a remarkable climbdown that has huge implications -- not just for the Met Office, but for debate over climate change as a whole ... for the past 15 years, global warming has stopped."
This most inconvenient truth is why, despite millions of dollars of propaganda and free marketing offered by a totally duped American media, Al Gore's climate heist machinery is dismantling itself before our eyes. The defeat of climate legislation in Congress has prompted Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection to whittle its resources from 25 states down to seven, acknowledging that "the situation in Congress has changed."
Indeed it has. As the Democratic Party's death grip on Congress dies in January, Nancy Pelosi's House Select Committee on Global Warming will be dying with it. Republicans have announced that they have no desire to continue wasting taxpayer dollars on a committee whose only contribution was a proposed energy tax that would have destroyed millions of jobs in an already stagnant economy.
For its swan song, the committee held a final hearing -- one so boring that according to the Washington Times, the chairman never returned from lunch break.
So how has this environmental Goliath collapsed so quickly and so painfully? Certainly the Climategate scandal that revealed the epic fraud and deceit upon which the movement was built didn't help. Al Gore admitting his willingness to fabricate dire consequences for the sake of getting people's attention didn't help.
But ultimately it comes down to this: given time, truth wins out. Eventually, rational people realize that groupthink and demonizing your opponents as "deniers" doesn't count for evidence. They realize that a movement so freely changing names -- from global cooling to global warming to climate change to global climate disruption -- might be more about a neo-Marxist pursuit of global governance than about saving polar bears."
As I'm writing this, Europe, western Europe in particular, is exeriencing yet another bout of unusually severe winter weather. The Telegraph on Monday:
SNOW: HEATHROW PARALYSED, RUNWAYS CLOSED.
By Stephen Adams 7:30AM GMT 03 Feb 2009
More than half of Monday's planned 1,350 flights were cancelled, including 361 arrivals and 430 departures, according to airport operator BAA.
Short haul flights were cancelled first to make way for long haul arrivals.
All British Airways flights were cancelled until 5pm, passengers were told in the morning.
Heavy snow kept the northern runway closed for the whole day while the southern runway was closed for at least an hour mid-morning.
The Met Office said Heathrow had less than four inches (9cm) of snow by lunchtime, and was expecting another inch or two (2-5cm) overnight.
A BAA spokesman described the snow as "the heaviest in decades".
He said: "Heathrow's full snow operation - consisting of 58 snow cutters, ploughs, and de-icers have been working around the clock since 3pm [on Sunday] on double shift to clear the snow and ice."
I do have to admit lefties are great marketeers though, and that they saw the sign on the wall years ago already. In the nick of time, they rather succesfully managed to shelve the notion MMGW, and replace it with Climate Change. And if you, raw uncouth rightwinger peasant, were hoping they'd see the light now and and shift their attention towards combating the Real Danger, islamic terrorism and islamization, you are again mistaken. As commenter Leo Norekens informs us, Department of Homeland Security Boss Janet Napolitano has formed a Task Force to combat the effects of Climate Change on domestic security operations (!):
Can you f*cking believe it.
DADT REPEALED: A BLACK DAY FOR THE US MILITARY.
As all of you probably know by now, the outgoing Congress, more precisely the Senate, voted for repealing DADT
There are several good takes on this piece of legislation. I will list a few. First Error Theory:
"How badly will the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell damage our military? Just read today's Strategy Page report on our military's suppression of heterosexual behavior in combat theaters ("No Sex Please, We're American Soldiers"). Heterosexuals in the military have always known that their sex lives are liable to be put on hold for long periods of time, but for soldiers off fighting in Muslim countries, the deprivation is extreme. The only outlet is relationships with other soldiers:
Troops are forbidden from establishing relationships with local women in Iraq, and warned against buying booze and drugs from Iraqis. In Iraq, few women cover their faces, or wear any head covering at all. Many of them are quite attractive, and frequently cast admiring glances at U.S. troops (who often do foot patrols in public areas). But there are not supposed to be any marriages. This is a particular problem in Islamic countries, where non-Moslem husbands are expected to convert and elopement often leads to the bride being murdered by her angry family. ...
Troops having sex with each other is generally tolerated, although that can cause trouble as well. Only about ten percent of the troops in combat zones are female, and not all are single or in the mood.
Heterosexual young men are willing to join the military and put their sex lives on hold because the manliness of fighting for their nation makes the lack of access to females bearable. That will change if a subculture of active homosexuality is allowed to burst out and grow amidst the suppressed heterosexuality of our military. Instead of a manly brotherhood, military service will become a chore and even a gauntlet of having to abide whatever in-your-face homosexuality the flamers want to throw up, and they will throw up plenty, as proven by every out-homosexual locale in the world. Flamboyant and even aggressive homosexuality is just what the end of DADT implies. No one is talking about replacing the DADT line with any other line. Full out homosexual flaming will not just be tolerated but will be legally protected, from overt homosexual behavior to every kind of homosexual come on. It will be a death sentence for heterosexual recruiting."
Then Bryan Fischer at Rightly Concerned:
"We are now stuck with sexual deviants serving openly in the U.S. military because of turncoat Republican senators.
(Dictionary definition of “deviant”: “departing from usual or accepted standards, esp. in social or sexual behavior.” “Deviant” is not name calling, it is truth-telling.)
The Saturday morning cloture vote on the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was the critical vote. It needed 60 votes and got 63, because of Republican renegades Scott Brown, Mark Kirk, George Voinovich, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. If these traitors to national defense had voted in line with the Republican Party platform, the cloture motion would have received just 57 votes and would have failed.
The final vote on the bill itself, requiring just 51 votes, was a mere formality after the cloture vote. Had the cloture vote failed, we would still have sane moral and sexual standards governing military personnel policy. But sadly those days are gone, perhaps forever.
The GOP platform is plain and unambiguous:
“Esprit and cohesion are necessary for military effectiveness and success on the battlefield. To protect our servicemen and women and ensure that America's Armed Forces remain the best in the world, we affirm the timelessness of those values, the benefits of traditional military culture, and the incompatibility of homosexuality with military service.” (emphasis mine)
For those who say the Republican Party does not need a litmus test for its candidates, you just lost the argument and frittered away the strength of the U.S. military at the same time.
The armies of other nations have allowed gays to serve openly in the military. The reason they could afford to do this is simple: they could allow homosexuals to serve in their military because we didn’t allow them to serve in ours.
They knew they could count on the strength, might, power, and cohesion of the U.S. military to intervene whenever and wherever necessary to pull their fannies out of the fire and squash the forces of tyranny wherever they raised their ugly heads around the world.
Those days are now gone. We will no longer be able to bail out these other emasculated armies because ours will now be feminized and neutered beyond repair, and there is no one left to bail us out. We have been permanently weakened as a military and as a nation by these misguided and treasonous Republican senators, and the world is now a more dangerous place for us all.
It’s past time for a litmus test for Republican candidates. This debacle shows what happens when party leaders are careless about the allegiance of candidates to the fundamental conservative principles expressed in the party’s own platform.
Character-driven officers and chaplains will eventually be forced out of the military en masse, potential recruits will stay away in droves, and re-enlistments will eventually drop like a rock.
The draft will return with a vengeance and out of necessity. What young man wants to voluntarily join an outfit that will force him to shower naked with males who have a sexual interest in him and just might molest him while he sleeps in his bunk?
This isn’t a game, and the military should never be used, as is now being done, for massive social re-engineering. The new Marine motto: “The Few, the Proud, the Sexually Twisted.” Good luck selling that to strong young males who would otherwise love to defend their country. What virile young man wants to serve in a military like that?
If the president and the Democrats wanted to purposely weaken and eventually destroy the United States of America, they could not have picked a more efficient strategy to make it happen.
Rarely can you point to a moment in time when a nation consigned itself to the scrap heap of history. Today, when the Senate normalized sexual perversion in the military, was that moment for the United States. If historians want a fixed marker pointing to the instant the United States sealed its own demise, they just found it.
It won’t happen overnight, but happen it will.
And Republicans did not just stand around and watch as our military was shredded before their very eyes, they helped it happen. Shame on them all.
The one hope America has left is to elect Republican leaders at all levels, including the presidency, who will be determined to reinstate the ban on homosexuals in the military in 2013. That is now question number one for every Republican wannabe president, every Republican wannabe senator, every Republican wannabe congressman in the next election cycle: will you support a plan to reinstate the ban on homosexual military service? If not, every conservative must say you can forget about my support, my dollars, and my vote."
And don't miss this video with Senator McCain expressing his disgust - rightly so:
Senator McCain nails it. The line that most struck me was that he observes that the American people, after a 2-year stint of socialism (you could actually argue four, taking into account the GOP's loss of Congress in 2006), have given the current leadership a VERY CLEAR signal, a REPUDIATION, of this government's policies. A decent loser would take the hint, and lie low.
Not so democrats. In a last (or one of the last) gesture of giving the finger to the American public, the democrats in the Senate forced a repeal of DADT thru. They did it now, knowing that it wouldn't pass after January 5. Basically the outgoing democratic senators said "FUCK YOU AMERICA", we will pass it anyway.
There is a strategy behind this, and one that has been applied time and again, unfortunately with success, in Europe. Leftists KNOW that, like Margaret Thatcher said, "The basic facts of life are conservative". But they also know that once a piece of legislation has passed, it becomes near impossible to dislodge it. In my own country, or rather in Flanders, voters have for over twenty years indicated they would like to see a center-right government. But they keep getting a leftist one, or a supposedly center-right that behaves like a center left. Socialists know that even if they are punished for pushing legislation through against the people's will, they will get another chance four years hence, since the public's memories are so short. They also know that this tactic does an effective job of, in the end, permeating the general mindset and rightwing ideology with their dadas to the point that, after a couple of years, it becomes part of the general pensée; and people shrug and accept the fait accompli. And so you end up with David Camerons, Fredrik Reinfeldts and a huge mob of voters who are deep inside vaguely aware they have been nailed, but cannot remember anymore when or what it was about.
This is a black, black day not only for the US military, not only for the US, but for the whole of the West.
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Rachael Brent v. John Armfield. Depositions of Charles G. Eskridge & Thomas Rogers
Depositions of Charles G. Eskridge and Thomas Rogers
Hooe, Bernard
Eskridge, Charles G.
Lee, Edmund J.
Luckett, Francis W.
Rogers, Thomas
Alexandria County (Va.)
Loudoun County (Va.)
Leesburg (Va.)
The depositions of sundry witnesses taken at the Office of Francis W Luckett in Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia, on the 24th day of May 1834, to be used as evidence in the suit now depending in the Circuit Court of the United States for the County of Alexandria in the District of Columbia in which Rachel, a pauper is Plaintiff and John Armfield is defendant.
The examination of Charles G. Eskridge who being first duly sworn, says:
1 Question by Plantiffs Counsel. Are you Deputy Clerk in the County Court of Loudoun, and how long have you been acting in that capacity?
Ansr. I am. I entered the Office in the year about 18 years ago, and have been acting as sworn deputy Clerk for about fourteen years.
2. Q: by same. Can you state when Aris Buckner was commissioned as a Justice of the Peace for the County of Loudoun?
Ansr. He was commissioned on the 19 January 1805 and qualified the 9th April 1805.
3. Q. by same. Was he ever commissioned or qualified as a Justice of peace after that time?
Ansr. I know of no other commission or qualification except the one mentioned above. He has not been commissioned or qualified since I have been in the Office.
4. Q. by same. What is the date of his first Commission as Sherriff of Loudoun County?
Ansr. His commission as Sherriff bears date the 26th February 1833, and he qualified to said Commission at March Court 1833.
5. Q. by same
5. Q. by same. Will you please state whether or or not Mr. Buckner's nomination to the Sheriff atty was opposed, and upon what grounds?
Ansr. It was opposed, upon the ground of his having removed from disqualified himself by removing from the State of Virginia to the District of Columbia.
6. Q. by same. Did or did not Mr. Buckner deny the charge of having disqualified himself by the removal to the District of Columbia, and introduce witnesses to support his denial?
Ansr. He did deny the charge, and Witnesses were introduced to prove that he had not disqualified himself, and the Court decided that he had not. I never heard Mr. Buckner say any thing on the subject; but his counsel who advocated his claim, denied the charge for him.
and further saith not. Chs G Eskridge
The examination of Thomas Rogers who being first duly qualified, says:
1 Question by Plaintiffs Counsel. Do you know the ground upon which Mr. Buckner's nomination to the Sherriff atty was opposed, and the defence made by Mr. Buckner?
Ansr. The ground on which his nomination was opposed, was, that he had removed from the County of Loudoun to the District of Columbia with a bonafide intention of becoming a citizen of the other place, and the defence made by Mr. Buckner or for him, was, a denial of such removal, and several witnesses were introduced to prove that he had not so removed; but and the Court nominated him, and he is now the Sherriff of Loudoun County, and I am one of his deputies.
and further saith not. Thos Rodgers
The foregoing depositions of Charles G. Eskridge and Thomas Rodgers were taken, and by them respectfully subscribed and sworn and affirmed to at the time and plan set forth in the Caption, before the subscriber a Justice of the peace for the County of Loudoun in the State of Virginia. Certified under my hand and Seal the 24th day of May 1834
Francis W. Luckett
Rachel Brent
Armfield.
Deposition of Eskridge & Rodgers.
Recd under seal & opened 28 May 1834.
Edm: J. Lee C.C.
Edmond J. Lee Esqr.
Care[?] of Bernard Hooe Esq
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CONTRARY BRIN
Your nerdy love of sci fi could save the world! Announcing… TASAT
Here’s a Major Announcement of a project that's been in my thoughts for a long time. A way that you -- yes you -- can be part of an action team of science fiction readers who might someday use your powers of SF'nal story memory to help save the world!
Bear with me while I explain.
Fretting about potential threats to civilization, members of the Protector Caste (intel agencies and all that) keep inviting authors of “hard” or realistic science fiction to offer big perspectives, or terrifying possibilities. “You sci fi guys think up the scariest things,” one official lauded. The same can be said for tech innovators and visionaries seeking insights into where we're heading.
Yet, there's a frustration. When pondering some real or hypothetical scenario, I often think: hasn't some earlier author considered this, amid the vast number of past tales?
== A solution? TASAT (There’s a Story about That!) ==
Consider the vast library of science fictional thought-experiments published since Mary Shelley first wrote about how the creation of new kinds of life might be mishandled—a warning with new variants in Planet of the Apes, Jurassic Park, I Robot, and Ex Machina.
Some are “self-preventing prophecies” like Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, Soylent Green, Dr. Strangelove or Silent Spring. Other SF projections come true.
Alas, for every SF thought experiment that achieves renown, hundreds molder in back issues of Astounding or Galaxy, or some novel only recalled by a few dozen fans out there—tales about how the world might veer in unexpected directions. Shouldn’t those concepts be available, as a background library of worked-out scenarios, in case we ever face some sudden choice?
== Activate group memory! ==
Imagine some government or NGO must respond quickly to a First Contact situation, as in the film Arrival. In a hurry, they gather “experts” who leap to premature conclusions.
So they call on the TASAT hub—part of sci-fi fandom’s collectively sagacious Group Mind— to cite and provide stories published across the last century. Short tales, novels, movies, think-pieces and art that offer unusual scenarios, potential mistakes, or surprise twists, helping our leaders or emissaries to perceive a wider picture.
Or take the developer of an augmented reality app, a spacecraft designer, or a company revolutionizing communication technology. Might even some outlandish tale help to inform the next wave of science fact?
You can be part of this informal network. The only qualification? Having read a lot of stories! Watched a lot of flicks. Played bunches of realistic games. There may come a time when you — by pointing to some obscure tale — could help to save the world!
== Examples! ==
Suppose a company has developed a new bacterium that pulls Nitrogen out of the air faster and better than anything known, creating massively cheap fertilizer? What could go wrong? A TASAT alert on this prospect would likely cause someone to cite Hal Clement's novel The Nitrogen Fix, along with a warning to be careful.
Take the "Flynn Effect" ...where the last three generations of children in the West have had successively higher average IQ. Suppose it accelerates, suddenly and rapidly. While some might ponder the "Children of the Damned" flicks, or cite Poul Anderson's novel Brain Wave. Others might suggest Thomas Disch's Camp Concentration, wherein IQ-rise is triggered by a venereal disease. No one suggestion need ever be right! It could be enough that such examples cause the responsible parties to widen their horizons, and not leap to the first, logical theory.
Then there's the almost infinite supply of alien First Contact tales, with some even portraying a TASAT-like process. Take the Niven and Pournelle opus Footfall, in which the government wisely establishes both optimistic and pessimistic committees. Another of you (under comments, below) cited Gordon Dickinson's "The Alien Way," in which the protagonist digs through library stacks to find a half-remembered scientific article about bear behavior that will help him to understand the instinctive underpinnings of an alien race.
If ever we find ourselves in a possible contact situation, our very survival might depend on having available a wide variety of scenarios, suggesting: what's "obvious" ain't necessarily so.
== Sign up! ==
So browse the TASAT Site! Join the community to get TASAT alerts. Even pose one, now and then!
This is not just another sci fi discussion/argument site, but a place to cite actual, accessible stories, perhaps even pertinent to hurried decision makers.
(Did I mention the TASAT Facebook site, as well?)
Harness your nerdiness for the good of civilization!
TASAT is affiliated with the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination at the University of California, San Diego.
So sign up for TASAT! Be part of the nerdy community that might save us all, someday, by chiming up with an obscure link, saying:
"There's a Story About That!"
Posted by David Brin at 6:00 PM
Labels: first contact, Science fiction, science fiction scenarios, TASAT, There's a story about that
Tim H. said...
Reminiscent of Niven & Pournelle's Footfall, with optimist & threat committees.
Is it a coincidence that I am currently re-reading Gordon Dickinson's "The Alien Way," in which the protagonist digs his way through library stacks to find a half-remembered scientific article about bear behavior that will help him to understand the instinctive underpinnings of the behavior of an alien race? An alien race who is made aware of Earth's existence by means of a reckless and ill-advised scheme to bring about a first contact by a group of smarter-than-thou scientists who are trying to make a point about society's neglect of basic science?
Is this what they are looking for? Or, are they looking for the more obscure short stories.
James P Hogan - The Genesis Machine - 1978. Two guys build a machine that can make weapons obsolete and the bad Government guys come and take it to use against their perceived bad guys. At the last minute we find that our guys had a 1978 version of a backdoor and use it to show they have control and convince the world they can't wage war ever again, I think. There was even a CRT [computer] that they could use to access news and communicate with. This all is an old memory and may be faulty.
Hogan did a lot of neat fiction. He also did some about Velakovsky, who I thought was a fun read with all the footnote citations, that were not always fiction. So, just a tad wacky
Treebeard said...
An open, transparent society will have lunatics shooting up crowds and shouting at the stars, almost by definition. Not sure how any council of experts is going to prevent that, unless what you really have in mind is “a council of people who think like me, and will give their imprimatur to my agenda”—i.e., a non-open, non-transparent society with a facade of openness. At the end of the day, even reasonable people disagree, at which point someone will impose their will upon the other, or act without consent. Which is why democracy and transparent society is a bit of farce, if you ask me.
Well. It's almost ironic that Dr. Brin talks about TASAT and then this article and video on weaponized miniature drones comes out. And to be honest? I don't think this can be stopped by banning it. I think this will end up coming about and that people will be buying these things to kill people of ideologies and beliefs they dislike. To kill pro-choice individuals and pagans and transgender people and people who believe in a better future.
Pretty much there's only one thing I see as working here. More drones. Someone is going to have to come up with an AI drone system that sticks around people and exists to stop things like this. That deliberately seek out and knock out of the sky any drone that looks to be approaching a person. Maybe they'll be smart enough to be able to detect those drones with explosives or other toxins. But... I was truly horrified when I saw this.
Pandora's Jar has been opened. I don't see hope in the bottom of this jar, however.
Rob H.
David Brin said...
When Treebeard answers any of the core challenges... like name a feudal-hierarchy society that did better, or even a ten thousandth as well... then we'll "ask you," sir.
Exactly, a council of experts from a very restricted sample; a pseudo-open society. Of course, most will choose a closed society over extinction, regardless of what the credentialed experts want.
Zepp Jamieson said...
Just a reminder, Niburu will collide with the Earth on Sunday, eliminating any need to rake the leaves. In addition to slitting the planet in half, thus destroying all live on Earth, it may disrupt one or more NFL games scheduled for that day.
I've been playing with an idea that the "religious gene" is discovered, and what happens when a major corporation offers CRISPR treatments to eliminate the gene in embryos.
Also, the Republican Party continues its attack on higher education and innovation - it is going to tax graduate students. Yes, the party that claims it's anti-tax is actually FOR taxing... people who are seeking to become educated but don't have rich parents to finance their education. In short, they want to keep people dumb.
Of course, Dr. Brin has been talking about this for a bit, but it's sad to see they are becoming more obvious about this war on intelligence and education.
Rob H., who is feeling more and more depressed today...
Slim Moldie said...
@Catfish (from the last thread)
On, Orphans of the Sky… "a story that's really about escaping from religious-dogmatic ignorance into an individual-rational view of the Universe.”
Your analysis makes sense if you limit it to Hugh's (the protagonist) point of view. However, I’m not sure it is simply a story of escaping religious dogmatic ignorance. Perhaps I’m cynical but Heinlein credits the "escape" and successful touchdown on an inhabitable planet-moon as the result of sound engineering and “ridiculous improbability.” Moreover, does Hugh’s small band have enough genetic diversity to successfully incubate a colony? I would think not.
Thematically, I see it as a story of failure to change the status quo. The tale begins AND ends with a generation ship in homeostasis with a society functioning but going nowhere forward in its feudal state. The fathership (because women in this story are reduced to Kzinrret abjectivity) isn't completely impotent until the ending, when Hugh and his companions abort, taking with them any chance of anyone learning the truth. Thus, Hugh’s final act dooms the parent society.
"The mutiny that created the society on the Ship wasn't intended to be against rationalism... but that was its effect."
I see your point and am not persuaded. The expositional backstory IS relevant. Heinlein easily could have kept it out as an unexplained mystery. Instead, during the climax right before Hugh and his entourage discover the remaining auxiliary craft—they find the hidden captain’s log written by one of the (at the time) last literate members of the Crew. At this point we learn that during the mutiny incited by Huff, Metal-smith Ordinary… “every pilot officer, every engineering officer, is dead…” From that I infer that knowledge and experience were targeted. Again if that didn’t matter, it could have been left out.
The last thing Hugh wants is to escape. More than anything he wants start the main drive and resume the trip. How? By uniting the crew in acknowledging truth, embracing science, and moving forward, even if it is dangerous and risky.
The play on Mutiny and Mutation is also delivered heavily-handed at one point. Perhaps teasing the idea that humanity as is--without some form of mutation or mutiny against the status quo (of leadership that suppresses truth and innovation)--humanity can never go anywhere or see that stars...
@ Darrell E (from the last thread)
On Lord of the Rings. If Tolkien despised Allegory, I’m afraid Allegory jacked him up and took his cookie.
If Tolkien wasn’t an addict, he must have been close to one.
Take the journey as an addiction. To begin you meet a bunch of strange dudes. You reluctantly go on a trip. You find a _____ from an old wasted ______ addict that when you use it makes you have special powers. Awesome powers that make over your personality from passive to active. Once you have your _____ on you go on adventures and meet all kinds of magical, mythical creatures and you escape from your annoying neighbors and that boring comfortable life and you hang our with dudes who are bear dudes or dude bears and elves and little dwarf dudes (who don't have women) ... and you hear cool music and you fly with big ass eagles and you talk to dragons. And then things get really dark, and creepy shit happens and there are bad creatures out to get you and you start getting paranoid. This one dude wants your _____ and has all these cranked out _____ head dudes chasing you on black horses, and when they get close, you really wanna use the _____ but you know you shouldn’t because it makes this creepy shit you're going through worse, like there is this eye watching you when you use your ______ now. And you really feel the pull. And we learn from that one wizard guy's library or is it the elf dude. Anyway, you learn how the ____ lust gradually makes you permanently invisible--like the more you use it. It's dangerous. And you go on this terrible journey trying to get rid of it. And you meet these stiff crusty dudes who sleep all day and then wake up and get all crazy every once in a while and break shit. And even they can't help you get rid of the ____. All your friends know your ____ is bad even though you keep it secret, and you have this intervention and agree to accept their help. But you freak out and try to go off alone. And at the end when you are ready to kick the habit and destroy it, you can’t let it go. And it takes another ______ user to physically bite the ____ off your finger before you can drop it. And then a volcano erupts. And then, it’s worse. Once it’s gone you have to go home and deal with real shit. Like everybody thought you were dead. And your neighbors and relatives have taken all your stuff. And then all the cool magically hipster dudes sail away forever.
Maybe it’s just a coinkidink.
That said, I believe when a body is able to write something that resonates with others, more than not it’s because Truth has found a way to eek its way onto the page despite the writer’s best intentions.
duncan cairncross said...
Dr Brin
Your TSAT
I think I have linked to them on Facebook - and I clicked - subscribe - If I want to answer or vote do I need to become an "Editor"?
I think of Editors as being the next level up not just Science Fiction Fans like myself
Alfred Differ said...
@Duncan (From last thread)
It looks to me like you are confusing the value of the property and the property itself. For the vast majority of the property ever created by Man, we all have roughly equal usage rights to it. Most of it is what we know and it usually carries an assigned value of $0 because few can figure out how to make money with it. Occasionally someone does, slaps a copyright on their work, and makes a few bucks. In the meantime, most of us go about our usual ways using the bits without paying anything.
For the stuff to which we assign a value, I don't see the point you appear to be making. If I own a house valued at $0.5M and someone else owns one at $0.2M, should we have equal usage rights for $0.35M? We both have rights to use a house, so I don't see where the value matters. If someone wants to use my house, THEN the value matters because I'll price the rent I charge as close to the ancient rule as possible. If I paid for the house, though, or secured usage rights some other way, I don't see why anyone else should get a cut. Get your own house and play landlord if you want.
I've been in situations where the breakup of a company caused the distribution of it's assets back to the creditors and then the original contributors. There are always things left over to which a $0 value is assigned. In those situations, every remaining owner winds up with an equal share in it all. The vast majority of the property out there in the wild is of this kind, so I get a little miffed when people focus too much on the dribble that has trade value.
As members of this civilization, we are immensely rich in property if not in valued property. Walk into a library and look at some of it. Talk to someone and really listen to the language being used to see some of it.
Hi Alfred
The reason that you have a house - or I have for that - is that we collectively know how to and have built it
There is some material value (nobody created that) and a lot of labour value in that house but that adds up to the value of that house
The reason that the house has value is because of the knowledge (and labour) that went into building it
"For the vast majority of the property ever created by Man, we all have roughly equal usage rights to it"
No we don't - the vast majority of the property created by "Man" has been trousered by the 0.1%
Or at least is "owned" and as such I can't use it
LarryHart said...
Yes, the party that claims it's anti-tax is actually FOR taxing... people who are seeking to become educated but don't have rich parents to finance their education...
The tax bills moving through congress (with no Democratic votes) offset the deficit increases from "cut cut cutting" by increasing taxes on pretty much everything except passive income. Even the moderately-rich aren't spared if they actually work for their money rather than just cashing checks.
Paul SB said...
It's funny how much like Locum and Treebeard this "D.B. Echo" sounds. I wonder if someone is trying to win the popularity contest by generating imaginary e-friends.
Don't despair. The Repugnant Ones will do everything in their power to screw the people and line their pockets, but in a few years the pendulum will swing the other way and the Dumbocrats will start to claw back some of those things we've been screwed out of. However, it's easy to see that we still haven't recovered from Reagan's tax deform, so I suspect the damage these thieves are doing is likely to have some long-lasting consequences. But despair goes nowhere. Get angry. Get motivated. Even if singing a million petitions seems futile, eventually the squeaky wheels are going to get some grease.
Zepp,
Your religion gene idea is funny and could be a good heuristic, but it is no more likely to be realistic than the gay gene was. There are no complex traits in human behavior that are controlled by single genes. This is why it seems unlikely to me that we will ever be able to change the balance of humanity through genetics alone. What most people experience as religiosity is really just extreme conformity and rigidity, traits that are easily taken advantage of by large institutions and charismatic dictators. The extreme conformity relates to oxytocin sensitivity. If we genetically reduce people's sensitivity to oxytocin we turn them into sociopaths who don't care much about anyone but themselves - our captains of industry and gurus of the economy. The rigidity speaks to serotonin sensitivities, but if you mess with those you either create clinical depression or manic disorders. Living things will always have ranges of variation, which is a good thing. Unlike paranoiacs like or Sapling, the biological sciences recognize the survival value of diversity, including diversity of opinion and cultural behaviors. We would have to be able to tweak things at the genetic level very, very carefully to move the needle one way or the other without moving it into the red. But we can always suppose, for the sake of science fiction, that in the future we might have that power. How would they handle those aspects of human behavior that are not much influenced by genetics? Just some food for thought if you really want to write this story.
From the previous thread (I'm actually a few threads behind and have a lot to do today, so I'll probably end up being a dozen threads behind by the time I get a chance to catch up - it's the Sisyphus Blog!),
"Maybe we need other and more widely applicable trials of UBE (sic) to make wise judgments. So speaks the elder. You of course can find your own path. I'll understand."
- Wise words from the one who would be called Tim. It shows us something important about the value of broad generalizations and average values, to say nothing of the complexity of human culture. Diving into a nation-wide program without adequate beta testing is exactly the mistake Lenin and his followers made. I like the idea of UBI. There are very good reasons to think that this will have exponential benefits to human societies in general (and the idea that Republicans have been wrong about human nature for decades should be obvious, but huge numbers of people are more committed to their side than to truth). It would be very worthwhile to assemble a team to research why it works for the Cherokee but not somewhere else, so we can understand exactly what conditions make it work and what conditions would short circuit it. More data! More data! The perpetual cry of the scientist.
psikeyhackr said...
The Mote in God's Eye by Niven and Pournelle
This shows us the coming of the "Anthropocene" with aliens as an example. Uncontrolled population growth with advanced technology followed by COLLAPSE. Are we going to be that dumb?
"Your religion gene idea is funny and could be a good heuristic, but it is no more likely to be realistic than the gay gene was. There are no complex traits in human behavior that are controlled by single genes."
That's one of the reason I haven't tried to write such a story. Your point, of course, is completely valid, and if I can't be accurate I can at least strive for verisimilitude. (Insert comparison to political figure of your choice here).
I'm thinking of a humorous, even slapstick approach (think Frederick Brown's "Martians Go Home!"). The science in such is a lot more forgiving.
locumranch said...
If memory serves me right, Dickinson's 'The Alien Way' was a fairy tale about a murderous race of incredibly stupid space-traveling Teddy Bears who collect viral-infected earthworms, shave their ursine faces in order to pass as humans, settle their arguments by sword fight and murder each other for social advancement, being the mental inferiors of humans in every way.
Most importantly, however, it was the longest tale in Dickinson's 'Closed World' series wherein humans conquer & subjugate a horde of animalistic racially inferior aliens in the hopes that humanity may gain admission to an exclusive club of intergalactic isolationists (aka 'The Closed Worlds') who erect impregnable walls around their worlds to keep the conflict-prone riffraff out.
TASAT, most assuredly, including 'Making America Great Again', Trump's Great Wall, Isolationism & Resurgent Nationalism.
Then, there are those who would have you believe that Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four falls into the “self-preventing prophecies” category when it does not. Orwell's vision came true -- it is all around us -- let us count the ways:
(1) The Destruction of the Nuclear Family: GO's protagonist, Winston, is the product of a single parent household, a single mother utterly dependent on government largesse, who abandons him over a bar of chocolate.
(2) Social Isolation: Winston lives alone, accompanied only by a television set that orders him around, tells him what to think & do. Can you say 'Smart Phone'??
(3) Useless Busy Work: It's called 'The Service Economy'. Winston serves little purpose & produces nothing of value, existing only at the pleasure of his supervisor.
(4) Thought Crime: Winston's friend spills the beans on this. Those in power are ELIMINATING words (aka 'Hate Speech') in order to eliminate & limit thought because that which cannot be spoken cannot be thought, and this is the same approach adopted by the MSM today.
(5) We have ALWAYS been at War: Winston knows this. As do the rest of us. Since WW2, the USA has NEVER known (and will never know) peace. Korea, Vietnam, China, the Warsaw Pact, Nicaragua, Yugoslavia, Iran, Iraq. And now NIGER?? We have soldiers dying in Niger?? Really??
(6) Gender Neutrality: Winston's life is devoid of warmth. The sexes are set in opposition, dressing alike & competing against each other in the context of strict 'No Fraternisation' regulation.
(7) The Criminalisation of Heterosexuality: This is Winston's terrible crime. And Al Franken's.
(8) Punishment: Winston is hunted down, restrained & terrified by rats. The same metaphorical fate holds for all of us, especially if you try to watch 5 minutes of 'Modern Family' terribleness because it'll chew your face off, friend.
And, like Winston, the most perspicacious of us have learned the very same lessons. Our humanity betrays us. Our desires mislead us. Our governments deceive us. Our women enslave us. And, we hate the lot of you and your EVIL social narrative.
This is our 'Group Memory' in action. We remember your lies & deceptions. We remember our enslavement. And, we have brushed off our knees after finding our feet.
Viva Zapata.
While at the welcome, slightly thought-provoking end of Locumranch postings (some of his desperate reaches for Orwellian pattern recognition may even have a 1% redolence: e.g. “political correctness speech crimes” can at times rise from necessary adjustment to irksome and even to 'vexatious'.) Still, most of it is just bullshit. The US was generally at peace under Clinton and war was tapering off under Obama. My kids’ generation is less oppressed by sexual pressure than any before it. Bullying is (in a spotty way) plummeting. And this here hetero-nuclear family hasn’t noticed any Orwellian repression.
No, what he leaves out is THE core element of Orwellian tyranny — inhomogeneity and obscenely uneven distribution of POWER. And his confederate cult of lickspittle “yassa” feudalist worshippers of plutocratic overlords is THE central tool of Big Brother. No wonder he never mentions that little thing.
@ locumranch...
I'm curious about your disgust at the TV show Modern Family. If you're willing to be open and honest about that, I think many of us here could learn a lot. I've watched the show for years (despite having my own preconceptions that held me back). I enjoy it and find it fun and well-written. I know what made me resist the show years ago, but I'm interested in hearing what your reasons are.
I hope you'll enlighten us. ;)
Leanette said...
I had an idea, back in 1998, for an end of the world scenario, but haven’t gotten around to writing it yet. Don’t know that I ever will, (someone may have already written it) but here it is. As concern grows about all the plastic polluting our oceans, a group of scientists get together to find a solution to the problem, unfortunately, a hurricane demolishes the lab and the solution escapes. No one is concerned as the solution is supposed to be benign due to a vital missing element. After several months, one of the scientists discovers the plastic in her car, which was damaged during the hurricane, has begun to deteriorate. Fast forward a few years, every coastal city around the gulf is plagued by a (bio something) that is digesting all the plastic leaving behind nothing. I’m sure you can imagine the chaos that would ensue when the entire planet became infected. Bright side … no more plastic anywhere … downside … modern civilization crumbles.
I will admit to curiosity as to if Dr. Brin has any thoughts on how to prevent a future of weaponized miniature autonomous drones that are used by people to stomp out independent thought and liberty.
Tony Fisk said...
@leanette: see Mutant 59: The Plastic Eater (Crichton's "Andromeda Strain" touched on the idea as well)
Don't worry though. Clarke once cheerfully said that all the ideas had been covered already by someone.
I don't think anyone in SF have specifically covered Carrington Event knock outs, although "Year of the Comet" depicts a world where combustion motors have been crippled by dust from a comet's tail. No, it wasn't a very good story, but that's beside the point.
Leanette hi. A tasty scenario. I think there was a novel a while back (a film?) in which a parasite gobbles up all the oil/gasoline etc.
Robert, the Brin answer to most forms of tech mediated oppression is to ensure that the tech looks back at its would be oppressor users. Is there any other solution even remotely possible>
The thing is, people and corporations are inherently stupid. They may very well assume "our technology is safe behind our firewalls so we can sell this at will and determine who can buy our product" only for someone to hack that database, get the schematics, and release it into the "wilds" of the Internet.
This is hinted at with the video included in the scenario I linked originally. That this was a military product and then "it [the technology] got loose" and people started using it to attack people of political views and lifestyles that they did not approve of. And let's face it. If someone can just kill several thousand liberals in college, they can suppress a lot of vote. If voter registration is released and shows everyone who registered as an Independent or a Democrat is out and even half of those are targeted on a polling day... you just wiped out the opposition. There is no more voting. There is no armed resistance. There is only oppression.
And if someone survives from the Left? And they see that they have lost? Why should they not go for revenge? Why not build their own drones or buy their own and target every single Republican they can? Wipe out the Right in turn?
I look at this. I see the mere IDEA is now out there. And I am horrified. I honestly am wondering how to wipe my face from the Internet. I am pondering telling people that they should no longer post pictures of themselves, and should avoid video conferencing. That if you want to protest, you have to be completely anonymous. And yet you yourself have stated that you can no longer be anonymous.
Well, if you cannot be anonymous, and if people can build these specialized weapons to seek out and kill undesirables, whatever they want their undesirable to be, be it LGBT, pro-choice advocates, environmentalists, liberals... then there is no more democracy. There is no more hope. There is oppression. There is a situation worse than 1984 because you never know when someone is going to decide to target YOU because they don't like YOU... and it's not a gun. You don't see it coming.
Someone came up with a nightmare. And now... all I see is the end of the Enlightenment. The end of hope. Something that will wipe out nation after nation after nation. But hey, on the plus side we won't need to worry about global warming afterward because when half of the world kills the other half, we won't have industry anymore.
@Duncan | There is some material value (nobody created that) and a lot of labour value in that house but that adds up to the value of that house.
The reason that the house has value is because of the knowledge (and labour) that went into building it.
Yes and then No. The reason the builders place value in the house is because of the materials and labor. The reason I place value in the house is because of my uses for it. The house itself has a distinct value if buyer and seller can agree on one. Each transaction is evidence and a market emerges.
You seem to be stuck on the discredited notion that value can be tied back to labor. Many believed that for a very long time, but it is falling by the wayside. It fails to explain the value people assign to copies of things like digital products. The values might not be much, but they aren't zero and don't correlate well with the costs associated with making copies.
Value assigned to a tradable 'thing' has no intrinsic foundation. It's just what we think it is. Very subjective.
As for the majority of our property, please consider the knowledge we've all accumulated since our dawn. It's huge and available to anyone with an education and membership in civilization. We place zero value on it most of the time, but not because it is worthless. It is simply not in our best interests to trade it most of the time. It makes more sense to give it in the manner of our ancient HG ancestors. I give you mine in the expectation that you'll give yours to someone else just as freely. Indirect reciprocity. It doesn't ALWAYS make sense to gift it, but most of the time it does, thus the $0 price tag. You can't trouser this stuff easily. It is useful sometimes, but curious people paying attention to your actions will eventually figure it out.
When I finished grad school and experienced the graduation ceremony, I had an epiphany on the floor of the auditorium. I was surrounded by people who had contributed to the knowledge of humanity. Lots of us. It occurred to me the scene was being played out in many other schools at about the same time. Lots and lots of us. It occurred to me the scene repeats each year. Lots and lots and lots of us. I found it a little difficult to breath and my heart pounded as I realized I was part of a larger whole. I was one human doing for Humanity what I could. Yah. Kinda religious. I've never forgotten that experience or the feeling of it. I've also never forgotten that we are ALL doing it.
I can accept your 'property of humanity' concept, but only if you pay attention to the real scale of it. It's much bigger than what people can hide away for personal use.
@Rob H. | I see the mere IDEA is now out there.
Dude. The idea of attacking my neighbor with a spoon and digging out their eyeballs has been out there too. Why not do it now? Because I'm human. The idea may be out there, but it is disgusting, so I avoid it.
Horror movies depict some REALLY disgusting ideas, but there aren't many who want to go out there and do them. Some do? Yah, but not enough to end the Enlightenment.
You might sleep a little better if you realize your neighbors are actually human and that means they are mostly disgusted by these terrible ideas. If one of them isn't and manages to take out a few of us to benefit his political allies, there is a good chance his allies WILL be disgusted.
Don't buy into the fear that we are all becoming less than human. Most of us aren't.
David says claims that 'Orwellian tyranny (involves) inhomogeneity and obscenely uneven distribution of POWER', yet it remains unclear as to how his 'Orwellian' variety differs from run-of-the-mill tyranny. This is the very definition of tyranny, no? The oppressive or unjust use of power.
It follows that most of his subsequent claims are how-you-say bullshit:
(1) The US was generally at peace under Clinton, except for the military occupations of Haiti, Somalia & Bosnia-Herzegovina and cruise missile attacks on Iraq. (2) The war was tapering off under Obama, except when it escalated under the 'surge' and expanded into Pakistan, Libya, Syria & Turkey. (3) His kids’ generation is less oppressed by sexual pressure than any before it, assuming you ignore the increasing constraints placed on heterosexuality since the demise of hippy-dippy free love & disco. And, (4) Bullying is (in a spotty way) plummeting, thanks to creation of a bigger badder Big Brother who can subjugate & oppress all of the other (smaller; weaker) would-be bullies.
Like the 'Old Lady who swallowed a Fly', David justifies authoritarian escalation as the antidote to evil "plutocratic overlords". Yet, the relative 'evil' of those so-called plutocratic spiders pales when compared to the subsequent deep state ingestion of birds, cats, dogs, goats, cows & horse, concluding with a pithy "She's dead, of course" description of our defunct democracy.
Poor Rob_H fears a coming purge of leftist 'undesirables' by the right, much in the same way the so-called 'deplorable' right fears the left, but the fears of both the right & left are misplaced because the BIGGEST BULLY in the room is one of their own creation that will brook no opposition:
The Deep State.
All of your worst nightmares are about to come true (because) The Dread Pirate Roberts takes no survivors.
The appeal of 'Modern Family' is a matter of indoctrination & confirmation bias. Steve_H finds the show enjoyable because he watches it. This is a matter of Pavlovian conditioning. I despise the show because I do not watch it. Ergo, I do not associate enjoyment with its viewing. David derives enjoyment from the puerile entertainment offered by MSNBC for the same reasons. Their views are his views due to indoctrination & confirmation bias. Everything else is rationalisation.
Marino said...
Re: the religious gene, there is something similar in the last novel in Sawyer's Neanderthal Parallax series. His Neanderthal character discovers that he's immune to a kind of brain stimulation that elicits mystical visions in us Sapiens. And in the end his female Sapiens partner decides to use genetic editing to remove this trait from their coming child.
locumranch inadvertently says a true thing:
Their views are his views due to indoctrination & confirmation bias. Everything else is rationalisation.
Likewise, your skewed views of victimization and enslavement by women are your views because of confirmation bias. Don't presume your experience to be universally accepted truth.
The appeal of 'Modern Family' is a matter of indoctrination & confirmation bias. Steve_H finds the show enjoyable because he watches it. This is a matter of Pavlovian conditioning. I despise the show because I do not watch it. Ergo, I do not associate enjoyment with its viewing. David derives enjoyment from the puerile entertainment offered by MSNBC for the same reasons.
There's something to that, but you also dismiss the obvious. It's possible--and quite likely in fact--that the reason someone watches a tv show is because they enjoy it, and the reason someone doesn't watch a tv show is because they are not interested. You're making the same mistake Dave Sim makes with his ridiculous statement that men are more competetive than women because "men come from sperm and women come from eggs", when the much truer fact is "sperm come from men and eggs come from women."
Also, the fact that many of us never watch "Modern Family" or "American Idol" or "The Apprentice" belies your 1984 model of the place tv and internet and smartphones have in our culture. They're much more the soporifics of Brave New World.
This Chicago Tribune column asserts something our host has been arguing for years:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman/ct-perspec-chapman-roy-moore-god-alabama-20171119-story.html
Last year, Bible-believing Louisiana had the highest murder rate in the country. Moore’s Alabama came in third. Prayer-drenched Mississippi had the sixth-worst.
You’re much safer when surrounded by skeptics. The irreligious state of Massachusetts had the fifth-lowest murder rate, with only 17 percent as many homicides per capita as Louisiana. Godless New Hampshire and Maine had the nation’s lowest murder rates.
Of the 10 least religious states, none is among the 10 most dangerous. Of the 10 most religious states, only Utah is among the 10 that are least hospitable to homicide.
God-fearing places also don’t have a stellar record of upholding the family. The divorce rate is 50 percent higher in Alabama than in Massachusetts — which, by the way, was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. New Hampshire and Mississippi, at opposite ends of the religiosity spectrum, are virtually identical in the propensity for marital dissolution.
The whole column is like a dose of deja vu.
The same columnist, Steve Chapman, tweeted this jewel:
I'm guessing Alabama Baptists would not be so forgiving if Roy Moore had taken those girls dancing.
TCB said...
Treebeard, upthread, said: "An open, transparent society will have lunatics shooting up crowds and shouting at the stars, almost by definition."
And a closed society will have GOVERNMENT APPROVED lunatics shooting up crowds and shouting at the stars, almost by definition.
By contrast, an open, transparent society will also have sensible, independent people thinking, speaking, and working freely to improve it.
A closed society will silence and imprison and kill them.
And Treebeard prefers that!
Ironies abound:
(1) Treebeard prefers an open feudal society where the oligarchic power-mongers are identifiable & accessible, whereas TCB & David prefer a falsely 'open' undemocratic Pogo-based one where 'We have met the enemy and he is US'.
(2) Larry_H cites statistics manipulated by the Chicago Tribune in an attempt to 'prove' that Conservative Red States are more violent then Progressive Blue, even though (A) Blue Chicago has just exceeded 500 murders in less than a year and (B) the top 25 of 30 USA murder capitals are uniformly Progressive, Urban & Blue (whether or not they exist like cancers within a greater red body politic).
(A) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-500th-homicide-tribune-data-20170917-story.html
(B) http://bismarcktribune.com/news/national/the-cities-with-the-highest-murder-rates-in-the-us/collection_5a789407-4d43-5403-ad56-7c47880bda8e.html#1
(3) Then, the same Larry_H invalidates the personal preferences, experiences & truths of others (as in the case of male victimisation by protected cry-bullies), why simultaneously admitting that his more 'enlightened' personal preferences, experiences & truths are built upon near-identical indoctrination & confirmation bias.
It is to laugh, providing proof-positive that the increasingly narcissistic, self-obsessed & self-referential western progressive has become certifiably INSANE, as 'it' stands on top of a growing dysfunctional progressive urban corpse-pile, covered in the blood of failed social policies, while it proclaims its absolute infallibility, righteousness & innocence.
The reason I fear the spread of autonomous microdrone killings is because the further you divorce yourself from the action, the easier it is to do. You say "those things are degenerates and inhuman and I'm doing society a favor" and you hit a button and let the things fly off and do everything. All you did was hit one button. Then it's out of your hands.
Gouging out someone's eyes with a spoon takes effort. Stabbing someone takes effort. The target can fight back. But slipping someone a pill so they pass out and you can take advantage of their inebriated state and inability to say "no" makes it easy for some parties to take advantage of women and men in using date-rape drugs. Pulling a trigger from a distance to kill someone is easier. Pushing a button to blow up a truck in the middle of a group of people? That's easier. Which is why we regulate the means of gaining the materials used for car bombs in the U.S.
Having a remote drone fly out and do a little snap and a little splurt of blood to kill people? Very very easy. Wiping out a bunch of people and knowing they can't resist, that they will die no matter what? You honestly don't think there are people out there who wouldn't do that in a heartbeat and then just claim their hands are clean?
And Locu? You don't understand. If someone starts killing folk for their political views or their social views... there will be those on the other side who do the same. You laugh about my fears. But you know... this sort of thing has fallout that will hit both sides. You would end up hearing the buzz of one of those things one day... and likewise become a victim.
Hell, it doesn't even need to be someone from THIS country. If Osama bin Laden had been able to release a swarm of drones to go and get caught in the intakes of every jet going in and out of JFK, especially while over the city... how many more people would have died? If he could have used a swarm of micro-drones to assassinate Congress and the President... do you not think he would?
How soon before a major power decides to wage war on us by chopping off the head of the snake, killing off our politicians and military leaders, and using information warfare to pretend ISIS or some similar group was responsible?
Rob H. who is wondering if something like this explains why we've not heard signs from other intelligent life in the universe...
I'm disappointed that the "database" is basically just a Q&A format website. Looks to be based on Stack Exchange. This deserves a more structured treatment.
Ideally, it would be automated. Feed a science fiction story (or a summary) into a program, it identifies the nature of the scenario, some pertinent details, and the ensuing consequences. Perhaps I've found a new use for deep learning. Although certainly there is already software like Google Books that can detect the author, title, and data of publication, and perhaps there is already some classification info (subject labels), as well as good summary data from the Library of Congress, the publisher, or similar sources. Possibly for some novels, it wouldn't even require parsing the main text at all.
There's also a wealth of data available from Goodreads, science fiction fan sites and wikis, including Wikipedia, ripe for processing.
Seems to be progressing slowly. It's already nearly six months old. Definitely needs more automation. Whether such automation would spontaneously give rise to an AI, and then give it ideas, is another question.
locumranch:
(2) Larry_H cites statistics manipulated by the Chicago Tribune in an attempt to 'prove' that Conservative Red States are more violent then Progressive Blue,...
Wrong! Larry_H reposts a Chicago Tribune column which sounds a lot like the host of this site for the amusement of regular readers of that site. "Proof" doesn't enter into it.
Wrong again!
Larry_H's point was that all such personalized observations need to be carefully vetted before universalizing them. I wasn't claiming mine were any more universal than yours, but I never claim them to be so, and you always do.
Jon S. said...
In response to our disappointed Anonymous:
The connections aren't always as obvious as one might think - as should be apparent by the linkages that some folks have between TASAT questions and their own answers. And that brings us to a classic XKCD panel.
Social and political resistance would be front and centre in any worthwhile story about elimination of religiosity.
I don't believe any religion has anything to do with morality, but I would explore how the lose of religiosity might impact imagination, creatively, reason, and open-mindedness. Would eliminating religiosity also eliminate fundamentalism? How would it affect obsessive/compulsive behaviour?
Robert I did not guarantee that reciprocal vision and accountability WOULD work. I only said that they are the only things that CAN work to preserve freedom and safety and stave off Big Brother. Moreover, they are the only things that HAVE worked.
Alfred and I agree that the Labor Theory of Value was always stupid. Marxists assigned equal value to all labor. Randites assign infinite value to elite labor.
In truth, Karl Marx used the LTV to gain insights and describe how capitalists retain value earned by their workers and apply that value (ideally) to capitalizing (hence the word “capitalist”) the next production line or innovation or tool or factory. That “theft of labor value” was deemed absolutely necessary (!) by Marx… till the Means of Production are completed… then off with their heads.
We now know that his basic model of PROCESS was correct - an important insight - while his teleology of “completing the means of production” is completely loopy, and will be, till we get Star Trek fabricators.
Hey Locum! Add up the total of US military deaths under Clinton or Obama vs Reagan-Bush-Bush. Add up the total number of days when military operations x deaths were occurring. Like all confederates, you think waving an anecdote (ANECDOTE!!!) defeats statistics. But Somalia was over quickly (a failure) and Bosnia was done quickly (the greatest success of US military/diplomacy since the Cold War.) Your defense of bullies tells us a lot about your youth. And if so, then you are only reaping the evil that you deliberately sowed, as a young thug.
Under BOTH Bushes the US military was so over-used and mis-used that ZERO major US Army or Marine units were “Fully Combat Ready.” By the end of the Clinton and Obama admins, EVERY major unit was FCR. And there you have the Confederate disease. Almost all statistics and facts favor democrats and every single metric of US national health and success plummets under goppers. But that won’t budge them. They’ll answer with… ANECDOTES!!!! Oh, and assertions… and more anecdotes.
LArryHart it’s not just murder and divorce rates: If we subtract outliers like Utah and Detroit & Chicago, name a metric of moral and healthy living that is not worse in Red America, from teen sex, STD and pregnancy rates to obesity, dropouts, divorce and domestic violence, gambling and so on. Name... one... exception. Other than abortion which is a disagreement over fundamentals. And actual RATES of abortion go down, wherever there is real sex ed.
Actually, this outright lie is better than most of locumranch’s: “(1) Treebeard prefers an open feudal society where the oligarchic power-mongers are identifiable & accessible, whereas TCB & David prefer a falsely 'open' undemocratic Pogo-based one where 'We have met the enemy and he is US'.
Obviously I fight for a REALLY ‘open’ and REALLY democratic society… liar… but you and the ent imply there’s something about “oligarchic power-mongers are identifiable” that is a saving grace. Um… how’d that work out for 6000 years of horror?
You typed those words in comfort, munching twinkies and safe from thugs cutting off your head for what you say. Even if you cannot see the 10,000 other ways this society accomplished more/better than feudalism, show some gratitude for that much.
I'd like to pick apart that locum quote a little more:
"“(1) Treebeard prefers an open feudal society where the oligarchic power-mongers are identifiable & accessible, whereas TCB & David prefer a falsely 'open' undemocratic Pogo-based one where 'We have met the enemy and he is US'.
1.) Okay. This is one of the things I find most frustrating about politics: that it uses ambiguous human language. "open feudal society" MUST, I think, mean OPENLY feudal since a feudal society is not 'open' in the Popperian sense at all. (I wrote an essay about seven wise car mechanics, and how they all mean exactly the same thing when they talk about a four-barrel carburetor or SAE socket sizes. Just as astrophysicists or heart surgeons use special terms, opaque to the lay person, but meant to make sure they all are talking about the same thing. Not so in politics! people use a word and it means what they think it means, and maybe ten slightly different things to different listeners, and there's the added fact that deceit in politics is often a winning strategy, and that includes using words to mean something other than what a reasonable person might mean. Plus, these meanings drift over time! Argh!)
2.) In an feudal oligarchy the powerful are NOT accessible (they lived in castles! with moats! and hot tar!) and more modernly it's not rare for oligarchs to make themselves hard to identify; they work behind the scenes, use intermediaries and cutouts, and conceal ownership of valuable and far-flung properties, as Dr. Brin has noted.
3.) “a falsely 'open' undemocratic Pogo-based one where 'We have met the enemy and he is US'.
I uuuuhhhh don't know what this is even s'pose to mean. I absolutely want real openness, real democracy. Even ill-educated voters seem to have good instincts, on the whole, when they are really allowed to choose! You don't need a Ph.D. to want everyone to have health care, to want clean water, to want fair pay and safe jobs, to want no new war this year, or next... it takes professional liars and lots of election rigging to make it seem like the voters want tax cuts for billionaires and medical bankruptcy for themselves.
Orval said...
The story that haunts me more and more these days is "A is For Anything" by Damon Knight. He posits the invention of the "gizmo," a device that instantly produces a free copy of anything (from eggs to watches to guns, up to and including people). So what happens in a post-scarcity economy? He makes a VERY convincing case that the logical outcome of post-scarcity is slavery (the one thing he misses is that you can't duplicate real-estate, which fact is causing our society no end of pain right now).
As we approach a post scarcity economy (it is astonishing over my lifetime, how the cost of "things" other than real estate has dropped, in comparison to services and utilities), we had best beware. Post scarcity economies don't necessarily have to look like Star Trek. Marx is looking more and more like he had a pretty good point with that whole "ownership of the means of production" thing.
By the way, I've been having a VERY DEPRESSING thought, and I'd like some input here.
What if Guy Mcpherson is right and the CO2 and methane have already started running away, leaving us a decade at most to smell the roses before we all die, leaving bacteria and maybe fungi.
Are we buying that, or not? Contrary Brin sounds a great deal more optimistic, and I'd like to be, too. But. Real time. Should I be more optimistic? (I know you'll say yes...)
Could a nuclear winter slam the brakes on an exponential greenhouse? And might somebody, say, in China, come to the grim conclusion that it's the least worst option left?
Discuss.
@ TCB
Have a look at this article from the New Yorker regarding so-called "negative emissions".
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/20/can-carbon-dioxide-removal-save-the-world
I found it interesting and, perhaps, hopeful. After reading the article, I started wondering about the possibility of small roof-top, solar powered CO2 extraction units as a way to scale up the effort. Probably would need tax credits to get widespread use of the tech and some centralized disposal system for the CO2 in whatever form--CaCO3, CO2 gas or whatever. I like that idea better than the geo-engineering approach with iron fertilization of the oceans etc. with the much larger risk and uncertainty there. I, too, would love to hear from other folks here regarding the subject.
@ Locum
Thanks for your non-answer regarding your dislike of Modern Family. I was hoping you could be more specific, but alas, no. I suspect you don't like the idea of a well-to-do business man marrying a smoking hot immigrant 30 years his junior. Could you be a bit jealous? Of course I'm just speculating...
Hi TCB
First a "nuclear winter" looks less and less likely
The idea was that nuclear explosions would set off firestorms and the fires would get tons of soot into the upper atmosphere
Well we have tested the firestorm idea with the wildfires on every continent and oil fields in Iraq - no long or medium term cooling
It turns out that even huge fires are simply not very good at getting stuff high enough to stay in the upper atmosphere
Also modern cities are a lot less flammable than the initial assumptions
Second - we know that in case of war we can put an enormous amount of effort and energy into "doing things" - look at Britain in WW2
And that was starting at a much lower economic level
If we really had to "do something" about global warming then we would move into the geoengineering mode and DO THINGS
While Nuclear winter from bombing cities seems to be a bust - Nuclear winter from setting off volcanoes may well be an option
Says a moral relativist called David, "name a metric of moral and healthy living that is not worse in Red America", the easy answer being EVERY metric assuming moral relativism without a fixed moral baseline, insomuch as LOWER Blue State rates for STDs, teen pregnancy, drop-outs, divorce & so on could easily represent the increased prevalence of sexual repression, psychological coercion & enforced conformity.
The Social Progress Movement has become the Anti-Freedom, Anti-Democratic & Elitist party:
A group of self-righteous areligious WEIRD-o fanatics intent on Global Proselytism.
@TCB:
I used the term 'open feudal society' to refer to system in which the Oligarchs rule OPENLY in an identifiable fashion, whereas David natters on in support of our current 'Democracy in Name Only' (A Covert Oligarchy in fact) as identified by multivariate analysis. http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
That said, your doubt is refreshing insomuch as it reflects the beginnings of “The more you know, the more you know you don't know" Aristotelean wisdom as you come to realise that (1) 'Nothing is ever certain or settled in Science' and (2) 'Everything you think you know about how the world actually works is probably wrong'.
@Steve_H:
My smoking hot young immigrant wife is the same as yours: Fictional; fantastic; unreal. Like the 'Friends' you hang out with at Central Perk. So popular, you are --- a sci-fi fanatic, mild asthmatic, never been to 2nd base -- no doubt, you are so much cooler online.
You missed a point, Steve. Loco-boy there said he'd never seen Modern Family, so therefore there can't be anything actually in the show that enrages him. (Specifically, he's obviously quite unaware that Sofia Vergara is playing the wife of Ed O'Niell's character.) I'm guessing it's something from the ads about Cam and Mitchell that gets to him.
By the way, I think 'moral relativism' is a big old wicker, I mean straw man.
As I said before, plentiful evidence shows that our morals are deeply rooted in our social-animal ancestry. And these are NOT 'relativist' because there exists a very simple rule in social animals for what is 'moral' and what is not.
If a behavior helps the society survive, it tends to be rewarded over the long run. This often means cooperative behavior, though not always.
If a behavior harms the survival odds of the society, it tends to be punished. Either the other animals will punish the offender for no-cooperative acts, or these acts will cause the entire pack/tribe to be punished by nature, by the cold unfeeling machineries of cause and effect.
This is why nuclear war and global warming (for example) are, ultimately, absolute moral issues even for those who reject all forms of religion. And the same is probably true of oligarchy! If people and organizations use their wealth and power in a non-cooperative way (non-cooperation defined as acting selfishly or against whatever would help the society to survive intact) then they will be punished, either by the rest of the society or by nature's unfeeling machineries of cause and effect.
I, myself, would be highly religious and very pro-oligarchy if I thought either of these things helped the future survival odds of the society. But all evidence I can see indicates that they do not.
Jon S. said:
"You missed a point, Steve. Loco-boy there said he'd never seen Modern Family, so therefore there can't be anything actually in the show that enrages him. (Specifically, he's obviously quite unaware that Sofia Vergara is playing the wife of Ed O'Niell's character.) I'm guessing it's something from the ads about Cam and Mitchell that gets to him."
Ahh, I did indeed miss that he hadn't actually watched the show and I'm thinking your speculation is probably close to the truth. (Mine was just to poke him a bit.) ;)
TCB said: "As I said before, plentiful evidence shows that our morals are deeply rooted in our social-animal ancestry. And these are NOT 'relativist' because there exists a very simple rule in social animals for what is 'moral' and what is not.
If a behavior helps the society survive, it tends to be rewarded over the long run. This often means cooperative behavior, though not always."
This brings to mind some of the moral philosopher Mary Midgley's thoughts who I've been reading for the first time lately. She seems to be very misunderstood by some of Richard Dawkins's acolytes because she has been critical of some of the thinking in his work (and I don't think they bother to actually read what she writes), but she's also critical of the "blank slate", "culture determines all behavior" people. I really like her approach and her understanding that humans morality is very much determined by the fact we are a social species and not egoistic creatures defined purely by self-interest.
As an aside, I would also make the point that there is plenty of room in evolution for behavior that is in essence "neutral", not really helping a species success or harming it. Also room for "personality" variations in individuals of more advanced animals like coyotes that can lead to more success in one situation--say tolerance of being around humans in urban and suburban settings--which could be deadly in others. The same tolerance and lack of fear of humans would likely be fatal around a sheep grazing concern and stockmen with rifles. The behavior or "personality" does get selected for depending on the setting, but I think it's likely that the fact that personality variation is present in the population is, in itself, a "trait" that is good for a species and helps insure its adaptability and thus survival.
Oh, and one other thing I encountered in Midgley's writing was a mention in some work by Konrad Lorenz where he developed the idea of "Supernormal Stimuli". Specifically he noted that certain birds would preferably sit on fake, supersized eggs rather than their own normal sized egg in the nest next to it. I think there are some obvious correlates in us humans relating to everything from female breast size in pornography to sweetness in foods to visual excitement in film and video. I haven't read any of Lorenz yet but I'm planning to.
Addendum: I would also wonder if "selection" for certain personality traits in coyotes (and perhaps humans) is actually an epigenetic process and not true genomic gene selection in the classical sense. Epigenetics is, apparently, where the current focus in biology is for many questions.
Our host mentioned the Flynn Effect in this post, and I (and others) wonder if most of this is an epigenetic effect.
TCB a runaway methane blurp is indeed the nightmare. I think it more likely folks would try extreme geo-engineering than nuclear war.
“the easy answer being EVERY metric assuming moral relativism without a fixed moral baseline”
Liar. Deliberately raving liar! You know that every metric from child mortality to military readiness to entrepreneurship and startups to small business health and so on favors your enemies. But outcomes and facts become your cult’s enemies because they go against the purest fact of all… hate. You hate. And that trumps all facts.
If all morals are relative, then yours are no better than ours. Which leaves us with the crucial advantage that facts and outcomes and success and achievement and objective reality are all on our side.
Hm... subjectivity score? Tied. Objective reality score? We win.
Oh. Maybe YOUR “smoking hot young immigrant wife” is fictional.
Dr. Brin wrote, "The US was generally at peace under Clinton and war was tapering off under Obama."
It may explain some GOP behaviour when you reflect that they are often in the unenviable position of having to run against peace and prosperity.
@ Locum....
Nice riposte, you're right that my "hot wife" is not an immigrant. But her parents were. I'll give you a hint of what country they came from with this video....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sUXMzkh-jI
Yep, that's Malcom Young (died today) laying down those licks on rhythm guitar early on. I hear you asking how I can like this music? Yep, I'm a human, a social animal with all sorts of things I've inherited that make me tick and many of which are malleable.
Setting that aside,I really like Bon Scott in this video. He seems to be having so much fun. He died young (with no kids that I can tell) and the influence of "Supernormal Stimuli" certainly played a role, but I think his existence and art made our lives a bit better. Maybe even had some "survival benefit" for our species, who knows? Evolutionary popular writing does contain a lot of "Just So" stories that are not falsifiable, so I'll throw this one in there. And, just to be clear, I'm a huge fan of Darwin so don't think I'm ragging on him.
Zepp Jamieson:
I think it was an "Onion" headline during the early W administration that read, "The long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is over!"
While I'm on the subject of AC/DC, I looked up the heights of the band. Bon Scott 5'8", Malcolm Young 5'3", Angus Young 5'2", Phil Ruud, 5'6", Brian Johnson 5'5". Find that interesting in light of the aggressive macho lyrics of so many of their songs. The song "Whole Lotta Rosie" takes on a different light when I think of these munchkins singing about her... :) (I'm 6'3" so I can say that) Just another way our anima/human past effects our perspective.
BTW, I never knew my height was female attractant until I'd married my wife. Women are way too subtle for me, I'm afraid.
Steven Hammond... har! On hilarity points, you get post of the day!
David Brin...
I hope that means you're laughing WITH me and not AT me? ;)
Either way I'm OK (and I'm still tall, ha ha, "so I got that goin' for me, which is nice" even if I haven't met the Dalai Lama...)
From today's www.electoral-vote.com :
Meanwhile, in the absence of a clearly-articulated foreign policy vision from the administration, The Economist—hardly a bastion of left-wing politics—has taken a stab at trying to characterize the Trump Doctrine. Their take: "America's foreign policy: embrace thugs, dictators and strongmen." They note the President's friendly relationship with Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, and others, not to mention his disdain for refugees, immigrants, and the like. While the magazine is no fan of Barack Obama's foreign policy, he seems like Nixon or Talleyrand or Metternich next to Trump.
Nothing we didn't already know, but this bit stood out for me:
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt
The guy's name is really "ISIS" spelled backwards?
Now he's channeling Caddyshack? Oh... please... ow!
LH what's the full URL of that quotation?
@Rob H | Okay. You appear to be seriously concerned and doing your duty as a social t-cell, so I'll stop and think about it a while.
I) It isn't unreasonable to be more concerned with threats that people can deploy in a manner that reduces their exposure to retaliation compared to riskier options.
II) It isn't unreasonable to draw more attention to threats that can be deployed on a large scale quickly when compared to ones with a difficult learning curve.
Your scenario reminds me a bit of the threat portrayed in the second Captain America movie. Okay. Instead of delivering it from large, autonomous platforms, you describe small ones that can find us and make it a more personal experience.
So, let's hit the points where I think your concerns run into trouble.
1) With voter registration information, you'll only get a moderate percentage of people because they might not be where the weapon is deployed. If they aren't there, they have to be found or the weapon would be moved to a secondary target. Remember that these things have limited power supplies, so the second target or search efforts would have to be kept pretty simple.
2) With facial recognition software, you could do better, but that requires some computation power or a decent network connection. The first comes at a cost of weight on the vehicle which increases the power demand and makes the whole thing more costly and easier to see early in a mission. The second requires decent bandwidth which makes the thing easier to hear. Even if one can't decrypt the message traffic rapidly, one can know something is operating nearby with relatively simple equipment.
3) I don't believe for a moment that these things don't have a difficult learning curve. I've tried to build stuff that flies in a semi-autonomous manner. It is non-trivial even when one isn't targeting humans who aren't always the most predictable subjects. One CAN learn how to do what you describe, but that will require experiments done in the field. Most terrorists who get caught do so while they are acquiring the information they need for their mission. They get noticed by people who aren't tuned out and suspicious activity gets reported. Anyone learning to do what you describe would face the same risk. Only in super-hero movies would they not.
4) There are much more diabolical things one could do with the things you describe that would be much simpler. Small incendiaries during California's dry season could be catastrophic. Small, jellyfish like fliers trailing wires flown into transmission lines could be catastrophic if the person directing them understood how the wholesale electricity markets worked. Pfft. Just fly them into polling places during an election and set fire to the voter registration books. Polling locations don't move and are easier to recognize. Here in California, many of them are elementary schools. Added Bonus! So, why bother with more difficult tasks?
I know for a fact there are security guys thinking about these things. Unless you are one of them, I encourage you to let them be the ones with the nightmares and ulcers. They've chosen to work these jobs. If someone manages to do one of these bad things, they won't roll over peacefully and accept the results. They will get that look in their eyes that says “Someone is going to DIE!” much like they did with 9/11. If you still want to worry about it, though, build counter-measures and sell them. It might be a niche market at first, but on the day people start working up the learning curve, it won't be.
...personality traits in coyotes (and perhaps humans) is actually an epigenetic process and not true genomic gene selection in the classical sense
In our case, there appears to be decent evidence saying it isn't genetic or epigenetic processes. Our brains are simply plastic. What they do depends on the environment into which they grow because they are already pretty generalized.
I don't know if that applies to coyotes, though. I suspect that we've culled some of there extremes and rewarded others.
Re: libertarians and strange bedfellows:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/19/trump-russia-fake-news-libertarians-autocrats-democracy
Disruption games: why are libertarians lining up with autocrats to undermine democracy?
In the era of digital politics, an odd alliance has sprung up: anti-state campaigners and Moscow-backed nationalists are combining to disrupt liberal institutions...
“The radical libertarians and the autocrats are allied by virtue of sharing an enemy which is the mainstream, soft, establishment, liberal politics,” said Jamie Bartlett, the director of the centre for the analysis of social media at the Demos thinktank.
“Most early, hardline cryptographers who were part of this movement in the 1990s considered that democracy and liberty were not really compatible. Like most radical libertarians – as Assange was – the principal enemy was the soft democrats who were imposing the will of the majority on the minority and who didn’t really believe in genuine, absolute freedom.”
You know, like those guys who prefer openly feodalist/autocratic government in place of "sham burgeois democracy"...
onlyaboutthenail said...
@locumranch,
I agree with you about the cry-bully problem, especially the feminist sort. I can't agree with your tactics. We need to stand up to these people with serenity, courage and most of all humor, not whinging. Don't ask for mercy, they have none.
Remember, *oppression by feminists* is far from "enslavement by women". only about 1 in 3 women are feminists.
Dr Brin:
I actually get a kick out of loc's obscure movie references. The fact that I was able to recognize a quote from "Head Office" once was priceless.
I'm not sure which quotation you mean. I'm assuming the Steve Chapman tweet about Evangelicals and dancing? If so then here:
https://twitter.com/SteveChapman13/status/929022046868332544
If you meant something else, please clarify.
Steven and Alfred,
There's a bit of a misconception here about the nature of epigenetics. Of course Alfred is right on the money with neuroplasticity, which is much more a factor in humans than other branches of the animal kingdom. DNA has been selected for in a classical Darwinian sense to create a highly adaptable species that learns to change its behavior as its environment changes. Humans are not 100% flexible, but neither are they 100% slaves to instincts. The same is true for pretty much anything that has a brain, though the nature of the brain determines the flexibility of each individual species (and each individual animal within the species - compare Alfred to Locum and that becomes obvious).
However, epigenetic mechanisms are also subject to both natural and sexual selection, just as protein-coding genes are. Analogous to plasticity in the brain, epigenetic switches are much more adaptable than the protein-coding genes, but are not 100% flexible. As an example think about varying rates of metabolism. How a person's metabolism works depends a lot of genes that code for specific enzymes and their variations, like variants of the amylase enzyme that are slightly more reactive to different pH values, which probably reflects reliance on specific foods one long periods of time in any given population. But food availability in the prenatal months and early postnatal years can trigger methylation switches that ramp the rate up or down. If calories are plentiful during this period, metabolic rates are ramped up, mainly by producing enzymes in greater quantities, while if calories are more scarce, metabolism is turned down. This means that a person who is born to young, poor parents who don't have the resources to get healthy nutrition, or do not even know what constitutes good nutrition, raise their babies in an environment which will slow their metabolism down, causing them to start putting on weight as soon as they have the ability to choose what and how much goes into their mouths. The traditional explanation of fat people is that they are weak-willed fools worthy of our scorn, but the biology is increasingly complicating the picture, and making our tradition blame-and-shame game more and more problematic.
onlyaboutthenail,
I agree with your statement that we need to stand up to these people with patience and dignity rather than the alternating rage and whining that comes out of the mouths of most conservatives. However, there's a little matter of numbers here. The "feminazis" as they used to be called have never been more than a tiny but very vocal minority. They are a fetish of the ridiculous right just like the so-called "welfare queen" who drove a cadillac and got more government assistance by cranking out more babies. The individual Reagan made such a stink about was one individual, and she was prosecuted for it, which shows not that the government is creating welfare queens but that it is policing its own programs and actively seeking those who try to cheat the system. Not perfect by any means, but we are not going to find perfection anywhere on this Earth.
Also, your 33.33% figure for feminists depends on how you want to define feminism. if you go to the "feminazi" extreme you probably have far less than 1%, but because they are extreme they get a lot of press. If you are talking about people who think that women should have equal legal rights as men, you are looking at at least 2/3rds. Equality is an idea that has huge cultural capital in America. By that definition most men in America are feminists, though likely not as many as 2/3rds. But there are always people who participate quite gladly in their own oppression because their minds cannot perceive the possibility of the world behaving differently than it has for the previous generations. Look at old Maggie Thatcher.
Ultimately we have to resist all injustice, and the greatest injustice of all is that ugly tendency to lump everyone who shares a few superficial traits into one category and treats them as if they were all clones. Locum's sin is this: because a seriously tiny number of cases have been found in which a woman lied about being sexually assaulted, he wants to claim that this is wide-spread behavior and that they would all do it of noble, rural good old boys weren't there to slap them into their place. As Dr. Brin likes to point out, he uses rare anecdotes to tar billions of people with the sins of a handful. Of course, there is a Biblical precedent for such bullshit, but that doesn't change its scatological nature one iota.
If we want to look at statistically significant facts instead of making Olympus Mons out of a molehill, about 25% of all women in America experience sexual assault at least once in their lives. That's actual sexual assault, not just harassment, discrimination, casual groping and grabbing, jeering, almost daily catcalls and constant shaming. Interesting correlation, about 25% of women in America end up having to be hospitalized and treated for mental disorders caused by extreme stresses. It's not hard to put two and two together. How many men are subject to this kind of treatment? The number who are subjected to this by women is vanishingly small, but the number of men who are sexually assaulted by other men is about half the number for women. Interestingly enough, that number is only a few percent smaller than the number of American men who find themselves in a mental hospital with all those women. There's a pattern here, and it is precisely the opposite of what Locum and his ilk assert.
Marino quotes:
Like most radical libertarians – as Assange was – the principal enemy was the soft democrats who were imposing the will of the majority on the minority and who didn’t really believe in genuine, absolute freedom.”
So "genuine, absolute freedom" means the ability to impose the will of the minority on the majority. If the guy with the bump-stock isn't free to shoot up a crowd in Las Vegas, then he's not truly free.
While posing as libertarianism, this is really a different thing, in fact the opposite thing. Absolute, unconstrained freedom for the one who is able to impose his will upon all others is authoritarianism.
There's a Heisenberg uncertainty in "freedom" in which more freedom for some implies less freedom for others, and absolute freedom for one implies no freedom for others. Feel free to argue the point if I haven't thought it through, but to me this seems as ironclad a law as those of mathematics and physics. A social system can attempt to optimize freedom, but can never guarantee it absolutely to both bullies and victims, to evangelicals and to non-believers, or to authoritarians and libertarians.
What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? The correct answer is that it is a trick question: The existence of an irresistible force belies the existence of any immovable object, and vice versa.
Paul SB said:
"Of course Alfred is right on the money with neuroplasticity, which is much more a factor in humans than other branches of the animal kingdom. DNA has been selected for in a classical Darwinian sense to create a highly adaptable species that learns to change its behavior as its environment changes. Humans are not 100% flexible, but neither are they 100% slaves to instincts. The same is true for pretty much anything that has a brain, though the nature of the brain determines the flexibility of each individual species (and each individual animal within the species - compare Alfred to Locum and that becomes obvious)."
This is interesting and true, but much of the plasticity may be due to epigentic influences if rat models correspond to humans. I'll link to an interesting article regarding this and here's a quote from it:"Plasticity in neurobiological pathways regulating stress responsivity, cognition, and reproductive behavior is apparent during the prenatal period and continues into adulthood, suggesting a lifelong sensitivity to environmental cues. Recent evidence suggests that dynamic epigenetic changes—molecular modifications that alter gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence—account for this plasticity. "
Actually, locum's sin is a long memory paired with radical equalism. Paul_SB would be the first to agree with me about male & female gender equality; he'd probably even accept equivalent humanity between the genders; yet he'd never accept gender-equivalent human failings, especially when paired with Feldman's research that shows that 60% of humans are liars, meaning that 60% of men and WOMEN are malicious lying liars too.
Of course, the 60% figure is a baseline in our deceitful culture and, in the case of secondary reward & selection bias, the percentage of lying liar humans can only go higher, being especially concentrated in politics, making Paul_SB a chivalrous lying liar when he says that only a "tiny number of cases have been found in which a woman lied" about things of importance.
David hates liars, too, as suggested by his go-to repost of "LIAR", yet he also prefers to lie to himself about difficult & uncomfortable human truths as in the case of the dominant Humanism lie of our time that 'humans are basically good and/or moral'. Humans aren't 'bad' or 'immoral' either, in my experience, the truth being that humans are largely amoral.
We can talk more about the western cultural shift from Absolute (God-based) Morality to Subjective Moral Relativism & its rather severe consequences later -- I know I most certainly will -- even though most of you will continue to LIE TO YOURSELVES about the validity of my conclusions.
Blah blah de blah blah. Even at his best, he never backs up any of his assertions. Locum lies like mad, then responds with "So's you!!!" Because all is relative and thus just ASSERTING I am a liar is sufficient.
This is why I perked up with the arrival of Anonymous onlyaboutthenail... a person who sounds like a sympathizer with right wing resentments who is nevertheless capable of blinking toward the sun and accepting the existence of facts.
Here's hoping it's so! We are a variety-seeking and eclectic bunch here. No echo chamber. Many of our conservative members are in hunker-down mode because - well- the world around us is really hard on sane conservatives, right now. But while the rest of us can sometimes be a bit rough, we DO profess to like the variety.
Stay and test us!
Here we go again,
"Paul_SB would be the first to agree with me about male & female gender equality; ..."
- This is a legal issue, so it really matters very little what we think. The law is the law.
"... he'd probably even accept equivalent humanity between the genders; ..."
- That should be obvious. All humans are equally human, though we often deride each other as less than human in anger. The very question comes down to whether you buy Plato's romantic notion of heavenly archetypes of which we are all imperfect reflections, or the reality of variation within any given species.
" ... yet he'd never accept gender-equivalent human failings, ..."
- As usual he is trying to tell me what it is I really think, and is, as usual, completely wrong. No one gets a pedestal. If gender-specific failings exist, as I am sure they do, they are probabilistic, not categorical. In other words, these failings will apply more commonly to one sex than the other, but is never 100% (or 0%) in either. Greater average testosterone levels in males tend to compel certain behaviors more commonly in men than in women, but we all know plenty of examples of both sexes who do not match the stereotypes.
Also note the incorrect terminology here. Sex is biological - what you have between your legs. Gender are the roles engendered upon people by their cultures. Most Western cultures equate sex with gender, but this is hardly universal. There are quite a few cultures around the world that have 3 or more genders, proving that the concept is more flexible than the biology. Another issue is what assumptions we have to make about hermaphrodites, who make up about 1 in 2000 births. Such a rigid dichotomy is really a false dichotomy.
"...especially when paired with Feldman's research that shows that 60% of humans are liars, meaning that 60% of men and WOMEN are malicious lying liars too."
- It is true that lying is ubiquitous in the human species. When I was younger and did not understand some of the basics of mental health and brain functions, I used to get very, very mad when I caught friends in "little white lies." Then when both my children turned out to have ASD, I realized that the anger I felt over other people's low-level dissembling (of the "yeah your cupcakes are really tasty" or "no, you aren't really fat at all" variety) is probably a result of my own brain being not quite right. Maybe I have some mild form of ASD, or its second cousin OCD, either way I'm pretty compulsive about honesty, not good at telling lies and not really inclined to practice the skill anyway. This might sound like a boast to some, but in many ways it has been my bane. I wouldn't wish compulsive honesty on anybody, unless it is true of everybody.
But more to the point, the fact that most people tell little white lies to facilitate social interaction does not mean they will tell huge lies that have huge ramifications and will be investigated by the authorities, like falsely accusing someone of a crime. This is quite the reductio ad absurdum, but so much of what this guy clacks out is so absurd our tendency is to look for other criticisms. In other words, while we may all be lying to ourselves about some things, it's clear enough this one lies to all of us with enough consistency to call into question his mental capacity.
You are probably right about epigenetics being the likely mechanism of neural plasticity. I think I was unintentionally splitting hairs, there. When I think about it, what makes plasticity happen is adjustments to the numbers of neurotransmitters made, which is under epigenetic control, the numbers of receptors for those neurotransmitters, which is also under epigenetic control, and the placement and subsequent movement of the myelin sheaths created by oligodendrocytes, which I presume is also under epigenetic control. I stand corrected. : ]
I heard this conversation on the radio a couple days ago that touches on a bit of what I was talking about re: sexual assault & harassment. The interviewee perfectly anticipated our faux rancher's claims, no doubt because we have heard this horse puckey before.
https://www.npr.org/2017/11/18/565025370/reckoning-with-sexual-harassment
Paul SB:
But more to the point, the fact that most people tell little white lies to facilitate social interaction does not mean they will tell huge lies that have huge ramifications and will be investigated by the authorities, like falsely accusing someone of a crime.
It is instructive that even the Ten Commandments don't prohibit lying--just the much more specific "bearing false witness".
Note also that some lies are really failed statements of intent rather than misstatements of fact. When you promise to be faithful to your spouse or to tell the truth on the stand, you are not asserting a fact but rather stating an intent. People react badly to such lies in the way they react when someone violates a contract.
Catfish N. Cod said...
@Orval:
Ah yes... in Stross' Eschaton universe, the concept is a "cornucopia". I was adjacent to a set of LARP players once that called them "autoforges". And of course, in Star Trek, they're "replicators".
There are still a number of limitations on even such a miraculous device, though, that Knight (some say deliberately) ignored.
* Matter/energy must still be conserved: so resource gathering (mining, power generation) still has to happen. That's massively aided by a cornucopia, but it still has to happen.
* Cornucopias don't build prototypes. You have to have one thing to make more things.
* Thermodynamics has not been repealed, nor has entropy. It takes less energy to make something if you have materials closer to what the final product will be, regardless of the mechanism of the cornucopia.
* Again, thermodynamics demands that something so massively anti-entropic generate waste heat by the bushel, requiring cooling methods, which requires *more* resources.
* And of course there is some limitation on the time required, if only in the control systems to direct it.
So some portion of economics besides human labor remains, because physics is the ultimate tabulator of the universe.
The second major feature of the "A for Anything" universe is the ability to indefinitely duplicate humans: the flash-clone concept. It is not exactly a grand revelation in science fiction that the ability to pop out sentience to specific order leads to oppression: that's the plot of Brave New World, Gattaca, and every robot/AI-revolution story. Even our host, in Kiln People, didn't make that power as indefinite as in A for Anything, where humans can be produced at zero cost at the push of a button.
The premise Knight advances -- that human labor becomes the only scarce resource, therefore slavery -- is negated by his duplication of people. Moreover, it's nonsense according to available empirical data. A rise in the value of labor has historically increased the rights of workers -- a feature handwaved away here by the ability to pick out and duplicate docility. But why is it not at least as probable to get a society like that of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, in which the quality of the labor becomes the standard of value? I don't think Doctorow's specific scheme would work -- too vulnerable to crowdsourced exploits -- but the general concept of labor-as-value becoming the limiting factor and thus the primary trade good is not wholly wrong.
Indeed, one could argue that human attention is already becoming a major commodity. Think about all the effort devoted for the last two centuries to more and more adeptly grabbing and holding attention, the billions poured into "eyeballs" and "clicks". Exerting control of brain-cycles is becoming a critical resource.
The problem, of course, being that brains have self-awareness and can (sometimes) notice control structures. Which means that they can be broken. Problematic, that, for would-be lords. Especially when those lords are also human.
Some other things that are still scarce in a cornucopia economy:
* Space. God still ain't making land very quickly, and space habs and terraforming take time no matter how many robots you can build.
* EM spectrum. Radio interference is still a thing.
* Intellectual property. Who can use your new recipe for the cornucopia?
And finally, while future shock is a thing, having a replicator that easily constructed and reconstructed would not drop like a meteor out of nowhere (unless, of course, an alien civilization did so -- which was the plot of a Stross novel). There would be scientific hints to the principle, prototypes that did not work as reliably or as fast or as cheaply or as effectively. In short, the society would have at least some chance to transition to new scarcities. It's not the existence of cornucopias that would create a collapse of society; it's the sudden and unlimited introduction that would do so.
Starting with the inevitability that any number of warlords would immediately spring from the ground like the soldiers born of the teeth of the dragon...
Ultimately, the assertion that cornucopias would lead to tyranny is the same assertion that any new technology will do so. History has shown that sometimes it does... and sometimes it doesn't. It's the makeup of the society and the choices of humans that make it so. Which is, in essence, one of the core messages of science fiction in the first place.
In Stross' Eschaton universe, the worlds that built guns first with their cornucopias became the Third World planets of the galaxy, ultimately powerless. The ones that built schools and roads and bridges instead became the great powers. Cornucopias only accelerate the same rules of economy and society that we already have. Imagining a universe where TAANSTAFL has been revoked may be fun, but it doesn't say much about human nature or society.
Niel Stephenson Diamond Age covers some of this.
"If gender-specific failings exist, as I am sure they do, they are probabilistic, not categorical. In other words, these failings will apply more commonly to one sex than the other" [PSB].
And, thusly. Paul_SB betrays the deceitful, Orwellian & 'V for Venus' worshipping zeitgeist of our age:
Firstly, he claims to ascribe to gender & sex-linked Equality. Secondly, he paraphrases Orwell's "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others" quip in order to differentiate between males & females. And, thirdly, he exempts women from the human commonality by claiming that they are better, more godly & significantly less dishonest than their toxic 'P for Patriarchy' male counterparts.
This is Pinker's argument in a nutsack -- this belief that 'V for Venus' is good but 'P for Penis' is EVIL (says Zardoz) -- even though males & females have been proven to be equally deceitful, equally violent & equally human in any number of sociological studies.
I have seen the Future, and it doesn't work. It is sweet death that will come for us instead, as it is unlikely that any civilisation that chooses to villainise 50% of its population -- its fathers, builders, scientists and protectors -- can persist or even exist.
Actually, Catfish, the premise that Knight advances in 'A is for Anything' is the same premise that Herbert advances in 'Dune': Power comes from one's ability to destroy a thing, not from its creation, whether or not that thing is human life, duped eggs or spice. We fear & obey the potential destroyer, not the creator. The cross takes precedence over the egg.
Hmmm can we draw any TASAT lessons from Zardoz, except "Don't put Sean Connery in a loincloth and hand him a Webley revolver, or go ahead and do that, actually, because that'll still be pretty fuckin' rad in a hundred years"?
@Jan: Good point! It's the feed that matters in Diamond Age.
@locum: I need to read more to be sure -- I haven't found a copy yet and have been going off quotes, which can be deceptive -- but the power to destroy only takes precedence when it cannot be balanced. The power of the spice melange comes from its scarcity, and disappears when multiple means are found to synthesize it and/or arrakiform other worlds and establish the natural production cycle. The power to destroy is so great precisely because the power to create is absent: the ascendance of Shiva over Vishnu requires the abdication of Brahma. The point of the Golden Path was to get humanity to create and colonize again, something they'd been too terrified to do since the Butlerian Jihad; the Imperial Age was a cowering before the fear engendered by the worst brush with extinction the race had seen in many millennia.
Once humanity's ability to create was reawoken, it overwhelmed the powers of destruction.... Just As Planned.
"It is unlikely that any civilisation that chooses to villainise 50% of its population -- its fathers, builders, scientists and protectors -- can persist or even exist."
History argues otherwise. Let me tell you a little story about Eve and the serpent.
You're primarily arguing with yourself, sir. I don't recognize many premises you seem to take as axioms.
And I'm starting to see, Dr. Brin, what you meant when you depicted renaissance chaos solipsism in Foundation's Triumph. There are many types of people nowadays on all "sides" primarily debating themselves and phantom opponents of their own devisement.
And again, this guy never learns:
"And, thusly. Paul_SB betrays the deceitful, Orwellian & 'V for Venus' worshipping zeitgeist of our age:
Firstly, he claims to ascribe to gender & sex-linked Equality."
- As I said, equality is a legal issue, it has nothing to do with anyone's opinions. I made no claim, I only pointed that this is the law of the land, even if it isn't always enforced very consistently.
"... Secondly, he paraphrases Orwell's "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others" quip in order to differentiate between males & females."
- Really? Where?
"...And, thirdly, he exempts women from the human commonality by claiming that they are better, more godly & significantly less dishonest than their toxic 'P for Patriarchy' male counterparts."
As usual, he can't do any better than to blatantly lie and insist he knows what we "really" mean. Not much hope for this one, but hopefully he will live long enough to see the transformation of society into something he cannot stomach, a place where justice and fairness rules and none of his simplistic stereotypes matter.
There are degrees of lying just as there are degrees of murder.
I get particularly angry at slander of my character, or at slander of the character of someone I know is undeserving of the mischaracterization. It feels especially egregious when the slam against the person in question is that they advocate for something they clearly do not,such as the claim that Dr Brin advocates for a dictatorship by scientists. The commandment against bearing false witness clearly pertains to a subset of such lies.
I also react poorly to--as I mentioned above--failed statements of intent, essentially the violation of an oral contract. Donald Trump's entire campaign is essentially made up of such lies.
You can argue that telling Aunt Tilly that you like her hat (when you don't); or saying you saw the sun rise this morning (when it was actually the earth moving, not the sun); or speaking lines as an actor are also technically "lies", but it is self-evidently absurd to claim that they produce the type or level of harm associated with slander, false witness, or breaking a contract.
Unless I'm lying about that. :)
I think you are missing another aspect of this.
"Note also that some lies are really failed statements of intent rather than misstatements of fact. When you promise to be faithful to your spouse or to tell the truth on the stand, you are not asserting a fact but rather stating an intent. People react badly to such lies in the way they react when someone violates a contract."
Are these failed statements of intent, or false statements of intent? When a candidate makes promises (like the old "Read my lips") and then does not even try to fulfill them, then the person lied about intent. At one point in last year's presidential campaign, the Grope claimed to not be bothered LGBT (lettuce, guacamole, bacon and tomato) issues, saying that it was a matter of personal choice and no business of the government. This might have fooled some people into thinking he was more open-minded than he appeared, but look what happened once he was in office. He may not have openly stated that he would take any specific policy, but he most definitely gave a false impression of what he intended to do once in office.
See, here's the quintessential example of slander. Paul SB says nothing of the sort of what locumranch accuses him of saying. The quote he provides doesn't back up any of the charges.
Paul SB said that some characteristics may show up more in men or more in women, but that a non-zero subset of both men and women won't conform to the stereotype. Where in there, or anything else he said, is either a statement that there is no difference between the sexes or an assertion that women are exalted. The conclusion of the accusation has nothing to do with the evidence.
Are these failed statements of intent, or false statements of intent?
I think it is difficult to truly "lie" about the future. Many people in 2016 said something like, "Donald Trump will never be elected." Was that a lie or just a mistake?
But you are correct that there is a difference between statements of intent that someone fails to keep vs statements of intent that one has no intention of keeping even as one makes it. I don't remember the specific individual now, but some politician in the 90s who was caught cheating on his wife apologized by saying he "never intended to cheat on her" and it occurred to me that that was disingenuous. If you don't intend to cheat, all you have to do is not cheat. What he meant was that he never expected the opportunity of cheating to come along, so when it did, "What's a guy supposed to do?"
Occasionally (mea culpa) I find him interesting or amusing, or an excuse to flatter myself over my broadmindedness... even when he's raving at strawmans of his own concoction - (some are fascinating, though seldom do the salvos aim even in my general direction, let alone bracketing me.
But other (most) times, it's just tedious and boring. Spittle ravings at complete paranoid fantasies, free of any connection to an objective reality that he openly despises.
Ah, alack. He is actually WAY above confederate average. We can choose between idiocracy, nuclear holocaust, or winning phase 8 of this ongoing civil war.
I meant to get back to you about that story idea awhile ago but got a little distracted. I'm totally cool with making a sort of spoof, though I get really annoyed with supposedly science fiction authors whose stories read like contemporary literature set in the future, where the future is only different from now in terms of technology. I have thought for a long time that it would be interesting if someone wrote a spoof like this but included in it a running commentary on what the cutting edge science really says.
Psikeyhackr,
I read "The Mote in God's Eye" when I was in seventh grade, and it had a pretty big impact on my thinking. It's probably why I so often find demographic explanations for things that most people shrug their shoulders at and just call people names. It also shows some of the power entertainers can have, whether they know it or not. When they broadcast ideas to the wide world, those ideas can trigger lasting changes in people's minds. This is also something I have always wanted to do, but when I think about it, it's kind of an awesome responsibility, and you can never be sure if someone somewhere will misread your intention or take it to some extreme and you end up having the opposite effect you wanted. Moties seemed pretty homogenous compared to the endless variations of human minds.
but hopefully he will live long enough to see the transformation of society into something he cannot stomach, a place where justice and fairness rules and none of his simplistic stereotypes matter.
True dat. Like how that guy who killed black churchgoers in South Carolina intending to start a race war has to live with people of all races uniting against his philosophy, even to the point of (horrors!) forgiving him.
The best revenge is living well, but seeing the bastards live ill comes in a close second.
No worries! :) I find epigenetics extremely fascinating--most of all the heritability of some epigenetic effects. The possibility of so-called "epigenetic memory" is supported by some pretty good evidence suggesting that epigenetic changes can "become encoded into the germ cells, leading to a transgenerational inheritance of the effects of stress and social experiences."
That has profound implications for us humans in all sorts of ways--if true. From what I can tell, this epigenetic "memory" lasts for only a few generations at most. But even so, if, say, experiencing the Great Depression had transgenerational epigenetic effects and those effects persisted for 3 generations, the majority of Americans still have some methylation or histone modification in their DNA influencing them related to ancestors experience of stress almost 100 years ago. Food for thought if nothing else.
it is unlikely that any civilisation that chooses to villainise 50% of its population -- its fathers, builders, scientists and protectors -- can persist or even exist.
You're not taking this personally enough. It's not men in general who are villainized. It's you in particular.
We can talk more about the western cultural shift from Absolute (God-based) Morality to Subjective Moral Relativism...
Sorry, but God-based morality is hardly absolute. ISIS has a whole different definition of of morality from yours, and theirs is just as God-based if not more so. The rural red-state Republican politicians who rant against Sharia Law are arguing fervently against having God-based morality enforced by American civil law.
Steve Hammond, the persistence of stress related epigenetic changes should be one more thing on the list of business expenses pushed off onto the public. Some fortunes have been very expensive.
Aliens are supposed to be alien in SF books. 1974 was when Mote was published and the human population reached 4 billion.
Steve and Tim,
Now we are getting into something much more meaty than just fighting off the willful ignorance of our resident bridge lurkers.
Intergenerational epigenetic "memory" is pretty well supported by several studies in which it has been shown that not only do people who experienced trauma at very young ages have much higher incidences of stress-related disorders, but so do their children and grandchildren. With each generation the effect seems to weaken, though. Still, the implications are pretty staggering. It is no longer supportable to claim that people who were born in poverty were born inferior to the wealthy, because it has been proven that growing up in an impoverished environment causes children to have all sorts of stress-related disorders, and there is even evidence that it lowers I.Q. (the easiest, though least accurate, way to measure intelligence).
Take the Dutch Hunger Winter as an extreme example. The German Army trucked all the food in Holland they could find, leaving the people to starve in 1944. Obviously they did't all starve, but just about everyone came close before they were liberated. It was discovered that children who were in utero during that year or were still in infancy had stress disorders at 20 times the background rate, and that continued but at a lower incidence in their children (btw, my mother was born in Holland in 1943, which probably explains some things). Now look at the incidences of stress disorders in violent ghetto neighborhoods and you see the same thing. Conservatives have depended on the claim that anyone who is poor is genetically inferior and deserves their poverty, while anyone who is rich is superior and deserves their wealth. From that perspective it is an injustice to tax the rich to help the poor. But now it has been shown scientifically that the assumptions used to justify conservative policies (think tax policies) is simply wrong. Any purported "inferiority" is a result of disease caused by environmental exposure to trauma at early ages. I think that is exactly what Tim meant when he said that some fortunes came at a heavy price.
This knowledge is out there, but has not really become enough of a subject of conversation to have the impact humanity needs it to. If you want to see this summarized with attention to both detail and ramifications, I would recommend getting Robert Sapolsky's new book "Behave." For a shorter, easier read, Dr. Brin once reviewed a book here called "Born Anxious" which I bought and could recommend as well. For a really quick intro you can find the old National Geographic video called "Stress: Portrait of a Killer." Spread the word. Civilization might depend on it.
Perhaps my attempt to translate PSB's nonsensical natterings was unsuccessful. Either he argues that men & woman are equal or he argues that men & woman are NOT equal, and his statements initially appeared to place him in the pro-Gender Equality camp.
I note that both men & women are categorically human and I offer scientific evidence that 60% of humans are inveterate liars. PSB then states that (1) human females rarely lie except in "a tiny number of cases" and (2) such moral failings "apply more commonly to one sex than the other", both of which place him squarely in the anti-Gender Equality camp.
PSB is clearly a liar, possibly because he self-identifies as a gendered male -- not that gender identity matters to an actual gender equalist --- yet his obvious lies leave us with a classic paradox: Is he merely inarticulate, an inarticulate liar who lies truthfully, an inarticulate liar who lies falsely, or an inarticulate liar who lies & tells the truth simultaneously?
Citing a "commandment against bearing false witness", Larry_H then accuses me of slander -- a violation of absolute morality -- even though he has previously denied the existence of absolute morality, which makes his accusation invalid & leave us with the very same paradox offered up by PSB.
'Everyone is Liar' is the take-away message here: An anecdote is a single occurrence; a single occurrence is a fact; and collection of mutually confirmatory anecdotes is a truth of the scientific variety.
A Scientific Fact EQUALS a collection of mutually confirmatory anecdotes: Remember this when David screeches 'anecdote anecdote' over & over.
'Mote in God's Eye' is an interesting reference. Perhaps PSB is not human after all. Could he be two Tinkers in a space suit with a severed human head? A chemically neutered male elder? A female motie in a reproductive frenzy? Or, that one human female on the expedition (Smurphette, I think her name was) who just overflowed with human nurturing, godliness & honesty?
"Aliens are supposed to be alien in SF books."
- One of my biggest complaints, and Star Trek is especially guilty of making all the aliens look like humans with funny ridges on their heads (they put a sacrum on the Klingon's heads, which makes me wonder) and their behavior is rarely any different from our stereotypes about the "national character" of various human nations. Coming up with truly alien aliens is not easy.
Overpopulation has been a huge killer of civilizations for millennia. Our host is optimistic that we can not only sustain our exponential growth but gain huge positive-sum benefits from having so many minds free to invent and innovate. It makes sense if those minds really are free, but most people struggle to survive and have little time to get creative with the Universe. I hope he's right.
I'm sure you must have noticed how the timeline of human history paralleled the Moties' cyclic history. I'm sure some people would have thought that was subtle or missed it entirely, but it makes the thrust of the book easy to interpret. 7 billion and counting...
He's on a roll, distorting without pause.
"Either he argues that men & woman are equal or he argues that men & woman are NOT equal,"
- Here he does not seem to quite get what the word /equality/ means. Legal equality is not the same thing as claiming that people are different.
" (1) human females rarely lie except in "a tiny number of cases"
- Never said that, but if you cut and paste some of what I wrote out of context it can be made to look like it. There was a Babylon 5 episode where reporters from Earth come to interview station personnel, but what they actual broadcast was so heavily edited it made it look like the situation on the station was very different from the reality.
"(2) such moral failings "apply more commonly to one sex than the other"
- But equivocation is not one for which there is any evidence of dimorphism. Once again, he is taking words and mismatching context, as I wrote those words with the example of testosterone-driven behaviors, which generally relate to competitiveness, not to differential honesty. And as usual he never addresses any of the criticisms of his distortions, he just comes back with more.
"Citing a "commandment against bearing false witness", Larry_H then accuses me of slander -- a violation of absolute morality -- even though he has previously denied the existence of absolute morality..."
- Really? When did slander become the exclusive property of absolute morality? This guy needs to learn a little bit about the origins of legal traditions around the world. And he still assumes that absolute morality can only mean his morality, backed by his personal interpretation of the holy book he was weaned on. Larry's arguments about different religions' claims to different "absolute moralities" based on different books (to say nothing of the many different interpretations of the same book) are completely ignored, as if he thinks no one else will remember.
"'Everyone is Liar' is the take-away message here"
- If that were really the case, then no one would have any reason to take a word he says seriously. But then, he has given us so many other reasons, that one is hardly needed.
"A Scientific Fact EQUALS a collection of mutually confirmatory anecdotes: Remember this when David screeches 'anecdote anecdote' over & over."
- Ernst Myer is somewhere in the after life saying, "See, I told you so." as we speak. The contrast between reliance on anecdotal evidence and statistically significance is just not that hard to parse. No one is exactly the same as anyone else, so there are a whole lot of things out there that may be true for some but not for others. Black may be the most common human hair color, but that does not mean that brown, blond or red don't exist. Depending on anecdotal evidence would saying that i have black hair, my mom and dad both have black hair, all my siblings have black hair, therefore black is the only human hair color. Anyone with any wits about them will know that a certain percentage of people have black hair, a different percentage have brown, etc. The claim that only black hair exists is argument from anecdote. While technically it is correct that any fact is an anecdote, in practice arguing from fact means looking at all of them, not just the ones you like. Remember that when you read anything Locum pontificates on.
"I have thought for a long time that it would be interesting if someone wrote a spoof like this but included in it a running commentary on what the cutting edge science really says."
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but that combination sounds a bit like a comedian doing a standup and stopping every few minutes to explain to the audience why the joke is funny. There's a reason didactic humour isn't a thing.
"Mote" is a masterpiece, but the Moties were definitely not homogeneous. Not individualistic (at least not compared to us) but between their castes and their factions, in a constant state of war to the death.
One of the things I really liked about the Uplift series was that the aliens, for the most part, were convincingly alien. Yes, a lot of the behaviour has equivalents in our animal kingdom, but they were definitely not-human.
"A Scientific Fact EQUALS a collection of mutually confirmatory anecdotes..."
No it does not, numb-nut. It is about the predictive ability to know what WILL happen if circumstances are comprehensibly ordered. And what will very probably happen, even in the face of complexity.
Just because you blink in utter incomprehension does not mean something you do not remotely understand exists. The most astonishing thing about you is that you prove over and over to be color blind in countless matters of basic comprehension, yet howl "That's blue!" at things that are red or yellow, in order to pretend you have a clue what these "color" folks are yattering about.
Dig it. Some color blind folks manage and live rich lives and even understand color!. By first admitting they hanve an onstacle to overcome.
You have richly benefited from a positive sum civilization that gave you everything. It's not the incomprehension that's dishonorable. It is being a sniveling ingrate.
@Dr Brin
Senpai noticed me!! :-)
@Paul SB
Okay, the 30% figure for feminist women came from the Huffington Post. My bad! Wikipedia has 20% of American women identifying as feminists, from Ipsos. ( I suspect the problem with Thatcher was that she was born in the 90th percentile of intelligence and determination and could not imagine how life would look without these massive advantages.)
Unfortunately, Locum is right that the belief that false rape accusations are rarer than being hit by a meteorite does require believing that female human beings are superior to male ones. Now, it does seem to be a human universal that more males commit VIOLENT crimes than females (though most men don't commit crime at all), but I don't know of a sex difference in non-violent malice and dishonesty. Evidence? Where are you getting 25% of women having to be hospitalized for mental illness??
@locumranch
"This is Pinker's argument in a nutsack -- this belief that 'V for Venus' is good but 'P for Penis' is EVIL (says Zardoz) -- even though males & females have been proven to be equally deceitful, equally violent & equally human in any number of sociological studies."
Yikes! Where does Pinker say this? You do mean Steven?
Tim Wolter said...
Catching up before the pending ONWARD
Paul SB. You seem to have included me in "Steve and Tim" at the tail end of the epigenetics question. Thanks. If you want a experiment with sufficient numbers and time frame just look to North Korea. And a nasty little petri dish that is...
On anecdotes.
One cudgel swung pretty vigorously in these parts is to say that an isolated incident is a mere anecdote, as if that nullifies any meaning that can be derived from it. You need to think about Roman mosaic floors.
Each little bit of colored stone is a tessera. You can pick one up randomly - I have - and know absolutely nothing. So how many tesserae make a picture? Find a moderate number in one site you can say some things about the affluence of the villa's occupants and based on other sites probably about when the picture was made and by whom. Find a floor that is intact but with the pagan bits smashed out you can go further, commenting on the changing religious times. Find one that has been allowed to go to rot and ruin, fire pits and latrines cut through it, you can see the fall of a civilization (oh, ok, actually the transformation, Gibbon was a bit of a show boat). Find one intact and you can walk into the world of the Roman and almost experience it.
It is hard work picking through the dross of the information age, making sure you are not lead entirely by selection bias or by hoax. But I would submit that finding a sufficient number of tesserae does allow you to make inferences. Subject to error of course.
As to the allusion to conservative voices being "hunkered down" I would personally beg to differ. Your competition for my time can be equally illogical and childish, but is much cuter than y'all and calls me Grampa. None of you hold a candle to that.
But enjoy your own families: give Thanks for your own blessings.
T.Wolter/Tacitus
It is no longer supportable to claim that people who were born in poverty were born inferior to the wealthy, because it has been proven that growing up in an impoverished environment causes children to have all sorts of stress-related disorders, and there is even evidence that it lowers I.Q. (the easiest, though least accurate, way to measure intelligence).
Well, doesn't that mean that people who were born in poverty are born inferior to the wealthy? Not that it's their own fault or anything, but you're actually supporting the notion that "those people" are damaged goods for three generations or so.
Possible countermeasures against those shaped-charge drones of the type shown in the video:
Large foam helmets, kevlar helmets, large artificial afros
Tennis racquets, pool cues, epees, whips
Hanging wires and fly strips
Spray paint or adhesive to fog sensors
Anti-drone drones; drones to attack those who sent them (short range and many cameras should make this possible)
Small smart area defense lasers; guns with bird shot; water hoses and fire extinguishers
Mattresses, cushions and pillows, umbrellas with tassels
Disguise, or morphing smart disguise as seen in A Scanner Darkly
Any combination of the above
ALso, pocket sand. Sha-SHAAAAA
He was talking about a very specific set of circumstances--men sexually assaulting women and the responses of each gender afterwards. Is Mr Gender Equality actually asserting that women sexually assault men at the same rate that men do women? Or that gender equality implies that the number of false accusations must maintain parity with the number of actual ones? That equally 60% of attackers and victims lie about the incidents?
If not, then you owe Paul an apology for slander.
You might want to stop trying to read my mind, or to understand American English writing for that matter. Let me count the ways:
When I point out that advocates for religious morality violate the tenets of that morality themselves, I don't call upon the authority of that morality to condemn them. I merely point out the hypocrisy.
Slander is a part of civil law, not God-based religious morality.
I "deny the existence of absolute morality" in the sense that I don't think the universe will punish you for violating it. Consequences for actions is a societal matter, and whether you are actually being good or evil matters mostly to your own conscience, which is clearly bothering you.
'Everyone is Liar' is the take-away message here:
You're lying when you say that.:)
But seriously (folks), by your own figures aren't you slandering 40% of people, men and women alike?
An anecdote is a single occurrence; a single occurrence is a fact; and collection of mutually confirmatory anecdotes is a truth of the scientific variety.
You're conveniently leaving data out of the equation. A collection of mutually confirmatory anecdotes won't enable you to fly under your own power. Reality has veto power.
But that is not a single, isolated anecdote. A collection of mutually confirmatory anecdotes perhaps, but that is a different thing, in fact the opposite thing.
I think that taking The Mote In God's Eye as allegory is an error. The population problem of the Moties springs directly from their biology - they have to reproduce every two years, or die in agony. The effect is intensified by the fact that the only FTL exit from the Mote system is straight into the photosphere of a red giant, and their psychology leaves them unable to cooperate long enough to launch STL craft (except once - and the orbital lasers used to get the ship going were still used as weapons during yet another internecine war).
Attempting to draw conclusions about human behavior based on Motie behavior presupposes that humans are incapable of cooperating unless it's in their own short-term self-interest, an idea belied by the fact that there were at least two wars of similar level in the past of humanity (the Formation Wars, when the Empire of Man first formed from the collapsing CoDominium, and the Secession Wars, when the First Empire collapsed - the Empire's capitol is on the world of Sparta, but their naval academy is on Earth specifically so Imperial Navy officers can see what happens if there's another war), yet the Second Empire is still going strong. (Although there are hints that the Second Empire is beginning a decline in the sequel, The Gripping Hand - Rod Blaine, Count of Crucis Court, is disturbed when he overhears young noblemen on Sparta speaking in terms of their noble privileges, rather than their duties to the Empire and to their people.)
And I think some of you might be understanding why I stopped paying any kind of serious attention to Loco some time back. He's not discussing - he's arguing. He's not trying to find the truth, he's assuming what he already knows is The Truth and he wants to simply win arguments. Even if said "win" has to fall back on an army of strawmen and assertions. I've got better things to do with my life.
psikeyhackr:
Aliens are supposed to be alien in SF books.
One of my biggest complaints, and Star Trek is especially guilty of making all the aliens look like humans with funny ridges on their heads (they put a sacrum on the Klingon's heads, which makes me wonder) and their behavior is rarely any different from our stereotypes about the "national character" of various human nations. Coming up with truly alien aliens is not easy.
I beg to differ on both fronts.
Aliens in fiction are not primarily meant to depict true aliens, but to allow us to exaggerate and view human traits as outsiders would see us. That was part of the realization that struck me watching the "Darmok" episode--that the aliens who communicated in a completely alien manner must be making a point about us.
Alien stories about the truly alien--"The Andromeda Strain", for example--have to be more about the aliens' effect on us than about the aliens themselves. A story about an unrecognizable alien or alien culture would have to be handled carefully by a true master in order not to be completely uninteresting to most readers.
And the template for "Star Trek" was set by the need to use human actors and a limited budget. I don't fault the show for that.
onlyaboutthenail:
Unfortunately, Locum is right that the belief that false rape accusations are rarer than being hit by a meteorite does require believing that female human beings are superior to male ones.
I don't see that. At least until very recently (like a month ago or so), a woman accusing a man of sexual assault had a good chance of causing more harm to the purported victim than to the accused. The sense behind believing the accusation is that the victim wouldn't take the risk of coming forward without good reason. That's not to say there aren't reasons to suspect ulterior motives in some individual cases (even the wives in "The Handmaid's Tale" don't believe an accusation without at least two accusers). My point isn't that there is no reason for a woman to lie or that it never happens. My point is that the impetus for rapists to lie and those for victims to lie are not equivalent, and even without bias, one should not expect equal results on both sides.
It's like, if someone comes out as gay without being forced to do so by circumstance, I tend to believe that he's telling the truth, whereas if someone denies being gay, he may or may not be hiding something. This doesn't require me to believe that straight people are liars and gay people are honest. It's a simple matter of evaluating the probabilities of ulterior motives.
@Jon S.:
Moties are more realistically alien than most depictions of aliens, but they are still meant to provide a commentary and contrast on humanity. In this case, the contrast was human adaptabilty vs. Motie capability. Moties are better at technology, but humans are better at science. Moties are better at doing one thing well; humans are better at doing many things adequately. Moties are crippled specialists as individuals, incapable of flexible response and requiring a clan for minimal functionality; a human can never beat a Motie in their specialty but can beat them at everything else.
Moties have been so specialized for so long that the mere concept of flexibility is enough to drive most Mediators insane.
By the way, your anecdote from The Gripping Hand is from the perspective of Sir Kevin Renner -- a commoner elevated to the knighthood by merit, and thus highly suspicious of the portion of the aristocracy elevated by birth. The narrative implies that this is a meaningful check and balance in the mixed aristocratic-democratic constitutional monarchy that is the Second Empire (of Man and Motie).
Have you read the third volume in the trilogy, Outies by Jennifer Pournelle? It provides very interesting checks on the original authors' perspectives, as well as a completely different take on the Motie biology and psychology.
On other subject you raise: I do not foresee a high probability of introspective reassessment on locum's part, but he is generous in presenting arguments he knows we are equally unlikely to take up. And I sincerely mean that -- the vast majority of people would long ago have stormed off in a huff, abandoning discussion rather than continuing to present a deeply differing viewpoint. It's invaluable to see the internal mechanisms of our now too-common patterns of self-deception at work, and he keeps providing such free of charge. And occasionally -- almost accidentally - he actually makes a fair point. CITOKATE still applies, even with someone with such self-referential thinking as locum's philosophical Dymaxion.
I just wish he could relax himself out of his melange of self-righteous anger and philosophical melancholy long enough to appreciate the wider realms of rhetorical, moral, and physical possibility in Creation. He has a first-rate mind, and it's trapped in a tailspin.
@Larry: this is the environmental point that locum and his ilk, who are also some of my neighbors, make. Yes, men and women have equal capacity to lie and equal propensity to do so -- when all other conditions are equal. Other conditions are not equal, to wit, societal responses to accusations according to gender. Male complaints against women are universally believed. Female complaints against men, until extremely recently, elicited severe social punishment. It's a very straightforward decision matrix, and the result of it was male privilege and female disempowerment.
"He said, she said" is still equal with one-on-one accusations. Innocence is still presumed until guilt is demonstrated. And male accusations of female misconduct should still be treated equally as female accusations of male misconduct... or male/male or female/female, for that matter.
The imbalance in outcome doesn't come from any of the newly evolving standards of conduct and social adjudication. It comes from the backlog of actions that occurred under the outgoing paradigm, and from the asymmetry generated by silence. So very many victims say: "I would have come forward if I'd known I wasn't the only one."
In the ideal situation, a complete reversion to new, balanced standards should result in asymptotic approach to 50:50 equality in complaints, with a (somewhat ironically) higher percentage of false complaints as the backlog of true-but-suppressed complaints no longer skews the results. (Indeed we probably *do* have more false complaints in an absolute sense right now.)
Of course the world is not ideal; many people are fighting to retain the previous standards, and a few more really are fighting for a world of female privilege, as if two wrongs can make a right. Which is why we must agree with the principle of equal treatment and then make the case when someone fails to accurately perceive such.
"Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but that combination sounds a bit like a comedian doing a standup and stopping every few minutes to explain to the audience why the joke is funny. There's a reason didactic humour isn't a thing."
- LOL! I see your point, though I think you could be more pointed about it and keep it funny. Lots of comedians shred their victims by explaining how they are wrong to make the audience laugh. John Oliver does this pretty masterfully. However, science fiction often deals with complex topics that require a lot more time than a one-liner can deliver, so my suggestion could get pretty awkward fast. But I think you could point out the ridiculousness of genetic determinism and explain the basics of epigenetics quickly enough to not lose an audience.
Agreed that Dr. Brin's aliens are better than average. And my memory of The Mote is rather sketchy, I'll admit, as I haven't read the book in ages. Seventh grade was the time. The last time was during one of my undergrad summers. I'll trust that you remember the details much better than I do. Same to Jon, who has made it clear that he remembers much more.
However, I'm not sure I buy the idea that an alien race can't be used as an allegory for humanity. It's an old, old tradition in science fiction to do exactly that. The Moties were an exaggeration of human characteristics. Think about the specific characteristics of the Moties you name - they are all rigidly biological in the Moties, but very common practice in humans. The factionalism, the clockwork reproduction, even their FTL situation (one of the details I remembered) can be seen as a warning about what might happen to the humans if they don't figure out how to take their propensities out to the stars and remain trapped in the Solar System. It's all hyperbole, as far as I can tell.
Paul SB, on Klingons: "One of my biggest complaints, and Star Trek is especially guilty of making all the aliens look like humans with funny ridges on their heads (they put a sacrum on the Klingon's heads, which makes me wonder)"
I only saw one episode of the new Trek and I can't even. Space orcs? Don't they see what that means to poor Mr. Worf? It means his conception involved an amount of alcohol that would force both Guinan and Quark to restock the bars.
Catfish, you nailed that one perfectly.
"And I think some of you might be understanding why I stopped paying any kind of serious attention to Loco some time back. He's not discussing - he's arguing. He's not trying to find the truth, he's assuming what he already knows is The Truth and he wants to simply win arguments. Even if said "win" has to fall back on an army of strawmen and assertions. I've got better things to do with my life."
- Amen brother! I've been saying exactly this - though in a lot more words, and probably a lot less effectively - for about three years now. It's a waste how we get sucked into the black hole of locum's manipulations. They aren't even particularly good solipsisms, yet even I feel the urge to take a whack at the mole sometimes.
TCB, no need to apologize. ; ]
@Paul: Agreed that our host's variety of aliens is more impressive, though none of them were as deep-dive as the portrait of the Moties. But the Upliftverse has aliens that are more complex than "let's exaggerate this one trait of humanity as a rhetorical device", which is how most sci-fi aliens are created.
Dr. Pournelle was being hyperbolic. Niven simply likes to extrapolate out to logical conclusions and play with the results. It's a subtle difference but one that informs each of their works, and also was the secret to their very long and extremely fruitful partnership.
The evolution of human reproduction was one of those issues. Pournelle reset the game in his universe, with the combination of the Alderson Drive (extremely cheap interstellar travel!), transportation (politically movitated forced emigration), and the Great Patriotic War (removal of the source of population pressure). This put humanity back in an expansion-friendly scenario. The only worlds in the Second Empire hitting their carrying capacity are those that were marginally habitable to begin with.
Niven, on the other hand, stuck to a more realistic scenario: despite reasonably convenient FTL, worlds cannot solve population issues by migration. The logistics just don't work. He also posits that over centuries, childfree-positive personality traits will be evolved away in favor of a stronger nurture-reproductive drive: a positive desire for childrearing replacing the now satiable drive for sex, as the choice for large families is selected for. (Color me skeptical: sex drive is much older and more deeply integrated.)
Nonetheless, Niven's humans cobble together a combination of free will, technology, legal group-enforcement, controlled intra-species conflict (the Birthright Games), and random chance (the Birthright Lotteries) to produce a workable sentience-driven population control system for Earth. Other human planets do other things as local conditions permit. Kzinti prefer the intra-species conflict method, using duels to self-select and control population. Puppeteers use legal group-enforcement and a social-intellectual-physical competition system (the Mating Dance system). I don't think we deeply go into any other species' systems, but they all have one. The point is that Niven's species all solve the problem more optimally than the Moties of the Mote System do. They are a hyperbolically catastrophic solution to the population problem.
(Which doesn't surprise; in 1974 the idea of avoiding Malthusian problems by group social effort was considered utopian and unrealistic. In 2017 it is observed reality.)
Going back to the post before the one on male privilege, I would agree about CITOKATE and the need to prevent echo chambers, except that he so rarely says anything that is not convention obfuscation, so we very rarely get anything out of it. Usually when he does it is simply part of a bait-and-switch, where he will admit to some truth then try to twist it around to appear to mean the opposite. I am not sure this indicates a first-rate mind so much as attentiveness to his training in solipsism. He would do well in nay Plains State tent revival.
But the tailspin is exactly right. He's caught in that addiction to self-righteousness feedback loop Dr. Brin illustrates in "Existence" so well (though I suspect that the addiction ploy might not work by the time our youth have become middle aged - the current crop seem quite forgiving of addiction). That could happen to any one of us. It isn't just right-wingers who experience god-like certainty of their immaculate perceptions, but as our host has pointed out so many times, the problem is rare in the left but the norm on the right.
Catfish N. Cod:
In the ideal situation, a complete reversion to new, balanced standards should result in asymptotic approach to 50:50 equality in complaints, with a (somewhat ironically) higher percentage of false complaints as the backlog of true-but-suppressed complaints no longer skews the results.
I mostly agree with your sentiment and quibble over details here, but I still don't see that equal treatment means expectation that true complaints and false complaints will be 50/50. Unless you are willing to argue convincingly that as many people lie to Aunt Tilly to tell her that they don't like her hat (when they really do like it) as lie in the other direction.
Onlyabouthtenail,
"Unfortunately, Locum is right that the belief that false rape accusations are rarer than being hit by a meteorite does require believing that female human beings are superior to male ones."
- I think Larry's differential reward/punishment explanation gets this one pretty well. I would only add that under such a regime even many women come to accept the denigrating implications of such practices, learning to shrug off even the most egregious behavior as "boys will be boys" and even blaming themselves for the actions of their attackers, a phenomenon that is not psychologically healthy.
"Now, it does seem to be a human universal that more males commit VIOLENT crimes than females (though most men don't commit crime at all), but I don't know of a sex difference in non-violent malice and dishonesty. Evidence?"
- Thank you for the parenthetical aside! It gets to exactly what I meant about Ernst Myer's ghost. Typological thinking is a way of simplifying reality to the point of uselessness with simple equalities that lead to faulty syllogisms, to whit: male = more testosterone = more violent: therefore all men are violent by nature, so violence must be a good thing. Testosterone doesn't make men (or women) violent, it reinforces behaviors that individuals succeed at. Robert Sapolsky once joked that if you pump a bunch of monks up with testosterone, they would become extremely competitive over who can commit the most random acts of kindness. And I, too, know of no mechanism that would make one sex more or less inclined to malice and dishonesty. Even the higher average oxytocin levels wouldn't do that, as high sensitivity to oxytocin leads to malice and dishonesty (jealousy, generally, and tribalism) under any circumstances that appear to threaten an individual's access to sources of oxytocin stimulation. Oxytocin gets a lot of press for its positives, but its negatives are rarely discussed.
"Where are you getting 25% of women having to be hospitalized for mental illness??"
- The World Health Organization. I have seen these figures quoted in quite a few books over the years. The two I mentioned earlier are among the most recent of them, but I could name several more if you like. Probably an internet search for WHO statistics on mental health would get you the answer quicker, but then, every one of those books are things I would recommend people who want to understand their own species to read anyway. I also have some personal/family experience with mental health issues and have spoken with many professionals on these matters.
"Well, doesn't that mean that people who were born in poverty are born inferior to the wealthy? Not that it's their own fault or anything, but you're actually supporting the notion that "those people" are damaged goods for three generations or so."
- No, you are misunderstanding the nature of epigenetics, fixating on the "genetic" part of that word. Most people think that DNA only determines traits upon fertilization, and once you have a trait you will have that trait forever. That's not how it really works. Your DNA is constantly working, slowly remodeling your body as old cells die and are replaced by new cells.
Epigenetic markers are like switches that allow the amount of any given protein to be varied. To use the example I am most familiar with, a baby born into a wealthy family who is given everything he wants, never has to worry about where his next meal is coming from, has parents who are not abusive or neglectful, in short has it made, has very little need for stress hormones like cortisol. He may have the DNA sequence that codes for it, but since there is so little stress in his life, the genetic "switch" to tell cells in the adrenal glands to start pumping it out are rarely in the on position. That kid seems calm, relaxed and has little to distract him from learning and pursuing goals.
Now take a kid who is born to poor parents raised in a violent ghetto. This kid is ion constant fear for his life, constantly worried where his next meal comes from, whether or not his parents will be laid off and they will be thrown out on the streets. Every day he goes to school he has to be wary of hooligans who might jump him and beat him up just because they feel like beating someone up, he has to dodge dangerous drug addicts and people who have mental illnesses who wander the streets untreated and unpredictable. This is a person whose body will set the cortisol switch on so often it might as well be stuck in the on position. This is a person who is so jittery, so distracted by every day dangers that he has very little chance of ever being able to learn and pursue goals on a level playing field with boy #1.
The point is, it isn't a difference in the genes, it his how different environments change the action of those genes. If you took boy #2 and raised him in the same conditions as boy #1, they would most likely both end up on the golf course discussing home many workers they have to lay off so they can keep up their Classic Car of the Month subscription. It's the environment that makes the person far more than the sum of protein-coding genes themselves. Compared to most of the rest of the animal kingdom, humans are remarkably homogeneous at the genetic level. The differences we observe in "ability" between individuals has more to do with their upbringing than their "nature." These are facts that show the folly in the meritocracy version of the Just World Fallacy that underpins conservative thought.
Larry (again),
"If not, then you owe Paul an apology for slander."
- You know how likely that is. Maybe if I said that an apology from him would give me a heart attack, he might.
Have you heard the song "You're a Germ" by Wolf Alice? At least some of those lyrics apply here.
Tim, who used to called Tacitus,
Yes, North Korea is a nasty little petri dish, though I doubt we know even the half of it, and won't until North Korea has its own post-Ceausescu moment.
Anecdotes:
All my science teachers insisted that anecdotes are insufficient to qualify as evidence in and of themselves. Rather, anecdotes are sources for hypotheses to be tested. people who are trained in the sciences tend to dismiss anecdotes because they are so commonly used by lazy-minded people as a substitute for gathering solid, statistically useful evidence. An anecdote might turn out to truly represent a real pattern, so simply dismissing them outright is bad practice and bad science. Relying on anecdotes that confirm one's own biases as a substitute for doing the real work of discovery is what scientists object to. But being human and not perfect angels, scientists can swing on the pendulum too far sometimes, too.
I did really enjoy your mosaic analogy. I often make the same point more quickly by asking, how many pixels does it take to be able to tell what it's a picture of?
And as I have said more than once, your experience of conservative people is at odds with mine, with Larry's, with Dr. Brin's and probably a lot of others. If you live among a population of reasonably rational, non-tautological self-identifying conservatives, you are very, very fortunate - certainly more fortunate than I have been. I have had irrational, tautological self-identifying conservatives try to beat me up, get me fired, get me thrown out of school, drive me out of more than one church, and even threaten to kill me, simply for having a difference of opinion. Never got that from liberals, although I disagree with them often enough to piss them off, too.
If my contributions to this blog are sometimes illogical I am happy to discuss the logic and assumptions that underpin it, when I have the time. If my contributions are childish I will apologize, but I would need concrete examples or i might not recognize them - or they might, on further discussion, turn out to merely be misperceptions on either or both our parts. (And I'm not so much younger than you that I can really call you Gramps.) : /
What Catfish N. Cod said.
Yes, I hate that kind of typological thinking, especially when stakes are high. Does America have the psychiatric hospital capacity to take 12% of the population, even briefly? Britain certainly doesn't. I've seen 25% quoted for symptoms of mental illness rather than incapacity.
Pat on the back from Myers' ghost. No, not even close to enough, and most of it is of such poor quality it's a travesty. I was told about one hospital where they would refer to their patients as mannequins because they would sedate them so heavily the staff could literally pose them (and take selfies).
The 25% figure is for mental illness severe enough to require treatment, which usually means somebody was driven into one of those anxiety attacks where they start slashing their wrists or trying to jump from high places impulsively, not really in control of their own actions. This is not necessarily permanent incapacity, but a recurring condition where a person will seem reasonably normal most of the time, but once in awhile something will trigger another episode. These episodes usually require hospitalization, at least the first time it happens, because people don't know what is happening to them, sometimes thinking they are having a heart attack, can't breath, etc. After the first hospitalization they usually have to be treated for the rest of their lives. I hate to use this comparison, but it's a bit like a herpes infection, where the symptoms appear and disappear seemingly at random, but the condition is chronic and the victim lives with it for the rest of their lives. Once a person has had their first episode, they have a 50% chance of recurrence in the first year, and the chances go up through time, to a 90% chance in 15 years. One it's happened, you may not spend your life in a mental hospital, but you will probably be in and out for the rest of your life, and that plays havoc with people's careers.
The 25% figure for women goes with a 15% for men, which averages 20% for the general population. Most psychiatrists think that 50% of the general population have a depressive and/or anxiety related disorder, but most of them don't know it because they have never had an episode severe enough to land them in the hospital. Sapolsky explains it this way: when bad things happen to people, they feel down or panicked about it for a few days or weeks, but eventually get over it. As time goes by you experience more bad things - divorce, loss of a job, death of a close friend or family member, etc. For awhile your chances of developing an illness doesn't change, but there is a cumulative effect. The more traumas you experience, the more likely you will develop one of these illnesses. That's why most people don't get them until later in life, but children who are abused, grow up in war zone or surrounded by gang warfare are extremely susceptible.
@ Paul SB My God that's horrible. Mind you Britain can't boast: you'd be very lucky to get into hospital in Britain if you slashed your wrists during a panic attack. One is expected to Carry On. (Ask me how I know ;-))
onlyaboutthenail... would you please back up that assertion about US mental hospital surge capacity?
1- it ssems utterly unlikely, since we dumped most of the mentally ill onto the streets and closed the care facilities. Are you includeng 'hospitals' that were abandoned, like Chernobyl and now collapsing from zero upkeep and rats and mold?
2- 98% of far-right hysteria conspiracy theories collapse when you ask: "How many skilled people would have to be in on it?"
The best example is the far-LEFT conspiracy called "loose Change" about 9/11 being faked. It would take THOUSANDS of our most highly skilled public servants, performing a pyrotechnically evil treason with split second perfection never seen in any government operation, ever, knowing that ONE whistle blower would become a national hero-star-millionaire while the rest would be hung.
There ARE conspiracies! If the numbers of participants are small and the method (blackmail) is strong... then you can get the Trump White House and its master... in the Kremlin.
David S said...
Paul SB,
I'm confused about about two impressions I've received from your recent posts on epigenetics. On one hand you've stated that some epigenetics switches that are switched in the womb or in early childhood may stick and may be passed on to the next couple of generations (in lower severity). On the other hand, you state that you could take boy #2 and raise him in boy #1's environment and he would thrive (just like boy #1 would). These feel contradictory.
I thought the point of the heritability of epigenetic traits is that if boy #2 parents came from the bad enviroment, some epigenetic switches would be inheritied in the on position and would affect the child even if he was moved into a different environment. Is my understanding wrong?
As Larry_H suggests, the purpose of Alienist Science Fiction -- commonly referred to as Aliens in Science Fiction -- is to make socially-unacceptable, critical & satiric commentary about human propensities in an inoffensive, inactionable & non-slanderous manner:
To do what I do (be offencive & provocative) while escaping the adverse consequences of being offencive & provocative.
Disagree with the current sacrosanct religious, political or social belief paradigms? Create a non-threatening foreign environment in the long, long ago & the far, far away, populate it with distorted but recognisable caricatures of oligarchs, priests & cheerleaders, and show how incredibly stupid & illogical our current belief systems are while escaping the immediate fate of the local heretic or denier.
"Ha ha," you say, "You thought my criticisms were about YOU?? Why, they're not. They're criticisms about a stupid race of aliens from Alpha Centuri who may sound, think, act & believe exactly like you, but ARE nothing like you. Note the the silly clothes & the duck feet".
That said, actually being obedient, cooperative & inoffencive offers no individual protection against adverse social consequences. Like PSB. A grown man who surrounds himself with small children. A creeper in common parlance. Timid. Regurgitating the thoughts of others. Expressing no definable position. Terrified of offending others. Milquetoast. Yet, the prevailing social order will still take offence, declare him 'unmutual' & come for him, just like Charlie Rose.
That our society believes vague allegations made by women, based on hearsay, 30 years after the fact, without a scrap of material evidence, using it to destroy prominent men & prove them guilty until proven innocent, should strike terror into the heart of every constitutionalist everywhere. Yet, we believe these women's allegations because women (in general) are thought to be too angelic, too removed from sin & too inhumanly perfect to LIE about a thing like that.
Just like those carnivorous three-titted soul-eating manhaters from Tau Ceti!!!
"carnivorous three-titted soul-eating manhaters from Tau Ceti!!!" WHERE??!!
Tau Ceti, of course.
@locumranch | Terrified of offending others.
Ha! That doesn't strike me as our PSB. Just because he doesn't go to your lengths to do it doesn't mean much. You seem to enjoy doing it. He obviously doesn't, but he doesn't sound terrified. 8)
Yet, we believe these women's allegations because women (in general) are thought to be too angelic, too removed from sin & too inhumanly perfect to LIE about a thing like that.
Nah. I just look in their eyes and recognize the trauma my sister experienced. Homo Angelicus they are not, but most of them aren't good liars either.
Yesterday, I was watching the lady who accused Moore. Yah. I believe her. The expressions on her face were all too familiar.
The danger isn't that we will believe too many of them or that we will believe the liars among them. The danger is that their fathers and brothers will be incensed and choose to act.
David S.,
No, your understanding is right, and I can see the confusion. If I had specified that the parents of boy #2 were not, themselves, traumatized to the point of having their stress hormone switches stuck in the on position, and boy #2 was raised under the same conditions as boy #1 from conception (not just from birth), then boy #2 would reach adulthood with the same approximate potentials as boy #1. You were assuming a hunger winter scenario, which I described earlier, and would be a reasonable assumption given that a majority of people born into poverty are in families that have been in poverty for multiple generations. My bad.
The point I was making is that what most people think about how genetics works is essentially a gross exaggeration in terms of how much it actually determines. Your classic protein-coding gene for the key amino-based neurotransmitters of our brains are almost all the same from person to person. There are some genetic variations in the receptors, but most of what makes people different from each other is not the genes themselves but when, for how long and how often those genes are expressed. If something causes your neurons to crank out lots of serotonin in those early formative years, you tend to be stodgy and conservative, while if your epigenome is not triggered to produce a lot of serotonin in the early years you become prone to depressive disorders. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a very informative example, as it is very clearly affected by environment. The number of people who have SAD varies with latitude. Closer to the equator, babies are exposed to more sunlight, which sets their epigenome to make plenty of serotonin. The further from the Equator you get, the more cases of SAD you see, because at higher latitudes there is less sunlight, so the epigenome is triggered less often, leaving people more likely to become chronically depleted of serotonin. It's not that they have an "inferior" serotonin gene, or no gene at all for serotonin. The claim that the powerful have made all through history to being naturally superior to everyone else because of their pedigree has been scientifically debunked. Most people don't know it yet, though.
I appreciate the invitation, but I think I will pass on asking how you know. That would probably just compel me to reciprocate, and I'm sure I probably talk about myself here too much as it is.
Don't talk about yourself; it will be done when you leave.
- Wilson Mizner
The bit about being expected to Carry On (as the t-shirts say) is just the old-fashioned "man up" BS that is probably the greatest impediment to stopping this mess - and I'm sure it's just as common here as on your side of the pond. Since I've never been in a British hospital I'll have to take your word on that, but I have been in American ERs where you sit in the waiting room for so long you have to call out for two meals. It's usually dinner and breakfast, because most regular doctors close their doors around 5:00 pm, leaving people whose issues arise between the evening and early morning in the lurch with the ER as their only option. Ironically, more health problems arise in the evening to early morning because of how human metabolism slows down during the normal sleep period. We're starting to get more urgent care facilities to take up the dark-hours slack, but like all things market based its a slow process that often does correct itself, but only after there's an avoidable body count.
Now take a kid who is born to poor parents raised in a violent ghetto.
This is a person who is so jittery, so distracted by every day dangers that he has very little chance of ever being able to learn and pursue goals on a level playing field with boy #1.
The point is, it isn't a difference in the genes, it his how different environments change the action of those genes.
Ok, maybe "born inferior" wasn't quite the correct description, but it seems a distinction without a difference. I agree with you that the poor child's future path isn't determined by genetics, but that's hardly the point. Isn't he in some sense an inferior being by virtue of the circumstances he grows up in and the (justified) fearfulness passed on by his parents?
I get that it's not fair to blame the kid, but hasn't society built in him a kind of inferior being?
If you took boy #2 and raised him in the same conditions as boy #1, they would most likely both end up on the golf course
I agree with that, but (all exceptions duly noted) that hardly ever happens. The poor child does end up "damaged goods", and predictably so, whether or not genetics have anything to do with it.
Now more on your side of things, I once argued here many years back--when it was a popular thing for wealthy celebrity couples to adopt and raise children from the poorest areas of the world--that perhaps we were watching a real life experiment unfold. For most of history, the inheritors of genes from the rich and powerful were also the inheritors of that wealth and power. So a sort of Darwinian case could be made that those particular genotypes rose to the top by the laws of nature, and "deserved" their status. Now, maybe for the first time, some of the poorest genes in the genetic lottery are being raised with all the wealth and privileges of an ancient prince. What happens next might be instructive.
Alfred,
Thanks for the back-up. You're right that I don't have that juvenile impulse to hurl insults at people for the joy of making them angry. I do hurl insults at offensive people, though. I don't have a problem with that, though years of teaching in high school taught me that there are battles not worth fighting, and trying to force 100% conformity to the rules usually results in more rather than less bad behavior.
Locum is assuming that everyone who is not a country good old boy subscribes to the Victorian value that placed women on a pedestal as being too pure of heart to soil themselves with dirty things like business or government. There are people out there who are still this naive, but not many. Sorry, wrong century. The reason these women are being believed by so many people has to do with the fact that we have had equal rights for long enough that most people just reflexively treat both sexes like they are human beings. It has been easy for powerful men to assault women (or less powerful men and boys) and intimidate their victims to the point of terrified silence. The change is happening now largely because a majority of the public no longer assumes that women are their intellectual inferiors and prone to imagining things that never happened (ever read "A Passage to India?").
A complicating factor is the fact that it is much harder for a woman to rape a man, and not just because of the muscle mass difference. Try squeezing a marshmallow into a light socket. This fact might give women an appearance of being less aggressive and less interested in sex, but it is purely mechanical, not psychological. I'm not even sure if it would work if a woman put a gun to a guy's head, as the fear would likely interfere with his *ahem* ability to perform.
No, H. angelicas doesn't apply to any human anywhere. Loco is just strawmannirg as usual here, putting words in other people's mouths. And the danger that some women will fake allegations against men is real, but far, far smaller than the reality of men who assault women, younger men and children and intimidate them into silence, while mainstream society rolls their collective eyes any time a victim comes out and makes an accusation. A woman faking this would have to be pretty stupid, knowing that the claim would be investigated, but there are as many stupid women as there are stupid men.
I see the point you are making - that children raised under harsh conditions become "damaged goods" so in a sense you can say that they are inferior, though not at fault for that inferiority. This assumes that it is not possible to rehabilitate them in adulthood, a possibility that is most likely to be like so many other things where there will be some successes and some failures and a range of variation in between, rather than just a categorical "yes" or "no."
The more important point about society is that our social systems have created this mess. 6000 years ago we were clueless, 100 years ago we had a few of the clues, now we have a boatload of data and it's growing exponentially. Now we know, what do we do? Most people would consider it deeply immoral to damage innocent people this way, which would make easing financial inequality a true crusade. But those who are at the top of the hierarchy can be expected to resist any such change, as they always have, and will do so as much by spreading disinformation (thus the war on science) as by using raw power.
To echo old Charlie D:
If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.
- Charles Darwin
@onlyaboutthenail | My mother pulled her parents out of London when her mother had to deal with their hospital's interpretation of what is expected of old ladies. Because of that, I wont' ask either. Both my grandparents lived longer in the US I suspect.
On a strictly anecdotal level, I'd say the 25% number for women is about right. It makes life difficult for many people and not just the ones hospitalized. It's not the end of their opportunities for all of them, though. I know of one case where one woman suffering the seasonal depression thing finally succeeded in committing suicide after at least one attempt and then a bit of time going by leading the family to not be so watchful. The family was broken afterward, of course. Her husband was my grad advisor and he never really got over it. He found a way to be successful after a fashion, but became quite the alcoholic. The daughter, though, managed to move on and win a Nobel.
After a few years go by with us all being a bit more honest about how men relate to women here in the US, the next big social trauma is going to be how we relate to our mentally ill loved ones. I suspect that will be much harder to face than all the sexual assault charges.
As a side note in this conversation about reporting sexual assault - take a look at how often Fox News reports on women (usually teachers) assaulting younger men. I've seen at least one article a day on the subject on the Fox website for many months.
Does this represent a push-back against the narrative that old sex crimes are coming to light? A preemptive "both sexes do it" from the home of some of the very worst offenders? Or does it represent a constant stream of "man bites dog" stories? Juvenile masculine fantasy material?
Oh, and locum doth protest too much about women offering false testimony against their assailants. Couple this behavior with his statements regarding the correct age to breed with a woman (child) and I suspect the is angry about getting busted in some foul act and likes to spout bullshit to try and make his shriveled soul feel a tiny bit better about his crimes.
@Paul SB | Heh. Marshmallows and light sockets. Well... There are a couple of ways they could it it, but it would require preparation. Certain drugs can be ingested or applied with a hypodermic needle. Also, fear isn't a sure thing to interfere. Serious contemplation of one's impending death sometimes helps.
Not that I'm suggesting any of this. Ugh. Some fetishes just gross me out. 8)
@matthew | His statements about the correct age to breed with a woman were technically correct and placed in the correct context of minimizing for birth defects. I wouldn't suggest trying to poke him on that.
The fact that there are cultural constraints against doing the biologically optimum thing is a different matter.
Like Tesla, PSB makes the logical error of confusing that which is attempted (and/or intended) with material success. Being human, men & women attempt (and/or intend) sin at equal rates, women are just much less successful in terms of Violence, Sexual Assault & Suicide but much more successful at Manipulation, Dissimulation & Perpetuating Falsehood than men can ever be.
Statistically speaking, men & women are equally violent --- there are a number of 1970 era studies that confirm this --yet the success rate of an assault by a 50 kg female pales in comparison to that of 100 kg male. The same holds true for sex crimes. And, women (who attempt suicide at 5x/rate of the male) represent less than 1/5th of the total number of successful suicides (which are 4/5ths male).
Similarly, females excel at Manipulation, Dissimulation & Perpetuating Falsehoods as their neotenous lack of physically violent prowess makes them appear more angelic, childlike, innocent & deserving of protection, like the cute little imp who raids the cookie jar & claims innocence while dribbling crumbs.
Old school moralists like David absolutely HATE cheating, lying & dissimulation, rating it as one of the most heinous of sins, the irony being that their successful inroads against the physical sins have allowed the dissimulative variety to flourish without restriction, so much so that they have inadvertently made Manipulation, Dissimulation & Perpetuating Falsehoods their new ruling humour, god & favoured form of government.
My ex-wife struck me multiple times toward the end -- I out-weighed her by 30 kg -- I never lifted a finger against her, yet she still accused me of every crime under the sun. In family court, under oath, falsely, for secondary gain. Without consequence. How angelic.
@Dr Brin Not an assertion, honestly asking. We in Britain don't have psychiatric provision on that scale, if America does I'm impressed. We gutted ours about 30 years ago in a policy called Care in the Community and the community, especially the churches, have indeed rallied round. But it's a strain.
@Dr Brin Yes I remember seeing an interview of the two guys who made Loose Change and the interviewer asked them if they were not afraid of assassination by the Vast Conspiracy they had uncovered. They were not expecting the question.;-)
Well, we got some personal details out of him. Most divorcees get over it in a year or two, but there are those who spend the rest of their lives hating the opposite sex, taking their frustration with one individual out on half the species. Something similar happened to my little brother, and I'm sure if it happened to me, I would be angry too - but only at my ex. i wouldn't assume that women are evil temptresses sent by Satan to destroy the hearts of good men. Anecdotes, once again. Even if I have a similar anecdote to draw upon, a database full of statistics gets you more truth than a handful of anecdotes.
And if I remember correctly, the last time he brought this up, Larry made the point that it is typically Red State courts that assume that as the weaker sex, women need extra protection and favor in divorce court and matters of child custody (though standing behind men in all other matters). Blue state courts tend to recognize that equality under the law means they cannot favor one sex over the other but must draw conclusions based on evidence. It doesn't always play out as intended in practice, of course, but he would have been more likely to get fair treatment in an urban, blue environment than in a place where ancient stereotypes rule the communities from which the ranks of judges are drawn.
CP said...
I agree that only a small fraction of sexual assault/abuse cases involve conscious lying by the accuser. As others have stated, the downside of making an accusation has usually been much higher than the benefits of lying.
However, saying that the vast majority are telling the truth, as they recall it, doesn't necessarily mean that their recollections are objectively true. By now, there's an extensive literature dealing with the fallibility and malleability of human memory. For instance:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/911-memory-accuracy/
Those aren't necessarily the best or most comprehensive sources, just a couple I happened to have on hand since they were mentioned in Skeptophilia (which I, coincidentally, happened to also be reading this morning).
People's memories are influenced by the expectations and prior experiences they bring to an incident. So, what one recalls as a casual interaction with no malicious intent, initiated in the moment and quickly forgotten, might be recalled as a life-changing offense by the other.
Memories are also altered during the process of creating a consistent internal narrative, in response to the suggestions from/expectations of others after the event, in response to the form and context of the questions asked...
So, some undetermined percentage of everyone's memory, everyone's internal narrative, is probably inaccurate. And, false memories "feel" just like real ones. So, there's no way to determine which is which without reference to empirical evidence.
I know what stumbling on a false memory is like in a trivial circumstance. Years ago I had a tooth abscess and I was absolutely convinced that it was the same one my dentist had worked on a few months before. They had to bring out my dental records and x-rays to convince me that they'd actually worked on the comparably-placed tooth on the other side of my mouth.
What is most problematic is that the media tries to shoehorn everything into the "he's lying or she's lying" narrative thereby impugning the motives of one or the other when it may well be that both are telling the truth as they see it. For example, my (admittedly subjective) impression while watching the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings was that they were both telling the truth.
I'm not trying to excuse misbehavior (certainly not in cases where external evidence exists or where there are multiple accusations with independent contemporary support). Nor, am I suggesting that there isn't a societal problem. But, it should be possible to raise a cautionary flag about the accuracy of an accuser's memory without impugning their motives--particularly regarding potentially ambiguous cases from many years in the past.
As a "check" on the issue of false memories, look at the alien abduction fad of a few years ago. In that case there were probably a handful who where consciously lying for some reason. But, the vast majority of "abductees" appeared to truly believe what they were saying with many experiencing it subjectively as a life-changing trauma. We know sexual assault/abuse occurs but there's no hard evidence that alien abductions are real. So, perhaps the type and context of recollections in the latter could serve as a "control" when examining the type and context of recollections in the former?
Ok, I had an old boss whose fiancee did the same to him. Actually had him arrested for child abuse. The thing is, she was stupid enough to do that before they were married, which put the kibosh on the whole wedding thing.
I'd be sympathetic to your plight had you not willfully and intentionally offended and provoked enough so that I've lost any sympathy long ago. I know, I'm a terrible liberal. Sometimes we can both get what we want and still not be very happy.
We know sexual assault/abuse occurs but there's no hard evidence that alien abductions are real.
Could memories of alien abduction be some sort of euphemism for sexual assault buried by trauma?
Yes, they could. But we don't really know. And wouldn't such cases provide yet another illustration of the malleability of human memory?
@LarryHart and CP, the evidence seems to indicate that 'memories buried by trauma' isn't really much of a thing. Evidence: lots and lots of Holocaust survivors who probably would have liked to forget their experiences, and if that's not bad enough to cause 'buried memories' then what is? Also, studies have shown that it is rather easy to convince people that they remember an event that never did happen.
However, if you told me that hostile aliens who breathed a hot atmosphere rich in CO2 and methane had brainwashed our leaders to exoform the planet in preparation for their arrival, why hell, I'd almost believe that.
It is comforting to meet more people who have an up-to-date understanding of these kinds of issues and can think about them critically and ask cogent questions. It suggests that the number of witless bobbleheads might be shrinking enough for us to have some hope for the future.
For anyone who wants to get the skinny in a rather memorable format I suggest watching the third episode from the first season of Brain Games, called "Remember This." They go through a staged robbery and pull in witnesses to see both how well they remember the crime they saw and how easily their memories can be manipulated. It's fun but also very scary when you think about it. I just found it on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXQatGKlUIo
TCB:
Evidence: lots and lots of Holocaust survivors who probably would have liked to forget their experiences, and if that's not bad enough to cause 'buried memories' then what is?
I'm just speaking as an amateur here, but I'm thinking that something more is going on than just "liking to forget". Being in a concentration camp is a shared experience that goes on for months or years. "Buried memories" seem to be more about solitary experiences which are removed from one's normal experience that they almost seem like a weird dream in the first place, especially if you don't tell anyone right away. There's no "collective memory" of the incident. It disappears the way history does in 1984.
I've told here of an experience I had when I was 16 in which I swam out into an inlet of Lake Michigan to save a child in trouble and almost ended up with both of us drowning before being rescued by a magically-appearing canoe. I never told anyone I actually know in person about the fact that that happened. It wasn't anything I was ashamed of or felt bad about--it was just too removed from normal life for me to imagine a good way to bring it up with my parents. Now, this isn't a "buried memory", but it's the kind of thing I could imagine having become one.
Also, studies have shown that it is rather easy to convince people that they remember an event that never did happen.
I've heard of an experiment in which people were convinced they saw Bugs Bunny at Disney World (Bugs is a Warner Brothers character). But I've always suspected that the people in question primarily remembered seeing cartoon characters and didn't really know the differences between them. They remembered seeing Bugs Bunny because they were told afterwards that one of the characters was Bugs Bunny. I would be very surprised to find out that anyone was convinced of an implanted memory that went like this:
"I saw people dressed up as cartoon characters and one of them was Bugs Bunny. I remember being confused at the time that a Warner Brothers character was being depicted at a Disney park, but I can't deny that that's what I saw."
@locumranch | successful inroads against the physical sins have allowed the dissimulative variety to flourish without restriction
You aren't reading him carefully, then. He has come down against the other kind too.
I suspect the two go together as forms of retaliation. Vicious circle kind of pair. Some of the most vicious women I've met were in horrible relationships/marriages. I used to wonder why 'they didn't just kill the guy', but I'm not supposed to say that out loud. Nowadays I have a partial theory on it, but it's an ugly one. Basically, their options are even worse... or seem to be which gets us back to living a life of too much stress.
I'll offer you some sympathy, but I doubt that is what brings you here. What I can't do is offer any real understanding. My wife is no angel and I prefer her that way. Relationships take work, but that is going to sound like a bunch of garbage to someone in your shoes. I've met guys who got pissed on in Family Court, so I know how this sounds to them. Some have been honest. 8)
As a little side fact, did you know that the guy who sued over the Pledge containing 'Under God' did so as a result of a Family Court event? I met him years ago. It all comes back to a court intervening in how he thought his kid should be raised. 8)
@Paul SB,
That "Brain Games" video explains why I hate to watch the newer, adulterated versions of "Star Wars", or listen to the Earth, Wind, and Fire version of the Beatles song "Got To Get You Into My Life". It's not just a matter of an inferior experience. I am very hesitant to overwrite and lose my memory of the "real" versions.
Matthew please, you got too insultingly personal in your speculations toward locumranch. Sure, I have done it too, so it is just my personal sense. It went farther than I would go, for sure. Please.
I school myself to shrug off most of his strawmen, since the caricatures generally do not represent my views.
Still, I will say that the difference in evil between men and women does correlate with difference in effective violent mass. There are other factors, like evolution - which gives most females guaranteed opportunities to breed -- though no guarantee of safety or happiness... while males inwardly feel they must somehow win it through vigorous competition. But it is noteworthy that human men and women OVERLAP in almost every trait far more than do males and females of most species. Pick anything that males are "typically" good at, and there will be 20% of women who are much better at it than 50% of men.
And the same goes in reverse. And it is why the fundamental refutation of sexism and racism is not anything that locum can get away with calling "subjective morals." It is as simple as stopping the utter stupidity of wasting talent. ASK the top military officers! They are immensely pleased with the women in the armed forces. They are fewer than the men... but generally much better focused.
Are there women -- many of them -- who do evil, especially with weapons like gossip? Yes. Get me drunk and I will tell stories. Almost any of us can! I do believe these kinds of evil will be major issues, a decade from now, maybe two. But the more physically aggressive evils must be dealt with first. Period. End of line.
Not exactly a colonel, but the same general idea:
Former representative Tim Murphy had an easy time in 2016: The Democrats didn't bother to run anyone against him. So he waltzed to his eighth straight victory in PA-18, a heavily gerrymandered district in the southwest corner of Pennsylvania. He could have kept piling up victory and victory had it not come out in October that he encouraged his mistress to have an abortion, despite his being on record that nobody else should have an abortion. On Oct. 21, he resigned from Congress.
Somewhat to everyone's surprise, the March 13 special election might be competitive. The Democrats have nominated a Marine Corps veteran and former assistant U.S. attorney, Conor Lamb, who is a political moderate. The Republicans nominated a right-wing state representative, Rick Saccone, who has boasted that he "was Trump before Trump was Trump."
Lamb is not going to run on an anti-Trump platform. That would be suicide in this R+11 district. He is going to talk about his background as a Marine and a prosecutor and the opioid epidemic. Like Doug Jones in Alabama, he wants this to be a local race, not a replay of the 2016 presidential election. As in Alabama, the combination of a moderate Democrat and a very right-wing Republican might just work in a conservative district. If Lamb wins, it will encourage Democrats to contest rural districts all over the country.
Are there women -- many of them -- who do evil, especially with weapons like gossip? Yes. Get me drunk and I will tell stories. Almost any of us can!
Before he became the Canadian equivalent of a Republican, Dave Sim was onto something in this area. Several books of the "Cerebus" series were devoted to his notion expressed in the slogan "Gossip cleaves", which he meant in both senses of the verb. He envisioned an entire parallel female "economy" in which trade in gossip simultaneously formed and sundered relationships.
There are other factors, like evolution - which gives most females guaranteed opportunities to breed -- though no guarantee of safety or happiness... while males inwardly feel they must somehow win it through vigorous competition.
Dave had an explanation for that as well, which is an interesting metaphor, but he insisted it was literal truth. "Men come from sperm; women come from eggs."
While it is true that with certain drugs it might be possible for a women to force herself on a man, given the 20% muscle mass difference, men generally have far, far more opportunity and ability. Here's a quote I found that I appreciate the sentiment of:
I value self-discipline, but creating systems that make it next to impossible to misbehave is more reliable than self-control.
- Tim Ferriss
I learned very quickly in the classroom just how true this is. While in theory everyone should be capable of doing what they are supposed to or what is the decent thing to do, in practice there are a lot of people who will violate rules of decency any chance they can get. That's why rules have to be pretty strictly enforced - and why Pinker is right about declines in violence.
As far as the biologically optimum age to reproduce, there's a trade-off going on, there. Ova accumulate more and more mutations over the lifetime, so in that respect the younger the better, decreasing the chances of birth defects. But both teenage mothers and their babies die in labor at higher rates because the body is simply not fully developed. It seems like a really bad design flaw to make people capable of reproducing before their bodies can do it safely - yet another argument for Unintelligent Design. But in the real world, where gene pools evolve over long periods of fluctuating environmental conditions, there have been times when the risk of death from an early pregnancy was less of a disadvantage than the risk of extinction due to insufficient fertility.
Our modern way of doing it - by enforcing arbitrary age taboos both legally and socially - is a kind of simplistic solution. The science is getting to the point where we will be able to rationally determine when any particular individual is mature enough to handle adult responsibilities, rather than just saying "ready or not, here 18 comes." But I doubt we will be anywhere near ready for a truly individual system of benchmarks any time soon.
BTW: What our host wrote about percentages, fairness vs. arbitrariness and the denial of opportunity is about the most mature and reasoned assessment I have ever seen on the issue. I'm not trying to brownnose, I'm just saying that this is the only attitude I have ever found (and I have found it in many other people, too) that reflects both the realities of human biology and the needs of a human civilization. We will never get it if we can't parse both the averages and the variations in and between individuals. Most people stop at the averages and ignore the variations. That is how bias is borne, terrible injustices are justified and everyone wallows in a world that is constantly biting its own limbs off (and the ones doing the biting are convinced that they are the "smart" ones).
Dr. Brin,
I'm not so sure that Matthew went too far here. He simply returned slander with slander. Given the extent to which our faux rancher slanders the character of everyone else here, I don't blame him one bit. It would be better if we could always keep our tempers and not lower ourselves to his level, but people are people. Besides, you know locum doesn't have the subtlety to learn from example.
In support of your post on prejudice, I found this quote you might like, from an author I am sure you're familiar with:
Few tragedies can be more extensive than the stunting of life, few injustices deeper than the denial of an opportunity to strive or even to hope, by a limit imposed from without, but falsely identified as lying within.
- Stephen Jay Gould
Paul451 said...
"Matthew please, you got too insultingly personal in your speculations toward locumranch. Sure, I have done it too, so it is just my personal sense. It went farther than I would go, for sure. Please."
Unlike everything Locumranch says again every person on this site, including you?
Once again, somehow it's always "okay when they do it", even when we are the judges. And Loco thinks his kind are persecuted.
I'm sure I wrote "against".
That Dave Sims quote is obviously ignorant on a biological level. If taken as a metaphor it's really just a rephrasing of the best-selling "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" - a book that sure resonated with a whole lot of people who are inclined to take a half truth as the whole truth. But I really enjoyed that whole story arc which culminated in the appearance of Suentius Po (whose dialogue suddenly became very anachronistic during that confrontation). It was a refreshing counter to the fairy stories of jane Auel and Marijah Gimbutas and all that nonsense about ancient "matriarchies." A matriarchy would be no better than a patriarchy in any way. What the world needs is true equality. What we have now is de facto patriarchy with token equality - quite the opposite of what both Sims and Ranch imagine we have. And that's only in the more advanced nations of the world. Quite a few nations still have the more blatant form of patriarchy and de facto slavery.
But you have to get that his "trade in gossip" is an unsupported stereotype. Men engage in gossip as frequently and as maliciously as women do. Claims that gossip is somehow the exclusive domain of women is a case of projection that looks like it might be true because under patriarchal conditions women have few other ways to participate and compete in human life. It's a consequence of the structure of state-level societies, not a result of human biology. Look at the kind of childish slanders and innuendos we get from Locum, who surely thinks that he, being of the Chosen Sex, is above the petty gossip he attributes to the Lesser Sex. he stoops to the very thing he derides women for. Now look at some ethnographers of societies that exist on a smaller scale than nation-states and you find men just as engaged - and more honest about - gossip.
One of the ironies of our age is that many of the nation-states of today have embraced as ideals some of the characteristics that were largely abandoned with the rise of civilization. There was never a time when individuals were more free than when leaders did not exist, which is only true for the smallest of human societies, though those smallest societies represent by far the longest period of time in the (pre- and) history of the human species. Without castes of rulers and ruled, our prehistoric ancestors were much more free than we can even imagine, but because they lived such simple lives, their freedom didn't really grant them very many opportunities to exercise their freedom. Today we have all sorts of opportunities to choose among countless options. No hunter/gatherer could even imagine the choice between growing up to be an engineer or a psychologist or an artist. Those roles simply didn't exist as anything more than vague and temporary practices that everyone engaged in on occasion. But we are strapped with the legacy of millennia of the dictatorship that made such choices possible, ever so slowly, as technology and specialization grew in ways they could never grow when everyone was equal. In a way we are trying to balance the benefits of civilization, which is arbitrary and despotic by nature, with the drive for equality and liberty that is inherent in the human species, a far more ancient legacy of evolution.
It seems like a really bad design flaw to make people capable of reproducing before their bodies can do it safely - yet another argument for Unintelligent Design. But in the real world, where gene pools evolve over long periods of fluctuating environmental conditions, there have been times when the risk of death from an early pregnancy was less of a disadvantage than the risk of extinction due to insufficient fertility.
Yeah, think of when our primitive ancestors lived into their 30s if they were lucky. Giving one's life to reproduce was probably better than simply dying of other causes without reproducing.
From Victorian era literature, I get the idea that even as recently as the 19th Century, pregnancy was considered to a large percentage as death sentence. The emphasis on protecting the innocence of young girls was not just to keep them from knowing about sex, but from having to face the fact that they were soon to get pregnant and die in childbirth.
Children's stories are filled with single fathers and stepmothers.
While it is true that with certain drugs it might be possible for a women to force herself on a man, given the 20% muscle mass difference, men generally have far, far more opportunity and ability.
Neither do they have the same motivation. First of all, women don't seem to want one-time-and-done illicit sex at anywhere near the same order of magnitude that men do. Women are the ones who risk ending up pregnant from the encounter. And I daresay most women who want to entice a man to have sex with her could do so much easier with a little playfulness and seduction. Maybe if someone really wanted sex with Mike Pence, she's have to use violence, but that's the exception that proves the rule.
But you have to get that [Dave Sim's] "trade in gossip" is an unsupported stereotype. Men engage in gossip as frequently and as maliciously as women do. Claims that gossip is somehow the exclusive domain of women is a case of projection that looks like it might be true because under patriarchal conditions women have few other ways to participate and compete in human life. It's a consequence of the structure of state-level societies, not a result of human biology.
I'm afraid you swing too far to the politically-correct side here. I'll agree that there isn't necessarily a genetic reason why women engage in gossip more than men do, but you do acknowledge that social constraints cause that exact condition to be so. So the image makes a legitimate basis for speculative fiction.
Dave raises issues in "Mothers and Daughters" which I don't think can be dismissed simply by saying, "In another reality, it might not be that way."
Look at the kind of childish slanders and innuendos we get from Locum, who surely thinks that he, being of the Chosen Sex, is above the petty gossip he attributes to the Lesser Sex. he stoops to the very thing he derides women for.
Loc reminds me of Dave Sim in so many ways it is scary. The anti-feminist rhetoric, the "I'm the persecuted minority of one" routine, and even the Canadian spelling immediately jump to mind. And yes, the use of the identical tactics he derides women for is on the list as well.
I'm sure you remember Dave's "Tangent" essay in which he uses anecdotes and stories to demonstrate that women can't construct a logical argument, but instead use anecdotes and stories. For a while, I hoped that the irony was on purpose.
@LarryHart Female motives for rape: in at least one case she wanted a baby by him and he didn't want that. Plus 18 years of child support. Some women, like some men, will do terrible things for money.
To invoke the mass effect & recognise that women (in general) are less capablee of successful violence is one thing, but to cite the lesser female capability at successful violence (due to lower relative mass) & conclude that women have a lower inclination towards physical violence is quite another. It's like comparing the size of an african lion to a domesticated feline & concluding that the smaller cat must be a vegetarian because it's incapable of taking down a wilderbeast.
Men & women are equally vicious and/or equally angelic. Believe that my experiences with women are outliers & somehow deserved if you wish, but I am not alone. Over 60 million divorced men in the USA share many of my most unpleasant experiences. That's almost 40% of all male adults. We understand that women (in general) are dissimulative tyrants empowerred by an archaic legal system in which women can do no wrong. We are not amused. And, we voted for Trump.
Whether or not a women CHOOSES to destroy male lives is beside the point. They all have this nuclear option in the Enlightened West like so many petty low-mass Kim Jong Uns. They know that they can destroy men utterly with whispered allegations & accusations; many of them use this power willy-nilly when they smell secondary gain; and a house divided against itself cannot stand.
Not today, not tomorrow, but soon: We will have Our Independence Day.
It's less likely to be categorized as gossip when men do it, unless the men are gay.
@locumranch No one is saying you deserved it! I@m sorry that happened to you. I know it hurts.
@onlyaboutthe nail:
Men would & could not compare notes in the pre-Internet Age -- society (in general) kept telling us that our 'no fault' divorce rape was our own fault for placing our faith in the 'wrong woman' -- but the information superhighway has liberated us & allowed us to grasp the true extent of gynocentric tyranny. David's website is full of intelligent & good-hearted people, yet they are like kittens with unopened eyes, believing that the world still operates in accordance with a moral code that is has been dead for some 70 years. They are like the married men described by Boccaccio, terrified of disillusionment & too frightened to ask the questions that would confirm what they already suspect. Stick around & we will try to open their eyes.
I think Todd Rundgren retold that old nursery rhyme about 'The Want of a Nail' best:
For the want of a nail, the world was lost
For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost
For the want of a shoe, the horse was lost
For the want of a horse, the rider was lost
For the want of a rider, the message was lost
For the want of a message, the battle was lost
For the want of a battle, the war was lost
For the want of a war, the kingdom was lost
(Such a tiny thing)
You're askin'
What's all this talk about horses and war?
Put yourself in the place of the man at the forge
And day after day you live a life without love
'Til the morning you can't take it anymore
And you don't get up
Multiply it a billion times
Spread it all 'round the world
Put the curse of loneliness on every boy and every girl
Until everybody's kicking, everybody's scratching
Everything seems to fail
And it was all for the want of a nail
TASAT: "Not with a Bang', circa 1949, by Damon Knight channeling TS Eliot's 'Hollow Men':
"This is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but with a whimper".
I'm not denying that woman-on-man rape happens. I am saying we should not expect numeric parity with attempts in the more usual direction.
I also contend that if a family-values Republican politician such as Mike Pence were sexually assaulted by a woman who became pregnant from the encounter (and if he were willing to take the embarrassment of admitting that it happened), he would special-plead for the right to force her to have an abortion.
And Evangelical hypo-Christians would find a way to justify the demand.
Prehistoric life expectancies were more variable than what most people think - not nasty, brutish and short. In fact, for most people life expectancies went down quite dramatically after the introduction of agriculture, though there are instances of prehistoric groups with such short lives. The point is the variability, which reflects in some of the variability we see today. But you got the basic idea right.
As to Sims, I don't think his gossip hypothesis was invalid as a subject for speculative fiction. I was only saying that the idea that women are "naturally inclined" to gossip more than men are is wrong. If a matriarchy ever existed, you would see the roles reversed, and men would have the reputation as gossips because they would have few other options to express themselves and try to manipulate things to their advantage. That's what Sims missed. Locum, too. The ghost of Myer would be palming his face if he were being harassed by such as him. And along with his similarities to Canadian author/artist, there's the fact that most of his spittle is really run-of-the-mill right-wing diatribe. He just hears new arguments in whatever echo chamber he lives in, then tries them out here to see if any of them work.
But none of them are going to work as long as he takes his holier-than-thou, shut-up-and-believe-me, you're-all-a-bunch-of-stupid-worthless-cretins approach. He poisoned his own well a long, long time ago. The only thing remarkable is that while most bullies keep going back to the same victims over and again, most eventually give up if they don't get what they want. Witless, but tenacious.
"To invoke the mass effect & recognise that women (in general) are less capablee of successful violence is one thing, but to cite the lesser female capability at successful violence (due to lower relative mass) & conclude that women have a lower inclination towards physical violence is quite another. It's like comparing the size of an african lion to a domesticated feline & concluding that the smaller cat must be a vegetarian because it's incapable of taking down a wilderbeest ."
It's the same garbage every time. All he can do is misrepresent what other people say to turn them into straw men. We were discussing sexual violence specifically, not violence in general. If it is a social norm that men should not hit women, then you will of course get some Lucys bullying some Charlie Browns. But that is quite a bit less common than the other way around. Look at stats on domestic violence and it becomes pretty obvious that the old rule is honored more in the breach - numerical parity, as you say. Under those conditions women who are inclined to be violent may be on par with men, but because they know they will rarely be successful with their smaller mass, they are less inclined to try. It's not about biology, it's about the balance of incentives. A women who initiates violence against a man is more likely to get her anatomy kicked, so they learn to repress anger (which drives them mad) or vent on weaker individuals like their children or pets - just as men in subordinate positions often vent their frustrations with their bosses by beating their much weaker wives, children and pets.
Then there's the childish, vague threats:
"Not today, not tomorrow, but soon: We will have Our Independence Day."
Claims that his antiquated ideas represent our true future:
"David's website is full of intelligent & good-hearted people, yet they are like kittens with unopened eyes, believing that the world still operates in accordance with a moral code that is has been dead for some 70 years."
And the attempts to claim the mandate of the people for his own twisted views, to try to recruit every new contributor into his clique of two, the constant denigration of anyone who differs from him in any way, need I go on?
I'm not fighting slander with slander. I'm using loco's own words to describe his wants. He wants women disempowered. He wants women that are subservient. He wants women to not be believed. He believes that he will once again be able to order a woman to her place (see his words above starting with "We understand that women (in general) are dissimulative tyrants..."
He sees Trumpism as a way to control women and is actively working to make this happen. He's an enemy to everything I believe in.
I have two daughters. I will fight to the death before I let a sad POS like locumranch anywhere near having power over them.
I also have a shitty ex-wife. Just because the mother of my eldest child is a no-good piece of work doesn't give me license to try to enslave all women. It encourages me to raise my daughter to be a better person than her mother, without trashing her mother to her.
Having a shitty ex-wife does not excuse locum's behavior. I merely pointed out that his statements here lead me to believe he is not blameless in his situation and that quite a few of his statements are typical of an abuser.
That's not slander. That's a consequence of locum's own words - that he'll be judged by what he says. He doesn't like being considered a creeper? Fine, don't write as one. Don't go on about how girls should not be allowed to put off breeding, like locum did a year ago.
Dr. Brin wrote a story about women choosing not to be with abusive assholes. It was a major plot point in a book that is right at the foundation of what I believe in to this day. Locum is crowing about putting the women right back in the place where he wants them. These two realities are colliding right now in real time. I'll continue to take your (older) advice, Doc, and fight for the side I want to win.
@Locumranch Yes, they are intelligent and good-hearted. :-) I was a feminist until the abomination of #Shirtstorm, then I just could not do it anymore. In hindsight I'm ashamed it took #Shirtstorm to make me stand up.
I was a feminist until the abomination of #Shirtstorm...
And that made you what? I mean, there's a whole spectrum between "Not taking every complaint by women at face value"and "Wanting women to be property rather than human beings again." One can take issue with Andrea Dworkin or dislike Hillary Clinton and still admit that Rachel Maddow is a damn fine journalist.
So I get that you've backed off from and disavowed knee-jerk feminism, but where have you landed after that. You don't quite sound as if you've joined the Promise-Keepers, but I don't know you well enough to be certain.
Locum, if that's what you've gone through, my deepest sympathies and even prayers go to you. The pain is horrific, based on what I have seen from others who have undergone the trials and travails of divorce.
But I still feel it my duty, as a fellow human and forumite, to let you know...
You. Are. Projecting.
You are taking your own (horrible) experience, aligning it with similar ones you have heard in support groups you have (I gather) sought out, and asserting that it describes the entirety of what Twain referred to as "The Damned Human Race".
But it makes no sense to assert that "much more successful at Manipulation, Dissimulation & Perpetuating Falsehood than men can ever be" when that is exactly what successful serial rapists/assaulters/harassers do. Not to mention what many other male-dominated questionable-morality activities consist of.... not least of which is often politics. Having manipulators using manipulation for multiple purposes is not a great surprise.
It likewise makes no sense to say that We understand that women (in general) are dissimulative tyrants empowerred (sic) by an archaic legal system in which women can do no wrong when I know several divorcees that do not hold that attitude. Are they jaded about true love's staying power? Sure. Might there need to be revisiting of laws in some jurisdictions on, say, alimony? It wouldn't surprise me.
Does that mean your blatant sexism is justified? No, sir, it does not.
Does that mean that we are blind to 'gynocentric tyranny'? No, sir, it does not.
And when it is red states that have the highest divorce rates and blue states that have the lowest; when it is more red states that have unexamined and archaic divorce laws; when divorce rates have been falling for nigh-on forty years; when first marriage has become delayed thus increasing the likelihood of success... well...
Advocate for equitable divorce law. Please! I want that! I think most everyone here does! But you (and, to be frank, most "men's rights advocates") do yourselves a disservice by your projection. Some women are monsters, yes; just as men; and in similar numbers. You know and admit this, consciously. Yet you undermine your own position in your own statements.
Injustice perpetrated by certain white people does not justify antagonism against all white people; that's racism. And injustice perpetrated by certain women does not justify misogyny; that's sexism.
I pray you find some peace and internal balance. Blessings upon you.
I was only saying that the idea that women are "naturally inclined" to gossip more than men are is wrong.
I think you're taking too narrow a view of "naturally". I consider environment as much a part of nature as genetics and biology. There are all sorts of things I might do differently if I lived in an environment with gravity like the moon's. But that hardly means that I am not "naturally inclined" to live in 1 G.
And I don't think the point of Dave Sim's books about gossip was "Look how bad women are because they do this!" (His essays of that type came years later.) It was to examine the nature of that gossip, with a large amount of fascination.
If a matriarchy ever existed, you would see the roles reversed, and men would have the reputation as gossips because they would have few other options to express themselves and try to manipulate things to their advantage.
First of all, I'm not at all sure that's the case. Judging from my own self, I think men would be more inclined to retreat to solitary man-caves than to be cliquish and gossipy.
But even if you are right about the interchangeability of the genders, are you saying anything more meaningful than "If women had penises and men carried babies to term in their wombs, then ..."? And how does that premise enlighten us any moreso than "If my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon"?
I think what Dr. Brin was objecting to was this:
"... I suspect the is angry about getting busted in some foul act and likes to spout bullshit to try and make his shriveled soul feel a tiny bit better about his crimes."
I'm sure he, me and just about everyone else here agrees with everything you wrote about that guy. And yes, that guy is a turd through and through. His words are vile, and entirely typical of the old-school (im)morality of past generations that tolerated and ignored massive abuses, used holy books to justify them and pretended that the brutal domination of society by a handful of men is the natural order of things.
And maybe he did get caught in some foul act, but all we really know are his foul words. I long since lost track of all the names he's called me, all his slanders and misrepresentations. It's unlikely that he will ever have any real power to harm me in any way. It's doubtful that he can get me fired, convince a banker to deny me a loan, get members of my church to shun me, TP my house, kick over my garbage cans or shoot his rifle through my windows at night. He's a real piece of work, that one, and he gets far more attention from us than he deserves.
Okay, to answer this we need to look at the idea of /environment/ a little more closely, what it actually means verses how it is typically used.
"... I consider environment as much a part of nature as genetics and biology."
By definition, everything that is not part of your body is part of your environment. Your understanding is better, though, than what most people think. In most people's minds "natural" means genetic, not environmental. In truth /natural/ only means it was not made by humans, which would include the genes as well as everything else in the environment we didn't make. If we are talking about behavioral inclinations, then the relevant aspects of the environment are mostly social. People who are relegated to second-class citizenship, who have been treated like permanent minors for centuries, have few options in such a society. They can't command, they are not given powerful roles, they don't even really have any rights or privacy. The opportunities to commit foul acts just aren't there. All they can do is talk, and even that can earn them a beating. Under those circumstances they might have even more incentive to go postal, but with brutal consequences for even minor infractions, they have to learn to behave differently.
Today legal institutions and social expectations are more equal than they ever have been. This gives women more opportunities to misbehave than they ever had. Big surprise that violent crime committed by women is on the rise. People are people. But is your man-cave idea biological, or is that more a result of our current social structure? You could argue that higher T values and lower O values in males might make them more inclined to isolate themselves when they have the freedom to do as they choose. But then, if they were treated as structural inferiors the way women always have been, the smarter ones would come to realize that being isolated makes you a victim, banding together with others in like circumstances will provide you with a little bit of protection - safety in numbers. Look at bonobos. If a male gets out of hand and starts getting violent, the females tend to band together and beat the snot out of him, in spite of males having a higher muscle mass. One female in isolation is at the male's mercy, but by banding together they can put an end to the violence. Do you think human males would be smart enough to figure this out? Gang behavior is already a huge part of the human psyche.
If you swapped organs, you would have to swap hormones as well, and the men would become women and the women would become men. If you swapped social roles, you change the opportunities, so you would end up changing the behavior.
@LarryHart These days I call myself an egalitarian, all people to be treated as people. Unfortunately, the current feminist movement do not want that, though they will claim to when challenged. I don't know if feminism was always (mostly) like this or if they lost the plot more recently. I used to believe feminists were carrying on the tradition of J.S. Mill. The current feminist establishment are actually the same old oppressors having learned to wear the costume of liberators. Of course, it's human nature. Of course, we are all tempted by power. But they are doing a lot of damage to real people.
@onlyaboutthenail,
I have no idea how old you are or what your tv-watching habits ever were, but you seem to be describing the old Monty Python sketch about Dennis Moore. After enough robbing from the rich to give to the poor, the poor have become the rich, but the demands don't go away.
I'm not sure I agree that women have yet come that far, but I won't argue about such a thing being possible and maybe inevitable.
The way I see this--admittedly greatly simplified--is that liberals are in the business of defending the downtrodden and feminists are in the business of advocating for the interests of women. While women are among the downtrodden, the two groups are allies. Like all alliances, though, nothing is permanent. When women achieve socio-economic parity with men, then it makes sense that feminists continue to push for more (for the same reason it makes sense for a corporation to always squeeze more profit), but at that point, it no longer makes sense for liberals to champion the same cause. The mistake that we liberals make in the real world is that we consider particular groups (women, blacks, perhaps Muslims) to be our constituency on a more or less permanent basis. That way leads to a misperception of reality as time goes on--the tendency of leftists to insist that no progress has been made at all.
In economics, when the free market provides a needed service at reasonable cost, there is no need for government interference. Likewise, when a subgroup of human beings has achieved first-class citizenship, that group no longer needs "liberation". I think you and I would argue about where exactly on the spectrum women fall at this time and place, but I am not unsympathetic to your general point.
The problem I have with "men's rights" groups is the same as the problem I have with "white power" groups and "We're a Christian nation" folks. They seem to cloak themselves in the same identity politics that other subgroups participate in, but I see the others demanding equality while those groups demand their right to maintain a privileged status. As I am fond of quoting from 1984, that's a different thing, in fact the opposite thing.
@LarryHart Ha! ;-) Agree with everything you've said here. Ime mras run the gamut. Of course, some of them are psychopaths who want political advantage/to abuse the vulnerable. Some of them are damaged people coping in dysfunctional ways and some of them are people of conscience doing necessary work. If any human beings are being deprived of human rights/treated badly because of their membership in the category "male" there needs to be, and will inevitably soon be, an organized movement to address that.
Such is the delusional influence of the false dichotomy that Matthew concludes that those who do not wish to 'empower' women must seek to enslave them, the real irony being that it is Matthew & Catfish who are the real 'sexists' here with Catfish self-identifying as the (Male Patriarchal) Protector of womenkind & Matthew self-identifying as the over-protective Owner of his precious female offspring. Well, I've got news for these two misogynists & other practitioners of benevolent sexism:
These women are neither mine nor yours to own or protect.
As Nassim Taleb might say, Men-like-Me no longer have any 'skin in the game'. Assuming effective equality between men & women, men have been stripped of the last vestiges of ownership and, with the passing of these last vestiges of ownership & control, there comes little or no responsibility.
Sexual equality has freed Western Woman, so much so that You & Not-Your-Women are on your own. Men-like-You are free to elevate, empower & protect any woman who will allow you to degrade them in such a fashion, while Men-like-Me who have been stripped of any & all familial, social and cultural ownership are free in a much broader sense.
Not my woman, not my children, not my civilisation, not my problem. As if I should care about things that no longer concern me. This is Spiderman's motto, is it not? With NO power comes NO responsibility.
Here's some more TASAT for you -- Eric Frank Russell's 'And Then There Were None' -- available at http://www.abelard.org/e-f-russell.php
I'm really enjoying the discussion here.
I can see some tentative tangental approaches to the question of "human nature". I don't think anyone here holds to the "nature vs nurture" dichotomy, but the idea of "human nature" is a powerful influence on our idea of a variety of things like men's rights groups, feminism, morality, sexual violence/harassment, physical violence, even international politics.
There are so many difficult questions that I see. Just starting with male aggression, it seems pretty obvious that testosterone has some major effects on animals and humans. I just learned today that a female mouse who is flanked by two male siblings in uterois more aggressive than a female flanked by two female siblings. Rats whose mother are attentive with frequent licking and grooming behavior cause epigenetic changes in the licked offspring in genes modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) leading to calmer, less fearful offspring.
Just as a starter, if anything like this applies to humans (aside from the litter issue which might apply to the Octomom and a few others) this shows that both "nature"--in a strict genomic sense- and nurture (I would include all environmental influences to mean nurture), are intimately entwined in determining our "character" to use a more philosophical term.
So, Locum often appears to rail against what he sees as the feminization of men in recent times. I assume he sees a decline in aggression, risk-taking, desire for dominance in men as at least some of this--though whether this is actually occurring is debatable. If it IS actually occurring, it may be (at root) an epigenetic phenomenon due to having non-stressed mothers (and likely fathers) who are affectionate and do all the rat equivalents of licking and grooming. Of course culture, political stability, lack of want etc all lead to this situation in the places where we see this which is, perhaps, increasing in Scandinavian countries and declining in the US. Of course it's by no means universal. I guess the point is, that if someone like Locum or others of his ilk desire to see aggressive, dominating, hyper-risk taking men as the norm in America (or Canada?) he may be wishing for some very unpleasant things to happen, it is likely not just a matter of treasuring things like aggression and physical dominance to see those behaviors, it means real, painful affects on actual people.
Lastly, our host discussed quite nicely how various traits, abilities etc exist on a continuum between men an women with considerable overlap between the two sexes. I would add that "human nature", if we look at the median or average degree of aggression, risk-taking, nurturing, strength, intelligence, and perhaps even things like creativity, all exist in a continuum which are almost all different between men and women, but are also NOT FIXED due to epigenetic factors. Change the stress on a mother rat and you change the nature of her offspring. Even if you are someone who wants "what most people do" to be the norm and shame people for not meeting that criterion, that goal is a moving target.
This last point would pose problems to those who want to ossify gender roles and push everyone to the median of what human nature is by social pressure, religious doctrine etc. as the median itself is variable (within limits) depending on what is happening in the environment and how (especially) that is affecting mothers.
I mainly wanted to post this to hear others thoughts on "human nature" etc.
Jesus! Yipe! We sure got some of the underlying rage out of locum, this time. And of course, the core problem here is that confederates do not have even a glimmer of a cognitive clue of the difference between ANECDOTES and statistically verifiable generalities.
Are there vile women? Sure? I have suffered from some. Indeed, plenty. (When I was young.) Did feminism empower them disproportionately? No, I don't think so. They were harmful before, as now. Make your case that feminism worsened things STATISTICALLY, with things called facts.
Can one generalize that there should be an expectation that gossip and other non-physical kinds of violence will have their turn getting the searing light of critical exposure, shame and reform? Absolutely.
Must we wait for that era, concentrating for now on the more physically violent evil acts that are more often perpetrated by males? Yeah, sure. Frankly, I would rather take on both, at once, and not wait for gossips to get their turn. But * any person who prioritizes gossips above rapists and male power abusers is either a fool or a bad person, or so wounded he cannot think straight! *
Moreover, Generalizing to ALL women from the actions of a few despicable ones is just plain crazy.
Jiminy, we seem to have a fine recruit in onlyaboutthenail. A calmer and more rational bridge to locumranch and hence to gaining deeper understanding of the Confederacy.
is a scientist, futurist and best-selling author. His novels include Earth, Existence, The Postman, and Kiln People, as well as Hugo Award winners Startide Rising and The Uplift War. The Transparent Society won a Freedom of Speech Award of the American Library Assn.
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Accubrace Weathers The Storm
In the overnight hours of October 29, Sandy came ashore along the northeastern United States as a Category 1 hurricane, unleashing hurricane force winds extending 90 miles, tropical storm force winds extending nearly 1,000 miles, storm surges with waves up to 39.5' and extremely heavy rainfall.
All along the Mid-Atlantic coast, contractors monitored weather reports, securing their jobsites as best they could, not knowing if their projects would make it through the predicted wrath expected with the coming record storm.
Among these eastern seaboard projects were six sites where partially constructed buildings of Tilt-up construction were being braced with Dayton Superior’s tilt-up braces anchored to our Accubrace helical ground anchors (HGAs). All of these projects were within range of suffering from the fury of the monster storm. Certainly, Dayton Superior and Accubrace systems are built for strength. The braces varied in length from 21' to 27' and were secured by 7'-0" HGA, a connector and a 4'-0" Helical Extension for deeper installations, the HGAs can handle brace loads up to 12,000# SWL or 15,000# SWL with the extension.
Proof of Accubrace’s HGA strength was apparent just over a year earlier when the total bracing system proved a critical asset on numerous jobsites, withstanding the 70 mph winds and 90+ mph gusts of Hurricane Irene. But, with all reports on Hurricane Sandy warning of a storm significantly more massive in size and force, no one was certain what to expect. As the storm hit, the contractors for each of these six Accubrace projects could only wait until the threat had subsided to survey what toll Hurricane Sandy had actually taken on their respective job sites.
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Massive typhoon on course to smash into Vietnam
Typhoon Sakira could add more chaos to the country's drowning central region, where deaths and damages have been reported.
The strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in years is expected to sweep past China’s Hainan Island on Tuesday and enter the Gulf of Tonkin the next day before hitting Vietnam, reports from a number of regional forecasting stations show.
Typhoon Sakira may be one of the strongest typhoons to hit Vietnam in recent years, Hoang Duc Cuong, director of the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center, said on Sunday.
Cuong said the typhoon may hit either Vietnam’s northern delta region or its northern central region.
The country’s northeast and the northern central region are expected to experience heavy downpours during the typhoon, the center said.
As of 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, the typhoon, the seventh to hit the region this year, was 620km east of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 150kph.
In the next 24 hours, Sakira is expected to head west at speeds of 20kph, according to a report from the center released at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.
The typhoon is forecast to cause rough seas and strong winds in the Gulf of Tonkin from Monday night.
Severe floods caused by heavy downpours and sudden releases from hydropower reservoirs in central Vietnam in recent days have left at least 21 people dead, 8 missing and many injured.
Vietnam is hit by an average of eight to 10 tropical storms between July and October every year, which often cause heavy material and human losses.
Tag cand.com.vn Gulf of Tonkin National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center Typhoon Sakira
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Competent officials needed
Province drowns as non-stop rains, floods hit central Vietnam
Central provinces hit by storm
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Euroacademia in Action
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Europe as a ‘Self-Organizing Vertigo’: Patrimonial European Culture and Politicized Identities
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Emanuel Crudu, Euroacademia (Paris, Lucca & Brussels)
Students of EUropean identity are most often voluntary or involuntary supporters of a ready-made idea of the EU. Acknowledging the beneficial and progressive nature of the EU in a wide variety of domains of political, social or economic realms in Europe and outside does not necessarily require transforming limited and occasional identifications in a stronger identitarian package whose unintended consequences can easily exclude or function against the very values is thought to instill. The paradox of the EUropean identity is that clarifying it more means leaving out so much that such exclusion becomes an act of contradiction with itself as it opposes any minimal content of such an identity. European identity as conceptualized in the frame of EU politics is a political engineering exercise on behalf or sometimes against the EU. It excludes and it is often counterproductive. When it’s about European values, the EU should start following them and recognize Europeanness in all its plenitude as an inclusive and embracing idea and cultural project. There is no EUropean identity but there is a wider European patrimonial identity. No need to become defensive and confused about a generous creative magmatic nucleus that offers Europeans, wherever they live and regardless of any institutional frame, a reliable chance to dialogically identify with a rich and creative common continental inheritance. The attack usually directed towards the ‘unity’ of the European culture is misplaced, since dealing with a European identity is not to deal with a particular institutionalization of a historically circumstantial political culture. Some cultural unity in Europe is claimed by the daily mentalities and discursive practices even if it’s just under the form of a ‘self-organizing vertigo’ (Morin 1987). Yet this unity, to put it in Gianni Vattimo’s style, it’s a unita debole. The risk involved by EU instrumental identity making relies on constructing a destinal Europeaness that accounts as community making factor far beyond its organizational structures and aims. The idea of a EUropean identity includes a persistent and camouflaged historicism intrinsic in the European version of quasi – universalistic modernity in the sense that ‘to invoke Europe often involves the illusion that there is a privileged ’We’ who are the subject of history’ (Delanty 1995: 12). The works of Cornelius Castoriadis (1991; 1998) on reflective questioning of socially instituted representations are useful in reminding us what Europe stands for as a project among others. If there is a minimal specificity of Europe that could be defended, Castoriadis has argued throughout his work, it is precisely the lack of an unquestionable point from which a European distinctiveness could be reified. By historical contingency, for Castoriadis, it was in Europe that a genuine interest in the others as others emerged in the frame of the project of social and individual autonomy originated in ancient Greece and reasserted by the European modernity. This presentation looks at the patrimonial/instrumental nexus in European identity making practices and narratives.
Rethinking European Identity and Muslim Diasporas
Meyda Yegenoglu
The Curse of Exemplarism Edmund Husserl on the German Nation and Europe
Christian Sternad
European Culture as a Mirage
Diederick Slijkerman
A Critical Realist/Discursive Institutionalist Approach on Europeanization
Zoltan Grunhut
Europe Seen through the Eyes of a Hindu
Dezső Szenkovics
Europe and Its Non-Familiar Faces: A Study of Ghanaian Women Migrants’ Use of New Media for Identity and Belonging in Hamburg and London
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A book of aphorisms
The obscurest epoch is today.
Permalink Remembering, Seeming
Cultural epochs used to last for centuries, then generations, then decades, now a year or two, and soon it will be fifteen minutes.
Permalink Remembering
Memory is as cruel to others as it is kind to oneself.
The list of people who achieve posthumous fame after a lifetime of obscurity is short, and will not include you.
Permalink Remembering, Schooling
Spelling has gone the way of handwriting.
Permalink Remembering, Ruling
The conquerors enslave the conquered, when the gap between them is small; when it is large, they exterminate them.
Civilizations are created from the middle out and destroyed from the top down.
History is hard to start and impossible to stop.
Permalink Remembering, Working
Great innovations appear made by many simultaneously, because we consign to obscurity anyone more than a week or two ahead of his time.
The medieval church had a juster claim as guardian of the life of the mind than the contemporary university.
Historically killing deprived its victims only of life; the modern refinement is to deprive them first of agency.
1<456789>15
A new aphorism every weekday. And a new second edition of the book, revised and enlarged. Some aphorisms that appear in the book will not appear here, and many that appear here will not appear in the book.
"The Rochefoucauld of the Twitter generation has arrived. Aaron Haspel's crisp, curt, cold-eyed aphorisms pack the maximum amount of truth into the minimum amount of space — and do it with elegance and wit." —Terry Teachout, drama critic, The Wall Street Journal
"Delightfully witty, painfully true, and thoroughly enjoyable reading...a gem on every page." —Megan McArdle, Bloomberg columnist and author of The Up Side of Down
"Aaron Haspel is good, very good." —Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of Antifragile and The Black Swan
"Extremely good...wry, wise rules." —James Geary, author of The World in a Phrase and editor of Geary's Guide to the World's Great Aphorists
"My favorite aphorist of the 21st century." —Colin Marshall, Boing Boing
"Aaron Haspel would have been world-famous as an epigrammist if he'd been born in 1880." —Colby Cosh, Maclean's
"Aaron Haspel is the greatest master of the aphoristic form writing in English today. It’s always hard to know which books will stand the test of time, which books will be read 300 years from now. But if I was a betting man, I’d bet on Everything." —John Faithful Hamer
Buy the book. Or pay what you like for it by donating directly.
Erring (177)
Computing (48)
Lying (115)
Mating (46)
Getting (96)
Ruling (239)
Self-Loving (87)
Being (250)
Seeming (144)
Remembering (141)
Nothing (215)
Inquiries about hard copy rights, commercial use, and whether you've been naughty or nice to Lynn Chu.
© 2012-16 Everything. Title illustration by Stuart Davis. Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha
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ABOUT US 关于桥厦
Liuzhou Bridge and Mansion engineering pipe co., Ltd is located in emerging industrial park in Liuzhou city of Guangxi, which covers an area of 40000 square meters. Established in 2000, the company already has two wholly owned subsidiaries as Liuzhou Bridge and Mansion engineering pipe factory and Liuzhou Bridge and Mansion machinery co.,Ltd and two affiliated production bases as Guizhou and Shanxi production base of Liuzhou Bridge and Mansion engineering pipe co., Ltd after over ten years of steady improvement.
The company is committed to presstressing tendon anchor, tensioning machine, intelligent equipment, engineering pipe, machinery complete equipment, accessories and the design, R&D, production, marketing and technical support and services of construction related products.
Company registered trademark of "QSM ®" and "Bridge and Mansion ®", the main products of which are presstressing tendon anchor, intelligent NC tensioning system, intelligent grouting system, oil pump and jack of normal tension use, prestressing with plastic corrugated pipe, metal bellows and tube manufacture equipment, round tube protector used in building cable, water supply pipe, large diameter drain pipe, permeable pipe, Common thread reinforced mechanical connection device and fitting, slurry mixing, grouting equipment, etc. Since they are "advanced, efficient and of high quality” ,the company's products have been sold in various provinces in China and exported to southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa and other regions; these products have been used in all kinds of projects such as roads and bridgea, high-rise buildings, the side slope anchoring, tunnels, power, communication, water supply and discharge and have won accolades from users far and wide.
With always focusing on the personnel training and, technological innovation, the company wants to build a technical team which has a strong design and a rapid research. The intelligent equipment developed by ourselves has reached the lead level in industry. The company won the “National High-tech Enterprise” title in 2010. Until now the company has a total of 1 patent of invention and 11 patents of utility model.
The company adheres to the “Combining Enterprise management with quality management” practice way, fully pursues the “Scientific management, full participation; Continuous improvement, customer satisfaction” management philosophy, and has built an effective management system, continuously improving overall management level of the company. In 2007, the company’s quality management system won the ISO9001 Quality Management System certification by the China Quality Certification Center, and has been operating in effect until now. Now according to industry trends and the actual situation, the company proceeds to carry out the second innovation in enterprise management, makes improvement and innovation on existing management platform, and excavates a “bridge and mansion feature” management model to improve the company’s overall level to a new higher level.
All staffs o company will adhere to the “customer satisfaction” business purpose, are full of “unity, responsible, innovative and efficient” spirit of enterprise, produce production-class products and dedicate first-class service with meticulous working attitude.
The Bridge and Mansion company wishes to move on and writes a colorful chapter together with you.
Your present location:About us > Company
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Govt Jobs Circulars
admin November 29, 2019 Leave a Comment
by Francesca Cartier Brickell (Author) “An enchanting jewel of a book.”—Douglas Smith, author of Former People: The Final Days of the Russian Aristocracy
The captivating story of the family behind the Cartier empire and the three brothers who turned their grandfather’s humble Parisian jewelry store into a global luxury icon—as told by a great-granddaughter with exclusive access to long-lost family archives
The Cartiers is the revealing tale of a jewelry dynasty—four generations, from revolutionary France to the 1970s. At its heart are the three Cartier brothers whose motto was “Never copy, only create” and who made their family firm internationally famous in the early days of the twentieth century, thanks to their unique and complementary talents: Louis, the visionary designer who created the first men’s wristwatch to help an aviator friend tell the time without taking his hands off the controls of his flying machine; Pierre, the master dealmaker who bought the New York headquarters on Fifth Avenue for a double-stranded natural pearl necklace; and Jacques, the globe-trotting gemstone expert whose travels to India gave Cartier access to the world’s best rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, inspiring the celebrated Tutti Frutti jewelry.
Francesca Cartier Brickell, whose great-grandfather was the youngest of the brothers, has traveled the world researching her family’s history, tracking down those connected with her ancestors and discovering long-lost pieces of the puzzle along the way. Now she reveals never-before-told dramas, romances, intrigues, betrayals, and more.
The Cartiers also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the firm’s most iconic jewelry—the notoriously cursed Hope Diamond, the Romanov emeralds, the classic panther pieces—and the long line of stars from the worlds of fashion, film, and royalty who wore them, from Indian maharajas and Russian grand duchesses to Wallis Simpson, Coco Chanel, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Published in the two-hundredth anniversary year of the birth of the dynasty’s founder, Louis-François Cartier, this book is a magnificent, definitive, epic social history shown through the deeply personal lens of one legendary family.
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info@eefni.org
Employment Law & Legal Advice Services
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Mock Tribunal Workshop
COURSE: Mock Tribunal Workshop
DATE: Thursday, 19 April 2018
TIME: 10.00am to 1.30pm
LOCATION: EEF NI Training Suite 7 Pilot’s View, Heron Road, Belfast, BT3 9LE
COST: Members: £135 + vat | Non-members: £175 + vat
If you wish to attend please complete the booking form below or contact John Gibson on 02890595053.
Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided.
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Covert Surveillance: When can the Employer lawfully undertake it?
In the recent unfair dismissal case of Kane v Bombardier Aerospace 239/16 IT, the Northern Ireland Tribunal found that the employer’s use of covert surveillance was lawful. In that case the EEF NI represented the employer throughout the proceedings and at the Hearing.
Facts of the Case
Bombardier had employed Mr. Kane for approximately 7 years. On 1st December 2014 Mr. Kane had a workplace accident. He was then absent from work from the accident until his dismissal for gross misconduct on 28 September 2016. During his absence he was regularly assessed by the Company’s Occupational Health Department. Mr Kane had previously brought a successful personal injury claim against his employer and it was believed that he would bring a further claim in respect of this accident.
Throughout his Occupational Health assessments, Mr. Kane presented himself as someone with significant restrictions. Approximately 7 months after the accident, Mr Kane was still presenting with difficulties such as: carrying his 1-year-old son; basic personal care such as putting on his socks and shoes and; painting.
The Company had concerns regarding his reports of limited medical progress and further concerns were raised about how the accident had happened. This led the Company to have suspicions that Mr. Kane was exaggerating his symptoms with a view to boosting compensation in a personal injury claim. In light of all the concerns, a Senior Manager within the Company authorised the use of covert surveillance to monitor Mr Kane in public areas where he could have no expectation of privacy.
Surveillance was obtained which showed him laying flagstones in the driveway at the front of his home without any apparent restriction or pain. Mr Kane accepted that it was him in the surveillance.
Following receipt of the surveillance, the Company sought the Occupational Health Consultant’s opinion. The Consultant had seen Mr. Kane a few days before and after the surveillance. The medical opinion was that the surveillance showed someone without any restriction at all.
Mr Kane was subsequently dismissed for gross misconduct on grounds that included an untruthful representation of his medical condition.
Tribunal Claim
Mr Kane claimed his dismissal was unfair and that the use of covert surveillance infringed Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) i.e. his right to privacy and private life. He alleged that reliance on the surveillance rendered the dismissal unfair.
Article 8 states that:
Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, [and] his home…
There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except as such as in accordance with the law and is necessary in a demonstrate society… for the prevention of…. Crime. [Or] for the protection of health
Tribunal Decision
The Tribunal found that his dismissal was fair. The Tribunal set out in detail the case law and their findings on the use of covert surveillance and that there was no infringement of Article 8. Amongst other matters they stated that Mr Kane had no expectation or a right to privacy when he was engaged in an activity in full view of the public. The Tribunal also referred to case law that stated that when someone is potentially engaged in a fraud they can have no reasonable expectation of privacy.
Importantly the Tribunal went on to say that if there had have been an infringement of Mr. Kane’s Article 8 rights, then this interference would have been proportionate. The grounds for so finding including:
There were genuine concerns that the employee was engaged in fraud;
The surveillance was limited to a short number of days over a short period;
Prior to sanctioning the use of the surveillance, a Senior Manager considered its use and as such it was not unlimited or intrusive surveillance.
This was a relatively rare for the Company to authorize such surveillance.
The Company was therefore entitled to protect its business interests by engaging in covert surveillance where there was potential fraudulent activity being carried out by an employee.
This is a very welcome Decision for Employers who have genuine concerns regarding the legitimacy of an employee’s period of sickness absence and/or where they believe there is a risk to their business interests by an employee’s conduct. However, it is not a carte blanche approach for employers to engage in covert surveillance for whimsical reasons. Prior to engaging in covert surveillance Employers should conduct an impact assessment to consider, and demonstrate that they have considered, the appropriateness of using covert surveillance.
However, where there is a legitimate risk to the business or where the employee is suspected of wrongdoing a Company can lawfully consider protecting its business interest by using convert surveillance in an appropriate way.
We would urge any Organisation contemplating using covert surveillance to speak to a member of the Legal Team for further advice prior to authorizing its use.
© 2020 EEF Northern Ireland | Developed By Organic IT
EEF NI Employment Law & HR Conference 2020 Booking Form
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Latest Financial News Summary by the Onion News Ne...
Massive Demonstration in China against Japan over ...
Paul Krugman Presses for Rule of Law in Foreclosur...
Countrywide's Angelo Mozilo Settles with SEC for $...
Hillary Clinton to Pakistan: Raise Your Taxes, Oth...
Bernanke Speaks at 8:15AM Friday
It's Not Just About Foreclosure, Not Just About Mo...
Alex Jones Interviewed Jonathan Irish
Nymex, Comex To Launch Gold, Crude Oil Volatility ...
And New York State Orders Stops on Foreclosures .....
And Silver Above $24...
Gold Hits $1,375.30
Goldman Raises Gold Target to $1,650 in 12 Months
Political Tide Coming Fast and Furious at Obama
More on MERS
Get to Know MERS, Your Robo-Signer and Signature F...
Even Barron's Laughs at SEC's Explanation of Flash...
Latest Financial News Summary by the Onion News Network
(or Network News, whatever...) And it's just about right. Or so I think. Whatever. Does it matter?
Something About Tax Cuts Or Earnings Or Money Or Something In Recent Economic News (9/29/2010 ONN)
WASHINGTON—Some sort of tax cut or earnings or money or something was reported in economic news this week in further evidence that a lot of financial- related things have been going on lately.
According to numerous articles and economics segments from major media outlets, experts on banks and such have become increasingly concerned over a new extension or rates or a proposal or compromise that could signal fewer investments, and dollars, and so on.
The experts confirmed that the stimulus has played a role.
"This is a clear sign of a changing cycle," some top guy at one of the big banks in New York said of purchasing power parity or possibly rate of return during a recent interview on CNN. "Which isn't to say that a sustained drop in wages couldn't still occur, even if the interest paid on reserves is lowered."
"In short, it's possible but not probable that growth could outpace our initial expectations," added the banking guy, who went on to say other money things, too. "It depends on investor sentiment."
The man, who also apparently mentioned the Nasdaq, the Dow, and the Japan one at some point or another, talked for a really long time about credit or reductions or possibly all these figures, which somehow relate to China.
Greece was also involved.
An analyst from Citigroup or Citibank announced on Monday that the Federal Reserve System is doing too much, while the Fed has failed to accomplish its goals to increase inflation or interest, which are different things. In addition, he was critical of the Fed's efforts to regulate the Bernanke.
"There might be a light at the end of the tunnel, but right now the markets are still struggling," the man who was wearing a blue suit and red tie said about some special money tunnel. "At this point, though, it's too early to say."
The head Treasury person, whose name sounds like Guyver or Meisner, appeared on every major network this week, either to assure Americans that everything was better or was going to get better or was never going to get better. Some other guy argued that it has never been that good. During interviews, the Treasury guy was observed on several occasions smiling or wincing.
According to a recent issue of The Wall Street Journal, there are currently a bunch of columns filled with a wide variety of numbers, letters, and symbols.
Geithner—that is the Treasury guy's name.
Another expert, Lawrence Kudlow, who hosts the CNBC program The Kudlow Report, was upbeat over the amount of points available in the industrial average or pleased with where the percentages were at.
"It's simple, actually, because the current dividend yield is equivalent to the most recent full-year dividend divided by the current share price," Kudlow said really quickly. "And that's basically the situation we're in now, for better or worse."
Paul Krugman, New York Times columnist and 2008 winner of the Nobel Prize for something in one of those economics categories, acknowledged in an editorial this week that the SEC must work closely with the stock market, Wall Street, and the New York Stock Exchange to maintain the bulls, bears, and opening bells. Krugman also said something could spur lending or trading or budgetary measures.
Although it has not been totally determined whether Krugman agrees with leading experts on assets or retail sales data or other fiscal things, reliable sources have confirmed that he has a beard.
Time or Newsweek recently published a cover story on the recession or the government debt or incomes or GDP or something similar to that, but kind of focused on how it's the fault of the rich, the middle class, and the poor.
In addition, mutual funds, probably.
Labels: ONN
Massive Demonstration in China against Japan over Senkaku Islands Incident
Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shinbun puts the number of demonstrators at "tens of thousands". The demonstrations were held in at least three inland Chinese cities (Chengdu in Sichuan province, Xi'an in Shaanxi province, and Zhengzhou in Henan province).
In Chengdu, Japanese supermarkets and department stores were targeted and vandalized by the demonstrators. The demonstrators demanded Japanese get out of China.
Well, why not? Why bother being there, employing Chinese to produce crappy products while in Japan many people cannot find decent jobs and the number of people on state welfare is all-time high?
Apparently, the Japanese government has a video of the Chinese fishing boat deliberately ramming into the Japanese patrol boat. But the government is not releasing it, for fear of further deterioration of relationship with China, now (unfortunately) Japan's largest trading partner.
Demonstrators in Japan are equally angry at China and at their own government for their "soft" approach.
Labels: china, japan, Senkaku Islands
Paul Krugman Presses for Rule of Law in Foreclosuregate
I never thought I would agree with the Nobel laureate on anything economics or finance.
Well, well. Never say never.
In the Op-Ed column in New York Times titled "The Mortgage Morass", Krugman writes:
"American officials used to lecture other countries about their economic failings and tell them that they needed to emulate the U.S. model. The Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, in particular, led to a lot of self-satisfied moralizing. Thus, in 2000, Lawrence Summers, then the Treasury secretary, declared that the keys to avoiding financial crisis were “well-capitalized and supervised banks, effective corporate governance and bankruptcy codes, and credible means of contract enforcement.” By implication, these were things the Asians lacked but we had.
"We didn’t.
"The accounting scandals at Enron and WorldCom dispelled the myth of effective corporate governance. These days, the idea that our banks were well capitalized and supervised sounds like a sick joke. And now the mortgage mess is making nonsense of claims that we have effective contract enforcement — in fact, the question is whether our economy is governed by any kind of rule of law.
"...Now an awful truth is becoming apparent: In many cases, the documentation doesn’t exist. In the frenzy of the bubble, much home lending was undertaken by fly-by-night companies trying to generate as much volume as possible. These loans were sold off to mortgage “trusts,” which, in turn, sliced and diced them into mortgage-backed securities. The trusts were legally required to obtain and hold the mortgage notes that specified the borrowers’ obligations. But it’s now apparent that such niceties were frequently neglected. And this means that many of the foreclosures now taking place are, in fact, illegal.
True to form, the Obama administration’s response has been to oppose any action that might upset the banks, like a temporary moratorium on foreclosures while some of the issues are resolved. Instead, it is asking the banks, very nicely, to behave better and clean up their act. I mean, that’s worked so well in the past, right?
The response from the right is, however, even worse. Republicans in Congress are lying low, but conservative commentators like those at The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page have come out dismissing the lack of proper documents as a triviality. In effect, they’re saying that if a bank says it owns your house, we should just take its word. To me, this evokes the days when noblemen felt free to take whatever they wanted, knowing that peasants had no standing in the courts. But then, I suspect that some people regard those as the good old days."
Well, it was not just fly-by-night lenders. All major banks did.
And it is not just the Obama admin or conservatives. State attorney generals have started a joint investigation into this foreclosuregate, but I was disappointed to hear what one of them had to say on CNBC today. The attorney general of Texas told Larry Kudlow that he and his colleagues are confident that they can move very quickly to resolve [how?] problems regarding foreclosure documentation so that this doesn't interfere negatively with the financial systems and that the housing market doesn't suffer. [What "housing market"?] See the video for yourself, here.
The Texas attorney general is basically saying this investigation is nothing but token to appease small people (us), and he and his colleagues will do their best not to inconvenience the big banks and big investors and powerful lobbies (banking and real estate).
So what if the notice of default or the affidavit you received was signed by someone pretending to be working for a trustee but in fact he/she is working for some fly-by-night outfit whose job is to pretend he/she is a VP of Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, all at once and sign away the documents?
But isn't it an outright fraud, to pretend to be someone that they are not, and sign a document that will take away the biggest investment that we ever have in our lives?
Clearly, an outright fraud means nothing to the political class (you can call them the ruling class, if you like).
State and federal governments doing their best to put the welfare of an industry before that of the citizens, and ignore the rule of law or arbitrarily apply it as they see fit - as Krugman says, America no longer has any moral standing to lecture any country.
Labels: foreclosuregate, Paul Krugman
Countrywide's Angelo Mozilo Settles with SEC for $68 Million Fine
Criminal charges unlikely, no jail time.
Looks like it pays to have friends in high places, and particularly when you provide home loans to those friends on favorable terms.
Angelo Mozilo, CEO of Countrywide, of subprime fame, cut the deal with the SEC to settle the fraud charges by paying $67.5 million in fines.
CNN reports:
"NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Angelo Mozilo, the former co-founder of Countrywide Financial, has agreed to pay $67.5 million to the SEC to settle fraud charges.
"The settlement was announced Friday at a status conference in the case before U.S. District Judge John Walter in Los Angeles.
"Mozilo was slated to appear in the federal courthouse on Tuesday. But there were published reports in recent days that Mozilo and the SEC have been in confidential settlement negotiations over the past couple of weeks.
"Mozilo, along with former Countrywide president David Sambol and former CFO Eric Sieracki, were charged with defrauding investors by hiding the growing risks of the company's mortgages.
"The defendants denied the accusations, saying details about Countrywide loans were properly disclosed.
"The SEC accused only Mozilo of insider trading, alleging that he sold millions of dollars worth of Countrywide stock long after he knew the company was doomed.
"By settling the charges early, Mozilo could be more likely to avoid criminal charges that may have stemmed from standing trial on Tuesday."
Labels: Angelo Mozilo, countrywide
Hillary Clinton to Pakistan: Raise Your Taxes, Otherwise We Won't Give You Flood Aid
Is it any wonder that anti-American sentiment is all-time high in Pakistan?
Antiwar.com's Jason Ditz reported on October 14, 2010 [emphasis is mine.]:
"Following up on last month’s demands that Pakistan agree to yet another massive tax increase on “wealthy landowners,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stepped the issue up even more, threatening to withdraw all humanitarian aid from the nation unless they comply.
"Today it was even worse, as Clinton pressured the European Union to do the same. Between them, the US and EU have contributed more than half of the $1.5 billion in humanitarian aid for this year’s disastrous floods.
"“It is unacceptable,” according to Secretary Clinton, “for those with means in Pakistan not to be doing their fair share to help their own people.” While rich Pakistanis have contributed to relief efforts, they have balked at donating to the official government aid program, citing corruption.
"The floods killed thousands and left roughly a fifth of the nation under water, doing major damage to Pakistan at a time when a decade of US-led war along its border had already brought it to the brink of collapse. One would think this would be a poor time to raise taxes, but the Obama Administration has repeatedly demanded Pakistan do so, and despite Pakistan already issuing a number of tax increases over the past year, it seems it isn’t enough."
The world has been eerily silent on the floods in Pakistan, which by the way are still ongoing, as millions remain homeless and millions in dire needs of basic necessities to survive. And Clinton and her boss want to force Pakistan to raise taxes while US killer drones continue to bomb innocent civilians.
Makes sense, doesn't it? In this bizzarro world?
I wonder if Clinton and Obama demanded the same to Haiti for the earthquake relief... Did Bush demand New Orleans to raise taxes in exchange for a federal aid?
Labels: Hillary Clinton, Obama policy, Pakistan
Watch out if you are still playing in the stock market. He may well talk about QE2, which may tank the market or may send it to a parabolic high. Place your bets. (Wouldn't it be wonderful for the TBTF banks if he simply announces QE2 tomorrow morning?)
From Bloomberg Econ Calendar:
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speech to the Boston Fed's conference on Revisiting Monetary Policy in a Low Inflation Environment.
Labels: Ben Bernanke, QE2, stock market
It's Not Just About Foreclosure, Not Just About Mortgage Either
Here's from 'NoVa' at Yahoo Board:
"The foreclosure process triggers negative accounting events, like recognizing what they call Day 1 and Day 2 losses on repurchases and REO's.
"Banks relied on their internal controls to recognize these business events, er,, foreclosures that leads to accounting entries that leads to financial statements. They relied on the CONTROLS surrounding the robo-signers which have obviously failed to detect or prevent false transactions.
"Shouldn't we be hearing in the news soon about financial restatements ? Their books are wrong and have been wrong over many years...
"CFO and CEO's signed accuracy statements for their enterprise with every SEC filing ... Talk about the ultimate leverage card to play against any firm or the entire industry - SEC accusations always KILL a firm."
He's saying it is SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) violations.
Don't hold your breath for the SEC crooks to do anything, but ...
Here's a good article by Gonzalo Lira titled "Second Leg Down of America's Death Spiral", discussing the implications of what the MSM has been trying to paint as "technical" glitches. (He doesn't mention SOX.)
Labels: foreclosure, Sarbanes-Oxley
and it is just sickening.
Mr. Irish's infant daughter was snatched by the child protection services from Concord Hospital in New Hampshire.
He called in the Alex Jones show tonight.
He said he and his fiancee were finally allowed to visit their baby with the CPS employee present. The baby was non-responsive. They thought, oh maybe she needs a diaper change, and proceeded to change her diaper. What they found was blood. The baby was bleeding from the vagina. Sheriff deputies were called in. They took the baby to a hospital.
The emergency room doctor told them to take the baby to a child abuse specialist doctor.
Labels: Alex Jones
Nymex, Comex To Launch Gold, Crude Oil Volatility Index
just as gold hit all-time high today. As if they need more volatility heaped on top of it.
From Kitco News:
"Beginning Monday, the New York Mercantile Exchange and its Comex division will launch a gold volatility index and crude oil volatility index for trading on the CME Globex electronic trading platorm. Both indexes, using market data from Nymex and Comex, will trade as futures contracts on Globex and the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index. The gold volatility index will have a 60-day forward looking index and the crude oil index will have a 30-day look-ahead. Both contracts will be listed on Nymex and Comex, which are part of the CME Group."
Gold and oil already have:
Spot trade
Options on futures
ETF (unleveraged and leveraged; the latter relys on swap contracts)
Options on ETF (including Weeklys)
Now the volatility index will be added, you can trade futures or options on the index.
Nymex/Comex may or may not have physical gold to back their contracts. So what do they do? Obfuscate (aka smoke and mirror), and hope people won't notice.
Labels: Comex, commodities, gold
And New York State Orders Stops on Foreclosures ...
(the link from Karl Denninger's Market Ticker)
Mortgage Servicers Must Suspend Foreclosures In NY, State Says
(Steven Meyerowitz, 10/13/2010 Financial Fraud Law)
"The N.Y. State Banking Department has suspended home foreclosure actions by mortgage loan servicers, requiring that they conduct internal reviews of their foreclosure practices.
"The servicers were also asked to respond to the Banking Department on the following issues: the steps the servicer is taking or has taken to review the foreclosure process in New York; the results of the review, including a description of the process for verifying affidavits; the corrective action, if any, the servicer has taken or intends to take in response to the review; the measures taken to ensure that affidavits filed in New York foreclosure actions are executed in compliance with New York law; and the status of pending foreclosure actions in New York and measures taken to suspend such actions pending review.
"The N.Y. Banking Department joins 47 state attorneys general and 37 banking and mortgage regulators as part of a multi-state group that is investigating the foreclosure practices of mortgages servicers throughout the country."
Obama sending Axelrod on Sunday to discourage the foreclosure moratorium and downplay the so-called Foreclosuregate as merely a minor technical glitch that they hope will swiftly resolved was surely effective (in letting citizens know which side the White House is on, not that it was any surprise).
Labels: foreclosure
Labels: silver
Labels: gold
"(Kitco News) - Goldman Sachs has raised its 12-month forecast for gold to $1,650 an ounce, citing expectations for further quantitative easing in the U.S. and prospects for long-term interest rates to continue falling.
"“With U.S. real interest rates pushing lower off the slowdown in the pace of the U.S. economic recovery and the growing prospect of another round of quantitative easing, we expect gold prices to continue to climb,” said the Goldman report, authored by David Greely and Damien Courvalin. “Despite the rebound in net speculative length, it remains well below levels consistent with the current low U.S. real interest rate environment.”
"Goldman said the decline in U.S. real interest rates is likely to persist, and rates could push even lower in the near term should the Federal Reserve undertake quantitative easing measures. Thus, Goldman said it is raising its gold price forecasts to $1,400, $1,525 and $1,650 on a three-, six- and 12-month horizon. Goldman said its updated forecasts point to an average of $1,575 an ounce in 2011, which is $175 higher than it previously expected.
"“The return to quantitative easing will likely be a strong catalyst to drive gold prices higher, and we expect the gold price rally to continue until U.S. monetary policy begins to tighten,” Goldman said.
"The bank’s economics team expects the Fed to return to quantitative easing with purchases of U.S. Treasury securities of $1 trillion, which in turn should keep U.S. bond yields depressed. Furthermore, the bank said it expects the announcement at the Federal Open Market Committee’s Nov. 2-3 meeting.
"Goldman said the rally since August came as the yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities plummeted, with the yield now closer to the 0.50% than the 1.0% imbedded in prior forecasts. It also cites stronger demand for the metal for gold exchange-traded funds and from central banks." [The article continues.]
According to Goldman, 10-year TIPS yield is inversely correlated to the increase in speculative long positions in gold futures. In other words, the lower the 10-year TIPS yield, the higher the speculative longs. (For more about Goldman's reasoning, see their August paper here. Their August target of $1,300 was to be for the next 6 months...)
Labels: gold, Goldman Sachs
A quick look at Drudge headline... Good luck Mr. President. You need it.
Soros: I can't stop Republican 'avalanche'
JEWISH PROTESTERS HURL SHOES AT 'OBAMA' IN TEL AVIV...
BOOK THROWN AT PRESIDENT...
HALPERIN: 'White House in over its head, isolated, insular, arrogant and clueless'...
GORE VIDAL: America headed for 'dictatorship'...
GREEN ECONOMY: Congressional Staffers Gain From Trading in Stocks...
GOP Leaders Slam Obama Over Foreign Contributions 'Lie'...
FLASHBACK: Obama Accepting Untraceable Donations...
Rising leaders in Chinese military 'view United States as the enemy'...
Obama hits links for 52nd golf day...
Labels: 2010 election, Obama policy
from Karl Denninger at Market Ticker:
The MERS Edifice Quavers.... (Karl Denninger, 10/11/2010 Market Ticker)
(h/t willsin)
Labels: MERS
Get to Know MERS, Your Robo-Signer and Signature Forgerer
From Zero Hedge Poster 'Bob', citing the info from another user 'careless whisper':
let's take a look at who owns MERS:
http://www.mersinc.org/about/shareholders.aspx
here's a deposition of an officer of MERS admitting zero employees for the past five years!
http://stopforeclosurefraud.com/2010/08/27/exclusive-mers-deposition-of-secretary-and-treasurer-of-merscorp-42010/
hey, all you wanna be fraudsters, for $95 per month you too can have a virtual office at the same address where MERS has their "global headquarters" with zero employees; 1818 library street, reston virginia 20190
https://www.davincivirtual.com/loc/us/virginia/reston-virtual-offices/facility-848
It looks like MERS is a shell corporation founded and operated by the MBS banks. And, for just a little entertaining summary of the big picture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kPCYcBm-C8&feature=player_embedded
MERS is owned by the nation's largest banks and mortgage companies.
MERS may not have any employee, is located at 1818 Library Street, Suite 300, Reston, VA 20190, in the same building as a virtual office run by Davinci Virtual Office Solutions with a live receptionist to take their call.
The Obama administration, some analysts, they are trying their best to dismiss the whole thing as just a minor technical mistake here and there.
It's FRAUD.
4closureFraud.org has an excellent article uncovering Obama's mortgage documents clearly robo-signed, and signatures don't match... It's not just over foreclosure documents, but ALL mortgage related documents of the past decade, or two (or three?).
Labels: foreclosure, MERS, mortgage fraud
Even Barron's Laughs at SEC's Explanation of Flash Crash
Jim McTague of Barron's magazine wrote an article about the absurdity of the SEC blaming a single "mutual fund complex", aka Waddell & Reed, for the flash crash on May 6.
I thought I got the picture of how the flash crash happened and why, from reading knowledgeable blogsites like Zero Hedge, but there are some new pieces of information in Jim McTague's article I didn't know.
Here's one:
"Twenty thousand trades, totaling 5.5 million shares, were executed at a price 60% or more away from pre-Flash-Crash price levels, and thus later were deemed invalid. At least half those were retail orders."
And here's another, about how the retail investors' orders are handled:
"A brokerage firm will try to match one customer's order with that of another customer in-house. If the firm can't make the trade, it sends the order on to an executing broker. The big ones are Knight Capital, Citadel and UBS. The executing broker will generally take the opposite side of the customer order because retail customers tend to buy high and sell low, so it's easy to make money off them.
"In the rare instances when an executing broker demurs, he sends the trade to a dark pool, usually one owned by his firm. (Dark pools are electronic-trading venues where institutional investors trade stocks away from the public stock exchanges.) If the dark pool can't execute the trade, it is sent to one of the stock exchanges. This largely automated process occurs in sub-seconds.
"On May 6 when the market fell out of bed, the report says blandly, some of these players reduced executions of sell orders but continued to execute buy orders. In other words, they'd sell stock to a retail customer but wouldn't buy stock from a retail customer. They wanted to get rid of their own inventories, not accumulate more shares. So they sent the customer sell orders onto the swamped stock exchanges."
Let me recap the process:
1. Your brokerage firm tries to match your order with that of another customer in-house. If the firm can't match it, it sends your order to one of the executing brokers (Citadel, Knight, etc).
2. The executing broker usually takes the other side of the trade and profit handsomely. But if the executing broker refuses to take the other side, the order goes to a dark pool, usually owned by the executing broker's firm.
3. If there is no trade to be made in the dark pool, the order gets sent to the exchanges.
And so the exchanges were swamped with orders on May 6 when market makers, human or HFT bots, stopped making market.
Lastly:
"Retail stop-loss and market orders were converted to limit orders by internalizers prior to routing to the exchanges. A limit order requires the trade to be executed at a specific price, whereas a market order is the best price available. If the limit order wasn't filled because the stock's price had fallen, it was kicked back to the internalizer who, in turn, set a new, lower limit price and resubmitted it. Orders were kicked back multiple times because prices were collapsing so rapidly. They followed the prices down, "eventually reaching unrealistically low bids," as the report puts it."
And the SEC blames Waddell & Reed for all that.
No wonder the retails have been exiting ever since May 6.
Labels: Flash Crash, SEC
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Paranormal fiction writer Lynn Viehl offers a Parallel eBook story to the Final Installment in her New York Times Bestselling Darkyn series!
Onyx, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), announced today the release of an all new “eSpecial”—short pieces of writing for eBook readers—from Lynn Viehl, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Darkyn novels.
“Master of Shadows” is a parallel story to “Stay the Night”, Viehl’s full-length conclusion to the Darkyn series, which Onyx will publish in January 2009. The novella, featuring vampire Will Scarlet and his mortal love interest, offers readers a sneak peek into what happens “off stage” during the final installment in the Darkyn series.
Viehl launched the Darkyn series in 2005 with the publication of “If Angels Burn”. Five more books followed, landing Viehl on both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and earning her a loyal fan base. A blend of paranormal romance and fantasy, the novels follow the modern-day adventures of several warriors who were turned into vampires during the Middle Ages.
“I think Penguin’s new e-publishing venture is a terrific idea. With the convenience of online downloads, readers will now have immediate access to new fiction at a very reasonable price. As an author, I appreciate the chance to reach the growing number of readers who enjoy eBooks. I'm delighted to be a part of the next step into the future of publishing,” said Lynn Viehl.
As with all Penguin eBooks, the eSpecials will be available wherever eBooks are sold, in many formats, including those compatible with the Sony Reader, Amazon Kindle, and iPhone among others. From now until “Stay the Night” is published on January 6, 2009, “Master of Shadows” will sell at a special price of $2.99. After January 6th, “Master of Shadows” will sell at the list price of $4.99.
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RE-REVIEW: A Dance Of Shadows by David Dalglish (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Dance Of Cloaks
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of A Dance Of Blades
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Dance Of Mirrors
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Cloak & Spider
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AUTHOR INFORMATION: David Dalglish is the author of the popular Half Orc fantasy series and the Paladin series. He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in Mathematics and used to work with Special Education students. He lives with his family in Missouri; A Dance Of Cloaks was his traditional publication debut.
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: “"Prove that you can stand against the darkness and live."
In book #4 of the Shadowdance series, Haern is the King's Watcher, born an assassin only to become the city of Veldaren's protector against the thief guilds.
When Lord Victor Kane attacks the city, determined to stamp out all corruption, foreign gangs pour in amidst the chaos in an attempt to overthrow the current lords of the underworld.
And when a mysterious killer known as the Widow begins mutilating thieves, paranoia engulfs the city. Haern knows someone is behind the turmoil, pulling strings. If he doesn't find out who -- and soon -- his beloved city will burn.
Light or darkness: where will the line be drawn?
CLASSIFICATION: Featuring a world wherein there are multiple factions at work, the Shadowdance series is a dark, character-driven, gritty fantasy story in the vein of David Gemmell, Brent Weeks and Peter V. Brett.
FORMAT/INFO: A Dance Of Shadows is 437 pages divided over thirty-five numbered chapters with a prologue, epilogue and an author note. Narration is in the third person via several different point-of-views, both major and supporting characters, including the main protagonist Haern the Watcher, Alyssa Gemcroft, Zusa, Lord Victor Kane, Guild lord Thren Felhorn, Grayson of Mordeina, Antonil Deathmask, Nathaniel Gemcroft etc. A Dance Of Shadows is the fourth volume of the Shadowdance series.
This book was first self-published by the author under the title "Blood Of The Underworld". May 20, 2014 marks the trade paperback and e-book publication of A Dance Of Shadows via Orbit Books. Cover illustration is provided by Michael Frost and Gene Mollica.
ANALYSIS: As with the previous three books that have been self published by the author. A Dance Of Shadows was previously reviewed here upon its release. This book is slightly different from its previous incarnation as "Blood Of The Underworld" and I'll try to highlight the non-spoilery changes as much as I can. A note of caution for readers, since this is book 4, there will be minor spoilers for the preceding titles so venture ahead only if you have read the previous books or if you don't mind spoilers.
David Dalglish’s previous books were a revelation for me as it introduced me to the author as well as his dynamic storytelling prowess. The series was supposed to focus on Haern’s origins and explore his need to become the person he is currently. It was a dark and unforgiving series that was tough on all of its characters, ruthless in character deaths and perhaps the author’s homage to Batman's beginnings. The third book however didn’t complete the arc as set by the first book and the author has spoken a bit about it in this guest post.
The trappings of the first trilogy was that a son rebelled against his father’s wishes and that was the underpinning that powered the main character as well as galvanized the readers as they wanted to see how it would end. While the trilogy didn’t exactly end on that note, the current trilogy plays out to that very end. It also serves as a bridge between the Half-Orc series, the Shadowdance trilogy as well as the Paladin series. The main theater of action would be set in the city of Veldaren primarily and also focusing on other regions as per the story dictates. The book also aims to bring together all the characters and infuse the story to make it an explosive one.
The story begins the king of Veldaren receiving a letter of intent from Victor Kane, lord of a nearby region who wishes to accomplish a task that no one has attempted so far. He wishes to rid the city of all its thieves, murderers and other scum. To do so, he has brought his own private army and is ready to start his mission. Alyssa Gemcroft has recovered from the events of the city of Angelport nearly two years ago and she has learnt to be more cunning while also growing in her economic strength. She however is unprepared for a new surprise that awaits her in the mansion of a fellow trifect member. Zusa is resilient and has constantly been the pillar of support for Alyssa in many ways however she will have to face demons and problems from her past as well and this time it might just be enough to break her. Then there’s Thren Felhorn, the greatest and most feared guild lord who is still trying to regain his lost glory and lastly there’s the Widow who is going around on a killing spree motivated by reasons stranger than most men can fathom.
Thus begins the fourth volume of the Shadowdance series which attempts to fuse the character driven storyline of its preceding titles with the epic action and intrigue of the sequel Half-orc series. This powder-keg is all set to explode and explode it does, in a spectacularly brutal onslaught. The prologue opens with a riddle and a murder and then quickly the plot threads and characters are introduced with enough of a background presented for all new readers to get caught up adequately and for returning readers to whet their memories. The highlights of David’s previous books are spectacularly present, beginning with rapid pace of the story, multiple plot lines, intriguing characterization and sharp plot twists. There's also some strong ties to "Cloak & Spider" as Thren's past history comes into play and for readers who have read the prequel novella, will gain further insight about Grayson, Thren & their common love.
The best part however, is the characterization beginning with Haern and his troubled past, this series is basically about the confrontation that has been ordained between Haern and his father. The seeds for the confrontation were laced in the first two books of the Shadowdance trilogy and it’s in this book can the reader see them coming to fruition. There’s also Alyssa, Zusa, Thren, Victor Kane and a few other characters who each have their own plans and work towards their own ends. The equally awesome part is that while the series is about the Watcher, in this book the focus is shared by many characters each of whom can be confidently considered as a compelling protagonist or antagonist (depending on how you view their story).
This multifaceted character approach makes this story come alive tremendously as the reader is kept guessing on all fronts and something is happening in each POV character thread to keep the plot tension high strung. In this regards, the plot confusion and the thriller aspect of the story really shine through. The pace of the book also seems to make the book more akin to a thriller and this is another plus point in regards to the book. I can’t say that this book has no drawbacks to it but for the type of story I like to read, it had everything; tense mystery, believable characterization, epic action and lastly a strong authorial grasp on the story. All of this along with the book’s humor that is present but in minute amounts and is character specific which makes this story a fantastic read.
Lastly while this is book 4, newer readers should have no problems jumping in and picking up the story, and for the older, returning readers this book is a crossroads of all the three previously written series thereby giving them a big crossover high. The author has commented upon this aspect in the afterword and it shows in the book as we come across a wide array of characters that confabulate and conflict to give the readers a rousing tale. The plot threads come to a reasonable conclusion at the end of this book and the reader is left with a big hint of the story direction of the next book A Dance Of Ghosts.
CONCLUSION: David Dalglish is an anomaly of sorts, his books while seeming generic are turning out to be a unique combination of dark fantasy and exciting thriller modes, thereby giving the readers a potent story and making sure they are left wanting more. I was hooked with the previous trilogy and this one does more of the same in spades. If you truly wish to discover a fantastic new author, give this book a try or if you want, start with book I of the Shadowdance trilogy and experience the origin story as its unfolds epically.
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MMA Spot Forum
Home Forums > MMA Forums > General MMA Forum >
"UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy" Live Discussion *Spoilers*. Prelims ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET. Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET.
Get your picks in now: Official 2020 Annual Pick 'Ems Challenge 1.1 - UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy.
Survive or die: MMASpot Survival Pool - Season 117 (New Season).
McGregor's Future *Spoilers*
Discussion in 'General MMA Forum' started by Kevo, Oct 8, 2018.
Nebraska Poindexter For President NFL S.P. Champion Site Donor
S=E said: ↑
I've put him on the ignore list. Before I spoke with him in private, I've reached out to the mod team on numerous occasions. It's not like I haven't taken steps to remedy the situation. So now he's on the ignore list. I'm not asking for your sympathy BTW. It just sucks he's decided years ago to be a cunt to someone in a small community like this.
So you’ve reached out to the mods, but not once have I ever been reprimanded for my behavior. Do you ever wonder if that means they think you’re a psychopath who might not be on the right side of these altercations after all?
Nebraska, Oct 22, 2019
rivethead likes this.
FrankieButNotEdgar Well-Known Member Site Donor
Nebraska said: ↑
Life advice from the man who passionately argued that Trayvon Martin got what he deserved. Go fuck every inch of yourself, Coy. Seriously.
My comments were wrong based on info I felt was accurate at the time and I’ve since on numerous occasions stated I was wrong. Not once have you ever admitted to being a cunt.
FrankieButNotEdgar, Oct 22, 2019
Afro The Autumn Wind is a Raider
Whoa for real? lol
Afro, Oct 22, 2019
Afro said: ↑
Not exactly. I said if someone was bashing my head into concrete, I would consider shooting them as self defense. Then Zimmerman revealed he was in fact a piece of shit and I admitted I was wrong about him trying to do what he felt was the right thing.
FrankieButNotEdgar said: ↑
Okay but how in the fuck at any point did you think that this kid confronted Zimmerman and started bashing his head into the concrete?
It also fascinates me that Zimmerman had to reveal he was a piece of shit before you could change your mind...
It’s been years since that happened but I remember when the story first came out that Zimmerman believed he was doing the right thing following him. I don’t remember saying Martin confronted him or not. I know they got into a fight and he was bashing Zimmermans head into the concrete and I thought, at first, that it was self defense. But then Zimmerman showed time and again after that, that he was a piece of shit. I admitted multiple times I was wrong. I never used the words he got what was coming to him I don’t believe. He’s exaggerating that for drama sake. Either way, I was wrong totally in that case.
--- Post Added -- Oct 22, 2019, ---
There are people that do things out of what they believe is the right thing that has bad consequences. I’ve been followed and I’ve had the cops called on me for walking through a neighborhood that the neighbors didn’t think I belonged in. I figured Zimmerman was nosy as shit but I didn’t take him as a stalker or murderer. I changed my mind on that after his pattern of behavior after the fact.
Also, I had something happen in my life about 3 years ago that changed my outlook on a whole host of shit that I won’t elaborate on but we are shaped by life experience and this one changed my outlook on a bunch of stuff.
S=E 5x Pick 'Ems Winner Site Donor
Texts on a screen. It's just as easy for him to be a cunt as it is for you to ignore him, yet you choose not to ignore. So no sympathy rewarded.
I also want to add that I've added him to my ignore list numerous times and always take him off because I actually like Nebraska when he isnt being how he is to me which he always shrugs off like it's my fault somehow. He refuses to ever remotely attempt to see my side of things. And again, this community is really small and I hate shutting out voices from it because it limits my interactions but enough is enough.
S=E, Oct 22, 2019
I'm starting to see why you thought Walter White was good all along
That’s a tv show. People root for the Punisher. Doesn’t mean they would advocate for a vigilante slaughtering hundreds of bad guys in real life.
Doesn’t mean they would advocate for a vigilante slaughtering hundreds of bad guys in real life.
Well....... it's not the worst idea I've heard today.
No I am saying your perception of right and wrong....
I never used the words he got what was coming to him I don’t believe. He’s exaggerating that for drama sake. Either way, I was wrong totally in that case.
There was no exaggeration because I never said you used those words. I said you argued that position, which is true:
He's a tubby Hispanic man with no physical capabilities. Martin bragged about how good he is at fighting in texts to his friends. 40 pounds is nothing. I've got about 70 pounds on my 20 year old cousin and he'd whip the dog shit out of me if we fought.
Being followed doesn't give you the right to hit someone. Yea he's stupid for doing it, but when you wanna talk about rights, no one has the right to assault another person. Now, you wanna talk about that "right." Martin apparently exercised his "right" to hit Zimmerman because Zimmerman exercised his "right" to keep eye contact on someone he felt was suspicious in his neighborhood. I think its a horrible misunderstanding but not a murder.
And speaking of self defense, whether you start a fight or not, you still have the right to defend yourself if it escalates to the point where your life is in danger.
People act as if Zimmerman was out prowling with his gun playing cop. Most gun owners I now are always carrying, whether its in their own neighborhood or at a grocery store. Bad shit can happen anywhere so if someone carries for self defense, its of no surprise that its on his person.
Was the situation avoidable? Probably. But if there were break ins in the neighborhood and you see someone you feel is suspicious in your neighborhood, you may feel the need to keep an eye on that person until the cops arrive. Not every one is resolved to wait until some terrible crime happens before they put a foot forward to look out for their neighbors.
Isn't it possible that Trayvon Martin is exactly who Zimmermans camp says he was and did exactly what they said he did? So far the testimony in court from the closest eyewitness to the events supports Zimmerman, not the prosecution.
Yea and no where did I say he got what was coming to him. I also admitted I was wrong.
Also having an opinion about someone else’s actions is a bit different than treating another person like shit just because you can. You routinely go out of your way to treat people like shit and it’s unnecessary. You’re a smart guy. You have to know these things.
Yeah but it sounds like you only admitted you were wrong because new info came to light, but still, given the information you already had, you should have been able to see that Zimmeran was a piece of shit in the wrong. It is a bit wild to me that you think it's okay for a grown adult to follow a kid just because he "thinks" he's suspicious and that the KID isn't allowed to feel threatened and react to that feeling, but it's okay for the adult to according to your post.
I don’t find it unusual for someone to consider someone else suspicious. It happened to me, on multiple occasions when I dated a girl in an affluent neighborhood and I was poor white trash. And you’re using the term kid a little loosely. I had a gun pulled on me by a 13 year old. A lot of people consider teenagers to be amongst the most dangerous group of people in society.
In this particular case, I was wrong about the particulars and there’s other way for me to say that.
disposableassassin Mutatis Mutandis Site Donor
NOW this thread is going somewhere!
disposableassassin, Oct 22, 2019
Trodden, sourdough, Afro and 1 other person like this.
Come on, man. We have the receipts.
Disagree all you want. They didn't have enough evidence to debunk his story to press charges to begin with but they tried anyway. They got embarrassed in court and he walked. The evidence is the evidence. Not to mention the evidence against Martins character that wasnt allowed in court. You wanna ignore that in court? That's okay, but stop pegging Martin as some innocent kid when he wasnt.
Its funny how no one covered all the good shit Zimmerman did for his community both before and after this trial and completely gloss over that Martin was a fucking trouble maker yet talk about Zimmermans arrest in 2005 as it being more relevant than Martins suspensions from school and being caught with a burglary kit and stolen jewelry. Does he being a trouble maker make him deserve to be murdered? Fuck no. But he wasnt murdered. He was shot by the guy whose head he was slamming into concrete.
I’m not even in the top five of biggest assholes on this forum. And I didn’t go out of my way to treat anyone badly. Sak was flipping out on Miz, and I chimed in.
Virtualpurple and rivethead like this.
So uhhhhhh guys, how about Conor raping those chicks?
I don’t find it unusual for someone to consider someone else suspicious. It happened to me, on multiple occasions when I dated a girl in an affluent neighborhood and I was poor white trash. And you’re using the term kid a little loosely. I had a fun pulled on me by a 13 year old. A lot of people consider teenagers to be amongst the most dangerous group of people in society.
Using the term kid a little loosely? He was 16 years old, he was a fucking kid. He also didn't pull a gun on Zimmerman.... I also don't care if it happened to you, what is that supposed to mean? Because someone found YOU suspicious it's okay to find others as well? Also doesn't make the person that found you suspicious right either.
rivethead and Noise like this.
disposableassassin said: ↑
Just trying to give you your money’s worth. GSP threads = cereal. Conor threads = keyboard riots.
Trodden, Kevo and disposableassassin like this.
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Rail Users Ireland Forum > Irish Rail Customer Service Issues > Commuter Services > DART
DART Operations
Inniskeen
Really Regular Poster
Yesterday, problems at Bray, resulted in the 0600 and 0630 ex Greystones departing 14 and 9 minutes late respectively. The 0620 from Bray left 16 minutes late.
No attempt was made to modify the running of any of these trains and as a consequence there were significant, largely avoidable delays, to the 0730 & 0740 from Malahide and the 0745 ex Howth. There were also consequential delays to the 0735 to Belfast, 0650 from Belfast as well as the 0647 & 0800 from Drogheda. Oddly there was a DART in the quarry at Malahide from around 0715, yet the 0730 from Malahide didn't leave until 0743. (The DART in the quarry forms the 0740 from Malahide and followed the normal routine yesterday departing about 0750).
Very poor operational management.
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grainne whale
Location: Celbridge
Originally Posted by Inniskeen
Yes, but it's the same for many routes, not just the DART, as you can see from postings on this site.
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James Howard
Really Really Regluar Poster
Location: Sligo Line
The same seems to happen every year in the autumn except for some reason last year. They trot out "leaf-fall" sometime in late September and then everything just gets sloppy until everybody gets a nice break over Christmas. In past years they used to do new timetable in early December which fixed everything but since they stopped doing that we have to wait until the new year.
By way of example, the 0545 from Sligo rolled into Edgeworthstown 10 minutes late (with the trolley pusher chatting to the driver in the cab for some reason). He waited there for at least another 5 minutes and had another 5 minutes rest in Mullingar. I didn't check signals. I didn't check the time at Maynooth but we left Enfield at 8:10 which is when that train is supposed to be in Maynooth. I guess they held the 8:18 for us because we made up most of the time between Maynooth and Connolly and only arrived in about 5 minutes late
But this kind of sloppy timekeeping would have a knock-on effect on the 8:18 from Maynooth which would then have held up the show joining the northern line and holding up everything there.
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Maybe Irish Rail are smarter than it would appear and actually allow time in the schedule for staff interaction. Certain the 0818 from Maynooth has about 10 minutes to play with between Maynooth and Connolly !
Leaves were not to blame this morning on the Kildare Route there was a problem with a train door at Newbridge Station - this seems to crop up from time to time I wonder if it's the same train and just has never been sorted out.
shweeney
Don't know if its the warmer weather, but the Dart I was on last night did Pearse->Bray in under 35 minutes (and then had to sit in Bray waiting for the Greystones Dart to clear the line) whilst my Dart this morning was bang on time.
Every other Dart I've been on since early November has been late - is this a particularly bad year for "low rail adhesion", don't remember the service being so unreliable for so long in previous years.
Find More Posts by shweeney
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Written Description - Newly Added Feature
Examiners may reject claims in some cases under the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112 as allegedly failing to comply with the written description requirement. Also, when an enablement rejection from a previous Office Action is traversed, the enablement rejection is sometimes “reborn” as a written description rejection where sufficient support for claimed features is not argued in the traversal. The written description requirement mandates that Applicants must describe claimed features in the specification with “reasonable clarity.” However, Examiners sometimes take the position that antecedent support is required when a supported feature is amended into the claims that is not the same precise term as discussed in the specification (for instance, perhaps the claims recite “program” while the specification uses “code” or “application”). Such a rejection is improper where support for the claimed features exists with reasonable clarity. In such cases, it may be beneficial to traverse the rejection along the lines of the following.
On pages [PAGE NUMBERS], the Office Action rejected claims [CLAIM NUMBERS] under 35 U.S.C. § 112, first paragraph, as allegedly failing to comply with the written description requirement. Specifically, the Office Action alleged that “[SPECIFIC REJECTION LANGUAGE HERE].” Applicants respectfully traverse the rejection.
To satisfy the written description requirement under the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112, a patent specification must describe the claimed invention in sufficient detail that one skilled in the art can reasonably conclude that the inventor had possession of the claimed invention (see MPEP § 2163(I)). This possession may be shown in any number of ways. For example, for newly added claim limitations, the MPEP requires that the specification provide support through express, implicit, or inherent disclosure (see MPEP § 2163(I)(B)). To determine whether the specification provides express, implicit, or inherent disclosure, the MPEP dictates that the factual inquiry to be used is whether the specification conveys with reasonable clarity to those skilled in the art that, as of the filing date sought, Applicants were in possession of the invention as now claimed (see Id.). Applicants respectfully submit that such reasonable clarity is present in the specification.
In the present case, the Office Action alleged that there is no antecedent support for [FEATURE]. However, per the above, Applicants respectfully note that this is not the standard for compliance with the written description requirement. The specification clearly discusses [FEATURE AND SUPPORTING SECTIONS OF SPECIFICATION]. As such, while the present application does not explicitly use the word [FEATURE], Applicants respectfully submit that a person of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that [FEATURE] was contemplated in light of the clear support discussed above.
Accordingly, it is respectfully submitted that the rejection is overcome and respectfully requested that the rejection be withdrawn.
In addition to traversing the written description rejection, Applicants may choose to politely remind the Examiner that the basis for the rejection must be reviewed in view of the record as a whole, including amendments, arguments, and any evidence submitted by Applicants (see MPEP § 2163(III)(B)). If the Examiner maintains the written description rejection in a subsequent Office Action, the Examiner is required to fully respond to Applicants' rebuttal and properly treat any further showings submitted by Applicants in the reply. Otherwise, the Examiner’s subsequent Office Action is incomplete under 37 C.F.R. § 1.104(b), which requires that “the examiner’s action will be complete as to all matters” and MPEP § 707.07(f) (see this related post on an unaddressed traversal).
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MAURY E I PRONOMI
ROCK-POP-PROGRESSIVE from 1979
PROGRESSIVE: A PARALLEL, NOT SUBTERRANEAN, MUSICAL WORLD.
END OF THE SEVENTIES…
The musical panorama at the end of the seventies in Italy was very rich: the strong signal launched from the historic groups of “Progressive Rock” like PINK FLOYD, GENESIS, YES, KING CRIMSON, V.D.G.G. and, from Italy, LE ORME, PFM, BANCO e NEW TROLLS still lives on. In Turin there are groups like ARTI+MESTIERI, HORUS, GNOMI & ZAUBER and until 1981, there were many other groups influenced by “Progressive Rock”.
The historic nucleus of MAURY E I PRONOMI, was born in 1979; formed by Maurizio Galia, keyboards and vocals, Enrico Testera bass, Nicola Guerriero guitar and Aldo Leone drums named “AQUAEL”.
They were boys aged between 14 and 17 years old, but with bright ideas.
In fact, since the first moments, this group had a typical “Floyd” sound and like many other beginners they had a limited capability with their instruments.
… EIGHTIES...
Since the 1981 the times were changing; the sounds of “New Wave” and “Punk” coming from the anglosaxon world is also here in Turin. New groups and ideas are born but AQUAEL continue on their own way.
In 1983 the group appeared in a review in the magazine “Frigidaire” as “a typical Rock band”. And the birth of new English groups like MARILLION, IQ, TWELFTH NIGHT and PENDRAGON brought a breathe of fresh air into the “progressive” world.
Anyway , big pressures and more difficulties surrounding the group forced to a change.
During 1985 a new singer arrived; Marco D’Angeli and a new drummer; Alberto Bordone, with new ideas in agreement with the 80’s pop music and the birth of modern songs..
However ,the old “progressive” stuff remains, and two concerts at “Centralino” and “Metrò” (music temples in Turin during the 80’s) were well appreciated by the public.
From 1986 to 1989 the group changes it’s name to LEGO, in an attempt to turn away from the past, but it was only an illusion; after discussions over the future strategy the group disbanded for two years.
The new singer and the new drummer left the band and the three original members during the spring of 1990, re-started with new sessions..
… NINETIES…
The three original members return using the name “AQUAEL” and start with new ideas. Many things changed: each member of the group has a different life, more of them had families and different jobs. The band becomes a group of friends united by the love of music, rather than a group searching success. With arrogance, the group sweeps away all the restrictions of the previous decade; track lengths of over 10 minutes returned; Sergio Cagliero, old friend and great arranger enters the line-up on keyboards; Aurelio Marsiglia coming in on saxophone and a new strong (heavy) drummer like Pasquale Di Monte.
Turin and the Italian musical panorama is very changed even though there are”progressive” groups like FANCYFLUID, ATON’S, ARCANSIEL, EAZYCON, EZRA WINSTON, NUOVA ERA, HOP FROG and the never surrendered ZAUBER.The new music of the group contains new flavours from Funky and Rhythm & Blues and after many changes between 1992 and 1994 and big concerts like the evening at “Garage” in Ivrea and at”Hiroshima Mon Amour” in Turin, new discussions stopped the band. After 15 years of music together, still there’s not an album recorded and within the band there are very few members recognizing this truth.
MAURY E I PROMEMORIA
During march 1995, Maurizio Galia, keyboard player, vocalist and songwriter meets Andrea Marasea, last drummer of AQUAEL and his friend Roberto Regolizzo, bass player and co-former of “PROMEMORIA”, they start the recording of an album. They chose a selection of songs from AQUAEL, songs from “LEGO” era and new interesting stuff. After 18 years from the first session in a garage, “ZIQQURAT NEL CANAVESE” was released.
A very good album, with special guests like Dino Pelissero on flute, Bruno Giordana on sax and Silvia Delfino on backing vocals.This album is appreciated by the main music magazines (A fantastic review is published by CIAO 2001!) as a good presentation for new projects.
Anyway, this album realized few sales, rejected by many peoples that didn’t find a homogeneous “Progressive” style.
THE YEAR 2000 ON
At the end of the "ZIQQURAT NEL CANAVESE" recordings, Maurizio Galia recognized that the completion of his work needed the help of his old friends; for example, in this album Nicola Guerriero plays lead guitar, Sergio Cagliero plays Hammond organ, Enrico Testera appears as co-arranger and the first drummer Aldo Leone appears as a guest. After reviews in magazines and presences in various websites they threw away forever the name AQUAEL and became MAURY E I PRONOMI, respecting the separation from the band by Marasea e Regolizzo: the owners of the name PROMEMORIA. The other fact is that the band is the project of Maurizio Galia, the only member registered as a songwriter by SIAE.
During the spring of 1999 Maurizio Galia, Nicola, Enrico and Pasquale Di Monte on drums began new recordings. The result was three new tracks for a compilation prepared for the twentieth anniversary. This compilation contains another 9 tracks recorded during the group's history.
TANGANICA, IL PASSATO E IL FUTURO, was distributed to the press in only 150 copies and was a sell out through the websites of Vitaminic and Peoplesound. The work was appreciated one more time and the group got an airplay list in California through Progradio.com, titled "the Maury Show".
(EC)CITAZIONI NEOCLASSICHE
In the autumn of 2000 the group enlisted a new drummer, young and strong: Sergio Ponti, a pupil of Furio Chirico, one of the best drummer in the world with a great past in the "progressive Rock" history. In fact the group began a collaboration with Raoul Caprio of Kaliphonia Records as supervisor of the new songs for the new album, although Maurizio signed a contract with Mauro Moroni. "(Ec)citazioni Neoclassiche" is published by Mellow Records, finally with a great "progressive" sound. The new record begins with "Il Racconto degli Dei", a long song divided in seven parts.
Return to the seventies? Opportunism? Nothing of this! This album gets ideas and stuff from the past, but the constant search for new sounds and direct communication with the public is the proof of the talent of Maurizio Galia, a new reality in the universe of Italian Authors and Musicians. Special guests like Dino Pelissero again on flute, Bruno Giordana again on sax, Marco Giacone on lead guitar and Sergio Cagliero again on keyboards, makes a great sound and pushes this album to a high and mature result.And last but not least, the presence on percussion of a group from Senegal, directed by Michael Seck, is the proof of a group launched across the year 2000 but looking back to 1979.
Francesca Bellino
ZIQQURAT NEL CANAVESE
MPCD1 December 1997
TANGANICA, IL PASSATO E IL FUTURO
MPCDX March 2000
MMP467 April 2004
You can purchase all these albums at:
MELLOW RECORDS
Via F.lli Asquasciati, 68 - 18038 SANREMO (IM)
Fax Italy: 0184.531.825 - order@mellowrecords.com
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Marlette Lake & Flume Hike
Trip Date: 06/04/2014
Vertical Gain: 1800'
Hike Rating: Easy Moderate Hard Strenuous
GPX for this trip
Start Coordinates: N 39 06.360 W 119 54.947 End Coordinates: N 39 14.099 W 119 55.816
Car Shuttle Req'd: Yes Parking Directions: Park one vehicle on the west side of Highway 28 (Tahoe Blvd) just across from the intersection with Tunnel Creek Road. The Tunnel Creek Cafe is directly
across the street from this location, and offers car shuttles for those
wanting to make this a one-way trek from Spooner Lake.
The trailhead is south on Highway 28 at the Spooner Lake recreation area. There is currently a $10 fee to park for the day ($8 for Nevada residents.)
Hazards of Note: Steep dropoffs
Long sections with little shade
Significant early elevation gain Crowd Factor: Busy, especially on weekends. This is a very popular mountain biking trail.
From the parking at Spooner Lake follow the trail to the north which is marked as the Marlette Flume trail. Within the first half mile you will come to a point where you can either head up the dirt road with the mountain bikers, or you can hike along a pathway just for hikers and equestrians. The first five miles are a gradual climb from about 7000 feet to a little over 8100 feet, which gets you to the south shore of Marlette Lake.
Continue around the west side of the lake until you get to the area that was dammed up in the 1850s to create the lake in the first place, and then find the sign that starts the official Flume Trail. The next 4 and a half miles are along the old Marlette flume trail, and the views of Lake Tahoe and the mountains beyond are outstanding. Some of the best I have seen.
Just before you reach the junction with Tunnel Creek Road, where the trail starts to drop significantly, you will reach a multiple trail junction. From here you can continue on the Flume trail, head up toward the Tahoe Rim Trail or off toward Twin Lakes. Keep going straight on your path to the right to finish the Flume section and start on the Tunnel Creek Rd section. This starts a steep downhill which continues like this for the next three miles. At the end of the road is the Tunnel Creek Cafe and Highway 28, which is where you will finish the trip.
Our group at Spooner Lake parking lot ready to head on out.
Our grup at one of the new signs along the first half of the hike giving all sorts of good information.
Snow Valley Peak served as a guide for much of the first few miles of the hike.
Early along the way is an old home from the gold rush days (Spencer house) which has been converted to a winter warming hut.
Lots of Aspen and lots of wildflowers along the way as well.
Marlette Lake was created back in the middle 1800s by gold seekers when they dammed up Marlette Creek in this high basin area.
Department of wildlife and game was busy helping the lake trout to spawn as the water levels were too low for them to go upriver and take care of things on their own.
Nothing but the chimney left from an old homestead on a lake peninsula.
Heading toward the Marlette Lake dam and the start of the Marlette Flume trail section.
Perhaps not the most comfort-inducing welcome sign ever.
Right from about the very start of the Flume Trail, the views are outstanding.
Members of our hiking group stopping to check out the sights from high above.
Nice look at the Thunderbird Lodge and Bay lighthouse.
Kayakers enjoying the clear waters off of Sand Harbor.
How I often look while hiking.
GPX images of the hike.
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To Be Horst
by Mitch Berman
The man stood in the cafe’s doorway staring openly and with no expectation of recompense at a girl who sat three paces away from him. His monochrome, leonine face, bracketed between curly hair and beard of that shade called red only because it is not what is usually called brown, was covered so contiguously with freckles that the places where flesh tones broke through were the real freckles. It was a face puzzled, stymied, suddenly decisive, wrongly decisive: a face full of error, of error simple and compound, error seen and missed, error mourned and error dreaded, error unerased. A single heavy Cyclopean eyebrow bore down on his eyes like a frown. He wore a collection of baggy, bulbous, but untorn plaids.
He had a regular table in the window of the cafe where he would sit for hours, never reading. Nobody who worked there had ever seen him with anybody.
The girl, about twenty, raised to him a well-arranged and blank white face. The man pointed to his sternum and lofted that bar over his eyes as high as it would go. Pushing against the thick brunt of shock, he began toward her in small slow steps, anxious not to disturb whatever delicate balance in the atmosphere made pretty girls look back at him today.
“Are you Horst?” she asked him.
“Horst?” He squeezed out the word on a long exhalation, an exhaustion: his chest caved, his shoulders folded in around it, and his clothes seemed to loosen as he shrank inside them. “No, I’m not Horst,” he said, almost inaudibly. “But I’d like to be.”
His hand fell away from his chest, as if it could no longer resist the pull of gravity; he broke at the waist and sagged into a chair. From there, ten feet away, he watched the girl steadily, his fingers spreading and contracting on the marble tabletop. Presently a man came in, introduced himself to the girl, and sat down with her.
Horst was a striking young man with dark brown hair, tanned olive skin and blue eyes. In or around the eyes was a weary ease that did not change when he saw the girl: he knew—approached her with the knowledge—that he could have her if he cared to. The eyes said, Hello, I am tired, Try to wake me up, I may be awakening, No, I am sorry, You tried, It is me, I cannot feel, I am a wanderer, Hello, I am tired, Try to wake me up.
The red-haired man’s eyes moved from the girl to Horst and did not move from Horst. He was imagining what it might be like to be Horst. He could taste the drink that Horst drank, could see what Horst saw, breathe the air Horst breathed. He had forgotten entirely about the girl: she was merely a Horst-induced mirage; a manifestation, a byproduct, a proof of Horstness in a universe of Horstlessness; she was just one of many things that would happen to him in a life, the life ahead of him, of being Horst. Horst was the answer; the girl had been only the question. He stared inquisitively, to penetrate the mystery of being Horst; acquisitively, to wrench from Horst all of the Horstian secrets; he stared as if receiving an encrypted radio signal, as if this stare, so close by, could not possibly intrude upon the privacy of Horst, as if Horst, returning the stare, would look only into a mirror.
Horst into Horst equals Horst: something seemed to take hold of his nose, jerk it Horstward; something gently pinched the skin around his eyes into small weary crinkles. He held himself absolutely still as a sort of carbonation foamed up along the surface of the table and etched new whorls and eddies into his fingerprints. As his eyes changed, a smile stole into them. Soon now, very soon, the admirers would begin to come.
© 1993 Mitch Berman. Originally published in Michigan Quarterly Review in 1993. Reprinted here by permission of the author.
© 2018 Mitch Berman
Mitch Berman
Mitch Berman is the author of the novel Time Capsule, hailed by writers such as Kurt Vonnegut and nominated by Putnam for the Pulitzer Prize. His short stories, appearing in many anthologies and in literary magazines such as Conjunctions, Antioch Review, Witness, Agni, Southwest Review, Boulevard and Gettsyburg Review, have been nominated for seven Pushcart Prizes and received special mention in Best American Short Stories and (twice) in the Pushcart Prize anthologies. His MFA in writing is from Columbia University and he has taught creative writing at the University of Texas at Austin. Mitch’s website is here and his and his son Kofi’s photo blog is here.
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Gratis Libro
Robert Mapplethorpe: The Black Book por Robert Mapplethorpe, Ntozake Shange
Titulo del libro : Robert Mapplethorpe: The Black Book
Autor : Robert Mapplethorpe, Ntozake Shange
Descargue o lea el libro de Robert Mapplethorpe: The Black Book de Robert Mapplethorpe, Ntozake Shange en formato PDF y EPUB. Aquí puedes descargar cualquier libro en formato PDF o Epub gratis. Use el botón disponible en esta página para descargar o leer libros en línea.
A classic, indeed perhaps the best of the Mapplethorpe books. And for many most certainly the most typical Mapplethorpe, now available once again thanks to this re-edition. The Black Book, first published in 1986, presents 96 formally stringent and highly erotic nudes, all of them photographs of black men, either as full figures, or staged as details, as fragments of their bodies. Stylized as classical statues or provocatively in all their presence and sensuous radiance. Black-and-white photography was Mapplethorpe's preferred medium. And his obsessive aesthetics was based on completely mastering it, as this enabled him to visualize any number of tonal gradations and penetrate deep into the very pores of the gleaming black skin. It is a method that reached a climax in these images. The Black Book, Mapplethorpe s homage to the black male body, has always been one of the most important visual contributions to the discussion on beauty, sensuality, and sexuality in photography.
From the Inside Flap
A classic, indeed perhaps the best of the Mapplethorpe books. And for many most certainly the most typical Mapplethorpe, now available once again thanks to this re-edition. The Black Book, first published in 1986, presents 96 formally stringent and highly erotic nudes, all of them photographs of black men, either as full figures, or staged as details, as fragments of their bodies.
Robert Mapplethorpe - The Photographs
Robert Mapplethorpe: The Archive
Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures [DVD]
Copyright © Gratis Libro 2020
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REGISTRATION OPEN FOR WSSF’S SAUDAN COULOIR RACE EXTREME
Skiers and snowboarders looking to enter one of the most storied pain caves in racing, take your marks. 2,500 vertical feet of thigh-burning hell await this April as the Saudan Couloir Race Extreme presented by Kokanee returns.
It’s been billed as the steepest ski race in the world – a race lovingly described as one that will “tighten your sphincter.” Racers tackle 41 gates over 3300 meters from the top of the Saudan Couloir to the bottom of Jersey Cream, at times at a 42 degree angle. It’s a true test of fitness, skill, fortitude, and valor on snow.
The race will once again take place during Whistler’s World Ski & Snowboard Festival (WSSF), and is set for Saturday, April 13 (with a possibility of running Friday, April 12 as course setters look for the best conditions possible).
Race details and registration can be found here: https://bit.ly/2Me6A3w
Photo by Mitch Winton / WSSF
The Legend Continues
The Couloir race returned to WSSF in 2018 after a 16-year hiatus (last run in 2001). Olympians, racers, icons, and amateurs all lined the entrance of the double-black Saudan Couloir on Blackcomb Mountain, dubbed one of the “9 Most Terrifying Ski Slopes in the World.” Whistler local Stan Rey and two-time Olympian Marie-Pier Préfontaine charged their way to the top step of the Pro podium, ushering the race into a new era.
First to drop their name in the hat for 2019? Freestyle skier and Whistler local Simon d’Artois. Gauntlet, thrown.
If this is any indication, the competition to get a spot at the start gate is likely to be as tight as the racing.
“In the past people would physically line up before daylight to register in person and secure a spot in this race,” says Darren Kinnaird, Festival Director of WSSF. “It sold out really quickly when we brought it back in 2018, and the race absolutely went off. The feedback I heard at the after-party was: you’re going to have to fight to get in for 2019. It was that good. I think it’s a sign of what this race means to people – it’s history, sport, challenge, and community, all in one. Plus, we’re taking things one further this year, adding some categories we’re really excited about. It’s going to be one heck of a race.”
Sylvan Saudan. Photo by Mitch Winton / WSSF
New Titles On the Line
Snowboarders will be joining the winner’s circle in 2019. Separate categories will be added, including Pro and Amateur Men’s and Women’s classes.
While the race began in 1987, a snowboard category wasn’t added until 1993.
Phil Stiel took home the first hardware in the Pro Snowboard category. Later, OIympians Ross Rebagliati (1994) and Darren Chalmers (1995-1998 and 2000), among others, would add their names to the trophy.
“My favourite year, they had a time trap,” reminisces Chalmers. “Rob Boyd was in it too. He was clocked at 117 [km/h] and I was at 109 on a snowboard.”
He says in the mid-90’s, to have the opportunity to line up at the storied start gate was big.
“For all of us who were racing, we were super excited. Racing down the Saudan was the craziest race you could possibly do. It was one of those iconic races we’d watched the skiers do for years, and we were ready. I’m glad it’s back in there [for snowboarders]. It’s important to have a category for everyone to race. Makes for an even playing field through all the snow sports.”
A Pro Women’s Snowboard class was never created, meaning a historic first-ever victory is on the line this year.
The full list of classes for the 2019 Saudan Couloir Race Extreme presented by Kokanee includes:
Pro Ski | MEN
Pro Ski | WOMEN
Pro SnowB | MEN
Pro SnowB | WOMEN
Amateur Ski | MEN 19-34
Amateur Ski | MEN 50+
Amateur Ski | WOMEN 19-49
Amateur Ski | WOMEN 50+
Amateur SnowB | MEN 19-34
Amateur SnowB | MEN 35+
Amateur SnowB | WOMEN 19+
* Age is as of April 12, 2019
2019 Poster Coming Soon
Racers and fans will also be excited to hear that this year’s poster design is set to be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Every year during the race’s first iteration, limited edition posters were made available to participants, becoming highly sought-after collector’s items. Copies of the originals, designed by artist Brent Lynch, can be found in the Whistler Museum and closely-guarded personal collections.
In 2018, the torch was passed to Morgan Jeske, who tapped into the spirit of the originals, putting a new spin on the iconic poster. Jeske’s 2019 design will be revealed in the coming weeks, adding to the momentum and hype as race day approaches.
As part of their race entry, each racer will receive a copy of the poster, along with an exclusive race T-shirt and a ticket to the mountain-top after-party. Tickets will also be available for purchase for those wishing to get in on the celebration.
Excitement is building as the clock counts down to the biggest party of the winter season in Whistler, B.C. For details on the on all the happenings at this year’s World Ski & Snowboard Festival, stay tuned to wssf.com.
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ARMADA SKIS NAMES MATT RIHM DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT & INNOVATION
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WHITECAP ALPINE LODGE OPEN FOR SUMMER HIKING
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MATT STERBENZ LAUNCHES NEW SKI BRAND, WNDR ALPINE
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SPEARHEAD HUTS OPEN FOR BOOKINGS
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MOMENTUM SKI CAMPS CONTESTS
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THE AUDI NINES RECAP
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AUDI NINES DAY 1 RECAP
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AUDI NINES PREVIEW
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WIN VIP TICKETS TO THE WORLD SKI & SNOWBOARD FESTIVAL!
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KYE PETERSEN LAUNCHES NEW SKI COMPANY
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WORLD SKI & SNOWBOARD FESTIVAL BIG AIR PREVIEW
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FREERIDE WORLD TOUR XTREME VERBIER PREVIEW
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MOMENTUM EXPOSURE CAMP & INTERN CONTEST
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X GAMES CALGARY ANNOUNCED
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X GAMES SUPERPIPE FINALS
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hoopla.nu
film reviews, opinion and more
Posted on 31 December, 2012 by Stuart Wilson — 1 Comment ↓
Stuart:
Disney Animation Studios has been slowly clawing its way back to the fore after the 2000s saw it deliver a string of disappointing and/or under-performing pictures. Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, Home on the Range, Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons don’t seem to be remembered too fondly. Most recently, however, Bolt was rather enjoyable and Tangled kind of felt like Disney had got its old-school groove back. Now, with Wreck-It Ralph, they have delivered something of Pixar-like quality.
The film is most easily described as Tron meets Toy Story. Thus, the characters that populate video games are sentient and live their own lives whenever we’re not playing them. Fix-It Felix Jnr is a classic arcade game that has stood the test of time. Our central character, however, is the bad guy, Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly). It’s his lot in life to destroy things so that Felix can leap in and save the day. Ralph is fed up with this and wants nothing more than a little recognition for his hard work – after all, without him, the game wouldn’t succeed. Thus begins his journey of self-discovery.
All the video game characters in the arcade can travel between the different machines, dipping into another game at will. The film does a great job of explaining the mechanics of the world, and the only part that doesn’t make sense is the fact that the film still pretends that arcades are relevant. I don’t know what it’s like in other countries, but since the late 90s, arcades have become shadows of their former selves. These days, when you pass one it’s crammed with rhythm games, claw prize machines and not much else. Not so in Wreck-It Ralph; here we have an arcade in all its 80s glory, except filled with contemporary machines. It’s only a minor quibble, but it seems strange that the film ignores the role of home consoles.
As you would expect, Wreck-It Ralph is filled to the brim with gaming references. As a pretty serious gamer myself, I’m sure that even I couldn’t pick them all up, and it’s clear that repeat viewings will be rewarded. A number of actual gaming characters make an appearance, notably those from ‘Pac-Man’, ‘Street Fighter’, ‘Super Mario’, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ and ‘Q*bert’ franchises, but for the most part the film focuses on the games it has created. This makes sense from a storytelling perspective, but it is disappointing that we spend so much time in ‘Sugar Rush’, a candy-themed racing kart game.
Wreck-It Ralph hits all the emotional and narrative beats from Screenwriting 101, but it does it so skilfully that the film never feels predictable. Filled with pathos, there are some incredible moments that really tug at the heartstrings, and like all good kids’ films, there are some great lessons to be learned. I particularly liked the following non-traditional elements: that the main human gamer we see is a girl, not a boy, that the kick arse space marine (Jane Lynch) is a woman, and that the second billed character, Venellope (Sarah Silverman), is effectively a child with a disability. None of these things felt forced, but I was ecstatic to see that the film didn’t fall for any predictable clichés in that regard. The voice performances are all wonderful, with a particularly unrecognisable turn from Alan Tudyk as King Candy.
I haven’t seen every single one of Disney’s animated features in the last ten years, but for me this was easily the best I’d seen since Lilo & Stitch.
Review by Stuart Wilson, 31st December 2012
Hoopla Factor:
This entry was posted in Film Reviews and tagged Animation, Childrens, Science Fiction by Stuart Wilson. Bookmark the permalink.
←Sightseers Hitchcock→
Writer: Rich Moore, Phil Johnston, Jim Reardon, Jennifer Lee
Director: Rich Moore
Cast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch
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Stuart Wilson - 2 months ago
That's fair. Glad the emotional beats hit home for you. Makoto Shinkai's Your Name really struck a...
Yifanfan - 6 months ago
“when the outpouring of emotion suddenly arrives, it seems a little over the top”. Sorry but I...
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G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics
Genes to Genomes
a blog from the Genetics Society of America
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Beyond the #GradTax: more tax proposals that threaten the scientific community
Guest posts are contributed by members of our community. The views expressed in guest posts are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by the Genetics Society of America. If you'd like to write a guest post, e-mail cgelling@genetics-gsa.org.
Photo of one dollar bill by peasap via Flickr. Shared under a [CC BY 2.0] license.
Guest post by the GSA Early Career Scientist Policy Subcommittee
Scientific progress is at risk from proposed changes to the US tax code. These changes, proposed by both the House and Senate, threaten to constrict the supply of research labor and funding, the impact of which will be felt for generations. The scientific community has a responsibility to understand the proposed changes, how they will impact the research enterprise, and how we can act together to make a difference.
How the Senate and House bills differ
The Senate and the House have each passed a version of the tax legislation. They are now in conference negotiations to produce a bill that can pass through both chambers. The Washington Post outlines the crucial differences that must be reconciled, including changes to the tax brackets, estate tax, child tax credits, the timing of corporate tax changes and the expiration of tax cuts, the alternative minimum tax and, not least, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. A detailed side-by-side comparison can be found here. The main difficulty in negotiating comes from the Senate rules that stipulate the bill must not add to the deficit outside of a 10 year window and cannot add more than $1.5 trillion to the deficit.
How permanent tax cuts for corporations threaten funding for higher education and research
Though the bills differ in important ways, both benefit corporations and wealthy individuals who earn a disproportionate amount of their income from capital (including stock sales and dividends), by eliminating/reducing the estate tax, changing how tax brackets are calculated over time, and cutting the corporate tax rate permanently. In contrast, other income tax cuts in the bills last only 10 years. Under both bills, the higher an individual’s income, the greater their share of tax cuts. For instance, under the Senate plan, in 2027 the lowest 20% of earners would be subject to a tax increase, while the top 0.1% receive the largest proportion of cuts: an average savings of over $200,000 for each.
Even when accounting for projected economic growth, both bills are predicted to add over $1 trillion to the deficit. To keep this number from being even higher, many tax breaks favoring the higher education sector have been removed; the incentive for charitable giving is reduced and universities must now pay a tax on endowments. This reduces income for institutions, which may be passed on to scientists in the form of reduced research support, scholarships and travel awards, childcare grants, etc. Individual students may also be affected by the loss of employee tuition benefits and the student loan interest deduction.
Scientists should also be concerned because the increased deficit is already being used as reason to reduce government spending. While Congress is currently focused on reducing entitlement spending (which includes Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security), discretionary spending (which includes research funding at NIH, NSF, and other agencies) would not automatically be protected. To preempt these threats to the sustainability of the research enterprise, the scientific community must clearly articulate the benefits of research to the public.
Why you need to think beyond the tuition waiver tax
The House proposal to tax graduate students on tuition waivers has received a lot of attention, prompting walkouts, as well as many statements of concern from scientific organizations, including GSA. While much of the focus has been on the financial impact on the current crop of graduate students, less attention has been paid to the structural changes that would affect future generations of students and the overall research output from the scientific community.
A collective investment is underway to diversify the scientific workforce. Limiting training to the financially secure threatens to reverse any progress in this critical area. If we move even further away from a meritocratic system, what will the effect be on research quality? Without the creative capital of a diverse workforce, the US’ reputation as a world leader in biomedical research will be diminished.
Other provisions in the bill would disproportionately harm those scientists at the earlier stages of their careers, such as graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. For example, very few proposed tax cuts are targeted at families with children—and none at families with very young children. By 2027, all but the highest income families would owe more tax than under current law. For postdocs who are funded by fellowships and must purchase their insurance independent of their institution, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate by the Senate bill could destabilize the insurance markets and lead to higher premiums. Both measures would severely affect early career scientists who are already in a financially precarious position.
While only the House bill proposes taxing tuition waivers, and not the Senate’s, it could still be inserted into the final version during conference. Check how your representative/senator voted here. Whether you’re satisfied or dissatisfied with how your elected officials voted, speak up. Thank those who voted as you would have wished. Politely explain to those who didn’t their choices will affect you specifically and US research more generally. Going forward, maintain a relationship with your representatives to make sure they understand the value of research being conducted by their constituents. For the 2018 elections and beyond, find out candidates’ views on higher education and research funding and vote accordingly! Reach out to the Early Career Scientist Policy Subcommittee with questions, feedback, or to get involved. To reach us email shall@genetics-gsa.org.
Circulomes vary based on cell type
Yaihara Fortis Santiago on addressing the diverse needs of early career scientists
Subbi says:
Postdocs who get fellowships are somehow treated as contractors and don’t receive any benefits, why? Universities also exploit postdocs by not mandating NIH payscales by their faculties. Now the universities are at the receiving end. Let’s wait and see who is going to be squeezed more.
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HomeNEWSPOLITICSBoris Johnson becomes new prime minister and the leader of the Conservative Party
28 July, 2019 Vallabh Kaviraj POLITICS, UK Comments Off on Boris Johnson becomes new prime minister and the leader of the Conservative Party
In Britain, Boris Johnson became the new Prime Minister of the Conservative Party, replacing Theresa May and its Conservative government.
Apparently it is a cabinet for modern Britain, news reported.
Boris Johnson who replaced Theresa May, has pledged to take a different path.
Speaking on the steps of 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, he committed to take Britain out of the EU – no ifs or buts – by striking a new and better deal with the EU by October 31 deadline, and he said he would take out of the block without a deal.
–AENNS
UK Community news
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Why is it always me who finds out these things and has to write the letter?!! This time:Puppy Farmer uses WWOOF (willing workers on organic farms)
Dear WWOOF,
A wwoofer who had stayed at the above farm came away upset. Alongside the horse sales, he is breeding puppies. The dogs are not allowed outside the stable barn, they get fed once a day, when their beds are skipped out and they can run up and down the aisle for that 2 minutes. They have no interaction, exercise or fresh air. There is no need for this as he has the additional manpower of a wwoofer and it is basic care. She could not bear to bond with them as she knew they had no life and felt so bad that she could do nothing to change that. I gather there is plenty of room for a big run for the dogs but he plans to build more kennels but still no run this summer.
I would like puppy farming to be made illegal in this country as there are already so many unwanted dogs. (In Finland, for example, it is illegal to buy a dog while there are any in shelters). I try and support the Carlow Kilkenny Dog Pound and PAWS in rehoming their dogs. This is why I got all the details from her and said that I would follow it up.
The girl was also upset about how she had been laughed at for her values. She said that she doesn't expect people to hold the same values as her but that it was horrible to be laughed at for being interested in a sustainable lifestyle. This is obviously offensive when she was specifically volunteering with wwoof to contribute and learn from like minded people. She herself has worked at both ends of sustainable production, with great innovative and compassionate companies and is a long time vegetarian herself.
She said as well though that he was a very nice man. The horses are looked after alright, except for one day that they didn't even get any hay until 4pm. I also gather that they are not turned out but do not know that for definite. I think the dogs are in okay condition physically and the puppies, of course, only have to stay until they are 10 weeks' old and then are sold, so they get another chance then. Except for the day before she left, one bitch that they didn't know was pregnant, had her puppies and they were eaten by the other dogs in the pen.
As you can imagine all this amounted to a stressful situation for a sensitive human being, so she left to visit some other places in Ireland. I believe there is another wwoofer there now. The ISPCA said that a person can have up to 6 bitches for breeding without a license. He has 7 bitches, 3 dogs and about 15 puppies. Therefore the ISPCA said they would keep an eye on the establishment but that it is not a problem yet. Some of the puppies he breeds are beagles, I gather. As you probably know, they are still a popular breed for toxicity testing in laboratories for household cleaning products. All completely unnecessary in this day and age but Ireland is the worst for experimenting on animals in the whole of Europe, so these puppies could easily end up in a fate worse than death, being profited from again.
I understand that when you have animals, you do need help. It is up to you at Wwoof, if you want to strike him off the wwoof listing, but then I would be concerned that the animals would get even less care. I am hoping that you could write and put him under some pressure and require him to offer better quality of life for his animals, such as turn out area, walks and toys and clearer evidence of his commitment to sustainability and the organic movement, to continue being a wwoof host.
I do not think he will stop breeding as he also said to her that he would have to keep '4000 sheep to make as much as he does from the puppies' a year or something like that. He values the dogs highly in that way but is not caring for them accordingly. Also, they are not mentioned on his website so the business is not completely above board either.
Many thanks for your help with this matter.
Labels: Animal Rights, Corruption in Ireland, Dog Shelter Tender
Government word to Courts: Please enforce evictions of families JUST AFTER elections, not right now!
Evictions Task Force Facebook Page
Evictions on hold but only until after election!
Does everyone know that the government told the carlow courts today to put off about 45 evictions until after the election?! Then as soon as Fianna Gail/Fail are in again? Out those families are going on their ears.
Pay Your Mortgage but That Will Exclude You Specifically From Ownership in Future!
Even after years of paying a mortgage. And do you know who can snap up those properties for next to nothing? Houses mortgaged at 300,000 being sold off for €25,000? ANYBODY! Anybody at all, from anywhere EXCEPT somebody from Ireland. A whole estate in Waterford went to an american investor at 25 a house. I know of at least 15 properties picked up by an unscrupulous Chinese man. I kid you not.
NAMA, The Government, Legislation & The Courts All One Happy Party: Home Owners Not Invited
The original mortgage payers are not given an option and nor is anyone else from Ireland. I believe NAMA has made it somehow illegal. So what does this new page 'Anti-Eviction Taskforce' need?! 1. A few foreign nationals on side to buy some of these homes back for the evicted families 2. For everyone to not vote the same politicians back in. They gave senior NAMA officials millions in recent months, to stick around and finish evicting everyone from their homes and selling the houses abroad. If they had any regard for the people at all, that money could have squared up masses of arrears for people on the brink.
Anti-Eviction Taskforce
Please like the page and VOTE instead for an independent and responsible adult. Councillor Malcolm Noonan for Carlow Kilkenny comes to mind. I can pretty much guarantee there'd be no evictions on his watch. I would very much like to know who are the good Independent councillors of sound mind in each County so let me know if you know. Thank you.
Posted by Healing by Franc at 3:35 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Corruption in Ireland, Politics
A Way Out of The Compromised Position we Find Ourselves via Referendums. Have you considered voting for the 'People Before Profits' Party?
I write this from the perspective of the 'People Over Profit' Political Party (because I was at their meeting last night) but I do not know their full manifesto. I am just using this opportunity to let them know what myself and a few other people that I know would like them to deal with, if they get elected!
They are here, as if by a miracle, in time to return the governing of the country to a democracy.
Refuse Transatlantic Trade Partnership
TTP will be refused. This is a bit of legislation that Europe is considering that will give Corporations the right to sue countries and individuals for curbing their sales. Just today this report of Monsanto doing it in the States already. It is 500 pages long, completely undecipherable but thankfully can be refused in its totality as a power grab of economies and markets and as an illegal move to direct the courts to serve profits and no longer "the common good"
Housing and Justice
For those of you who have unfairly lost your homes or jobs under the last government, those cases will be re-opened in a revised legal system where successful legal representation and complete impunity can no longer be bought. NAMA will be sent packing.
(If you are a voter and you don't know who NAMA are? Suffice to say, they collect up all the evicted people's houses and sell them for a tiny price to foreign investors. The original owners are not allowed to buy them back or other impoverished families. Even the council's don't buy them to offer social housing. People lose their house after a mortgage of 2 or 300,000 and the same house is sold out of the country for 25,000.
The government, in the last months, gave senior NAMA officials a 100 million to encourage them to keep doing what they're doing. Selling Ireland from under us. Think what could have been done with that money for the homeless and to support people burdened by now impossible mortgages on the brink of defaulting? The current government is corrupt beyond measure. The only reason they would give this money is that they are profiting themselves. Please do not vote for them again.
People before Profit will stop NAMA at once.
They will investigate the corrupt deals of the last ministers in office and fine them for the damage they have done. This is how we will tackle the croneyism that defined the country for too long-giving official jobs and brown envelopes to completely ill-equipped friends, with no merit or ethics to contribute.
Abolish Water Charges
Do you know that you have already been charged for your water use? That it is incorporated into other taxes you pay? We will work out how much the economy was making from this unfair tax and charge it to the biggest polluters in the country. Did you know that Shell are drilling in Irish Waters for gas? Do you know that Ireland does not benefit from it at all, by cheaper electricity, shared ownership or taxes? Did you know Shell must use thousands of litres of water to wash the salt water off their gas?Did you know last year our current government gave shell 100 million euro to insure themselves? The same week as the government said that unemployed people would have their water charge taken out of their benefits at source? Did you know that Shell do not pay for their use of our water?
Did you know that Pharmaceutical companies have contaminated rivers in Cork and Coke have in the West? Did you think Computer companies were safe, bar the odd radiation problem from mobile phone and wife signals? They are not safe at all, producing micro chips uses thousands of litres of chemicals, contaminating fresh water.
Did you know that Round Up, same as you buy in the garden centre is highly carcinogenic and that every vegetable you eat is sprayed with it, unless it says 'Organic'. Did you know that all the animals eaten have all eaten chemically sprayed grass and genetically modified grains and then the meat is preserved by injecting further chemicals into it?
Audit of all Corporations operating in Ireland, taxed or fined according to damage.
People Before Profit will audit all the high bracket companies using Ireland as a tax haven and fine them according to the damage they have done and are doing. The economic system we will use instead of profit, is the concept of a triple bottom line. THe bottom lines that they will be audited on will be Social Impact, Environmental Viability and Economic Viability.
Reconsidering connections to Europe
Have we been used enough as a power station for outdated wind turbine and pylon energy systems?
Have our seas been exploited enough by the Dutch owned super trawlers, fishing on a Latvian quota, with nets twice the size of football pitches and sonar equipment so no shoal will get away? Each freezer trawler can carry 7000 tonnes at a time. Do the maths, even loosely. Did you know there are 19 recognized dead zones around the UK, where there are NO fish. Whole ecosystems ravaged.
People Before Profit will declare a No-take zone around Ireland until the area has recovered.
At the People Before Profits party we recognize that the people of Ireland need hope, need something to look forward to, short term, medium term and long term.
It is our pleasure to offer you
All those companies that have fleeced us and destroyed our resourcefulness and resources, will be investigated and commanded to pay for the return of the land to a 'clean declaration'.
Do people even know what a clean declaration is? It means that there are no chemicals or residues present. We understand that most of these companies will have to leave but they will not leave a mess. They will pay their staff redundancy, to bridge the gaps between 'working for the man' and developing their own ventures.
Companies will be charged with so great damages that that will provide money for the country's transition to a self governing, thriving society of sustainable independent enterprises.
Did you know the current County Enterprise Boards (now the the LEOs) used to fund small 'start up' companies but now coordinate the payment of millions of euro from European Funding to military innovations? Anyone who has tried to get funding for a legitimate business plan in recent years will have been told to come back at least ten times (this is so the LEO can say it has carried out its quota of appointments). You will have noticed that there is never 'funding available'. You will have been told that your business was not unique enough to have a competitive edge. Or that it would compete with another local business that they're supporting. Or that its too unique and no one will be interested.
Although all these arguments contradict each other, they will have written down on your file which one they've given you so that you don't ever hear two. There is also a loop now between the Enterprise Boards and Credit Union Small Business Loans. This means that even if you have been a fully paid up, savings intact, long term credit union customer, with a perfect credit rating and something sizable to guarantee your loan.. the Credit Union cannot give you it unless the LEO approves it. With this knot of compromised people in positions of power, 'say so' and abuse of the imagined power they have, they have vetoed any half decent viable plan. With People before Profits' governance, the Enterprise Boards will have a new remit. They will requite proof that one can sustain oneself and one's family with the project and provide something worthwhile. This idea of 'worthwhile' will include evidence of social awareness, compassion, economic viability and not be wasteful, destructive or exploit anyone.
The level of compromise, coercion and corruption filtering down from the current government and embedded institutional abuses are going to take time to sort out but we are going to be thorough in our restructuring of the economy, our culture and our responsible stance -
To leave Ireland better than we found it: The people heard, provision for the less fortunate secured and opportunity for the boldest visions of a new society are supported, developed and implemented.
To this end of encouraging the personal responsibility and participation of every member of society, we will use the forum of a referendum. As there will have just been an election, it will be no big deal or expense to put further questions to the people.
Referendums (Highly Informed and Transparently conducted)
People before profit will propose referendums on whether Irish people want:
1. Ireland's Neutrality
2. Ireland's Participation in Europe
3. Ireland in or out of NATO (7 current ministers joined Ireland to NATO secretly 15 months ago)
4. Animals - Do we want to allow animal experimentation?
Factory Farms?
Cruelty and Abuse with impunity?
Meat?
Fish?
Dairy?
Live Export of animals with or without regulation?
Did you know that the current government supports Hare Coursing with over a €100,000 of tax payers' money?
Do people know that the although Genetically Modified products are illegal here, especially the potato. The government office in Carlow has a massive programme of potato genetic modification research going, manned only by foreign post graduates. This is clearly to make sure no one from Ireland was to find out. Except one of them came to Harmony Hall for Interview Preparation before she went, so I heard all about it.
r for Agriculture knew the value of milk would go straight down as he encouraged farmers to increase their herds? Do people know that animal agriculture is the largest contributor to CO2 emissions and animals drink two thirds of the world's fresh water and eat half the world's grain? The current government vets have covered up countless food safety risks and food fraud by meat producers and yet bullied individual farmers with endless tests and costs.
The current Ministers - Agricultural, Environmental and T'Shock know all about the major illegalities but do not act.
Public Representatives are not even in discussions about Public Contracts
Do people remember the scandal of the county council dog and horse pounds last year? In brief, Kilkenny Council lied in writing to say that a charity had won the tender (Contract stated as worth€450,000 to €650,000). They had in fact awarded it to a private firm, registered in a town in Latvia with the largest Animal Body Parts factory in Europe. This company also have many of the other massive Irish public contracts to collect stray horses too at €980 per horse. And then to profit again on its parts. This exposed the fact that elected representatives (yes, the people you vote in) are not even informed of upcoming Public Contracts. (Just so you're under no illusion about the last government's total injustice: Legitimate shelters, housing ten times as many animals and for a longer time, with more care needs, receive government support to the tune of between €4,000 and €20,000.
So please vote for the People Before Profits so we can change this arrangement.
Whatever field you work in, the People Before Profit party are asking you to stop accepting slim pickings for doing good, much needed work. We are intent on successful, independent food security and energy, relying on Irish and visiting expertise.
So referendum No.5
5. County Council Management Teams? However corrupt, selfish and compromised, at the moment they stay with a job for life arrangement and the final say on County Development Plans and Public Contract Awards. Do the people of Ireland want that or do we only want the Elected Representatives making decisions, as instructed by the priorities of the people?
The number one light on the horizon that this will bring if people vote against the current system is that, if local people want a trusted group to run a state-run home, you can tell your elected representative and it will actually be considered.
6. Basic Wage for All?
7. Community Participation by those assisted by the state? - Democratic Say& Physical Contribution to Help Farmer's Shift to Organic
8. Geo-Engineering and chemical spraying - Stop the routine dropping of toxic coal ash by passenger planes
9. Weapons testing in Ireland - Minister Coveney like a maniac is excited about testing weapons on Ireland. Biological weapons cause disease all over the States already because of these covert operations. Testing Nuclear weapons could obviously wipe us all out in a heart beat (especially considering the last governments complete refusal to set safety standard
10. Health Care System
People before Profits are prepared to take on the HSE and make it successful. We recognize the monopoly by pharmaceuticals, the hospital policies that lead to a worsening of more conditions than
recovery.
With a holistic approach, we will endeavor to adopt a different medical model: The proposition that the doctors' job is to prevent illness and keep people well rather than be a desperately slow crisis response. In line with this, all medical and social care qualifications will include rigorous Nutrition modules. Also Ethics, Empathy and Respectful Communication training will be required and will be part of the recruitment requirements at all levels. Focus will be on Food, Laughter and Love being the best medicines.
In fact we take the analogy further and propose that we will give big pharmaceutical companies a taste of their own medicine!
Did you know that big Pharmaceutical companies have a Mission Statement that aims to have every citizen on an average of 4 prescribed drugs from infancy to the grave? That is not about promoting health, is it.
Also in Australia, the government have ruled that Child Benefit will be stopped for families whose children are not vaccinated. Pharmaceutical companies forcing legislation like that here will happen if the TTP, Transatlantic Trade Partnership is agreed in Europe. The repercussions will be devastating to everyone. Compulsory vaccination?! Mercury (second most deadly substance in the world) is in all of them, see my recent blog for a full list of vaccines and their ingredients). They have been linked to all sorts of system failure. We don't want private companies forcing their products on us.
We can support our own Health Service with Ethical companies and products that actually work.
Did you know that they say, in the trade, if the cancer doesn't kill you, the Chemo will? Well, that is what they say.
People before Profit hope to educate everyone in how to live a healthy life, take responsibility for their environment too and clean up the toxic residue on most things, from bad decisions in the past.
Taxation - Universal Social Charge
We will not be making lots of subtle changes to taxation that will need to be managed by more official bodies, that will have to be monitored themselves to stop self-serving management exploiting and stringing out the processes. Instead, we will keep the economy stable by calculating how much has been sucked out of the individuals by tax per year and re-directing that figure to Corporations to pay, via corporation tax.
For taxing the individual worker, People Before Profit propose a 3 band tax I think, that favours the lower paid and those on the brink of earning something but find themselves taxed to within an inch of their lives as soon as they do.
Also we will start our own bank and get off the International Monetary Fund (IMF) merry go round of war mongering and controlled corruption. For a better understanding of what they're up to see my recent blog about it called IMF show their real stars and stripes.
So these are just my ideas about what the People Before Profit party might be able to achieve. I was just at a meeting of theirs yesterday in Kilkenny. The great thing they definitely did say was that the government are employed by the people, they should not consider themselves Leaders. They also definitely did say that they would use Referendums and listen to the People.
I think this is a golden opportunity to vote for democracy. Enda Kenny said today, that this was no time to rock the economy. So I wrote this to wake people up to how much of a God-forsaken, corrupt, self-serving shambles they have made and sold us up the creek (which I know is a mixed metaphor but I think its appropriate) So don't go kidding yourselves that you're in safe enough hands. The current government have completely deserted and abused the people, shown complete disdain for basic regard or transparency. Lets go for gold and let the People define the way we want to go. Get back our creativity, independence and most of all our humanity.
Posted by Healing by Franc at 12:56 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Animal Rights, Corruption in Ireland, Environmental Solutions, Politics
A Whole Food Plant-based Diet is easier to Digest Physically, Emotionally and Karmically
Health equals positive attention to detail
Do you know how to treat yourself? Its not a coincidence that I'm so healthy. I just don't kid myself any more. On the left is a sprayed and chemically-wax coated apple and on the right is an organic apple. What you might call a matt version. Not so glossy but all the goodness Nature intended. If you already have some glossy apples PEEL THEM and if you have to take them as a pack lunch, wash them in a mild astringent like vinegar to get the wax off. Unless it says organic, every thing is sprayed and those chemicals never leave the body.
Smoothies and Soups can include what you need to boost, absorb and detox
Another handy tip is to adopt a whole foods plant based diet. Like my breakfast consisted of a smoothie with organic banana, apple, chia seed, mango and pineapple mix, spirulina, acidophilus (good bacteria to combat yeast and sugars in the digestive system), herb robert (to help with boundaries and protect from others' germs and difficult energies) and a couple of drops of vegan Vitamin D orange oil. Grainne Thompson in her Wexford-based Integrated Energy Therapy clinic will confirm that this smoothie is delicious. And she's another person to follow with her energy work and clarity. Her whole family, as we speak, are on a raw fruit juice detox and soup nourishment evening-times.
Plant-based Organic Food is easier to Digest, Physically, Emotionally and Karmically
Have fun with it, experiment. Get a few ingredients in and always, even if its smaller amounts, get organic cruelty free food. It is much easier to digest! The optimum is that we get a new government in who will support small organic food producers, recover our food security, health and independence. They will also retract all subsidies from animal agriculture farms and direct the same money towards their transition to using their land for organic crops. With the election coming, now's the time to decide what you want, vote for it and make it happen on a grand scale…as opposed to just focusing on what we don't want, which we're quite clear on these days!! We have our own amazing organic apple farm here in Kilkenny too, the Highbank Orchards on the Callan Road if you're looking. They make interesting and delicious organic booze too!
Labels: Natural Health, Vegan Organic Catering
Legislate the pharmaceutical Industry: No commitment to cure but a license to kill
Pharmaceutical companies have no intention of curing you
You know and I know that my focus is on your well being, self healing and independence of mind. Can you say that about any other medical practitioner? I'm just asking, what makes me the 'alternative' practitioner?
Legislate the Pharmaceutical Industry
I am calling for legislation for the pharmaceutical industry. Currently there seems to be none. I would go so far as to say that they are the real problem with health services. All the doctors are 'sponsored' by the producers of the drugs they prescribe. A chill ran down my spine in a back consultant's office (!) as I described an allergic, digestive, thermostatic, insomniac reation to a nerve pain killer and found my eyes drawn to his box of tissues - Lyrica written down the long side. Yes Lyrica was the medication I was describing and how it does not ease the pain, it does not induce sleep, it makes a person like the living dead; ranting raving, constantly in and out of the bathroom. The consultant himself was sponsored by this company.
What a Monopoly
Doctors who I have interviewed, confirmed that they just prescribe what the drug companies offer. That means that they have no idea what counter-indications there may be between medicines. They don't know what trials have been done or long term repercusions of taking the drugs. They also don't know the ingredients.
The majority of tablets are coated in casein, which is a milk protein. This ties them to the agricultural industry, when research clearly points to casein itself being carcinogenic. For more information see The China Study by T Colin Campbell
Talking of ingredients, vaccines are known to contain mercury:
"Many vaccines still contain thimerosal (49.6% ethylmercury by weight.) While mercury is a highly toxic element second only to radioactive plutonium, when combined with other ingredients, specifically aluminum and formaldehyde, the synergistic effects increase 10,000-fold."
What Vaccines Contain What Ingredients
It makes for grim reading, expecially for those who respect animals or wild life. Especially for those who find themselves picturing, even for a moment, how hard won these vaccines are and how pushed down our throats (In Australia, as of January 16th 2016, families who do not get their infants vaccinated will have their benefits stopped)
Animal Products in Vaccines
Measles, Mumps and Rubella contain:
"hydrolized beef gelatin, chick embryonic fluid, and human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue" as well as heavy metals, chemicals, anti-biotics and the mirobes of the viruses themselves.
Somehow, pharmaceutical companies in Ireland have managed to get legislation in place that all dogs must be vaccinated against Rabies if they are traveling to the UK...when there has been none for years.
Rabies vaccinations contain:
"Rhesus monkey fetal lung cells" .... as well as the other ingredients.
Chickenpox vaccination contains:
"processed gelatin, fetal bovine serum, guinea pig embryo cells, albumin from human blood, and human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue" .... as well as the other ingredients.
Mad Cow Vaccine...but this time its the vaccine not the cow that is mad
Cows have been identified as a large emmiter of methane gas, as the biggest contributer to CO2 Emmissions there is, more than all transport and fossil fuels collectively. Some listened up and said 'Let us keep less and less cows and turn to a plant-based diet'.
But no!
The pharmaceutical industry this week said,
'We have come up with a vaccination for cows to eliminate their methane emmissions. We are now at the testing stage'
Cow Vaccine Testing Article
Think about any of that for a moment, if you will! Who are they testing it on? How many? For how long? Releasing methane is a natural part of the digestive process and cows have 3 stomachs, what will happen to that digestive tract? Will these cows explode? Make solid dung rather than cowpats? Will they fattened quicker and slaughtered earlier before their systems break down altogether? They have already bred cows with smaller lungs to leave room for more fat and because they are not left live until full size anyway, so they don't need full capacity lungs. This is a heavy duty paper, thermal mapping from space on America's Emissions
Then of course there's the 'produce' from these 'vaccinated' cows. I bet you 50p that that milk and meat won't be very good for those that still call them food.
Old idea that pharmaceutical drugs are medicines
Don't let the pharmaceutical industry foist products on the health system and the food industry.
Don't let the pharmaceutical industry test on animals and be considered beyond reproach as it is in the name of medicine. They do not deserve that identity any more.
A brief guide to big pharma
Corrupt Agenda To Keep Us Ill
The brilliant series 'The Truth About Cancer' showed beyond all doubt (reasonable or unreasonable) that if the cancer doesn't kill you, the chemo will.
The Truth About Cancer - free episode
The best way to start is to not prostitute your government to these big companies. If you've received a few grand towards your campaign, does that over ride the need to monitor plane loads of animals arriving to a life of meaningless torture? Is it enough to justify the damage and deaths of heaps of people by vaccines and prescribing long term toxic medications?
Political Parties both receiving Corporate Donations for elections any way they can
Endless Medical Testing
Also this week the elephants who were released from a year early from their twenty years in the circus, only to tested on in cancer research. You might say that that is a long way away but the principles or lack of them are right here among us.
People will exploit anything, even a noble elephant, for as long as they can get away with it
Natural Health is There In Your System Waiting For Your Attention
So when you next think to yourself, I don't feel well, should I go to the doctor. The answer is NO. They won't help. You need to be able to look at your own life and experience and identify what needs attention. Even though about 60% of doctors will do their best with a diagnosis, it will always be you that must give yourself the treatment.
The pharmaceutical companies overtly have a mission statement that they want every single citizen on an average of 4 prescribed drugs throughout their lifetime, from the cradle to the grave. Extricate yourself from the system and let me know if you want to touch down and get some sound advice as to where you can get the support you need.
Pharmaceutical Companies are Part of the Corporate Power Grab which is the TTP
In the meantime, while you still have the wealth of your health, ask the canvassing politicians in advance of the election to get their government departments to legislate for ethical standards and also to stop the Transatlantic Trade Partnership (TTP) which will give these private companies even more of a free rein and unaccountability.
Understanding the TTP by Dee Sewell of Greenside Up
Labels: Corruption in Ireland, Natural Health, Politics
Virtual Adoption Centre Kilkenny
Real Pound Dogs
Virtual Adoption Centre
but tangibly here in Kilkenny City!
What a great day it was yesterday! Got a Virtual Adoption Centre going with Petmania in Kilkenny! This is like an active notice board containing shelter contact details, web address to look at all the dogs that are under pressure in the pound and space for regular photos of a few that are urgent with their 5 days up and the pound over capacity.
To Adopt A Dog, bring a dog license
Just go to a post office, buy a license for €20. It will ask which breed and just say mid-sized, mixed breed. The pound will only let you take a dog if you have a license! I don't want people going out there and being sent away to do this and that and sometimes not coming back. I would like every visit to the pound end in a dog re-homed! Also bring money. It is, I think, €40 to buy a dog but all that money goes towards the care and extended time the next dogs might get in the pound, waiting for their forever home. They would also be glad of foster homes for some so any offers much appreciated.
Adoption Centre Initiative
This poster is up in Petmania and Eurofarm and both lots of staff are up to speed on the where, how are why to adopt a dog! What this means is that anyone who re-homes rather than buys - be it from the Carlow Kilkenny Dog Pound or PAWS or anywhere in fact, can get the adoption kit, which includes all the things you need to start out, some free and some at a major discount. Big thanks to my friend who cannot be mentioned (in case he gets offered a poster-making contract and has to work every day!) for the poster which I laminated. If you're worried about a particular dog, feel free to print out a picture and drop it into them. Lets bring these dogs into town (even just virtually), where there are people who would dearly like to meet them!
Up until now they have been tucked in here behind the building, 10 miles out of town!
Labels: Animal Rights, Dog Shelter Tender, From The Pigs' Perspective, Pet Farm
What can we do about the fact that for everything we need to happen, the very opposite is happening!
In this New Directions podcast, the analogy between living at this time and enduring a bad marriage is explored with humour and considerable insight as to what is going on in terms of the Trans Atlantic Trade Parnership deal and how it will negatively impact justice for the individual, society and the planet. The courts will rule not based on a common good but on to what extent profits might be effected for the claiming corporation. This means that the origin of meat will no longer be mentioned, so that factory farming complete inhumanity cannot be spotted from the label and that rejected chemicals can be forced on to the market, in the name of free trade. The discussion goes further in order to help people to navigate through this wildly distorted reality, not using individual fights with particular parts of the system or specific offending institutions but through gratitude for the freedoms we individually have. For example the ability to communicate and the greatest activist power, retracting your investments small and large from toxic producers. This means looking for the leaping bunny symbol that confirms that what you buy has not been tested on animals. It means, looking for vinegar-based organic weedkillers that do no long term harm. Refusing the epic rows of vegetables that have been sprayed over 10 times in their short growing life with glysophate - the main ingredient in round up. Glysophate is not only found carcinogenic but it is also cumulative - that means that what you ate 10 years ago, glysophate-wise is still in your body building up to a very serious illness. So that brings up meat as well. Don't go out to eat at fast food joints and restaurants, unless they state that they are committed to compassionately farmed (are those two words mutually exclusive?) animal products. Don't for a moment assume they are if they don't say so.
So I don't think any of that was covered in the show but just bringing to life the way people can move forwards even when they wake up to horrible aspects of the food, pharmaceutical, education systems foisted on humanity. Unexpectedly, the answer if keep noticing and being glad of the companies that bother to produce what you need ethically. They say that what you are grateful for and pay attention to expands, so that goes for making good companies and products successful….surely! Only buy them!
New Directions Podcast
All New Directions Past Shows Can Be Found Here!
Why is it always me who finds out these things and...
Government word to Courts: Please enforce eviction...
A Way Out of The Compromised Position we Find Ours...
A Whole Food Plant-based Diet is easier to Digest ...
Legislate the pharmaceutical Industry: No commitme...
What can we do about the fact that for everything ...
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Rafael Nadal has assisted in the clean-up operation after a devastating flood hit his native island of Majorca.
The Foreign Office said in a statement: "We are in contact with the Spanish authorities responding to flooding in Majorca, and urgently seeking updates from them".
Spain's meteorological office said the neighbouring islands of Ibiza and Formentera were now on high alert as the rain and storms moved there.
A British couple are among five people killed in Majorca after flash floods hit the Spanish island.
Sant Llorenc, which is about 60 kilometres east of Mallorca's capital, Palma, is where a dry creek overflowed amid heavy downpours, creating a strong current of water and mud that buried cars and tore trees along the way, according to witness accounts.
Two more bodies were recovered in the town of S'illot, an emergency services spokeswoman who wasn't authorized to be named in media reports told The Associated Press.
"My honest condolences to the relatives of the deceased and injured by the severe floods in San Llorenç".
Images posted on social media showed cars being swept along narrow streets by torrents of brown water.
The regional government called an emergency meeting, and authorities said rescue workers and military units had been sent to the area to help.
At least three towns closed schools and hundreds of people were sheltered in sport facilities and a local horse racing track, authorities said.
The Spanish parliament held a tribute to the victims in the form of a minute's silence.
"In just two hours, some 180 litres of rain fell and we realized that we could not control the water", she said.
"What is most urgent right now is to find missing people and address the concerns of their relatives and all neighbours", Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during a visit to the disaster zone.
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Against the Red Sox this season: 1-0 in two starts, 3.46 ERA, 15 strikeouts, five earned runs on 10 hits over 13 innings. In their seven matchups this season, the Astros averaged 4.9 runs per game and the Red Sox averaged 4.4 runs per game.
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Scratch Tutorial Game
You will learn the basic skills needed to create your own game, including sprite movement and collision detection! By the end you will have a cat who meows when she catches her mouse. I'd like to volunteer with the Scratch class! If you'd like to volunteer to help teach the Scratch class (no programming experience required) then check out the Scratch Volunteers page. The “Essentials” are things every EV3 programmer should know. It is a step by step on how to make a pretty cool mouse-beetle chasing game. A step-by-step visual guide to building your own computer games using Scratch 3. This idea here is to teach some of the fundamentals (and advantages) of working with frameworks, along with fundamental game mechanics. We will be pleased if you come back us again. Participants will make a game where they catch things falling from the sky. Getting Started with Scratch After Make a simple game. r/scratch: The unofficial Scratch community on Reddit. First set a blue sky 2 backdrop from the Scratch library. Flappy Bird is a nice little game with easy to understand mechanics, and I thought it would be a perfect fit for an HTML5 game tutorial for beginners. Scratch Tutorial: How to make Cookie Clicker. This tutorial also covers the fundamentals of SpriteKit, Apple's 2D game engine API. Home Subscribe Java 2D games tutorial. Learn how to make games in this Game Maker Studio tutorial - understand the power of this game making engine! Build, code and design games from scratch. Following thoro's post about FNaF fangames and their developers needing help to make their games I have decided to create a tutorial series on how to make a FNaF fangame! Disclaimer: You will need Clickteam Fusion 2. Scratch Video Tutorials. Every flash gaming site you go to, I'm pretty sure you can find a similar kind of [insert object here]-is falling-from-the-sky-and-you-need-to-catch-it kind of game. Click "OK" d. In this series of tutorials we will developed from scratch a version of one of the most famous games. GDevelop is a completely open source game engine with a very beginner friendly visual programming language and a complete set of tools for creating 2D games. The element is perfect for making games in HTML. edu/fly Print the Activity Cards Print a few sets of Make It Fly cards to have available for participants during the workshop. you can find them by clicking on my YouTube channel! Scratch is a fun program which allows people of all different skills to make animations, games, Etc. Today I go over game feeling in scratch! If you are interested in more Scratch Tutorials, Games, Etc. Additionally. Codecademy is the easiest way to learn how to code. Find thousands of original, free design and illustration tutorials and courses to help you improve your current skills or pick up a new one. It also makes certain tasks like pausing the. Free Editors' rating. Full tutorial video, blocks listing and extension activities. pdf), Text File (. This lesson plan has been fully revised in September 2009 and is being used to help structure classes in several primary schools in Sussex in the south of England. Have you ever wished you knew how to program, but had no idea where to start from? This course will teach you how to program in Scratch, an easy to use visual programming language. Step by Step Guide to Making a Game in Scratch. It is by changing states that we control program flow. It's easy to explain with pictures. Creating a racing game in unity 3d very fast - Part 1 create and control the car. You will not be able to go through the maze walls even if you tried. I feel like a tutorial, for C++, made in 2019, should make the user aware that the choices made are not what you would find from C++ language experts right now. I did this by drawing a red filled rectangle at the bottom. Online multiplayer games can be made with cloud data. A free Scratch maze game tutorial for beginners. If you haven't already, sign up for an account by clicking on "Join Scratch" at the top right of your browser window. Change the cat or other characters. I'd like to volunteer with the Scratch class! If you'd like to volunteer to help teach the Scratch class (no programming experience required) then check out the Scratch Volunteers page. With game development, the technical aspect isn’t everything – what’s more important is that the game actually be fun. pdf), Text File (. The “Essentials” are things every EV3 programmer should know. You learned how to cut and fold the paper to create the cracker. The interface will look different from mBlock 5's because this is the Scratch 3. There are plenty of extension possibilities with this project. The “Essentials” are things every EV3 programmer should know. It is a step by step on how to make a pretty cool mouse-beetle chasing game. Writing a Game Engine from Scratch - Part 1: Messaging You've probably read alot of OpenGL / DirectX tutorials and books and know how. Full code blocks available to check your progress at:. Next step is to release the game on Steam (another popular games platform). This program guides you how to create a variety of interesting scratch projects. com - This is my new website devoted to making video games. Preview the Tutorial The Make a Chase Game tutorial shows participants how to create their own projects. Teachers PowerPoint includes learning outcomes and some starter activities. js generate canvas on the fly and is optimized for all modern browsers and has touch support for mobile devices. Charityware. Animated Genres. The Scratch Wiki is made by and for Scratchers. Read this book to learn Unity and make the game of your dreams!. The player can make the cat jump around a single level to collect apples while avoiding the crabs who will steal. Change the cat or other characters. Scratch can be used in a variety of subjects including mathematics, ICT and even the sciences to simulate a virtual experim. Maloney et al. Scratch is a programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, games, and animations – and share your creations with others on the web. A platform game is a classic game style that was made famous by characters like Mario. Scratch Day Activity Ideas • Getting Started with Scratch Learn Scratch fundamentals, create your first project, and share it with the community with the help of the Getting Started tutorial. For the development of this game, is used Scratch because is an educational programming environment that is has an easy graphical interface that it will allow us to drag and drop the right blocks of coding. Animating the Cat In Scratch, you create a program by adding code pieces together in a vertical puzzle-like line. Sprites'shown' here' Scripts/Costumes/ Soundsshown here' Canvas' InstrucQons'for'scripts' in'differentgroups' 4. scratch 2 0 free download - Scratch, Scratch 2. The element is perfect for making games in HTML. The directions for this game are the same as those for. Jumpstart that vision. Scratch Tutorial: How to make a basic platformer game - Simple, Easy. It is nice to see our ball moving, but it quickly disappears from the screen, limiting the fun we can have with it! To overcome that we will implement some very simple collision detection (which will be explained later in more detail) to make the ball bounce off the four edges of the Canvas. The book consists of 16 chapters. Details on new features from the release notes:. Remember to hit pause from time to time and recreate the game. Before we can start adding the blocks we needed in our Scratch pong game tutorial, we are going to need to create some sprites and add some costumes. This tutorial, by Mikola Lysenko, discusses an interesting new variant: a generalisation of the Game of Life for smooth spaces, applied to arbitrary curved surfaces. scratch game tutorial beginner In the central column click on the Background tab. If you complete this game, you can post it on scratch. Listen or download Scratch Tutorial 2 Make A Basic Game music song for free. This will be our most fun tutorial series yet. Here's How A Quick Review. Lesson 3: Powerpoint Image Style. This are not the sort of standard tutorials that you find on the web. Scratch tutorial is by oakdome. Play, streaming, watch and download Ping Pong Scratch game Tutorial video (11:36) , you can convert to mp4, 3gp, m4a for free. Children enjoy learning programming the most, when they build their own games. Now with added AI. net and other mirrors host - Download Everythings. Iowans purchased more than 28. /Scratch/index. Practice levels and hints help students when they get stuck, and challenge levels assess students' learning throughout the game. IMAGINE Provide Ideas and Inspiration Show the introductory video for the Pong Game tutorial. Scratch Tutorial 10 - Shooting Asteroids Game. uk, which was retired on December 31 2018. Press J to jump to the feed. You can just sit back and relax without. Want to add more levels or a cheat. which can be used in games, covers or flyers in simple steps. Game from Scratch tutorials (self. Completed your Scratch tutorial? Here are some things that you can do to improve your game: Add some sound effects and background music to your game. How to make CROSSY ROAD on Scratch. Writing a Game Engine from Scratch - Part 1: Messaging You've probably read alot of OpenGL / DirectX tutorials and books and know how. The main point of this racing game is to complete the track in as little time as possible without. Scratch is a fun, free, beginner-friendly programming environment where you connect blocks of code to build programs. Join millions of students and teachers in over 180 countries starting with an Hour of Code. It is very educational and I highly recommend it for coding teachers and students alike. The element offers all the functionality you need for making games. In an MMF2 game there are numerous places to store this kind of information. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Scratch Snake Game Tutorial. IMAGINE Provide Ideas and Inspiration Show the introductory video for the Pong Game tutorial. edu/go SCRATCH EDUCATOR GUIDE scratch. Croutons Are Here! We're giving away FREE asset packs that you can use in your very own GameSalad games. The Scratch program was developed by MIT to teach young students programming concepts and develop skill in multimedia communication. Do you want to learn how to create a game? This series will teach you how to create a game, starting from the very beginning and ending with a fully playable game. Maze - Invent with Scratch 2. Featured Games Reading IQ Reading IQ is a digital, interactive library app that's specially designed for kids under the age of 12. For older kids, he introduces software such as Scratch for more advanced animation, MIT App Inventor for programming real Android apps, and tools that teach core languages like JavaScript and Java. Scratch Tutorial 2 Make A Basic Game Tweet. When you. This tutorial shows how we can use a sprite as a start button for the game by making use of the broadcast function within Scratch. It's interactive, fun, and you can do it with your friends. It is now available free to view. The children should duplicate this task. In this tutorial, you learned how to create your own handmade crackers from scratch. There are l ots of skills and commands used in scratch and students end up with a game that they will genuinely play. Scratch tutorial is by oakdome. The “shadows” increase in size the closer they are to the ground. The cuisine is based on the premise of good food done well and draws from american classic reflecting today's influences and bounty of ingredients. The game is a wonderful combination between Agar. Games Lords Best Gaming Portal. edu/go PONG GAME / EDUCATOR GUIDE Imagine Begin by gathering the participants to introduce the theme and spark ideas for projects. SLURL: External Tutorials. Change the cat or other characters. Scratch Tutorial 10 - Shooting Asteroids Game. Make a simple Soccer game in Scratch. It is very educational and I highly recommend it for coding teachers and students alike. In the previous Article on our Journey to write a Game Engine from Scratch, we looked at designing the. Screenshots from Scratch projects created by users, including a news show, an interactive story, a drawing tutorial, and a game. Scratch - Tutorial 04 - Create a Race Game in Ten Minutes. You can also use this skill to make some bon-bon-shaped gift packages out of colored card. No Tears Guide to HTML5 Games is relatively old (2. It's interactive, fun, and you can do it with your friends. Click "OK" d. Create a new progect on the scratch website. edu/go SCRATCH EDUCATOR GUIDE scratch. Define scratch. You will receive a balanced introduction to Scratch and universal programming concepts as you create digital stores, animations, and games. Learning how to make a video game from scratch can be a very fun and rewarding process. Start with a new sprite. are based on a typical example of the theme of the program. The player can make the cat jump around a single level to collect apples while avoiding the crabs who will steal. This is a scratch tutorial for everyone and it's free. so the game will stop when you win. You can just sit back and relax without. computer up to build apps and creating a simple game from scratch! All the game code is included in the tutorial; no. In this Scratch tutorial, I will be showing you how to make a zombie-survival shooter game. Quick Code. Why Use Unity? Where To Start In Game Programming? Game Programming Roll Call; Where To Start 4 C++ Game Engine. Using a visual system of "Tiles" that contain commands users can connect together to create programs. First set a blue sky 2 backdrop from the Scratch library. With the rise of mobile gaming, people throughout the world are taking advantage of the huge video game market by creating and selling their games. This series of tutorials is meant for newer game programmers to show some basic game programming concepts through example. The Java 2D games tutorial is suitable for beginners and intermediate programmers. Here is a document you can use to easily follow along: Make Your Own Game Handbook. net Request course طلب كورس. scratch game tutorials pdf Free use for educational purposes only! Objectives. This WIKI entry will follow the progress as a tutorial, of building a FPS from scratch, of course using Blueprints. Jumpstart that vision. The game objective is to become the biggest and longest snake of the whole map filled with other real players all over the world. Controls are very easy to use, in fact, if you have children at home, it can be a good way to have fun. net and other mirrors host - Download Everythings. However, a downside is that on some laptop computers, a keyboard may only input a certain number of keys before reaching a maximum and not remembering newer keys being pressed. edu/go CATCH GAME / EDUCATOR GUIDE With this guide, you can plan and lead a one-hour workshop using Scratch. First, you'll need to create the backgrounds in Scratch: I've created two backgrounds using the built-in paint editor. Everything you see on a website is a result of the combination of HTML and CSS. Create the Background (STAGE) Click on Stage CLICK on the Background tab. this is a tutorial of the pong game using scratch , go to https://scratch. Scratch is a visual programming language that makes it easy to create interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art and share these creations on the web. Scratch Tutorial | Making The CHROME DINO GAME *under 2 minutes! If you are interested in more Scratch Tutorials, Games, Etc. Write a description. Starting with the basics of using Scratch, the course will stretch your mind and challenge. Spinning Reels-NEW Banax Kaigen 7000CP Electric Game Jigging Fishing Dial Reels Big Reels qozcig2862-sale with high discount - www. You might want to drag. When the banana is clicked, it broadcasts a message called "Start Game" Remember that when "Start Game" is broadcasted, it switches the background from the Instructions to Level 1. Scratch Games - Bri Chapman! Tutorial Pong: A simple pong game written in Scratch. Hi thank you for your tutorials. Before we can start adding the blocks we needed in our Scratch pong game tutorial, we are going to need to create some sprites and add some costumes. Start by opening the Scratch editor and delete the main cat sprite. Games Lords Best Gaming Portal. Note: I have recently moved the guide from scratchprogramming. Step by Step Scratch Tutorial - Make a Platformer Game Create a sprite and level for a platformer style game Bonus: add lives, extra levels Programming difficulty: medium. This can be useful for adding menus to games. Open a new Scratch Program 2. Sprites’shown’ here’ Scripts/Costumes/ Soundsshown here’ Canvas’ InstrucQons’for’scripts’ in’differentgroups’ 4. Name it something along the lines of "Racing Ga. There were some set above the clouds, staring directly at the sun. In this Scratch breakout game tutorial we will be looking how to remake a simple version of this classic game, as well as giving you some extension challenges to complete!. The Godot Engine is an open source, C++ based game engine for making 2D and 3D games for most mobile and desktop platforms. Direct Download Free Movies Mp3's Software Programs Stock Images » TUTORIALS » Create a Business Card Create an Android Game from Scratch using AndEngine Register. Home Subscribe Java 2D games tutorial. I did this by drawing a red filled rectangle at the bottom. Free tutorials on HTML, CSS and PHP - Build your own website - Free tutorials on HTML, CSS and PHP - Build your own website. Search query Search Twitter. In this Scratch tutorial I will explain how to make a game on Scratch. Download Applications, Movies, Games, Tutorials, Music, TV Show, E-book, GFX, Graphic and Any More Download free with direct links from Rapidgator, Nitroflare, Ul. colorful command blocks to control 2-D graphical objects called sprites mov-. Learn Scratch, and you'll learn much more than just creating games!. However, a downside is that on some laptop computers, a keyboard may only input a certain number of keys before reaching a maximum and not remembering newer keys being pressed. In this tutorial, you learned how to create your own handmade crackers from scratch. As always, I recommend you taking my online course to better learn how the Scratch editor works. Scratch Snake Game Tutorial. Create a game where you look for a character hidden in a crowd of other characters. This 21 minute screencast recording & narration covers making a "Frog Hop" game in the Scratch programming environment. Step by Step Scratch Tutorial - Make a Platformer Game Create a sprite and level for a platformer style game Bonus: add lives, extra levels Programming difficulty: medium. You might even pick up some great tips on the general game development process! Author:. EDUCATOR GUIDE Workshop Overview First, gather as a group to. Scratch definition is - to scrape or dig with the claws or nails. An Educator's Guide to Scratch Programming. Games Lords Best Gaming Portal. A free, online, step by step beginner's Scratch football game tutorial. Topics Covered in Unity Games by Tutorials. Video Tutorials. Create the Background (STAGE) Click on Stage CLICK on the Background tab. Jan 10, 2018 Scratch Tutorial Rock, Paper, Scissors Scratch 30 Tutorial How to Make a Flappy Bird Game in Scratch Part 1 Duration 2658 Warfamenbsp. Click "Paint new sprite" icon b. 0, and many more programs video games, and interactive artwork. Scratch Tutorial 10 - Shooting Asteroids Game. ScratchX is a platform that enables people to test experimental functionality built by developers for the visual programming language Scratch. Blockly generates simple, syntactically-correct code from the blocks in the editor, which your app can use to run games, control robots, or do anything else your imagination can concieve. Lesson 1 - Under the Sea; Lesson 2 - In the Jungle. Create a Game from Scratch with this Tanks! Tutorial Asset Pack. By the time you’re finished reading this book, you will have made 4 complete mini-games, modeled your own game assets, and even played with virtual reality! These games include a twin stick shooter, a first person shooter, a 2D platformer, and tower defense game. /Scratch/index. Choose from Adobe Photoshop, vector, drawing and InDesign, trend and themed quality educational content. Scratch Day Activity Ideas • Getting Started with Scratch Learn Scratch fundamentals, create your first project, and share it with the community with the help of the Getting Started tutorial. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. A Blocks / JavaScript code editor for the micro:bit powered by Microsoft MakeCode. More importantly, it will introduce you to the fundamental principles of computing and it will help you think like a software engineer. ScratchJr is an introductory programming language that enables young children (ages 5 and up) to create their own interactive stories and games. After that, we'll be learning a few classical and a few advanced machine learning algorithms. Iowans purchased more than 28. 2014) is the definitive online how to scratch course and online community. edu/go SCRATCH EDUCATOR GUIDE scratch. This article is a complete tutorial to learn data science using python from scratch; It will also help you to learn basic data analysis methods using python; You will also be able to enhance your knowledge of machine learning algorithms. I avoid saying its wrong because this type of programming is common in the game industry, where legacy support and time restrictions are focused on over actual application design. Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations. In this Scratch tutorial I will be showing you how to make a simple clicker game using a simple number counter instead of the ordinary variable counter. Download Applications, Movies, Games, Tutorials, Music, TV Show, E-book, GFX, Graphic and Any More Download free with direct links from Rapidgator, Nitroflare, Ul. The theme of the platformer is sailing to new destinations using a sailboat, which serves as the main character of the platformer. What collisions does your Flappy Bat game need. Making a Maze Game in Scratch - 2. C++ is an evolving language standard and a great many. Game Engine Design - I Need Help With Starting A Game Engine! C Game Development FROM SCRATCH Tutorials; Im New Programmer, Need Ideas And Help; Have You Made A Game Engine; How To Create A Simple Drag&Drop Game Engine For Kids. Objects fall, move, slide, jump, and bounce, and a platformer associates those properties into a game in which one controls a character and tries to move it toward a goal. Drawing and Arts Projects in Scratch 7. Follow these step-by-step instructions to create an interactive game complete with. While most famously used to introduce kids to programming. Do you want to contribute? Learn more about joining as an editor! See discussions in the Community Portal. com - This is my new website devoted to making video games. BLOGTITLE I need to to thank you for your time just for this fantastic read!!. jl they can beat human world champions at those games. Do you want to learn how to create a game? This series will teach you how to create a game, starting from the very beginning and ending with a fully playable game. Space Rocks - GML. can you create a tutorial about 3 things: 1- There is an animation for the reloading guns in the games, you know the animation that the hand remove and add the ammo like Call Of Duty. Learn how to create another classic game. Everything you see on a website is a result of the combination of HTML and CSS. Swiss Projects Tutorial, the Swiss Tutorial for Second Life®; interactive, inworld and in the Web, in German: das schweizer Tutorial zu Second Life®; interaktiv, inworld und im Web, in deutscher Sprache. Codecademy is the easiest way to learn how to code. Next step is to release the game on Steam (another popular games platform). Today, we're going to be delving into the. In this tutorial, you will learn how to make a Flash parallax scrolling gallery from scratch. Do you like the name of my game? Lol. The element offers all the functionality you need for making games. If you prefer video guides you can watch the tutorial instead. We can build the game from scratch in simple stages: Create the shark sprite and control movement with the mouse. This is a scratch tutorial for everyone and it's free. Change the cat or other characters. Now the Iowa Lottery offers new instant games almost every month. The Button Screen: This is where all of the buttons, or “blocks” that you can use to piece together on the code screen. to, Uploaded. Move a fish as you move your mouse on Scratch stage! Easy Scratch Games: 1. Children snap together graphical programming blocks to make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. ScratchX is a separate. In this game they learn how to build a 'shooting' game. Now we recommend you to Download first result MP3 which is uploaded by of size , duration and bitrate is. Welcome to the GameFromScratch. It is a great way to learn about programming and is generally used to teach kids basics of programming. In this section we discover how to schedule to receive updates and one off functions. The book consists of 16 chapters. The flash game tutorials here show you how to make a flash game from scratch. A german translation of this article is made by Windapple and is available at the German GMC. you can make your own game with scratch. The tutorials are put together by YouTuber Jimmy Vegas. Project Workshops. It is by changing states that we control program flow. The core audience on the Scratch website is between the ages of 8 and 16 (with a peak at. Look for the New Sprite area beneath the Stage and click the first icon. Sprites’shown’ here’ Scripts/Costumes/ Soundsshown here’ Canvas’ InstrucQons’for’scripts’ in’differentgroups’ 4. NET Framework Learn the fundamentals of game design Gain an excellent general knowledge of game creation in Unity Build 2D Unity games & work with sprites Collect and destroy game objects Detect collisions, receive user input, and create player movements. Although this tutorial does not use the latest version of Adobe Photoshop, its techniques and process are still relevant. Udemy Game Music Composition Make Music For Games From Scratch TUTORiAL P2P The world's first comprehensive online course on Video Game Music Composing that doesn't cost thousands of dollars. This tutorial shows how we can use a sprite as a start button for the game by making use of the broadcast function within Scratch. Scratch is a great educational tool for teaching simple programming concepts to kids. When creating a drawing tutorial, using features of the Scratch Website, or game-creating tutorials, try taking screenshots and Exporting and Importing them into your tutorial. Your game is now ready! Save your program by clicking on the disk. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Download Applications, Movies, Games, Tutorials, Music, TV Show, E-book, GFX, Graphic and Any More Download free with direct links from Rapidgator, Nitroflare, Ul. SCRATCH EDUCATOR GUIDE CATCH GAME / EDUCATOR GUIDE scratch. You have been redirected from microbit. HTML Game Game Intro Game Tutorials, references, and examples are constantly reviewed to avoid errors, but we cannot warrant full correctness of all content. Kids will learn about sprites, the stage, and how to create loops using blocks, the visual elements of the Scratch programming language. Spinning Reels-Okuma VSystem Reel V-65Sa Spinning qowbda3672-after-sale protection - www. GameGuru is a non-technical, fun and easy to use game maker. It can be used in the browser or downloaded to your Windows, Mac, or Linux PC. 2D breakout game using Phaser In this step-by-step tutorial you'll implement the same breakout clone as the previous tutorial series, except that this time you'll do it using thePhaser HTML5 game framework. All of this achievable by programming a game engine from scratch. You can also use this skill to make some bon-bon-shaped gift packages out of colored card. Scratch Tutorial | Making The CHROME DINO GAME *under 2 minutes! If you are interested in more Scratch Tutorials, Games, Etc. Udemy Game Music Composition Make Music For Games From Scratch TUTORiAL P2P The world's first comprehensive online course on Video Game Music Composing that doesn't cost thousands of dollars. It's hosted on this website at scratch. However, a downside is that on some laptop computers, a keyboard may only input a certain number of keys before reaching a maximum and not remembering newer keys being pressed. Scratch Programming Lesson 13 Mini Mario Game Part 4 – Platforms If you’ve have played one or more platform game s (video games characterized by jumping to and from suspended platforms), you should’ve seen scrolling platforms. Making a Circle-Shaped Image How to create a circular-shaped image. Creating animation is one of the most important application of Scratch. 0 Scratch 3. With Coding Games in Scratch, kids can build single and multiplayer platform games, create puzzles and memory games, race through mazes, add animation, and more. Build a musical band on Scratch Stage. This can be useful for adding menus to games. This scratch animation tutorial mainly describes how to animate on scratch. Scratch Programming Playground teaches you how to program in Scratch, the graphical programming language from MIT for ages 8 to 16. The first game is an introduction to Scratch. Visit his Teachers Pay Teachers store for his excellent step-by-step video tutorial for this project. Ready to get started? The first thing you'll. For good measure we shall even show you how to keep the score and set a timer to shoot all the parrots within. Each code puzzle piece has a part of programming code. edu/go SCRATCH EDUCATOR GUIDE scratch. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Udemy Game Music Composition Make Music For Games From Scratch TUTORiAL P2P The world's first comprehensive online course on Video Game Music Composing that doesn't cost thousands of dollars. switch scene. Scratch is a visual programming language. Kids will learn about sprites, the stage, and how to create loops using blocks, the visual elements of the Scratch programming language. Create your first iPhone game from scratch, no coding experience required. You can also browse the examples provided with GDevelop, try a template (Just create a new project and choose a template), or read the Getting Started Manual. Whether it's Pac-Man colliding with a pink ghost, Mario jumping onto a platform, or your character picking up a new tool in Minecraft, a game designer decides what will happen when each collision occurs. If you would like to become a game developer one day, this Unity VR tutorial is an exciting way to get a head start. Scratch is a programming language that makes it easy to create interactive art, stories, simulations, and games – and share those creations online. They cover many different types of games and different experience levels, so it is.
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Interpal, Labour Party
Interpal Joins Labour’s Storm
This news will come as no surprise at all to Harry’s Place readers, but what a day for it to emerge.
Sickening footage of a seven-year-old Palestinian girl ‘stabbing’ Jews was taken at a ‘festival of hate’ partly funded by a UK charity supported by Jeremy Corbyn and Labour MPs, MailOnline can reveal.
The film of the gruesome children’s play was broadcast on Hamas TV last week, with the British charity’s logo clearly visible on a banner behind the stage.
The little girl, dressed in a hijab, is seen pretending to stab two boys dressed as Israeli soldiers, who respond by ‘shooting’ her. Then, amid cheers from the baying crowd, a boy dressed as a masked terrorist massacres the soldiers with a replica semi-automatic weapon.
Eric Pickles reacts:
The Leader of the Labour Party has green-lit radicalisation and incitement to violence via his well-documented involvement with notorious hate preachers and Interpal, which is rightly designated in the US as a global terrorist organisation.
‘Time is running out for Jeremy Corbyn to give leadership to his Party. His lack of decisive action in stamping out anti-Semitism is sickening. The public demands and deserves an unequivocal condemnation of anti-Semitism and a renouncement of the repugnant Interpal.’
Strong words. Entirely justified.
Mr Corbyn is central to all this. For years on end he has been an inveterate supporter of the Hamas service bureau that is Interpal, helping it from Gaza to Westminster. All the evidence mattered not a jot. Corbyn’s “very good friend” Ibrahim Hewitt, the Islamic fundamenalist who leads Interpal, could do no wrong. He was to be assisted with pride. This short clip from 2013 sums it up.
The tape comes from an event that featured a typically nasty constellation of extremists (click to enlarge).
Jeremy Corbyn is far from alone in his party on this issue. Let’s look at some of the other Labour leaders who have backed Interpal.
In November 2014 John McDonnell attended what he called “a very successful community meeting to discuss the situation in Palestine”. This was among the resolutions at the meeting, he reported:
Second we agreed to circulate information on how the local community can provide practical aid and assistance to the Palestinian people through the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, Interpal and the various Palestinian charities.
In November 2013 McDonnell signed an Early Day Motion saluting Interpal and demanding that the government pressure the US to lift its designation of Interpal as “a principal charity utilized to hide the flow of money to Hamas”. In this initiative McDonnell had Jeremy Corbyn and 17 more Labour MPs for company.
Stephen Timms
“Christian socialist” Stephen Timms has been another supporter. He hosted Interpal in Parliament last October.
Labour MPs Andy Slaughter and Tulip Siddiq also attended that parliamentary event.
Here he is showing his support at anothever event in 2011.
Back in 2009, Timms complained about “unexplained concerns” surrounding Interpal and its banking troubles. Incredibly, he was Financial Secretary to the Treasury at the time. The Treasury is a leading enforcer in the fight against terror funding.
In 2008 the extremist Azad Ali was head of the Civil Service Islamic Society. In that year it held an iftar where “we also managed to raise money for the charity Interpal that delivers humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people”. Who was one of the “distinguished guests” at the iftar? Sadiq Khan. Azad Ali had yet to be digraced at that point. However, he was not in the least difficult to figure out, just like Interpal. Both were obviously part of the UK’s worsening Islamist troubles, and working at the heart of politics.
Lord Ahmed
But of course. At a parliamentary reception in 2009, he had nothing but praise for Interpal, saying it was “very professional and a fantastic British charity, and we want to congratulate them”.
Maybe now Labour will learn. For so long, some of its leaders saw a friendly port in Interpal. They were actually looking at the eye of the storm.
By habibi
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Home NY Times Now Drawing Viewers: The Election Interview Boris Johnson Won’t Do
Now Drawing Viewers: The Election Interview Boris Johnson Won’t Do
Posted 1 month ago | 0 comments
LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson has methodically shielded himself from media scrutiny during his election campaign — a strategy that seems to have paid off, at least judging by the clear lead his Conservative Party has maintained over the Labour Party throughout the five weeks of the campaign.
But Mr. Johnson’s apparent decision to reject a one-on-one TV interview with a famously pugnacious BBC interviewer, Andrew Neil, has exploded as an issue in the final days of the campaign, with Mr. Neil all but accusing Mr. Johnson of cowardice.
Speaking directly to the camera on his program Thursday evening, Mr. Neil said: “The prime minister of our nation will, at times, have to stand up to President Trump, President Putin, President Xi of China. So it was surely not expecting too much that he spend half an hour standing up to me.”
As if anticipating that Mr. Johnson was not going to change his mind, Mr. Neil said the theme of his questions would have been about trust, and “why at so many times in his career, in politics and journalism, critics and sometimes even those close to him have deemed him to be untrustworthy.”
“It is, of course, relevant to what he is promising us all now,” Mr. Neil said, as he hunched characteristically in his chair.
The video of Mr. Neil’s challenge immediately spread widely on social media and has taken over a campaign that Mr. Johnson had hoped to keep rigorously focused on his promise to “Get Brexit done.”
Mr. Johnson has not formally ruled out an appearance on Mr. Neil’s program. But his staff has not agreed on a date with the BBC, and with Election Day next Thursday, time is running out.
Mr. Neil, a bluff, burly Scotsman who once edited The Sunday Times of London, is known for his remorseless dissection of politicians and other public figures. An interrogation by him has become a rite of passage for British politicians.
But few emerge from the experience unscathed. Mr. Neil’s recent interview with the Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was widely judged to be a disaster for Mr. Corbyn after he declined four times to apologize for allegations of deep-rooted anti-Semitism in his party.
Mr. Neil’s interviews are considered so potentially damaging that Labour officials have told British media outlets that Mr. Corbyn agreed to sit for him only after assurances from the BBC that Mr. Johnson would do the same.
In response, Rob Burley, the BBC’s editor of live political programs, posted on Twitter that “at no stage did we tell any other party that a date for Boris Johnson was confirmed, whatever you may have read.”
Experts on the British media said Mr. Johnson faced a complex calculus in deciding whether to rebuff Mr. Neil: his half-hour-long program is popular among older viewers, many of whom naturally vote for the Tories. But Mr. Neil’s challenge to the prime minister was a social-media sensation with younger voters.
“He may have stopped himself being humiliated with the older audience,” said Meera Selva, the director of the journalism fellowship program at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. “But online, it’s being played that he’s a coward.”
Source: NYT > World News
Tags: Drawing, Election, interview, Johnson, viewers, won't, Борис
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Obhi's Blog
Tagore, theatre, films and digital thinking
Tagore birthday celebrations 2019
Tagore 1 Response »
As in previous years, Kaberi and I celebrated the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore with Prantik at Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon in the UK. Our theme this year was Tagore and the seasons: Spring.
We began our performance by recreating the dance procession each year at the Spring Festival (Basanta Utsav) in Santiniketan to the song Orai grihobashi. Our procession started from the steps of the Shakespeare Centre and wound its way around the garden of Shakespeare’s Birthplace until we reached the performance area by the house in which Shakespeare was born.
After an introduction by Emily Ireson from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, we performed various songs for Tagore’s seasonal collection (Riturongo). Kaberi also danced to the poem Shesh Modhu (Spring Finale), which Prasenjit Saha had kindly translated into rhyming English for us.
The English translations of the songs and poems were recited by Shakespeare Aloud! actor James Anderson. The singers and musicians from Prantik, apart from me, were:
Anindita Sengupta Saha (also on tanpura)
Chhaya Biswas
Farzeen Huq
Kaberi Chatterjee (who also danced)
Mousumi Basu (who also recited the poem Shesh Modhu)
Nikhilesh Das Gupta
Sudakshina Roy
Supratik Basu (also on mandira)
Tirthankar Roy (also on esraj)
We were honoured that Krishnendu Banerjee from the Indian High Commission and Brij Kumar Guhare, Deputy Director of The Nehru Centre in London, came to Stratford-upon-Avon to attend our performance. Both expressed their appreciation of our performance and the uniquely appropriate setting of the garden of Shakespeare’s Birthplace.
Liisa Miil kindly filmed the performance for us. You can watch the video above. My script for our performance is available as a free download but please note its Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike licence. If you wish to use the script for commercial purposes or plan to remix or reuse it, please contact me.
Earlier in the day, we had visited Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, on the outskirts of Stratford-upon-Avon, to see how the tree we had helped to plant in 2011 for the 150th birth anniversary. That time, Kaberi had shown students from a local drama school how to dance in the traditional tree-planting (brikkhoropon) procession established by Rabindranath Tagore.
Especially as I was going to refer to it later in my narration, I was relieved to see that the tree is doing well. You can see it in the foreground of the photo below, with Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in the background.
Posted by obhi at 10:53 pm Tagged with: Anindita Sengupta Saha, Balatonfüred, birth anniversary, birthplace, Chhaya Biswas, environment, Farzeen Huq, India, Indian High Commission, Kaberi Chatterjee, Mousumi Basu, nature, Nehru Centre, Nikhilesh Das Gupta, Poem, Poetry, Prasenjit Saha, Rabindra Janmotsav, riturongo, seasons, shakespeare, song, spring, stratford, Sudakshina Roy, Supratik Basu, Tirthankar Roy
The centenary of Tagore’s Nationalism
Digital thinking, Tagore No Responses »
Last weekend, as in previous years, we marked the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore at Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. Our theme this year was the centenary of the publication of Nationalism by Tagore. You can watch our half-hour presentation in the video above.
Celebrating Tagore’s birth anniversary in the garden of Shakespeare’s Birthplace (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust – 6 May 2017)
While the First World War was still raging in Europe, Rabindranath Tagore gave a series of speeches in Japan and in the US in 1916-17 warning of the harm of Nationalism. These speeches were published as essays in 1917 in a book called Nationalism. It comprised Nationalism in the West, Nationalism in Japan, Nationalism in India and the poem ‘The Sunset of the Century’.
In these essays, Tagore warned of the harm which he believed Nationalism could cause to humanity. 100 years later, his warnings appear to have been prescient and have a new relevance today.
I had included some of his observations in my previous post about the assassination of the British Labour MP Jo Cox a few days before the Referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU. For the 10 months since the marginal victory of the Leave campaign, the politicians who argued for it have avoided spelling out how exactly they plan to deliver their ‘have cake and eat it‘ promises.
Only this morning, in his 13-minute interview with Robert Peston, Britain’s Brexit Minister David Davis revealed the extent of the delusion he is under. He seems to be blissfully unaware of the speech by the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier just over a week ago in Florence about ‘Protecting Citizens’ Rights in the Negotiations with the UK‘. He also seems to have no understanding of trade negotiations … .
Still, let us not worry about this, Theresa May invites the people of the UK to put our faith in her ‘strong and stable leadership‘. This after the UK’s National Health Service came to a grinding halt on Friday due to a cyber-attack using vulnerabilities found by the US NSA.
Theresa May seems simply to have taken over the populist mantle of the UK Independence Party, emphasising the need to control immigration into the UK (and reject trading with the rest of the EU). Her ‘battle bus’ has ‘Theresa May: For Britain’ emblazoned on it and she has been meeting pre-selected voters and journalists who have had to submit their questions in advance.
In the modern era, nationalism has become popular in several countries. Fake news, and the money behind it, has played a major role in this, including in the UK Referendum. Claudia Cadwalladr’s investigation has linked the main Leave campaigns to a US billionaire who also financed Donald Trump’s campaign. It remains to be seen whether the Tactical2017 campaign will be able to counter this.
As we have seen recently in France, the debate is no longer between left and right but between the Nation and the world. In the French Presidential elections last Sunday, the people of France clearly preferred the internationalist view of Emmanuel Macron to the nationalist view of Marine Le Pen.
Of course, there is still an underlying problem which the populists have been playing on: many ordinary people have not seen the benefits of globalisation. Remarkably, globalisation was something Tagore had predicted a century ago in his speeches on Nationalism. He also suggested that the way to avoid the world being “broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls” could come from India’s experience.
The whole world is becoming one country through scientific facility. And the moment is arriving when you also must find a basis of unity which is not political. If India can offer to the world her solution, it will be a contribution to humanity. There is only one history – the history of man. All national histories are merely chapters in the larger one. And we are content in India to suffer for such a great cause.
European nationalists, not to mention Donald Trump, were hailing the result of the UK Referendum as the beginning of a domino effect leading to the disintegration of the EU. Fortunately, since then, the voters of other EU Member States rejected the advances of eurosceptic populists, as Thomas Taylor’s cartoon illustrates.
In his TED talk ‘Why Brexit happened – and what to do next’, social scientist Alexander Betts explains that this was behind the way people voted in the UK Referendum.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attributes his election success to having identified some years ago that ‘Globalisation isn’t working for ordinary people‘. Similarly, France’s new President, Emmanuel Macron, campaigned for a clear diplomatic policy to make France an independent, humanist and European power. In his inaugural speech earlier today, he said “We will need a Europe that is more efficient, more democratic and more political, for it is the ultimate instrument of our sovereignty.”
Macron’s call for France to be a humanist power echoes Tagore’s most famous poem from the English Gitanjali:
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Here is the French version recited by Arlette Schreiber for our multilingual Story of Gitanjali at the world premiere of our film version of Chitrangada in 2012:
Posted by obhi at 7:40 pm Tagged with: anniversary, Bengal, birthplace, brexit, Chatterjee, Gitanjali, globalisation, humanism, internationalism, macron, nation, nationalism, rabindranath, shakespeare, Tagore, world
You must be nuts! – the prequel
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Santiniketan, Tagore and tradition
Tagore in Bulgaria
What pro-EU march in London?
How to recognise fascism
Facebook: Tagore 150th birth anniversary community
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INside Journey with the Enneagram
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Cheryl Walsh has written a fairy tale about her journey of transformation. Coming to embrace that she sees life through the Type 4 lens, and working with that understanding, Cheryl has experienced such growth.
Once upon a time, a baby girl was born into this world. She had lived in another place with the Eternal One who is Love before she came to earth. In the beginning when she was very, very young, she remembered this place and her connection to Love. She smiled and laughed and shared her joy with everyone around her.
But she soon discovered that the world was not always a safe place to be and things happened that made the little girl afraid. She tried to use her voice to speak her truth but sometimes she was not heard. She began to lose her memory of her connection to that special place where she had known the Eternal One and basked in Love.
She began to wonder who she really was and where she fully belonged. As the years went on she looked to the other people in her life to tell her who she was. She tried to fit all these expectations. She felt different from other people and very, very lonely at times. She was often conscious of a gnawing longing for something that she couldn’t quite name.
As she grew into womanhood on the outside, inside she was still the little girl who desperately wanted to be loved and cared for. No matter how much love she had in her life, there never seemed to be enough of the special kind of love she longed for. She was always yearning for that special connection. And she lived with two terrible secrets… there was something very wrong with her, and if anyone really knew her, they would certainly never like her and would reject her.
She tried to keep her heart safe so that she could not be rejected. However, at some point she always gave in, and opened her heart very wide, and let all those feelings and emotions and yearnings pour out into someone’s hearing. Perhaps this time, the young woman thought, I will find my special connection. But, often times her tender heart was trodden on, and bruised, and the special connection continued to elude her.
There was a voice in the woman’s head that was harsh and loud and said mean things to her. She forgot when this voice had first started speaking, but it seemed to have been with her for a very, very long time and never really went away. She often compared herself to other people and wondered why she was so much less capable, clever and beautiful than everyone else? This ruminating caused her to doubt herself, to lose confidence in herself and to see herself as less than others. She worried constantly that she was not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, loveable enough… the list seemed to go on. Everyone else had so much more of everything than she had!
Sometimes these thoughts consumed her attention and her energy. The years went by and she was never really happy with the reality of her life in the here and now. There was always that nagging feeling that the best was still out there. How was she to find it? Would it elude her forever?
She tried doing inner work, she journaled, she talked with counselors, prayed, read, thought, and thought some more. Sometimes she saw glimmers of her own truth and the pathway to healing and wholeness. But somehow it wasn’t quite enough, and it never really seemed to last. She would start wandering again in those familiar thoughts and patterns of behaviour that she had always known. Maybe this was simply all there was, she would think to herself.
Then one day, as she was teetering on the threshold of the third phase of life, the woman happened to see an invitation to a series of workshops on the Enneagram. She thought she had discerned her “type” many years earlier, but now suddenly she was not so sure. What a scary, scary feeling this uncertainty was! She took her courage in hand and decided to step out. She registered for all of three of those workshops!
The woman arrived at the first workshop where she met several other brave souls who were on the same journey of self-discovery and transformation. As she listened to everyone tell their story, she cried many tears. Tears of compassion and tears of empathy, tears of laughter, and by the end of the day, tears of fear, because she simply did not know who she was. She was held in sacred silence and acceptance by the group as she shared some of her own story and tried to understand who she really was. That clarity eluded her that day.
But … she returned for the next workshop, and the next. Listening to the stories of others helped her to understand her own. By the third meeting she had found her true self. What a homecoming it was! There was great joy and freedom within her. For the first time in her life she could truly say she loved herself and she knew herself to be the Beloved of the Eternal One who is Love. This was where she had come from. Everything made sense! She understood why she did what she did all her life! Her heart opened up with compassion for herself and for all the others in the room and in her life, for they too, had their own struggles and challenges.
The woman discovered a special name for herself- a sacred name. She practiced it everyday and looked in the mirror so she could tell it to herself. The sacred name was “sweetheart”. When things did not go well and she found herself falling into some of those terrible habits and behaviours that she was not proud of, she talked gently to herself and said, “It’s ok, sweetheart”. She knew she was not bad, or stupid. She was just human, and could try again. There were new habits and behaviours she could choose to practice, new ways of being. The harsh voice inside her head was still there, but sometimes it was not so loud and she could speak over it now, with a gentler voice of love.
She was so, so grateful to the two women who had facilitated the workshops and created the safe and sacred space for her to discover herself, who accepted her as she was, and were gentle with her tears. They rejoiced with her over the new creation who she was and cheered her on. Here was a community where she did belong– not because she was like everyone else, but precisely because she was herself!
At first she thought these women were her very own fairy godmothers, but when she really thought about it… she realized they were actually much more than that. They were spiritual midwives. Not just for her, but for all the seekers who came looking for truth and authenticity through the self-awareness found through the Enneagram. These midwives were helping her and all of the other seekers give birth to their authentic selves! How wonderful! How empowering! How freeing!
Is the woman living happily ever after? Well … she is living more honestly. She is believing in herself. She is choosing to face her fears with courage and move forward anyway. Sometimes she is still lonely, and yet, she realizes there is a certain kind of grace and strength that comes from being alone. When she finds herself yearning for love, she remembers the life-giving power of the Love that is self-love. She is embracing life in all of its reality, just as it is, understanding that it is a fragile and precious gift. Most importantly of all, she knows that true happiness is a choice.
And so, yes, she is choosing to live happily ever after! And this is not the end of the story, but a new beginning!
~~ Cheryl Walsh
Based in Acton, ON
And willing to serve the world!
General: info@INsideJourneyEnneagram.com
Cynthia: cynthiajstevens@outlook.com
Sue: sgttnstn@gmail.com
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Tough Ventures
About Energize
All posts Entrepreneurs at the Industrial Gate
January 14, 2019 John Tough 0Comment
There are nearly 300 companies within the Fortune 1,000 that are broadly characterized by an industrial focus. The medium revenue for these economy-anchoring firms is nearly $4.9 billion, resulting in over $9 trillion in market capitalization. But revenue growth in this space is a far cry from the 20%+ range of the high-tech software companies beginning to dot the economy.
Given the total addressable market and slow-moving perception of these industries, many market-hungry start-ups attempt to attack (or serve) this industry. But, running a technology company to serve the industrial verticals contains many hidden traps. In fact, the slow operating and decision pace employed by industrial or critical infrastructure companies is a feature to their modus operandi, not a bug. Due to the large installed or operating asset base, industrial companies think in decade-long, multi-cycle returns and the capital and customer decision procedures are not meant to reflect one particular market moment.
The entrepreneurs that best address the industrial verticals tend to bring some domain-specific frustration, and many are returning to their materials-heavy industries with innovative software services and platforms in an attempt to modernize operations and add value to customers.
And while meaningful change can appear frustratingly slow, industrial incumbents that operate primarily in atoms are beginning to feel the attention of bit-bearing software companies.
But just how much Series A-C venture capital attention have the construction, power, & energy, logistics & transportation, advanced manufacturing, and resource industries received?
That’s right: last year nearly $6 billion went into Series A, B & C start-ups within the industrial, engineering & construction, power, energy, mining & materials, and mobility segments. Venture capital dollars deployed to these sectors is growing at a 30% annual rate, up from ~$750M in 2010. And while the $6 billion figure is notable due to the growth of VC dollars invested, this early stage investment figure still only equates to ~0.2% of the revenue for the sector and ~1.2% of industry profits.
The number of deals in the space shows a similarly strong growth trajectory. But there are some interesting trends beginning to emerge: the capital deployed to the industrial technology market is growing at a faster clip than the number of deals. These differing growth trajectories mean that the average deal size has grown by 45% in the last 8 years, from $18 to $26 million.
The Detail by Stage
Median Series A deal size in 2018 was $11M, representing a modest 8% increase in size versus 2012/2013. But Series A deal volume is up nearly 10x since then!
Median Series B deal size in 2018 was $20M, an 83% growth over the past 5 years and deal volume is up about 4x
Median Series C deal size in 2018 was $33M, representing an enormous 113% growth over the past 5 years. But, Series C deals have appeared to reach a plateau in the low 40s, so investors are becoming pickier in selecting the winners
These graphs show that the Series A investors have stayed relatively consistent and the overall 46% increase in sector deal size growth primarily originates from the Series B & Series C investment rounds. With bigger rounds, how are valuation levels adjusting?
Growth in pre-money valuation particularly acute in later stage deals
The data shows that valuations have increased even faster than the round sizes have grown themselves. This means that management teams are not feeling any incremental dilution by raising these larger rounds.
The average Series A round now buys about 24%, slightly less than 5 years ago
The average Series B round now buys about 22% of the company, down from 26% 5 years ago
The average Series C round now buys approximately 20%, down from 23% 5 years ago
Some of my conclusions
Even with the growth in capital deployed, dollars invested as a portion of industry revenue and profit allows for further capital commitments. More entrepreneurs (& VCs supporting them) are likely to come knocking on the industrial gate
There is a growing appreciation for the industrial sales cycle: investor willingness to wait for reduced risk to deploy even more capital in the perceived winners appears to be driving this trend
Entrepreneurs that can successfully de-risk their enterprise through revenue, partnerships, and industry hires will gain access to outsized capital pools. The winners in this market tend to compound
Uncertainty still remains about exit opportunities for technology companies that serve these industries. While there is anecdote (PlanGrid, Kurion, OSIsoft), we are not hearing about a sizable exit from this market on a weekly or monthly cadence. This means that we won’t know for a few years about the returns impact of these rising valuations. Grab your hard hat!
*Data pulled from Pitchbook, scope available by request
Mike Maples of Floodgate Talks VC & Start-ups on the Origin Podcast
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Mon, Jan 20, 2020 | فارسی [Archive]
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Jorjani Biomedicine Journal
Jorjani Biomedicine Journal (Jorjani Biomed J)-formerly known as Hakim Jorjani Journal is a peer-reviewed international journal for biomedical sciences. Jorjani Biomed J publishes original research articles, reviews, short communications and case reports dealing with all aspects of biological and biomedical sciences at molecular, clinical and functional dimensions in English. Jorjani Biomed J is a free open access journal. Jorjani Biomed J follows ICMJE's (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals as well as World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Manuscripts should only be submitted through Online Submission System. We also offer free English editing services. For more information please contact the office.
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Please check the following notes before submitting your manuscript:
1. The abstract must be structured (i.e., Background and objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusion).
2. Keywords are included according to MeSh and separated by semicolons.
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Manuscripts should be prepared and submitted in one of the following formats (Jorjani Biomed J does not consider or review articles in other formats):
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The main document of the manuscript should include "title" not the "title page" at the top. The author is the responsible person for anonymity of article. Therefore, author names should not be provided in the main document.
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Abstract: The Abstract should describe the main objective(s) of the study, explain how the study was done, including any model organisms used, without methodological detail, summarizes the main results and their significance. A concise and factual abstract is required for all manuscripts (maximum 300 words). The abstract should be structured and briefly state the Background and objectives and Methods of the research, the Results and Conclusion [References and non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided in this section].
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This section should provide enough details that allow other skilled investigators to fully reproduce the study. Specific information and/or protocols for new methods should be included in detail. If materials, methods, and protocols are well established, authors may cite articles where those protocols are described in detail, but the submission should include sufficient information to be understood independent of these references. The company’s name, city, and country of the manufacturer of the major equipment and catalog number when appropriate should be given. Unexpected hazards faced during the experimental work should be noted. Generic drug names should generally be used. When proprietary brands are used in research, include the brand names in parentheses. Studies on humans or animal models and/or tissue or field sampling must include required Ethics statements from the relevant local or national authority. The origin of the cell lines used should be stated. Submission of sequence data to databases: Novel nucleotide or protein sequence data must be deposited in the GeneBank, EMBL or DDBJ databases and an accession number obtained before the paper could be accepted for publication. For each accession number cited in an article, authors should type the accession number in capital. This section should also contain the type of statistical analysis used, including a power calculation if appropriate. They should also include a statement that informed consent was obtained for any experimentation with human subjects.
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This section should discuss the implications of the findings in in relation to previous related studies and point out limitations of the study. Authors should explain how the results relate to the hypothesis or objective of the study (without repeating them). Avoid extensive citations and discussion of published literature.
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The individual contributions of authors to the manuscript should be specified in this section. Please use initials to refer to each author's contribution in this section, for example: "SM analyzed and interpreted the patient data regarding the hematological disease and the transplant. MS performed the histological examination of the kidney, and was a major contributor in writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
If your manuscript contains any individual person’s data in any form (including individual details, images or videos), consent for publication must be obtained from that person, or in the case of children, their parent or legal guardian. All presentations of case reports must have consent for publication. You can use your institutional consent form or our consent form if you prefer. You should not send the form to us on submission, but we may request to see a copy at any stage (including after publication).
A section entitled “Highlights” should be included before references. The section will contain two subsections:
1) What is current knowledge?
2) What is new here?
Please prepare these subsections as bulleted points up to about 15-20 words, either in phrases or complete sentences. The highlights section increases the visibility and readability of your work.
Arrange references as a simple list at the end of your manuscript based on Vancouver Endnote style. You may also download the Vancouver style HERE.
All references, including URLs, must be numbered consecutively, in square parentheses (e.g., ‘’ several studies indicated the increasing rate of antibiotic resistance (26)’’), in the order in which they are cited in the text, followed by any in tables or legends. Acceptable sources include published or accepted manuscripts and manuscripts on preprint servers. Do not cite unavailable and unpublished work. References must be listed at the end of the manuscript and numbered in the order of their appearance in the text.
Jorjani Biomed J uses the numbered citation (citation-sequence) method and first six authors, et al. References should be in Vancouver style and meet the followings:
Hou WR, Hou YL, Wu GF, Song Y, Su XL, Sun B, et al. cDNA, genomic sequence cloning and overexpression of ribosomal protein gene L9 (rpL9) of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Genet Mol Res. 2011;10: 1576-1588.
Devaraju P, Gulati R, Antony PT, Mithun CB, Negi VS. Susceptibility to SLE in South Indian Tamils may be influenced by genetic selection pressure on TLR2 and TLR9 genes. Mol Immunol. 2014 Nov 22. pii: S0161-5890(14)00313-7. doi: 10.1016/j.molimm.2014.11.005
Bates B. Bargaining for life: A social history of tuberculosis. 1st ed. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press; 1992.
Hansen B. New York City epidemics and history for the public. In: Harden VA, Risse GB, editors. AIDS and the historian. Bethesda: National Institutes of Health; 1991. pp. 21-28.
In references, the journal titles should be in their complete form and not ISO or NLM abbreviations.
Authors are responsible for the accuracy of cited references and these should be checked before the manuscript is submitted.
Only one publication can be listed for each number.
Published conference abstracts, numbered patents, and preprints on recognized servers may be included in reference lists, but text, grant details, and acknowledgments may not.
Tables should be designed as simple as possible with clear borders and not in form of an image. Cite tables in ascending numeric order upon first appearance in the text. Place each table in the manuscript immediately after the paragraph in which it is first cited. Label tables (e.g., “Table 1”) and provide brief description above the table. Place legends, footnotes, and other text below the table.
Cite figures in ascending numeric order upon first appearance in the manuscript file. Label figures (e.g., ‘’Figure 1) and provide a concise, descriptive title and captions below the figure. The caption may also include a legend as needed. Figures should be in high quality and figure captions should be mentioned in the text immediately after the paragraph in which the figure is first cited. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission from the copyright holder to reproduce figures (or tables) that have previously been published elsewhere.
Define abbreviations in parenthesis upon first appearance in the text. Use standard abbreviations if they appear at least three times in the text. Keep abbreviations to a minimum and avoid using abbreviations and/or symbols in the title and the abstract. All values of quantities should be given appropriate unit with solidus presentation (mg/ml). Standard abbreviations such as RNA and DNA should not be defined.
Authors should ensure that papers conform to the scientific instructions and style aforementioned. In order to accelerate the publication process, the Journal requires that manuscripts be submitted online using Online Submission System facility of the journal.
Jorjani Biomed J offers a completely digital submission, review, and production process. It is suggested that authors follow the given guidelines above; unless otherwise, the submission will be returned to the authors for additional revision which may decelerate the manuscript evaluation process and hence delay publication.
Changes to authorship
This policy concerns the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names in the authorship of accepted manuscripts. Requests to add or remove an author, or to rearrange the author names, must be sent to the Editor from the corresponding author of the accepted manuscript and must include: (a) the reason the name should be added or removed, or the author names rearranged and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, fax, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement.
Electronic proof will be sent in PDF format to the corresponding author to check for typesetting accuracy. Page proofs are considered to be the final version of the manuscript. With the exception of typographical or minor errors, no changes will be made in the manuscript at the proof stage.
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Posts Tagged ‘derek willis’
Building the Data Desk: Lessons From the L.A. Times (Knight Digital Media Center)
[Editor’s note: Great article on how data, including GIS, maps, and Google mashups can be leveraged in news media environments from a veteran of the LA Times. Thanks Aly! (and bon voyage)]
Republished from Knight Digital Media Center (OJR). By Eric Ulken on Nov. 21, 2008.
In early 2007, when the Los Angeles Times launched its Homicide Report blog — an effort to chronicle every homicide in Los Angeles County — it was clear that there were important geographic and demographic dimensions to the information that a blog format wouldn’t fully capture. What we needed was a ChicagoCrime.org-style map that would let users focus on areas of interest to them, with filters that would enable them to “play” with the data and explore trends and patterns for themselves. Problem was, the web staff (of which I was a part) lacked the tools and the expertise to build such a thing, so the blog launched without a map. (Sound familar?)
It took several months to secure the tech resources and a couple more months to create wireframes and spec out requirements for what would become the Homicide Map, with the help of a couple of talented developers and a project manager on part-time loan from the website’s IT department. We were fortunate, of course: We actually had access to this kind of expertise, and since then we’ve hired a couple of dedicated editorial developers. I’m aware that others might not have it so good.
Last week, Robert Niles argued that news organizations should be in the business of creating “killer apps”. Put another way, there is a need to develop tools that hew to the content rather than the other way around. But creating the functionality Robert describes takes a closer connection between news thinking and tech thinking than is possible within news organizations’ traditional structures and skill sets.
In this post, I’ll try to squeeze some wisdom out of the lessons we learned in the process of assembling the Times’ Data Desk, a cross-functional team of journalists responsible for collecting, analyzing and presenting data online and in print. (Note: I left the Times earlier this month to work on some independent projects. I am writing this piece with the blessing of my former bosses there.)
Here, then, are 10 pieces of advice for those of you building or looking to build a data team in your newsroom:
Find the believers: You’ll likely discover enthusiasts and experts in places you didn’t expect. In our case, teaming up with the Times’ computer-assisted reporting staff, led by Doug Smith, was a no-brainer. Doug was publishing data to the web before the website had anybody devoted to interactive projects. But besides Doug’s group, we found eager partners on the paper’s graphics staff, where, for example, GIS expert Tom Lauder had already been playing with Flash and web-based mapping tools for a while. A number of reporters were collecting data for their stories and wondering what else could be done with it. We also found people on the tech side with a good news sense who intuitively understood what we were trying to do.
Get buy-in from above: For small projects, you might be able to collaborate informally with your fellow believers, but for big initiatives, you need the commitment of top editors who control the newsroom departments whose resources you’ll draw on. At the Times, a series of meetings among senior editors to chart a strategic vision for the paper gave us an opportunity to float the data desk idea. This led to plans to devote some reporting resources to gathering data and to move members of the data team into a shared space near the editorial library (see #8).
Set some priorities: Your group may come from a variety of departments, but if their priorities are in alignment, disparate reporting structures might not be such a big issue. We engaged in “priority alignment” by inviting stakeholders from all the relevant departments (and their bosses) to a series of meetings with the goal of drafting a data strategy memo and setting some project priorities. (We arrived at these projects democratically by taping a big list on the wall and letting people vote by checkmark; ideas with the most checks made the cut.) Priorities will change, of course, but having some concrete goals to guide you will help.
Go off the reservation: No matter how good your IT department is, their priorities are unlikely to be in sync with yours. They’re thinking big-picture product roadmaps with lots of moving pieces. Good luck fitting your database of dog names (oh yes, we did one of those) into their pipeline. Early on, database producer Ben Welsh set up a Django box at projects.latimes.com, where many of the Times’ interactive projects live. There are other great solutions besides Django, including Ruby on Rails (the framework that powers the Times’ articles and topics pages and many of the great data projects produced by The New York Times) and PHP (an inline scripting language so simple even I managed to learn it). Some people (including the L.A. Times, occasionally) are using Caspio to create and host data apps, sans programming. I am not a fan, for reasons Derek Willis sums up much better than I could, but if you have no other options, it’s better than sitting on your hands.
Templatize: Don’t build it unless you can reuse it. The goal of all this is to be able to roll out projects rapidly (see #6), so you need templates, code snippets, Flash components, widgets, etc., that you can get at, customize and turn around quickly. Interactive graphics producer Sean Connelley was able to use the same county-level California map umpteen times as the basis for various election visualizations in Flash.
Do breaking news: Your priority list may be full of long-term projects like school profiles and test scores, but often it’s the quick-turnaround stuff that has the biggest immediate effect. This is where a close relationship with your newsgathering staff is crucial. At the Times, assistant metro editor Megan Garvey has been overseeing the metro staff’s contributions to data projects for a few months now. When a Metrolink commuter train collided with a freight train on Sept. 12, Megan began mobilizing reporters to collect key information on the victims while Ben adapted an earlier Django project (templatizing in action!) to create a database of fatalities, complete with reader comments. Metro staffers updated the database via Django’s easy-to-use admin interface. (We’ve also used Google Spreadsheets for drama-free collaborative data entry.) … Update 11/29/2008: I was remiss in not pointing out Ben’s earlier post on this topic.
Develop new skills: Disclaimer: I know neither Django nor Flash, so I’m kind of a hypocrite here. I’m a lucky hypocrite, though, because I got to work with guys who dream in ActionScript and Python. If you don’t have access to a Sean or a Ben — and I realize few newsrooms have the budget to hire tech gurus right now — then train and nurture your enthusiasts. IRE runs occasional Django boot camps, and there are a number of good online tutorials, including Jeff Croft’s explanation of Django for non-programmers. Here’s a nice primer on data visualization with Flash.
Cohabitate (but marriage is optional): This may be less of an issue in smaller newsrooms, but in large organizations, collaboration can suffer when teams are split among several floors (or cities). The constituent parts of the Times’ Data Desk — print and web graphics, the computer-assisted reporting team and the interactive projects team — have only been in the same place for a couple months, but the benefits to innovation and efficiency are already clear. For one thing, being in brainstorming distance of all the people you might want to bounce ideas off of is ideal, especially in breaking news situations. Also, once we had everybody in the same place, our onetime goal of unifying the reporting structure became less important. The interactive folks still report to latimes.com managing editor Daniel Gaines, and the computer-assisted reporting people continue to report to metro editor David Lauter. The graphics folks still report to their respective bosses. Yes, there are the occasional communication breakdowns and mixed messages. But there is broad agreement on the major priorities and regular conversation on needs and goals.
Integrate: Don’t let your projects dangle out there with a big ugly search box as their only point of entry. Weave them into the fabric of your site. We were inspired by the efforts of a number of newspapers — in particular the Indianapolis Star and its Gannett siblings — to make data projects a central goal of their newsgathering operations. But we wanted to do more than publish data for data’s sake. We wanted it to have context and depth, and we didn’t want to relegate data projects to a “Data Central“-type page, something Matt Waite (of Politifact fame) memorably dubbed the “data ghetto.” (I would link to Waite’s thoughtful post, but his site unfortunately reports that it “took a dirt nap recently.”) I should note that the Times recently did fashion a data projects index of its own, but only as a secondary way in. The most important routes into data projects are still through related Times content and search engines.
Give back: Understand that database and visualization projects demand substantial resources at a time when they’re in very short supply. Not everyone in your newsroom will see the benefit. Make clear the value your work brings to the organization by looking for ways to pipe the best parts (interesting slices of data, say, or novel visualizations) into your print or broadcast product. For example, some of the election visualizations the data team produced were adapted for print use, and another was used on the air by a partner TV station.
When I shared this post with Meredith Artley, latimes.com’s executive editor and my former boss, she pointed to the formation about a year ago of the interactive projects team within the web staff (Ben, Sean and me; Meredith dubbed us the “cool kids,” a name that stuck):
“For me, the big step was creating the cool kids team — actually forming a unit with a mandate to experiment and collaborate with everyone in the building with the sole intention of creating innovative, interactive projects.”
And maybe that should have been my first piece of advice: Before you can build a data team, you need one or more techie-journalists dedicated full-time to executing online the great ideas they’ll dream up.
What else did I miss? If you’ve been through this process (or are going through it, or are about to), I hope you’ll take a minute to share your insights.
Tags: actionscript, breaking news, caspio, chicagocrime.org, data desk, data strategy, derek willis, django, Flash, give back, homicide, it, journalism, journalist, la times, media, news, niles, php, politifact, priorities, python, ruby on rails, templatize, ulken, visualization
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Diagnostic Ability of 384-Slice Computed Tomographic Angiography in Prediction of Myocardial Ischemia in Patients with Myocardial Bridging (MB) as Compared to SPECT-MPI Examination
Majid Maleki 1 , Ali Zahedmehr 2 , Bahar Galeshi 3 , Nahid Yaghoobi 4 , Ahmad Bitarafan-Rajabi 4 , Maryam Mohammadzadeh 5 , Ali Abbasian Ardakani 6 , Ali Pourvaziri 7 , Dorna Charkheshi 1 , Ali Kazem Mousavi 3 , Ali Mohammadzadeh 8 , *
1 Department of Cardiology, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Interventional Cardiology, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 Senior Cardiology Resident, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5 Department of Radiology, Amiralam Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
6 Department of Medical Physics, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
7 Advanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
8 Department of Radiology, Rajaie Cardiovascular and Medical Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
* Corresponding author: Ali Mohammadzadeh, Department of Radiology, Rajaie Cardiovascular and Medical Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. E-mail: mralimohammadzadeh@yahoo.com
How to Cite: Maleki M, Zahedmehr A, Galeshi B, Yaghoobi N, Bitarafan-Rajabi A, et al. Diagnostic Ability of 384-Slice Computed Tomographic Angiography in Prediction of Myocardial Ischemia in Patients with Myocardial Bridging (MB) as Compared to SPECT-MPI Examination, Iran J Radiol. 2018 ; 15(3):e55964. doi: 10.5812/iranjradiol.55964.
Iranian Journal of Radiology: 15 (3); e55964
Received: July 1, 2017
Revised: December 30, 2017
Background: During the past decade, coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) has become the primary non-invasive imaging technique for the assessment of myocardial bridging (MB).
Objectivs: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of CCTA to predict myocardial ischemia in patients with MB.
Patients and Methods: A total of 32 MB patients (21 males and 11 females) participated in this study. Eleven MB parameters were measured to assess the ability of CCTA to predict MB patients with ischemia. In order to evaluate ischemia, all the patients underwent single positron emission computed tomography-myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) examination.
Results: Ischemia was observed in 17 patients (53.1%), while 15 patients (46.9%) did not show signs of ischemia. Out of the 32 patients, superficial MB was observed in 15 patients while deep MB was identified in 12, and borderline was observed in five patients. All MB examined parameters were found to be significantly different between ischemic and non-ischemic patients, except for the location and tunnel artery diameter in diastole. Moreover, a cut-off value of 0.65 mm was able to discriminate ischemia with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 93%, and yield area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.996. Also, by considering the depth cut-off value of 1.75 mm, ischemia can be distinguished with sensitivity and specificity of 100%. MB length had a lower discrimination power, with a cut off value of 22.5 mm yield, 76% sensitivity, 67% specificity, and AUC = 0.810 in the diagnosis of ischemia.
Conclusion: CCTA was a reliable modality with high accuracy to depict MB, identify high risk MB, and prevent unnecessary SPECT-MPI examination.
Computed Tomographic Angiography Diagnostics Ischemia Myocardial Perfusion Imaging Myocardial Bridging
Copyright © 2018, Iranian Journal of Radiology. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits copy and redistribute the material just in noncommercial usages, provided the original work is properly cited
In addition to coronary atherosclerosis, miscellaneous risk factors such as hypercoagulability states, coronary artery spasm, congenital anomalies of coronary arteries, endothelial or microvascular dysfunction, severe ventricular hypertrophy, aortic stenosis, and myocardial bridging (MB) may lead to myocardial ischemia (1). Myocardial bridging (MB) is a congenital coronary artery anomaly. It occurs when a segment of an epicardial coronary artery runs into the myocardial wall, beneath the muscle bridge. This may lead to vessel compression during systole and result in myocardial ischemia.
The most frequent location of MB is in the middle segment of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery (2, 3). The depth and length of MB were reported at a range of 1 to 10 mm and 10 to 30 mm, respectively (4). MB is classified in regard to their depths (superficial: > 1 to 2 mm vs. deep: > 2 mm) (5).
MB was first described by Portman during angiographic imaging in 1960 (6). Since then, coronary arteries have been evaluated by a wide range of newer diagnostic measures such as intracoronary Doppler sonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) (7-11). CCTA has become the primary non-invasive imaging technique for the assessment of MB due to its capabilities such as multi-planar reconstruction, high versatility as well as high accuracy and reliability (12, 13).
As previously mentioned, MB could lead to myocardial ischemia. The occurrence of myocardial ischemia correlates with the length and depth of the bridging vessel, since ischemia is more frequent in long and deep MBs (14). Single photon emission computed tomographic -myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) is a clinical standard imaging technique for myocardial perfusion, but it suffers from poor spatial resolution and soft tissue attenuation artifacts. Also, it has a risk of ionizing radiation inherently (15, 16).
The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of CCTA imaging to predict ischemia in patients with MB in comparison with SPECT-MPI imaging.
3.1. Patients and Image Acquisition
Patients considered for this study were MB-proven by CCTA at Rajaie cardiovascular Medical and research center between March 2015 and March 2016. This study was conducted with an approval from the ethics committee of the Iran University of Medical Sciences. The inclusion criteria of computed tomography angiography (CTA) and SPECT-MPI are described as follows: patients with suspected coronary artery disease who were referred from sub-specialized cardiologists for CCTA and patients diagnosed with MB were selected based on referral to a subspecialized cardiologist to evaluate MB induce ischemia using SPECT-MPI. Patients with active asthma, impaired renal function, drug use which has an effect on the autonomic system, smoking habit, and heart disorders such as coronary artery disease, myocardial hypertrophy, valvular heart disease, and dilated cardiomyopathy, were excluded from this study. Informed consent was obtained from the patients and they underwent stress/rest for SPECT-MPI examination to evaluate ischemic degree.
In order to obtain optimal image quality, the heart rate (HR) of patients was measured before CCTA examination and a heart rate of more than 70 bpm was corrected using 50 to 100 mg metoprolol (Alborz Darou, Iran), which was administered orally. Sublingual nitroglycerin (G.Pohl-Boskamp GmbH and Co, Germany) was also administered for vasodilatation of coronary arteries in order to acquire superior images. All patients were evaluated by Dual-source 384 slice-CT with electrocardiogram (ECG) gated. Contrast administration was executed with a bolus of 30 to 50 cc contrast agent (omnipaque 350 mgI/mL) and a subsequent flow rate of 4.8 to 5.2 mL/s in keeping patient’s weight and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and using 30 to 40 mL/s of post contrast saline chaser.
Myocardial perfusion study was carried out in a 2-day study protocol. On the first day, a rest study was performed, followed by a stress study (exercise or drug-induced) on the second day. In both rest and stress studies, 740 MBq of Technetium-99m-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) was injected intravenously and ECG-gated SPECT was started 45 min after injection of 99mTc-MIBI.
CCTA images were acquired from a Dual-source 384 multi-slice CT (Somatom Force, SIEMENS Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany), with prospective ECG-gated. All parameters in CCTA examination are as follows: Collimation width = 384 × 0.6 mm, tube Voltage = 140 kV, tube current = 80 effective mAs tube effective current 330 ms, 500 to 1000 MA, temporal resolution = 66 ms, and slice thickness = 0.6 mm. All reconstructions were done between 30% and 70% of R-R cycle being the best interval for a systole and diastole phenomenon. In one breath-hold during inspiration, scanning was performed from the tracheal carina to the diaphragm. All CCTA images were reconstructed using an iterative technique in short axis, sagittal, coronal and three dimensional (3D) views.
Data acquisition was done using a dual-head SPECT camera system (symbia T2, SIEMENS Healthcare Erlangen, Germany), consisting of a low-energy, high-resolution, parallel-hole collimator; a 20% symmetric window at 140 keV photopeak; a 64 × 64 matrix; an elliptic orbit with step and shoot acquisition at 64 views over 180 degrees rotation. All SPECT-MPIs were reconstructed using filter back projection technique using a Butterworth filter with a cut-off of 0.45 and order of 5.
3.2. Image Interpretation
All CTA images were viewed, characterized, and analyzed on syngo.via software package (Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). CTA images were reviewed by a cardiac radiologist with eight years of experience in the field of cardiovascular imaging who was blinded to the SPECT-MPI results. The myocardial features were reported as follows:
1- Muscle bridge location was defined as the “mid part” and “mid to distal part”, according to its relation to arterial branches 1st diagonal artery (D1) and 2nd diagonal artery (D2) respectively.
2- Muscle bridge length was calculated as the distance between the point of entry into the myocardial layer and the point of exit from it.
3- Muscle bridge depth was calculated as the distance between the deepest point of the artery tunnel into the myocardial layer and the surface myocardial layer. MB is classified as regards to their depths: superficial < 2 mm, borderline ~ 2 mm, and deep > 2 mm.
4- LAD was divided into proximal, mid-part, and distal parts according to the diagonal arterial branches. The first part is a segment of LAD before the first diagonal branch, the mid-part is a segment of LAD between the first and second diagonal branches, and the distal part is a segment of LAD after the second diagonal branch. Furthermore, the mid to distal part is defined as a segment of the LAD at the pre to post second diagonal branch.
5- Proximal significant lesion was defined as greater than 50% reduction in diameter of the proximal part of the tunnel artery in the muscle bridge.
6- Diameter of LAD proximal to the muscle bridge (a): was defined as the diameter of the LAD artery before entering the muscle layer (myocardium) at the end of diastole in the short-axis, coronal and sagittal views.
7- Tunnel artery diameter in diastole (b): was defined as the diameter of the tunnel artery measured in the proximal 2 mm from the primary point of entry at the end of the diastole.
8- Tunnel artery diameter in systole (c) was defined as the diameter of the tunnel artery at the narrowest section.
9- Diameter difference was defined as the differences of the LAD diameter proximal to the muscle bridge and tunnel artery diameter in diastole (a - b).
10- Luminal narrowing: (a - c)/a, the luminal diameter of MB was evaluated during the diastolic and systolic phases of the cardiac cycle to determine the effect of systolic compression upon the bridging segments to assume whether ischemia was induced by this luminal narrowing.
11- Systolic compression was defined as (b - c)/b.
12- Muscle index was defined as the multiplication of MB depth by MB length.
The interpretation of SPECT-MPI was done by a nuclear physician with twenty years of experience in this field of cardiac nuclear medicine. The physician was blinded to all CCTA results and a 17-segment model was used. The presence or absence of ischemia, segment involvement and the degree of decreased perfusion for each segment was qualitatively reported as mild, moderate, and severe.
3.3. Statistical Analysis
Numeric data were tested for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The two tailed independent samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test were used to compare the numeric data, like age and CCTA based parameters between the two groups. Fisher exact and Chi-square tests were used to evaluate nominal data distribution including sex, MB location, clinical sign, and intensity of ischemia between the two groups. Pearson’s/Spearman’s correlation tests were used to determine correlations between luminal narrowing and MB length (and depth) and between systolic compression index and MB length (and depth). Nominal and numeric data with non-normal distribution have been described as the median and percentage, respectively.
The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was calculated for diameter difference, MB depth, and MB length in order to evaluate the overall performance of classification between the ischemia and non-ischemia groups. In this study, a P value of < 0.05 was considered significant and AUC values were estimated beyond the 95% confidence level. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS software (IBM SPSS Statistics 19 for Windows, IBM Inc., Armonk, NY, USA).
4.1. Demographic Data of Patients
This study included 32 patients (21 males and 11 females) with mean age of 48.19 ± 11.70 years. A total of 18 patients suffered from dyspnea while 22 patients had chest pain. Ten patients (31.25%) had both signs of dyspnea and chest pain. MB was more prevalent in the men than in the women and this difference was statistically significant (P = 0.004; Table 1). MB was located in the mid part of LAD in 25 patients (78.1%) and in the mid-to-distal part of LAD in seven patients. Superficial MB was observed in 15 patients, while deep MB and borderline cases occurred in 12 and five patients, respectively (Table 1).
Table 1. Main Demographic Characteristics of Patients with Myocardial Bridging
Ischemic
Non-Ischemic
Gender, No. (%) 0.004
Female 11 (34.4) 2 (11.8) 9 (60)
Male 21 (65.6) 15 (88.2) 6 (40)
MB depth Superficial, < 2 mm Borderline, ~ 2mm Deep, > 2 mm
Frequency, No. 15 5 12
Percent, % 46.9 15.6 37.5
Abbreviation: MB, Myocardial Bridging.
4.2. CCTA Finding
The distribution of MB anatomic parameters in CCTA images is shown in Table 2. The length and depth of MB, diameter of LAD proximally to MB, tunnel artery diameter in diastole, and systole are 23.25 ± 6.6, 2.30 ± 1.2, 3.30 ± 0.8, 2.40 ± 0.4, and 1.70 ± 0.5, respectively. Also, evaluations of hemodynamic parameters of MB in patients are shown in Table 2. The mean of luminal narrowing, systolic compression, and systolic compression index are 40.3 ± 23.4, 24 ± 18 and 59.3 ± 43, respectively.
Table 2. Distribution of Anatomic and Hemodynamic Myocardial Bridging Parameters in Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography Images
Anatomic measurements
Diameter of LAD proximal to MB
Tunnel artery diameter in diastole
Tunnel artery diameter in systole
Mean ± SD 23.25 ± 6.6 2.30 ± 1.2 3.30 ± 0.8 2.40 ± 0.4 1.70 ± 0.5
Minimum 10 1.2 2 1.5 1.1
Maximum 35 5 5 3.6 3.4
Inter-quartile (25 - 75),% 17 - 30 1.5 - 3.5 2.5 - 4.0 2 - 2.6 1.4 - 2.1
Hemodynamic measurements
Luminal narrowing, % Systolic compression, % Muscle index, mm2
Mean ± SD 40.3 ± 23.4 24 ± 18 59.3 ± 43
Minimum 0 0 15
Maximum 75 50 150
Inter-quartile (25 - 75),% 16.25 - 62.3 0.5 - 43 30 - 103.7
Abbreviations: LAD, Left Anterior Descending; MB, Myocardial Bridging; SD, Standard Deviation.
4.3. SPECT-MPI Finding
Of the 32 patients, ischemia was observed in 17 patients (53.1%, 15 males and two females), while 15 patients (46.9%, six males and nine females) did not have signs of ischemia (Table 1). The median age of the ischemic and non-ischemic patients was 45 and 44 years and this difference was not significant (P = 0.583). The locations of ischemia are described in Table 3 In these patients, the most frequent involvements were at the mid septal and anterior left ventricular (LV) walls, as well as the apico-septal and antero-apical walls of the heart. None of these patients presented severe ischemia. While most of the ischemia was mild and moderate, one patient with deep MB had fixed ischemia in the septal region (basal to apical) with the left bundle branch block (LBBB) pattern (Table 3).
Table 3. Distribution of Ischemia Location and Intensity in Patients
Percent in ischemic group
Valid percent
Intensity of ischemia
Mild-Moderate
Basal 4 12.5 12.5 3 0 1
Mid-part 11 64.7 34.4 10 0 1
Apical 10 58.8 31.3 9 0 1
4.4. Compatibility of CCTA and SPECT-MPI Findings
Evaluations were conducted for differences in dyspnea and chest pain in the ischemic and non-ischemic groups and these differences were determined as not statistically significant (P = 0.755 and P = 0.599, respectively) (Table 4). Also, there was a significant difference between the ischemic and non-ischemic groups for MB location and tunnel artery diameter in diastole (P = 0.538 and 0.166, respectively) (Tables 4 and 5). There was a significant difference between the two groups for all other anatomic parameters and all hemodynamic parameters of MB (Table 5). Patients with superficial MB had no ischemia, while ischemia was observed in all patients with MB depth ≥ 2 mm (Figures 1 and 2). In the assessment of CCTA images in patients with MB with LAD arterial proximal segment, significant (> 50% diameter reduction) narrowing is more among patients with positive ischemia as compared to the non-ischemic patients (percentiles 50 positive ischemia vs. non-ischemic patients: 62 vs. 15; P = 0.001) (Table 5). The mean diameter difference after the entry of the artery to the muscle layer was 0.893 ± 0.67 mm. The difference in diameter was found to be significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.001) (Table 5).
Table 4. Distribution of Clinical Signs and Myocardial Bridging Location in Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Groupsa
LAD territory ischemia
Dyspnea 0.755
No 7 (46.7) 7 (41.2) 14 (43.8)
Yes 8 (53.3) 10 (58.8) 18 (56.3)
CP 0.599
Yes 11 (73.3) 11 (64.7) 22 (68.8)
MB location 0.538
Mid Part 11 (73.3) 14 (82.4) 25 (78.1)
Mid-Distal Part 4 (26.7) 3 (17.6) 7 (21.9)
Abbreviations: CP, Chest Pain; LAD, Left Anterior Descending; MB, Myocardial Bridging.
aValues are expressed as No. (%).
Table 5. Comparison of Anatomic and Hemodynamic Myocardial Bridging Parameters in Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Groups
MB parameters
Positive ischemia
Negative ischemia
Percentiles, 50
Percentiles, 25-75
Length, mm 30 22.5 - 30 20 15 - 25 0.002
Depth, mm 3.5 2 - 4 1.5 1.2 - 1.5 0.001
Diameter of LAD proximal to MB, mm 4 3.5 - 4.4 2.5 2 - 3 0.001
Tunnel artery diameter
Diastole 2.5 2.2 - 2.8 2.2 1.8 - 2.5 0.166
Systole 1.5 1.3 - 1.8 2 1.6 - 2.5 0.001
Luminal narrowing, % 62 51 - 66.3 15 10 - 30 0.001
Systolic compression, % 43 25.5 - 48 6 5 - 10 0.001
Muscle index 100 55 - 121 30 18 - 35 0.001
Diameter difference 1 10 - 18 0.4 2 - 5 0.001
Abbreviations: LAD, left Anterior Descending; MB, Myocardial Bridging.
Figure 1. Volume-rendered technique (VRT) and maximum intensity projection (MIP) images show the muscle bridge of the left anterior descending (LAD) by 384 multi slice Siemens somatom force CT angiography (A) in a 70-year-old man with atypical chest pain. The myocardial bridging (MB) is located at the mid segment of LAD with a length of 35 mm and depth of 4 mm (two arrows indicate entrance and exit of MB). The selected slices of the gated SPECT images (B) shows mild to moderate ischemia in the mid anterolateral segment.
Figure 2. Volume-rendered technique (VRT) and maximum intensity projections (MIP) images show muscle bridge of left anterior descending (LAD) by 384 multi slice Siemens somatom force CT Angiography (A) in 59 years old female with atypical chest pain. The myocardial bridging (MB) is located at mid to distal segment of LAD in length of 20 mm and depth of 2.1 mm (two arrows indicate entrance and exit site of MB). Two selected short and long axis images of the gated SPECT (B) shows reversible perfusion defect in the mid anteroseptal segments.
4.5. Ischemia Prediction Using CCTA Image
Figures 3A and B show a significant positive correlation between luminal narrowing, MB length and MB depth (r = 0.569, P = 0.001 and r = 0.789, P = 0.001, respectively). In addition, systolic compression showed a significant positive correlation with MB length and MB depth (r = 0.568, P = 0.004 and 0.840, P = 0.001, respectively) (Figure 3C and D).
Figure 3. Scatter plot indicates there are significant positive correlations between: luminal narrowing and myocardial bridging (MB) length with R2 = 0.324 (A); Narrowing and MB depth with R2 = 0.622 (B); Systolic compression and MB length with R2 = 0.323 (C); Systolic compression and MB depth with R2 = 0.705 (D).
Figure 4 and Table 2 show a ROC analysis of MB parameters in the diagnosis of ischemia. A diameter difference with a cut-off value of 0.65 mm can differentiate ischemic patients from non-ischemic patients with a sensitivity and specificity of 1 (95% CI: 0.99 - 1.00) and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.89 - 0.97), respectively and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.996 (95% CI: 0.983 - 1.000). Moreover, by considering MB depth cut-off value of 1.75 mm, ischemia can be distinguished with a sensitivity and specificity of 1 (95% CI: 0.99 - 1.00), AUC of 1 (95% CI: 0.99 - 1.00), MB length with 22.5 mm cut-off value had a lower discrimination power with 0.76 (95% CI: 0.60 - 0.92) sensitivity, 67 (95% CI: 0.51 - 0.83) specificity and AUC = 0.810 (95% CI: 0.661, 0.959) in the classification of patients into ischemic and non-ischemic groups (Table 6).
Table 6. Diagnostic Performance of Myocardial Bridging Parameters for Detecting Ischemia
Cut-Off, mm
Sensitivity (95% CI)
Specificity (95% CI)
AUC (95% CI)
MB depth 1.75 1 (0.99 - 1.00) 1 (0.99 - 1.00) 1 (0.991 - 1.000)
Diameter difference 0.65 1 (0.99 - 1.00) 0.93 (0.89 - 0.97) 0.996 (0.983 - 1.000)
MB length 22.5 0.76 (0.60 - 0.92) 67 (0.51 - 0.83) 0.810 (0.661 - 0.959)
Abbreviations: AUC, Area under ROC curve; MB, Myocardial Bridging.
Figure 4. The receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curves (AUCs) of myocardial bridging (MB) parameters
MB has been considered as a benign condition, but recent studies have shown that it may lead to myocardial ischemia, infarction, coronary spasm, arrhythmias, and finally, death (17-19). Hence, detection of MB could be a critical factor for further reduction of complications and death. In the past decade, studies have shown that CCTA can depict MB with a higher rate than that reported by conventional angiography (19-22). In addition, conventional angiography is an invasive procedure and detecting MBs with significant hemodynamic effect on angiography remains cumbersome (23).
It seems that CCTA can characterize MB location, length, depth, definition of significant LAD arterial proximal segment (< 50% reduction in diameter), narrowing assessment, proximal significant lesion, tunnel artery diameter in diastole and systole, diameter difference, and muscle index. These findings can be used to predict myocardial ischemia. MB depth and length were both shown to be promising predictive parameters for identifying patients with ischemia, as previously discussed. All MB with a depth greater than 1.75 mm had ischemia and MBs with a length greater than 22.5 mm also showed ischemia with an accuracy of 81% (Figure 4). Some efforts have been made to find the correlations between MB length and the presence of ischemia, but the findings remain controversial in the literature. While some studies showed that MB length correlated with ischemia and is in agreement with our results (24-26), other studies reported the opposite (27-29). The reason for the difference obtained in the results of this study compared to others could be related to the newer generation of force CT scan with high spatial and temporal resolution and the iterative reconstruction pattern for better demonstration of superficial from deep MB and its length at CCTA as compared to previous studies by Kim et al. (29) and Niu et al. (27) who used filter back projection reconstruction, as well as Wang et al. (28) who used conventional angiography instead of CCTA for demonstration of MB length as compared to SPECT-MPI. Furthermore, the population differences of patients could be another reason for the differences in MB length induced ischemia at SPECT-MPI in previous studies as compared to the present study.
Furthermore, a diameter difference with a cut-off of 0.65 mm can diagnosis ischemia with 99.6% performance (Figure 4). Accurate and standardized measurement of these MB parameters is of great importance, since it can directly impact the patients’ course of treatment. All patients with deep and long MB and history of ischemia could be considered for medical treatment in conjunction with surgical un-bridging or coronary artery bypass if non-respondent to medical treatment (8). The results of the present study can be of help to physicians in predicting the risk of ischemia and thus, improve the treatment. Moreover, these results can also be of help to prevent unnecessary intervention, noncompulsory treatment, and avoidable complications.
In MB, LAD diameters may reduce after entrance into the myocardia. Although recent studies have mentioned this phenomenon (26, 30), to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the effect of this phenomenon on the prediction of ischemia.
There has been increasing incidence of detection of MB with the advent of the second and recently the third generation of multi-slice CT scanner (31). In this study, Dual-source 384 slice-CT was used to assess MB morphology and the results showed that MB parameters could predict ischemia with high accuracy (Table 6).
Since parameters such as age and clinical signs were not significantly different between the ischemic and non-ischemic patients, these parameters would not act as confounding factors in our study. Also, none of the patients has any underlying disease such as valve disease, atherosclerosis and myocardial hypertrophy that could ultimately affect the results.
There were some limitations in our study. First, the number of patients was small, further investigation using a larger data set would be appropriate. Second, patients were not followed up for a long term and there was no clear picture of how this ischemia-induced test would ultimately result in prognosis.
In conclusion, the results of this study showed that CCTA could help physicians to detect ischemia in MB candidates. Further study may be needed to evaluate the impact of muscle index and luminal narrowing in the prediction of significant hemodynamic MBs.
Authors’ Contributions: None declared.
Conflicts of Interest: None.
Ethical Approval: This study was approved by the ethics committee of Iran University of Medical Sciences (No. IR.IUMS.FMD.REC 1396.9211171026).
Financial Disclosure: None declared.
Funding/Support: This work was supported by a grant (No. 9211171026) from Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS).
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De Giorgio F, Grassi VM, Polacco M, Pascali VL, d'Aloja E, Arena V. Myocardial bridging and sudden cardiac death: is the actual classification exhaustive? Int J Cardiol. 2014;172(3):e383-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2013.12.286. [PubMed: 24508108].
Arjmand Shabestari A, Azma R, Nourmohammad A, Shakiba M. Systolic Compression of a Myocardial Bridged Coronary Artery and its Morphologic Characteristics: A Combination Study of Computed Tomography Angiography and Invasive Angiography. Iran J Radiol. 2016;13(4). e31647. doi: 10.5812/iranjradiol.31647. [PubMed: 27895870]. [PubMed Central: PMC5116748].
Niu YJ, Zhang XL, Cao AD, Leng B. Clinical value of the correlations of mural coronary artery compression extent with myocardial bridge length and thickness evaluated by 128-slice CT. Exp Ther Med. 2013;5(3):848-52. doi: 10.3892/etm.2012.879. [PubMed: 23408740]. [PubMed Central: PMC3570202].
Wang D, Sun JP, Lee AP, Ma GS, Yang XS, Yu CM, et al. Evaluation of left ventricular function by three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2015;28(6):674-82. doi: 10.1016/j.echo.2015.02.012. [PubMed: 25795472].
Kim SS, Ko SM, Song MG, Hwang HG. Systolic luminal narrowing and morphologic characteristics of myocardial bridging of the mid-left anterior descending coronary artery by dual-source computed tomography. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2011;27 Suppl 1:73-83. doi: 10.1007/s10554-011-9959-2. [PubMed: 21997576].
Aydin A, Cubuk R, Atasoy MM, Gurol T, Soylu O, Dagdeviren B. The morphologic and functional features of LAD myocardial bridging at multi-detector computed tomography coronary angiography: correlation with coronary artery disease. Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars. 2015;43(1):31-7. doi: 10.5543/tkda.2015.23672. [PubMed: 25655848].
Görmeli CA, Yağmur, J , Özdemir, R , Özdemir, Z. M , Sağır, A , Kahraman, C. Ç . Comparison of myocardial bridging prevalence using 64-slice versus 256-slice computed tomography scanners: What has changed with recent innovations in CT? Biomed Res. 2016;27(3):954-8.
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Home › 2014 › February
Adithya Bizorp Solutions India Pvt. Ltd vs. UOI (Karnataka High Court)
Posted on February 28, 2014 by editor — 1 Comment ↓
CORAM:
SECTION(S):
CATCH WORDS:
COUNSEL:
DATE: (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: February 28, 2014 (Date of publication)
AY:
Petitioners have questioned the constitutional validity of the provision of Section 234E of the income Tax Act and a notice to the petitioner levying fee vide annexure A1 to A21 and Annexure – B. Pending consideration of the grounds in the writ petition, it is desirable that enforcement of notices referred to above issued by the 4th respondent are stayed until further orders
POSCO Engineering & Construction Co Ltd vs. ADIT (ITAT Delhi)
Posted on February 28, 2014 by editor — 2 Comments ↓
Entire law on taxability of “composite” contracts for supply of offshore & onshore supply & services under Act & DTAA explained
(i) The first question which requires to be decided is whether it is a case of composite contract? In our considered opinion, the AO was initially not correct in holding that the contract was a composite one devoid of any bifurcation towards onshore and offshore supplies and services, which stand was subsequently altered to the correct position. We, therefore, hold that it is wide off the mark to categorize the present contract agreement as a composite one since all its major four components are distinctly identifiable with separate consideration for each. There is a separate mention of consideration for supply of equipments and for rendition of services. Simply because the supply of equipment and the rendition of services is to one party and for a common purpose, we are unable to find any logic in treating the entire amount as one composite payment attributable commonly both to the supply of equipment and rendering of services, more so when there is a specific identifiable amount relatable to these segments
Kostub Investment Ltd vs. CIT (Delhi High Court)
Posted on February 28, 2014 by editor — No Comments ↓
Expenditure on foreign education of employee (son of director) is deductible if there is business nexus
Whilst there may be some grain of truth that there might be a tendency in business concerns to claim deductions under Section 37, and foist personal expenditure, such a tendency itself cannot result in an unspoken bias against claims for funding higher education abroad of the employees of the concern. As to whether the assessee would have similarly assisted another employee unrelated to its management is not a question which this Court has to consider. But that it has chosen to fund the higher education of one of its Director’s sons in a field intimately connected with its business is a crucial factor that the Court cannot ignore. It would be unwise for the Court to require all assessees and business concerns to frame a policy with respect to how educational funding of its employees generally and a class thereof, i.e. children of its management or Directors would be done. Nor would it be wise to universalize or rationalize that in the absence of such a policy, funding of employees of one class – unrelated to the management – would qualify for deduction under Section 37(1). We do not see any such intent in the statute which prescribes that only expenditure strictly for business can be considered for deduction. Necessarily, the decision to deduct is to be case-dependent
BBC World News Limited vs. ADIT (Delhi High Court)
High Court alarmed at shoddy record-keeping by dept and allegations of tampering. S. 147 reopening quashed
We have examined the original record but did not find the proceedings or order sheets relating to original proceedings on record. This is a serious lapse, and it is apparent that the proceeding sheets in the respondents‟ custody and charge, have been removed. The record belongs to the respondents and was in their custody and charge. It was/is their duty and obligation to maintain the records properly and as per law and to ensure their sanctity and accuracy. The records cannot and should not be interpolated or changed. This High Court has in some cases earlier adversely commented about record maintenance by the Revenue as it is unacceptable and faulters on the principle of good governance. Facts mentioned above do not disclose a commendable situation and in fact the situation appears to be alarming and perilous. This requires urgent effective remedial steps. Failure to maintain records has resulted in serious allegations being made that the papers/documents have been tempered or removed etc. The papers/documents on record are not serially numbered and indexed. We also note that it is not practice of the department to give acknowledgement of papers submitted during the course of assessment proceedings
Pradyot K. Misra vs. ACIT (Delhi High Court)
High Court irked at abuse of law to settle personal vendetta between top-level IRS officers
The respondents have to act in accordance with law and not under any pressure. The AO, being a responsible officer should not be party or pressurised by someone to personal vendetta. Being statutory officers they have to act independently and in accordance with law
CIT vs. Maruti Suzuki (India) Limited (Delhi High Court)
S. 254(2A): The Tribunal has no power to extend stay of demand beyond 365 days even if the assessee is not at fault. If dept seeks an adjournment, ITAT may either refuse it or dept should undertake not to recover the demand
(i) In view of the third proviso to s. 254(2A) of the Act substituted by Finance Act, 2008 with effect from 1st October, 2008, the Tribunal cannot extend stay beyond the period of 365 days from the date of first order of stay
ITO vs. M/s Yash Developers (ITAT Mumbai)
S. 80-IB(10): Limit on extent of commercial area imposed by clause (d) of s. 80IB (10) inserted w.e.f. 1.4.2005 does not apply to projects approved before that date
In the assessee’s own case for the same project relating to AYs 2005-06 and 2006-07, which falls after the insertion of clause (d) to s. 80IB(10), the Tribunal held that the assessee is eligible for deduction u/s 80IB(10) in respect of the housing project. Not only this, in Manan Corporation 214 Taxmann 373 (Guj) it was held that the condition of limiting commercial establishment/shops to 2000 sq.ft, which has come into force w.e.f. 1.4.2005 would be applicable for projects approved on or after 1.4.2005 and where the approval of the project was prior to 31.3.2005, the amended provision would have no application for those projects. The Gujarat High Court placed heavily reliance on the decision of the Bombay High Court in Brahma & Associates 333 ITR 289 (Bom)
IJM (India) Infrastructure Ltd vs. ACIT (ITAT Hyderabad)
Transfer Pricing provisions do not apply if the AE is assessed in India & there is no chance of shifting of profits outside India or erosion of tax base
(iv) The object behind enactment of transfer pricing regulations is to prevent shifting of profits outside India as is brought out by Morgan Stanley 292 ITR 416 (SC) & Circular No. 14 to the Finance Act 2001. In the present case, there is no possibility of shifting of profits outside India or erosion of country’s tax base because the PE profits of the AE are assessable to tax in India. Therefore, the transactions with the AEs are outside the purview of the transfer pricing regulations
Mohan Gupta (HUF) vs. CIT (Delhi High Court)
S. 147: Even s. 143(1) Intimation cannot be reopened in the absence of new information
The reassessment is not on the basis of new information or facts that have come to the fore now, but rather, a re-appreciation or review of the facts that were provided along with the original return filed by the assesse. The record does not show any tangible material that created the reason to believe that income had escaped. Rather, the reassessment proceedings amount to a review or change of opinion carried out in the earlier A.Y. 2005-06, which amounts to an abuse of power and is impermissible. In response, it is argued that since the return was processed under Section 143(1) for the A.Y. 2005-06, which involves a mere intimation, rather than an application of mind or true assessment of the return, a less stringent threshold must be taken in terms of ‘reasons to believe’ that income has escaped assessment or not. This precise argument, however, has been considered and rejected by this Court in CIT v. Orient Craft [2013] 354 ITR 536 (Delhi)
CIT vs. Motorola India Electronics (P) Ltd (Karnataka High Court)
S. 10A/ 10B: Interest income out of surplus funds in Banks and sister concerns & EEFC account is eligible for exemption
Though s. 10(B) speaks about deduction of such profits and gains as derived from 100% EOU from the export of articles or things or computer software, sub-section (4) explains what is the profit derived from export of articles as mentioned in Subsection (1). Therefore, profits and gains derived from export of articles is different from the income derived from the profits of the business of the undertaking. The profits of the business of the undertaking includes the profits and gains from export of the articles as well as all other incidental incomes derived from the business of the undertaking. It is clear that what is exempted is not merely the profits and gains from the export of articles but also the income from the business of the undertaking
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Heat Transfer Analysis and Estimation of CHF in Vertical Channel
K. Dolati Asl 1
E. Abedini 1
Y. Bakhshan 2
A. Mohammadi Karachi 3
R. Hamidi Jahromi 3
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas,, Iran
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas,, Iran
3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas,, Iran.
Heat transfer occurs in flow boiling; as a result, the amount of heat between the tube wall surface and the fluid at different points of the tube may vary depending on the volume percent of vapor at those points. If the flow is fully vaporized, it does not allow for perfect heat transfer at that point; this significantly increases the temperature there; in this case the applied heat flux is called critical heat flux (CHF). The present paper has focused its attentions on simulating a two-phase fluid flow within the CHF range using ANSYS Fluent. The simulation results indicated an average error below 7%, which is more than those obtained by the experimental results. The maximum temperature of the tube surface when applying CHF could range between 200 and 500 K degrees more than that of fluid saturation according to the fluid working conditions. It also should be noted that both CHF and maximum temperature increase as the input pressure and mass flux do increase.
Critical Heat Flux
Winter and Spring 2019
Dolati Asl, K., Abedini, E., Bakhshan, Y., Mohammadi Karachi, A., Hamidi Jahromi, R. (2019). Heat Transfer Analysis and Estimation of CHF in Vertical Channel . Journal of Applied Dynamic Systems and Control, 2(1), 18-23.
K. Dolati Asl; E. Abedini; Y. Bakhshan; A. Mohammadi Karachi; R. Hamidi Jahromi. "Heat Transfer Analysis and Estimation of CHF in Vertical Channel ". Journal of Applied Dynamic Systems and Control, 2, 1, 2019, 18-23.
Dolati Asl, K., Abedini, E., Bakhshan, Y., Mohammadi Karachi, A., Hamidi Jahromi, R. (2019). 'Heat Transfer Analysis and Estimation of CHF in Vertical Channel ', Journal of Applied Dynamic Systems and Control, 2(1), pp. 18-23.
Dolati Asl, K., Abedini, E., Bakhshan, Y., Mohammadi Karachi, A., Hamidi Jahromi, R. Heat Transfer Analysis and Estimation of CHF in Vertical Channel . Journal of Applied Dynamic Systems and Control, 2019; 2(1): 18-23.
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Amazon-Hachette: The Sounds of Silence - A Guest Post by William Ockham
Everybody's talking about Amazon's latest move in the Amazon-Hachette kerfuffle and the reactions have been pretty predictable. Lots of confirmation bias going around. While the public broadsides, grand offers, and nasty anonymous leaks are full of sound and fury, I'm fond of looking for the truth in the silence. What the companies aren't saying is as important to understanding the situation as what they are saying. I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but neither side has denied any of the specific factual claims the other has made. In fact, if we read between the lines, we can cut through the noise and see what's really happening. I have learned* the best way to do that is to make a timeline. Our brains have a tendency to remember the order in which we learned a set of facts and it has a hard to reassembling the chronological order of how things actually happened. We should be continually re-evaluating our understanding of this situation based on new information.
Recent statements from both sides have provided a lot more information about how this dispute got to this point. To avoid turning Joe's blog into an academic article, I'm not going to footnote all of these events. If you want the source for a particular claim, just ask in the comments. My primary sources are the most recent Amazon-Hachette exchange and Michael J. Sullivan's account of his interactions with Amazon and Hachette this year. If I have left off any significant events and gotten any of this wrong, please let me know if the comments. I'm far more interesting in getting this right than being right.
Early Jan 2014
Amazon makes the first move, sending an offer to Hachette. Based on Hachette leaks, we know that Amazon is offering a return to wholesale pricing.
Amazon stops discounting Hachette titles.
Amazon starts widespread reducing inventory of Hachette print titles. (Some folks noticed occasional short inventory of Hachette titles much earlier.)
Amazon extends the Hachette contract into April.
Mar-Apr 2014
Sullivan and his business manager are in frequent contact with Hachette and Amazon. Neither Amazon or Hachette mention to Sullivan that they have no contract to sell his books on Amazon.
Early April 2014
Hachette responds to Amazon with counter-offer. Amazon rejects offer sometime in April.
Mid-Apr 2014
Hachette begins serious negotiations to buy the publishing arm of Perseus in a complex three-way deal with Ingram (which wanted the distribution half of Perseus).
Sullivan and his business manager start reaching out to other Hachette-published authors.
Hachette emails Sullivan's business manager about the contacts with other authors.
New York Times writer and Hachette transcriber David Streitfeld publishes story quoting Hachette about the shipping delays, but no other details.
David Streitfeld "breaks the story". Here is what he wrote:
Amazon’s secret campaign to discourage customers from buying books by Hachette, one of the big New York publishers, burst into the open on Friday
Hachette makes another offer to Amazon.
Hachette finally reaches out to its authors with a letter from Michael Pietsch, CEO of Hachette Book Group (HBG).
Amazon makes its first public statement about the dispute with a low-key posting buried in its forums. The Amazon statement includes an offer to join with Hachette to fund a hold-harmless pool of money for Hachette published authors.
Hachette's Investor Day publication reveals its strategic goal to gain control of its titles ebook prices. CEO Arnaud Nourry says the discounting of ebooks ends at the end of 2014. Nourry says he is traveling to the U.S. to negotiate the Amazon deal.
Stephen Colbert makes an issue of the dispute on his show.
Amazon counters Hachette's May offer.
More Hachette leaks to the NYT revealing Amazon's negotiating positions.
I spoke to someone involved on the Hachette side of the negotiations, who is under orders not to discuss them and asked not to be named. This person said that Amazon has been demanding payments for a range of services, including the pre-order button, personalized recommendations and a dedicated employee at Amazon for Hachette books. This is similar to so-called co-op arrangements with traditional retailers, like paying Barnes & Noble for placing a book in the front of the store.
Amazon “is very inventive about what we’d call standard service,” this person said. “They’re teasing out all these layers and saying, ‘If you want that service, you’ll have to pay for it.’ In the end, it’s very hard to know what you’d be paying. Hachette has refused, and so bit by bit, they’ve been taking away these services, like the pre-order button, to teach Hachette a lesson.”
Hachette closes Perseus deal.
The New York Public Library hosts a hastily put together public forum stacked with 5 Hachette shills balanced by the inestimable David Vandagriff (affectionately known as Passive Guy by his internet friends).
Amazon's "100% of ebooks receipts offer" becomes public.
What does the timeline tell us?
1. Hachette did not negotiate in good faith before the end of the contract.
They didn't negotiate at all. Amazon and Hachette agree on this crucial point. The first Hachette offer was in April. Amazon says the original contract ran out in March and Hachette hasn't denied it. In my view, the party that makes no attempt to negotiate during the term of the original contract is the instigator of the stand-off.
2. Hachette knew for months that their authors were being harmed and they did nothing.
Sullivan noticed that the usual Amazon discounts on his titles were gone on February 7. He saw the inventory issues on March 9. He let Hachette know about both issues. At that point Hachette had let their contract expire without so much as a counter-offer.
3. We can't know for sure, but it looks like Sullivan was the catalyst for the issues becoming public.
Look closely at the timeline.
4. Hachette was able to pull off a complex, multi-million dollar acquisition of a smaller publisher, but unwilling to fund either of Amazon's offers to help the affected authors.
The publishing half of Perseus was estimated to have revenues in the $100 million range. That's a pretty big deal in the publishing world.
5. Since the dispute became public, Hachette has essentially abandoned the negotiations in favor of a concerted public relations campaign.
Hachette's last offer was in May around the time the affair became public. Amazon sent them another offer on June 5. Hachette has orchestrated a high-profile publicity campaign with big name authors, a popular TV host, and the publishing industry press taking up Hachette's cause. Hachette has even enlisted the New York Times to play stenographer for them.
6. Hachette has a powerful incentive to drag this out.
To achieve its goal, Hachette needs to delay the final agreement until late 2014 or early 2015. That is the earliest time they will be able to conclude an agreement with Amazon that restricts Amazon's ability to discount ebooks. Moreover, developments in Apple's ongoing appeal could substantially impact Hachette's negotiating position. An Apple loss or settlement would make reaching an agency deal (with no discounting) almost impossible because Amazon is not going to agree to let Apple underprice them on ebooks.
*I learned to make timelines like this from Marcy Wheeler, who is so smart Barry Eisler named a character in his John Rain series after her.
Joe sez: All great points and conclusions, William.
As per your call that the NYT has become Hachette's stenographer, what appears to be a level-headed post in the NYT today gets several things wrong. It mentions Amazon offers 35% e-royalties compared to legacy publishing's 25%, but doesn't mention that's gross, not net. It doesn't mention the letter signed by over 7000 people--authors and readers--supporting Amazon. It assumes this battle is about Amazon taking money from Hachette, but misses the whole point that Hachette wants to control ebook prices. And it ends on a note of paranoia.
There is fear here. It's somewhat odd, considering the record profits publishers are making and boasting about, but when you think about the long run the fear is warranted. Publishers once ruled the roost. They had the key to the gate, and control over price and distribution. Readers and writers were at their mercy.
And now, suddenly, we're not.
Publishers and their pundits (I'm looking at you Mike Shatzkin and Digital Book Word) refuse to believe or even acknowledge the data on www.AuthorEarnings.com, and most of them believe that ebook sales are plateauing. In fact, they are continuing to grow at a rapid pace, because of indies. But no survey or data collection shows how big the self-pub shadow industry is, so the legacy world remains clueless as to many sales they are actually losing.
This is a slippery slope, because more and more authors are figuring it out.
Readers want ebooks, and they want to shop on Amazon. Most writers, even those who cling to their legacy masters with Stockholm Syndrome allegiance, know the royalty difference between what their publishers pays them and what they can get on their own. As bookstores close (hello Barnes & Noble) and the paper midlist becomes unsustainable, even those steadfast legacy authors are going to have to self-publish. Publishing will be relegated to managing backlists (at least until authors begin hiring lawyers) and their major bestsellers, who are eventually going to leave as paper sales become a niche market.
No matter whose side you're on in this current dispute, the future is already written. Hachette and the Big 5 won't be able to sustain their business model; protecting their paper oligopoly. And the mistakes they're making right now are only bringing this future to bear even faster.
I always find the data quotes by many in the publishing industry interesting because no one has ever asked me for my numbers. And they aren't insignificant.
I like the concept of indie authors being a shadow industry.
Here's a key to this whole thing that needs to be understood-- in 20 years with four of the then Big 6 in NY, not once was I ever asked how we could work together to sell more books. In fact, selling books never seemed to be a priority. Print runs, distribution, etc. were key.
In my first year working with Amazon, one of the first things I was asked on the phone was "How can we help you sell more books?"
I find the difference between the two part of the core issue that is going on right now.
Amazon calls you, Bob? How do you make that happen? ;)
I find your comment quite enlightening. I'm pretty far away from NYC publishing, but from where I sit (in Houston, Texas), Big Publishing looks a lot like Big Oil. ExxonMobil doesn't think about asking an oil rig how to sell gasoline. Just like it never occurred to your publishers to ask you to work together to sell more books. In NYC, the view seems to be that authors pump out the raw materials and the publisher refines, distributes, and markets the end product.
Amazon calls authors all the time, sometimes to ask for feedback.
That's right. They actually call us to ask how they're doing, and if we can help them improve.
Amazon also actually uses focus groups to try out covers and titles. That blew my mind, because I'd begged my previous publishers to do that, to no avail.
Joe, can you volunteer for these groups?
Jennifer Oberth said...
I would guess Amazon is more invested in helping authors to sell books because the only way they make money is if you sell a book. The traditional publishers have their deals with bookstores and whatever other systems they have in place. They can also wait to make money because they've got your for your life plus 70 years and they've been doing this for decades. Your new book doesn't have to sell yet for them to make money on a book that's been out for years, the income lining their pockets - and not the author's pockets.
I see it like the salesman that doesn't eat unless he sells, as opposed to one that gets paid a set salary whether he sells or not.
Traditional publishers aren't hungry. They're bloated and entitled.
You know, with all the literary giants weighing in on this dispute, we haven't heard a peep out of Snooki...
With eight published books with a Big 6 publisher over a period of ten years, I have never received a phone call or email from anyone in marketing, sales or publicity. Not once (except I did get an email from publicity about one book notifying me--just notifying me--that a publication reviewed my book. Said publication had reviewed the book four months earlier and Google Alerts informed me the day it appeared).
After the third book, every email to my "editor" is answered by her assistant, who will "get back to me" and then doesn't. I've been through a parade of six or seven of them at this point.
That's some impressive career development.
Suzan Harden said...
William, I'd add one thing to your timeline: Mid-June when the Hatchette PR machine turned its attention to the indies with scare/plea tactics of how we should side with them in their non-contract dispute with Amazon.
To me, that was the ultimate in desperate moves.
Sue Trowbridge said...
There was an article in today's San Francisco Chronicle (may be paywalled) about the dispute. It does acknowledge that not all authors are anti-Amazon ("In recent weeks, hundreds of writers have signed petitions both for and against Amazon"), but also includes a quote from bookseller Elaine Petrocelli which is a bit over the top: "I think the average consumer should be alarmed. If Amazon can decide you can't read a book from Hachette, maybe next they will decide you can't read a political book they don't like. If they can do this, it says, 'We'll choose what you read.' " I love, love, love her store Book Passage, but that's one slippery slope there.
@Suzan Harden - I had to cut something. But you are correct that Hachette's surrogates really turned up the concern trolling the.
They said Amazon will choose what we read? How about traditional publishing having chosen what we read for decades?
I love when one party uses the same fear in their arguments that they themselves have been guilty of.
William, thank you for taking the time to put this together. I had considered undertaking something like this the other day but haven't had the time or wherewithal to make it happen.
People need to understand what's really going on here and we can't rely on the traditional media to paint an unbiased picture.
The NYT article that Joe linked to has a number of interesting bits. Here is one:
“This controversy shouldn’t be misinterpreted,” said Michael Pietsch, chief executive of the Hachette Book Group. “It’s all about Amazon trying to make more money.”
As you can see from my comments in the post, I think that is just a lie. Sure, Amazon is trying to make more money, but to say that the "controversy" is all about that strains credulity. And it directly contradicts what Pietsch's boss said just a few weeks ago.
I don't know why lying seems to be a requirement for American Big 5 execs, but it really seems to be. Carolyn Reidy (S&S) and John Sargent (MacMillan) both got called out by the federal judge for lying during the Apple trial. And a close reading of the Apple trial exhibits show that the public statements of their publishing co-conspirators were often at odds with their private actions.
On the other hand, Arnaud Nourry, the French boss of Hachette, has been saying the same thing in public and private for the last five years. We know that because those same trial exhibits show what he was saying in private in 2009. So, props to Nourry for being a stand-up guy, even if it is in pursuit of a wrong-headed goal.
Mark Edward Hall said...
Great article today in the Huffington Post: Are there five reasons to stick with major publishers? The author ends up giving five reasons why you should self publish instead.
Very interesting. Looks like the dominoes are beginning to fall.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michaellevin/are-there-5-reasons-to-st_b_5569189.html
enabity said...
Regarding Hachette's current actions bringing their future irrelevance forward faster, I would like to add some nuance. Hachette's current activity to keep ebook prices high will delay the awareness of ebooks as an efficient medium of exchange between author and reader. However, when the day of reckoning comes, they could be in a world of hurt because they will have poor market share in the medium.
@alan tucker You are most welcome.
"agreement with Amazon that restricts Amazon's ability to discount ebooks"
How will their ability to discount e-books be restricted?
" It mentions Amazon offers 35% e-royalties compared to legacy publishing's 25%"
I thought royalties with Amazon were in the 70% range? Did they drop recently, or is this some different type of deal?
If the NYT doesn't realize that Amazon doesn't pay royalties then they're pretty stupid. So them fudging the percentages doesn't surprise me.
Amazon takes a retail cut and passes the rest to the publisher, be it a trad publisher or a self publisher. One more time for the dummies: IT IS NOT A ROYALTY.
I assume they're talking about the Amazon imprint royalty, not KDP.
@Michael Adenne, Matt, Rob Gregory Browne
Rob is correct. The NYT article focuses on Amazon's publishing imprints because that suits their narrative.
As to how Hachette hopes to restrict Amazon's ability to discount Hachette's ebooks, they seek to institute retail price maintenance. That means retailers are prevented from discounting off the publisher's retail list price.
Hachette doesn't call it by that name, but that is exactly what it is.
@Mark Edward Hall
What a great article; thanks!
"Mr. Zandri, an author of mystery and suspense tales, is published by Thomas & Mercer, one of Amazon Publishing’s many book imprints."
So yes, "royalties" would be the correct terminology.
It mentions Amazon offers 35% e-royalties compared to legacy publishing's 25%, but doesn't mention that's gross, not net.
Since Amazon doesn't have to discount to itself, Amazon imprints pay the author a percentage of the price the book actually sells for, which is still considered "net" for contract purposes, as opposed to "list," which is usually about twice as much.
For example, if an ebook the imprint "lists" for $9.99 actually sells for $4.99, the author receives a percentage of the whole $4.99, rather than a percentage of a percentage, as would be the case with an outside publisher.
In another words, assuming there's currently a 30% discount to Amazon on ebooks from outside publishers, said publishers would have to pay their authors 50% of net to equal the 35% of net Amazon imprints are, according to the article, paying their authors.
Steven Zacharius said...
A couple of questions and comments...First for Joe....what's the difference between 35% of Gross versus 35% of net receipts on ebooks? eBooks have a 100% sale so this would be the same thing.
How would waiting for the end of September help Hachette negotiate no discounting with Amazon? If they can't come to terms now, how will this help waiting?
Making a deal to buy Perseus has nothing to do with making a deal to negotiate terms with Amazon. One could have been a corporate decision from the parent company versus Hachette Book Group. And just because the revenue is $100,000,000 doesn't have anything to do with the price paid for Perseus. We don't know what their profit was, if any, for that matter. Maybe they bought it for $20,000,000 which would be less than their annual sales to Hachette.
Yes Mike Shazkin and others have criticized the author earnings report because there is no sound data provided from Amazon. Why is it that Amazon won't share unit sales and revenue on ebooks yet they do it on print books? They report their print sales to Bookscan but not their ebook sales....why is that? Without that information, it's all speculation on both sides.
You keep saying that publishing is on a slippery slope as authors wise up to what's going on but there is still not one ounce of proof that any major authors are leaving traditional publishing or that they're even thinking about it. I don't think we've had one negotiation for any substantial authors where this topic was even ever mentioned.
The advantage of agency versus wholesale model pricing is only advantageous in certain formats because of the dip being based on the print price. The real issues the big publishers were fighting wholesale is because they didn't want the valuation of their content being lowered.
@ William Ockham, Rob
Thank you for clarifying (and in a mature manner). I'm very busy and don't have much time to catch up on all of the details of publishing with Amazon. Currently on the third (and hopefully final) draft of my first novel, so I probably should.
what's the difference between 35% of Gross versus 35% of net receipts on ebooks?
What he meant, I think, is that "net" from an Amazon imprint is different than "net" from an outside publisher, because Amazon doesn't have to discount to itself. Authors end up getting a percentage of the actual sale price instead of a percentage of what the publisher receives.
You keep saying that publishing is on a slippery slope as authors wise up to what's going on but there is still not one ounce of proof that any major authors are leaving traditional publishing or that they're even thinking about it.
I'd say the slippery slope is due to loss of market share rather than loss of authors.
@Steven Zacharius
According to the terms of their settlement, they cannot negotiate a contract that prevents retailer discounting for two years (+ about 30 days) after their settlement with the DoJ. Since their declared corporate strategy is to achieve exactly that, it is in their interest to delay reaching an agreement until then.
I have a question for you. You may not be able to answer or you may not wish to answer, which is fine. Have you ever let your contract with Amazon expire without making an offer to them? I don't know the practices of the publishing industry, but in the industries I am familiar with, Hachette's actions would be unfathomable.
The point I was making by raising the Perseus deal is that doing a deal like that says something about Hachette's priorities. I know what goes into doing due diligence for a deal like that and how much capital it takes. Hachette is more concerned about getting bigger than protecting their authors from the impact of the fight that Hachette picked with Amazon. That may be perfectly rational, but it isn't the line they have been peddling.
The publishing industry pundits who have criticized the Author Earnings studies are simply ignorant or blinded by their own bias. They aren't perfect, but no statistical models are. It is fairly easy for me, with only one college-level stats course over 30 years ago, to judge how useful they are. They are really valuable.
Neither Joe or I can speak for Amazon, but I can tell you that if I were making the decisions for Amazon, i wouldn't release ebook data either. It is a competitive advantage. That being said, it isn't all speculation. The amount of sheer bullshittery from industry pundits in publishing is astounding. It is worse than the video game industry and I never thought I would say that about anything (except political punditry where real success is achieved by being the most wrong).
As for the major authors leaving, the industry decides that anyone who leaves is, by definition, not major. Barry Eisler, Bob Mayer, etc. etc. Shatzkin is fond of saying that self-pub is only good for genre books, but anyone can see that genre books pay the bills. I bet that is true at Kensington.
I'm unclear as to when Hatchette could negotiate the way they want to (September, October, next year) but why didn't they just wait a year? Why didn't they just negotiate a contract for another year and then in March, change the rules as they're allowed?
With my limited understanding of all of us (and we don't know what's going on behind closed doors), if I were Amazon and Hachette suddenly began negotiations after the DOJ deadline passed - I would end all talk and not carry any books or do any business with them. (But that's just me and my oversized sense of fair play.)
Hatchette needs Amazon more than Amazon needs Hatchette.
Laura Resnick said...
"Moreover, developments in Apple's ongoing appeal could substantially impact Hachette's negotiating position. An Apple loss or settlement would make reaching an agency deal (with no discounting) almost impossible because Amazon is not going to agree to let Apple underprice them on ebooks."
Can you explain? I don't understand what this segment says.
The publishing industry pundits who have criticized the Author Earnings studies are simply ignorant or blinded by their own bias.
Or they recognize what the AE says as well as any of us, and their strategy is deny and discredit.
How come studies and statistics derived from poorly sampled and self-selecting, honor system surveys are "good sources" of information, but AuthorEarnings.com is "poorly researched" and "guessing"?
Because one set of data supports the narrative that publishers want writers to believe, and the other set of data doesn't.
By the way, Steven, I hope you didn't pay $300 for the DBW data as you said you planned to.
If so, we should talk.
My husband was the former Nigerian prime minister, and before he died we were able to hide $14.5 million in bearer bonds, but I can't get them out of the country without your help. If you advance me $500,000 to bribe the customs officials, I would be happy to split the $14.5 million with you.
P.S. - I will also need your bank wire info and passwords to verify the transactions.
Steve Zacharius wrote:
"there is still not one ounce of proof that any major authors are leaving traditional publishing or that they're even thinking about it. I don't think we've had one negotiation for any substantial authors where this topic was even ever mentioned. "
Bestseller Maggie Shayne announced in media this year that she has ended her longtime and very successful trad career to go indie full-time.
Bestseller Stephanie Laurens announced earlier this year she’s left her longtime traditional house and has made a deal with another house which will allow her to indie epublish some of the contracted print titles.
Bestseller and mystery Grand Master Lawrence Block self-published his most recent novel.
Bestseller Barbara Freethy left trad publishing to go indie full-time, where has has been hugely successful.
Indie author Holly Ward, with multiple books on last year's NYT list, has posted multiple times about why she won’t make a deal with a traditional publisher–they have nothing to offer her. Here’s one of those posts:
http://blog.demonkissed.com/?p=1387
Bestseller Barry Eisler left traditional publishing for self-publishing and an Amazon deal.
Hugh Howey became an indie bestseller, held out for an exceptional trad deal, and his experiences with traditional publishing have made him a highly vocal proponent of self-publishing—though his traditionally published novel made print bestseller lists and he is a bestseller with publishers in other countries.
The Passive Voice posted an article a couple of months ago about a successful fantasy writer who’s buying back his contract so he can go indie full-time rather than have more books released by his trad house, Tor Books.
Any number of writers report making more money self-publishing the digital and audio rights of old backlist than they’re making from their new traditional publishing deals. Many also report making more money now with those old titles than the books made when traditionally published as new releases. (Joe Konrath, Ann Voss Peterson, and Lee Goldberg are examples that immediately come to mind.)
I met recently with two writers who have each lately bought back under-contract books (one of them from Kensington) because their indie experiences have convinced that writing those books for a traditional house instead of self-publishing would be a bad business choice. (Since I know what they’re earning with their indie ventures, I believe they are correct.) The week before that, I got an email from another writer who was doing the same thing. The month before that, ditto.
I also know writers walking away from deals because publishers refuse to remove -or- fairly/narrowly -define- the non-compete clause. And because that clause is widespread, it’s yet another factor driving experienced writers into indie careers.
I also know quite a few traditionally published writers who do NOT publicly blog about or discuss their incomes and career choices, so they’re not on the radar in that sense, who are making six figures annually from their indie publishing. (Not blogging about it isn’t synonymous with not sharing figures frankly with colleagues). In some cases, they've quit traditional publishing altogether. In other cases, they're continuing traditional publishing—for now.
No, I have not named JK Rowling, James Patterson, Dan Brown, or Nora Roberts in any of the above. And I'm skeptical it would matter if I could. Because I suspect that anyone in the publishing world who dismisses or ignores the existing movement away from traditional publishing that's =already= happening will also choose to ignore or dismiss it when one writer or multiple writers of that commercial level switch to self-publishing, too.
@Steven
Regarding the net/gross confusion. Big 5 offers 25% of net, which amounts to 12.5% of gross, while Amazon is offering 35% of gross. Which is quite a bit more of a difference than the NYT article makes it out to be.
Someone please correct me if I've gotten this wrong.
P.S. Steve Zacharius wrote:
"there is still not one ounce of proof that any major authors are leaving traditional publishing or that they're even thinking about it."
And you're very unlikely to know that they're thinking about it. Because when a writer is thinking of turning down the next deal, or buying back a book or a contract, they seldom blog publicly that they're thinking it over, they probably never mention to the media that they're thinking about doing this, and they don't chat with their editors and publishers about whether they're thinking of doing it.
They talk to their families, their friends, writers whom they trust, their accounts, their lawyers, and their agents about it. And except for their agents (in my experience, agents tend to be shocking blabbermouths), they can count on all of those people NOT to talk go around talking about it or let it leak to the publisher.
I knew well before Kensington did that a friend of mine was going to buy back a Kensington contract. I knew well before Tor Books did that a friend of mine was going to buy back a Tor contract. I knew that a friend of mine would buy out a Penguin contract before Penguin knew. I currently know a friend who's decided to buy out a contract, but the publisher is very unlikely to know before the author's ducks are lined up to do this and the representative approaches the publisher.
Contemplating whether to terminate a business association is a decision you make in private with people you trust, not something you think over in public or where the other party can hear you weighing the pros and cons of dumping them.
Your not knowing that writers are thinking about leaving their publishers is not the same thing as writes not thinking about leaving their publishers--and not the same thing as writers not discussing candidly that they're thinking about leaving their pubhishers.
Similarly, I was shocked every time a publisher dumped me. Including Kensington. No publisher ever said to me, "We're not sure this is working out and are starting to think about terminating our association with you. What are your thoughts?" They did that thinking where I didn't know about it, and then told me their decision.
In publishing, we generally discuss numbers in terms of list price vs net receipts. See my previous posts at 7:25 and 9:43.
Let's say an ebook costs $4.99. Assuming a 30% discount, a Big Five publisher will receive 70% of that $4.99 from Amazon ($3.49), and the author will be paid 25% of THAT ($.88). Which boils down to 17.5% of the sale price.
With an Amazon imprint, the author gets paid on the full $4.99, not 70% of $4.99. So, assuming the Amazon imprint is paying 35%, as stated in the NYT article Joe linked to, then the author would make $1.75 for every book sold.
$4.99 ebook:
Big Five = $.88 for the author.
Amazon imprint = $1.75 for the author.
So "gross" isn't really the right terminology. It's a matter of net receipts and percentages.
William wrote:
"As for the major authors leaving, the industry decides that anyone who leaves is, by definition, not major. "
Indeed. This is why I don't think the conversation, such as it is, will change if/when JK Rowling or Nora Roberts or Hilary Clinton self-publishes. There are so many writers with "NYT bestseller" on their resume who've -already- left, while talking heads keep saying that It Simply Isn't Happening or But No One Who -Matters- is leaving, it will be much easier for such people to define any mega-stars who leave as "not actually that important" than it will be to change their perspective on this.
Meanwhile, RE AuthorEarnings.com... I've read a lot of criticism of it, but very, very little of the criticism was valid. I only have a grad school level stats course, so this certainly isn't my field. But it seems to me that what AE has done is collect a very large and well-defined sample set of data (rather than opinion of self-selection) to analyze some narrow questions/parameters. I've seen a few cogent analyses (Courtney Cox comes to mind) that certainly indicate the data collection and the analysis both need adjustments and refining. But I've seen nothing that convincingly disecredits them, let alone alone disproving their conclusions. Whereas in a number of other surveys (those drawing very different conclusions from Author Earnings) there are glaring problems such as lopdsided collection of the poorly-defined sample sets and parameters that are vague and/or too broad for the analysis to mean anything.
Pottermore.
We can bloviate about how J. K. Rowling isn't *really* self-publishing those books... but if you look at who controls the I.P., she's self-publishing, even if her publishers desperately wish to portray it differently. She's just nice enough not to shove it in everyone's face.
@Laura Resnick
If Apple loses, part of the judgment is that they will be forbidden from entering into contracts which prevent Apple from discounting the Big 5 ebooks sold in the iBookstore for a period of time. The time periods are staggered so that the restrictions terminate every six months for a different publisher.
The judge very deliberately set up that structure to preclude future collusion. Not so coincidentally, Hachette will be the first publisher who will be free to negotiate RPM with Apple.
In theory, in September, Hachette can negotiate "agency" with all three major bookstores, but when Apple loses, Amazon and B&N would be at a disadvantage if their contracts preclude them from discounting. Everybody who thinks Amazon will agree to a deal that makes Hachette ebooks more expensive on Amazon.com than in the iBookstore raise your hand.
Ah. I see.
(And I see others have already wondered whether the court will see this long delay in the Amazon-Hachette negotiation, combined with Amazon's claim that Hachette has been stalling and unresponsive (and the Hachette statement which seems to confirm this), as an attempt to circumvent the court order, which will attract the judge's attention. It's certainly gotten so much media play, it would be odd if she weren't aware of these events following the settlement.)
Alan Spade said...
"@Steven Zacharius
We can bloviate about how J. K. Rowling isn't *really* self-publishing those books... but if you look at who controls the I.P., she's self-publishing, even if her publishers desperately wish to portray it differently. She's just nice enough not to shove it in everyone's face."
Exactly. She is self-publishing with Pottermore. And she also wants to continue to be trad published, because for the moment, Big Publishing has not fallen apart altogether. Big Publishing has still a juicy, if shrinking, part of the market.
So you have to expect more and more big authors who are trad published to weigh paper against ebooks. You have to expect trad pub big authors trying to indie publish very discreetly if they want to keep doing business with Big Publishing. That's all part of the transition.
But I believe the transition to become more and more brutal, because, as Hugh Howey stated, Big publishers colluded to link every print deal with ebooks. There probably will be no more print only deals with the Big 5.
Big Publishing will bet on the big authors not having the courage to walk away. A big bet.
Michael Sullivan started out self-publishing and was very successful on his own. Then he signed a contract with Orbit, which was purchased by Hachette.
I wonder if he's regretting that decision now?
Katherine Hajer said...
That's an interesting stance from a bookseller. Here in Canada, it's been noted that one of the major chains does refuse to carry political books they don't agree with. They were quite proud of it. And when people complained, they said we could buy from another distributor... like Amazon.
Does anyone else notice that the timeline reads a little like the chronology of LOTR in the back of Return of the King?
If you substitute "Gandalf" for Amazon, "Sauron" for Hachette, and "The One Ring" for contract, it reads quite nicely.
Dana Stabenow said...
Legacy publishers not only don't talk to authors, they don't talk to readers, either. When a reader notes an error in one of my e-books, my publishing partner writes back and thanks them, and when we correct the error we send them a copy of the new edition for free.
What struck me most was the readers telling us that it was the first time they'd ever heard back from a publisher. They were so astonished and so grateful even to be heard.
Amazon didn't flush legacy publishing down the toilet. Technology didn't flush themselves down the toilet. They flushed themselves.
This is my first comment, so here goes. I do agree that Hachette is playing the one who is being bullied, but the fact that it is part of a huge multinational conglomerate, has been making huge profits off ebooks and treats its authors badly makes me inclined to treat whatever they say with the utmost skepticism. However, I am also not a rabid Amazon supporter, mainly because they practice tax evasion scheme here in Britain which means while they do pay some tax, they only pay a pittance of what they should. While what they are doing is not illegal, it is immoral and does not show good business practice. Just some thought,s and feel free to shred me if you so wish.
Dan DeWitt said...
"While what they are doing is not illegal, it is immoral and does not show good business practice."
No. Just, no.
Dazrin said...
I would love to see Amazon put a not on all Hachette books that says "Hachette has been unwilling to renew or negotiate their contract with us and therefore we cannot accept pre-orders, provide discounts, or guarantee shipping dates for any Hachette titles." And include a button to send your feedback to Amazon/Hachette about the standoff. (Maybe even provide links for each of the three service faults to more detailed reasons behind why they can't do those things, although that may be more inflammatory than they want.)
Get that message in front of everyone who looks at a Hachette title on Amazon and see what the feedback becomes. Right now the message seems to be limited to those who have an interest in the publishing industry or who watch Colbert.
Has anybody gone on record at any point in time that what Amazon put to Hachette in January was a new wholesale agreement or are we just ? After all the terms of the consent agreement are still in force as far as I know right now.
An interesting article about Garth Brooks and the music industry http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/07/11/garth-brooks-returns-with-new-music-and-a-new-tour-on-his-own-terms/.
I especially liked this quote (referring to Kid Rock): "How novel — an artist who cares more about fans seeing a show than gouging them."
(I hope Mr. Ockham doesn't mind my posting it here - I figured it was related.)
No. Just, no
Exactly. Who pays more taxes than the law requires?
Blame the tax laws.
All of your other questions were correctly addressed, Steve, so I'll tackle this one.
The real issues the big publishers were fighting wholesale is because they didn't want the valuation of their content being lowered.
I addressed this over 4 years ago.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2010/03/value-of-ebooks.html
Publishers had been allowed to pick the value of their books because they had an oligopoly on the paper market. The controlled the supply that fed demand, like OPEC only releasing X number of barrels of oil. And like a cartel, they didn't compete on price.
What other industry prints the retail price on the thing it sells? And everyone in that industry sticks to similar pricing structures and releasing schedules (hardcover a year before paperback)?
But they didn't have a lock on price with ebooks and Amazon, and the fear became that ebooks adoption would surpass paper adoption. So they did what they could to slow the adoption of ebooks (high prices, windowing).
How I made my million was to look at what readers wanted--low priced ebooks--and as such my IP became more valuable when I lowered the price. IOW I sold more copies to make up for the drop in price, making the property more valuable. Since I wasn't worried about cannibalizing paper sales, I could price to what the market demanded, not according to the demands I put upon the market.
Indie authors are making a helluva lot of money that legacy publishers are unaware of. I call it a shadow industry because it is huge, and no one acknowledges it exists.
Publishers feared for their margins, made some awful decisions, and they left a lot of money just up for grabs. That money is still there, being grabbed by tens of thousands of authors.
Fearing for their margins, most major publishers are marginalizing themselves out of business. Don't be surprised when Kensington is acquired in the next few years. For some reason, big corporations believe mergers can increase market share, even when overall market share is declining. We've seen three big mergers in publishing with a year (Penguin, Harlequin, Hachette) and we'll see more.
Then we'll start seeing bankruptcies. As more authors self-pub, and B&N closes, there will be less and less a need for publishers.
If you have a chance to sell, sell now while the market can bear it.
@Andrew Rhomberg
If you look closely at Hachette's leaks about Amazon's negotiating position and strip out the emotion, they describe something indistinguishable from the status quo ante. Amazon hasn't denied those leaks, so I accept that they represent at least a partial truth about Amazon's position.
The consent agreement does not prohibit wholesale arrangements. It is possible that Amazon is willing to stick with the true "agency" part of the model. Agency really only defines who the owner of the goods are between the time they are delivered to the retailer and the time they are sold. This has important tax implications in the U.S.
The primary points of contention are who controls the retail price and how are the proceeds split.
An article in Forbes suggesting Amazon does not really avoid taxes in the UK:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/07/14/britains-leading-tax-expert-insists-that-amazon-is-not-avoiding-uk-tax/?partner=yahootix
Anonomous 10:36am said: " . . . I am also not a rabid Amazon supporter, mainly because they practice tax evasion scheme here in Britain which means while they do pay some tax, they only pay a pittance of what they should. While what they are doing is not illegal, it is immoral and does not show good business practice . . ."
So according to you Amazon is practising tax evasion (by definition illegal), but what the company is doing isn't illegal.
So which is it?
Care to pony up some evidence to support your assertions? Last time I saw a newspaper article in the UK on this topic it quoted the UK revenue figures and the USA profit percentage. Might possibly be because the UK profits were low enough to match the tax paid?
Your argument is like saying any company which doesn't pay a voluntary 50% VAT (instead of 20%) is immoral, and bad business practise. Or doesn't fund soup kitchens, or buy little girls unicorns . . .
Those who value their goods are free to sell them for a price that reflects that value. Publishers can offer their goods to retailers at whatever proce they choose.
The Books Editor of the Huffington Post seems confused by all this on her "Quit Amazon" rant(link below). She states: "How does one stop purchasing books, and also many other things, from a company that has been repeatedly accused of price fixing, and has gone so far as to remove all titles from a major publishing house from its electronic shelves?"
She provides a link that refutes the very thing she said. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Amazon has removed all electronic titles from any major publishing house.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/14/boycott-amazon_n_5574742.html
"Michael Sullivan started out self-publishing and was very successful on his own. Then he signed a contract with Orbit, which was purchased by Hachette.
I wonder if he's regretting that decision now?"
If he's not, he can't say anything. Or else he'll REALLY regret that.
@William Ockham
O.K. so let me put it differently: where is the confirmation that the existing Amazon-Hachette distribution agreement has ended? I seem to have missed that.
There is so much fog in this whole debate and so much speculation, spin, etc. that it is sometimes good to try to check what is "fact" and what we are inferring...
I don't doubt for a second that Amazon prefers the freedom of a wholesale agreement as in pre-agency times and that Hachette has a deep fondness for the agency model and effective control of retail prices for "its" titles.
In fact, if the existing contract has expired, but Hachette cannot insist on a new "full monty" agency contract until later this year, then their feet dragging would make a lot of sense in a strictly games theory type of way...
In the letter Amazon sent to agents and others, they claimed that the contract ran out in March and they extended it into April. Hachette has not denied that.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Amazon has removed all electronic titles from any major publishing house."
You are correct, Amazon has not removed a single book from its website. It just has removed preorder buttons and slowed the delivery of books.
I commented on the Huff Post article explaining this.
AlexB said...
Anonymous 12:56 PM:
Tax *avoidance* is illegal. Tax *evasion* is not, and is specifically allowed in the laws of certain countries, including the UK (an in some cases, it's a legal obligation towards shareholders).
In the last couple of years, media and governments have started vilifying companies involved in this practice and tried to pressure them into paying more tax to shore up the government's coffers.
In the end, if they really want an end to tax evasion, they should just change the law, not make a media song and dance about it.
Anon 10:36 AM:
Amazon does not make much profit. It has a large turnover, yes, but it reinvests in expanding the company rather than paying investors. This means they do not pay much tax on profits.
Amazon bases its EU operation out of Luxembourg. Amazon sells to various EU countries but only needs one corporation in one EU country to do so, and only needs to pay corporation tax in that one country. Warehouses are legally not considered permanent establishments under Article 5, section 3 of the double taxation treaty between the UK and Luxembourg, so it doesn't have to pay corporation tax for its UK warehouses. (Under section 3(e) of the same act, their development centres and media group may also be exempt, but I might not be reading it correctly.)
This means that Amazon may not be liable for much UK corporation tax at all. This is not an immoral practice. This is smart and strategic business placement.
Sorry, Joe and William, for the off-topic nature of this comment.
There's a bigger piece to the Amazon v.s. Hachette fight that we're missing: the rest of the Big 5.
The Big 5 operate as a cabal. Whatever deal Hachette finally makes with Amazon, the other Big 4 will demand eerily similar terms once it's time to renegotiate.
So, Hachette flops around like a soccer player with a skinned knee and pressure mounts for Amazon to cut a sweetheart deal.
It's collusion all over again. You'd think the DOJ ruling would have knocked some sens into them.
Hachette has the weaker hand here. They need Amazon to survive, Amazon doesn't need Hachette...at all. If Hachette is cut off from Amazon, all those Hachette authors will peel off for greener pastures. Wait and see how loyal a hungry dog really is. [I don't think Hachette authors are dogs, I just love the analogy. And because Joker.]
An interested reader said...
At what point, then, can you argue there's a breach of contract, and get your rights back?
I was going to offer another comment, but it became too long so I turned it into a blog post:
http://motherearthseries.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/what-is-amazon-supposed-to-do/
"What is Amazon supposed to do?"
Angry_Games said...
I'm waiting for Steve Z. to come back and tell everyone they are all wrong, know nothing, and what he says is the truth even if no one else believes it.
Also, Steve, if you want to know about authors quitting their day jobs and going self-pub full-time (sometime even well enough that author spouses can quit their jobs as well), you should read the comments here:
http://www.thepassivevoice.com/06/2014/indie-authors-quitting-their-day-jobs/
You might not see it as "big-name authors leaving trad pub." How you see it has nothing to do with how the world is moving on. All of these authors that have posted in the comments at TPV, do yourself a favor and contact each one (I'm sure TPG would help you reach out to as many as possible) and ask them: Would you ever sign with a traditional publisher?
My guess is right about 97.5% of them would say no. If you told them the truth, and asked "would you sign with a traditional publisher for 25% of net instead of staying with self-pub where you make 60-70% of gross?" you'd get 99.25% saying a resounding "hell no."
Again, I'm just guessing, but if believe my guess is wrong, do yourself a favor so you don't look quite so clueless, and ask them.
So, if all of these "nobodies" (and remember, nobodies who are making enough self-publishing to quit their normal jobs or quit their publisher) are self-publishing, traditional publishing's pool of potential stars is like a bucket with a couple of holes in the bottom. You still have some superstars, and those superstars will gladly go down with the ship, but do you really believe that there are so many authors out there sending manuscripts into traditional publishers as to keep the bucket at an even level (or are you in fantasy land and think there are so many authors that are clamoring to be trad-published that you might even overflow the bucket)?
The trend, right now, and for the last few years, and unless something weird happens, will continue on for the foreseeable future, is for authors to bypass trad pub completely.
What happens when they start doing well on their own? Ah, trad pub thinks they'll swoop in and sign that author? Thousands of authors have no read HM Ward's posts about how she's been offered seven-figure contracts and refuses to even consider it since none are offering her anything better than what she already has.
There is literally (and I hate that word but since this is about literature, it's a good fit) NOTHING that trad pub houses can do to get her to sign. There might be, but they haven't offered it yet. I'm guessing, again, that the trad pub houses can't, because if they agree to her demands, a whole shitload of other author contracts suddenly have a clause kick in that guarantees they'll be on an equal footing with her.
Right. So. Hugh Howey? Don't think so, and he's one of the hottest (giggity) authors around right now. Eisler? Hahahaha. Konrath? He'll probably burst one of the blood vessels in my brain with remote mind power just for even mentioning his name in this context. Lawrence Block? I have a feeling he's finding out just what the difference between his trad contracts and his self-pub success is, and you won't see him going back to trad much other than to fulfill any books left on his contract(s).
The other reason given to boycott Amazon on the HuffPost article is that Amazon "has been repeatedly accused of price fixing"
What???? I think the author really messed that one up also, as there were many stories a while back about how Amazon was returning the money its customers overpaid for ebooks due to the price fixing engaged in by Hachette and the other publishers. I could find no references in a google search to price fixing accusations against Amazon.
So in effect the HuffPost article is actually arguing that we should boycott Amazon because of the illegal actions of Hachette.
You can't make stuff like this up.
Here is the HuffPost article link again:
ugh, should be:
"Thousands of authors have NOW read HM Ward's posts"
Joe, really could use an 'edit' or preview function. I'll even pitch in a few bucks to pay your website person ;). Seriously.
To their credit, HuffPost did correct the misstatement about Amazon removing Hachette books from their electronic shelves after I pointed out it was not true in the comments.
"Joe, really could use an 'edit' or preview function. I'll even pitch in a few bucks to pay your website person ;). Seriously. "
I agree wholeheartedly. Please make it easier to correct our posts on here, and also while you are at it, it would be nice to be able to reply directly to an earlier post so we do not need to put quotes in our post to clarify what we are responding to.
Great job as usual. I have to say that the developments just make me want to smile, kick back, and watch. Big Publishers want to continue high pricing and delay the ebook switchover? It's gonna be fun.
If much of this negotiation standoff is indeed about ebook pricing... I am still unable to get excited about it. Even though it is likely to affect me, since I'm traditionally published.
I think publishers should focus on LOWERING their ebook prices, not raising them (or even holding them at their current levels). I think that raising ebook prices, if that's the intention, will be a mistake.
But it's not like denying people water, education, clean water, or safe food.
This really is strictly a question of what the market will bear and how these companies' decisions will affect their bottom line.
If a James Patterson, Douglas Preston, or Nora Roberts ebook is priced too high (and most readers I know, even though with lots of disposable income, say that an ebook price over $10 is too high, and more than $12-$13 is price gouging)... Readers can choose to pay too much for a book they really want to read; they can choose to get it from the library rather than buying it; they can choose to wait until the price comes down and then buy it; they can choose to stop reading new books by that author; they can (and some will) choose to read a pirated copy.
This will also be true for writers (like me) who don't have years of bestseller wealth to fall back if/when sales drop due to over-pricing. And publishers will lower our advances, cancel our contracts, dump us, we won't be able to find new contracts, etc... But... WHAT IN THE BLUE WIDE WORLD does anyone think is ANY different about that future than the situation we've been in for years anyhow?
Similarly, if over-pricing leads to the closing of imprints and bankruptcy of some houses... How is that a CHANGE to be feared?
Any writers in traditional publishing who HASN'T been dumped by a publisher or had one fold under has either had an unusually fortunate career or just hasn't been around for long. (I've been around for 26 years, and I've by now lost count of how many publishers have dumped me or folded under me. It's definitely more than 6, but I stopped keeping track after that.)
If over-pricing is indede abad market plan, then publishers will recognize that after a while and adjust by lowering prices. Or they'll make a lot of additional mistakes RATHER THAN doing the one thing that would improve business (lowering prices), and they'll go under, get bought out, shut down, reorganize in bankruptcy, whatever.
That's bad for writers, but since most publishing most of the time has been bad for writers, I just don't see this as a new development or a future that's somehow different from the past...
Except for one key thing: Now, instead of needing publishers, any writers can continue generating earnings by self-publishing. No writer will ever again be in the position I was in MANY times wherein I couldn't pay my rent if I didn't get a contract with another publisher after a house dumped me, or closed my imprint and stopped taking my calls, or folded under me, or lowered advances, or disappeared from the radar along with my royalty earnings.
I recognie that Amazon has got a big stake in holding out on pricing negotiations, because reasonable pricing is a core element of their brand identity, so it's not surprising if they're emphatically resisting having thousands (or tens of thousands) of overpriced books in their stock.
It would be better for readers and writers, too, if publishers would focus on lowering prices--readers can buy more titles, more authors' titles can be bought, etc.
But if publishers raise them and, as many people (including me) think, that proves to b a mistake--readers and writers have options, after all. We can all work around that mistake if we have to, and see which publishers adjust intelligently to market forces and which do not.
The publishers don't want to compete with each other. That is why they want prices held up. Forget all that stuff about the value of books. Follow the money.
This system worked just fine until Amazon and independent authors decided to compete using price.
venkyiyer58 said...
I loved the arguments and conclusions in this post. I would also love to read Hachette's point-by-point rebuttal. Pipe dream, I suppose.
Self-pub'ed and #1 on Amazon said...
RE: Regarding the net/gross confusion. Big 5 offers 25% of net, which amounts to 12.5% of gross, while Amazon is offering 35% of gross. Which is quite a bit more of a difference than the NYT article makes it out to be.
. . . Let's say an ebook costs $4.99. Assuming a 30% discount, a Big Five publisher will receive 70% of that $4.99 from Amazon ($3.49), and the author will be paid 25% of THAT ($.88). Which boils down to 17.5% of the sale price.
If I may add my two centavos por favor:
Let's say that book is a PRINT book :-)
I quit my day job almost three years ago, making enough to pay the rent (and then some) "self-publishing through CreateSpace." I am no superstar. My book sells for around $20 on Amazon (depending on the small discount they offer). I write ONLY non-fiction books (which apparently do not count in some publisher's/guild's figures of profitable ventures for "selfies" -- yeah I just co-opted that term from KK :p )
I make right around $8.25 for every book sold (just above 35% from gross, or actual sale price). I sell a few thousand copies every year, and make $40-$50k per year on royalties alone.
That is a huge difference from any % I might get off of print, minus the agent's cut, and something no one else seems to talk about: returns. If we factored in the return fees--and reserves--the Big-5 (apologies to the sporting goods store by that name) charge THEIR authors, I am getting paid somewhere between 5 and 10 times what their mid-list authors could ever hope for. "Jinkies!" (copyright Hanna Barbera)
I owe ALL of this to BookSurge (R.I.P.), and I was decidely against C.S. merging with BookSurge until Amazon actually RAISED my royalty rates a few points after the merge. =-O
I just wanted to throw some real-life numbers into the mix, and make one last comment: ALL of my books are blacklisted by both indie bookstores and Barnes and Noble (and Borders--like I care that they are dead after destroying indie book stores all over the U.S.). Meanwhile my book is #1 in it's genre (in print!!) almost every day on Amazon in its category--not to boast--just to say that it *is* being done, despite the Big-5 refusing to take my calls (letters, emails), and despite the world's largest brick and mortar censor refusing to allow people to read my books.
Am I an Amazon shill? No, but I am am Amazon super-fan. We can talk about "What ifs" all day long that Amazon "may" someday put the screws to authors if Hachette loses (I love saying "Hatchet." It is so appropriate! :-)
So thanks for letting me vent after I have read each and every comment here. No one hears us little guys who are quietly growing (my monthly royalty check has grown 800% over the past two years), so I wanted to just say "we are out there Hachette." Here is my middle finger to show you that I can still draw my bow.
One of the issues I have with Amazon is their very selectice way of releasing information:
What contract expired (was it the ebook distribution contract, a marketing agremeent, etc.)?
Was the contract on auto-renewal (as is common) or not?
Amazon is a master at issuing press releases that *imply* things that are not necessarily the case.
Your interpretation makes sense, but when it comes to Amazon (and Hachette), I am painfully aware that we are not being told the whole story.
One of the nice things about the DOJ court case was how much information entered the public record without any form of editing.
One thing that doesn't get much mentioned is that Hachette's VP of Sales, Even Schnittman, has [in my humble opinion] one of the biggest egos in publishing. For me it's no surprise that Hachette has become the lighning rod and not one of the other publishers.
"But if publishers raise them and, as many people (including me) think, that proves to b a mistake--readers and writers have options, after all. We can all work around that mistake if we have to, and see which publishers adjust intelligently to market forces and which do not."
True, Laura, but you also have to take into account the paper books. Don't forget legacy publishers keep the ebook price high in order to protect the paper books.
That is especially true in foreign countries like France (in Europe), where you still have a network of bookstores tight enough to supply demand. To have many bookstores in France doesn't mean we have "diversity" in these bookstores, you know: there's always the same scarcity issue K. Rusch blogged about, and indies like me have a very limited access to these bookstores.
So, keeping ebook prices high have definitely big consequences in Europe for us indies. Today more than ever, with the anti-Amazon law which effectively prevents Amazon from discounting paperback books at the same level than bookstores (the initial law has been amended to allow that), Jeff Bezos' firm is at a disadvantage for paper books, and the price of ebooks in Europe is more than ever the heart of the matter. It is that which will allow us, indie authors, to really thrive or just survive like we are used to.
I'm not complaining, though.
I agree with you about Amazon. My impression that the facts they release are technically true, but designed to put themselves in the best light possible. Typical corporate PR. The Big 5, on the other hand, lie as a matter of policy. I have spent a great deal of quality time with the source documents from the trial. Most of what the colluders said in public was false and they knew it was false when they said it. John Sargent, in particular, is an inveterate liar.
On the issue of what sort of contract this is, look at Hachette's response. They say they are negotiating for terms for ebooks and print books. My assumption for what this negotiation is about is based what both sides have said and not said. There is a significant agreement between the two sides on this.
I am no longer convinced that high ebook prices are bad for the Big 5. They have single-mindedly pursued that goal for more than 5 years. They knowingly broke the laws in their two biggest markets (US and EU) to achieve that goal. They are skating close to the edge of doing it again right under the nose of the DoJ.
They clearly believe that letting Amazon set retail ebook prices would be a disaster. And that is different from their attitude towards print, where they love Amazon discounting. How many producers complain about a retailer pricing their goods below cost when the retailer is eating the entire difference.
The reasons the Big 5 give for this attitude is transparently total BS. There must be something about their business model that we do not understand and it didn't really come out in the trial. That sounds pretty improbable, but I think it must be true.
@ William Ockham
"The reasons the Big 5 give for this attitude is transparently total BS. There must be something about their business model that we do not understand and it didn't really come out in the trial. That sounds pretty improbable, but I think it must be true."
I believe you're over-thinking this. This is a policy the Big 5(6?) put in place 5 years ago and they've stuck with it since. But the market 5 years ago was substantially different to what it is today. The percentage of ebooks sold was much, much lower and it's enjoyed a meteoric rise over those years. When the % was small it made sense for them to try and keep it down. This is simply a case of big corporations implementing a policy which quickly becomes obsolete, and they are too slow to change with the times or refuse to believe their special business model isn't what it once was.
You said it yourself, they've single-mindedly pursued higher ebook prices for 5 years. Well guess what, 5 years in the midst of a disruptive technology revolution is a long time. It's simply an old policy they are too stupid to change.
(1) Why are publisher's not so concerned about print? In print Amazon's marketshare was and still is a greta deal lower than it is in digital.
Here in the UK Amazon has reached 80% market share for ebooks injust 5 years. For print it might be as much as 25%, but after almost 20 years of market presence.
I think that is they key difference: Amazon's enormous market power in digital and the speed at which it happened.
P.S.: Amazon now controls 50% of publisher revenues in the UK (print books, audio books and ebooks).
It's also about control. The one thing in Amazon's proposed contract to publishers in the UK that caused the most outrage was that Amazon wanted the right to print any book on demand, if the publisher did not have the book in stock.
The debate wasn't about whether this was more customer friendly or more efficient, but about publishers becoming "puppets" of Amazon, noot even being able to decide on size of print runs and the like.
Chaneg is hard, especially sudden chnage.
This is why bestselling authors aren't walking away from the Big 5, and why the Big 5 will never run out of submissions from aspiring authors:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/14/business/media/james-rollins-receives-a-15-million-multibook-deal.html?_r=1
To an outsider, the publishers objecting to the print on demand thing was totally bizarre. I could have understood an objection based on quality, i.e. claiming POD books are crap. But they really seemed to be objecting to the idea that a customer was getting a book that the publisher hadn't printed. Like artificial scarcity was their goal. Think about how that looks.
Anonymous at 5:10 PM said...
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/14/business/media/james-rollins-receives-a-15-million-multibook-deal.html?_r=1,
There will always be writers who think the only true way to be published is through a publisher. I was one of those 12 months ago. Publishers will start running into problems as more and more information gets out there about how self publishing works and how those authors are actually making a living, and far more of them are than trad pubbed authors. More authors will take a chance on self publishing and the indie market share (which we've already seen shift away from publishers to the "shadow industry" of self publishing) will only increase. Smart debut mid-list authors will self publish, and currently trad pubbed mid list authors will try self publishing and find it to their liking.
A loss of market share will be what forces publishers to their knees, and they'll have to adapt or perish. From what I've seen so far they're having a hard time even recognizing they're in peril and they certainly aren't adapting in any way. It'll all be over in 10 years or less.
In the future the stigma will be reversed. If someone is traditionally published we'll be saying "oh, couldn't they make it as a self publisher?"
Smart debut mid-list authors will self publish, and currently trad pubbed mid list authors will try self publishing and find it to their liking.
Debut authors don't release that first book thinking they're going to be midlist. They all think they're going to be stars. Most of them end up disappointed, but then so do most self-published authors.
A loss of market share will be what forces publishers to their knees, and they'll have to adapt or perish. From what I've seen so far they're having a hard time even recognizing they're in peril and they certainly aren't adapting in any way.
They're enjoying record profits right now, and their pockets will always be deep enough to keep their ebooks on the virtual "front tables" and "end caps" of the big online retailers. I predict that in ten years they'll be bigger than ever.
Self-publishing has become a viable option for some, and that's great, but I don't think it's ever going to lead to the demise of big publishing. And why would anyone want it to? The more choices authors have, the better, IMO.
am no longer convinced that high ebook prices are bad for the Big 5.
I think we have to contrast it against the alternative. I don't know how low prices would be good for them.
Anonymous said: Debut authors don't release that first book thinking they're going to be midlist. They all think they're going to be stars. Most of them end up disappointed...
If true, that's remarkably naive of them. Unless the publisher is ponying up a $250,000+ advance for a debut author, that author won't see much in the way of marketing, will end up with a small initial print run, and won't get the "front table" and "end cap" placement you think is so essential to success.
[Big Publishers are] enjoying record profits right now, and their pockets will always be deep enough to keep their ebooks on the virtual "front tables" and "end caps" of the big online retailers. I predict that in ten years they'll be bigger than ever.
I think your prediction is remarkably naive. Despite that vaunted online "front table" and "end cap" placement, Big Publishers have already managed to lose a third of the ebook market to indies.
Which also means that those online retailers have a huge incentive to open up those online "front table" and "end cap" programs to successful indies.
And hey, guess what? They are already starting to do so :)
Expect the erosion of Big Publishing market share to accelerate.
Anonymous said: I don't think it's ever going to lead to the demise of big publishing. And why would anyone want it to? The more choices authors have, the better, IMO.
Agreed about choices. Not everyone is capable of being their own publisher. Not everyone wants to be their own publisher. The folks rooting for Big Publishing's demise are usually coming from a history of negative experiences with it.
Most of the newer writers like me don't care one way or another whether Big Publishing survives.
We view Big Publishing as a quaint and archaic holdover which offers writers a business model that we had zero interest in from day one. So while we don't feel any particular animosity towards Big Publishing, we'll be happy to see their market share shrink to a small fraction of what it used to be. Not out of any malice. Just to level the playing field. Right now the Big Publishers are taking up too much space, and exerting a disproportionate amount of control over a part of the industry (print books) that is harder for us indies to access, and using that unfair advantage to monopolize the literary media and push mediocre books to the top of the charts.
Luckily, that temporary advantage won't last (and even despite it, we've already eaten a big chunk of the Big-5's lunch). Once further erosion of market share, or the erosion of print's relevance, or both have further leveled the playing field, we'll eat most of the rest.
Anonymous said: This is why bestselling authors aren't walking away from the Big 5, and why the Big 5 will never run out of submissions from aspiring authors:
In the corporate world, when a company starts hitting the rocks and is worried about losing high-profile talent, it's a common practice to offer a small inner circle of "absolutely must retain" employees some fat bonuses, raises, and promotions if they agree to stay with the company a little longer. I've done it.
The size of Mr. Rollins’s deal is especially unusual because there were not multiple bidders, and he was not jumping to another publishing house.
Sounds like they were worried instead that Rollins was about to start self-publishing.
"Agreed about choices. Not everyone is capable of being their own publisher. Not everyone wants to be their own publisher. The folks rooting for Big Publishing's demise are usually coming from a history of negative experiences with it."
I'm one of those who doesn't want to self-publish. I'd rather have all my teeth extracted. I don't want to have to do all that work that isn't writing. I never wanted to be a publisher, and I won't start now.
However, this doesn't mean I want to go with Big Publishing. I had my run with them, and it wasn't good. I'm now with a small publisher. I get good royalties, and my rights back in 6 years, or when sales fall below a certain level. I have good sales, with virtual front tables and end caps, and the book out now sells itself on Amazon. I think I have found the best of both worlds. Please don't forget the very viable alternative of independent publishing -- where the word indie originally started! I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of writers like me who want that comfort of not having to think about the nuts and bolts of publishing, and yet get good returns.
The reason publishers don't want the ebook prices to drop is because publishers don't want to see the price of content devalued. If they have to sell books at lower ebook prices there is a lot less revenue which means lower profits and lower royalties for authors. Keep in mind that with the traditional model that publishers are paying an advance, and the bigger that advance, the more the prices of ebooks have to be maintained at a higher level; otherwise how does the publisher recoup the advance. This is pretty basic. If the publisher were to drop the price to 4.99 versus 9.99, they are making a fraction of the revenue unless you want to try and make the argument that they're going to double or triple the amount of sales.
Laura you haven't mentioned any of the publishing megastars leaving traditional publishing. Stephanie Laurens is still traditionally published but she's also doing some on her own....that's not the same as her being willing to give up her advance and the services she gets from traditional publishing. Why didn't she totally leave traditional publishing? And as for you last comment that we wouldn't admit if Patterson or other huge sellers were indeed leaving traditional publishing that there was indeed a shift; that's just foolish in my opinion.
Dana I can't talk for other publishers but I can assure you that we talk to authors every day and I return emails from every reader that I receive. If a reader complains about a paperback binding falling apart, or not being able to find a book, or some typos; we always send them multiple free books for thanking them for taking the time to writing to us.
Joe, Kensington has been a family business for 40 years now. My son now works with me too. It's the only publishing company that I know of that has had three generations. We've had numerous offers to buy the company at many times, but I've declined and will continue to do so. Even Amazon wanted to acquire us and I said no. I enjoy competing with the giants every single day.
Darren, Amazon did indeed remove the buy buttons from St. Martin's when they had their dispute. It only lasted a week before they put them back up.
Nirmala, you don't think that saying delivery of major bestsellers will take 1 to 2 months is the same as removing the buy buttons? Who wants to wait a month for anything when it's available in other places?
Andrew, giving the ability to Amazon to print a book by POD because they don't order enough copies for their projected sales is a problem. The publisher then has to deduct from their sales the much higher cost, 4x the amount, for printing the book by POD. Why would they want to do this?
Yes Angry...I do believe there are plenty of submissions to keep the publishing bucket full. Absolutely. We can't publish a fraction of the books that are submitted to us. We have loads of indie authors submitting manuscripts every week so clearly many of them still want to be traditionally published. Go to a writer's convention like RWA or ITW and you'll see loads of people who still want to be traditionally published as well. We have authors that are hybrid as well. I don't have any problem with that as long as we work together.
William as I just replied to someone else, you are not understanding the objection to print on demand. It's not a quality issue for text books. It's simply a matter of economics. If the print book normally retails for 14.00 and it cost 1.00 to print.....the publisher is getting 6.00 for each sale.....at a 50% discount to Amaon. 14.00 * .50- 1.00=6.00.
That same book by print on demand could cost 4.00 to print so now the publisher is only making 3.00. Which would you choose?
Anonymous......this figure of indie publishing being 1/3 of Amazon's business...where is this coming from? Is it 1/3 of the units sold, including all the books at $.99 which don't make any money for Amazon or is it 1/3 of Amazon's revenue which is what they report to their bottom-line and shareholders?
I'd like to understand your logic as to how the traditional publishers are going to lose their placement online versus indie authors gaining it. If a traditional publisher is doing $50,000,000 with Kindle and an indie author is selling 10,000 units at 3.99.......who do you think is going to get the better placement?
"The reason publishers don't want the ebook prices to drop is because publishers don't want to see the price of content devalued. If they have to sell books at lower ebook prices there is a lot less revenue which means lower profits and lower royalties for authors."
Except there is no such thing as 'content devaluation' when it comes to books. There's what you want to charge, and what readers want to pay. There's also the well-known bit about lower prices = more sales, and if you did your math, you'd know that more sales at slightly lower prices = more money overall.
We learned this in junior high math, if I remember right. Let's take an example out of Joe's own website (though I won't quote him, he can come and pile on after me with links and such).
1,000 books @ $9.99 = $9,990
10,000 books @ 4.99 = 49,900
So, if authors are making 25% of even gross at $9.99 (example, plug in your own royalty rates at net or gross, it won't matter), their royalties would be:
1000 @ $9.99 = $2500.00
10000 @ $4.99 = $12,475.00
Now, before you go arguing about the value of books and all that nonsense, remember, the biggest complaint from readers is the high cost of ebooks. Ebooks have no production costs beyond the standard editing and formatting. There are no print editions to buy paper, ink, glue, and all that. There's the small cost of delivery, and the even smaller cost of storage. You only have to make ONE ebook and copy it infinitely, unlike print books, which have to be made individually.
Oh, are you still going to argue about the high cost of digital storage and delivery? I'm pretty sure you were told by everyone but yourself last time you raised that complaint that you were smoking really good grass, because those of us who came out of that industry know you had to have been higher than a satellite.
Angry maybe if you keep reading and listening you'll learn something about the publishing business instead of just having insulting snarky replies that are uncalled for. I explained very clearly why publishers wouldn't want lower ebook prices. It means less revenue to the publisher. The traditional publisher's ebook sales have been very solid for the big authors. It contributes to earning out their advance which I know you don't care about. Those authors don't want to have less revenue coming in and lower royalty payments. You're taking arbitrary math examples to equate the the sales at the lower price. If I were you I would want publishers to keep the bestselling author's prices higher because if they were as low as the prices of your books the consumers would still be driven to the books by the big authors whose names they know. Then how do you compete?
And ebooks do have a cost. It's called the advance. You don't understand how the traditional business model works at all. The difference from a mass market paperback at 40-50 cents to manufacture isn't all that dramatically different from the minuscule cost of an ebook. But once you add in the advance it's an entirely different ballgame. And yes, you and a few others who think they are digital warehouse experts have shown that you have no idea of what's involved in digital warehousing of books. Unless you've gotten competitive bids for digital warehousing you should stick to talking about something you might be more familiar with.
We in fact @Jellybooks do warehouse 35,000 digital books and I know *exactly* what the marginal cost is (quite low). It is as of nothing, however, compared to developer manhours, but that's the same as with books, the advance the auhtor recieves, or the hours spent (without getting an adavnace), etc is a major upfront (opportunity) cost, but the cost of reproduction is minuscle.
There is also a big difference between (essentially) zero cost of reproduction and a cost of $0.30-0.40 and if you use a book (first in series etc) as a marketing tool (distributiing it for free) then that is a HUGE difference. Also, in essence Amazon is covering that cost for those KDP authors who manage to get the price of their books down to $0 on Amazon) throught the ususal "tricks".
Now back to the POD demand issue. I understand why the jaws of some UK publishers dropped. On the other hand to say Amaozn should just order more stock means to grossly misunderstand Amazon's business model.
You uargue that the publishes makes $3 less margin. On the other hand a sale lost for good is $6 margin lost (not $3), so POD has its place. Amazon wanting publishers to take all the inventory risk? Well its a typical supplier-retailer negotiation, typical for just about *every* industry.
I thought retailer demands were much, much worse when I worked in consumer electronics...
@Steven. "Amazon did indeed remove the buy buttons from St. Martin's when they had their dispute. It only lasted a week before they put them back up."
Point taken, but let's be clear. The author of that article was referring to recent action against Hachette as evidenced by the link she provided and her correction of the article. She inferred Amazon did that to Hachette which is not true.
"Angry maybe if you keep reading and listening you'll learn something about the publishing business instead of just having insulting snarky replies that are uncalled for. I explained very clearly why publishers wouldn't want lower ebook prices. It means less revenue to the publisher."
This, this right here tells me that no matter what else you say, you are full of shit. Everything else you say is suspect. Tell me the sky is blue and I will look outside to be sure because you cannot be trusted with anything.
Wholesale model:
Publisher says "HEY Amazon! We will sell you this ebook for $12.49! Cheers!"
Amazon says "HEY Publisher! That's GREAT! I'm going to sell that book for $9.99, even though I am giving you $12.49 for it!"
Guess what? It doesn't matter what Amazon sells that book for, if they pay the publisher $12.49, then they have lost ZERO revenue. Period. Exclamation point. Saying that they did/do/would is bullshit.
@Stephen Zacharius
Andrew Rhomberg made most of the points I would have in response to your comments. I would add that I have built systems that are functionally equivalent to a digital warehouse for ebooks and Andrew has it exactly right. I have also purchased/leased such systems (for different clients) and the range in pricing is astounding and disconnected from actual features.
I think you are correct about the misunderstanding of the business model and I think it goes both ways. That is, we don't understand your point of view and you don't understand ours. Let me try to bridge that gap.
I think you are saying that you view the advance as one of the input costs to bringing your product to market. Most of the folks here would completely reject that notion. I am not sure if either side has thought through the implications of their position.
When you treat the advance as a cost of production, you are implying that the product you sell is a book. You are probably thinking, of course, any fool can see that Kensington produces books. Well, this fool disagrees. As a reader, I am here to tell you that I don't buy books. I buy stories. That has important implications for your business. If I am buying stories, I am paying for the story. In my view, your role is to package the story in the most appealing way and distribute it to retail stores. The advances you pay aren't costs at all, but just a way of dividing up the price I pay. It is a strange business practice left over from the pre-Internet era.
With ebooks, this becomes very clear. The story writer gets part of the cut, the packager/distributor (that's you) gets part of the cut, and the retailer gets a cut. By paying an advance, you are essentially buying an interest in the future income stream from the writer's cut of the sales. That is a separate transaction from the income you derive from your role as packager/distributor.
@Steven I'm not supposed to be responding to you anywhere but a few points:
1. Hatchette books on Amazon show 1-3 week delays not months again it's hard to take you seriously when you can't get the basic facts straight
2. Several people that have argued data warehousing (including Andrew Rhomberg at Jellybooks) have pointed out that the infrastructure might cost upfront but the maintenance should be low - talk to Andrew privately about how to cut your warehousing cost and start saving your company $100,000+/year
3. Yes ebooks cost you more to produce than an indie but trying to set a price so "books will have value" makes no sense to me as a reader - I value the story inside
4. Your goal should be to maximize profit not protect the perceived value of books (start thinking stories not packaging)
I'm back to not conversing with you.
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BAT Korea eyes premium cigarette market in Korea
Published : Aug 29, 2011 - 19:28 Updated : Aug 29, 2011 - 19:28
Company targets sector that grows fast
British American Tobacco Korea is striving to shore up its presence in the Korean market with premium cigarette products.
The Korean unit of the global manufacturer has been diversifying its portfolio of pricey cigarettes with Dunhill and Kent brands in a bid to boost profits amid stagnant population growth and rising health concerns.
Although surging prices of tobacco leaves and labor costs led BAT to hike prices of some products by 200 won (19 cents) in April, Korea’s cigarettes largely remain below 3,000 won a pack, one of the lowest among OECD nations.
“BAT is thought to have suffered profitability deterioration, as ex-factory prices have frozen for nine years. The country’s cigarette prices are relatively low in light of its income level,” Baek Woon-mok, an analyst at Daewoo Securities, said in a report.
Dunhill Reloc
But the segment of multinational premium cigarettes ― including Dunhill, Kent and Philip Morris International Inc.’s Marlboro and Parliament ― has gradually expanded over the past several years, threatening the dominance of KT&G Corp., according to Euromonitor International.
“Korean consumers became increasingly partial to multinational brands, due to the quality of the tobacco used, as well as their premium packaging,” the London-based research firm said in a report.
“Furthermore, the resistance to imported products, which was previously commonplace in Korea, continued to diminish particularly amongst younger consumers.”
Since its inroads in 1990, BAT has emerged as the No. 2 seller in the world’s eighth-largest tobacco market. It set up a factory in 2002 in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, by injecting around $100 million.
To jack up its 16 percent stake, the company unveiled its capsule filter technology and new packaging last year.
Kent Convertible and Kent Boost give customers an extra burst of menthol when they pop a small ball in the filter.
Kent Convertible, the first of its kind here, took up more than 1 percent within three months after its launch in July 2010, industry figures showed.
“Kent is the second-largest premium brand globally ― outside of the U.S. and China ― sold in over 80 countries,” Guy Meldrum, marketing executive director of BAT Korea, said early this year. “Kent stands for innovation and technology.”
For its Dunhill lineup, BAT churned out a series of new products such as Switch, Nanocut and Fine Cut, and renewed packaging for traditional Dunhill with “Reloc” technology.
The patented inner wrapping method entails a re-sealable double cover to ensure extra freshness for the tobacco.
“Dunhill has been an icon of premium brand in the market,” said chief executive Stephan Liechti. “Dunhill will continue to be a premium leader, keeping the same taste and quality with the premium seal Reloc.”
According to BAT, the premium tobacco sector logged double-digit growth last year and the trend is expected to continue in the coming years.
Another target segment is ultraslim cigarettes.
Dunhill Nanocut and Fine Cut are aimed at biting into the booming market enjoyed by KT&G’s Esse.
“Superslims are a global trend and have been the key design innovation of the last five years, with particular appeal to female smokers but also ‘cross-over’ appeal in a number of markets such as Korea where men have been receptive to the style,” Euromonitor said.
By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)
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Reasonable excuse?
Karina K. Acupuncture, P.C. v Hertz Claim Mgt. Corp., 2018 NY Slip Op 51762(U)(App. Term 2d Dept. 2018)
“Plaintiff failed to demonstrate a reasonable justification for initially sending the NF-3 forms to GEICO rather than to defendant, as plaintiff’s NF-3 forms indicate that plaintiff was aware that the claims were to be sent to defendant. Since plaintiff failed to demonstrate the existence of a triable issue of fact, the branch of defendant’s motion seeking summary judgment dismissing so much of the complaint as sought to recover for services rendered between July 6, 2007 and November 28, 2007 should have been granted.”
Clerical error will not suffice on a 45-day claim.
Timely notice
Dynasty Med. Care, P.C. v 21st Century Sec. Ins. Co., 2018 NY Slip Op 51550(U)(App. Term 2d Dept. 2018)
“Contrary to plaintiff’s contentions, defendant established that it had first learned of the accident on the date it had received an NF-2 form, which form had been submitted more than 30 days after the accident had occurred, and that it had timely mailed (see St. Vincent’s Hosp. of Richmond v Government Empls. Ins. Co., 50 AD3d 1123 [2008]) its denial of claim forms, which denied plaintiff’s claims on the ground that written notice of the accident had not been submitted to defendant within 30 days of its occurrence (see 11 NYCRR 65-1.1 [d]). The denial of claim forms further advised plaintiff that late notice would be excused if reasonable justification for the failure to give timely notice was provided (see 11 NYCRR 65-3.3 [e]). As defendant established its prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law ”
Always interesting.
Some doors have swung open
Alleviation Med. Servs., P.C. v Hertz Co., 2017 NY Slip Op 50046(U)(App. Term 2d 2017)
(1) “In opposition, plaintiff did not proffer any proof, but merely speculated, in an affirmation of counsel, that defendant might have learned of the accident in another timely manner prior to its receipt of the untimely written notice. In support of its opposition, plaintiff cited 11 NYCRR 65-3.4 (a) but failed to demonstrate how this regulation would warrant a different result. Furthermore, despite plaintiff’s having been informed, in the denial of claim form, that it could provide reasonable justification for its failure to provide timely written notice (see 11 NYCRR [*2]65-2.4 [b]), plaintiff did not present any evidence that it had availed itself of the opportunity to do so.”
(2) “Plaintiff argues that its NF-3 form, which was for services rendered on September 15, 2011, and which defendant admitted to having received on October 5, 2011, constituted timely written notice of the July 31, 2011 accident at issue. However, since plaintiff’s NF-3 form was not submitted within the 30-day time period following the accident, it was untimely in any event, and we need not pass upon the question of whether the submission of an NF-3 form is sufficient to satisfy the 30-day written notice requirement of 11 NYCRR 65-2.4 (b).”
This raises an interesting question. First, the case presents the issue of contesting the disclaimer during the claims stage. Again, a party who waits until litigation to establish a reasonable excuse in opposition to a 30-day denial will swiftly find the courthouse doors to close behind him or her.
Second, can an NF-3 be the document that places an insurance carrier on notice of a motor vehicle accident? A police report stating there are injuries on it will serve as notice. An NF-5 will serve as notice. But a properly completed NF-3? The court found the issue worth a look on a better record,
The prejudice rule in action
Castillo v Prince Plaza, LLC, 2016 NY Slip Op 06191 (2d Dept. 2016)
Nothing in the world of coverage is more exciting than the application of the prejudice rule regarding the failure to give timely notice of an event or occurrence. So little has been written about it.
(1): The default judgment and irrebutable presumption of prejudice
In this case, a default judgment was obtained prior to notice being given. As such: ” Insurance Law § 3420(c)(2)(B) provides, in pertinent part, that “an irrebuttable presumption of prejudice shall apply if, prior to notice, the insured’s liability has been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction or by binding arbitration; or if the insured has resolved the claim or suit by settlement or other compromise.”
Having found coverage after entry of the default, Plaintiff vacated the default and allowed an answer to be interposed. Defendant still argued that the irrebutable presumotion of prejudice should apply. The Court said no (which is interesting) and held as follows:
“Here, contrary to Century’s contention, based on the plain language of Insurance Law § 3420(c)(2)(B), an irrebuttable presumption of prejudice did not apply in this case. Although a default judgment was previously entered in the main action against Prince Plaza, the default judgment was vacated more than a year before Century raised Insurance Law § 3420(c)(2)(B) as a ground upon which it was not obligated to defend and indemnify Prince Plaza. Thus, the Supreme Court correctly determined that Prince Plaza’s liability had not actually been “determined” by a “court of competent jurisdiction or by binding arbitration” (Insurance Law § 3420[c][2][B]; cf. Matter of Sportsfield Specialities, Inc. v Twin City Fire Ins. Co., 45 Misc 3d 1201[A], 2012 NY Slip Op 52509[U] [Sup Ct, Delaware County 2012]). The plain intent and purpose of Insurance Law § 3420(c)(2)(B), which is to prevent insurers which have continuously collected premiums to disclaim coverage based upon an inconsequential technicality, would be defeated if Century were allowed to disclaim coverage under the circumstances herein (see Insurance Law § 3420[c][2][B], New York Bill Jacket, 2008 SB 8610, ch 388).”
(2) Timely Notice
However, Prince Plaza was unaware of the accident because it was not present at the site and it was not informed of the accident by its general contractor or the injured plaintiff. The summons and complaint in the main action were served on Prince Plaza through the Secretary of State on or about August 26, 2011, but because Prince Plaza had failed to notify the Secretary of State of its new address, it did not receive a copy of the summons and complaint and did not initially appear in the main action. Thus, in the January order, the Supreme Court granted the plaintiffs’ motion for leave to enter a default judgment against Prince Plaza, which later received a copy of the January order on February 24, 2012. Upon receipt of the January order, Prince Plaza promptly notified Century of the accident and lawsuit, and this notice was received by Century on March 2, 2012.
MVAIC created issue of fact
VS Care Acupuncture, PC v MVAIC, 2016 NY Slip Op 50764(U)(App. Term 1st Dept. 2016)
“Our review of the record indicates that defendant failed to eliminate all triable issues with respect to whether plaintiff’s assignor filed a notice of intention to make a claim, since its own proof contains conflicting evidence (see Center Candy, Inc. v CJB Food Mart, Inc., 50 AD3d 723 [2008]), specifically, a letter it sent to the assignor stating “we are in receipt of the Notice of Intention to Make Claim”
If the condition precedent to coverage is proof that the Assignor did not send a proper notice of claim, then why would a defendant introduce into their submissions a notice of intention to make a claim, unless bolstered with evidence that it was untimely or unreasonable? And to appeal the adverse decision just did not seem wise.
Written proof of loss is when it is mailed
Compas Med., P.C. v Fiduciary Ins. Co. of Am., 2016 NY Slip Op 26062 (App. Term 2d Dept. 2016)
“Defendant cross-moved for summary judgment, arguing that one ground upon which it had timely denied plaintiff’s claims was that no one on plaintiff’s behalf had complied with 11 NYCRR 65-1.1, which states that written notice of an accident must be “given” to the insurer “as soon as reasonably practicable, but in no event more than 30 days after the date of the accident” (11 NYCRR 65-1.1; see also Hospital for Joint Diseases v Travelers Prop. Cas. Ins. Co., 9 NY3d 312, 317 [2007] [a claimant “must submit a notice of claim to the insurer as soon as reasonably practicable, but no later than 30 days after the accident”]). The affidavit of defendant’s no-fault claims manager, submitted in support of defendant’s cross motion, stated that defendant had first learned of the October 14, 2010 accident when it received an NF-2 form on November 15, 2010, thereby demonstrating that defendant had not received written notice of the accident within 30 days after it had occurred.
Plaintiff argues that mailing written notice of the accident to the insurer on or before the 30th day after the accident will satisfy the 30-day notice requirement of 11 NYCRR 65-1.1. We [*2]agree.
We note that 11 NYCRR 65-1.1 does not define what it means for a written notice to be “given,” and the Court of Appeals did not elaborate when it stated that a claimant must “submit” a notice of claim (Hospital for Joint Diseases, 9 NY3d at 317). However, 11 NYCRR 65-3.4 requires no-fault insurers to “forward to the applicant the prescribed application for motor vehicle no-fault benefits (NYS Form [NF-2]) accompanied by the prescribed cover letter (NYS Form [NF-1]),” and the prescribed cover letter included in Appendix 13 to Regulation 68 states that the NF-2 application for No-Fault Benefits (which satisfies the written notice requirement [see 11 NYCRR 65-3.3 (d)]) “must be sent to [the insurer] within 30 days of the accident date if your original notice to [the insurer] was not in writing.”
We hold that mailing the written notice of claim to the insurer within 30 days of the accident satisfies the requirement that written notice be “sent” to the insurer, as instructed by the prescribed cover letter, and that written notice be “given” to the insurer, as required by 11 NYCRR 65-1.1.
Here, defendant did not demonstrate, prima facie, that timely written notice of the accident had not been mailed to it. Rather, the 30th day after the accident fell on a Saturday, November 13, 2010, making Monday, November 15, 2010, the date on which defendant alleges it first received an NF-2 form, the last date by which written notice of the accident could be timely mailed (see General Construction Law §§ 25, 25-a; VS Care Acupuncture v State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 46 Misc 3d 141[A], 2015 NY Slip Op 50164[U] [App Term, 1st Dept 2015]; see also General Construction Law § 20 [providing, in pertinent part, that “[t]he day from which any specified period of time is reckoned shall be excluded in making the reckoning”]). Thus, defendant did not demonstrate its entitlement to summary judgment dismissing the complaint.”
Great Health Care Chiropractic, P.C. v Elrac, Inc., 2015 NY Slip Op 51223(U)(App. Term 2d Dept. 2015)
(1) “Defendant alleged in its cross motion that it had first received notice of the accident on July 7, 2010 from plaintiff’s assignor’s attorney, and that this was more than 30 days after the date of the accident, which had occurred on June 6, 2010. In opposition to defendant’s cross motion, plaintiff submitted an affidavit by Jean Claude Compas, who stated that he had personally timely mailed, by certified mail, an NF-2 application for no-fault benefits together with a notice of injury to defendant on July 6, 2010. He alleged, with regard to mailing, that he personally takes all envelopes in the office to the post office and presents them to the clerk to be weighed and to determine the correct postage, and that he purchases the postage at that point. Plaintiff also submitted a “Track & Confirm” search result indicating that the envelope had been delivered to defendant, but did not submit the certified mail receipt indicating the date on which the envelope had been brought to the post office”
(2) “in further support of its cross motion, defendant submitted a photocopy of the envelope bearing a certified mail number which matches the certified mail number alleged by Dr. Compas to be the certified mail number under which the NF-2 and notice of injury had been mailed. Both the postage and the postmark are dated July 7, 2010.”
(3) “In its brief, plaintiff concedes “the fact that the envelope was postmarked by the Post Office on July 7,” but argues that it was mailed on July 6, 2010. However, this is not a case where a mailing was timely because the envelope was timely dropped into a mail box, even though it was not delivered to the post office and postmarked until a date beyond the prescribed time period (seeCPLR 2103 [b] [2]; [f] [1]; Kresch v Saul, 29 AD3d 863 [2006]). Rather, plaintiff’s own affidavit establishes that the NF-2 and notice of injury were delivered directly to a clerk at the post office for postage and mailing. Both the postage and the postmark are dated July 7, 2010, conclusively establishing that the documents were not mailed until that date. Therefore, they were not submitted to defendant within the time frame required by 11 NYCRR 65-2.4 (b).”
You see, they read the briefs. Plaintiff should have written in his brief: “I know I have a problem but I do not have the courage to admit this is a loser and I should away”. At least on this case (unlike the verification non-receipt cases), the court had the courage to call out chicanery.
Unitrin is now followed in the Fourth Department
Interboro Ins. Co. v Tahir, 2015 NY Slip Op 05378 (4th Dept. 2015)
LAW OFFICE OF JASON TENENBAUM, P.C., GARDEN CITY (JASON TENENBAUM OF COUNSEL), FOR PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT.
“Plaintiff appeals from an order and judgment that, inter alia, denied its motion pursuant to CPLR 3215 for leave to enter a default judgment against defendants Bushra Naz, Cliffside Park Imaging & Diagnostic Center (Cliffside), and Kimba Medical Supply, LLC (Kimba). Defendants Naz and Fatima Tahir made claims for no-fault benefits arising from injuries they allegedly sustained in an automobile accident covered by an insurance policy issued to plaintiff’s policyholder. Naz and Tahir assigned their rights to collect no-fault benefits to certain medical providers, including Cliffside and Kimba, each of which made claims for services rendered to Naz and Tahir as a result of the alleged accident. Plaintiff disclaimed coverage based on the failure of Naz and Tahir to provide timely written notice of the accident pursuant to the insurance policy, and thereafter commenced this action seeking a declaration that there is no coverage. Plaintiff subsequently moved for leave to enter a default judgment against each defendant on the ground that the summons and verified complaint had been properly served and defendants did not timely serve an answer or otherwise appear in the action. Supreme Court denied the motion with respect to Naz, Cliffside, and Kimba, and otherwise granted the motion.”
Here, plaintiff submitted sufficient proof of the facts constituting its claim through the affidavit of a claims representative establishing that Tahir and Naz failed to satisfy the notice requirement of the insurance policy, which constitutes a failure to comply with a condition precedent and vitiates the contract as a matter of law (see generally New York & Presbyt. Hosp. v Country-Wide Ins. Co., 17 NY3d 586, 592-593; Great Canal Realty Corp. v Seneca Ins. Co., Inc., 5 NY3d 742, 743; Matter of Progressive Northeastern Ins. Co. [Heath], 41 AD3d 1321, 1322). Plaintiff also submitted proof of default in the form of “an affirmation from its attorney regarding . . . defendant[s’] default in appearing and answering” (599 Ralph Ave. Dev., LLC v 799 Sterling Inc., 34 AD3d 726, 726).
An oral notice of claim is deemed sufficient notice?
Sky Med. Supply Inc. v Elrac Inc., 2014 NY Slip Op 24232 (Civ. Ct. Kings Co. 2014)
Court held that oral notification of claim was sufficient and seems to obviate the need the need to provide written notice of claim. Therefore, the carrier loses. I am not going to parse the decision because it is convoluted how it is written.
My first thought is why is a case like this going to “trial”? My second thought is wouldn’t the better line of reasoning be that the denial was valid since there was not timely written notice of claim; however, the plaintiff can still prevail if they can satisfy as Judge Ciaffa called it in Medical Select v. Allstate (another case that should never have went to trial) the safety valve provision of the regulations regarding late notice?
Now, since you are at trial, wouldn’t the provider have to prove the applicability and reasonableness of the so-called safety valve through producing the assignor at “trial” to testify as to why he/she did not file a timely notice of claim?
The decision seems backwards to me.
A 30-day notice case that went to trial
Medical Select, P.C. v Allstate Ins. Co., 2013 NY Slip Op 23446 (District Ct. Nassau Co. 2013)
“According to the proof adduced at trial, Allstate initially received notice of the accident from its insured within one week of the accident date. It was apparently advised, at that time, that three other individuals (plaintiff’s assignors) had been injured in the accident.”
“Following receipt of the signed NF-2’s, Allstate took no immediate steps to advise plaintiff’s assignors that their NF-2’s had been submitted too late, nor did it advise them that a late submission could be excused. Instead, it was not until Allstate began receiving assigned claims from the plaintiff provider that it first asserted, in its timely denials of the provider’s claims, that it was refusing to pay for necessary treatments due to the assignors’ failure to give written notice to defendant within 30 days of the accident.”
“Each of the denials includes the following explanation: “Claim denied for failure to comply with written notice requirement. Notice must be given as soon as reasonably practicable, but in no event more than 30 days after the accident date, unless the eligible injured person submits written proof providing clear and reasonable justification for failure to comply with such time limitation…” Using almost identical language, the denials added: “reasonable justification not proven, for proof of claim. [T]herefore claim is denied.”
“Unlike the circumstances presented in SZ Med. PC v County-Wide Ins. Co., the insurer’s denials include language which partially tracks the language of 11 NYCRR 65-3.3(e). However, on balance, the Court concludes that the language employed fails to substantially satisfy the requirements of this section. At the very least, a valid denial must include some language indicating that the claimant “may submit additional information (such as justification for delay) and that reconsideration is possible.” Hempstead Pain & Med. Servs., PC v General Assur. Co., supra. The denials, here, fail to do so.”
“Instead of containing the required advisory, the denials simply present a fait accompli conclusion that “reasonable justification” was “not proven.” Although plaintiff’s assignors were copied on the denials, they were never specifically advised, in the denials or otherwise, that they could or should submit additional information explaining why the NF-2 forms were submitted more than 30 days after the accident.”
“In the case at bar, such “explicit notice” is lacking. Moreover, defendant’s trial proof did not demonstrate that it had established “standards for review” of late claims, or that it had established “procedures, based upon objective criteria, to ensure due consideration of denial of claims based upon late notice or late submission of proof of claim … (11 NYCRR 65-3.5[l]).”
This case absolutely begs the question: why didn’t Allstate move for summary judgment? First, the “prefatory language” part of the opinion would have been controlled in a pro-forma affidavit that on balance would have made a better record on appeal. And make no mistake, the failure of the Assignor or the medical provider to seek reconsideration pre-suit renders this opinion wrong on the law. The recent precedent suggests that to be the case, In addition, 65-3.5(l) does not form a basis for evaluating these types of case, in accordance with the most recent pronouncements on the 30-day rule.
But to appeal these cases in the trial postulate, where uncontrolled testimony or “trial stips” can muddy the record is a dangerous game to play.
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By: Manny Gonzalez-Reyna | KWCR General Manager
Originally posted on: May 31, 2017 by Madonne Miner, Provost
801-626-7804 • madonneminer@weber.edu
OGDEN, Utah — Thousands of people are expected to attend the annual Lindquist Family Symphony Pops and Fireworks at Weber State University on July 16 at 9 p.m.
The celebration, initiated and sponsored by the Lindquist family of Ogden, is a 39-year tradition for families in Northern Utah.
“We are grateful to the Lindquist family for maintaining this community celebration,” said WSU Provost Madonne Miner. “Families in Northern Utah look forward to this annual event with its blend of music and fireworks in a beautiful campus setting.”
The New American Philharmonic will provide a free 60-minute concert beginning at 9 p.m. at the Ada Lindquist Plaza. The performance will include a selection of patriotic music, featuring Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” complete with a battery of 17 cannons.
At approximately 10 p.m., attendees will enjoy one of the largest fireworks displays in Utah, accompanied by the symphony.
WSU’s radio station, KWCR, will broadcast the concert live online at mywebermedia.com. The university will provide beverage booths, first-aid stations and restroom facilities. Beverage booths open at 5:30 p.m.
On-campus parking will be available, but limited. The roundabouts off Harrison Boulevard and Dixon Drive will be closed to traffic. Access to campus will be through Edvalson Street, Skyline Drive, and Birch and Taylor avenues.
Concert-goers traveling in motor homes or larger vehicles are encouraged to park on the east side of campus near Stewart Stadium. The Dee Events Center also offers additional parking.
To minimize damage to the grounds, no blankets, chairs or saving space will be permitted before 6 p.m., July 15. Items placed on the lawn prior to that time will be removed. Tarps, stakes and tent pegs are not allowed and will be removed due to safety concern. No personal fireworks or pets of any kind will be allowed on campus. Spectators are asked to clean up their area and drive with courtesy and caution following the event.
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Madonne Miner, Provost
You can listen to the whole event in this podcast:
Nanette Phillips says:
Pops Concert was not on radio or the link in the article about it. Will we ever get it on KWCR 88.1 in ten A10 lower lot south of pond?
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Q&A: Penalties for Not Having Health Insurance Will Increase in 2016
Column by Ted Holloway, Director of Sales and Business Development
Enhanced Silver Plans: A Great Value for Newly Insured
Top Agents for 2015 Honored
Quick Tips for Great Sales
Assisting Clients with Tax Forms
At the Heart of Successful Sales
Book of Business is Now in Salesforce!
California Eligibility and Enrollment Report Highlights California’s Success
Check CalHEERS Dashboard Client Payments
Correction and Update on Commissions
Covered California Makes Important Changes to the CalHEERS System
Covered California Pay Commissions
Do Not Go It Alone
Finding Your Way to the Close
Frequently Asked Questions on Commission
Got Sales?
Health Care Tax Forms
How All L.A. Care Covered Consumers Will Benefit From the My Health In Motion Program
Improve Results in 2016
Introducing Your New L.A. Care Health Plan Agent Portal
L.A. Care Continues to Grow in Membership and L.A. Care Covered Providers
L.A. Care Covered Offers One of the Most Affordable Rates Throughout Los Angeles County
L.A. Care Covered Sales Tips
L.A. Care Offers 7% Commissions and Daily Leads
L.A. Care Offers Largest Easy-Access Network in L.A. County
L.A. Care – Exceptional Service to the Local Community at Competitive Rates
L.A. Care’s Member Services Hotline is Also Here for You
Members Can Now Pay Premiums with Cash
Membership Follow Up
Obama Administration Moves to Stabilize Marketplace
Open Enrollment Help Available
Open Enrollment Period is Almost Here
Our Tool for Success
Remember to Submit Your Commission on Time!
Sales Tip! Qualifying Events for Enrollment
Successful Open Enrollment (11/1/17 – 1/31/18)
The Agent Portal Can Make Your Job Easier!
The Top Six Reasons to Grow Your Business with L.A. Care
Three Key Things to Remember as the January 31 Deadline Approaches
Tips for Closing Sales
Tips for Young Agents
Together in Service and Success
Track Your Leads on the Agent Portal
We’re Here for You During the 2019 Sign-Up Period
Where the Industry Is Going
Who Benefits From Special Enrollment?
Q&A: Penalties for Not Having Health Insurance...
Column by Ted Holloway, Director of Sales and...
Enhanced Silver Plans: A Great Value for Newly...
California Eligibility and Enrollment Report...
Covered California Makes Important Changes to...
How All L.A. Care Covered Consumers Will...
Introducing Your New L.A. Care Health Plan...
L.A. Care Continues to Grow in Membership and L...
L.A. Care Covered Offers One of the Most...
L.A. Care Offers Largest Easy-Access Network in...
L.A. Care – Exceptional Service to the Local...
L.A. Care’s Member Services Hotline is Also...
Obama Administration Moves to Stabilize...
The Top Six Reasons to Grow Your Business with...
Three Key Things to Remember as the January 31...
3 Things to Remember as the January 31 Deadline Approaches
January 31 marks the end of the latest Open Enrollment cycle. This deadline makes this month the ideal time to reach out to all prospects and discuss why joining (or renewing with) L.A. Care is critically important. L.A. Care is the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan serving over two million Los Angeles County residents.
Here are three things to keep in mind as you approach prospective members:
The first thing to remember when you approach prospects is that after January 31, exceptions to the deadline will become much more difficult to achieve. Though this may be commonly known, it still stands repeating because this could be a critical factor in the decision-making process for many families.
Be sure your prospects know the government has implemented new rules about out-of-cycle enrollment. The January 31 time frame should provide extra motivation for your prospects to enroll before this deadline prevents any changes being made to their health coverage.
Secondly, L.A. Care has made L.A. Care Covered™ Silver and the Silver Enhance plans a priority. For the 2017 Open Enrollment Period, the L.A. Care Covered™ Silver plan has been ranked the second most affordable plan in Los Angeles County. In addition, the Covered California Trend™ has shown that existing members like both its coverage and its lower pricing.
We believe that focusing your efforts on these two options represents one of your best opportunities for growth this year.
Finally, L.A. Care prioritizes health care quality, access and inclusion. What this means in practice is that maintaining the highest level of excellence depends on a consistent approach toward continuous improvement.
As a result, each and every year, our continuous improvement process demonstrates its value. For 2017, for example, L.A. Care has received no less than 24 grants totaling over $3.4 million to support the health care safety net through the coming year.
This includes $200,000 to help transition up to 100 homeless individuals into permanent supportive housing, and $150,000 to provide comprehensive clinical services and services related to substance use and mental health, trauma of violence and other conditions.
In continuing to implement our unparalleled commitment to vulnerable populations throughout Los Angeles County, L.A. Care has grown to serve more than two million members. By continuing to work together as we have done in the past, we will continue to make a meaningful difference in helping Los Angeles become a healthier community.
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Hayward Tyler Awarded Concentrated Solar Power Contract in Dubai
Hayward Tyler, a manufacturer of performance-critical pumps and motors for the energy sector, has been awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to supply a glandless pump package to major Chinese EPC, Shanghai Electric, for installation at Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park Phase IV, a 950 MW hybrid concentrating solar power [...]
Jose Santamarta2020-01-13T07:43:09+00:0009-01-2020|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Top News|Etiquetas: Concentrated Solar Power, Dubai, Hayward Tyler, Shanghai Electric, tower|
Fire halts construction at Chile’s first Concentrated Solar Power tower
A fire broke out Tuesday at the 110 MW Cerro Dominador CSP project, currently under construction in Chile's Atacama desert, the developer said on Twitter. The fire was spotted at 20:00 local time Tuesday at the top of the 250-meter receiver tower, development company Cerro Dominador, a subsidiary of [...]
Jose Santamarta2019-11-16T13:16:24+00:0014-11-2019|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Top News|Etiquetas: Abengoa, Acciona, Chile, Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, tower|
Greece MINOS 50 MW Tower Concentrated Solar Power Project EPC contract awarded
On November 11, Athens time, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is on a state visit to Greece, had face-to-face conversation with Greek Prime Minister Mizutakis in Athens. And after the meeting, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Mizotakis witnessed the text exchange of Greece MINOS 50MW CSP project financing [...]
Jose Santamarta2019-11-13T09:12:28+00:0012-11-2019|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Storage, Top News|Etiquetas: Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, Greece, MINOS, tower|
Abengoa reaches a new milestone in its first concentrated solar power project in China
The synchronization of the turbine of the Luneng Haixi 50 MW solar thermal power plant, located in the Qinghai province, was carried out. Abengoa (MCE: ABG/P:SM), the international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in the infrastructures, energy and water sectors, has successfully carried out the synchronization [...]
Jose Santamarta2019-11-07T13:35:08+00:0006-11-2019|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Storage, Top News|Etiquetas: Abengoa, China, Concentrated Solar Power, Luneng Haixi, Qinghai, termosolar, torre, tower|
Cerro Dominador Concentrated Solar Power developer plans larger plants in Chile
The ground-breaking 110 MW Cerro Dominador Concentrated Solar Power plant could start commissioning by end of 2019 and the fund-owned developer is studying larger projects at three other sites in northern Chile, Francisco Vizcaino, Project Director at Cerro Dominador, told New Energy Update. After a troubled start, Latin America's first [...]
Jose Santamarta2019-10-16T18:49:42+00:0016-10-2019|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Storage, Top News|Etiquetas: Abengoa, Acciona, Cerro Dominador, Chile, Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, EIG Global Energy Partners, termosolar, tower|
BrightSource’s share on Concentrated Solar Power Tower solar field innovation and experience
BrightSource Energy designs, develops and deploys concentrated solar power (CSP) technology to produce high-value steam for electric power, petroleum and industrial-process markets worldwide. As one of world leading Concentrated Solar Power Tower technology provider, BrightSource has been developing and providing services to well-known CSP projects globally, three of the typical [...]
Jose Santamarta2019-08-20T15:17:13+00:0020-08-2019|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Top News|Etiquetas: BrightSource, Brightsource Energy, Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, solar field, tower|
Multi-scale modular analysis of open volumetric receivers for central tower Concentrated Solar Power systems
A multiscale numerical approach is applied to an open volumetric air receiver. A 3D CFD study at the micro-scale (single channel) feeds the meso-scale model. he macro-scale model is a lumped-parameter model of the full receiver. The results from the receiver model are compared with the SolAir200 experiment. Effect of [...]
Jose Santamarta2019-08-16T06:40:35+00:0016-08-2019|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Top News|Etiquetas: Concentrated Solar Power, tower|
Three solar modules of world’s first commercial beam-down tower Concentrated Solar Power project to be connected to grid
Yumen Xinneng 50 MW molten salt tower CConcentrated Solar Power plant is China's only pilot project taking innovative beam down CSP tower technology and also will be the first large-scale commercial CSP project in the world of this kind. It is expected that No.1-3 Modules will be completed and connected [...]
Jose Santamarta2019-08-14T22:25:59+00:0014-08-2019|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Storage, Top News|Etiquetas: China, Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, Molten Salt, tower, Yumen Xinneng|
Refractaris participates in the construction of Dubai’s concentrated solar power tower
The spanish company Refractaris participates in the construction in Dubai of the tallest solar tower in the world. With a height of 260 meters and capable of generating 100 megawatts, the solar thermal project is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2020. The tower is part of [...]
Jose Santamarta2019-06-25T16:44:20+00:0025-06-2019|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Top News|Etiquetas: Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, Dubai, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Noor Energy 1, Refractaris, Shanghai Electric, termosolar, torre, tower, United Arab Emirates|
Morocco’s Ourazazate Noor III Concentrated Solar Power Tower Exceeds Performance Targets
The 150 MW Noor III Concentrated Solar Power tower in Morocco has exceeded performance targets on output and storage integration in the first few months of operation and financing costs for tower storage projects should fall in line with parabolic trough rates going forward, Xavier Lara, Senior Consultant at CSP [...]
Jose Santamarta2019-05-27T22:35:36+00:0027-05-2019|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Storage, Top News|Etiquetas: Acwa Power, Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, Morocco, Ourazazate Noor III, tower|
Noor III Concentrated Solar Power tower seen as ‘tipping point’ for financing costs
Jose Santamarta2019-05-22T19:21:07+00:0022-05-2019|Categorías: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS, Sin categoría, Storage, Top News|Etiquetas: Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, Morocco, NOOR III, tower|
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The Toledo Museum Of Artwork
Renaissance is a cultural motion that started in Europe in the course of the early 14th to seventeenth century or a period between the Classical and Modern era. In case you are pondering find out how to work on the fashionable art on canvas, then here’s a information to get started with. Creating trendy art was by no means this much straightforward. All you need to do is find a canvas printing company after which select the design that you simply want to create on the canvas. It can be a personalized design too. Once the design on the canvas is printed, it may be framed and it’s prepared to use. The company will ship the body at your door steps. You’ll be able to at all times use your creativity and creativeness on the subject of art. These canvases are additionally much cheaper than the traditional way of making canvases.
In the far north, the place humans must face the fixed risk of hunger, where life is reduced to the naked essentials—it turns out that considered one of these essentials is artwork. Art appears to belong to the fundamental pattern of lifetime of the Eskimo , and of the neighboring Athapaskan and Algonkian Indian bands as effectively. The art of the nomadic individuals of the Mongolian steppes is primarily animal artwork, reminiscent of gold stags, and is typically small in measurement as befits their touring life-style.
Style design is a type of artwork. To work as a designer, it is best to have an artistic and creative persona. You additionally must be good at drawing and able to specific your ideas in sketches. You do not necessarily should be a great artist, but it’s essential to have some particular skills for combining colors, tones and shades. You also have to have the ability to work with material and use textiles in a artistic and original manner. Trend designers have a superb visible imagination and are able to think in three-dimensions and put their concepts into clothes.
It isn’t just these with Japanese history of their blood which can be attracted the nation’s artwork however folks all around the world who recognize the Japanese distinctive and delightful view of artwork and life. The highest identified artists from Japan inside the western artwork public are presently Katsushika Hokusai, Morita, Ando Hiroshige and Kitagawa whose original work and wood block prints make well-liked alternatives as reproductions framed prints or wall posters for those looking for so as to add just a little shade and culture to their homes.
A3b. The Renaissance era was one of the vital influential and flourishing interval through the 15th and sixteenth centuries and gave start to main cultural developments for nearly three centuries. Renaissance art was born out of an evolving civilization whose quest for Realism and scientific perfection resulted in a few of the best works and achievement in arts, science, architecture, and philosophy. The distinguishing characteristic of Renaissance art is its dedication to classical arts with a renewed curiosity in Roman styles that included naked human sculptures with no landscapes in a pure surroundings. It was an necessary period that brought wealth to Europe and its artistic freedom enabled expert artisans to flourish.
Sex & Wines
Probably the most rudimentary type of painting with the brushes could possibly be related to watercolor portray, as it is the main step within the portray field, to get accustomed with the colors and the strokes of the brushes. Domains are time capsules for data, each with clear possession, enabling smooth access of all users to the worldwide data discipline. If a website that belongs to the Louvre museum will likely be dedicated to the Mona Lisa portray, that website will grow to be the source and container of completely all reliable data on the piece, the value of which is supported by the museum authority. Browse the Artwork Undertaking by the artist’s name, the art work, the type of artwork, the museum, the country, the town and the collection. Choose any of the greater than 45,000 artworks – along with your favorite particulars – and construct your individual personalised gallery. Feedback might be added to every portray and the entire collection can then be shared with friends and family. Or evaluate sketches and complete work aspect-by-side for a unique view of the artistic process.
In case you are considering the best way to work on the trendy art on canvas, then here’s a information to get began with. Creating trendy art was never this much straightforward. All it’s a must to do is discover a canvas printing firm and then choose the design that you simply wish to create on the canvas. It may be a customized design too. As soon as the design on the canvas is printed, it may be framed and it’s prepared to make use of. The company will deliver the body at your door steps. You’ll be able to always use your creativity and imagination when it comes to artwork. These canvases are additionally much cheaper than the traditional means of making canvases.
Bitumen is usually utilized in artwork in the following means: Should you wish to add another layer of interest to your portray, strive painting bitumen over the surface area, after which you’ll wipe back chosen sections of the bitumen with turpentine, you will then see how the impressive effect can add one other fascinating dimension to your creation. I counsel that you simply use a take a look at canvas first for experimenting, after getting achieved the desired impact and the look that best suits you then go forth and incorporate this superb medium into your paintings, it would rework your artwork into something which is compelling and uniquely yours.
20. If you’re merely in search of a novel way to display your images on a desk, attempt a vignette. For instance, gather three portrait photographs, a couple of your favourite landscape paintings, a tall candlestick and some greenery and organize them on the tabletop. It’ll make them seem extra necessary when you group the objects collectively. Delacroix painted a tiger attacking a horse, which as is common with Romantic paintings, paints subject matter on the border between human (a domesticated horse) and the pure world (a wild tiger).
Tate Modern continues flying the flag for feminine artists neglected by historical past with the biggest retrospective of Dora Maar ever held in Britain. Maar’s slippery, surrealist works make use of an intensive archive of photographs and photomontages, however her profession has been somewhat overshadowed by her relationship with Picasso. This exhibition plans to situate Maar’s creations alongside those of her contemporaries, but hopefully not (for as soon as) simply ol’ Pablo. Masters of summary work had been such famous painters as Kazimir Malevich, Francis Pikabiya, Vasilii Kandinskii and many others. These days, summary paintings are enjoyed by many connoisseurs of fine work which justifies their considerable worth.
Completely different Sorts Of Physique Art
1. Banksy’s piece entitled “Picnic” was bought to American actress Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt for $226,000. The modern artwork on canvas is one thing that might be wanting superb on the walls. Empty walls do not look nice. In case you are pondering how you can embellish the partitions with one thing that may look awesome then the modern canvas art prints are what you want. They definitely would make the partitions look superb. Beautifying the walls with the contemporary art on canvas can be nice concept to not only flaunt your creativity but additionally to make the place look nice. You can get the canvas blended within the shade and design you want. Just search for the inspirational designs on the internet and go for them. You may as well make your very own assortment of artwork. These are such items of art that are enough to mesmerize others.
That approach, nonetheless, is no evidence that the conception of the content material of life held by the folk of his day was in itself either completely right or absolutely unsuitable. It is proof only that works of art have rightly mirrored the inner thoughts of a previous age. It’s subsequently quite comprehensible that insofar as the try is made to hold on the life of that past age, those that seek for options of inventive issues can still seek and discover there fruitful suggestions. Digital artists already in contact with expertise are conscious of the systems which can be in trend and use them to create their art work and promote them online.
Art can solely flourish in whole freedom. In an artists’ meeting I lately said: The artist should, as an artist, be an anarchist and as a member of society, as a citizen dependent on the bourgeoisie for the necessities of life, a socialist. The state can provide the artist no different advice than that he freely and independently observe his innermost impulses, and that’s the best the state can do to encourage art: that it offers the artist complete freedom of his inventive motion. Its concern, and its justified concern, is that the artist be capable of dwell, that he be capable of exist as an economic entity.
Poly and Guardian mirror two vastly totally different perspectives on the domestic market in Chinese language contemporary artwork. Guardian is the oldest and most respected auction house in China, founded in 1993 by Wang Yannan, daughter of Zhao Ziyang, the previous Communist Occasion leader who was placed underneath home arrest after opposing the federal government’s use of power in opposition to demonstrators at Tiananmen Square in 1989. If Poly is thought for its huge sources and willingness to make deals to nab consignments, Guardian is known for its respected specialists and long-time period client relationships. For instance, when the Museum of High-quality Arts, Boston, determined to promote 20 pieces of Qing dynasty porcelain in mainland China, it consigned the collection to Guardian.
Nice artists are individuals who find the way to be themselves of their artwork. Any form of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life alike. This craze for Chinese language up to date artwork has also given rise to a wave of criticism. There are fees that Chinese collectors are using mainland public sale homes to spice up costs and interact in widespread hypothesis, simply as if they had been buying and selling in stocks or actual estate. Western collectors are additionally being accused of hypothesis, by artists who say they purchase works low-cost after which promote them for ten occasions the original prices-and sometimes extra.
Famous Michelangelo Inventions
Essentially the most representative artist of neoclassicism was Jacques Louis David (1748-1825). A visit to the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) takes you world wide and through 5 thousand years of art in a posh of buildings that after housed the Lone Star Brewery. SAMA is renowned for the most comprehensive ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian artwork collection within the southern United States. The Nelson A. Rockefeller Latin American artwork wing spans the ages from the traditional Americas to the present and includes an excellent assortment of folk art. In the contemporary galleries, works of internationally acknowledged artists share prominence with notable Texas and regional art. The great Asian artwork wing shows works from Korea, India, and Japan, and consists of an important Chinese ceramics assortment.
Audubon was maybe the most famous painter of untamed birds at around this time, with a distinctive American model, yet portray the birds realistically and in context, although in somewhat over-dramatic poses. In addition to birds, he additionally painted the mammals of America, although these works of his are somewhat much less well-known. At across the similar time In Europe, Rosa Bonheur was discovering fame as a wildlife artist. Jaques-Laurent Agasse was one of the foremost painters of animals in Europe around the finish of the 18th C and the start of the 19th. His animal artwork was unusually lifelike for the time, and he painted some wild animals together with giraffe and leopards.
four. Conforming to Personal Demands: Abstract artwork brings a multicoloured variety of all type of associations. In any abstract artwork one can find one thing very distinctive, a particular association that’s personal or universal. Summary artwork is similar to an ocean – its instructions and meanings are enormous. That is the rationale why individuals can chose the artwork-piece that fits them. Around this time Picasso had grow to be friends with a French-Jewish art vendor named Paul Rosenberg. Picasso was staying in France presently. Conflict clouds have been gathering over Europe and Rosenberg took an excuse of exhibiting the work in New York and shipped the painting out of France in 1939. This was a sane step as Picasso was not in favor with the Nazi’s who had occupied France. Picasso remained in France during the war years, whereas his portray remained in the United States.
We offer quite a lot of partaking learning opportunities for adults of all ages. From guided excursions, gallery talks, lectures and accredited programs to up-close examinations, in-depth discussions and art outreach, we’ve got a wealth of information and resources to share for individuals who are interested. Magic realism (1960’s Germany) often included animals and birds, however often as a minor function among human elements, for example, swans and infrequently other animals in many work by Michael Parkes. Brian ‘Doherty , On Stuart Davis, abstractionist whose work prefigured pop artwork, The New York Times (26 June 1964).
Art & Artists in the Historical World and Middle Ages, Art & Artists in the Renaissance are very different from Art & Artists of the trendy world. What’s the have an effect on of modernism on artwork & artist is a highly debatable matter. It throws up points like whether or not modernism has led to the tip of art. It’s an fascinating study to see how modernism and politics and postmodernism have affected the art and artists of right now. Know-how not only brings changes in schooling, medical subject, trade and enterprise but additionally brings an enormous change within the art work and the artists as nicely.
You’ve been searching for that masterpiece by Chagall for a long time and all of a sudden you find out that the masterpiece is up on the market, what would you do? We offer a variety of partaking learning opportunities for adults of all ages. From guided tours, gallery talks, lectures and accredited courses to up-close examinations, in-depth discussions and artwork outreach, now we have a wealth of information and resources to share for many who have an interest. Magic realism (1960’s Germany) usually included animals and birds, but normally as a minor characteristic among human elements, for example, swans and infrequently different animals in lots of work by Michael Parkes. Brian ‘Doherty , On Stuart Davis, abstractionist whose work prefigured pop art, The New York Occasions (26 June 1964).
At this cut-off date I would like to contend that maybe very few of these artistic poses during which we view a nude female had been created with an precise nude mannequin. As you might have noticed the artist portrays the female in the actual reverse roles that which they possess in actuality. Perhaps of their art the lads have projected unconscious images of the lady as they might have most well-liked them to be. In place of that the artist would seemingly paint a portrait of the women and at some later time add the physique to the portray in commentary of the strict limits of morals imposed within the social circles of the time.
The 19th century introduced the revival of several kinds of Italian furnishings such because the Renaissance, Gothic and Rococo. Designers as soon as once more started to attract their inspiration kind Oriental and historic art. Throughout this time, it turned very talked-about for pieces to be inlaid with ivory. Traditional walnut and ebony also became extensively utilized in Italian furnishings pieces. Botar, Oliver A.I. Technical Detours: The Early Moholy-Nagy Reconsidered. Art Gallery of The Graduate Middle, The Metropolis College of New York and The Salgo Trust for Training, 2006.
It could be quite common so that you can find an artwork master who has an unimaginable collection of art pieces, but he is not keen to buy or share something with other artwork lovers. Mirek Klabal is a totally completely different person on this regard and simply likes to indulge all artwork lovers. He does not imagine in hoarding and hiding away his collection from art lovers. Relatively he believes in displaying and sharing his collection with every one. So in the event you discover that he has the piece of art that you’ve got so desperately needed to purchase, you will get it from him without any hassles.
Find all the pieces you want for painting, drawing and printing within our wide range of art provides and artist materials at Hobbycraft. Robert Rauschenberg’s “American eagle”, a Pop Artwork (mid 1950’s onwards) piece, makes use of the image of an eagle as an emblem relatively than as one thing in its personal proper, and thus isn’t actually wildlife art. The same applies to Any Warhol’s “Butterflys”. Amongst Realist artwork, “the raven” by Manet and “stags at rest” by Rosa Bonheur are real wildlife artwork. However on this inventive movement animals are way more normally depicted clearly as a part of a human context.
Swinger Seduction
Paul Cezanne was born in France, in the mid-1800, and is taken into account, the father of all modern fellow artists, of his time. Australian-American mannequin, philanthropist, and actress Portia de Rossi retired from the screen to launch Basic Public, a project which helps you to experience artwork like by no means earlier than. As a substitute of printing artwork on a flat canvas, she included a new sort of 3D-printing technique, known as synograph, which may print the paintings with all of its tiniest brushstrokes, a number of layers and texture oddities. The web site’s essential page is in line with the thought of the undertaking: cool, modern, graphic and so very trendy.
In the old instances, the beadworks made by the American Indians were made mostly of the turtle shells and animal horns and hooves. These native American artworks have been usually used for rattling or tinkling supplies which can be used for his or her dances. These artworks have been additionally worn by hunters in a form of necklaces and were mostly fabricated from wolf and bear claws. They function trophies of their kills, and serves as a symbol of the hunter’s experience. While a number of the American Indian beadworks are fabricated from steamed bones and seeds. They were often used for stringing and are principally blended into numerous types.
Tate Fashionable will get all the attention, however the unique Tate Gallery, founded by sugar magnate Sir Henry Tate, has a broader and extra inclusive brief. Housed in a stately Portland stone constructing on the riverside, Tate Britain is second solely to the Nationwide Gallery relating to British artwork. The historical collection contains work by Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Constable (who will get three rooms to himself) and Turner (whose works are displayed within the grand Clore Gallery). Many contemporary works were shifted to Tate Trendy when it opened in 2000, however Stanley Spencer, Lucian Freud, David Hockney and Francis Bacon are properly represented right here, and the Artwork Now installations showcase up-and-coming British artists. The gallery additionally hosts the controversy-courting Turner Prize exhibition (Oct-Jan). The gallery has an excellent restaurant and a nicely-stocked gift store, and the handy Tate-to-Tate boat service zips alongside the Thames to Tate Fashionable.
Particularly with this lengthy form podcast challenge, I find myself leaning on a number of things I discovered at Salt – about having endurance, enjoying the long game, and constructing belief with subjects. This is all magnified when you’re embedded full-time in the neighborhood you’re reporting on, and a part of. Wildlife artwork within the 20th Century, Contemporary art, postmodern art, and so forth. Animals were commonly depicted in Chinese language art, including some examples from the 4th Century which depict stylized mythological creatures and thus are rather a departure from pure wildlife artwork. Ming dynasty Chinese art features pure wildlife art, together with ducks, swans, sparrows, tigers, and other animals and birds, with rising realism and element.
A few of the earliest of all known art (pre-historic cave and rock art) options wildlife. Nonetheless, it might be more correctly regarded as artwork about food, reasonably than artwork about wildlife as such. The Art Deco model emerged after World Conflict I and dominated the ornamental arts and jewelry from 1920 through the 1930s. It was a strong reaction against the ethereal sensuality of Art Nouveau and the fragile magnificence of the Garland type. Artwork Deco jewellery suggests put up-war practicality via its robust geometric patterns in daring contrasting colours.
Exhibitions, Galleries & Artists News & Reviews
1. Banksy’s piece entitled “Picnic” was offered to American actress Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt for $226,000. Pollen spent practically 22 years at Sotheby’s, rising to senior director of Sotheby’s Europe and head of 20th century British Artwork. An early profession highlight was the 1990 sale of “The Crucifixion” by Stanley Spencer for £1.three million ($1.6 million) – then a file for a contemporary British artist (though lengthy since eclipsed by Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and others). All the humanities which belong to polished life have some common tie, and are connected as it had been by some relationship. Edward Hicks is an example of an American wildlife painter of this period, who’s art was dominated by his non secular context.
twentieth-century bottle, Twa peoples, Rwanda, Creative works could serve practical functions, in addition to their decorative worth. A3b2. Madame Hamelin (1776-1851) was one of the neoclassical painter Andrea Appiani’s work that bears an analogous resemblance to Leonardo Da Vinci’s Monal Lisa. Both are half-length oil portraits of women who’re half-seated that displays the natural facial expressions whereby their arms are folders bearing similar creative values and styles to at least one another. Airbrush is a temporary kind as effectively. Ink is sprayed on to the pores and skin by an artist (generally by way of a stencil). The resulting design often mirrors the look of an actual tattoo, without any pain. When you use one of the best inks, the tattoo can last as long as not less than two weeks.
American Wildlife artist Carl Runguis spans the top of the 19th and the beginnings of the 20th Century. His model developed from tightly rendered scientific-influenced style, through impressionist affect, to a more painterly strategy. This mechanism being observed … the inference we predict is inevitable, that the watch must have had a maker — that there will need to have existed, at some time and at some place or different, an artificer or artificers who shaped it for the purpose which we discover it truly to answer, who comprehended its construction and designed its use.
My work as an artist regards the connection between web site, story, and mobility; lots of my tasks use strolling as a software to navigate the connection between website and individual story. My paternal grandparents crossed our northern border on foot in the 1930s on the lookout for work and a transformed livelihood. They lived by way of some tough and precarious years as they created their lives and ultimately turned People. So many people are here because our ancestors migrated, whether or not introduced by force, or approaching their very own for reasons of economic need or political freedom. Catherine has spent the previous decade interrogating borders, asking whose pursuits they serve and who they empower. Her work as an ethnographer in Somalia in the late ’80s, and with Somali immigrants in Maine, has provided her with a unique and really personal understanding of the challenges and triumphs skilled by modern refugees and local immigrants.
The female nude was the dominant artistic inspiration; nevertheless, and remains the commonest Cycladic artwork subject by nearly 20 to 1. Sadly, no writing exists from the pre-literate Cycladic society to help clarify the aim of the idol figures. Some students imagine they have been utilized in prayer rituals, suggesting that the marginally tilted head of the idols signifies supplication to the gods. Others believe they may signify a “mom goddess” or priestess. Together, the Hanover and Berlin-based mostly artists Thomas Granseuer and Tomislav Subject constitute Quintessenz. Beginning out as students at the College of applied Science and Arts in Hildesheim, they developed an unmistakeable signature model. With roots in each grafitti-tradition and chromatics, Quintessenz mix portray, shifting image, and set up.
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Watercolor Portray
One of the most tragic celebrities on the planet artwork history is Vincent Van Gogh. Bodybuilding isnt all simply weights and whey protein There are a lot of individuals who could be fast to outline bodybuilding as a fantastic artwork. Actually, there are those that would disagree with this, however for the enthusiasts who take it extremely critically, there is no more spectacular type of artwork. There are different forms, genres, mediums and types for expression of creative skills and all these have their own attribute expertise & craft, value judgment models and communication types. You must have seen art galleries and attended portray exhibitions in your life. These does not work properly nowadays so artists find a means the place they can get more attention and more praise for his or her work. Most of the inventive stuff is now seen online and is circulated to the art lovers.
Conceptually, we do things that allow individuals to use arts to reflect on their conduct and the injustices of the system, that it may be a constructive experience for people,†says Mansky. Mission Reset is efficient because it matches the systemization of traditional court docket processes, while also centering the person’s circumstances and potential for improvement and change for the future, moderately than punishment for the past. Kickstarter helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators discover the resources and assist they should make their concepts a reality. To this point, tens of thousands of artistic tasks — huge and small — have come to life with the assist of the Kickstarter neighborhood. Its web site reads like an almanac, highlighting stories, tasks, and ideas from the vibrant Kickstarter Arts community.
Summary art or, abstractionism, is likely one of the most prestigious in up to date art. By means of further-ordinary combos of shapes and various colours it meant to encourage and to develop higher consciousness and understanding in people. Abstract artwork is in style today, particularly among the many elite and non secular folks. The catalog additionally listed that Sotheby’s will likely be auctioning off a watercolor painting created by artist Gwen John. Cats have been considered one of John’s favourite topics and he or she additionally usually paints photos of seated girls. She has additionally been known to paint the identical portrait many instances over just like the artist Monet.
The work was impressed by the collapse of the Soviet Union, which to the artists minds demanded an embracing of the style ‘total installation’. This is the primary work through which Ilya Kabakov encompassed an entire vary of private recollections and reproduced them. His rest room exhibits shabby walls of white lime, covered by obscene graffiti during which bogs without any doorways are placed. They epitomize the Russian thought of civilisation much more as a result of they were communal, similar to unusual folks’s residences. Individuals imagine that in exile, Ilya Kabakov’s work has change into more unified and whole.
Compared with Western shopping for, mainland Chinese language participation pales. Though there are numerous rumors in regards to the power of the brand new Chinese consumers, their presence has not been felt within the major public sale houses, where most of the information are being set. “Hong Kong right now covers the global patrons, particularly these from across Asia,” says Eric Chang, Christie’s worldwide director of Asian up to date art. “I’m not actually seeing mainland Chinese patrons-lower than 10 percent-a drop from around 12 percent.” Sellers in China also have seen few mainland collectors amongst their common clients. “I do not know yet about collectors,” says New York supplier Christophe Mao of Chambers Tremendous Artwork, which recently opened a branch in Beijing.
portray, watercolor
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17 Database jobs
Chispa Arizona Digital Organizer
League of Conservation Voters Phoenix, AZ
Title : Chispa Arizona Digital Organizer Status : Exempt Reports To : Chispa Arizona Organizing Director Positions Reporting To This Position : None Location : Phoenix, AZ General Description: LCV believes our earth is worth fighting for because everyone has a right to clean air, water, and a safe, healthy community. To ensure those rights are protected, we help people use their power to shape policy, hold politicians and polluters accountable, and influence elections. Our over 2 million members, our volunteers and staff, and our more than 30 state affiliates (together, the Conservation Voter Movement) work for a more just and equitable democracy, where people—not polluters—determine our future. This movement is an influential national network with unparalleled influence in Washington, DC, in state capitals, and in communities around the country. We are unmatched in our ability to ensure meaningful action on our key issues. We aim to bring people and communities together across racial, geographic, political, religious, economic and other differences toward collective goals instead of dividing us from one another. LCV launched Chispa , a grassroots community organizing program, to amplify the voice and power of Latino communities to influence local, state and national decisions that impact our health and environment. Chispa has programs in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Nevada. As part of our long-term commitment to engage new constituencies and to diversify the environmental movement, the League of Conservation Voters, primarily through grassroots community organizing programs, is fostering strong local and national Latino leadership in the fight against climate change. Chispa Arizona focuses on making progress on clean air, clean energy, clean water, access to public lands, and a free and fair democracy for all. LCV is hiring a Digital Organizer to join our Chispa Arizona Phoenix-based team. The Digital Organizer will integrate field organizing with online action and oversee the online presence for Chispa Arizona. This role will focus on building, engaging and growing our bilingual online community via social media, email, mobile, online advocacy and online fundraising. The Digital Organizer will be using digital tools to advance our organizing initiatives in the field and online, in order to mobilize and grow our statewide base of volunteers and supporters around our organizing campaigns, including a focus on protecting the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Arizona Public Service (APS) accountability and other federal and local policies. The Digital Organizer will join a hard-working, skilled and growing data-driven organizing department, working closely with the Chispa AZ Organizing and Communications Directors, and volunteer teams. The ideal candidate is self-motivated, enthusiastic and passionate about the fight for environmental justice and ready to take action in the fight against polluters and climate change. Responsibilities: Organize online supporters to take offline actions in order to push our campaigns forward and integrate volunteers into our organization. Identify and engage campaign supporters and drive measurable online actions through the creation of alerts, infographics, and the management of the digital ads. Utilize social media, EveryAction and texting programs to maximize digital list building. Support the Organizing team with data training, regular reports and daily use of EveryAction and or VAN. Engage supporters to take action, donate to Chispa AZ and keep in touch with our program through email, social media, digital ads, mobile platforms, website(s) and online mediums. Perform data uploads to EveryAction email database and facilitate email campaign list selection, segmentation testing and apply strategies in collaboration with the Chispa AZ Communications Director. Provide reports on data analytics related to the campaign email list, Chispa AZ website, and Chispa AZ social channels to improve the effectiveness of our campaigns. Set up emails, donation forms for Chispa AZ, advocacy alerts, surveys, and other communications under the direction of the Chispa AZ Communications Director. Develop a system to monitor and coordinate response to feedback from volunteers about our campaigns messaging and provide regular updates to the rest of the department and the organization. Work with and train volunteers on best online digital practices and support implementation. Archive and tag all photo and video content across programs and campaigns. Support Chispa AZ fundraising campaigns with digital tools and online content. Update Chispa AZ website as needed with engaging and branded content. Find new innovative opportunities for audience expansion by staying connected to peers and digital communities. Create and implement new opportunities for growth of our grassroots base that will move supporters from online to take action in person. Analyze data on the acquisition of new Chispa volunteers and draw actionable insights to inform future strategy. Perform other duties as assigned. Qualifications: Work Experience: Minimum of 1-2 years of experience in one of the following fields: social media management, online organizing, online marketing, communications, email advocacy, or new media. Preferred field organizing, issue based or candidate campaign experience. Experience in a political context, preferably in a Latino, progressive, or environmental organization strongly preferred. Skills: Excellent verbal and written communications skills. Forward-thinking, innovative, and creative mindset willing to push Chispa Arizona to new boundaries in the online space and in relation to environmental justice. Experience using online tools to grow, engage and mobilize a membership base. Must have experience working with the VAN, EveryAction or other database. Can work with a team and in community; highly organized and interested in environmental or community issues. CRM, CMS, and HTML coding skills are a plus. Preferred bilingual in English and Spanish. Cultural Competence: Shares our commitment to increasing racial diversity in our movement and organization, integrating justice and equity into the work we do and ensuring an inclusive organizational culture. The Digital Organizer should have a complex understanding of Latino communities, an unwavering commitment to racial justice, and derive inspiration from the leadership of everyday people who stand up and stand together for the health of their families, communities and our planet. Conditions: Ability to travel, potentially up to 10% of time, and to work some evenings and weekends. This position is based in Phoenix, Arizona. To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to hr@lcv.org with “Chispa AZ Digital Organizer” in the subject line by January 28, 2020. No calls please. LCV is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a racially just, equitable and inclusive workplace.
Data Base Administrator IV (Development DBA)
Texas Dept. of Information Resources 300 West 15th Street, Austin, TX, USA
Job Posting: #00008731 Opened: 01/09/20 Closes: 01/22/20 Class/Group: 0214/B26 Military Occupation Specialty Code: Marines-0671; Navy-9730; FLSA: Exempt Number of Vacancies: 1 Division/Section: Information Technology Services Duration: Regular Hours Worked Weekly: 40 Shift: Days Travel: None Agency Address: 300 W. 15th Street, Austin Tx 78701 Web site: www.dir.texas.gov Refer Inquiries to: Human Resources Telephone: (512) 463-5920 or (512) 475-4612 HOW TO APPLY: Select “Apply Online” to apply for the job at h tps://capps.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en You must create a CAPPS Career Section candidate profile or be logged in to apply Update your profile and apply for the job by navigating through the pages and steps Once ready, select “Submit” on the “Review and Submit” page. Applicants must provide in depth information in the EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS section to demonstrate how they meet the position qualifications. Incomplete applications may result in disqualification. Resumes may be uploaded as an attachment but are not accepted in lieu of the information required in the EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS section of the application. Interview Place/Time: Candidates will be notified for appointments as determined by the selection committee. Notice: Section 651.005 of the Government Code requires males, ages 18 through 25 years, to provide proof of their Selective Service registration or proof of their exemption from the requirement as a condition of state employment. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The Department of Information Resources does not exclude anyone from consideration for recruitment, selection, appointment, training, promotion, retention, or any other personnel action, or deny any benefits or participation in programs or activities, which it sponsors on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability. Please call 512-463-5920 to request reasonable accommodations. THE OPPORTUNITY The Texas Department of Information Resources serves a wide spectrum of customers by providing technology leadership, solutions, and value to State of Texas government agencies, higher education, and local government entities of all sizes to facilitate the fulfillment of their core missions and by leveraging bulk buying power that enables eligible customers to buy IT products and services at aggressive discounts without the need for a lengthy procurement process. DIR is a fast-paced and collaborative environment with highly motivated and engaged employees dedicated to achieving the best value for the state. This role performs highly complex (senior level) database analysis, design, and developmental work. Should have both strong Database and Business Analytic skills. Work involves coordinating the planning, development, maintenance, and monitoring of integrated database systems; evaluating and reviewing database architecture; and maintaining data integrity. Experience and demonstrated competency with Data Warehousing concepts, tools, and methodologies is required. Designs and implements reliable, reusable, and robust ETL solutions that deliver data integrity, accurate data mapping and cleansing. May supervise the work of others. Works under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. WHAT WE DO The ideal candidate will have the ability to highlight their strengths in the following functions: Coordinates and/or conducts the design, analysis, and maintenance of database structures Develops efficient and cost-effective database driven application systems; consults and provides professional contributions on acquisition of database software and resources; establishes and implements necessary application and database level security standards and controls Fluency in Relational, Network, and Star Schema database modeling to create and maintain DIR’s logical data models Plans, coordinates, and supports maintenance, patching, and upgrades to DIR’s database environment; verifies and performs regression testing as necessary Assists in developing policies and procedures designed to ensure the integrity of the production environment with an emphasis on the databases Leads system integration work between internal and external data systems and applications; assists with Business Objects Universe and SQL Server Integration Services development and maintenance to aid others in reporting and evaluating or validating results as needed; performs level 2 and above troubleshooting Create solutions and lead full life cycle development including requirements gathering, analysis, design, development, testing as well as writing and maintaining technical documentation OTHER DUTIES May supervise the work of others Performs related work as assigned EDUCATION Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in Computer Science or other related degree Additional work-related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis EXPERIENCE & TRAINING REQUIRED Seven (7) years of experience designing, developing, maintaining and supporting diverse database systems, including ETL functions EXPERIENCE PREFERRED ETL experience with Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services, SSIS/SSRS Oracle Database Remedy ITSM programming, configuration, integration, and enhancement Web Services implementations on various platforms Business Objects/SAP Data Services SalesForce.com KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES Working knowledge of information resources project management principles, best practices and tools; ability to effectively manage complex information technology projects; ability to conduct effective, thorough review of project requirements and deliverables; ability to conduct short and long-range project planning studies Thorough and current knowledge of the practices, principles, and techniques of computer operations of information resources technology that includes hardware, packaged software implementation, software development, data communications, local and wide area networks management; knowledge of the security limitations and capabilities of computer systems; includes ability to research, evaluate and interpret material and create effective narratives on IT issues and standards Excellent skills in communicating both verbally and in writing; in a clear and concise manner Skill in finding solutions for or to deal proactively with work-related problems; ability to identify and implement best practices; ability to recognize potential and existing problems, identify courses of action and apply contingency plans to solve problems as a project manager and in a team environment Skill in complex problem solving, and critical thinking in the operation of computers and applicable software Ability to work with limited supervision and to schedule workload to meet requirements and deadlines of the position Ability to serve internal agency customers, including executive staff, by focusing effort on meeting their needs, understanding their concerns, and effectively resolving issues; ability to identify and define user task needs Ability to make critical decisions in the best interest of the agency and its mission and goals, while following agency procedures; ability to process information logically Orientation toward action and ability to see the overall picture; ability to balance consideration of short and long-term planning goals Ability to focus on a goal and obtain a pre-determined result Ability to look beyond the standard solutions Demonstrated ability to work on concurrent tasks in a fast-paced environment while effectively organizing, prioritizing and coordinating work assignments Ability to establish and maintain effective and cordial working relationships at all organizational levels, including agency management, direct supervisors, co-workers, internal and external customers Ability to exercise courtesy, tact and diplomacy in all communications; including the ability to exercise discretion when handling confidential information Ability to work independently and as part of a team, and to support and contribute to a cohesive team environment Ability to develop a particular skill in others to bring them up to a predetermined standard of work performance; ability to supervise the work of others Ability to work a flexible work schedule to meet required deadlines Ability to work under pressure and exacting schedules to complete assigned tasks Ability to understand, follow and convey brief written and oral instructions Ability to comply with all agency policies and applicable laws Ability to comply with all applicable safety rules, regulations and standards COMPUTER SKILLS Proficiency in the use of a personal computer and applicable software necessary to complete work performed. OTHER REQUIREMENTS Regular and punctual attendance at the workplace Criminal background check WORK ENVIRONMENT Frequent standing, walking, sitting, listening and talking Frequent use of a personal computer, copiers, printers and telephones Frequent work under stress, as a team member, and in direct contact with others Occasional bending and stooping Occasional lifting and climbing Occasional overtime Limited travel
Programs Assistant
Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) Northwest Portland, OR, USA
JESUIT VOLUNTEER CORPS (JVC) NORTHWEST, Milwaukie, OR, is hiring a full-time, 40 hours/week Programs Assistant for our office in the Portland Metro Area. The Programs Assistant supports the administration of the Jesuit Volunteer (JV) and JV EnCorps programs of Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) Northwest. The ideal candidate demonstrates a commitment to the mission and values of JVC Northwest; technological savvy; excellent organizational, oral, and written communication skills; and demonstrated ability to work with many details and maintain a system of quality control. JVC Northwest provides an excellent work environment and benefits. JVC Northwest has been named by Oregon Business Magazine as one of Oregon’s 100 Best Nonprofit Companies to Work for (2009-2019) and 100 Best Green Companies (2010-2019). All JVC Northwest staff are “at will” employees. Equity at JVC Northwest: JVC Northwest is committed to continually building a just and equitable workplace in order to work toward our vision of a just and equitable Northwest region. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, JVC Northwest encourages applicants of every race, ethnicity, origin, age, religion, ability, sexual orientation, gender expression, economic status, and veteran status. To apply, email JVC Northwest at info@jvcnorthwest.org with “Programs Assistant” in the subject line for job description and application information. Applications are due December 9 with a start date of January 2020.
Spring 2020 Undergraduate/Graduate Intern, Analytics
American Civil Liberties Union New York, NY, USA
For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBT community, advancing racial justice, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties and civil rights cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. With more than one million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., for the principle that every individual’s rights must be protected equally under the law, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, and record of arrest or conviction. The Analytics Department of the ACLU’s National Office in New York, NY has an opening for a Spring Internship starting in January 2020. A stipend is available for those students who do not receive outside funding and/or course credit. Arrangements can be made with the student’s school for a work/study stipend or course credit. INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW Interns complete discrete projects that support our quantitative issue research, advocacy support (e.g. creating analytics tools and conducting electoral analyses), and development / engagement support (e.g. by building revenue projection models). We also see the internship program as an opportunity to build our hiring pipeline for future roles, and to create members of the data science / analytics community who are focused on and prepared to use those skills to advance social justice & the ACLU's mission after they complete their internships. The internships require a semester-long commitment, and can be a full time position or a part-time position with a minimum commitment of 16 hours per week. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside the Analytics team on the following: Conducting quantitative analyses Helping to build analytical tools Reviewing relevant literature to select appropriate methods and data sources Collecting, cleaning, and joining datasets from diverse sources Interpreting the results of analyses for non-technical audiences Presenting work internally and to stakeholders in other teams Other duties as assigned EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS The internship is open to undergraduate or graduate student* in a quantitative field (e.g., Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Data Science, Mathematics, Computer Science) or with significant quantitative coursework (e.g., Statistics, Computer Programming, Linear Algebra) . A preference is given to graduate students. Interns should possess the following: Proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel Familiarity with Python or R, or similar analytics and programming languages Excellent problem-solving skills Excellent organizational and communication skills Passion for civil liberties and civil rights Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts Familiarity with Looker, Tableau, or other visualization tools a plus Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and accepted until the position is filled. We will accept recently graduated students for full-time internships, but we don't anticipate having jr-level openings in some of these fields in the near future. This posting provides a general but not comprehensive list of the opportunities of the internship. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU reserves the right to change the posting at any time without advance notice. The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail benefits.hrdept@aclu.org . If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
The Analytics Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY seeks applications for the full-time position of Data Engineer. Since 2016, the ACLU has seen an incredible growth in members, who give their time and money in the fight to defend civil rights in the United States. Going into 2020 and beyond, we have a range of ambitious goals, which demand that we are able to make smart, data-driven decisions. We are looking to hire a Data Engineer focused on reliably transforming data in the ACLU’s internal systems into analysis ready-forms, extracting data from public datasets (e.g. court dockets) and working to improve our overall data and analysis pipeline. Data engineers will work in teams alongside data scientists, data analysts, and business users, to enable the use of innovative data-driven methods and advanced analytics to transform the way the ACLU approaches fundraising, digital communications, and supporter engagement. RESPONSIBILITIES The Data Engineer will be part of the Analytics Infrastructure team, and work with team members across Analytics as well as stakeholders across the ACLU. You will work with our membership/donation data, polling/surveys, voter files, web, and other data. Below is a sampling of projects you can expect to dive into: Using transformation tools like Python and DBT to maintain a well-tested analytical layer (e.g. modeling donor data from multiple sources into an event stream) Using and helping others use data warehousing and SQL best practices to keep our analytics swift and reliable Working with all parts of the business to define and document consistent business data practices Collaborating with our Legal Analytics team to provide data support for fast developing legal crises The ideal candidate will have a passion for civil liberties and civil rights, and: Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability and socio-economic circumstance Commit to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts This role reports to the Director of Data Infrastructure. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 0-3+ years of experience building data models and writing ETL in a political campaign, non-profit, or business setting Undergraduate degree in an analytical field (e.g., Economics, Statistics, Computer Science, Business) or equivalent experience Experience with databases and database query languages (e.g., Redshift, SQL) Experience with using a modern scripting language (e.g. Python) Commitment to the mission of the ACLU PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Knowledge of latest trends and technologies in data warehousing / data engineering Knowledge of common unix command line operations (e.g. interacting with file system, using git) Familiarity with AWS services such as S3, IAM, EC2 Knowledge of CRM technologies such as Salesforce ABOUT THE ACLU For almost 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBT community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction. The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail benefits.hrdept@aclu.org . If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
King County King County, WA, USA
The Road Services Division (Roads) of the King County Department of Local Services is seeking a tech-savvy collaborator with a passion for Lean business process improvement ; a desire to learn and apply GIS-centric technology to advance our asset management framework; and an iron-clad customer service ethic to join an engaged and highly productive team. This is a rare opportunity to acquire hands-on experience in lean business process improvement (to which the Roads is deeply committed); to receive training and mentoring in a fast growing application for which market demand currently exceeds supply; and to enjoy the creative challenge of mining data to "tell the story" of how the Roads is striving to carry out the goals set forth in its Strategic Plan for Road Services under financial constraint. This position will play a direct role in the transformation of our legacy systems to our new and exciting integrated, enterprise asset management framework, by: Actively participating in process improvement events designed to map existing work flows and value streams, specify customer expectations, identify waste pain points, and establish leaner business processes that deliver the right products efficiently; Assisting in gathering and organizing associated business requirements; Researching, studying and analyzing a variety of operational and management issues to determine waste, defects, and deficiencies; identify and recommend solutions, improvement, and alignment with best practices; Collaborate with colleagues to mine the Roads' fast-accumulating stores of work history data to produce reports, maps, visual dashboards, and other deliverables for performance management purposes; Provide geospatial analysis support for Transportation Planning and Engineering functions across the division. Scope of Job Duties: To be considered for these opportunities, you must at a minimum, demonstrate knowledge, skill and ability to: Excel in process improvement Lean principles to analyze a variety of business function in support of improved asset management business tools and collaborate with subject matter experts to identify and recommend continuous improvement business solutions; Possess strong skills in manipulating data , visual management, can tell a story using data and can facilitate data supported decisions; Perform budget and financial analysis and reporting using service request and work order data in conjunction with other data sources, such as GIS; Provide support for regular and ad hoc projects in support of driving business insights, intelligence and other business process improvements; Provide support to a variety of programs including; Roadlog, Annual Pavement Rating, Right-Of-Way Vacations and CIP ; Work collaboratively and effectively with our diverse internal and external stakeholders to coordinate projects and fulfill map and data requests; Manage road closure reporting for the public-facing MyCommute application based on planned construction, inclement weather conditions, flooding, etc.; Other duties as assigned. We are looking for candidates who: Thrive in performing complex analytical and statistical analysis, encompassing data selection, manipulation, and presentation of results in concise reports, including; thematic maps, charts, online mapping applications, and other visual communication tools used to engage readers, inform decisions and tell a story; Have a strong grounding in business process analysis , design and development using a variety of programs such as SQL,Oracle EBS, and Microsoft Access; Are knowledgeable in transportation-related analysis and in supporting capital project and program delivery within a public sector setting; Skilled in quantitative analysis , business analysis and requirement analysis, and visually presenting data; Excel in providing excellent customer service and establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with multiple stakeholders and customers; Are skilled in analytical thinking , flexible in an ambiguous working environment and willing to try new things; Are able to work effectively, and remain detail oriented with multiple competing priorities and tight deadlines; Have any equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge and ability required to perform the work. Why King County Roads Division? Competitive – healthcare plans Free – transportation options On - Site – gym Manager Support – structured employee assistance program Paid – vacation time (in addition to paid holidays) Paid – sick leave Paid – parental leave Deferred – compensation plan Ten – paid holidays and Two Additional personal holidays! ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT King County is the local service provider for the roughly quarter-million people who live in the unincorporated areas of the county; taken together, Unincorporated King County would be the second-largest city in the state. The Department of Local Services includes a Director's Office with a Community Service Area group, and the Road Services and Permitting Divisions. Together, this department provides a single executive point of accountability for delivery of local services to all of the unincorporated areas. The King County Road Services Division designs, builds, operates and maintains roads and bridges in unincorporated areas of King County in an efficient and environmentally responsible manner to protect the public's investment and facilitate safe travel. The division is committed to ensuring the county's transportation system is safe and efficient for all uses and modes of travel. The Division is responsible for 1,500 miles of road and 182 bridges, 5.7 million feet of drainage ditches, over 44,000 traffic control signs, 78 traffic signals, and 50 traffic cameras in unincorporated King County. COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE As the only jurisdiction in the world named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures. We have a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from vulnerable communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts. King County values diverse perspectives, life experiences, and differences. The Department of Local Services encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and veterans. To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION This position is represented by Professional Technical Employees (PTE), Local 17 Are you ready to Apply? The recruitment for this position is open to all applicants . A completed King County Application is required. We highly recommend that you also provide a cover letter and resume. If you have any questions, please contact Jen Irwin , Senior HR Analyst, by e-mail at jirwin@kingcounty.gov , or by phone at 206-263-0601. Connect with me on LinkedIn
Data Base Administrator IV
Job Posting: #00007815 Opened: 10/24/19 Closes: 11/06/19 Position Title: Data Base Administrator IV (Development DBA) Class/Group: 0214/B26 Military Occupation Specialty Code: Marines-0671; Navy-9730; FLSA: Exempt Number of Vacancies: 1 Division/Section: Information Technology Services Duration: Regular Hours Worked Weekly: 40 Shift: Days Travel: None Refer Inquiries to: Human Resources Telephone: (512) 463-5920 or (512) 475-4612 HOW TO APPLY: Select “Apply Online” to apply for the job at https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en You must create a CAPPS Career Section candidate profile or be logged in to apply Update your profile and apply for the job by navigating through the pages and steps Once ready, select “Submit” on the “Review and Submit” page. Applicants must provide in depth information in the EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS section to demonstrate how they meet the position qualifications. Incomplete applications may result in disqualification. Resumes may be uploaded as an attachment but are not accepted in lieu of the information required in the EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS section of the application. Interview Place/Time: Candidates will be notified for appointments as determined by the selection committee. Notice: Section 651.005 of the Government Code requires males, ages 18 through 25 years, to provide proof of their Selective Service registration or proof of their exemption from the requirement as a condition of state employment. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The Department of Information Resources does not exclude anyone from consideration for recruitment, selection, appointment, training, promotion, retention, or any other personnel action, or deny any benefits or participation in programs or activities, which it sponsors on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability. Please call 512-463-5920 to request reasonable accommodations. THE OPPORTUNITY The Texas Department of Information Resources serves a wide spectrum of customers by providing technology leadership, solutions, and value to State of Texas government agencies, higher education, and local government entities of all sizes to facilitate the fulfillment of their core missions and by leveraging bulk buying power that enables eligible customers to buy IT products and services at aggressive discounts without the need for a lengthy procurement process. DIR is a fast-paced and collaborative environment with highly motivated and engaged employees dedicated to achieving the best value for the state. This role performs highly complex (senior level) database analysis, design, and developmental work. Should have both strong Database and Business Analytic skills. Work involves coordinating the planning, development, maintenance, and monitoring of integrated database systems; evaluating and reviewing database architecture; and maintaining data integrity. Experience and demonstrated competency with Data Warehousing concepts, tools, and methodologies is required. Designs and implements reliable, reusable, and robust ETL solutions that deliver data integrity, accurate data mapping and cleansing. May supervise the work of others. Works under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. WHAT WE DO The ideal candidate will have the ability to highlight their strengths in the following functions: Coordinates and/or conducts the design, analysis, and maintenance of database structures Develops efficient and cost-effective database driven application systems; consults and provides professional contributions on acquisition of database software and resources; establishes and implements necessary application and database level security standards and controls Fluency in Relational, Network, and Star Schema database modeling to create and maintain DIR’s logical data models Plans, coordinates, and supports maintenance, patching, and upgrades to DIR’s database environment; verifies and performs regression testing as necessary Assists in developing policies and procedures designed to ensure the integrity of the production environment with an emphasis on the databases Leads system integration work between internal and external data systems and applications; assists with Business Objects Universe and SQL Server Integration Services development and maintenance to aid others in reporting and evaluating or validating results as needed; performs level 2 and above troubleshooting Create solutions and lead full life cycle development including requirements gathering, analysis, design, development, testing as well as writing and maintaining technical documentation OTHER DUTIES May supervise the work of others Performs related work as assigned EDUCATION Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in Computer Science or other related degree Additional work-related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis EXPERIENCE & TRAINING REQUIRED Seven (7) years of experience designing, developing, maintaining and supporting diverse database systems, including ETL functions EXPERIENCE PREFERRED ETL experience with Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services, SSIS/SSRS Oracle Database Remedy ITSM programming, configuration, integration, and enhancement Web Services implementations on various platforms Business Objects/SAP Data Services SalesForce.com KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES Working knowledge of information resources project management principles, best practices and tools; ability to effectively manage complex information technology projects; ability to conduct effective, thorough review of project requirements and deliverables; ability to conduct short and long-range project planning studies Thorough and current knowledge of the practices, principles, and techniques of computer operations of information resources technology that includes hardware, packaged software implementation, software development, data communications, local and wide area networks management; knowledge of the security limitations and capabilities of computer systems; includes ability to research, evaluate and interpret material and create effective narratives on IT issues and standards Excellent skills in communicating both verbally and in writing; in a clear and concise manner Skill in finding solutions for or to deal proactively with work-related problems; ability to identify and implement best practices; ability to recognize potential and existing problems, identify courses of action and apply contingency plans to solve problems as a project manager and in a team environment Skill in complex problem solving, and critical thinking in the operation of computers and applicable software Ability to work with limited supervision and to schedule workload to meet requirements and deadlines of the position Ability to serve internal agency customers, including executive staff, by focusing effort on meeting their needs, understanding their concerns, and effectively resolving issues; ability to identify and define user task needs Ability to make critical decisions in the best interest of the agency and its mission and goals, while following agency procedures; ability to process information logically Orientation toward action and ability to see the overall picture; ability to balance consideration of short and long-term planning goals Ability to focus on a goal and obtain a pre-determined result Ability to look beyond the standard solutions Demonstrated ability to work on concurrent tasks in a fast-paced environment while effectively organizing, prioritizing and coordinating work assignments Ability to establish and maintain effective and cordial working relationships at all organizational levels, including agency management, direct supervisors, co-workers, internal and external customers Ability to exercise courtesy, tact and diplomacy in all communications; including the ability to exercise discretion when handling confidential information Ability to work independently and as part of a team, and to support and contribute to a cohesive team environment Ability to develop a particular skill in others to bring them up to a predetermined standard of work performance; ability to supervise the work of others Ability to work a flexible work schedule to meet required deadlines Ability to work under pressure and exacting schedules to complete assigned tasks Ability to understand, follow and convey brief written and oral instructions Ability to comply with all agency policies and applicable laws Ability to comply with all applicable safety rules, regulations and standards COMPUTER SKILLS Proficiency in the use of a personal computer and applicable software necessary to complete work performed. OTHER REQUIREMENTS Regular and punctual attendance at the workplace Criminal background check WORK ENVIRONMENT Frequent standing, walking, sitting, listening and talking Frequent use of a personal computer, copiers, printers and telephones Frequent work under stress, as a team member, and in direct contact with others Occasional bending and stooping Occasional lifting and climbing Occasional overtime Limited travel
Pete For America South Bend, IN, USA
Pete for America is building a data and tech team and we need a scrappy, experienced web developer. Pete for America is run by a growing, well-organized, and motivated team, backed by volunteers and supporters across the country. We're searching for hard-working and kind people to join us. We are committed to radical transparency and fairness, and are steadfast in our work to share Pete's vision with the country. We don't stand for harassment or discrimination of any kind. Mayor Pete is a different type of candidate, and we are a different kind of team. Our goals require collaboration across all departments and our structure facilitates that. This role will help design and manage infrastructure, internal platforms, and external tools that support and build on the values of our campaign. This role will work closely with the data team to build out integrations between existing tools and build systems that will scale and prioritize stability. You will be an early member of the technical team and play an important role in building a creative and collaborative culture. What you'll do: Work with technical and non-technical stakeholders to develop custom web applications that engage and excite our supporters and organizers Integrate applications with our database, outside tools, and APIs Build systems quickly while maintaining an eye for detail, performance, and scalability Document your code and processes to ensure others can understand and learn from your work Incorporate feedback from data, supporters, and relevant campaign staff on the ground, iterating quickly to provide efficient solutions What you'll bring: A genuine value for diversity of experiences, identities, and voices. You know diversity positively impacts outcomes, and you can point to times you've demonstrated this personally and professionally A commitment to seamless and inclusive user experience at every turn Deep respect for security, privacy, and accessibility, and familiarity with some of the technologies that can help achieve these goals Proficiency with at least one Python, Ruby, or JavaScript-based back-end framework Experience with React, Angular, or another modern front-end JavaScript framework An understanding of the importance of version control, testing, and continuous integration Pete for America is an equal opportunity employer. We believe every employee has the right to work in an environment free from unlawful discrimination as is consistent with our commitment to diversity, respect, and inclusion. Pete for America provides all employees and applicants with equal opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship.
Data & Analytics Manager
League of Conservation Voters Washington D.C., DC, USA
Title: Data & Analytics Manager Status : Exempt Reports to: Director of Data and Analytics Positions Reporting to this Position: None Location: Washington, DC General Description : The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) works to turn environmental values into national, state and local priorities. LCV, in collaboration with our state LCV partners, advocates for sound environmental laws and policies, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and elects pro-environment candidates who will champion our priority issues. LCV’s work to protect and advocate for the environment is rooted in our commitment to racial, social and environmental justice. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution. For this reason, racial justice and equity are inextricably linked to protecting our environment. Within the organization, we are actively building a workplace culture that demonstrates how we value equity and inclusion through more intentional and inclusive practices. We are committed to building an organization that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The Data & Analytics team utilizes data in the voter file to determine which voters and members of the general public are likely to be engaged on environmental issues, and maintains voter file information that permits the organization to educate the public and motivate supporters to become active civic participants. The Data & Analytics Manager will work with the Campaigns, Government Affairs, Membership and Online Engagement and Development departments as well as the state LCVs to develop and oversee data and targeting related activities on issues and elections. We are seeking a strategic thinker who can help LCV and its sister organization, LCV Education Fund, utilize data and analytics to engage the public on environmental issues across the country and build support for environmental priorities. Responsibilities : Serve as the main point of contact for state league partner organizations with questions about voter files and targeting. Assist state league partners in establishing program and targeting goals, including identifying and coordinating opportunities for program data analysis. Manage state league data requests and provide data management assistance to state league partners as needed. Generate, manage and track voter, membership and volunteer lists for LCV and LCVEF programs, including mailings and online outreach, in a fast-paced campaign setting. Work with the Membership and Online Engagement and Development departments to synchronize data across departments. Manage relationships with voter file, data, analytics and technology vendors, and serve as a liaison to other organizations that LCV and LCVEF work closely with on data-related issues. Clean data and prepare lists to upload and export into the database(s). Maintain records describing the quality and quantity of available data. Create reports providing strategic insight for the Campaigns team about our volunteer base and voter contacts. Assist in designing voter outreach and volunteer retention experiments. Analyze demographic and socioeconomic trends in membership, volunteer, and voter data and recommend measures to expand stakeholder diversity. Analyze racial, gender and economic justice impact of government policies and programs on LCV’s stakeholders and population at-large. Other duties as assigned. Qualifications : Work Experience: Required - 3-4 years or 2 election cycles of related experience on issue or electoral campaigns, or with organizations focused on voter contact, data management or data analytics. Must have worked in at least one data management role in a campaign setting. Experience with responding to data requests, troubleshooting problems, and providing data-driven strategic guidance to multiple internal and external stakeholders in different geographic locations. Experience with designing, delivering and organizing data skills or data management trainings. Experience with creating regular reports highlighting key metrics for internal and external stakeholders. Preferred - Experience with or interest in randomized-controlled experiments. Experience with how modeling is utilized in campaigns. Skills: Required - Strong data management and analysis skills; demonstrated ability to communicate technical findings and concepts to non-technical audiences; able to handle multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment without sacrificing quality of work; highly motivated, curious and collaborative; Expert-level experience with VAN, MiniVAN or other voter contact tools; Experience with creating or managing relational databases and knowledge of SQL; Expert-level knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel. Preferred - Proficient with Catalist, Civis or other voter file platforms and campaign data management tools; Experience with a statistical programming language such as R, Stata, SAS or SPSS; Experience with Python or GIS. Cultural Competence: Shares our commitment to increasing racial diversity in our movement and organization, integrating justice and equity into the work we do and ensuring an inclusive organizational culture. Commitment to environmental justice and mission of LCV. Conditions: Ability to work overtime with little notice; able to work hours exceeding stated office hours to get the job done during peak election season. This position is based in Washington, D.C. To Apply : Send cover letter and resume to hr@lcv.org with “Data & Analytics Manager” in the subject line by September 19, 2019. No phone calls please. LCV is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a racially just, equitable and inclusive workplace.
Platform Administrator 2 (Portland)
The Oregon Health Authority is modernizing and expanding their IT infrastructure and currently has a fantastic opportunity for Two (2) experienced Platform Administrators to join an excellent team and work to advance their IT operations. The Oregon Health Authority promotes health equity by developing policies and programs to eliminate health disparities and reach health equity for all Oregonians. What you will do! As a Platform Administrator, you will serve as a technical resource on enterprise content management, collaboration and commercial off the shelf systems software products. Your responsibilities will include dealing with software, business analysis, research, problem solving, and system administration. In this role, your work will be directly impacted by a large and complex computing environment with numerous operations system vendors, widely disparate hardware devices, and a broad range of internal/external customers/users. Major applications have critical regulatory requirements and deadlines and problems could affect the operations of other state agencies as well as agency partners. Additionally, you will help other IT Staff solve problems and deal with major system crashes. You will provide technical expertise for staff on new system development and existing modifications. You will also make technical recommendations to assist management decisions and be responsible for project planning and schedules. What's in it for you? Collaboration in an open office with a team of bright individuals to work with and learn from. We offer full medical, vision and dental with paid sick leave, vacation, personal leave and ten paid holidays per year. If you are an experienced Platform Administrator , don't delay, apply today! WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR: (a) Five (5) years of information systems experience in Platform or Server Administration. OR (b) An Associate's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field, OR completion of a two (2) year accredited vocational training program in information technology or related field; AND Three (3) years of information systems experience in Platform or Server Administration. OR (c) A Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field AND One (1) year of information systems experience in Platform or Server Administration. OR (d) A Master’s degree or higher in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field. Experience performing typical Server/Platform administrative activities such as backup, restoration, and end user resolution. Experience as a Server/Platform Administrator in the analysis, design, and delivery of server-based solutions. Strong working knowledge of Server/Platform technologies such as: Windows Server administration, SQL Server, Internet Information Server, Active Directory, SSL and/or PowerShell. Ability to ensure the Servers/Platforms are compliant with Agency Disaster Recovery Policies. Extensive knowledge of system analysis and administration. Expert knowledge of common network and server hardware/software components and issues. Extensive knowledge of ITIL based Service Operations Processes. Outstanding customer service skills. Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills. Experience in promoting a culturally competent and diverse work environment.
State Capacity Building Associate
League of Conservation Voters Seattle, WA, USA
Title: State Capacity Building Associate Status : Non-Exempt Reports to: Senior Vice President of State Capacity Building Positions Reporting to this Position: None Location: Seattle, WA General Description : The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) works to turn environmental values into national, state and local priorities. LCV, in collaboration with our state LCV partners, advocates for sound environmental laws and policies, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and elects pro-environment candidates who will champion our priority issues. LCV’s work to protect and advocate for the environment is rooted in our commitment to racial, social and environmental justice. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution. For this reason, racial justice and equity are inextricably linked to protecting our environment. Within the organization, we are actively building a workplace culture that demonstrates how we value equity and inclusion through more intentional and inclusive practices. We are committed to building an organization that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The State Capacity Building Associate supports the operations of the State Capacity Building department, working closely with national LCV and its 30+ state affiliates - collectively referred to as the Conservation Voter Movement (CVM) - to advance unified, movement-wide goals and priorities. The State Capacity Building department provides capacity building resources and services to state affiliates across the country to help equip them with the tools needed to achieve their goals. This position is critical to the infrastructure of the department, ensuring that logistics and operations are managed smoothly for the overall success of programs led by the State Capacity Building department. Responsibilities : Assist the Senior Vice President of State Capacity Building with department operations, including administrative tasks, writing, travel logistics, budget tracking, scheduling support, and departmental meetings and coordination. Provide administrative, technical, and logistical support to the State Capacity Building department and assist in a wide variety of projects. Schedule and support staff and board committee and working group meetings across multiple departments and state affiliates; support includes recording and distributing meeting notes, materials, and minutes. Prepare written program reports and materials for the board, regular staff updates, and assist in drafting and assembling fundraising proposals and reports. Provide planning support and manage logistics for in person meetings, including activities such as identifying venues, managing registration, arranging food and lodging, coordinating consultants, reimbursing expenses, and assembling program materials. Archive all department-wide materials and documents; maintain organizational and contact information for state affiliates. Assist in the maintenance, promotion, and expansion of the Conservation Voter network’s communication platforms and materials, including identifying and sharing resources that support racial justice and equity. Contribute to LCV’s commitment to integrating racial justice and equity into the work we do and ensuring an inclusive organizational culture. Actively participate in staff task forces and working groups to help improve and inform the organization’s practices and policies, as needed. Undertake other administrative duties as assigned. Qualifications : Work Experience: One year of relevant experience working in an administrative position; relevant internship experience will be considered. Experience with scheduling, filing and archiving systems, logistical support and production of written materials required. Experience budget tracking and working with databases preferred. Skills: Highly attentive to details; highly organized; able to manage multiple tasks in a fast paced, collaborative environment. Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills. Adept at building and maintaining systems for coordination and access to information. Ability to take ownership of tasks, use solid judgement, and think critically. Able to maintain confidentiality. Demonstrated relationship building skills with a sense of a broader movement and community; ability to develop and maintain relationships across multiple locations. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Drive and databases; experience with Salesforce is a plus. Cultural Competence: Shares our commitment to increasing racial diversity in our movement and organization, integrating justice and equity into the work we do and ensuring an inclusive organizational culture. Interested in expanding analysis and knowledge about the role that racial inequity plays in our society. Values the mission of LCV. Conditions: Must have a willingness to travel on occasion; minimum of five (5) multi-day trips per year. This position is based in Seattle, WA. To Apply : Send cover letter and resume to hr@lcv.org with “State Capacity Building Associate” in the subject line by September 13, 2019. No phone calls please. LCV is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a racially just, equitable and inclusive workplace.
Prospect Research Associate
Title : Prospect Research Associate Status : Non-exempt Reports To : Director of Prospect Research and Portfolio Management Positions Reporting To This Position : None General Description : The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) works to turn environmental values into national, state and local priorities. LCV, in collaboration with our state LCV partners, advocates for sound environmental laws and policies, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and elects pro-environment candidates who will champion our priority issues. LCV’s work to protect and advocate for the environment is rooted in our commitment to racial, social and environmental justice. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution. For this reason, racial justice and equity are inextricably linked to protecting our environment. Within the organization, we are actively building a workplace culture that demonstrates how we value equity and inclusion through more intentional and inclusive practices. We are committed to building an organization that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. LCV is seeking a Prospect Research Associate to enhance the individual and institutional major gifts fundraising program of LCV and its sister organization, LCV Education Fund. The Prospect Research Associate is primarily responsible for preparing donor research summaries, tracking and sharing progress towards development goals, and ensuring accuracy of database records. This position is an opportunity for a self-motivated, curious, analytical individual to build a career in fundraising with a prominent environmental organization. Responsibilities : Work with Director of Prospect Research and Portfolio Management to develop a thorough understanding of skills and practices in donor research, including searching public records, databases, social media, internet, and proprietary resources to identify and document relevant information on existing and prospective donors to LCV and LCVEF. Support the Director in maintaining and updating LCV’s President and Major Gifts team’s portfolios and outreach lists including preparation for prospect and portfolio review meetings. Produce well written, thorough and accurate briefing documents that follow LCV’s research guidelines and research product templates, as assigned. Evaluate information from various sources and highlight the most meaningful information to produce materials for LCV's President, Executive staff and the Major Gifts team. Identify new sources of information as they become necessary and/or available. Keep LCV’s database updated with relevant research and maintain appropriate donor and research codes on records. Develop and maintain a familiarity with LCV’s existing top donors and prospective donors. Contribute to organizational and department efforts to infuse racial justice and equity into all aspects of our work, including our fundraising and prospect research. Proactively identify ways to highlight the organization’s racial justice commitment to key stakeholders. Develop a broad awareness of LCV and LCVEF’s programs to support the identification of individuals and institutions whose philanthropic interests align with our priorities. Other duties as assigned. Qualifications : Work Experience: Must have at least 1+ years of work experience with a nonprofit or campaign (internship experience acceptable). Experience in nonprofit fundraising, development research preferred. Proficiency in Excel and database experience is required. Experience with online research tools such as LexisNexis, iWave Prospect Research Online, WealthEngine or FoundationSearch, desirable. Experience with Salesforce reporting and/or basic SQL queries and/or advanced Excel also preferred. Skills: Strong writing skills are required. Must have strong attention to detail and the ability to take in information from multiple sources, evaluate it, and summarize its significance. Must be able to multi-task, be flexible in shifting priorities based on urgent needs, and possess the confidence to ask for help when needed. Ideal candidate has calculated curiosity and the discipline to find what they need, analyze it, and clearly communicate relevant conclusions. Ability to adapt to new online, task management, and information management tools. Cultural Competence: Shares LCV’s commitment to increasing racial diversity in our movement and organization, integrating justice and equity into the work we do and ensuring an inclusive organizational culture. Conditions: Must be able to work in a fast - paced environment and successfully meet deadlines. This position is based in Washington, D.C. To Apply : Send cover letter and resume to hr@lcv.org with “Prospect Research Associate” in the subject line by August 22, 2019. No phone calls please. LCV is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a racially just, equitable and inclusive workplace.
Systems Analyst V
Job Posting: #00006241 Opened: 07/16/19 Class/Group: 0256/B24 Military Occupation Specialty Code: Navy-9735;Marines-0671;Air Force;-3D034 FLSA: Exempt Number of Vacancies: 1 Division/Section: Information Technology Services Salary Range: $6,666.67 - $7,500.00/ monthly Duration: Regular Hours Worked Weekly: 40 Shift: Days Travel: Limited Refer Inquiries to: Human Resources Telephone: (512) 463-5920 or (512) 475-4612 HOW TO APPLY: Select “Apply Online” to apply for the job at https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en You must create a CAPPS Career Section candidate profile or be logged in to apply Update your profile and apply for the job by navigating through the pages and steps Once ready, select “Submit” on the “Review and Submit” page. Applicants must provide in depth information in the EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS section to demonstrate how they meet the position qualifications. Incomplete applications may result in disqualification. Resumes may be uploaded as an attachment but are not accepted in lieu of the information required in the EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS section of the application. Interview Place/Time: Candidates will be notified for appointments as determined by the selection committee. Notice: Section 651.005 of the Government Code requires males, ages 18 through 25 years, to provide proof of their Selective Service registration or proof of their exemption from the requirement as a condition of state employment . EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The Department of Information Resources does not exclude anyone from consideration for recruitment, selection, appointment, training, promotion, retention, or any other personnel action, or deny any benefits or participation in programs or activities, which it sponsors on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability. Please call 512-463-5920 to request reasonable accommodations. THE OPPORTUNITY The Texas Department of Information Resources serves a wide spectrum of customers by p roviding technology leadership, solutions, and value to State of Texas government agencies, higher education, and local government entities of all sizes to facilitate the fulfillment of their core missions and by leveraging bulk buying power that enables eligible customers to buy IT products and services at aggressive discounts without the need for a lengthy procurement process. DIR is a fast-paced and collaborative environment with highly motivated and engaged employees dedicated to achieving the best value for the state. DIR employees have opportunities to work with our customer agencies and the vendor community on cutting-edge technology and the latest technology environments to help determine their viability for use in the public sector. This role performs advanced (senior level) computer systems analysis and technical work. Work involves analyzing aspects of managerial concern, such as planning; budgeting; defining specific procedures for accomplishing a task; staff requirements, acquisition, and use. Involves oversight, direction, or leading complex information resources projects. Operates as an Information Technology (IT) generalist with broad areas of responsibility. Requires a very high functional understanding of computer systems, networks, system security, applications, application architectures, business applications, and databases. Works under the minimal direction of the IT Operations Manager with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. WHAT WE DO The ideal candidate will have the ability to highlight their strengths in the following functions: Develops and implements IT systems that result from DIR’s strategic planning actions and policy decisions. Plans and schedules studies and system implementations; designs and implements new or revised methods that more effectively meet agency needs Determines operational, technical, and support requirements for the location, installation, operation, and maintenance of data processing, data communications, and other office equipment and systems Formulates logical descriptions of problems and devises optimum solutions Oversees the training of agency staff prior to the implementation of new or revised technical systems and offers advice and guidance during the implementation process Functions as backup Customer Representative to Data Center Services operational functions Assists with high level troubleshooting systems, networks, and databases. Provides Tier 3 level support for all systems; executes jobs and tasks requiring high level administrative permissions Ensures maintenance schedules are maintained and executed according to established procedures; maintains and oversees monitoring tools and functions. OTHER JOB FUNCTIONS May write and update scripts for support of applications. May assist in the preparation of information technology planning, testing, implementation. May assist with security administration Performs related functions as assigned EDUCATION Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in computer science, computer information systems, or management information systems Additional job-related experience may substitute for experience on a year-for-year basis (High School diploma required) EXPERIENCE & TRAINING REQUIRED Minimum of five (5) years of experience in systems analysis, troubleshooting, and design work Minimum of five (5) years of experience in the oversight, direction, or leading complex information technology projects Minimum of five (5) years of experience in managing Microsoft toolsets. Advanced training & certification specific to MS Exchange, SharePoint, Office 365, or Azure may be substituted for one (1) of the five years of experience. EXPERIENCE & TRAINING PREFERRED Contract administration experience with the DIR Data Center Services program Certification in Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Database administration experience with Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server databases, database and file system security access rights administration in Unix and Microsoft system environments Experience in Perl, Java, .net, Structured Query Language (SQL), Unix and Windows shell scripting, Oracle development tools Experience with web-based report delivery Experience in Systems Applications Products (SAP) Business Intelligence reporting tools, SAP Business Objects Data Services, SQL Server Integration Services, Experience with packaged database applications in any environment – NetPlus experience Experience with configuration and maintenance of system and network monitoring tools such as Nagios. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES Thorough knowledge of relational databases, data processing techniques, and application development in a network environment Knowledge of the limitations and capabilities of computer systems and of the techniques used in the design of non-automated systems Knowledge of the telecommunications industry and telecommunications services billing Proven customer service skills Highly self-motivated Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing: in a clear and concise manner Proven ability to coordinate and solve complex problems in a team environment Ability to analyze systems and procedures and to explain abstract concepts in concrete terms Ability to effectively analyze complex issues and draw valid conclusions Ability to present recommendations in an effective manner Ability to develop effective plans and budgets Ability to effectively prioritize, organize, and schedule workload and perform multiple tasks simultaneously Ability to adapt to changes in procedures and priorities Ability to establish and maintain effective and cordial working relationships at all organizational levels, including agency management, direct supervisors, co-workers, internal and external customers Ability to work independently and as part of a team, and to support and contribute to a cohesive team environment Ability to understand, follow and convey brief oral and/or written instructions Ability to work a flexible schedule to meet required deadlines Ability to work under pressure and exacting schedules to complete assigned tasks Ability to be on call to work evenings and weekends when necessary Ability to comply with all agency policies and applicable laws Ability to comply with all applicable safety rules, regulations and standards COMPUTER SKILLS Proficiency in the use of a personal computer and applicable software necessary to perform work assignments e.g. word processing, spreadsheets (Microsoft Office preferred) OTHER REQUIREMENTS Regular and punctual attendance Criminal background check WORK ENVIRONMENT Frequent use of a personal computer, copiers, printers and telephones Frequent work under stress, as a team member, and in direct contact with others Frequent standing, walking, sitting, listening and talking Occasional bending and stooping Occasional lifting and climbing
Manager V (InformationTechnology Services)
Job Posting: #00006198 Closes: 07/24/19 Class/Group: 1604/B26 Military Occupation Specialty Code: Army- 25B; Navy- 0027790 FLSA: Exempt Number of Vacancies: 1 Division/Section: Information Technology Services Duration: Regular Hours Worked Weekly: 40 Shift: Days Travel: Limited Agency Address: 300 W. 15th Street, Austin Tx 78701 Work Location: Same Web site: www.dir.texas.gov Refer Inquiries to: Human Resources Telephone: (512) 463-5920 or (512) 475-4612 HOW TO APPLY: Select “Apply Online” to apply for the job at https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en You must create a CAPPS Career Section candidate profile or be logged in to apply Update your profile and apply for the job by navigating through the pages and steps Once ready, select “Submit” on the “Review and Submit” page. Applicants must provide in depth information in the EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS section to demonstrate how they meet the position qualifications. Incomplete applications may result in disqualification. Resumes may be uploaded as an attachment but are not accepted in lieu of the information required in the EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS section of the application . I nterview Place/Time: Candidates will be notified for appointments as determined by the selection committee. Notice: Section 651.005 of the Government Code requires males, ages 18 through 25 years, to provide proof of their Selective Service registration or proof of their exemption from the requirement as a condition of state employment. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The Department of Information Resources does not exclude anyone from consideration for recruitment, selection, appointment, training, promotion, retention, or any other personnel action, or deny any benefits or participation in programs or activities, which it sponsors on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability. Please call 512-463-5920 to request reasonable accommodations. THE OPPORTUNITY The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) serves a wide spectrum of customers by providing technology leadership, solutions, and value to State of Texas government agencies, higher education, and local government entities of all sizes to facilitate the fulfillment of their core missions and by leveraging bulk buying power that enables eligible customers to buy IT products and services at aggressive discounts without the need for a lengthy procurement process. DIR is a fast-paced and collaborative environment with highly motivated and engaged employees dedicated to achieving the best value for the state. DIR serves as an ambassador for the State of Texas on technology leadership and employees have opportunities to work with our customer agencies and the vendor community on cutting-edge technology and the latest technology environments to help determine their viability for use in the public-sector. This role will perform highly advanced (senior level) managerial work administering the daily operations and activities of the Information Technology Operations department (ITOPS). Work involves establishing goals and objectives; developing guidelines, procedures, policies, rules, and regulations; developing schedules, priorities, and standards for achieving established goals; coordinating and evaluating business function, division, or department activities as they apply to the agency IT infrastructure and computing environments; developing and evaluating budget requests; and monitoring and reporting on budget expenditures. Plans, assigns, and supervises the work of others. Works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgement. WHAT WE DO The ideal candidate will have the ability to highlight their strengths in the following functions: Manages the daily operations of the Information Technology Operations section; establishes goals, objectives, schedules, priorities, and standards for achieving departmental and individual employee goals. Assigns, supervises and evaluates the work of Information Technology Operations staff. Conducts regular job assessments, develops employees, coaches and provides feedback on a regular basis, provides timely performance appraisals in accordance with applicable statutes and established agency guidelines and procedures as necessary or required; includes the review and revision of official job descriptions in accordance with state classification guidelines and agency policies Develops guidelines, procedures, policies, rules, and regulations; Oversees the planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of policies and procedures; and monitors team compliance with policies and procedures within the IT Operations section. Manages the relationship with the Data Center Services(DCS) vendors. Ensures compliance of DCS and agency staff with established Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)procedures. Provides architectural oversite to all DCS planning, refresh, modification, and new DCS projects and activities; works with the agency and DCS networking departments to resolve problems with the integration of agency and DCS networks; acts as a senior systems administrator to configure, troubleshoot, maintain, and program highly complex computer applications, middleware and operating systems; develops custom scripts for the maintenance and automation of routine processes Evaluates and monitors the performance of the DCS vendors on Service Level Agreements (SLA), compliance with contractual requirements, and handling of special situations not clarified in procedural documentation; ensures that optimal disaster recovery plans and procedures are in place and that they offer the best recovery to the production time frame that the agency budget allows. Oversees the development and implementation of techniques for evaluating and managing the computing environment and infrastructure for the agency; identifies areas of needed change and makes recommendations to improve operations; coordinates with other IT staff to insure a secure computing and networking environment. Coordinates or consults with other divisions or agencies on information technology issues as a subject matter expert. Participates in special investigations, program analyses, research studies, and audits as requested. Provides technical guidance at meetings, hearings, trials, conferences, and seminars or on boards, panels, and committees. EDUCATION Graduation from an accredited four-year· college or university with major course work in information technology, management information systems, business or public administration or a related degree Additional work-related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis. (High School diploma required) EXPERIENCE & TRAINING REQUIRED Five years of experience in systems analysis, troubleshooting, and design work Five years of experience in the oversight, direction, or leading complex information technology projects Five years of experience in managing Microsoft toolsets. Advanced training & certification specific to MS Exchange, SharePoint, Office 365, or Azure may be substituted for 1 year of experience EXPERIENCE & TRAINING PREFERRED Experience managing a relationship with State Centers in Austin and San Angelo Certification in Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Database administration experience including rights administration with Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server databases. Experience in Perl, Java, .net, Structured Query Language (SQL), Unix and Windows shell scripting, or Oracle development tools Experience with web-based report delivery Experience with SQL Server Integration Services Knowledge of the telecommunications industry and billing for telecommunications services KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES Knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and regulations relevant to information technology policy and operations, and of the principles and practices of public administration and management. Knowledge of and ability to develop infrastructure and computing platforms or farms for optimal performance while minimizing costs. Extensive skills in the troubleshooting and management of networks and Microsoft toolsets. Skill in using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems; and in operating computers and applicable computer software. Ability to manage an information technology department or operational group; to establish goals and objectives; to devise solutions administrative problems; to develop and evaluate administrative policies and procedures; to prepare reports; to communicate effectively; and to plan, assign, and supervise the work of others. Ability to establish and maintain effective and cordial working relationships at all organizational levels, including agency management, direct supervisors, co-workers, internal and external customers Ability to understand, follow and convey brief oral and/or written instructions Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing; in a clear and concise manner Ability to work independently and as part of a team, and to support and contribute to a cohesive team environment Ability to work a flexible schedule to meet required deadlines Ability to work under pressure and exacting schedules to complete assigned tasks Ability to comply with all agency policies and applicable laws Ability to comply with all applicable safety rules, regulations and standards COMPUTER SKILLS Proficiency in the use of a personal computer and applicable software necessary to perform work assignments e.g. word processing, spreadsheets (Microsoft Office preferred) OTHER REQUIREMENTS Regular and punctual attendance Criminal background check WORK ENVIRONMENT Frequent use of a personal computer, copiers, printers and telephones Frequent work under stress, as a team member, and in direct contact with others Frequent standing, walking, sitting, listening and talking Occasional bending and stooping Occasional lifting and climbing
Title: Data & Analytics Manager Status : Exempt Reports to: Director of Data and Analytics Positions Reporting to this Position: None Location: Washington, DC General Description : The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) works to turn environmental values into national, state and local priorities. LCV, in collaboration with our state LCV partners, advocates for sound environmental laws and policies, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and elects pro-environment candidates who will champion our priority issues. LCV’s work to protect and advocate for the environment is rooted in our commitment to racial, social and environmental justice. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution. For this reason, racial justice and equity are inextricably linked to protecting our environment. Within the organization, we are actively building a workplace culture that demonstrates how we value equity and inclusion through more intentional and inclusive practices. We are committed to building an organization that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The Data & Analytics team utilizes data in the voter file to determine which voters and members of the general public are likely to be engaged on environmental issues, and maintains voter file information that permits the organization to educate the public and motivate supporters to become active civic participants. The Data & Analytics Manager will work with the Campaigns, Government Affairs, Membership and Online Engagement and Development departments as well as the state LCVs to develop and oversee data and targeting related activities on issues and elections. We are seeking a strategic thinker who can help LCV and its sister organization, LCV Education Fund, utilize data and analytics to engage the public on environmental issues across the country and build support for environmental priorities. Responsibilities : Serve as the main point of contact for state league partner organizations with questions about voter files and targeting. Assist state league partners in establishing program and targeting goals, including identifying and coordinating opportunities for program data analysis. Manage state league data requests and provide data management assistance to state league partners as needed. Generate, manage and track voter, membership and volunteer lists for LCV and LCVEF programs, including mailings and online outreach, in a fast-paced campaign setting. Work with the Membership and Online Engagement and Development departments to synchronize data across departments. Manage relationships with voter file, data, analytics and technology vendors, and serve as a liaison to other organizations that LCV and LCVEF work closely with on data-related issues. Clean data and prepare lists to upload and export into the database(s). Maintain records describing the quality and quantity of available data. Create reports providing strategic insight for the Campaigns team about our volunteer base and voter contacts. Assist in designing voter outreach and volunteer retention experiments. Analyze demographic and socioeconomic trends in membership, volunteer, and voter data and recommend measures to expand stakeholder diversity. Analyze racial, gender and economic justice impact of government policies and programs on LCV’s stakeholders and population at-large. Other duties as assigned. Qualifications : Work Experience: Must have at least two years of related experience, though 3-4 years preferred, on issue or electoral campaigns, or organizations focused on voter contact, data management or data analytics. Must have worked in at least one data management role in a campaign setting. Must have experience with how modeling is utilized in campaigns. Experience with responding to data requests, troubleshooting problems, and providing data-driven strategic guidance to multiple internal and external stakeholders in different geographic locations. Experience with designing, delivering and organizing data skills or data management trainings. Experience with creating regular reports highlighting key metrics for internal and external stakeholders. Experience with or interest in randomized-controlled experiments a plus. Skills: Strong data management and analysis skills; demonstrated ability to communicate technical findings and concepts to non-technical audiences; able to handle multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment without sacrificing quality of work; highly motivated, curious and collaborative; Expert-level experience with VAN, MiniVAN or other voter contact tools; Experience with creating or managing relational databases and knowledge of SQL; Expert-level knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel; Proficient with Catalist, Civis or other voter file platforms and campaign data management tools; Experience with a statistical programming language such as R, Stata, SAS or SPSS a plus; Experience with Python or GIS a plus. Cultural Competence: Shares our commitment to increasing racial diversity in our movement and organization, integrating justice and equity into the work we do and ensuring an inclusive organizational culture. Commitment to environmental justice and mission of LCV. Conditions: Ability to work overtime with little notice; able to work hours exceeding stated office hours to get the job done during peak election season. This position is based in Washington, D.C. To Apply : Send cover letter and resume to hr@lcv.org with “Data & Analytics Manager” in the subject line by July 29, 2019. No phone calls please. LCV is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a racially just, equitable and inclusive workplace.
Data Entry & Gift Processing Assistant (OPS) - Sarasota, FL
The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art Sarasota, FL, USA
Department The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art is located in Sarasota, Florida. For more about the Ringling, please see the "Other Information" section. Equal Employment Opportunity An Equal Opportunity/Access/Affirmative Action/Pro Disabled & Veteran Employer. FSU's Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at: http://www.hr.fsu.edu/PDF/Publications/diversity/EEO_Statement.pdf Responsibilities The data entry/gift processing assistant will contribute to the integrity, maintenance, and management of advancement information through data entry, reporting, gift entry, and clerical support within the Museum’s Membership & Development departments. Responsibilities include: - Creating and updating membership and donor database records in Tessitura. - Reviewing, proofreading and analyzing constituent data for accuracy, logic, and relevance in preparation of daily data transfer to Blackbaud CRM. - Verifying the accuracy of data transfers to ensure consistency between databases/systems. - Performing queries and running reports as needed in the databases. - Scanning gift documentation for revenue import batches. - Recording gifts, pledges, and membership event registrations. - Performing other administrative duties in support of the departments. Qualifications - High school diploma and two years’ experience working in an office/fiscal environment. - Strong attention to detail and ability to process complex financial data with a high level of accuracy. - Excellent organizational and administrative skills. - Ability to follow instructions and work as part of a team. - Experience with data entry and/or working in a customer relationship management database. - Applicable computer skills to include Microsoft Office applications & web navigation. Please note if selected for an interview, a work sample will be administered. Preferred Experience with Blackbaud CRM and/or Tessitura Other Information The Ringling is a preeminent center for the arts, history, performance, and learning that is dedicated to bringing the past and contemporary culture to life through extraordinary visitor experiences. From its inception, The Ringling has joined the diverse visual traditions and theatrical spectacle of yesterday with the genre-defying global practitioners of today. A place of exploration, discovery and respite, The Ringling’s campus in Sarasota, Florida--which includes the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, a historic home, an 18th-century theater and bayfront gardens--is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As the State Art Museum of Florida and part of Florida State University, The Ringling fulfills an important educational mission. The Ringling offers formal and informal programs of study serving as a major resource for students, scholars and lifelong learners of every age across the region, country, and around the world. For more information, please visit www.ringling.org. Contact Info For more information, or for technical assistance, please contact Ringling Human Resources at 941-359-5700 ext.2605 or employment@ringling.org. Anticipated Salary Range $11.50 per hour Data Entry/Gift Processing Assistant also receives: - Regular training on upcoming exhibitions - Private gallery talks with curators - Discounts on memberships - Discounts in the museum stores - Discounts on select performances/events - Free museum admission and much more! Pay Plan This is an OPS/part-time Job. Schedule Part-time, approximately 20 hours per week, between Monday - Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please note, scheduled days and working hours are flexible based on the needs of the candidate and the Ringling. Scheduling requirements would include working Mondays and the candidate working a consistent shift week to week. Criminal Background Check This position requires successful completion of a criminal history background check, to include fingerprinting. The background check will be conducted as authorized and in accordance with University Policy 4-OP-C-7-B11. How To Apply If qualified and interested in a specific job opening as advertised, apply to Florida State University at https://jobs.fsu.edu. If you are a current FSU employee, apply via myFSU > Self Service. Applicants are required to complete the online application with all applicable information. Applications must include all work history up to ten years, and education details even if attaching a resume. Affordable Care Act OPS employees are covered under the Affordable Care Act. OPS employees that meet certain criteria will be offered affordable health care coverage. For more information, please visit the following website regarding the Affordable Care Act, http://hr.fsu.edu/?page=benefits/insurance/insurance_home&ops=1.
Data Management Administrator
Oregon Health Authority Salem, OR, USA
The Oregon Health Authority is modernizing and expanding their IT infrastructure and currently has a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Data Management Administrator to join an excellent team and work to advance their IT operations. The Oregon Health Authority promotes health equity by developing policies and programs to eliminate health disparities and reach health equity for all Oregonians. What you will do! As a Data Management Administrator for the Office of Information Services (OIS), you will be responsible for managing ongoing operations and support for the OR-Kids data services, data quality, data integration, data modeling, and data standards. You will mentor and support the application development staff in their various roles and responsibilities. OR-Kids is the State of Oregon’s legacy child welfare information system which was originally implemented as a large one-size-fits-all federal framework meant to help case workers manage their caseloads and comply with federal reporting requirements. Oregon will be transitioning OR-Kids into a new federal framework known as CCWIS (Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System) that considers new child welfare practices and technologies. CCWIS will provide Oregon the opportunity to redesign the life cycle of child welfare and ultimately improve outcomes for children and families through better data interoperability, modularity, and data quality. In this role, you will evaluate applications for technology upgrades, and develop strategies for technology integration. You will support and develop processes and tools related to data services such as reporting, testing, configuration management and data structure design. Additionally, you will build relationships and facilitate effective discussions with employees at all levels of the organization. What's in it for you? Collaboration in an open office with a team of bright individuals to work with and learn from. We offer full medical, vision and dental with paid sick leave, vacation, personal leave and ten paid holidays per year. If you are an experienced Data Management Administrator , don't delay, apply today! WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR: Seven (7) years of information systems experience in Data Management Administration. OR (b) An Associate's degree or higher in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field, OR completion of a two (2) year accredited vocational training program in information technology or related field; AND 5 years of information systems experience in Data Management Administration. OR (c) A Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field AND three (3) years of information systems experience in Data Management Administration. OR (d) A Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field AND one (1) year of information systems experience in Data Management Administration. OR (e) A Doctor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field. Experience in data modeling, database design and data management. Experience working with bi-directional data exchanges. Experience with relational database management systems. Experience in SQL performance tuning. Experience in data quality improvement. Experience in enterprise system design and development. Knowledge of systems architecture. Strong working knowledge of methods and procedures for designing, developing, monitoring and maintaining databases. Experience using automation products that support a variety of data management environments. Knowledge of Java technologies, tools and software development practices. Skills in software configuration management, automated testing, automated build, and continued integration. Experience developing data management processes and procedures. Experience developing agreements and contracts. Ability to determine effective design of data structures, software applications and equipment interfaces. Experience in promoting a culturally competent and diverse work environment.
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Lore Constantine
About Lore
My Red Car
Lore - special happenings!
CD Release Party - Peace and Good Will
Dakota Grill, San Diego
Celtic Yanks
Lansdowne Farmers Market
CD Release Party 2006
Teaching Studio
Flute Duo
Local Venues/Stores
The Red Keyboard Odyssey
On September 04, 2015 |
The Red Keyboard Odyssey - more dramatic than My Red Car! 6-7 years ago, I was at a concert at the TLA - Jaimoe, to be exact. It was one of those standing room shows. I was hearing this huge B3 sound coming out of a small (comparatively) red keyboard on stage. I looked at John, and said I have to find out what's making that sound. So I pushed through the crowd until I was in sight of it - "Nord Electro". Fast forward a few years, many more concerts, and invariably when I'd hear that special B3 sound but it wasn't a B3, I saw a red keyboard up there. So, I priced them, then I started checking Craig's list for used ones, and I learned they rarely show up for sale 'used'. Tells you something about them.
Anyway, after many years, I was finally able to order one. But, a decision had to be made - the Nord Electro4 or wait for the Nord Electro5. The '5' was being debuted at the Namm convention in LA before the grammy's. So, I sent out a request to some of my Grammy friends and found that Michael Gallant had spent an hour demonstrating the '5' at the convention. He gave me input - (the 5 had a switch to turn on the 'Leslie' type effect - the amazing vibrato that you'd hear Melvin Seals turn on at JGB concerts, so decision made). I ordered the Nord Electro 5 in February. Hoped to have it by April, then it was pushed back to May, then June.
Finally in June, keyboard arrived, with damage to the box, the frame dented and some sort of white plastic pieces - possibly part of under part of a key. So, damaged keyboard returned, new one ordered. BUT the Nord is hand built in Sweden, the music store that handles the pre-order (Kraft) is in Wisconsin. They hoped for July, then it became clear not until Sept. And while they offered me the original repaired keyboard at a discount, I decided to wait - what's a few more months after 6-7 years?
SO 2 days ago I got a call - keyboard had arrived & was being shipped to me - I could expect it next Tuesday. Checked the order status yesterday, and it said delivery today. Checked the order early a.m. before going to one of my schools, and it had already arrived in Lawnside. Looked outside a half hour ago to check for the truck - found the keyboard on my doorstep! (Luckily we're in a safe neighborhood!). Anyway, the Odyssey has ended, or maybe it's just starting. I have to figure out how to get the sounds out of this before the Burlington VFW open mic tonight!
A Note to the Academy (& to the cosmos)
On October 24, 2013 |
I am sending out a thank you to The Recording Academy (and to the cosmos) for giving me the opportunity to present my music here. When I first began this journey two years ago, I was not planning on doing any type of album, or even singing, ffor that matter (it had been 30 years since I'd done any solo singing!). But with the gift of a ukulele (and a red car!) and a friend who was writing poetry, these songs materialized. I only wanted to put them out there, and my goal was to do the best job that I possibly could to accomplish that. Because of that, I bit the financial bullet to bring in other musicians, and when I heard Michael Ronstadt playing cello at a local coffeehouse, I knew it would be wonderful to have him on the album, so I asked. Not only did he come into the studio on Day one, he ended up volunteering to do the beautiful string arrangements on the recording. I can't begin to say enough of the other musicians who joined in - with Dan Bacon (upright bass - & then whistling on My Red Car) and Russell Gellman (percussion) also in the studio on Day One to begin pulling together the music. We started with this core group, and added others as the music required, including two wonderful guitar solos by Jack Prucella (my long-time flute/guitar duo partner), and violin by Janet Marquardt. On listening to the finished master of the recording, my husband said, with a smile, "Congratulations! Once again you have managed to create something that doesn't fit into any genre!"
Anyway, I'm getting off-topic. When My Red Car didn't make it into Americana, I had a twinge of disappointment, but was so proud to have two of my songs in the composing/arranging division - Night Stroll (best inst. comp.) and On Nights Like These (best instu. arrang. accomp. vocals). So it was complete astonishment two days ago when I found that "My Red Car" had been sitting in Pop Vocal Album, and my husband said for me to check Song of the Year (he's the one who told me "it's 10 years old" when I didn't even think I could take the red car out for a test drive, that it was too fancy for me!). So at his assistance and with my own disbelief, there was "My Red Car" sitting under Song of the Year!
Today I have tears, but they are good tears, that these two years that greatly impacted my life (and my husband's) have culminated in being able to put my songs out there. And this site has allowed me to achieve my original goal way beyond any dreams or expectations I had. So I thank you, and whatever allignment of the stars & the universe allowed this to come together, and I will continue to be a member & support this community, not because I have any plans for more recordings, but because it is you that has allowed me to do accomplish this. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
A Special Story
Some of you may be aware that my husband and I have been great fans of the band 'Hot Tuna' (Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane), and over the years we have seen them in many venues, from Thanksgiving Eve shows at the Keswick Theater, to Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Wilmington, DE, even the Pitman theater in Pitman, NJ. We have seen acoustic Hot Tuna, Electric Hot Tuna, Hot Tuna with David Bromberg, Jorma Kaukonen solo with Barry Mitterhoff at the TLA, Philly - anyway you get the picture. For the last number of years, they have toured with mandolin player Barry Mitterhoff (of a bluegrass group Skyline), and we have had the pleasure of seeing this collaboration develop from an acoustic trio, onward to an Electric Hot Tuna with Barry playing electric mandolin, finding his way into creating electric guitar rifs on the mandolin.
So when a friend told us Barry Mitterhoff was coming to Medford, NJ for a house concert last Monday evening for SJARMS (S. Jersey Acoustic Roots Music Society), we had to go. We were told that they would do some 'jamming' afterward, so I knew I had to bring my flute & ukelele, (even though my ukelele playing isn't exactly masterful). I have to add that halfway through the concert Barry introduced a song that he said had flute & ukelele on the original recording, as well as mandolin & guitar, so I felt justified with my intrument choices!
After the concert, the members of SJARMS were gathering to play some music, and we saw a few people go outside to the Gazebo, and that's where the night turned magical for me. I sat in a gazebo with Barry and some other musicians, and was trading solos on my flute with Barry for what seemed like a good 45 minutes or so, (and also occasionally strumming my ukelele!). At any rate, it was a special, magical night to have the opportunity to play with such a fine musician, and I send out a special thank you to SJARMS, for creating such an opportunity, and for allowing a 'non-member' to participate! Here's their website, if you're interested in learning more about them: http://sjarms.com/
Here's a photo of Barry that night, with me sitting across the way strumming my ukelele:
Horowitz Piano Tour - May 2012
On April 26, 2012 |
Once in awhile, something is really life changing, even if we don't realize it at the time or listen to the calling. For me, one such moment was in March 1978, when I attended a concert of Vladimir Horowitz. Attending this concert was not even my own doing. I was invited by a friend from school and really had no concept of what I was going to see or even the rarity or what I now view as priceless seats for that event. We were in the first raised area of seats at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, providing a perfect view of the piano, the keys, and of course Horowitz himself. Coming from a small town in central Pennsylvania, attending very few concerts "in the city", and unaware of the history of Horowitz and his many years of not performing in public, I still cannot fathom now that I had this wonderful opportunity and the amazing generosity of another fellow pianist from school who gave this to me.
The program included Mozart, Chopin and Rachmaninoff, including Chopin's Sonata in B-flat Minor, Opus 35, which has the famous "funeral march". I felt nothing but pure astonishment as the chords for this rang out through the concert hall. One of the encores was Schumann's Träumerei, Op.15 No.7. The sheer beauty and simplicity of this was transfixing - every note had meaning and purpose. Later, I was able to watch the wonderful movie of Horowitz returning to Moscow in 1986 to perform, and again hear his 'Träumerei' which held even more significance for that audience.
As I graduated from undergraduate school, my piano teacher, composer Margaret Garwood, gave me two recordings of Horowitz, including a live recording of Horowitz playing Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 3 with the New York Philharmonic in January 1978, actually 3 months before I was to see him. These were special recordings to her, and also to me, at a time when I felt I was letting my teacher down by concentrating on my flute for graduate school, rather than the piano. I was very aware of my limitations in virtuosity and didn't know what purpose there was to my music, but I held onto those recordings, and I continued to listen and remember.
Fast forward to today and why I am writing this. Jacobs Music of Delaware announced a Horowitz piano tour with an opportunity to play this piano by appointment. This was not any piano - this was CD314503, the piano he took to Moscow on his return to Russia, and I've since determined, also the piano in his apartment for his interview with Mike Wallace, and the piano I heard him play. Even being in the same room with this piano is much closer than any "degrees of separation" I can imagine between people. I promptly responded and requested a possible appointment time, expecting maybe 10 minutes or so. When I confirmed the time, I found I was given a full hour. Even writing this is emotional for me! At any rate, on May 1 at 11 a.m. I will be in an amazing musical vortex, and while this isn't a public concert, if you happen to be in Wilmington, Delaware that day you're welcome to stop by:
Jacobs Music of Delaware
And if, as I expect, most of you are elsewhere working, etc., take a moment to think on the amazing connections and events that can be life-changing, even when we aren't aware of it at the time.
The Nature of Music
Posted by Lore Constantine |
On July 14, 2010 |
While I was playing my piano this morning, I saw a sparrow land on a pole outside my window . . .
What pianists/piano players do I listen to?
On February 22, 2010 |
Welcome to my first blog. In this blog I will be posting music-related thoughts of my career, both in teaching and performing. Info about this journey will hopefully open a dialogue with fans and fellow musicians alike about common interests and pursuits, and any suggestions about future topics are gladly welcome.
For this first blog, I would like to answer the question “What pianists do you listen to?”
Sign up for my newsletter:
Imagine with video from my CD Release Party
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Lakota America A New History of Indigenous Power
Hamalainen Pekka
ISBN: HB: 9780300215953, Yale University Press, November 2019
544 pp., 23.5x15.6 cm, 54 black&white illus.
This first complete account of the Lakota Indians traces their rich and often surprising history from the early sixteenth to the early twenty?first century. Pekka Hنmنlنinen explores the Lakotas' roots as marginal hunter?gatherers and reveals how the...
Language in Culture The Semiotics of Interaction
Silverstein Michael
This book offers a rich assortment of some of Michael Silverstein's most important lectures at the University of Chicago over the past forty years, all of which converge on theoretical issues involved in the semiotic, cognitive, and sociopolitical st...
Licentious Worlds Sex and Exploitation in Global Empires
Peakman Julie
ISBN: HB: 9781789141405, Reaktion Books, October 2019
368 pp., 23.4x15.6 cm, 120 illus., 60 in colour
"Licentious Worlds" is a history of sexual attitudes and behaviour through five hundred years of empire-building around the world. In a graphic and sometimes unsettling account, Julie Peakman examines colonization and the imperial experience puttting...
Computer Science & Internet
Life by Algorithms How Roboprocesses Are Remaking Our World
Besteman Catherine, Gusterson Hugh
ISBN: PB: 9780226627564, ISBN: HB: 9780226627427, University of Chicago Press, June 2019
Computerized processes are everywhere in our society. They are the automated phone messaging systems that businesses use to screen calls; the link between student standardized test scores and public schools' access to resources; the algorithms that r...
Life at Swift Water Place Northwest Alaska at the Threshold of European Contact
Anderson Doug D., Anderson Wanni W.
ISBN: PB: 9781602233683, University of Chicago Press, University of Alaska Press, April 2019
This is a multidisciplinary study of the early contact period of Alaskan Native history that follows a major hunting and fishing Inupiaq group at a time of momentous change in their lifeways. The Amilgaqtau yaagmiut were the most powerful group in th...
Logic of Invention
Wagner Roy
ISBN: PB: 9780999157053, University of Chicago Press, HAU, January 2019
In this long-awaited sequel to "The Invention of Culture", Roy Wagner tackles the logic and motives that underlie cultural invention. Could there be a single, logical factor that makes the invention of the distinction between self and other possible,...
Lost Maps of the Caliphs Drawing the World in Eleventh-Century Cairo
Rapoport Yossef, Savage-Smith Emilie
ISBN: HB: 9781851244911, Bodleian Library Publishing, December 2018
368 pp., 22.9x15.2 cm, 25 colour illus., 69 black&white illus.
About a millennium ago, in Cairo, someone completed a large and richly illustrated book. In the course of thirty-five chapters, our unknown author guided the reader on a journey from the outermost cosmos and planets to Earth and its lands, islands, f...
Living in the Stone Age Reflections on the Origins of a Colonial Fantasy
Rutherford Danilyn
192 pp., 21.6x14 cm, 12 halftones
In 1961, John F. Kennedy referred to the Papuans as "living, as it were, in the Stone Age". For the most part, politicians and scholars have since learned not to call people "primitive", but when it comes to the Papuans, the Stone-Age stain persists...
Language and Prehistory of the Indo-European Peoples A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective
Hyllested Adam, Nielsen Whitehead Benedicte, Olander Thomas, Olsen Birgit Anette
ISBN: HB: 9788763545310, University of Chicago Press, Museum Tusculanum Press, February 2018
350 pp., 24.1x16.1 cm, 4 colour plates, 7 halftones, 2 maps, 3 line drawings
Our knowledge of neolithic and bronze age Europe is growing rapidly, and this book offers a major contribution to our understanding of the language and history of the peoples of that period. The editors have taken a deliberately cross-disciplinary ap...
Learning from the Curse Sembene's Xala
Fardon Richard, la Rouge Senga
ISBN: HB: 9781849046954, Hurst Publishers, February 2017
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Len Ziehm On Golf
About Len
Daily Herald Columns
Chicagoland Golf
Morning Read
Hall of Fame, etc.
IT ZIEHMS TO ME: PGA Merchandise Show was an eye-opener again
ORLANDO, FL. – The PGA of America has been holding its Merchandise Show for 62 years. In recent years it’s been generally overwhelming, frequently chaotic and always informative. It’s also, for many, a hint that spring – and the heart of the golf season –isn’t all that far away.
This year’s PGA Merchandise Show at the Orange County Convention Center drew the usual 40,000 attendees and had over 1,000 exhibitors. According to PGA estimates, if you walked through every mile of the show and checked out all the offerings relative to instruction, fashion, equipment and technology you would have covered about 10 miles.
All the major manufacturers, of course, were on hand to introduce their new product lines. So were plenty of others who hoped that their products would captivate the golf industry in the months ahead. Some will, some won’t.
Dave Weretka, GolfChicago publisher, is a big believer in the GolfBoard.
This is my opportunity to reveal the products I found the most interesting – not necessarily the best. The bottom line is, these products underscore once again how inventive and innovative the people in the golf industry really are.
My favorite from this 2015 show was also among the best. GolfBoard was selected Best New Product of the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show, but it’s still fairly new as far as even hard-core golfers are concerned.
GolfBoard brings the concept of surfing to golf. You ride an electric board and it feels similar to snowboarding, surfing or skateboarding. The company calls it GolfBoarding and insists it isn’t difficult to learn. The GolfBoard carries one golfer, who is standing, and his bag. In short, you “surf the earth’’ when you take it on the course.
The device speeds up play and makes the player more active than he would be sitting in the traditional cart. Dave Weretka, long-time publisher of GolfChicago magazine is GolfBoard’s representative in the Chicago area.
Damaged club? Nope, it’s DST’s Ahead of the Curve pitching wedge.
SWING TRAINERS always underscore the creativity involved in golf. DST Golf introduced a warmup tool and practice club that is literally and figuratively “ahead of the curve.’’
PGA Master Professional Nigel Blenkarne demonstrated how to use what looks like a pitching wedge with a bent shaft. The bent shaft would make the club illegal, according to the Rules of Golf. For practice and warmup, though, it’s fine and Blenkarne said “some PGA guys are practicing with it.’’
In addition to the bent shaft, the club has a white line on the clubhead and a wide, flat sole angle that encourages the proper swing for chip shots. It forces you to be in the optimal impact position. DST also offers an 8-iron that is legal for competitive play.
Ray Rapcavage, a New Jersey resident who considers himself “a good amateur player,’’ brought along the Golf Swing Shirt – a striking orange pullover endorsed by three-time major champion Padraig Harrington and teaching guru Jimmy Ballard.
You put the Swing Shirt on over your own shirt, insert one arm at a time into the center sleeve and then head for the range. You may look and feel funny, but those who used the Swing Shirt on the huge circular practice range at Orange County National Golf Center felt they were striking the ball with body turn rather than the flipping of the hands, and the hands were always slightly ahead of the ball at impact. That resulted in a more reliable motion through the ball. At least one LPGA Tour player was intrigued enough by the product to take one home.
The Swing Shirt keeps you from making a bad swing.
PUTTING also traditionally inspires new products. Ed Klein, of Aberdeen, Wash., didn’t come with a new putter. He came with a new grip that could catch on as the USGA’s ban on anchored putting closes in for 2016.
Klein’s product is the Arm-Lock Converter Putter Grip. You simply have a new (bigger) grip installed on your present putter. It comes in two models – round and flat – and fits any putter. Klein says either model will make you an arm-lock putter and eliminate the issues presented by anchored putting. The grip doesn’t require modifications to the loft of the putter but must be fitted properly.
Of course there are plenty of new putters on the market as well, the most unusual looking being produced by Cure – a company formed in 2013 by retired architect Steve Davis and Florida teaching pro Jeff Ryan.
Here’s what the OnCore ball looks like from the inside.
Cure putters, which come in five models, feature a larger lightweight head with extreme heel/toe weighting. The creators claim that provides “unmatched stability, forgiveness and distance control.’’
BALL TECHNOLOGY may be more ongoing than any area in golf, and OnCore Golf has come out with “the world’s only hollow metal core golf ball.’’
The company, based in Buffalo, N.Y., claims it’s “the first major upgrade in golf ball design in decades.’’ The ball came out in 2009 but wasn’t approved by the U.S. Golf Assn. until last May.
“There was a little hesitation because of the technology involved,’’ said co-founder Curt Rogers. The creators claim it has perimeter weighting that leads to an increase in vertical spin and reduces a slice up to 30 percent.
Playoff loss doesn’t cool Inbee Park’s enthusiasm for the Olympics
Seven didn’t turn out a lucky number for Small, Wu
GOLF TRAVEL NOTEBOOK: Myrtle Beach is going after golfers — from Alaska?!
While we have occasionally used photography provided by outside sources, the bulk of the pictures produced by Len Ziehm on Golf have been taken by Joy Sarver. We have travelled extensively to develop this website and her well-received photos have enhanced most all the pieces on these pages.
Golf Now Chicago – Cheryl Justak, based in Indiana, will be celebrating the 16th anniversary edition of her printed golf guide in 2018 and she also delivers periodic newsletters..
Golfers on Golf Radio Big Three partner Rory Spears hosts the longest-running Chicago golf radio show and is also a frequent contributor to area golf publications. .
GolfTrips Wisconsin-based Brian Weis producers an elaborate series of websites on golf travel destinations.
Gorman Golf Media Tom Gorman’s properties include New England dot Golf, Pro Golf Weekly, Golf Life Real Estate, Under Par Media and eSouthernGOLF.
Illinois Golfer Big Three partner Tim Cronin, well-known for his books on golf history, has developed a website filled with news from a Chicago perspective.l.
Links Video Dave Lockhart is Chicago’s premier golf videographer and has won awards for his pieces on travel destinations.
LinksNation Florida-based Jason Bruno touches on all phases of golf but brings a unique perspective on equipment issues.
Ohio Golf Journal Fred Altvater also has a companion video site, Back 9 Report TV which is posted to http://back9report.com/
From Our Peers
The Golf Channel's Damon Hack helped me celebrate a big night on Jan. 24, 2018, when I was honored for three of my pieces at the 24th International Network of Golf's Media Awards in Orlando, FL. Damon was the emcee for the awards presentation.
By email: lenziehm@gmail.com
Copyright © 2011. All rights reserved. Site by TeamIPC.
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Week after week we will show you the entried of the Forged Hope Program.
You can find the other rounds here:
Remember, the Lottery of the Random Prize Pool is over, check if you have won:
You will find these posted galleries of the entries linked up to the event section - click here!
Let's continue with the next round!
The Reproduction Bots
by Klaus Dorn
Version A:
Those two robots are called reproduction bots. The Forge Father had build them to help them with creating new robots. But the process of creating them didn't go as smooth as expected.
During the creation there were two mice in the Forge Fathers Lab, which didn't concern the Forge Father although mice were rare these days, like all kinds of animals. What he didn't see was that the two mice crawled into the power generator, and as if they somehow knew what they were doing, they chewed on certain cables. This caused an unusual high current peak from the generator and the Forge Father feared the creation process to have failed. But he was wrong, the two robots were powered up and were working just fine.
It sometimes seems that those two have their own will. Since he had build them not only it fastened up his production process of new robots, but also they somehow very unconventional ideas for new robots.
But all the new robots which have been created since the reproduction bots started helping the Forge Father, also seem to have kind of their own will. Sometimes when the Forge Father wanders around town he sees groups of robots standing together and somehow communicate, but as soon as they seem him they depart and get on with their jobs. Also sometimes he's got the feeling that they're watching him. He feels like they're planning something, he thinks it's nothing good...
Klaus also wrote a second version... his own interpretation.
Version B:
Forged Hope
They called it the devourer. Originally a bio weapon, a bacteria developed by the Dum-Bian army to get rid of their foes without wasting their own soldiers. The process of its binary fission was so rapid it was able to devour biomatter like a human in ten minutes and only leaves dead matter, methane and some acidic gases in lower concentrations. But to be safe a life span of only a few seconds had been encrypted into it's DNA. This way when used in a combat zone it effectively killed the enemy and after only 24 hours that zone was ready to be taken and to be recolonized.
But something went wrong. It somehow mutated and it's life span became much longer. It spread all over the world by devouring all the bio matter in its way. The people prepared areas where no other bio matter then themselfes within a 50 km radius was. But it didn't help as the wind and weather acted as an accomplice to the extinction of all live.
Some people hid in bunkers deep underneath the earth hoping for survival. But they couldn't get up to the surface again after the bio weapon had devoured everything and disappeared, as it left an toxic and acidic atmosphere. No one was prepared for this. As there wasn't enough resources and food to wait out till the atmosphere eventually became normal again, most of the people starved to death.
There was a group of people in one of these bunkers who consisted mostly of scientists and engineers. They found a way to build robots and transfer their minds into them. This was their only way to somehow survive. As robots they waited till the atmosphere was at least not acidic enough anymore to harm their robot bodies. They went up, back to the surface and what they found couldn't really be discribed in words. It was a world of waste and death. Nothing resembled their memories. All vivid colours gone, only grey. The buildings all collapsed due to the long exposure to the acidic atmosphere. Nothing was left but ruins.
Some of them tried to find a solution to restore the original atmosphere, so that one day it might be possible for organic life as they knew it to walk on earth again.
Others started wandering the world in hope to find at least something that survived. They wandered for centuries and somehow they started to forget things, their minds seemed to dissapear. Here and there a wanderer just stopped moving, his mind gone, his life finally gone.
They started to try to find a solution for this problem. Copying their mind to a new robot didn't help, as the lost parts of their minds were still lost for that copy as well. But one day a couple found a way to melt their copied minds into a new mind. The new mind, and in this way the first new citizen on earth since a thousand years, was transfered into a little robots body. They found a way to reproduce and this way maybe a way to survive till earth is able to be recolonized in human form.
It's the forged hope.
by Sebastian Gröger
There are big robots looking in the world for usable discarded metal. This is urgently needed to build new robots. They bring it to a collectingpoint, where some robots seek in mountains of rusting metal for useful material. Everyone has his job, everyone is looking for special pieces, as well as the SR-71. It is one of the smallest robot series, that have ever been built. it is only about 5cm tall, but has one of the most important tasks. It looks for screws and nuts for production of the "new". There are hundreds of the SR series. They bring the detected screws to the sorting centre, where the finding is processed immediately to build more robots supporting the robot-community.
Greenthumb
by Sebastian Schubert
We have the year 2044 after a outbreak from a deadly Virus nothing is living any more in the World, no Humans no animals, the only think who didn`t stop to exist is a small farmer Robot names Greenthumb. He have only one task, to water the fruits, to dung the vegetables and to collect the good food. Greenthumb realized that the humans didn`t exist any more but he can´t stop to collect all the food, he has to do his job till his battery is empty. After a day full of work he has a small moment in his garden and he heard something, something really silent, something what he didn´t heard long time ago something that let him forget everything allround him. He looked up and he saw a touch full of colours full of emotions of freedom and a new beginning, but not for him, he forget his battery.
GB-WWBLS
by Michael Gerhardt
GB-WWBLS (Guardbot with wheels because legs suck) is a former patrol robot that was used to provide security for the settlements outer perimeter were a couple of roads were still intact. With his wheels he could cover a lot of distance on the partial working road in a single day. After sometime the forge father and the surviving settlers have seen that the first one was good enough at providing security (since nothing else seems to have survived the blast, at least nothing was found, yet). What was in constant demand were spare parts that were scattered around the desert from the former civilization. Therefor the guard bot was pimped with a trailer hitch and a cart was given him along with a new task: collect anything that seems interesting, metallic or technical on your journey around the settlement and bring it back to the settlement to create even more robots helping to rebuild the new civilization. Since metal was getting scarce around the settlement, as everything was already collected, he began travelling farther and farther away from the settlement to fulfill his task. Maybe one day he will be so far away that he may even encounter anyone else still alive out there (or not).
Aqua2000
by Sven Schwald
Aqua2000 is a water-search robot developed to search for the move to precious water.
He runs through the desert land and drill for water to it then to pump in his tank.
Fishing Bot
by Kyle "M R Lee" Cruickshank
Oh to sit back and just go fishing all day long! Probably was this robot's builders thoughts when he was making him, though too bad he was not smart enough to pull out fish! Seems he is only interested in tyres and scrap!
GO-LUM
by Tuskar aka Phil
GO-LUM was designed and crafted by the Forge Father to explore the big desert wasteland round the settlement of the last and lost people. There were rumors of a big water way beyond the desert. One day GO-LUM reached the shore of the ancient ocean. The probe immediately started to catch samples of organic material, his humans may need to feed themselves. And there it was, white, with wings and a big tool on his head to catch those scaly things out of the splashing sea...
That's it for todays round... Friday will be the next!
Posted On 27 August 2014 at 12:46 PM
There are 2 Kommentare for Forged Hope - Entries - Round 5
What a nice party! Unfortunately you only received 40 entries. So this more or less daily robot fun is over in a few days :(
That is indeed your best competition ever! :D
MotoXindustries says...
This post is really very nice, thanks for it and keep updating.
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Rage Fu
Stalin Says
Koala Cant Believe I
No argument, pedophilia is tragically an enormous problem that grew to monstrous proportions with the advent of the internet boom. Older men troll the web, seeking out very young girls or boys to sexually prey on. They are the worst of sexual predators.
One way to cope with horrific evil such as this is to laugh in its face. Many people mistakenly think that Pedobear somehow makes light of pedophilia, but neglect to understand that the reson for this is because the humor of it defuses some of the horror and actually helps people deal with such an atrocity.
Pedobear was developed using a character found on popular site 4chan called Safety Bear. It has been used as a way for people to call other out who are being disgusting and inappropriate when it comes to interacting with children on the internet.
It was developed not only as a coping mechanism for the horrible blight of pedophilia, but also as a way to embarrass and shame as well as mock those who appear to be demonstrating pedophililc tendencies.
Pedobear is used then, in this capacity, but in an ironic twist it is occasionally shown that Pedobear has certain pedophile tendencies, which are expressed in a humorous way. Often, Pedobear is used to attempt to draw out suspected pedophiles and reveal their identity.
The Pedobear image has been cropping up all over the place. Often, he is inserted graphically into carious photos, artworks, and even advertisements. It is a bit of an inside joke, and many enjoy the fact that while most people see a cute, adorable fuzzy bear, those in the know readily identify him as Pedobear.
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Should I sign a one- or two-year apartment lease in NYC?
A major perk of signing a two-year lease is avoiding a rent increase, but it is a pretty big commitment to make.
By Nikki M. Mascali
There are a lot of apartments currently available for rent in NYC—and thousands of new apartments are being added this year—so if you're on the hunt for a new place, there's a good chance you'll find one that checks all your boxes in the neighborhood you want. An added bonus of searching for an apartment right now? Landlords are offering deals, including two-year leases.
Concessions—like longer lease terms, which often come with one or two free months—are a way for landlords to get you to sign a lease without having to lower the rent. This is a continuing trend in NYC. For example, transactions that came with some kind of concession increased to 44 percent from 36 percent in Manhattan, according to Douglas Elliman's December rental report.
“We are seeing that landlords are willing to lock in a rate, and I don’t see this market changing,” says Karen Stone, a broker at Halstead. “We’ve had this low, very soft rental market for the last three years, and now that there’s more and more inventory, having someone to pay the rent for two years will help landlords get out of this.”
Tiga McLoyd, a broker at Citi Habitats, is also seeing more landlords offering two-year leases now, and says that this represents a change in how landlords are thinking.
In the past landlords didn't want to be precluded from raising the rent, or locked into a two-year lease with tenants who may turn out to be problematic. But landlords are warming to multi-year leases now because they don't want to take a chance on having to fill the apartment over and over in a soft market. They are thinking if the tenant's credit is ok, it is worth signing the two-year lease, McLoyd says.
Rory Bolger, a Citi Habitats broker in Brooklyn, is seeing offers of three months free on two-year leases, “which is something you see when the market is more competitive, a little more saturated, particularly with new development.”
Much of that new development is in the luxury market, which is the segment where you're most likely going to nab deals like free months and longer leases.
While a longer lease (and getting free months) sounds like a good deal, there are some important considerations to be aware of, so read on.
Pros of a signing two-year lease
The main perk that comes with signing a two-year lease is avoiding the inevitable rent increase, which can usually range from 1 percent to 1.5 percent.
“A landlord is typically only going to offer better concessions or a better deal on a new lease, since the objective is to fill units up quickly and efficiently,” Bolger says. Landlords, he said, are offering good deals on net effective rents now, so a longer lease locks you into lower net effective rent for a longer time frame.
(If you’re unfamiliar, “net effective rent” is what you would pay each month if the amount you save from your "free month(s)" was spread throughout the term of your lease. But be warned: that’s not how it usually works. Instead, you get your free month(s)—your lease tells you when—and what you actually pay each month, is a higher “gross rent.” Need help with the math? Check out Brick Underground's Gross Rent Calculator, below.)
Another plus of signing a two-year lease is not having to worry about the hassle—and cost—of moving. Plus, signing a two-year lease is a good idea if you truly love your apartment.
Cons of a signing two-year lease
The largest disadvantage to signing a two-year lease in New York City is, well, the commitment. Sure, you fell in love with the apartment because you love its exposed brick, afternoon light, or closets, but things happen. Maybe you discovered your neighbors are noisy, your commute is longer than you initially thought, or you think you might want to move somewhere else for a job.
“There’s definitely more risk as you’re obligated to two years, and that’s where tenants can get concerned,” Bolger says. “And if you lose their job or get transferred, how can you get out of the lease?”
While you are legally bound to that apartment for two years, you can ask your landlord or management company about options for breaking your lease. But you need to know that doing so could be costly (to the tune of a few month’s rent—or more) or include you having to find a qualified replacement tenant.
Want a two-year lease? Ask
If you've weighed your options and think a two-year lease is the route for you, but your future landlord is not offering it as a current concession, ask, says Halstead's Stone.
While she's seeing concessions mostly on 15- or 18-month leases, so landlords will have that renter into the spring or summer months, with the amount of inventory out there, you may have some leverage and landlords may make you a deal.
"I would do anything I could to get a tenant in place this time of year," she says.
Renters beware: 14 things to look out for in that lease
2019 market forecast: Will buyers 'seize the day' and get what they want?
How to move to NYC: A crash course guide to finding an apartment
concessions leases rent renters rents
Tips for sellers on closing the deal on a NYC apartment
From abroad and studying in NYC? How to land a rental
Real estate attorneys on what it would take to get them to buy a pre-construction condo
NYC's special election for public advocate, the Hell's Angels ride out of town, & more
Elevated subway dangers in Queens, a bus improvement plan for the Bronx, & more
What should I do about an unsafe building facade in my neighborhood?
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Our online shop sells limited edition prints and mugs designed by Saudi Arabian artist Amnah Alireza.
We also sell a variety of unique items produced at the Mansoojat Foundation workshop in Jeddah, an initiative to help women with hearing and speech impairments find employment.
Exhibition: Across Time & Space
Tues 25th - Sat 29th November 2014, 10am - 3.30pm, Free entry
Ismaili Centre, South Kensington, London
The Mansoojat Foundation is participating in the exhibition Across Time & Space, as part of the annual Nour Festival of Middle Eastern culture organaised by London's Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. The exhibition includes contemporary and traditional Iranian, Kurdish, Middle Eastern, Central Asian, Egyptian and other North African costumes.
The Mansoojat Foundation
The Mansoojat Foundation is a UK registered charity founded by a group of Saudi women with a passionate interest in the traditional ethnic textiles and costumes of Arabia.
Where We Go In The Future Is Determined
By Where We Have Been In The Past.
The Mansoojat Foundation's mission is to revive and preserve the traditional ethnic designs and costumes of the various regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; to promote and conduct academic research important for the understanding of the history and culture of the region, and to raise public awareness for the appreciation of this unique heritage.
UK Charity Registration No. 1115379
The Mansoojat Foundation welcomes contributions of any size. Your donation will allow us to continue our unique research and activities.
Mansoojat on Facebook
Join us on Facebook and invite your friends!
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Originally from the 419, I've done news and views from Delmarva since 2005.
SotW HoF
SOTW tracker
Odds and ends number 59
You know them, you love them…bloggy bits of goodness I expound upon which run from a sentence to a few paragraphs. Here’s my latest batch from a chock-full mailbox all but neglected over the weekend.
Actually, the first item doesn’t come from my mailbox but was shared with me on my Facebook page by Jim Rutledge, who urged me to read and share this piece by Diana West about how we’ll never win if we kowtow to Islamic radicals.
West writes about the saga of Marine Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley, Jr., who was killed in a “green-on-blue” attack last month. Chillingly, Buckley predicted, “one day they are going turn around and turn those weapons on us.” And so they did.
Of course, that leads to the obvious question of why we remain in Afghanistan, which has no clear-cut answer. At this point, it truly makes no difference to the most radical Islamist whether we stay or go as we’re the Great Satan just the same. Right offhand, I have no idea what the body count is on their side, but I’m sure it could be a lot more if we didn’t pull our punches. Once we bombed Tora Bora back to the Stone Age to get Osama bin Laden, but it was a more precise Seal Team Six which sent bin Laden to those 72 virgins, with Obama trying to heist the credit. Certainly there are those Afghans who love the accolades they receive from their comrades when an American is cut down as well.
All in all, the Patton rule still applies: “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.” Just substitute “religion” for “country” on their part.
Another old saw from the Left is that not throwing money at education produces inferior results. But that theory is debunked by a study recently released by State Budget Solutions. If the liberals’ theory was correct, then states which spent the most per pupil would have the best results – but the numbers suggest otherwise. In announcing the results, SBS noted:
From 2009 to 2011 the national average for state educational spending as a percentage of total spending dropped from 30 percent in 2009 to 29.3 percent in 2011. The top state spenders across all three years were Texas, Vermont and Arkansas, all spending at least 4 percent more than the national average. Michigan made the top five in 2010 and 2011. Virginia earned the #4 and #5 position in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
The states that spent the least as a percentage of total spending during 2009-2011 were Alaska, which came in last all three years, Hawaii and Tennessee. New York and Massachusetts also made the bottom five in 2010 and 2011.
For states that spent the most, only Vermont saw significant results from 2009 to 2011. In fact, four out of the five states spending the most on education failed to produce correspondingly high graduation rates or ACT scores. Arkansas remained in the top five states in spending for all three years, yet Arkansas’ average ACT scores consistently fell below the national average, and continue to decline annually. In 2010 and 2011, Texas ranked first in the nation in spending, 36.9 percent each year, but fell below the national average in graduation and ACT scores.
One can have whatever educational Taj Mahal the taxpayers willingly – or begrudgingly – pay for, and teachers who receive the highest pay around, but if they can’t teach then all the money is essentially wasted. Otherwise, why would bright homeschooled children be the academic leaders of this country?
At this time in the election cycle, endorsements are always news. Recently the Conservative Victory PAC added two new Republican hopefuls to a growing stable of CVPAC-backed candidates as Second District Congressional hopeful Nancy Jacobs and Third District candidate Eric Knowles got the CVPAC blessing.
On Jacobs the group wrote:
CVPAC supports Ms. Jacobs’s education reform agenda, including expansion of Charter Schools in failing school districts, means-tested tax credits for parents with children in religious schools and other private schools, and tax credits for Maryland businesses that invest in schools or hire graduates from local schools.
CVPAC Treasurer Ruth Melson had this to say about Knowles:
Let me tell you why Eric Knowles must be your next United States Congressman from Maryland District 3. Eric knows about defending the United States Constitution against foreign enemies and he will defend it at home the same way; he is a US Air Force veteran. He knows about our terrible economic plight; he works as a bartender talking to regular folks every day. In the United States Congress, he will always represent the interest of Marylanders like you and me. He is not an ivory-tower politician building castles in the air; he is pragmatic. Government, he says, must stay within its constitutionally enumerated powers; government must be rolled back to what we can afford.
Along with U.S. Senate candidate Dan Bongino, the Conservative Victory PAC has endorsed four of Maryland’s six Republican Congressional challengers: Ken Timmerman, Faith Loudon, Jacobs, and Knowles. I suppose they have a few weeks to add Fifth District challenger Tony O’Donnell and Seventh District aspirant Frank Mirabile to the list.
Bongino, meanwhile, keeps adding to his national profile by getting key endorsements of his own; most recently Lt. Col. Allen West added his vocal support:
The differences cannot be any clearer in the race for United States Senate. Ben Cardin has been an elected official for 45 years and you need to question ‘Is Maryland better off than it was in 1967?’ It is time the people need to elect someone who has some real experience, and that is why I am endorsing Dan Bongino for U.S. Senator for Maryland.
We need someone who has walked a police beat and not someone who all he knows how to do is walk into a chamber and vote aye and nay all day long!
West is a conservative darling who some believed would have been a great VP pick.
On the other hand, “establishment” Republicans may have been enamored with an endorsement closer to home – former Governor Bob Ehrlich:
Dan has the unmatched integrity and unique depth of experience necessary to defeat an entrenched incumbent like Senator Cardin. His background in law enforcement and federal investigations, combined with an entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen, afford not only a broad overview of the political arena but also personal expertise in job creation, fiscal responsibility, and community involvement.
We cannot continue down the same non-productive road we’ve traveled for the last 45 years. It’s time we elect someone new – someone who can relate to the needs of the average Maryland family. Dan’s message resonates strongly with both Democrats and Republicans alike, and he is the right person at the right time to represent Maryland and shake things up in Washington.
Gee, Bob, that sounds a little bit like your 2010 primary opponent I voted for. While it’s nice to have the endorsement, honestly I’m not sure the Ehrlich name carries the cache it formerly did among rank-and-file Republicans, let alone those who call the TEA Party home. They were more enthused by the Allen West statement, I’m sure.
Speaking of those who have spanked Ehrlich electorally, Martin O’Malley is once again getting beclowned by Larry Hogan and Change Maryland as they point out Maryland’s unemployment rate is rising as the national percentage drops:
Maryland’s unemployment rate inched up to 7.1%, marking months of consecutive upticks since January’s rate of 6.5%, in the latest state employment picture released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The preliminary August numbers show a slight gain in employment due to July numbers that were revised downward by 1,600 jobs. In August, Maryland payrolls increased by 1,400 over July.
The slight change in employment numbers, however, is not enough to lift Maryland out of the doldrums when it comes to competing with neighboring states.
“We are lagging in job growth in the region and are simply not competing with our neighbors,” said Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan. “This year’s performance on job growth is abysmal as it has been since 2007.”
On a percentage basis of jobs lost, Maryland’s decline of 1.4% since January of 2007 is the second-worst in the region after Delaware.
And Change Maryland had even more fun at O’Malley’s expense, reminding its audience that each and every Republican governor berated by DGA head O’Malley scored higher on job creation than he did:
In recent remarks in Iowa, O’Malley said, “We are the party that grows our economy; they are the party that wrecked our economy.’ This false statement is borne out today in the latest August employment numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that show Maryland’s loss of nearly 7,000 jobs this year is worse than Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Virginia, Texas, New Jersey and Maine. In some cases it is much worse. For example, under Gov. John Kasich, Ohio has created 68,300 jobs this year; Florida Gov. Rick Scott, 50,500 jobs; and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, 26,200 jobs. So far this year under Gov. Rick Perry, the Lone Star state has created 140,000 more jobs than Maryland, which some have dubbed the “Fee State” as opposed to the official “Free State.”
“Martin O’Malley has no credibility whatsoever talking about jobs,” said Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan. “What he can talk about, but chooses not to, are the 24 taxes and fees he has raised since taking office which remove $2.4 billion annually from the pockets of struggling Marylanders.”
I know Jim Pettit doesn’t necessarily write these releases to be laugh-out-loud funny, but when you consider the material he has to work with, you have to laugh to avoid crying – particularly if you still live in Maryland. As I’ve put myself on the record saying, take away the nation’s capital and Maryland is Michigan without all the lakes – or the jobs. (By the way, even that state is creating jobs much faster than Maryland.)
A surefire way to curtail job creation, however, is to overregulate land use to a point where no growth is possible. Whether consciously or not, the effect of new state rules may be the eventual death knell to the Eastern Shore’s economy.
There is an upcoming “Growth Offset Policy Meeting” Thursday morning to discuss these proposals, dryly described as follows:
The meeting will include a presentation by staff from Maryland Department of the Environment about the draft Growth Offset policy and the proposed timeframe for acceptance and implementation of the policy. Following the presentation, the remainder of the meeting is dedicated for a question and answer period. Participants are invited to ask questions and express concerns to staff from Maryland Department of the Environment, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Planning.
The Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology is organizing this event and would like to thank the Town Creek Foundaiton (sic) for their generous support which allows the Center this opportunity.
You can register here; it’s no surprise that plenty of seats are still available. I’m sure the Radical Green in this area will take time off their public-sector, taxpayer-funded jobs to try and convince these people that every acre in Wicomico County not already developed needs to return to its pristine, pre-settlement state.
If we were to take a path, I say join the one being blazed by Cecil County and say “to hell with the maps.” If Rick Pollitt wants to do something useful for a change, this is something to consider when you think about how similar Cecil County is in population to Wicomico.
Finally, turning to the national race: there’s a constituency group out there which is always assumed to be a solidly Democratic bloc and that’s the Jewish vote. But according to this ad from the Republican Jewish Coalition, voters are turning away:
Perhaps borne out by this ad, a survey by the American Jewish Council of 254 registered Jewish voters in Florida showed only 69% would vote for Obama. It’s noteworthy the survey was conducted prior to the 9-11-12 Islamic attacks on our embassies in several Middle Eastern countries, most notably Libya. On the other hand, they didn’t ask about the respondents’ 2008 vote so in that respect the survey has limited value – we have no basis of comparison to truly determine a trend.
But another number from the AJC survey serves as a way to tie this post together: 62% of those Jewish voters surveyed either strongly or moderately support U.S. military action against Iran’s nuclear program. 74% of them would support Israel doing the same.
It all comes back to wars and rumors of wars, doesn’t it?
Author MichaelPosted on September 26, 2012 Categories All politics is local, Business and industry, Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012 - President, Delmarva items, Education, Maryland Politics, National politics, Politics, Polling, Senator Watch, State of ConservatismTags Afghanistan, Ben Cardin, Bob Ehrlich, Cecil County, Change Maryland, Conservative Victory PAC, Daniel Bongino, education, Eric Knowles, Faith Loudon, Frank Mirabile, Jim Rutledge, Ken Timmerman, Larry Hogan, Lt. Col. Allen West, Martin O'Malley, Maryland Department of the Environment, Nancy Jacobs, Osama bin Laden, Radical Islam, Republican Jewish Coalition, Rick Pollitt, State Budget Solutions, Tony O'Donnell, Town Creek Foundation, unemployment, Wicomico County
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2019 Accountability Project
Here are the first two Delaware editions.
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With the 2018 election over, the Maryland edition is now retired. I'm keeping the 2018 edition up for the archives but no new updates are forthcoming.
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Sikkim: Small but Beautiful
The classic trek to Dzongri peak (altitude 4000 meters) in West Sikkim, passing through magnificent rhododendron forests and culminating with the magnificent views of snow clad peaks at Dzongri, caught our immediate attention. Our high energy found an immediate resonance with the chill and thrill of Dzongri, the meeting place of man and mountain gods.
When to Visit Dzongri: The best time to visit Dzongri is from mid March-April, and then from September to mid October, so as to avoid snowfall and monsoon rains. Although, owing to high altitude, there is a definite probability of the climate taking unexpected turns during any time of the year.
Dzongri Trek Arrangements: Yuksom is a small village in Sikkim, with a population of about 150. The open roads and view of snow clad peaks produce an immediate contrast with the otherwise crowded roads of cities.
The economy of Yuksom is mostly based on tourism, so the necessary logistics for the trip can be arranged locally. Alternatively, numerous travel agents in Gangtok can organize the Dzongri trek in advance. Travel agents generally charge 1500-2000 rupees per person per day for the trek, though there is a heavy bargaining depending upon the number of people in the trekking group.
Everyone must register at the Local police station at Yuksom with a valid identity proof. Separate trekking permits are also mandatory for foreigners. The trekking permits are available at Tourism offices in Gangtok, or else contact Sikkim House in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
The Dzongri Trek:
The trek starts from Kachenjunga National Park in Yuksom. We paid around 1000 rupees for four persons, two still cameras and our trekking crew of porter, guide and yaks as the fee for national park entry. The trek to Dzongri is ideally five days, with one day of acclimatization at Tshoka village. However, it's possible to complete it in four days if one decides to skip the acclimatization day.
For staying, Sikkim Tourism has constructed a wooden trekker's hut on the way, for which they charge 50 rupees ($1) per day for one room.
Namdapha
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About TCS
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Aust retailers in for a rough year: report
Australians have been propping up the retail sector by living beyond their means, but a new report suggests “that ship has now sailed”.
Deloitte Access Economics partner David Rumbens said in a report released on Wednesday that consumers have maintained spending because of housing market windfalls and the rise of buy now, pay later services such as Afterpay.
Overall consumer spending over the past five years has increased by 2.5 per cent a year, while disposable income as increased just 1.9 per cent a year.
“That difference is a fair chunk of change, and it’s fair to say that many retailers have only survived the last few years because we’ve lived beyond our means,” Mr Rumbens said.
“But that ship has now sailed.”
Housing gains have dried up and there are questions about the share market, he said.
Wages are up but not enough to avoid damage to the retail sector, and people will likely be prudent with their cash.
“That leaves 2019 as retail’s gap year – nursing a hangover before getting ready to move ahead in a year’s time,” he said.
Deloitte Access Economics’ Retail Forecasts report expects real retail turnover growth to slip to 1.6 per cent in 2019, from 2.2 per cent last year.
Mr Rumbens said retailers need to spend the year focused not just on survival, but on strengthening connections with customers and streamlining operations so they can take advantage when the market turns.
He expects retail sales to pick up in 2020 as the housing market stabilises.
The 2.2 per cent growth predicted would be driven in a rise in wages, Deloitte forecasts.
If the new federal government elects to give out straight cash handouts to boost the economy, as it did in 2009 under then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, that would “no doubt be gratefully received by the sector,” Mr Rumbens said.
Categories: Business
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Merck & Premier Inc. join hands to reduce C. diff recurrence
Category: #health By Dhananjay Punekar Date: 2018-06-03
Merck & Co., a U.S. based pharmaceutical giant, and Premier Inc., have reportedly extended their partnership on preventative & chronic ailment care for minimizing the recurrence of the Clostridium difficile infection. Sources cite that both the Merck and Premier are expected to offer support, education, and consultation to patients suffering from C. diff.
The strategic move is aimed at increasing the awareness level of the patients for reducing the recurrence of the infectious ailment and facilitating easy access of healthcare services for the patients. For the record, both the healthcare firms have been carrying out research activities for preventing the disease recurrence in the subjects.
According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the elaborate use of antibiotic medicines or long-term C. diff infection is one of the main causes of healthcare-related infections across the U.S. Estimates claim that nearly half a million of the U.S. population are affected due to the infection, with patients consuming antibiotics more prone to get infected from the ailment.
C.diff accounts for nearly USD 4.8 billion of the country’s healthcare expenditure each year. Data statistics have revealed that one out of five patients experience the recurrence of the disease.
Raquel Tapia, Associate Vice President of Specialty Marketing at Merck, has announced that the integration of Premier Inc.’s tech abilities and therapeutic knowledge of Merck will help the patients effectively handle their healthcare challenges. Reportedly, the C. diff intervention is projected to be tested at the Premier member health systems.
It has been predicted that the extension of the business relationships will make a big difference in resolving the critical public health issues of the patients across the globe.
For the uninitiated, Premier Inc., is one of the leading healthcare improvement companies that encompasses close to 3,900 U.S. hospitals and health systems in addition to a mammoth 150,000 other providers.
Dhananjay Punekar
Dhananjay Punekar presently develops content for a slew of portals, including Market Size Forecasters and Algosonline. A post graduate in mathematics and business administration, he worked in Infosys BPO Limited prior to switching his professional genre. As a content wr...
More News By Dhananjay Punekar
AstraZeneca gets import & marketing approval for Durvalumab in India
By Dhananjay Punekar
AstraZeneca Pharma India, a division of pharma & biopharma giant AstraZeneca plc, has received a green signal from the Indian drug regulating agency DCGI (Drug Controller General of India) for its drug Durvalumab c...
BP exits deal with Woolworths, retail firm looks out for alternatives
BP Plc, a UK based oil & gas firm, has decided to terminate its USD 1.8 billion acquisition deal with Australian retail giant Woolworths. For the record, the British oil & gas company had signed a pact to purch...
Sarepta obtains positive results on DMD therapy, shares skyrocket 50%
The shares of Sarepta Therapeutics Inc., a medical research & drug development firm, climbed up by 50% after the firm released initial results derived from clinical treatment on patients suffering from Duchenne mus...
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Arthur; Locked in the Library!; Arthur Accused!
WGBH EE Master
Locked in the Library!; Arthur Accused!
Program Number
Each of the Arthur episodes consists of two independent stories that focus on themes and events central to children's lives. Whether it's facing down a bully, worrying about a new teacher, or being the very last person on earth to lose his baby teeth, Arthur and his friends manage to solve their third-grade dilemmas with imagination, kindness and a lot of humor. "What children love about Arthur is that he feels real to them," says Carol Greenwald, WGBH executive producer. "The emotions he experiences are universal. When Arthur triumphs over something, kids think they can, too. "The series will build on that sense of empowerment by showing how Arthur and his friends use effective, age-appropriate, problem-solving skills. Bringing a book-based series like Arthur to public television will also promote reading and writing skills. Series release date: 10/1996
Locked in the Library!: Arthur and Francine are fighting. (If only Arthur hadn't felt compelled to call Francine a marshmallow.) But when they both get locked inside the Elwood City Library they either have to make up, or prepare for a long, dreary, scary evening. The basis of an Arthur chapter book.
Arthur Accused!: When Buster opens his detective agency, he has no idea his first job will involve Arthur. Is Arthur really a thief? If not, then what happened to that bag of quarters Arthur was collecting for the fire department? The answer has something to do with Mrs. MacGrady (the lunch lady), a blender, and a big bowl of brownie dough. The basis of an Arthur chapter book.
Greenwald, Carol (Series Producer)
CINAR (Series Producer)
Chicago: “Arthur; Locked in the Library!; Arthur Accused!,” 09/28/1997, WGBH Media Library & Archives, accessed January 20, 2020, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_BBCF97C4E1334BD1ADAB4B33C9A6E505.
MLA: “Arthur; Locked in the Library!; Arthur Accused!.” 09/28/1997. WGBH Media Library & Archives. Web. January 20, 2020. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_BBCF97C4E1334BD1ADAB4B33C9A6E505>.
APA: Arthur; Locked in the Library!; Arthur Accused!. Boston, MA: WGBH Media Library & Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_BBCF97C4E1334BD1ADAB4B33C9A6E505
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Text Bulletins Details
THE HEADLINES,
Supreme Court tells 10 rebel MLAs from Karnataka to appear before Assembly Speaker this evening; asks the Speaker to decide on their resignations today itself; Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy refuses to quit.
In Ayodhya land dispute case, apex court seeks status report on mediation proceedings from three-member panel headed by Justice Kalifulla, within a week.
Flood situation critical in Assam as surging waters inundate new areas.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan calls for good communication with people to address growing population challenge.
In the ICC World Cup Cricket, Australia to clash with England in second semi-final at Birmingham this afternoon.
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The Supreme Court today allowed 10 rebel Karnataka MLAs to meet the Assembly speaker at 6 this evening and convey decision of their resignation to him. The court directed Karnataka Director General of Police to provide protection to the rebel MLAs from Bangalore airport to Assembly on their arrival from Mumbai.
The apex court also asked Karnataka Assembly Speaker to decide on MLAs' resignation during the course of the day. The decision taken by the Speaker has to be intimated to the court by tomorrow when it takes up the matter again. At the outset, the apex court made it clear that it was passing orders on the 10 MLAs who were before it and not the others. The 10 rebel MLAs had moved apex court alleging that the Karnataka Assembly Speaker was not accepting their resignations.
Our Bengaluru correspondent has filed this report:
"The rebel MLAs are likely to reach Bengaluru in the evening today. The Congress rebel MLA S T Somashekhar has already arrived here and has said that all of them will meet the Speaker together. The Congress leaders held meeting in the morning today on the ways to save the coalition government. BJP with a strength of 107 is waiting for the Speaker meeting the rebel MLAs in the evening. They have fixed their legislative party meeting in Vidhana Soudha today instead of their party office. Sudhindra, AIR,News, Bengaluru."
Meanwhile, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has said that he will not resign despite 18 MLAs withdrawing their support to his Government. Addressing media persons after meeting senior Congress leaders in Bengaluru today, he said his government has the numbers. Kumaraswamy reminded media persons that in 2009-10, BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa too had not resigned when 18 MLAs had withdrawn their support to his Government.
Karnataka Government has called a cabinet meeting today to be chaired by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. It is likely to discuss the next course of action amidst continuing political crisis.
Ten Congress MLAs from Goa, who had formally split and merged with BJP, will meet BJP President Amit Shah in New Delhi today. This was confirmed by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is in New Delhi along with the MLAs. Yesterday, Leader of Opposition in Goa Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar led a group of 10 Congress MLAs to merge with the BJP. The move bolstered BJP’s numbers in the Legislative Assembly from 17 to 27 MLAs and consolidated its Government.
Congress today raised the issues related to political situation in Karnataka and Goa in the Rajya Sabha. When the House met, Congress leader Anand Sharma raised the issue, alleging that the elected government is being destabilized in Karnataka. He said the situation in Karnataka and Goa is an assault on democracy.
Responding to it, Information and Broadcasting Minister, Prakash Javadekar took a dig at Congress asking, who is the President of the party, an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi’s resignation. He wondered how BJP can be responsible for the current situation of Congress. Later, Congress members staged a walk out from the house over the issue.
Congress-led opposition today also staged a walk out from Lok Sabha over the situation in Karnataka and Goa. During Zero Hour, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of Congress raised the issue saying the democracy is under threat in the two states.
Congress also staged a protest outside Parliament. Several top leaders of the party, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma, protested in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue.
Speaking to media, Rahul Gandhi said they are protesting against the on-going political situation in Karnataka and Goa.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today criticized the Union Budget, saying it lacks steps for structural reforms in the country’s economy. Participating in the debate on Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha, he said, it is the first budget which does not give numbers related to total revenue, expenditure, fiscal deficit and other figures. Mr. Chidambaram said the Budget has nothing to improve domestic and household savings.
Anil Jain of BJP highlighted the several measures taken by the NDA government for development of the country. He also said the economy has been strengthened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Ravi Prakash Verma of Samajwadi Party also spoke on the Budget.
Earlier, Zero and Question Hours were suspended to take up discussion on Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha.
The Supreme Court today sought a fresh status report on the ongoing mediation proceedings in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Ayodhya land dispute case within a week. The court made it clear that if the vexatious issue was not resolved amicably, it would hear the matter on a day-to-day basis from 25th of this month.
A five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, requested former apex court judge Justice F M I Kalifulla, Chairperson of the three-member mediation panel, to submit the report by 18th of this month. A desk report:
"The apex court passed the order while hearing an application filed by the legal heirs of one of the original litigants, Gopal Singh Visharad, seeking a judicial decision on the dispute and annulment of the ongoing mediation process, alleging that nothing much was happening. The apex court had, on 8th of March, referred the matter to the panel of mediators for exploring the possibility of an amicable settlement. In its order, the top court had asked the panel to hold in-camera proceedings and conclude the process within eight weeks. It may be recalled that fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties-the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla. ARTI RANA, NEWS DESK."
In Assam, flood situation remains critical as surging waters inundated new areas today. Official sources said that breach of embankments flooded several villages at Tengaguri in Morigaon and Lanka Suburi in Tihu circle.
Several rivers, including the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, are in spate. More from our correspondent:
"Around 2.5 lakh people are affected in the current flood in 12 districts in Assam. Dhemaji and Lakhimpur are among the worst hit districts. NDRF and SDRF teams are pressed into services. 40 persons were shifted to the safer places at Bongaigaon district late last night. Surging water caused damages to thousand hectares of agriculture land, roads and culverts. Flood water also inundated low lying areas of a few national park and wildlife sanctuaries. MANAS PRATIM SARMA, AIR NEWS, GUWAHATI."
In Bihar, many rivers of northern region are in spate due to incessant rain in catchment areas for the past four days. The Met department has sounded an of heavy to extreme heavy rain at several places in Western, Northern and Eastern Bihar in the next three days. Our correspondent reports that the rivers -- Gandak, Bagmati, Budhi Gandak -- originating from Nepal are flowing above the danger mark at several places.
Heavy rains in Maharashtra’s Palghar district have disrupted traffic movement from Mokadha to neighbouring Nashik district. According to the Chief of Disaster Management Cell, a major portion of a bridge on a small river at Morchundi village washed away this morning. While no casualty has been reported, incidents of rain water gushing inside villagers’ homes have come to light.
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan today highlighted the importance of imparting good quality information and knowledge to people consistently for making any health programme a success. Speaking at the inaugural of a workshop on the occasion of World Population Day in Delhi, the Minister said growing population is a cause for concern. He stated that even seemingly impossible tasks, like containing population, can be made possible with good vision and proper communication with the common people. He cited the Polio Eradication Programme and emphasized how good communication about the subject made the programme a success.
"The most important thing that is need to make anything success is imparting good quality information and knowledge, consistently to people and also to supplement it consistently with motivation. You can try hundreds of techniques. Every technique may fail. A simple motivation may help or a true knowledge and information, we can impart that to the right person, who actually needs that, who deserves that and to whom imparting that knowledge is absolutely essential."
The Health Minister said population has risen from 30 crore at the time of Independence to over 130 crore and there are reports which suggest that that country will surpass China in future. He said NDA Government is committed to making health care accessible and affordable for all sections of society.
Our correspondent reports the theme for World Population Day this year is "ICPD@25 - Leveraging Partnerships". The day is observed every year to highlight importance of population stabilization which is a critical determinant of human development. This year's World Population Day calls for global attention to the unfinished business of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development.
Prasar Bharati and Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur today signed a Memorandum of Understanding for research collaboration in newly emerging technologies and broadcasting-related areas, in New Delhi. The move is likely to boost research activities in the field of broadcasting. The MoU will be effective from today and will remain in force for a period of five years.
Direct to mobile broadcasting, Convergence of 5G, Artificial Intelligence Incubation Centre by Prasar Bharati and student internship for students of IIT, Kanpur at Prasar Bharati are among the main areas in the research collaboration.
Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati, Shashi Shekhar Vempati and Director, IIT Kanpur Abhay Karandikar were present on the occasion. Mr Vempati said, this engagement with IIT, Kanpur on Research and Development and innovation are very important as onus is on the largest public broadcaster to actively look to future, develop and shape the future with emerging technologies.
"The convergence that is happening in broadcasting and other technologies primarily mobile telecom technologies, emerging areas like 5G and so on. It is very important that we have a clear way forward. The amount of technology that we are importing from our broadcasting stand point, so how can we nurture and develop an eco system in India with start ups, so that a lot of technology get developed and created in India. So, these all will be areas can emerge through this collaboration with IIT Kanpur. This MoU is a starting point. There will be specific projects that we will together develop."
The CBI is carrying out searches at the residence of noted lawyer Indira Jaising and offices of Lawyers Collective, a Non-Governmental Organization run by her husband Anand Grover. The searches are taking place at the Nizamuddin residence and office of Jaising, office of the NGO in Jangpura area of Delhi and an office in Mumbai since early morning. Grover was booked by the agency for alleged Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) violations in receiving foreign aid.
Nepal's Supreme Court has stayed the government's move of rolling back its earlier decision to check permitted levels of pesticides in vegetables and fruits imported from India. A single bench of Justice Anandamohan Bhattarai issued the ruling yesterday and asked the government authorities to continue testing of imported vegetables and fruits. More from our correspondent:
"Last week Government of Nepal had put on hold testing of vegetables and fruits imported from India at the custom points due to lack of infrastructure facilities. A Public Interest Litigation was filed by two advocates at the Supreme Court on Tuesday against the government's move of rolling back its earlier decision. On June 17, Nepal Government had instructed its border authorities to test the level of pesticide before allowing Indian vegetables and fruits. Following the instructions, hundreds of trucks have been stuck at various border points. Nepal is highly dependents on fruits and vegetables imported from India. The Supreme Court has asked all concerned parties to appear before the court on July 15. Raj Kumar, AIR News, Kathmandu."
In the ICC Cricket World Cup, defending champions Australia will play hosts England in the second semi-final at Birmingham this afternoon. The match will begin at 3 PM Indian time. All India Radio will broadcast live commentary on the game from 2:30 PM. It can be heard on the Rajdhani channel, FM Rainbow network and additional frequencies.
In the first semi-final last evening, India lost to New Zealand by 18 runs at Manchester.
The Final will be played in London on Sunday.
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Sesame Place Celebrates 35th Anniversary with New ...
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After an extensive search, SeaWorld Entertainment has named Joel Manby as the company's new President and CEO, effective April 7th, 2015.
The company has been searching for a new leader for months now, after Jim Atchison stepped down from the role as the year began. The company has had a tough two years, seeing significant decreases in both revenue and attendance at its marine themed properties.
The news of Joel Manby's new role at the company's parks - which include the SeaWorld, Aquatica, Sesame Place and Busch Gardens brands - is significant. Really significant if you ask me.
Mr. Manby comes to SeaWorld Entertainment from Herschend Enterprises, where he was the President and CEO. Herschend's parks include gems like Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, but also a plethora of other attractions including water parks, aquariums, dinner shows and resorts - 26 in all. All of the company's attractions are known for their attention to detail, cohesive themes, and impressive customer service.
The building blocks of Herschend's expansion and success are a credit to Mr. Manby's leadership - something that SeaWorld desperately needs at this time. To say that good things are on the way for the parks is probably a great understatement at the moment.
On the news, Mr Manby offered that he is "honored to be selected as SeaWorld Entertainment's new CEO. This Company has tremendous brands, and for more than 50 years, families have come to our parks to learn about animals, have fun and be entertained. We are known for our exceptional operations and world-class animal care. My job is to build on that foundation while consistently improving and innovating in a competitive environment. I look forward to working with our more than 23,000 team members through the challenges ahead."
I would expect to start to see positive changes in the company's parks start soon after Mr. Manby takes over, though I wouldn't expect to really see his influence until 2016 or later. Much as Matt Ouimet's positive changes at Cedar Fair permeated the organization after several seasons, I expect a similar ramp-up to take place at the SeaWorld Entertainment parks. Good things on the horizon!
Labels: Herschend Family Entertainment, Sea World
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2018-2019 Cautionable (8) and Sending Off Offenses (8)
(Click here to download a copy)
U.S. Soccer Federation Referee Program
Report Codes for Cautionable and Sending-Off Offenses
Based on IFAB's 2018-19 Laws of the Game (LOTG)
Cautionable Offenses A player is cautioned and shown a yellow card for committing any of the following cautionable offenses:
1. Unsporting behavior (UB)
a. Commits a direct free kick offense in a reckless manner whether within playing distance or not
b. Commits a foul which interferes with or impedes an opposing team’s promising attack, except where the referee awards a PK for the offence that was an attempt to play the ball
c. Handles the ball to interfere with or stops a promising attack
d. Denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by an offense which was an attempt to play the ball and the referee awards a penalty kick
e. Handles the ball in an attempt to score a goal (whether or not the attempt is successful) or in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent a goal
f. Plays the ball when leaving the field of play after being given permission to leave
g. Commits an act that in the opinion of the referee shows a lack of respect for the game
h. Attempts to deceive the referee e.g. by faking an injury or by pretending to have been fouled (simulation)
i. Verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart
j. Unfairly distracts or impedes an opponent performing a throw-in (including moving closer than 2 yards to where the throw-in is to be taken)
k. Changes places (jerseys) with the goalkeeper during play or without the referee's permission (caution both players at the next stoppage)
l. Engages in trickery to circumvent the goalkeeper's limitation on handling the ball played from a teammate's foot (the defender who initiates the "trickery" is cautioned, the decision does not require that the goalkeeper actually handles the ball, and the misconduct can occur during dynamic play or at a restart)
m. Makes unauthorized marks on the field
n. Refuses to leave the field due to injury after the referee authorized the doctors or stretcher bearers to enter the field of play, or due to illegal equipment, bleeding, or blood on the uniform
o. Throws an object (or the ball) in a reckless manner
p. Celebrates a goal by:
i. climbing onto a perimeter fence and/or approaching the spectators in a manner which causes safety and/or security issues
ii. gesturing or acting in a provocative, derisory, or inflammatory way
iii. covering the head or face with a mask or similar device
iv. removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirt
q. Commits an offense described in Law 14 - The Penalty Kick (during the match, extra time, or kicks from the penalty mark) for which the referee must caution a player(s):
i. the kicker feints to kick the ball once the run-up to the ball has been completed
ii. the goalkeeper offends and the ball does not enter the goal
iii. both the kicker and goalkeeper commit an offense at the same time and the kick is missed or saved (kick is retaken)
iv. the kicker when both the kicker and goalkeeper commit an offense at the same time and the kick is scored (goal is disallowed)
2. Dissent by word or action (DT)
a. Verbally or through action disputes or shows contempt for an official’s decision
b. If playing as a goalkeeper, leaves the penalty area (not beckoned by the referee) to engage an official in debate regarding a decision
3. Persistent offenses (PO)
a. Repeatedly commits fouls (Law 12) against one or more opponents (the offside offense in Law 11 is not considered)
i. No specific number or pattern of fouls constitutes "repeatedly"
ii. "Repeatedly" does not require the offenses to be the same type of foul
4. Delaying the restart of play (DR)
a. Appears to take a throw-in but after excessive time leaves it to a team-mate to take
b. Delays leaving the field of play when being substituted
c. Excessively delays a restart
d. Kicks or carries the ball away, refuses to release possession of the ball, or provokes a confrontation by deliberately touching the ball after the referee has stopped play for a restart by the opposing team
e. Takes a free kick from the wrong position to force a retake
f. Deliberately prevents a free kick being taken quickly
5. Failure to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, free kick, or throw-in (FRD)
a. Does not retire at least ten yards away from an opponent’s free kick
b. Does not retire at least ten yards away from an opponent’s corner kick
c. Does not retire at least two yards away from an opponent's throw-in
6. Entering, re-entering, or deliberately leaving the field without the referee’s permission (ERL)
a. Re-entering after having previously been i. instructed to leave the field to correct equipment ii. given permission by the referee to leave the field due to an injury iii. instructed to leave the field due to bleeding or blood on the uniform
b. Re-entering and gaining an advantage after having previously left the field to avoid being involved in active play (to avoid committing an offside offense)
c. Leaving the field while a defender to place an opponent in an apparent offside position [NOTE: Except for the above actions, leaving or re-entering the field is not an offense if, in the opinion of the referee, it was done in the normal course of play]
7. Entering the referee review area (ERA) - applicable in competitions where the use of Video Assistant Referees (VARs) has been approved (written permission by IFAB and FIFA)
8. Excessively using the 'review' (TV screen) signal (ERS)
A substitute or substituted player is cautioned if guilty of committing any of the following offenses:
4. Entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee's permission (ERL)
5. Entering the referee review area (ERA)
Sending-off Offenses A player, substitute, or substituted player is sent-off (shown a red card) for committing any of the following offenses:
1. Serious foul play (SFP)
a. Commits a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality
b. Lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side, or from behind using excessive force or endangers the safety of the opponent
2. Violent conduct (VC)
a. Uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a teammate, match official, spectator, or any other person, regardless of whether contact is made
b. When not challenging for the ball deliberately strikes an opponent or any other person on the head or face with the hand or arm, unless the force used was negligible
c. Throws an object (or the ball) using excessive force
3. Spitting at or biting an opponent or any other person (SB)
4. Denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to the goalkeeper within his or her own penalty area) (DGH)
- DOGSO by deliberate handling offense wherever the offense occurs (outside or inside the penalty area)
5. Denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender's goal by an offense punishable by a free kick (DGF)
- DOGSO by an offense within the offender's penalty area, for which the referee awards a penalty kick, and the offense was NOT an attempt to play the ball (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball, etc.)
- The following must be considered:
- distance between the offense and the goal
- general direction of play (if player moves diagonally to pass the last defender or goalkeeper, this can still be a DOGSO)
- likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball
- location and number of defenders
6. Using offensive, insulting, or abusive language and/or gestures (AL)
7. Receiving a second caution in the same match (2CT)
8. Entering the video operation room (EOR) - applicable in competitions where the use of Video Assistant Referees (VARs) has been approved (written permission by IFAB and FIFA)
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Shows + Meets
AKM Factory
Car to Watch: 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
or Share
Post by Pretty Driven
Many feel that Ferraris have never been quite as pure as when they have a short tail and an extremely long hood. An almost exacting description for the long line of Ferrari berlinettas; this was the platform of choice until interrupted in the mid-1970s when the Daytona was discontinued without a successor. The form was rediscovered in 1996 with the 550 Maranello, which was developed into the 575 M.
The heir to the 575 M, the 599 GTB was penned by Pininfarina and was about five-inches longer than its predecessor. Despite the marginally larger size, the 599 GTB weighs in 110-pounds less thanks to its aluminum chassis. The engine states the factory’s intentions of creating a world-class supercar by borrowing the unit that powers the legendary Enzo. With this engine installed centrally at the front, it also produces another 105 horsepower than the 575 M. Measuring 5,999 cubic centimeters; the V-12 produces an extremely impressive 620 horsepower that will push the 599 GTB to an exhilarating 205 miles per hour. The transmission of choice on this car is the six-speed semi-automatic F1 unit operated through paddle-shifters.
Performance is a foregone conclusion. Long studies in the wind tunnel ensured that this top speed along with amazing zero to 60 miles per hour times could be accomplished without a turbo or an aerofoil device to keep it there – a true testament to the artistry that surrounds this Ferrari. Its acceleration was faster than the Enzo and even faster than the McLaren F1, partly in thanks to its superb traction control, which was initially developed for the Scuderia’s Formula One cars.
Magnetic dampening control was a technical innovation that results in the magnetic field instantaneously adjusting the viscosity of the dampening fluid, yielding a response that is reported as ten times faster than a conventionally controlled suspension for even greater handling performance.
Like its cousin, the F430, the 599 was the second Ferrari to wear the now trademark ‘il manettino’ dial on the steering wheel. This dial, with its name translating to “little lever,” features five settings to adjust the traction damper settings and to monitor the throttle mapping. This gives the driver the option of having both a docile, driver-friendly car and a no-holds-barred racer.
Chassis number 152781 is beautifully presented in Nero with black interior and like all modern Ferraris, the 599 is not short on luxury. With discerning attention to detail throughout, the cabin of the 599 is both spacious and comfortable. Leather interior is accented by carbon fiber and satin aluminum-type trim elements. Along with air conditioning and power amenities, the 599 GTB is highlighted with Scuderia fender shields, optional yellow Brembo brake calipers, factory alloy wheels and Pirelli P Zero tires. Considered the “last great analog Ferrari,” the bright yellow tachometer captures your attention for precise shifts and the adjoining odometer displays only 12,000 caring miles from new.
Every Ferrari is born with the mission to reach further than its predecessor and push the limits of beauty, technology, and reason just a bit further. Mission accomplished with the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.
Photography courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Car: 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Estimate: $125,000 – $175,000
To be auctioned on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at RM Sotheby’s Santa Monica Sale
Six-speed F1 transmission
Just over 12,000 actual miles
Full complement of books, accessories, and tools
Optional Mannetto switch to adjust from comfort to sport
Saved: Car Culture
Tagged: Ferrari, RM Sotheby's, Santa Monica
Jack Roush receives Ford GT
Goodwood Festival of Speed holds first-ever Drift Competition
‘Mad’ Mike drifts Crown Range in New Zealand
Through my Lens: Benz + Ferrari
A visit to Jay Leno’s garage
Pretty Driven
Pretty Driven is fueled by spirited drivers and enthusiasts with a shared passion for adventure and to create and uncover unique, exciting and untold car culture stories.
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Family: Rutaceae Juss.
Genus: Balsamocitrus Stapf
Balsamocitrus dawei Stapf
This species is accepted, and its native range is Uganda.
According to Flora of Tropical East Africa
[FTEA]
Rutaceae, J.O. Kokwaro (University of Nairobi). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1982
Deciduous tree 6–21 m. high, occasionally branching very low and becoming double-stemmed; bark rough, dark grey or brown; branchlets armed with single or paired axillary spines, occasionally unarmed; spines 1–4.3 cm. long, straight, if paired one is shorter than the other.
Leaves trifoliolate, some occasionally unifoliolate by abortion, glabrous; petiole 1.5–3.5(–4.5) cm. long, cylindrical; petiolule 2–10 mm. long on the lateral leaflets, 12–30 mm. long on the terminal leaflet; leaflets elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, variable in size, with the terminal leaflet always larger than the laterals, 5–14 cm. long, 2–6.5 cm. broad, acuminate or acute at the apex, cuneate at the base, irregularly crenulate, semicoriaceous; midvein prominent beneath especially towards the petiolule, lateral nerves 7–10 pairs; pellucid gland-dots dark and numerous.
Inflorescences
Inflorescence of contracted axillary panicles, 2–6.5 cm. long, irregularly and shortly branched; bracts small.
Flowers greenish yellow to white; pedicels 2–4 mm. long.
Calyx up to 2 mm. long; lobes ovate, acute.
Petals oblong, 4–5 mm. long, obtuse.
Stamens 8–10; filaments ± 2 mm. long; anthers ± 1.5 mm. long.
Ovary 6–8-locular.
Fruit spherical or ovoid-globose, 11–13 cm. long, 9–12 cm. in diameter, aromatic, yellow-orange when ripe, with a woody shell to 5 mm. thick, 6–8-locular.
Seeds subellipsoid, 14–16 mm. long, 8–10 mm. in diameter, brown and glossy.
Fig. 3, p. 9
Rain-forest; 900–1500 m.
U1 U2 U4 not known elsewhere
Balsamocitrus dawei Stapf appears in other Kew resources:
Jan 1, 1928 Dawe, M.J. [788], Uganda K000199533
Jan 1, 1927 Dawe, M.J. [788], Uganda K000199534 Unknown type material
Jan 1, 1927 Dawe, M.J. [1042], Uganda K000199535
First published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 37: 505 (1906)
Kalema, J. & Beentje, H. (2012). Conservation checklist of the trees of Uganda: 1-235. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Govaerts, R. (1996). World Checklist of Seed Plants 2(1, 2): 1-492. MIM, Deurne.
Kokwaro, J.O. (1982). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Rutaceae: 1-52.
W.J. Eggeling, Indigenous Trees of the Uganda Protectorate, ed. 2: 359, fig. 74 (1952).
Swingle, Bot. Citrus: 464, fig. 72 (1943).
Stapf in Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Botany 37: 505 (1906).
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'Blindfolded' Giulia Quadrifolglio sets new lap record at Silverstone
65 years after since Alfa Romeo driver and Italian F1 World Champion Nino Farina set the fastest lap at the circuit during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the new Giulia Quadrifoglio set a very special kind of a record - it was driven 'blindfolded'.
All the windows of Giulia Qiadrifoglio were entirely covered by black vinyl, so the driver Ed Morris – the youngest British driver to ever take part in "24 Heures du Mans – was completely dependent on high-performance technologies and David Brise directing from a second Quadrifoglio driving behind Morris. Both drivers first spent two days preparing and practicing for the challenge, then they moved onto the National Circuit at Silverstone and completed the lap in 1:44.3 secs, setting a new record and matching the 1:44secs that Farina set so many years ago, in 1951. Quadrifoglio, despite the blacked out windows, reached speeds in excess of 100mph several times.
Besides relying on the help of his 'co-driver' in another vehicle, Morris got a lot of help from active driver assistance systems, such as Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Autonomous Emergency Brake (AEB) with pedestrian recognition and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).
Nov. 25, 2016 Driving photo: Alfa Romeo
alfa romeo giulia video
Alfa Romeo re-opens the doors to its Historical Museum
Alfa Romeo launched its new Giulia sports sedan during the Expo Milano 2015 in addition to celebrating its 105-year anniversary by opening its historical museum in Arese, Milan, Italy to the public; the museum is officially named "La macchina del…
FCA to spend 1 billion euros on e-mobility
First cars to get electrified drive train are Fiat Panda and the upcomming Alfa Romeo Tonale.
NIO EP9 had another record run on the Nürburgring
NIO' s electric supercar broke new record at the NIrdschleife of the Nürburgring circuit. With the time of 6 minutes 45.900 seconds it also improved its previous lap time for 19.22 seconds.
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About Polimedia.Press
Home World Iranian President Rohani: large new oil field discovered good for 53 billion barrels of oil
Iranian President Rohani: large new oil field discovered good for 53 billion barrels of oil
Iranian President Hassan Rohani today reported on the Iranian state television that researchers in his country have discovered an oil field that “would be good for 53 billion barrels of oil.”
Rohani gave his speech today from the desert city of Yazd. According to the president, the field is in the oil-rich Iranian province of Khuzestan. According to the Iranian ministry, the finding means that Iran’s oil reserves will be expanded by a third. Iran currently says it has 150 billion barrels of reserves.
There are more than 40,000 oil fields worldwide, the largest of which are the Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia and the Burgan field in Kuwait. They each contain more than 60 billion barrels. Most other fields are much smaller. The International Energy Agency (IEA) assumes a demand for oil of 1.2 million barrels per day.
Iran is a major producer of oil. The country saw its oil revenues rise after it concluded a nuclear agreement in 2015 with six powers. This put an end to three years of sanctions. US President Donald Trump withdrew from that agreement in 2018 and imposed even stricter sanctions.
In April, Washington tightened the thumbscrews even further by also putting an end to certain exemptions for the oil trade. According to the IMF, Iran is experiencing “very serious” macroeconomic problems.
Council of Europe: risk of more domestic violence through a gender neutral approach
Tackling domestic violence against women is compromised because the Western Europe opts fo…
As China lost the race for GV Gold Sergey Trotsenko and Kenes Rakishev are ready for final approach
Gold is being sought and so do the gold mines. As rare as the precious metal itself good m…
Facebook says sorry for Xi Jinping translation as “Mr. Shithole”
Facebook has apologized for a faulty translation of the name of Chinese President Xi Jinpi…
American troops suffered minor injuries in Iranian retaliation strike
During last week’s Iranian rocket attacks on US targets in Iraq, soldiers were indee…
The National Bank permitted Kenes Rakishev to incorporate insurance company to Fincraft
The National Bank of Kazakhstan Board permitted acquisition of the major Amanat insurance …
Load More In World
What could be better than to meet our old friends, our readers? We have been changed and more than a half of our team is new. But something is here to stay: our devotion to the goal to bring the truth to the media and force our audience to take on everything with a ton of salt.
Contact us - [email protected]
Pavel Livinsky’s tragedy: Polina Glen ditches Energy Tycoon for Johnny Depp
Cannes 2019: “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, “The Dead Don’t Die” and “Dolor y Gloria” in a spotlight
Asia Bibi will flee to Germany as Pakistani crowds are seeking to execute her
KLM personnel urges holding to prolong contract with Pieter Elbers
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Donald Trump Promises To Stop “The Crazy Muslims From North Korea”
Washington, D.C. – Within hours of North Korea’s nuclear test Friday, it had become a political weapon in the U.S. The test – Pyongyang’s fifth and most powerful – had enough force to “rip the heart out of a city,” one expert said. It marks one more step in North [...]
Trump Announces U.S.-Russia Cyber Security Unit: “Together We’ll Control The World Like In The Good, Old Cold War Days And Make America Great Again”
Fox & Friends hosts on Sunday praised President Donald Trump as “genius” for a series of tweets that depicted his version of what was said during a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the Sunday morning tweet storm, Trump attacked the Democratic National Committee, slammed the media and [...]
Pope Criminalizes the Reporting of Sex Crimes
"The Church wants to impress the world by getting tough on sex crimes, but they criminalized leaks, which is the only way anybody would ever discover their crimes. It’s genius, if you stop and think about it.”
[social_buttons] Read More
Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Bans Women From Driving: “It Lets Us Have Some Alone Time With The Gear Stick”
“Don’t you dare look at me with those judgy little eyes! Do the math. It’s simple.”
Baker Refuses To Make Gay Wedding Cake Because It “Makes Him Think About Sin All Night”
“’What kind of an example would I set for other Christians?’ he asked me. I didn’t know what to answer him”
Iran Leaders Calling To Americans Not To Trust Their Leaders: “They Are Lying To You”
“They may have the money and the technology, but they’re living like slaves. That’s a sad thing to see”
Obama Suggests Storing Iran’s Uranium In Yemen
“It’s like killing two birds with one stone”
Obama: “Netanyahu Started With 20% Support And Ended Up Winning; We Should Hire Him For 2016”
“God knows we could use the help, let alone the help of such a born winner”
<< See previous world articles
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PAN REPLACES MIN
MIN stands withdrawn effective March 2, 2007. Investors have to give PAN and such other Documents and information as are required to comply with Know Your Customers (KYC) under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In order to help the Investors give the required Documents and Information only once, the current system of providing the Documents and information with Points of Service of CVL will continue. No new number will be issued. The PAN will be the only identification and reference number.
AMFI to host 9thAsia Oceania Regional Meeting of International Investment Fund Associations in New Delhi from March 3 - 7, 2004
The Association of Mutual Funds In India (AMFI), today, announced that AMFI will be hosting the 9th Asia Oceania Regional Meeting of the International Investment Fund Associations in New Delhi from March 3-7, 2004. The delegates include representatives of investment fund associations and regulators from 12 countries - Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and India. Shri G. N. Bajpai, Chairman, SEBI will be addressing the delegates in Delhi.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri A. P. Kurian, Chairman, AMFI said, "Hosting the Ninth Asia Oceania is international recognition of the status, standing and the popularity of the Indian mutual fund industry. This is the first time India will be hosting this Regional Meeting and we are delighted with the enthusiastic response we have received from the investment fund associations from the Asia Oceania Region."
Shri Kurian mentioned that the agenda and arrangements of the Regional Meeting have been planned by an organizing committee of AMFI headed by Shri S. K. Mitra of Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund and Shri Krishnamurthy Vijayan of JM Mutual Fund. Shri Mitra added that the theme of the Regional Meeting is "Share Experience, Inspire Confidence". The objective of this international meeting is to learn from each other's experience and build investor confidence in the investment fund industry. Shri Mitra said that this meeting would give an opportunity to the investment fund associations of these countries to update developments taking place in various areas such as regulations, valuation, sales and marketing, product innovation etc.
Elaborating on the agenda of the meeting, Shri Krishnamurthy Vijayan indicated that apart from reviewing the current status and issues of the investment fund industry in each participating country, several subjects would be discussed. These include fees and expenses charged by mutual funds, cut off timings for subscription, redemption and switches, risk management systems and practices. While building investor confidence is a special subject that will be discussed, it is also proposed to discuss the experience of fund industry associations functioning as self-regulatory organizations.
Referring to the Indian mutual fund industry, Shri A. P. Kurian, Chairman, AMFI, said that the Indian mutual fund industry with assets under management of over Rs. 1,45,000 crore (equivalent to US$ 32 billion) offering almost all varieties of schemes, today, operates in a strict regulatory environment and conforms to the best international standards. Shri Kurian also highlighted that the Indian mutual fund industry has also set new world-class standards.
On behalf of his colleagues from the industry, Shri Kurian, said, "We eagerly look forward to learning from other countries and share with them our India experiences, all in the interest of promoting mutual fund industry on healthy and sound lines."
About Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI)
AMFI is a trade body of all the mutual funds in India. It was incorporated in August 1995 as a non-profit organisation to promote and protect the interests of mutual funds and their unitholders, define and maintain high ethical and professional standards and enhance public awareness of mutual funds. All mutual funds in India are members of the association. AMFI works through committees and working groups.
Over the years, AMFI has worked closely with SEBI in establishing standards that match the best in the world. It has played a significant role in introducing best practices to reinforce the growth of the industry on healthy lines and protect the interests of the investors.
One of the major initiatives of AMFI has been the introduction of certification programme for agent distributors. SEBI has mandated that all those engaged in sales and marketing of mutual fund schemes will be AMFI certified and registered. AMFI has brought out a detailed workbook on mutual funds based on which it conducts computerized testing through National Stock Exchange test centers. It also organizes written examinations in different languages. Till date over 31000 agent distributors have passed the test.
AMFI compiles and publishes data on a monthly and quarterly basis. It has a quarterly publication "AMFI update" which summarises major developments in the mutual fund industry and changes in the regulatory framework.
For further information please call:
Malini Mitra
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Mumbai
Email: malini.mitra@ogilvy.com
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The Information provided on the AMFI website is based on the information provided by the members. As such AMFI does not take any responsibility for its accuracy, completeness and timeliness.
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Home Off the Shelf Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, S...
Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up, and Make a Difference
Kathleen Kelly Janus (New York, New York: Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2017)
While all founders of social startups believe their organizations do important work, some startups thrive while others flounder and eventually disappear. What distinguishes the runaway successes from the enterprises that never move beyond survival mode? In her new book, Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up, and Make a Difference, Kathleen Kelly Janus argues that the difference involves more than luck or chance.
As a social entrepreneur herself and a lecturer in the Program on Social Entrepreneurship at Stanford University, Janus long recognized that "the struggle to scale is the most pressing challenge for the social entrepreneurship community." Over time, she writes, she "became obsessed with understanding how nonprofits can get off the treadmill and attain organizational sustainability," which she defines as being able to consistently raise $2 million in annual revenue. Faced with a lack of data, Janus and her team created "the most comprehensive survey of seed stage social entrepreneurs ever conducted," surveying scores of founders, donors, and experts, and packaging the results into a book organized into five sections that explore the elements of social startup success: Testing Ideas, Measuring Impact, Funding Experimentation, Leading Collaboratively, and Telling Compelling Stories. In the process, she came to understand that social startups that manage to get off the treadmill excel in all these areas.
In taking a data-driven approach to nonprofit success, Janus examines a number of assumptions about the sector — for example, that admitting failure is something nonprofits are reluctant to do. That's a problem, she writes, because it means too many organizations end up putting resources into programs that don't work rather than programs that do. But for Janus, those kinds of data-driven shifts are absolutely essential, in that they can serve as a "catalyst to an organization really hitting its stride and creating a distinctive identity and mission." While it can be difficult for nonprofit leaders to be open with stakeholders and donors about failure, such "radical transparency" ultimately will inspire trust on the part of funders, who respect (or should respect) "thoughtful, open communication about how organizations test and monitor various approaches to maximize impact."
Ah, impact. We know it when we see it, but how does one actually measure it? First, writes Janus, we need to drop our fixation on "outputs" and start defining and tracking desired "outcomes." Lots of organizations measure outputs (e.g., how many individuals participated in a program, how many meals were served), but according to Janus, such metrics provide little or no indication of whether a program has changed someone's life for the better. After highlighting the outputs-outcomes distinction, she then walks the reader through the process of creating a theory of change, a (sometimes controversial) "tool showing the causal links between an organization's vision and its programmatic activities, detailing the intermediate outcomes and assumptions that must occur to achieve success."
Developing a theory of change forces an organization or entrepreneur to home in on the hoped-for impact of their program or intervention, enumerate the preconditions for success, and link both in a logical, measurable series of steps to the proposed intervention or program. Data collected along the way can be used to demonstrate causal relationships between actions and outcomes and course correct, if needed. Similarly, if not enough time has passed for a new program or intervention to generate the sought-after impact, one can outline "proxy indicators of impact." Janus provides an example of the latter: Aimée Eubanks Davis, founder and CEO of the organization Braven, researched literature in the field to shore up her theory of change and analyzed the intermediate outcomes of Braven's efforts to teach "soft" and networking skills to low-income college students as a way to help them secure well-paying jobs after graduation. As a result, she was able to make the case that because her program doubled participants' chances of landing an internship, it would also give them a leg up in securing a good job after graduation — on the strength of which the Peery Foundation awarded the organization a $50,000 grant well before its first cohort of students had graduated.
Like the Peery Foundation, more and more funders are coming to recognize the power of impact measurement that goes beyond the de facto "vanity metrics" of program outputs. And, according to Janus, it's critically important they do so — and that they encourage their grantees to focus more on impact than on "boosting" their existing metrics.
Janus also addresses the idea popular among some funders that over time a greater and greater fraction of a nonprofit's revenue should come from earned income. While earned income comprises a significant share of organizations' budgets in some sectors (health, arts), it's unrealistic, in her view, to expect that all nonprofits can become self-sustaining (or even sustainable) through earned income. Writes Janus:
"The argument that nonprofits should function more like businesses…has often been pushed to the extreme....Social entrepreneurs are, by definition, working to solve problems resulting from market and government deficiencies....If bringing clean water to the 800 million people who don't have access to it, or selling mosquito nets to the 200 million suffering annually from the scourge of malaria, were profitable ventures, private companies would be doing it. Expecting social entrepreneurs to figure out how to devise profit-making solutions to such problems, when even the behemoths of modern-day capitalism can't do so, is misguided wishful thinking...."
That doesn't mean a nonprofit leader or social entrepreneur shouldn't think big when it comes to raising funds or honing their vision. For example, Laura Weidman Powers co-founded Code2040 with the goal of creating a more diverse and equitable tech industry. Powers told Janus that, even before she secured major partners like Google, she began to suspect that Code2040 was "a huge organization living in the body of a small organization." In Janus's view, that kind of attitude is exactly what a founder (and her stakeholders) needs to have if she hopes to make headway on the problem she's trying to address.
Social Startup Success won't tell founders or social entrepreneurs where to find that attitude, but it will embolden them to start thinking about how they can create smart and meaningful goals, meaningfully engage their funders and beneficiaries as partners, and make brave, strategic decisions that drive an organization's growth from the start and with the expectation that the venture will eventually scale and make a difference in the lives of many more people than it might have otherwise.
Mirielle Clifford is program officer for online resources at the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Kim Starkey Jonker and William F. Meehan III. Engine of Impact: Essentials of Strategic Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector. Stanford, California: Stanford Business Books, 2017.
Jonathan C. Lewis. The Unfinished Social Entrepreneur. United Kingdom: Red Press, 2017.
Patty Alper. Teach to Work: How a Mentor, a Mentee, and a Project Can Close the Skills Gap in America. New York, New York: Routledge, 2017.
Roger L. Martin and Sally Osberg. Getting Beyond Better: How Social Entrepreneurship Works. Harvard Business Review Press, 2015.
For more great reviews, visit Off the Shelf.
Subjects: philanthropy / voluntarism; social entrepreneurship
People: kathleen kelly janus; mirielle clifford
Organization: stanford university
Location: national
January 28, 2019 Wilson Foundation Awards $4.5 Million to Support NY Startups
July 9, 2018 $100 Million Fund for Women Entrepreneurs of Color Launched
September 22, 2017 Partnerships Enable Nonprofits to Scale Social Programs, Report Finds
March 18, 2017 WeWork Commits $20 Million in Grants to Startups, Nonprofits
December 23, 2015 Tech Startups Embracing IPO Charity Set-Asides
May 16, 2015 Bill and Sue Gross Have Given $700 Million, With $2 Billion to Go
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The Business of Changing the World: How Billionaires, Tech Disrupters, and Social Entrepreneurs Are Transforming the Global Aid Industry
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Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Awards $3.5 Million in Community Grants January 14, 2020
Infants, Teens More Likely to Reenter Foster Care, Study Finds January 14, 2020
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Air National Guard / Airshow / Helicopters / museums / New England / Rhode Island Army National Guard
Quonset Point RI 2017, and a Whole Lot More!
by Bill Sarama · June 23, 2017
Quonset Point had an air show on May 20th and 21st in Rhode Island right on Narragansett Bay, and just a short drive from Newport. Some people will say it only had seven airplanes. That’s actually true if you count the military statics – two Eagles; two Blackhawks; a Texan II, an Apache and a classic Orion. But if you count everything – Hot Ramp; Cold Ramp; EAA Ramp; Dirt Ramp and military planes that were not allowed on any ramp (for some crazy reason) – there was a total of sixty-five air show airplanes. And that’s not even counting the Quonset Air Museum airplanes that are normally rolled out to the static ramp but are now in storage, sealed in white shrink-wrap preservative pending resolution of the Museum status after it closed last summer – not bad considering the Canadian Snowbirds bugged out at the last minute after Quonset Point and the Rhode Island National Guard printed up all those fancy Air Show programs with the Snowbirds on the front cover.
The “Rhode Island National Guard Open House Air Show 2017” was held at the Quonset State Airport on Quonset Point, in North Kingstown, RI, right off US Route 1 and right on the water about five feet AMSL at show center. There used to be a lot of big air shows around here not too long ago – South Weymouth NAS, Otis AFB, Hanscom AFB, Pease AFB and Brunswick NAS. Those air bases are all shut down and they’re all gone. Now Quonset Point is the only military air show around the New England Coast; it’s the “Only Game In Town”, for sure. The Rhode Island National Guard and specifically the on-site sponsor and support unit – the 143rd Airlift Wing based right here at Quonset State Airport – take pride in the fact that for almost 30 years they have continued to plan, execute, coordinate and produce one of the best Open House and Air Shows in the United States.
Quonset Airport (OQU) is a state-owned civil and military airport that is mostly controlled by the military at this point. A new military air traffic control tower wholly owned by the 143rd AW opened about two years ago and crash/fire/rescue is also totally controlled by the 143rd AW too. There are two active runways – 16/34 at 7,504 feet x 150 feet and 5/23 at 4,000 feet x 75 feet. The RIANG Base at the west ramp has six C-130J Super Hercules airlift aircraft assigned to the 143rd AW. The unit just had a second major new hanger built and other new base facilities constructed in an expanded site area. OQU has a single new FBO recently built next to the existing World War II NAS Control Tower building. For a while the 143rd AW was training Iraqi Air Force C-130 air crews and flight mechanics here at OQU. The Rhode Island Army National Guard also maintains a major Army Aviation Support Facility adjacent to the Air National Guard ramp for the 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment flying the UH-60 Blackhawk. This Army Aviation Unit facility was totally rebuilt and expanded about three years ago with all new buildings, hangers and an expanded ramp. Because OQU is very close to Newport and the large Naval War College there, it gets many military visitors from Washington, DC, and as such gets many unusual aircraft visitors on its Transient Ramp. (A few years ago I actually saw Air Force One on the T-Ramp.) They also get occasional KC-135R tankers out of Pease ANGB and HC-144A “Ocean Sentry’s” out of Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod (the old Otis ANGB).
OQU is also is directly adjacent to a major nuclear submarine hull fabrication facility owned by the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics where complete submarine hull sections are manufactured in the large refurbished ex-hangers of the old Quonset Point Naval Air Station (QP) as well as in large new fabrication structures, and later placed on huge barges and transported down the coast to the final EB Submarine Assembly Plant and Docks in Groton, Connecticut. OQU is also next to the original headquarters for the US Navy SeaBees Construction Command in adjacent Davisville. It is now one of the largest Automobile Car Arrival Ports on the East Coast where huge Car Transport RO-RO Ships come in and unload cars right next to Runway 16/34. Davisville is also a good spot to watch arrivals from the west on short final. There also is a SeaBee Museum at Davisville Road at the airport entrance that is worth a visit. The SeaBees became famous for, amongst other things, inventing the “Quonset Hut” in WW2, a pre-fabricated quick-assembly structure that became famous in the Pacific Theatre in WW2. They were named after – you guessed it – Quonset Point!
Quonset State Airport is the old Quonset Point Naval Air Station, one of the largest Naval Air facilities in the US from1941 to its closing in 1975. Commissioned on July 12, 1941, and encompassing what was once Camp Dyer, NAS Quonset Point was a major naval air facility throughout WW II. Beginning in 1943, pilots of the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm were trained at Quonset Point to fly the Vought F4U Corsair. QP also trained pilots in the Grumman TBM Avenger Torpedo Bomber, of which George H. W. Bush was a famous student here and served later on Torpedo Squadron (VT-51) and was later based on the USS Jacinto as part of CAG-51 in the Pacific War. He also trained at nearby ANLF Charlestown where some pieces of the runways still exist. Another famous President-flyer who also trained at NAS Quonset Point in WW II was Richard Nixon, assigned here at QP for a few months for Officer Candidate School.
Quonset Point continued as a major naval facility well into the Cold War. Prior to its closure in 1975, it had been home to numerous aviation squadrons, primarily land-based patrol squadrons operating the P-2 Neptune and carrier-based anti-submarine and airborne early warning squadrons operating the S-2 Tracker, the E-1 Tracer and various modified versions of the A-1 Skyraider. It was also home to the Antarctic Development Squadron 6 (VX-6) during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s operating the LC-47 Skytrain, the LP-2J Neptune, the C-54 Skymaster, the C-121 Constelltion, and eventually the LC-130F and the LC-130R Hercules, both capable of landing on Arctic ice runways. The LC-130’s are now all based at the NYANG 109th AW at Schenectady County Airport near Albany, NY.
In addition to the flying squadrons, QP was home to the Naval Air Rework Facility (NARF) for major airframe depot maintenance. With and still having a deep water port right near the runways, QP was homeport to several Essex class aircraft carriers in WW2 including the USS Essex (CV-9), the USS Intrepid (CV-11), (now berthed in New York), the USS Wasp (CV-18), the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39), and the USS Tarawaa (CV-40), as well as all their respective Carrier Air Groups (CAG’s) with all their fighter planes. As a matter of recent fact, about eight years ago there was a serious effort to bring the retired carrier USS Saratoga here to the old carrier piers at the end of the east runways and relocate the Air Museum to the ship. That effort was quenched when the current ship repair facilities were now firmly located on those piers and it proved impossible for them to give up their real estate. You can still see the large seaplane hangars (now used by EB for sub work), the old seaplane ramps and even the old ordinance bunkers, all at the east end near the runways. But that all ended in 1975.
Now there is the Quonset Point Air Show for 2017: At the east ramp near the show public parking, but not part of the show, were two military visitors – an F/A-18 Hornet (a visitor to the Naval War College?) and a USCG EDADS North America HC-144A “Ocean Sentry” out of Air Station Cape Cod at Otis ANGB. After you cleared the X-Ray Security Control Gate, the public was confronted with a giant Evergreen International Airlines Boeing 747-212B (N485EV). Evergreen has had a less than stellar recent history. However this freighter has a secret story that few even know about. Here it is:
That Evergreen International Airlines B-747 jet liner, (or at least that’s what the current paint job says), has a very unusual story behind it and was the subject of a feature article in the Providence Journal newspaper last June in 2016. Apparently the status of that B-747 remains unchanged a year later, and here it is at its second Quonset Air Show, still hiding its secrets. Before 2016, 485 was owned by Evergreen, was based at JFK and was previously owned for a while by Saudi Arabian Airlines before Evergreen got it back again. Apparently, per the Journal article, Evergreen Airlines, a cargo hauler that contracted with the USDOD and the USPS, as of 2015, went bankrupt and sold off all of its assets, including its aircraft.
Although still in EV colors and serial, 485 is now owned by Mr. Ari Scharf, nationality unknown, President of Franklin Exhibits, the New York based company started six years ago to produce major exhibits. It was reported that Scharf, a Boston native who now lives in New York, called the Quonset Airport Manager last spring for permission to bring in a 747 “to refurbish it”. Then the plane came in unannounced last June 15th here to OQU. Then last year he told the Providence Journal about his “Grand Plan” for 485: He wanted to retrofit it into a replica of VC-25, the Presidential airplane from the 89th AW at Andrews AFB known as “Air Force One”. Scharf has some financing in hand but could get more capital by selling the four engines on 485. He needed an airport with easy access to a barge dock near a runway, which Quonset has right near the east end of 16/34, so he can later transport the 747 after the retrofit is completed. He told the Journal that he chose Quonset not only for the nearby barge dock but also for “its central location in Southern New England where tourists can come to view the 747 ‘Air Force One’ Exhibit at the existing Quonset Air Museum”. After it stays at QP for a while, Schraf planned to put it on a large barge and ship it to Washington, DC for a more permanent exhibit down there.
In the meantime, the Quonset Air Museum closed last summer because their old hanger’s roof started to cave in. If it is true that Schraf has some capital, maybe he can fix the roof or help to finance a new Museum building not only to show off his Air Force One B-747 but also to house those 25 Museum warbirds now sitting in the rain and snow by the old Museum hanger. (Hint, Hint!). It is also true that the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy Museum Ship and its Navy and DOD approvals are slowly making their way through the maze of Washington DOD review agencies and the USS JFK may soon get refurbished and find its way up to its new home at the Coddington Piers near Newport across from the Quonset Airport. Some of the stored Air Museum’s airplanes may find their way to the JFK flight deck when it finally gets up here to become a museum ship like the USS Intrepid in New York.
However, there is also a local story circulating around QP that various groups want to have a Quonset Point Air Museum at the Airport separate from the JFK Carrier Museum that would be only for airplanes that were historically connected NAS Quonset Point. Schraf also told the Journal that after he recreates “Air Force One” VC-25, and exhibits it for a while at the QAM, he will ultimately take his VC-25 down to Washington, DC, where he already has a developer committed to exhibiting the plane until 2023. He said back in 2016 that the 485 retrofit work would take five months to complete and “would start in a few weeks”. But that was last June and EV-485 still sits on a remote ramp at Quonset Point. And you thought it was a 747 Air Freighter!!! Editor’s note: Evidently the aircraft has begun to receive her new colors, a few short weeks after the show!
Now back to the Air Show Ramp: Just past the Boeing 747, there was a wingless dark blue Marine F9F-2 Panther jet from VMF-311 sitting on a flatbed trailer with “Capt. Ted Williams” (Re: Baseball!) stenciled under the canopy. It is owned by the JFK Carrier Foundation and one day it will find its way to the flight deck of the JFK Museum Ship in Newport. Further down the ramp were two F-15C’s from the 104th FW, MAANG, out of Barnes ANGB, MA. One Eagle (AF-79064) had a green star under the canopy for killing an Iraqi IL-76 in the First Gulf War. Heading west, there were a series of static displays – ten EAA light planes; a CAP C-172; a grey Navy SNJ-5; a T-6 in Vietnam colors; two Army UH-60 Blackhawks from the 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, RI-NG, based here at QP; the Air Museum’s beautifully restored F-14A Tomcat in VF-101 “Grim Reapers” colors; two C-130J Hercs from the on-base 143rd AW RIANG; a T-6 Texan II from the 87th FTS from Laughlin AFB, TX; an AH-64D Apache from Ft Drum, NY; two flight school lights; a P-3C Orion from VP-30 “The Pro’s Nest” out of NAS Jacksonville – a rare bird soon to be replaced by the new P-8 Poseidon and supplemented with the MQ-4C Triton UAV Drone; finally, two Army RI-NG Gate Guards – an AH-1F “Cobra” Army Gun Ship and a UH-1V Med Evac “Dustoff” Huey with a Red Cross.
The “Hot Ramp” was at the 143rd Ramp behind the restricted orange mesh fence. These were the guys that did the flying part of the show. They included: a RI-NG Blackhawk for the morning Media Flights; another RI-NG Blackhawk that served as the show SAR rescue helicopter; two F/A-18F Super Hornets from VFA-106 “Gladiators” out of Oceana that were the Hornet Demo Team; two AV-8B Harriers from MAG-14, 2nd Marine Air Wing out of MCAS Cherry Point, NC; two F-16C’s from the Viper East Demo Team out of Shaw AFB, SC; six SNJ-2s from the Geico Skytypers out of Republic Airport, LI; the Mark Murphy flown FG-1 (F4U) Goodyear Navy Corsair; Randy Ball’s Mig-17; the two C-130J’s that were to be a part of the afternoon Combined Arms show; and finally the six stunt planes all safely hidden in the large 143rd hanger. Then there was the “Dirt Ramp” to the far west at the end of 16/34 that had most of the helos for the Combined Arms Demo – a CH-47F Chinook from the CT-ANG out of Bradley Airport, CT; and five more UH-60 Blackhawks from the RI-NG here at QP. I say “Dirt Ramp” because when these guys all took off together they generated a huge dust cloud similar to what you have seen on the TV in desert operations in Iraq. Two AH-64’s from Ft. Drum stayed on the pavement too.
The Quonset Flying Show began promptly at 1000 with the singing of our National Anthem while a single jumper from the Army Special Operations Command exited a 143rd AW C-130J jump plane holding at 10,000 feet in a clear sky, while Sean D. Tucker in his Team Oracle Challenger III custom bi-wing red stunt plane circled the jumper who was trailing the American Flag. Next up was another Team Oracle stunt plane – a red and white Extra-300 mono-wing piloted by Johnny DiGenera, a United Express pilot flying aerobatics for ten years. Then came Nelson Powers with his red and black Jack Links 300L. The USMC AV-8B Harrier from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, 14th CAG from Cherry Point, NC, went up next with a fine demonstration of thrust vectoring that ranged from high speed passes to vertical flight with circular, sideways, back-up and vertical dead stop STOVL flight control examples. It was great to watch, but just wear those ear silencers. This rare jump bird will soon be replaced with the F-35B, a 5th Generation STOVL Lockheed Martin “Lightning II” Jump Jet, the world’s first supersonic all-weather STOVL stealth multi-roll aircraft.
The F-16C Viper Demo Team East out of Shaw AFB with Maj. Waters on the stick was next with a loud aerial demo that left you further deaf after the Harrier demo. Then, to regain our hearing, we had a quiet 2-ship stunt demo with Rob Holland and his MXS-2R and Michael Goulian in his Extra-330SC. Then, after your hearing came back, the Shockwave Jet Truck blew out your eardrums one more time, with loud bangs and lots of white smoke. Everyone was next saying “I feel the need for Speed” and the US Navy satisfied that need by next launching the Hornet Demo Team’s F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-106 “Gladiators” from NAS Oceana in a full afterburner vertical climb out, and 15 minutes of high speed action except for the High Alpha Slow Pass, executed while they played “Slow Ride” by Foghat (“Slow ride, take it easy”). Tom Cruise, where are you? The Hornet Team came with two planes and two 2-man crews that alternated announcing and flying duties so everyone got a chance with the two demo flights during the day. “Purple” and her RIO “Hot Gun” went up first. Later in the day, “Duck” on the stick and “Shunnel” as RIO went up. For some reason, the female demo pilot – Lt. Daniel “Purple” Kenle – got the most attention from the Air Show Announcers. Leave it to the “Hot Stick” to steal the show from “Hot Gun”! Love those Navy Call Signs!!
Next was a sky diving display by the full Special Ops Para-Commando Parachute Team from McDill AFB, FL followed by a two-ship demo by two AH-64 Apache attack helos from Ft. Drum, NY. Then came the Combined Arms Demonstration including: two C-130J Hercs from the local 143AW; five UH-60 Blackhawks from the on-base RI-NG, Company A/C, 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment; and a CH-47F Chinook from the 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment, CT-NG, from Bradley Airport, Hartford, CT. It was quite a twenty-minute fully choreographed demonstration of air assault tactics with attack, vertical drops, enemy suppression, close air support, troop insertion and extraction both with the C-130’s and the Blackhawks performing. This was truly a planned combat mission and because of the timed and coordinated TOTs (Time Over Target) of each aircraft, required full mission planning as if it were an actual combat scenario; this stuff just doesn’t happen – it has to be fully worked out and practiced for the demo to be both safe and flawless. Well done troops!
At the end of the Army Assault Demo, Mark Murphy went up in his Goodyear FG-1 (F4U) Navy gull-winged Corsair fighter, called “Godspeed” in honor of Sen. John Glenn who flew a similar aircraft. John Klatt was next with his Jack Link’s bi-wing jet WACO “Scream’in Sasquatch” powered with a prop on the nose and a CJ-610 jet engine mounted to the belly. Its air frame was structurally reinforced for jet-powered high-G turns. Then the Jet Truck did another ear-busting race and was clocked at 260 mph. Randy Ball was up next with his Mig-17 Demo. The little MiGs were a feared adversary of the USAF in the Vietnam War and gave the F-4s and the F-105s lots of trouble up North. This MiG can go to 53,000 feet, do 703 mph at .92 Mach and do eight G turns. It was flown by twenty countries; three still continue to fly it in 2017.
The air show ended with more repeats to make up for the Snowbirds No-Shows: Sean Tucker again with his Oracle Challenger 3; the AV-8B Harrier again; Rob Holland one more time; the F/A-18F Hornet second demo with “Duck” and “Shunnel” flying and “Purple” doing the announcing for this one; Michael Goulian one more time; and the Final Final act of the day – the second F-16 Viper Demo. By 1630 it was over at QP. But it wasn’t over! There was to be a Night Show at 2030 down the coast at Narragansett Beach for some “Burner Delight”.
Some wanted more and they headed south down to the Beach for the Night Show. I headed to Newport for some R&R after ten hours of airplanes. This Reporter landed at the “Smoke House”, an open-air bar right on the water, for some of their fancy famous “Jar Drinks” and later to the “Red Parrot” for a nice fish dinner. What a day! See you next year at the Quonset Point Air Show 2018.
Tags: "Quonset"2017Boeing 747Combined Arms DemonstrationEvergreen AirlinesGeico SkytypersHarrier DemoJack LinkMark Murphy FG-1D CorsairMig-17more!pointRandy BallRhode Island Air National GuardRhode Island Army National GuardScreamin SasquatchSean D. TuckerShockwave jet truckSpecial Ops ParachutistsSuper Hornet DemoViper Demowhole
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Call for Submissions: Spring Pulse Poetry Festival's Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest
Call for Submissions: The Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Young Adult Literature
New Poll! What is Your Favourite Format in which to Read a Book?
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Dear Mr. McLennan,
Lovely piece. Made me pull out and dust off my copy of "By Grand Central Station..." from my bookshelf.
Enjoyed this fine short essay Rob. Look forward to more in your new book.
Dear Stewart Cole,
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Welcome to Open Book: Ontario, your connection to Ontario's literary scene! Fresh & Local: our fresh daily content includes news, profiles, interviews, features and event listings from across the province. We also invite you to explore Ontario's Literary Landmarks and our seasonal online Magazine. Ontario is a vibrant publishing and culture hub, and Open Book is committed to showcasing the people, places, writing and happenings of our literary scene. Enjoy!
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Freedom to Read Week: A Snapshot of a Challenged Book - The Wars
Submitted by Open Book on February 4, 2015 - 2:20pm
Every year, Freedom to Read Week reminds us about the essential and divisive value of intellectual freedom. It encourages conversation around the concept of banning books due to content deemed objectionable, particularly in the context of school syllabi and school and city libraries.
To celebrate FTRW, Open Book takes a look at one frequently-challenged Canadian classic, why it has been banned in the past and why we should continue to read it today.
Freedom to Read Week: The Wars by Timothy Findley:
WHY IT WAS CHALLENGED
Special Feature! Books Lovers Ball Guest Authors Dish on Favourite Reads, Going Black Tie & More!
Submitted by Open Book on January 29, 2015 - 3:33pm
You can't swing a streetcar in Toronto without coming across someone sporting a Toronto Public Library t-shirt or totebag. With its importance to families, children, students, new comers, job seekers and, of course, book lovers, Toronto's library system (one of the busiest in the world) is amongst our most beloved public entities, despite its constantly embattled status at City Hall.
Writers' Trust Announces Finalists for the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing
Submitted by Open Book on January 27, 2015 - 11:43am
The Writers' Trust of Canada has announced the five finalists for the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. The prize, now in its fifteenth year, is awarded annually to a book of literary non-fiction that eloquently captures a significant subject in Canadian politics with the potential to shape or influence thinking on Canadian political life. This year's finalists were selected by a jury comprising of author Denise Chong, author and Ottawa Citizen columnist Terry Glavin and The Globe and Mail Atlantic bureau chief Jane Taber.
This year's CBC Canada Reads theme is "One book to break barriers", so it makes sense that the show's new host is activist and broadcaster Wab Kinew (who also happened to champion last year's winning book, The Orenda by Joseph Boyden).
This morning, Candy Palmater, guest host of CBC's Q, announced the celebrity panellists and their chosen books for the 2015 edition of the popular literary battle.
CBC Canada Reads 2015 panellists and books:
Cameron Bailey, artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival, defending Ru by Kim Thúy (translated by Sheila Fischman)
Maybe your tiny hands can't support the weight of a hardcover, or maybe you love reading by the subtle light of an e-reader so as not to alert the enemy to your nighttime location. Whatever the case, all book lovers know that the method in which you read a book can add to your reading enjoyment.
So tell us your favourite! Are you a paperback promoter? A e-reader evangelist? Do you only read unbound manuscripts? Tell us how it is by answering our newest poll, and if you've got more to say, share with us on Twitter at @openbooktoronto.
And most importantly, happy reading!
Non-fiction fans have a great new recommended reading list today with the announcement of the shortlist for the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize. The prize, which rewards the finest non-fiction writing in Canada, consists of a $25,000 prize purse for the winner and $2,000 the remaining finalists. 2015 will mark the 14th iteration of the award, which was founded by Noreen Taylor in honour of her late husband, Charles Taylor.
Submitted by Open Book on January 13, 2015 - 12:46pm
From our friends at The Burt Awards:
The Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature is now open for submissions! Eligible manuscripts and books published between 15 February 2013 and 14 February 2015 must be submitted by publishers no later than 15 February 2015.
Established by CODE in collaboration with the Literary Prizes Foundation, the Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature is given annually to English-language literary works for Young Adults by First Nations, Métis or Inuit authors.
A First Prize of $12,000, a Second Prize of $8,000 and a Third Prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the authors and translators (if applicable) of the winning titles.
Submitted by Open Book on January 9, 2015 - 12:34pm
Submissions are now being accepted for the Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest, a component of the annual Spring Pulse Poetry Festival, taking place in Cobalt from May 21-23, 2015.
The contest features cash prizes totaling $1,200 for first, second and third place, as well as categories for honourable mentions and judge's choices. The winners will also receive a complimentary anthology, a trophy and will be recognized at an award ceremony during the festival.
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Home»News » Community » ‘Dementia doesn’t define me as a person …’
‘Dementia doesn’t define me as a person …’
© UEFA
Every month, as part of its #EqualGame campaign, UEFA focuses on someone from the country of one of its 55 member associations. That individual is an example of how football promotes inclusion, accessibility and diversity; his or her story exemplifies how disability, religion, sexuality, ethnicity or social background are no barriers to playing or enjoying football.
Malcolm Steele, from Aberdeen in Scotland, was diagnosed with dementia four years ago in his early 50s. His love for football and his lifelong devotion to hometown club Aberdeen FC are proving crucial mainstays in his journey since.
Continue reading and watch the video…
Tags : EqualGame, Mental health, UEFA
Few clubs dominate Europe’s football leagues: Champions League Diversity Index 2019/20
Sport & Minor Migrants, supporting the inclusion of young Swiss migrants
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Puddle Of Mudd Meaning
Control - Puddle of Mudd - free chords and lyrics. Alrosa Villa with Puddle of Mudd, XFACTOR1, Lovesick Radio and Secluded Fire!!!. Like the Nevermind album, Come Clean hit the teen angst market, with themes of isolation and depression, but Puddle of Mudd also added relationships and especially the breakdown of relationships as the main themes to their songs. My mind freezes up when I try to answer this question. 4 just in front of its release on December 8 and this amazing new guitar at. Puddle Of Mudd Interview Debut! Missing Puddle Of Mudd Interview Found. Lyrics by Puddle Of Mudd at Lyrics On Demand. Puddle Of Mudd - She Hates Me (I remember when this came out. The Crossword Solver finds answers to American-style crosswords, British-style crosswords, general knowledge crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. a small accumulation of liquid, usually water, on a surface. As a PUDDLE OF MUDD fan since day one, I was stoked when I heard the news of a new album coming with the new and improved Wes and his new team at label Pavement Entertainment. The name was inspired by the Missouri River flood, which inundated the band’s practice space, and left the floor a big “puddle of mud”. yes part of it is his son. melt romantically into a droopy eyed puddle My bag had been sitting in a puddle puddle jumpers Puddle-jumper puddle-pocked, wheel-harassed roads step in a puddle up to his ankle to settle for a puddle to step in a puddle to the other side of the puddle twitching in a puddle a puddle jumper vs a twin-prop - English Only forum. Learn the full song lyrics at MetroLyrics. The Resurrection Tour Announced – Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Soil, The Veer Union, Tantric, Shallow Side Res·ur·rec·tion (rezəˈrekSH(ə)n) – the revitalization or revival of something. Uh Oh Download Support! Facebook / iTunes. com may be for sale. Drift Die Spin You Around. Crawl - Breaking Benjamin 47. The original song is hosted at www. © 2019 Puddle of Mudd All rights reserved. Right now, I feel great. As a PUDDLE OF MUDD fan since day one, I was stoked when I heard the news of a new album coming with the new and improved Wes and his new team at label Pavement Entertainment. However, their first studio album, Abrasive, was not released until 1997. To date the band has sold over seven million albums, and have had a string of No. We're doing some extra things to support this record. "Blurry" angered Jordan's mother when she first heard it. Watch Puddle Of Mudd Drift And Die video at Contactmusic. 1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. Puddle of Mudd, a world renowned and controversial rock band, is to perform in Sri Lanka on September 26. See more of Puddle of Mudd on Facebook. Old Man Lyrics by Puddle Of Mudd at Lyrics On Demand. Definition of puddle in the Idioms Dictionary. ” The second definition is “ characterized by hackneyed expressions, ideas, etc. Dream about mud in general. The album sold below expectations. It can form either by pooling in a depression on the surface, or by surface tension upon a flat surface. He graduated from high school in 1990 from Park Hill High School in Kansas City. The album went on to sell more than two. Puddle Jumper listed as PJ. Gift For Boyfriends Roommate Hates Me Puddle Of Mudd: Over time and through much use, leather wallets tend to get stretched out and deformed. It's so powerful and can have so many different meanings for each, it can be a heartbreak, definitely a love song, for a complicated situation, for your child, for a friendship, for a loss and so on. After four albums, platinum-plus sales, sold-out crowds and more than a dozen radio hits, Puddle of Mudd has cemented its reputation and its repertoire in the rock 'n' roll world. There are no bells and whistles, just meat and potatoes … and standing solely on their music seems to be working just fine. The raw emotion of multiplatinum rockers Puddle of Mudd is captured forever on their DVD Live At The Key Club - Striking That Familiar Chord. POM - Puddle of Mudd. AC Archive. Keyword Research: People who searched blurry puddle of mudd also searched. Puddle of Mudd lead singer Wes Scantlin was arrested Tuesday after an altercation with a flight attendant. It contains tracks from their first four major label albums, plus "Bleed" from The Punisher soundtrack. Puddle Of Mudd. Definition of blurry in the Definitions. Feb 02, 2016 · Puddle of Mudd at the Adelphia. Puddle of Mudd singer's epic meltdown in Dallas, 4/16/14. Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin. PUDDLE OF MUDD (puddleofmudd)'s profile on Myspace, the place where people come to connect, discover, and share. Puddle of Mudd toured during 2014 featuring Wes Scantlin with an entirely different line-up. Sputnikmusic is a premier source for music reviews and music news, covering the best albums in indie, metal, and punk. What does POM stand for? POM abbreviation. Again, as mentioned above, you have a duty to look out for conditions that might cause you to fall. Step Right In (Ooze into the buttons on the left) We have a new shopping cart and instant. Download Blurry sheet music instantly - Authentic Guitar TAB sheet music by Puddle Of Mudd : Alfred Music - Digital Sheet Music. The obvious highlights of ‘Blurry’, ‘Control’ and ‘She Hates Me’ all sat comfortably alongside the bands new single ‘Uh Oh’ which is destined to be. Puddle of Mudd – Blurry. a sign of free abdominal fluid: the patient assumes a position on all fours; one flank is percussed by repeated light flicking of constant intensity while a Bowles-type stethoscope is placed over the most dependent portion of the abdomen and gradually moved toward the flank opposite the percussion; a sharp increase in the intensity of the sound picked up by the stethoscope indicates the level. Puddle of Mudd Discography 4 torrent download locations Download Direct Puddle of Mudd Discography could be available for direct download Sponsored Link google. As a child, Wes loved to fish and swim and hang out with friends on the lake. There are no bells and whistles, just meat and potatoes … and standing solely on their music seems to be working just fine. Their major-label debut album titled "Come Clean" went Triple Platinum, selling more than 5 Million Copies. He played little league softball and soccer. Chordie works as a search engine and provides on-the-fly formatting. There's really no reason to spend money on the CD. puddle synonyms, puddle pronunciation, puddle translation, English dictionary definition of puddle. Come Clean high quality complete mp3 album. PUDDLE OF DDUM Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin arrested on gun charges at LAX, held on $850K bail. It was also Puddle of Mudd's first entry in the Hot 100 since "Away From Me " in 1993. Kansas City, Missouri band Puddle of Mudd is back with their second release, Life On Display. And I want to know why he wrote this song. Saturday night, alternative rockers Puddle of Mudd made a stop in Santa Rosa for their show at Rock Star University House of Rock in Santa Rosa. Gift For Boyfriends Roommate Hates Me Puddle Of Mudd: Over time and through much use, leather wallets tend to get stretched out and deformed. New York (AirGuide - Inside Air Travel) Sep 4, 2012 Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin Busted for In-Flight Disturbance The Puddle of Mudd frontman was collared at Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, after allegedly getting into a spat with a flight attendant over alcohol while in the air. Sign up for a subscription plan to stream ad-free and on-demand. Puddle Of Mudd have returned with their first new material in a decade. yes part of it is his son. Alternative, Rock & Triple A. 3 Doors Down! This band predated, yet somehow out-awfuled, the faux-emo sad-bastard macho chest thumps of Puddle Of Mudd, Stone Sour, Breaking Benjamin, and Daughtry. He said by phone last week the bands will play about 45 minutes each, and onstage collaborations between the. Shop Puddle of Mudd: Striking That Familiar Chord [DVD] [2004] at Best Buy. Puddle of Mudd - Old Man Tabs & Lyrics : Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were. Produced by Howard Benson. it has helped with my anexity and depression an. You cannot receive a refund if you have placed a ShippingPass-eligible order. Jan 25, 2015- Explore sftbllplaya54's board "Puddle of Mudd/Wes Scantlin", followed by 265 people on Pinterest. Looking for abbreviations of POM? It is Puddle of Mudd. The decor at Lower Parel club Shiro is really, really tripping out Wes Scantlin, the frontman of Kansas post-grunge act Puddle of Mudd. We couldn't find direct synonyms for the term puddle jumper. "Control" is a song released by the post-grunge group Puddle of Mudd. com Search for lyrics. Mudd and Water is an organic clothing company based in Ford End. Get your Dundee Puddle Of Mudd tickets today! 129k events, 35-million tickets · Resale marketplace · Professional ticket sellers · Always guaranteed · Prices may be higher or lower than face value. Buy your Puddle Of Mudd tickets right now!. Puddle of Mudd toured during 2014 featuring Wes Scantlin with an entirely different line-up. General Radio Discussion. Learn the full song lyrics at MetroLyrics. Geffen Records Blurry guitar acoustic - Puddle of Mudd Puddle of Mudd Blurry Everything's so blurry and everyone's so fake and everybody's empty and everything is so funny just awsome i gota get me one of the mystery is brilliant, and brilliant in so many opportunities that most CJs did not complete the seemingly impossible, a U-turn on a. Saturday night, alternative rockers Puddle of Mudd made a stop in Santa Rosa for their show at Rock Star University House of Rock in Santa Rosa. From being banned from Graceland after having a dive in Elvis’ pool to getting kicked off a flight in Austin; Wes is seeing much clearer these days. Generally, bands labeled as such are rock bands influenced by grunge. i dont know how my son came to be missing but I was extremely panicked in the dream & looking for him. Blurry dei Puddle of Mudd è una ballata rock, che fa parte dell’album di esordio “Come clean”. Sign up for a subscription plan to stream ad-free and on-demand. Puddle of Mudd is an American post-grunge band from Kansas City, Missouri. Headliner Puddle of Mudd is in full strength in 2018 selling out shows all over the world. To give you a sense of the extent of Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin's addiction issues, let's review the posts that I alone-not Axl or Vince, just me, Rhombus-have written about him: there was the time he claimed a fan stole his house and ended his show early, the time his entire band. Puddle of Mudd is known for such hit singles like "Control," "Blurry," "She Hates Me," and "Psycho. Lyrics to 'Bottom' by Puddle Of Mudd. by Randy Report definition. Puddle of Mudd. In the modern world, there is a dire need of people who can communicate in different languages. Produced by John Kurzweg. Looking for abbreviations of POM? It is Puddle of Mudd. 4 just in front of its release on December 8 and this amazing new guitar at. And all you are is mean. What does puddle of mudd mean? Information and translations of puddle of mudd in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. 98 from OLDIES. See more ideas about Wes scantlin, Rock bands and Music. Claim to fame: Puddle of Mudd is an American post-grunge band from Kansas City Missouri. The past two decades have been a long and winding road for Wes Scantlin. Watch official video, print or download text in PDF. Purchase, download and play digital sheet music today at Sheet Music Plus. The name was inspired by the Missouri River flood, which inundated the band’s practice space, and left the floor a big “puddle of mud”. I've been first and last. Puddle Of Mudd, Saliva, Trapt & More at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park in Cedar Park, TX on Mar 24 via ConcertWith. Step Right In (Ooze into the buttons on the left) We have a new shopping cart and instant. As a PUDDLE OF MUDD fan since day one, I was stoked when I heard the news of a new album coming with the new and improved Wes and his new team at label Pavement Entertainment. Another pathetic rip-off band. com buyTickets. Puddle of Mudd - Striking that Familiar Chord - DVD (2005) for $6. A tempered paste of wet clay and sand that serves as waterproofing. Puddle Of Mudd - Keep It Together Lyrics. Wes, casually dressed in all black from t-shirt and baseball cap on backwards down to his sneakers, grabbed the mic and busted right into “Control” showing that he meant business. And while a new crop of bands clearly idolized them (Puddle of Mudd, Days of the New), the trailblazers were suddenly as cool as Vanilla Ice. Give Puddle of Mudd a bit of credit for the title of their fourth album, Songs in the Key of Love and Hate, as it shows awareness of their obsessions while dropping an offhand allusion to Stevie Wonder and Leonard Cohen. Puddle of Mudd is one of the least fondly remembered groups of the post-grunge movement. El 21 de septiembre de 2014, un nuevo single fuera de cualquier álbum fue lanzado, titulado "Piece of the Action", a pesar de que no fue anunciado previamente. Puddle of Mudd was one of the largest rock bands in the world during the early 2000's, but numerous incidents caused the band's success to fade. To date, the band has sold over seven million albums and has had a string of No. Puddle Of Mudd - Time Of Our Lives Lyrics Shallow heart, deep inside Dig your grave, live your life Remember when we stole your mama's car that night In the middle of the summer time Knew it was wrong, but it just felt so right Everybody was having the time, time. Either way, whether it’s onstage or off, the Puddle of Mudd vocalist is having one hell of an erratic year that continues to involve handcuffs. It has if you mean mature. There are no bells and whistles, just meat and potatoes … and standing solely on their music seems to be working just fine. Alternative rockers Puddle of Mudd have earned an army of dedicated fans with a slew of No. They arguably have more in common with 80's rock and power ballads musically. General Commenthence the name puddle of mudd gross its not really mud (its poop). Definition of puddle of mudd in the Definitions. Puddle of Mudd singer's epic meltdown in Dallas, 4/16/14. Best Answer: Puddle of Mudd hands down. Mark and I went early to get a good seat. Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin was left onstage by his bandmates partway through a concert in Doncaster, England, last week as the singer stayed sitting shirtless in a chair with the. info (at) asimplecomplex (dot) com. com, the largest free online thesaurus, antonyms, definitions and translations resource on the web. I mean the big fat sound) C# E B F# I like. blurry puddle of mudd | blurry puddle of mudd | blurry puddle of mudd lyrics | puddle of mudd blurry tab | puddle of mudd blurry video | youtube puddle of mudd. Sputnikmusic is a premier source for music reviews and music news, covering the best albums in indie, metal, and punk. Puddle of Mudd toured during 2014 featuring Wes Scantlin with an entirely different line-up. See additionally: Scott Stapp, Fred Durst, P. com in colorado, puddle of mudd’s frontman arrested for allegedly riding on a baggage carousel at denver international airport — 1/21/2015 Puddle of Mudd’s frontman Wes Scantlin, was arrested for allegedly riding on a baggage carousel at Denver International Airport, a Denver Police report said. The summer of 2018 in the Upstate has been a real boon for the platinum-selling rock bands of the 1990s and 2000s. I still don’t want to listen to a Puddle Of Mudd record, but I’ve got to say that they’ve become adept at putting on a satisfying rock show. ” A fitting definition for this line up of live rock powerhouses. Sidney lyrics performed by Puddle Of Mudd: Sydney Why'd you have to go and leave everybody behind Help me. Earlier this year, we posted about Puddle of Mudd vocalist Wes Scantlin losing it onstage midway through a show, ending the performance early while accusing a concertgoer of stealing his house. he screwed up with this girl and she left him. "Control" is a song by the rock band Puddle of Mudd. 1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. com website. Download Puddle-of-Mudd Torrent at TorrentFunk. Puddle of Mudd. To date the band has sold over seven million albums, and have had a string of No. The album sold below expectations. Meaning of POM. With one hit song -- the anthemic, good-lust-gone-bad stomper "Control" -- already under its belt, Puddle of Mudd has overcome its unfortunate name to become one of the year's hottest young hard. We chat about his hometown Kansas City Royals playing in the World Series, getting his start musically in K. It’d really be in his best interests to seek help. Home » P » Puddle Of Mudd » Puddle Of Mudd - Control Chords. I'm a power-load T. In dreams, mud can have different meanings both positive and negative. ” A fitting definition for this line up of live rock powerhouses. AC Archive. Produced by Howard Benson. it has helped with my anexity and depression an. 1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. We carry VIP Puddle Of Mudd tickets for every show. puddle sign: a sign of free abdominal fluid: the patient assumes a position on all fours; one flank is percussed by repeated light flicking of constant intensity while a Bowles-type stethoscope is placed over the most dependent portion of the abdomen and gradually moved toward the flank opposite the percussion; a sharp increase in the. Get lyrics ♫ music videos for your iPhone®. There's really no reason to spend money on the CD. com website. puddle synonyms, puddle pronunciation, puddle translation, English dictionary definition of puddle. ” The second definition is “ characterized by hackneyed expressions, ideas, etc. Looking for abbreviations of POM? It is Puddle of Mudd. Sydney - Puddle Of Mudd Sydney! Why’d you have to go And leave everybody behind! Help me Cuz im thinkin’ of takin’ these Emotions… these emotions way to far! (way too far) Baby! you know that and im sorry For everything i’ve ever done! Gonna set you free! Gonna set you free! Free! (free free free) Save me! From slippin’ […]. “It’s a make-up show from what happened at Voodoo and Wes wanted it done to try and make it right with KC. Chords, melody, and music theory analysis of Blurry by Puddle of Mudd. General CommentI disagree that this song is about love or anything romantic with A WOMAN. Puddle Of Mudd no show their gig Saturday at HOG DAZE MOTORCYCLE RALLY Marion, INDIANA — Word is that Puddle Of Mudd did not show for their tour stop in Marion Indiana over the weekend. See how this album was rated and reviewed by the users of AoTY. The fire collar (58) has an outer housing (70) with a upper puddle flange (76) and a removable sealing cap (78) in the upper flange, a tubular body (80) is received in the outer housing and is movable longitudinally within the outer housing from a position in which it is received within the outer housing to a position in which an upper end of the tubular body extends beyond the outer housing. Saliva is on the rise with new music- a. I still don’t want to listen to a Puddle Of Mudd record, but I’ve got to say that they’ve become adept at putting on a satisfying rock show. "Puddle of Mudd is honored to support our friends at Gibson and be a part of the launch of the Dusk Tiger," says band front man Wes Scantlin. Meaning of POM. Puddle of Mudd Buffalo Rose Bar & Grill - Golden, Colorado. How to use mud in a sentence. 4 just in front of its release on December 8 and this amazing new guitar at. puddle, clay puddle, puddling Clay to which a little water has been added and which then has been tempered, to make it homogeneous and to increase its plasticity; used to prevent the passage of water. Skitarrate per suonare la tua musica, studiare scale, posizioni per chitarra, cercare, gestire, richiedere e inviare accordi, testi e spartiti. puddle phrase. They arguably have more in common with 80's rock and power ballads musically. Keep It Together (album), an album by Guster, or the title song "Keep It Together" (Madonna song) "Keep It Together", a song by Puddle of Mudd from the album Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate. Headliner Puddle of Mudd is in full strength in 2018 selling out shows all over the world. The album sold below expectations. Puddle of Mudd was one of the largest rock bands in the world during the early 2000's, but numerous incidents caused the band's success to fade. HD Wallpapers for desktop, Best collection wallpapers of Puddle Of Mudd high resolution images for Iphone 6 and Iphone 7, Android, Ipad, Smartphone, Mac. me Puddle of Mudd. Download Blurry sheet music instantly - Authentic Guitar TAB sheet music by Puddle Of Mudd : Alfred Music - Digital Sheet Music. Puddle Of Mudd Come Clean lyrics. Everything's so blurry And everyone's so fake And everybody's empty And everything is so messed up Pre-occupied without you I cannot live at all My whole world surrounds you I stumble then I crawl You could be my someone You could be my scene You know that I'll protect you From all of the obscene I wonder what you're doing Imagine where you are There's oceans in between us But that's not very. ” The second definition is “characterized by hackneyed expressions, ideas, etc. Original lyrics of Slide Away song by Puddle Of Mudd. Puddle of Mudd is a band everyone knows as annoying grunge-rock played on the radio, and more then anything they produced this pile of rotten afterbirth, with a riff ripped straight out of the anus of Suicidal Tendencies I Saw Your Mommy (the riff sucked there too mind you), and crybaby lyrics about a woman he loved hating him. Sputnikmusic is a premier source for music reviews and music news, covering the best albums in indie, metal, and punk. Puddle of Mudd, with Saliva, Tantric, The Veer Union, and Shallowside The Firmament 5 Market Point Drive, Greenville 5 p. Features Come Clean release year and link to Puddle Of Mudd lyrics!. Old man Old man look at my life, Twenty four and there's so much more Live alone in a paradise That makes me think of two. and yes in the video she is with some asshole. Définitions de come clean puddle of mudd album, synonymes, antonymes, dérivés de come clean puddle of mudd album, dictionnaire analogique de come clean puddle of mudd album (anglais). PUDDLE OF MUDD (puddleofmudd)'s profile on Myspace, the place where people come to connect, discover, and share. Puddle Of Mudd "Blurry": Everything's so blurry And everyone's so fake And everybody's empty And everything is so messed up P. "Blink 182!" Angela and Zach shouted. The concert is on. It's the proverbial force to be reckoned with, possessing the kind of track record that most bands would be proud to have had over an entire career. Julie from Taylor, Tx puddle of mudd's best song ever! once you find the true meaning of it you too will become completely obsessed with this song. The fire collar (58) has an outer housing (70) with a upper puddle flange (76) and a removable sealing cap (78) in the upper flange, a tubular body (80) is received in the outer housing and is movable longitudinally within the outer housing from a position in which it is received within the outer housing to a position in which an upper end of the tubular body extends beyond the outer housing. This is a split board - You can return to the Split List for other boards. Enter the answer length or the answer pattern to get better results. Buy Tickets! SATURDAY DEC 07 9:00pm Puddle of Mudd The Underground - Charlotte -. Finally, Puddle of Mudd took the stage for the eager and sweaty crowd, including the die hards that stood up front holding their spot through all the supporting acts. Anyone can summarize the song "Blurry" sing by Puddle of Mudd?I want the meaning of every stanza!URGENT!! Serious answers only please. Psycho Puddle of Mudd. Definition of puddle-hoppers in the Idioms Dictionary. The Crossword Solver found 21 answers to the Maris, Mudd or Moore crossword clue. Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin. Harry Potter, The Wake series by Lisa McMann, and Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. I have heard Shooting heroin is considered "smack" and if he is referring to shooting it in his "ass" that would make sense. "The Los Angeles acoustic event at the showroom certainly has double meaning for us because we are showcasing our new album, Vol. This Site Might Help You. Out for all that I can get If you know what I mean Women to the left of me Women to the right Ain't got no gun Ain't got no knife Don't you start no fight Cause I'm T. Download DISCIPLE by PUDDLE OF MUDD free. (Godsmack - VooDoo) I'm not the one whose so far away When I feel the snake bite enter my veins Never did I wanna be here again And I don't remember why I came Candles raise my desire, Why I'm so far away No more meaning to my life No more reason. ” A fitting definition for this line up of live rock powerhouses. See more of Puddle of Mudd on Facebook. Produced by Howard Benson. Come Clean high quality complete mp3 album. 5 Million songs. Filmed at Los Angeles' famed Key Club in High Definition on November 16, 2004, the California rock band's high-octane performance showcases many of their greatest hits, including "Away From Me", "She Hates Me" and the chart. Hope you liked the guitar chords for puddle of mudd she fuckin hates me Please comment if you liked or not Posted by Vijeeth shetty Labels: english song lyrics , english song meanings , puddle of mud she fuckin hates me guitar chords lyrics. 1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. puddle synonyms, puddle pronunciation, puddle translation, English dictionary definition of puddle. Looking for abbreviations of POM? It is Puddle of Mudd. Home » P » Puddle Of Mudd » Puddle Of Mudd - Control Ukulele. Traduction Anglais ⇨ Français Sydney – DE PUDDLE OF MUDD. Puddle Of Mudd. I'm a power-load T. Puddle of Mudd - Striking that Familiar Chord - DVD (2005) for $6. Best Puddle Of Mudd Songs She Fucking Hates Me. com has amazing bargains on even the most hard-to-find and sold tickets out, thanks to our partnership with ticket brokers throughout the country. Like any animal dream, to dream of snakes can have a wide variety of meanings. Their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over five million copies. 8 in the UK Singles Chart. Well, Puddle of Mudd were one of the best post-grunge bands to come out of the 1990s (in my opinion) and I am a big fan of their first few albums but I am sad to say that this album is average at best. This Puddle Of Mudd interview was conducted on October 5, 2007. We produce clothes which are ethical, organic & sustainable. It was released in July 2001, was written by Wes Scantlin and was co-written by Brad Stewart. I mean, who are you trying to kid? You can't do it all night long even you. The Sherp had an amicable tête-à-tête with Wes Scantlin right before Puddle of Mudd's show at Hard Rock Cafe about their hit She Hates Me and a lot more. Feb 02, 2016 · Puddle of Mudd at the Adelphia. -Away From Me Yea Lies Look at me now Just sittin here by myself And I think you found someone else Now I'm gonna have to find A way to put the bottle down. Diddy by Puddle Of Mudd [P. Tickets and RSVP information for Puddle of Mudd's upcoming concert at Fete Music Hall in Providence on Oct 11, 2019. A small pool of water, especially rainwater. This made them a big fixture in my school, and across the Teenage world. Puddle of Mudd is an American post-grunge band from Kansas City, Missouri. Puddle Of Mudd album bestography « Higher ranked This album (4,755th) Lower ranked (34,097th) » - Come Clean Life On Display Members who like this album also like: Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers , Parachutes by Coldplay and X&Y by Coldplay. Muddfest 2019 Ft. Their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over five million copies. It contains tracks from their first four major label albums, plus "Bleed" from The Punisher soundtrack. 98 from OLDIES. Today the weather cleared. The comeback nobody asked for: Puddle of Mudd announce new album Music: Rock. He exploded onto the scene as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Puddle of Mudd in 2001 with the release of their. Puddle of Mudd Fans Also Like: Counting Crows song meanings Michael Jackson song meanings The Offspring song meanings O. It's quite difficult, and that's exactly what we wanted. i feel like everyone is looking too deep into the video. Puddle of Mudd, with Saliva, Tantric, The Veer Union, and Shallowside The Firmament 5 Market Point Drive, Greenville 5 p. I know, it's disturbing. Buy tickets sold by your team and fans like you, all in one spot on Ticketmaster. net dictionary. Stream Puddle of Mudd - Drift and Die by FakePath from desktop or your mobile device. It was our first time at this impressive venue that features a jaw dropping memorabilia collection, spectacular state of the art sound and stage system, full lighting and effects, comfortable seating to include sofa lounges, bar benches, bistro bar tables or if you prefer, general admission standing right in front of the stage. Puddle of Mudd concerts near me – Check 2019 tour dates, tickets for 47 upcoming events on sale at great prices - 100% buyer guarantee Puddle of Mudd · 2019 Tour Dates and Concert Tickets | ConcertWith. Best of Puddle of Mudd is the first "best of" collection from the band Puddle of Mudd. Alrosa Villa with Puddle of Mudd, XFACTOR1, Lovesick Radio and Secluded Fire!!!. It is a hunger which prevails to this day, the Palestine, TX quintet sharing stages with the likes of Bon Jovi, Candlebox, Drowning Pool, Aaron Lewis, Saving Abel, Puddle of Mudd, Whiskey Myers, Dirty River Boys, and The Bigsbys among a great many others over the years. Puddle Jumpers Flying Club; Puddle of Mudd; Puddle poet; Puddle sign; Puddle test. Finally, Puddle of Mudd took the stage for the eager and sweaty crowd, including the die hards that stood up front holding their spot through all the supporting acts. It's the proverbial force to be reckoned with, possessing the kind of track record that most bands would be proud to have had over an entire career. "Control" is a song by the rock band Puddle of Mudd. The Crossword Solver found 21 answers to the Maris, Mudd or Moore crossword clue. This means that they are likely to remove several elements of Rock in order to achieve a more simpler sound, which is mainly targeting the mainstream audience. Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin was left onstage by his bandmates partway through a concert in Doncaster, England, last week as the singer stayed sitting shirtless in a chair with the. Hey hey hey / See me ride out of the sunset / On your colored TV screen / Out for all that I can get / If you know what I mean / Women to the left of me. you know the phrase you never know what you have till its gone. Puddle Of Mudd - Blurry Lyrics. There's so much left to say Before you walk away from me And you know that I would get down On my knees and pray to God And you know that I. In the modern world, there is a dire need of people who can communicate in different languages. Puddle Of Mudd. Puddle of Mudd Fans Also Like: Counting Crows song meanings Michael Jackson song meanings The Offspring song meanings O. 1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. Why you gotta be so mean?. Puddle Of Mudd Tickets. See the line-up, who’s going, listen to music and more. Download Puddle-of-Mudd Torrent at TorrentFunk. SSL Labs is a collection of documents, tools and thoughts related to SSL. Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin was reportedly busted for drunk driving for the second time in two weeks. A small pool of water, especially rainwater. The lead single Control was a huge success and was also the theme song for WWE’s Survivor Series 2001. Famous - Puddle Of Mudd 45. You cannot receive a refund if you have placed a ShippingPass-eligible order. I mean the big fat sound) C# E B F# I like. And I'll win the fight T. Verse 1 F Bb G C Met a girl , thought she was grand. We couldn't find direct synonyms for the term puddle of mudd. Sydney - Puddle Of Mudd Sydney! Why’d you have to go And leave everybody behind! Help me Cuz im thinkin’ of takin’ these Emotions… these emotions way to far! (way too far) Baby! you know that and im sorry For everything i’ve ever done! Gonna set you free! Gonna set you free! Free! (free free free) Save me! From slippin’ […]. It contains tracks from their first four major label albums, plus "Bleed" from The Punisher soundtrack. Alternative rockers Puddle of Mudd have earned an army of dedicated fans with a slew of No. Saliva is on Res·ur·rec·tion (rezəˈrekSH(ə)n) - the revitalization or revival of something.
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Laughing to Live: what a few comedians can teach us
Seriously funny? Sometimes I’m confused too. Photo credit: Remi Crist
By Chris Fitz
The recent death of one of the funniest Americans of our time, Robin Williams, spurred me to release these words into the wild. For my capstone course in Playback Theatre this year, I confronted a Creative Project of my choosing that was supposed to be “out of my comfort zone.”
So when you enjoy improvisation, what could be possibly out of your comfort zone? How about scripted theatre? No, better: how about scripted comedy? The idea hit a funny bone that jerked me into saying, “yes” before I knew what I was getting into.
As a kid, I loved making people laugh. And I often could, resorting to stunts or plain goofiness if necessary. In Playback Theatre, even my kids tell me, “you’re the funniest.” But funny on script? That always seemed iffy. I used to be a solid actor on script, but the difference between getting laughs and not getting laughs seemed to be the tiniest inflections of voice or facial expression. How do comedians do it? How do they basically guarantee laughs?
An article in The Atlantic by Julie Beck, “Funny or Die” (June 2014), tapped a major reason why humor has become a serious preoccupation for me. It’s healthy. The article references nine research studies with wide-ranging evidence that copious doses of laughter and humor lead to a longer, healthier life. For example, one study found that firefighters using humor as a coping strategy were somewhat protected from PTSD. (Sliter et al, 2014)
I had heard stories of my father and how he had been a joker in his youth. Yet I rarely saw this side of him as he worked hard to support our family of six. Now with two young children myself, I find myself similarly preoccupied and stressed, often acting out the “serious germanic father” archetype in everyday exchanges. I realize it’s both a balancing desire (or instinct) and a survival mechanism to awaken my funny gene.
I seriously undertook this creative project to be funny with a “dare me” stunt to do a stand-up comedy routine at our Playback Theatre’s pre-show Open Mic. I enlisted the help of two seriously funny local improv artists, Christina Myers and Luke McCloskey, who shared in one intense tutorial everything I needed to know about being funny. Oh, and a book. The Comedy Bible, by Judy Carter. Luke had taken a course with the author and was eager to share its essence. I got really excited to be funny.
I proceeded with care through this new bible’s book on doing stand-up comedy in “26 days.” The author who trained hundreds of comedians over the years, claims that her 26-step process virtually guaranteed funniness for anyone with half a funny gene, not just for stand-up acts but also for comedic writers and other comics. Along with Luke’s impassioned and humorous explanations of the basic structure of comedy, she makes a persuasive case. Unless you get to Open Mic H-hour and you’re still on Day Six, like I was. So although I didn’t finish the book or the stand up routine, here are my take-aways.
Comedy has a structure. Much like story, it involves a context, an action and a twist. In this way, it’s reliable. Like improv, when the structure becomes familiar, one can flex their funny-muscles to explore the full bounds of the form.
Comedy is about the unexpected. There is a set of improv games (not necessarily comedic) based on making “new choices” or using the “second thought” that comes up as dramatic material, because it’s more likely to be fresh, out of left field, interesting and well, funny. So practicing your second thought (or third) rather than taking a predictable line of talk/thought/action, can liberate your native humor.
Comedy comes out of serious stuff. Even your real pain, fears, vulnerabilities. Carter’s core process recommends mining the comic’s interior, i.e., my own personal stories, to find raw spots that would invariably strike nerves in an audience. It’s the seriousness of the theme itself, along with their vulnerability, that can drive the comic’s funniness, all the more so mixed with cultural taboo and shame, even abuse and violence. Consider how many comics continue to mine the issues around racism long after it should otherwise by cliché. Or how many YouTube spoofs were made of Hitler’s final admonition scene in Der Untergang. Seriousness and funniness are energetic partners.
Authentic comedic material comes from a new relationship with our own stories. Carter recommends journaling a la The Artist’s Way, to free up the stories, loosen their grip on our lives, so we can approach them with fresh perspective and especially fresh emotion. This is a compelling link with Playback Theatre, which also allows tellers (and audiences) a more ease-full relationship with their stories. As I began the stream-of-consciousness exercises, my first phases of writing were mildly amusing, then slightly bitter, then in moments, actually funny.
Being funny requires other people. I appreciate more than ever now how much comedians take risks and require an interaction with audiences. Carter’s steps require a “comedy buddy” to listen to material and give honest feedback. Now that gets personal, eh? Not only would this project be hard work, but also involve looking like a fool in front of someone one-on-one before anything glorious performing stunts. For some reason, the sense of intimacy involved in sharing my personal proto-comedy felt especially scary. But I never got to this part. I ran out of time. Really. Seriously, I wanted to. Really. No, i’m serious.
I have barely scratched the surface of this work. Watching Robin Williams and most professionals has been all-the-more mind-blowing after this project. But I found it hopeful that simply reading The Comedy Bible and doing just the first six days of exercises actually made me funnier, lighter on my verbal “feet” in everyday exchanges. It was like I’d discovered some secret hand-shake and was now able to use it, um, secretly. Maybe not the best metaphor. In any case, engaging in a “practice of funniness,” actually had measurable benefits. The question now is, can I keep it up?
In light of Robin Williams’s suicide, The Atlantic article concludes brilliantly if also prophetically. Beck notes how comedic entertainers seem to have more health problems, shorter lives and statistically higher “psychotic traits.” Contrast this with the longer life of their audiences, she concludes, “It might feel good to crack others up…but apparently the audience gets the last laugh.”
The comedian it seems, sacrifices some shred of health and life for those who laugh at her. That seems utterly clear for Robin Williams. His powerful humor apparently came with powerful pain. In my own experience, the comedic practice I tried out, with its soul-searching light-footed honesty, stream-of-conscious journaling and intimate accountability felt more like an antidote to my psychic ghosts, than a self-denying escapism.
So maybe if I keep up the funny practice, I’ll be laughing more into old age than my father has. And maybe I’ll even be around when my kids finally shake the yoke of their germanic heritage and become even funnier than their old man.
This entry was posted in Muse and News and tagged comedy, humor, Playback Theatre on August 16, 2014 by chris.
← Going to Deeper Waters in 2014 Where Have All the (Young) Men Gone? →
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Fixed Term Contract - 6 months
The Royal Opera House offers world-class opera, ballet, music and dance live on stage at our iconic theatre in Covent Garden, and reaches out to audiences across the UK and beyond through ROH Cinema and digital content on other platforms. An essential part of the work of the Communications team is to manage all external relations relating to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet, the year-round repertoire, the ballet and opera tours, our cinema programme and the BP Big Screens.
We are now looking for a Senior Press Officer to deliver strategic press campaigns for The Royal Opera Company and its related activities. Our campaigns aim to reach new audiences, maximise ticket sales and promote our venue as a cultural visitor destination, ensuring that all messaging is aligned to our mission and vision. You will deliver proactive press coverage, maintaining a range of press contacts and will continue to develop your network in the sector. Reporting to the Head of Communications, you will manage a small team of two Communications Officers, and support their development. You will also need the flexibility to be available for evening work and weekends as required, to work at press night or daytime events. The role is offered as a fixed term contract for six months.
The ideal candidate will be a reliable team player with these qualities:
A successful track record of working in a busy Press Office, managing staff effectively with experience at a senior level and an established network of press and industry contacts
Demonstrated ability to create successful campaigns with high profile press delivery and impactful communications that drive sales and positive awareness of the work of the ROH
Highly proficient Microsoft Office user and of current digital imaging processes, with good aptitude for learning new application
A high standard of written/verbal English, the ability to work accurately under pressure with attention to detail and commitment to delivering a high standard of work
Ability to take on an ambassador role in representing the ROH to the media and other stakeholders
Commitment to managing own learning and continuous professional development relevant to the role
We actively encourage BAME and disabled applicants and value the positive impact difference has on our teams.
Closing Date for applications: 8.00am, Monday, 20 January 2020
No agencies
SnrPressOfficerJDDec19.pdf (PDF)
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Year: 2013 | Source: Government | Response: Private investment, Public sector investment, Risk assessment | Region: Global
Rising Seas
Overview: National Geographic Magazine is the official magazine of the National Geographic Society in Washington D.C. It covers issues pertaining to geography, history and world culture.
How to Use This Resource: In this multimedia project by National Geographic, reporter Tim Folger examines the process of deciding what is worth protecting on our nation’s coastline and what must be abandoned. His reporting is complemented by several valuable datasets on rising sea levels.
Year: 2013 | Source: Media | Risk: Sea level rise | Region: United States
Sustainable Cities: Building Cities for the Future
Climate Action Programme and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
Overview: The United Kingdom’s Climate Action Programme and the American C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group partnered to publish this report on innovative climate change adaptation in Adelaide, Chicago, Copenhagen, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo.
How to Use This Resource: Journalists will find detailed analyses of city-level initiatives in carbon neutrality, public transportation, ecological architecture, and other such green topics.
Year: 2013 | Source: Advocacy | Response: Buildings | Region: Asia & Oceania, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean, United States
The Plumbing of Adaptation Finance: Accountability, Transparency, and Accessibility at the Local Level
Overview: The World Resources Institute is a global research organization that focuses on the critical elements of achieving sustainability worldwide.
How to Use This Resource: This report analyzes adaptation financing in Nepal, the Philippines, Uganda, and Zambia to examine how much finance is available within developing countries and whether the needs of the most vulnerable are being met.
Year: 2013 | Source: Advocacy | Response: Agriculture, Public sector investment, Water supply | Region: Africa, Asia & Oceania
The Resilient Social Network
Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute
Overview: The Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute is a federally funded research and development center that produces independent analysis on homeland security.
How to Use This Resource: Within hours of Sandy’s landfall in New Jersey, Occupy Wall Street members had created a social media network of humanitarian volunteers that would eventually grow to 60,000 members. This report studies how such grassroots activism might be utilized by the government when the next disaster strikes.
Year: 2013 | Source: Government | Response: Disaster response, Security | Region: Northeast
U.S. Energy Sector Vulnerabilities to Climate Change
The U.S. Department of Energy
Overview: The U.S. Department of Energy is a cabinet-level agency that develops policies on energy finance, infrastructure, and safety.
How to Use This Resource: This report examines current and potential future impacts of climate trends on the U.S. energy sector.
Year: 2013 | Source: Government | Response: Clean energy, Emission reduction, Energy | Region: United States
Updating Maryland’s Sea-level Rise Projections
Maryland Climate Change Commission
Overview: The Maryland Climate Change Commission is a state government agency devoted to implementing policy to fortify Maryland’s infrastructures.
How to Use This Resource: Maryland has 3,100 miles of tidal shoreline and low-lying rural and urban lands, which leave the state highly vulnerable to rising sea levels. This report is filled with data about how the Maryland coast will change and what needs to be done to adapt.
Year: 2013 | Risk: Sea level rise | Region: South
Which Coastal Cities Are at Highest Risk of Damaging Floods?
Overview: The World Bank is an intergovernmental financial institution based in Washington D.C. that fights poverty by providing loans to developing countries, sponsoring research and promoting policy change worldwide.
How to Use This Resource: The cost of urban losses from flooding in coastal cities will rise 850 percent in 50 years, according to this World Bank report. Its findings are summarized in this article, which includes a link to purchase the full report. The report is part of a series, “Turn Down the Heat,” that looks at expected rises in sea level and their impact on vulnerable regions around the world.
Year: 2013 | Source: Government | Response: Public sector investment, Risk assessment | Risk: Floods | Region: Global
Sea level rise (33)
Droughts (18)
Heatwaves (17)
Wildfires (14)
Public sector investment (43)
Emission reduction (34)
Water supply (29)
Private investment (27)
Northeast (31)
South (18)
Asia & Oceania (17)
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Home>Mysticism and Metabolomics
Mysticism and Metabolomics
Mysticism and Metabolomics: How Food Influences Athletic Performance
Eat to Win.
Apart from being a popular book, this simple three-word phrase encapsulates an idea that every athlete intuitively knows: if you eat the right foods, you will perform better.
In the late 70s, many endurance athletes believed what John L. Parker immortalized in his novel Once A Runner: “If the furnace was hot enough, anything would burn.” Marathoner Bill Rodgers admitted his fuel for winning the Boston and New York Marathons four times each consisted mainly of “mayonnaise, sugary breakfast cereals, chocolate-chip cookies, snack chips, soft drinks and gin-and-tonics.”
Meb Keflezighi, 2014 Boston Marathon winner, on the other hand, keeps a strict diet of whole grains, lean meats, vegetables and fish and almost never has dessert despite having a “very sweet tooth." And it is not just endurance athletes watching their food. John Elway completely revamped the Denver Broncos’ kitchen to provide strictly controlled meals to his players.
Those of us for whom John Elway has not yet bought a personal chef – I am holding out hope – are left to figure out that winning recipe for ourselves. Sometimes we get help, though. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps uses 4000 calories worth of Subway sandwiches per day. Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi advocates half a bottle of Gatorade — and spilling the other half all over yourself. Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning would have us believe the secret is chicken parm sandwiches and a heavy dose of the Nationwide Insurance jingle.
Kidding aside, there is a lot of information out there about what foods can help you recover from a hard workout, give you a boost of energy, or keep your body from getting sick, and not all of it is accurate. That is where David Nieman comes in. He and his colleagues at the Human Performance Laboratory (HPL) at the North Carolina Research Campus investigate how different foods affect athletic performance in laboratory conditions.
Nutrition science has come a long way since the 1970s. Lean proteins, vegetables and whole grains all contribute to a healthy body but HPL scientists take this a step further. They identify specific molecules in these foods and, using a science called metabolomics, search the body for chemical traces of the desired outcome.
Metabolomics applies rigid quantitative measures to a science that many amateur athletes approach with mysticism and apply by feel.
I ran cross country and track in college, and my team had as many nutrition and training philosophies as we had runners. One thing most of the team agreed on, however, was a concept called “sober October.” The idea was that as cross country season ramped up, we would swear off all alcohol and, as a reward, our bodies would recover better from races and workouts and our “sacrifice” would receive some sort of karmic recompense in the form of racing well in the November Championships.
There is some science to that. Alcohol does hinder muscle recovery, but there were other factors that we did not consider when we brought all that Gatorade to parties. In some ways, that beer we did not drink could have helped us. HPL performed a study comparing runners who drank non-alcoholic beer every day leading up to a marathon to those who drank a placebo. Intense running temporarily weakens the immune system, but polyphenols in the non-alcoholic beer actually protected runners from developing respiratory illnesses after their race. In fact, the non-beer runners were more than three times as likely to get sick in the weeks after the marathon than the beer drinkers were. If our team had stuck with non-alcoholic beer instead of Gatorade, we might have been able to prevent some of the late-season colds that inevitably come from running through pouring rain and ankle-deep mud in early November.
Superstitions about food may seem silly, but if you are an athlete or have one in your family, you are most likely familiar with this concept. Maybe you need to have pasta the night before a race, even though carbo-loading is only beneficial for activities lasting longer than 90 minutes. Maybe no coffee on game day. Maybe you need two biscuits with honey and three quarters of a glass of blue Powerade mixed with water. Athletes can be very specific and very serious about their rituals.
But the science shows in many cases, it doesn’t matter. Many people go with bananas as a snack before or during long races, but among cyclists, bananas provide the same benefits as a generic carbohydrate drink in terms of performance and recovery.
Nieman has found other popular foods and supplements to be ineffective. A few years ago, chia seeds – as in chia pets and heads – gained a huge boost in popularity. Many thought the seeds would help prevent disease and encourage weight loss. Even though these seeds are packed with protein and other beneficial compounds, it was not the “miracle food it was supposed to be.” Last year, Nieman and his colleagues found that the medicinal plant Rhodiola rosea did not actually live up to its claim of decreasing muscle damage after hard exercise.
Sometimes HPL studies yield a surprise: chemicals the scientists guessed would be beneficial to an athlete actually hinder their performance. For example Vitamin D2, which you can find in milk and helps build strong bones and repair muscles, damages the muscles of power athletes, the first finding of its kind.
In a more recent study, Nieman hypothesized that the unique blend of proteins and phytochemicals in pistachios would help decrease muscle damage and increase performance in cyclists, but in fact it made the cyclists move 4.8% slower in a time trial. The researchers were able to track the issue to a carbohydrate called raffinose – also found in onions, soybeans and chickpeas – that causes an immune reaction because the body cannot digest it. This immune reaction actually damages muscle cells and the cyclists move slower. Nieman, therefore, advocates avoiding those foods in the days prior to a competition.
The metabolomic work at HPL is gradually building toward a molecular understanding of the best foods to eat before competition, which can help dispel some of the myths about “miracle foods.”
Nieman, however, has found a few foods that seem to provide athletes with great benefits during and after competition. Blueberries and green tea both carry compounds called polyphenols. They take many different forms but they provide great benefits for an athlete. Nieman found that these molecules have the ability to fight off viruses. They are not powerful enough to cure the common cold but when the immune system is weak after intense exercise, the polyphenols can help prevent the common cold. They also help to reduce inflammation, which means less muscle damage and less soreness.
A word of warning, though, if you want to reap the full benefits Nieman describes in his study, you’re going to need a lot of room in the fridge. In the study, the participants consumed a concentrated powder called Nutrasorb. Their daily dose had as much polyphenol as three cups of blueberries and a cup and a half of green tea.
There is still much to learn about exactly how the foods we eat affect our bodies, but as we learn more preparing for the big game or big race can slowly move out of mysticism and towards science.
- Daniel Lane
Daniel Lane covers science, engineering, medicine and the environment in North Carolina.
Video: Self-Healing Muscles
Video: Fruit Infusion
Video: Super Fruit
David Nieman
Human Performance Lab
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Science News Mag
Your Daily Science Source
A giant asteroid just skimmed past Earth, and we barely noticed in time
A 100-metre-wide (328-feet-wide) asteroid passed just 70,000 kilometers from Earth on Thursday, Australian time. It was discovered by the Brazilian SONEAR survey just days ago, and its presence was announced mere hours before it zoomed past our planet.
The lack of warning shows how quickly potentially dangerous asteroids can sneak up on us.
The asteroid, reassuringly designated 2019 OK, is not a threat to Earth right now. However, 2019 OK and other near-Earth asteroids do pose a genuine risk.
The Tunguska explosion in 1908 and the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013 were equivalent to large nuclear explosions, and under the wrong circumstances a meteor impact could devastate a city.
Searching for danger
Astronomers are well aware of the risks posed by asteroids hitting Earth. Meteor craters can be found around the globe, and some relatively fresh examples include Wolfe Creek in northern Australia and the imaginatively named Meteor Crater in Arizona.
A huge asteroid impact 65 million years ago near Chicxulub in modern-day Mexico initiated the fall of the dinosaurs.
Consequently, astronomers across the globe have devoted considerable effort to determining the level of threat posed by near-Earth asteroids, and to identifying individual asteroids that could pose a significant threat.
Asteroid surveys include Pan-STARRS, ATLAS, SONEAR (which spotted 2019 OK), and the Catalina Sky Survey.
Asteroids are typically so far from Earth that they resemble stars, rather than the craggy rocks they are. However, because asteroids travel around the Solar System, they move relative to the distant stars. Thus astronomers can discover asteroids by taking sequences of images and looking for objects that move from image to image.
Possible bright (g~14 mag) Near Earth Object discovered, if confirmed, it will be our first NEO! Now trying to learn what to do with the data to properly submit the info 🙂 pic.twitter.com/igyAftBixA
— ASAS-SN (@SuperASASSN) July 24, 2019
Using this approach to survey large swathes of sky, astronomers have discovered thousands of near-Earth asteroids, including more than 2,000 during 2017 alone.
And yet, some asteroids still manage to sneak up on us. Why?
Astronomers are good at discovering asteroids that are visible at night, but less good at spotting asteroids during the daytime. Asteroids also are fainter the further they get from Earth.
At closest approach and with dark skies, 2019 OK would have been visible with a pair of binoculars as point of light drifting slowly across the sky. But three days before that it was 1,000 times fainter, and thus harder to spot.
What’s more, for the past month it has been relatively close to the Sun in the sky, so it has only been visible around twilight.
2019 OK was finally tracked down by the SONEAR survey on Wednesday, and soon after that it was independently detected by the ASAS-SN telescope network.
Both of these surveys use relatively small telescopes with sensitive cameras to search large areas of sky, rather than using large telescopes to study small patches of sky.
Before its discovery as a near-Earth asteroid, 2019 OK was imaged by other telescopes, but its significance wasn’t recognised. But these earlier images did help astronomers nail down the asteroid’s orbit.
2019 OK has a very elliptical orbit, taking it from the asteroid belt beyond Mars to within the orbits of both Earth and Venus. As each orbit takes 2.7 years, it isn’t always going to pass as close to Earth as it did this time. It will make close approaches in the future, but hopefully not quite this close.
This is the video of the close encounter of Asteroid 2019 OK we have been Twitting all day with the Earth: https://t.co/bjT7uhQJuO pic.twitter.com/3e4UyPcdPl
Other near-Earth asteroids are also on track to make close approaches to our planet. The 400-meter-wide Apophis will pass roughly 30,000 kilometers from Earth on Friday April 13, 2029, which will only come as bad news if you’re particularly superstitious.
Both 2019 OK and Apophis are far larger than the Chelyabinsk meteor, which was just 20 metres across. The risk of them hitting Earth may be small, but they would be devastating if they did.
Avoiding Armageddon
If we find an asteroid on an actual collision course with Earth, is there anything we can do? With just a day or week’s notice we would be in real trouble, but with more notice there are options.
We are already sending spacecraft to near-Earth asteroids, with NASA’s OSIRIS-REx currently visiting Bennu and Japan’s Hayabusa2 currently visiting Ryugu.
Dropping down…! Sequential images taken during the approach to Ryugu in our second touchdown rehearsal, TD1-R1-A. https://t.co/sZ9Z8jb6tk pic.twitter.com/wzcG7XcaEX
— [email protected] (@haya2e_jaxa) October 26, 2018
However, these are missions of discovery rather than destruction. Indeed, destroying a near-Earth asteroid may be counterproductive, potentially creating multiple destructive asteroids.
So how can we stop catastrophe? The solution may be to give dangerous asteroids a gentle nudge rather than a vicious kick. If an asteroid’s velocity can be changed by just 1 kilometres per hour, over years that adds up to thousands of kilometres’ difference in position.
Given that the pale blue dot of Earth is just 12,750 kilometres across, a small nudge to a big rock may be enough to avoid annihilation.
Michael J. I. Brown, Associate professor in astronomy, Monash University.
This article was originally published by Sciencealert.com. Read the original article here.
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Oregon State Beavers (0-0)
Sat. 11/16 Sat. 11/23 Sat. 11/30
vs. AriSt
Box | Recap @ WashSt
Box | Recap @ Oregon
Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith gets 3-year extension
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith has received a three-year contract extension that would keep him with the Beavers through the 2025 season.
Smith, a former Oregon State quarterback, originally signed a five-year deal when he became coach of the Beavers prior to the 2018 season.
The Beavers went 5-7 overall this season and 4-5 in the Pac-12, finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the league's North Division. The team improved by three wins over the previous season.
Beavers Headlines
Passing Yards: J. Luton 2714
Passing TDs: J. Luton 28
Rushing Yards: A. Pierce 873
Rushing TDs: J. Jefferson 8
Receiving Yards: I. Hodgins 1171
Receiving TDs: I. Hodgins 13
Interceptions: N. Wright 3
8/30 vs. Oklahoma State L 36 - 52
9/8 at Hawaii L 28 - 31
9/14 vs. Cal Poly W 45 - 7
9/28 vs. Stanford L 28 - 31
10/5 at UCLA W 48 - 31
10/12 vs. 15 Utah L 7 - 52
10/19 at California W 21 - 17
11/2 at Arizona W 56 - 38
11/8 vs. Washington L 7 - 19
11/16 vs. Arizona State W 35 - 34
11/23 at Washington State L 53 - 54
11/30 at 14 Oregon L 10 - 24
6 Oregon 0-0 0-0
11 Utah 0-0 0-0
22 USC 0-0 0-0
Field Goals: 4 (127)
Passing Yards: 3314 (108)
Points per game: 32.5 (105)
Get your Oregon State Beavers Gear
Same Day Shipping for only $4.99!
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Image from SCP-1931's online auction, uploaded by Mr. ████████.
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-1931 is to be kept in a climate-controlled containment vault at Storage Site-41 to protect it from deterioration. In order to prevent the spread of blood-borne disease among personnel, only D-Class personnel may be used in conjunction with SCP-1931's anomalous effects when human testing is necessary.
Description: SCP-1931 is the head of an adult female Panthera tigris tigris (Bengal tiger), stuffed and preserved through taxidermy. A number of scars are present on SCP-1931's face, determined to have been inflicted by other animals. The wound at the base of the head has been filled with tar, presumably by the original owner. A small bronze plaque bearing the words "Property of Herman Fuller's Circus Of The Disquieting" is embedded in the tar. Despite its poor condition, SCP-1931 appears to have been restored several times in the past, primarily through the painting of its fur; however, there is no indication that the teeth have been altered in any way since the animal's death. A mechanical hinge has been installed in SCP-1931's jaw, allowing it to open and close freely.
Any organism, living or otherwise, that is physically harmed by SCP-1931's fangs will begin to levitate at a height proportional to the severity of the damage inflicted, though the precise proportion seems to vary between cases and has not yet been determined. Preliminary testing has shown that minor wounds typically result in subjects floating between 0.5m and 3m above the ground, whereas severe trauma has resulted in subjects rising to stratospheric heights at speeds in excess of 20km/h. Once suspended at a given height, affected subjects will be able to propel themselves laterally when presented with a given means of thrust. SCP-1931's effects on a subject will cease 30 to 35 hours after initial injury, causing the subject to descend at a rate consistent with natural falls from a given height.
Foundation intelligence discovered SCP-1931 on 03/14/2013 when a man named Jackson ████████ put the item on an online auction site, claiming it could grant the power of flight. According to his testimony, Mr. ████████ discovered SCP-1931 while digging the foundation for a barn and learned of its anomalous effects from other items found at the same time (see Addendum SCP-1931-DOC). He was administered amnestics and SCP-1931 was recovered without incident. SCP-1931 was originally found in a silk-padded glass case contained within a steel ossuary. A tanned pelt and the unpreserved remains of a headless Bengal tiger were also found in the ossuary, both confirmed to belong to SCP-1931. Both the body's front paws were observed to have been crudely severed, the left apparently reattached with metal wire and the right missing entirely.1
Addendum SCP-1931-DOC: Several items were recovered from SCP-1931's grave in addition to its remains. SCP-1931-DOC-A is a transcription of the text found on a promotional illustration bearing the image of a living SCP-1931 pouncing on a young calf. SCP-1931-DOC-B is a series of journal entries pertaining to SCP-1931, selected from the pages of a leather-bound log owned by a Mr. Bernard Crawford. SCP-1931-DOC-C is a document listing the contents of a smaller wooden box buried adjacent to SCP-1931's ossuary.
+ SCP-1931-DOC-A
- SCP-1931-DOC-A
Herman Fuller's Circus Of The Disquieting
— proudly presents —
AMELIA THE WONDER TIGER
Come see the creature with the BITE of FLIGHT
this Saturday at the [REDACTED] County Fairgrounds!
Arrive before 5 PM and receive a complementary balloon animal!
+ SCP-1931-DOC-B
- SCP-1931-DOC-B
SCP-1931-DOC-B1
Jenny gave birth to her first litter of cubs yesterday evening. One of them did not survive, the other three seem healthy.
The smallest one, though, still baffles my mind. I went to bed last night certain that I had been dreaming, and yet I have awoken and my dreams persist. In all the years I've spent around tigers, I have never seen or heard of anything remotely similar to this. It is bizarre, and somewhat frightening; however, I choose to see this as an immense blessing. She is unique in all the world, and I have a very strong feeling she will be my ticket to fame and fortune among my peers in the field of entertainment. I have named her Amelia Earhart, in honour of the pilot who made the incredible transatlantic flight two years ago. It seemed fitting, as both seem to possess the gift of flight, so to speak. As soon as she is weaned, I will begin training.
Amelia continues to prove exceptionally intelligent and affectionate. Beyond her extraordinary abilities, she has shown herself to be a remarkable performer in general and has consistently outshone both her siblings—and every other tiger I have encountered, for that matter. Crowds have increased substantially at Marco Bros. since I incorporated her into my act, and in turn our salary has improved as well. I am putting much of the extra funds into buying fresh salmon for Amelia, as it appears to be her food of choice and I am told it is good for her coat.
My fortune improves by the day. A gentleman by the name of Herman Fuller arrived at my house this morning and invited me to join his travelling circus in America. When I informed him that I was already employed at the Marco Bros. Circus, he offered to pay me four times my current salary and personally cover all my travel expenses. How could I refuse an offer such as that? I have written my resignation letter and shall submit it in the morning. My only concern is how Amelia and the other tigers will handle the overseas travel.
It is now our third day here at the Herman Fuller circus. Amelia and her family have already made friends with some of the other animals here. I haven't adjusted quite as quickly; this troupe is astoundingly massive compared to Marco Bros' and the experience has been more than a little overwhelming. Many of the other performers here have bizarre talents that defy all reason; I am not bothered by this per se, but I can't help but feel as though Amelia has gone from being a one-of-a-kind star to simply being just another 'magic animal'. But out of all our problems, the worst is that we are currently positioned two tents away from the Den of Freaks. I am very uncomfortable with this arrangement, but so long as they stay far away from me and my animals, everything should be fine.
Still, our experience so far has been largely positive. The general attitude among performers is pleasant and everyone has been very impressed by my animals, especially Amelia. Also, in addition to earning money by performing our act, the Ringmaster had the brilliant suggestion to supplement our income by selling 'balloon animals': stray cats and dogs given the kiss of flight and tied to strings. It's a tad macabre for my tastes, but our patrons seem to love it. My fortune improves by the day.
The Ringmaster invented a delightful new finale for our act, involving a number of clowns being gingerly bitten in succession and bouncing off the walls of the bigtop. They're surprisingly good sports about it; I like to think they must still have a fair amount of English blood in their veins.
A young boy approached me today and asked what happens to balloons that are released into the air. I told him I didn't know, since saying that they pop and fall to the earth would sound especially unpleasant in this context.
Amelia and I have arranged to vacation back in England while Yuri watches over the other tigers. I know that Essex is not exactly her species' homeland, but I feel that she may still enjoy revisiting the place of her birth.
(No date given)
I have seen a side to this circus darker than anything beyond my wildest dreams. If I did not sleep surrounded by wild beasts I would surely fear the worst.
Once again, the Ringmaster requested that Amelia and I take care of an unwanted party. It was especially windy tonight, and I would be surprised if she hasn't drifted halfway to Sweden by now. I'll admit that it's a messy means of disposal, but at least it's a mess that we don't have to clean up.
SCP-1931-DOC-B10
Our act—ruined! My darling—crippled! And yet not a word of sympathy for either of us. Goddamn freaks! That hellish thing takes off half of Amelia's right leg, and everybody believes the freaks when they say that she made the first move. Everyone's so blasted scared of the man with the upside-down face that they're letting the freaks walk all over us! I've been telling the Ringmaster for years that we should just drop the Den of Freaks and the Freak Parade and stick to acts that require actual skill and intellect. I said it time and time again, and now that damn palm reader is wearing my girl's foot as a trophy! We're all a little strange here, yes, but those creatures aren't even human, least of all that monstrosity. It's bad enough we have to put up with the clowns, now we have to worry about the freaks dropping their facades and hacking off our heads and limbs. It's a bloody shame how downhill things have gone since I first arrived here.
I have had it with this confounded place! Any semblance of dignity, decency, and order this circus may have once had is long gone. Monstro-Boy,2 that reeking, foul-mannered, snaggletoothed gremlin had the gall to lay a hand on Amelia, and when I put him in his place, the Ringmaster lashed out at me! I knew the man with the upside-down face's influence was spreading, but I had no idea that even the Ringmaster was under his thumb. I cannot tolerate this lack of professionalism any longer. As soon as I have the wherewithal, I'm taking my animals elsewhere.
Plans have changed. Amelia is ill. She picked up some terrible disease from that filthy freak and now she is dying.
If I lose her, I swear this shall be my suicide note.
I lost Amelia three days ago. I have only now regained enough sobriety to write legibly. I insisted on giving her a good, proper, Christian burial, but the Ringmaster claimed her body as his property. He has had her head preserved and continues to use it to provide the public with his infernal balloon animals. I was only permitted to bury her body.
I have no anger or grief now, only a sense of duty. I cannot take my own life and leave the rest of my animals to this damned place. Furthermore, the work that Amelia and I started will continue in her name.
It took some time, but justice has finally been dealt. Monstro-Boy has been rightly exposed as the murderer he is. The fact that he did not commit the murders for which he was apprehended is of no consequence to me. The best part is that while his name goes down in ruin, mine remains pure: even those in the circus who are sympathetic to the monster blame his idiot brother Jacob. Not a single heart is turned against me now.
Therefore, I have taken this opportunity to take Amelia's head from the curiosity tent and bury it with the rest of her remains. She can finally be at rest. The work is completed and the indignity has ended.
My secrets cannot remain safe from the man with the upside-down face for much longer. I apologize that I had to borrow your remaining front paw, but it seemed fitting to complete our work by your hand. My life will soon be over, but at least I will rejoin you and the others in paradise. Let this be a grave for both of us, dearest Amelia.
+ SCP-1931-DOC-C
- SCP-1931-DOC-C
Large down pillow. Object shows obvious signs of decay and heavy damage from a clawed animal.
Prosthetic paw made from leather, steel, and wood.
Solid rubber ball, heavily deteriorated, although teeth marks belonging to SCP-1931 are still visible.
Burlap sack containing the remains of the right halluxes3 of 27 human individuals of varying ages, races, and genders.
Sepia-toned photograph of a young boy holding a string tied to the tail of a levitating, decapitated cat.
1. Presumed to be in the possession of SCP-1884-B (see SCP-1931-DOC-B10).
2. Likely a reference to performer David Rosenfeld, currently designated SCP-████.
3. The innermost toe of the foot, or the 'big toe'.
animal_ccfelineherman-fullerphysicssafescp
page revision: 33, last edited: 07 Apr 2019 13:32
Math Aerobics
ADIDAS - All Day I Dream About Sums..!!
Mágia Mesterei Wiki
Segítség az online játékhoz
Writing 111 Fall 2010
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Revision as of 00:08, 31 May 2018 by Art (talk | contribs) (→Registration Desk Friday, August 3)
INFO ON THIS PAGE IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
The 2018 North American SCRABBLE Championship will take place on August 4–8, 2018 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, 153 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY, 14202. This webpage will be updated regularly as additional details became available.
1 Live Event Coverage
2 Registration
2.1 Eligibility
2.1.1 TWL Divisions
2.1.2 Collins Divisions
2.1.3 Information for International Players
2.2 Entry Fees
2.3 Division Changes
2.5 Conditions
2.5.1 Rules, Code and Terms/Conditions
2.5.2 Minor Release
2.5.3 Player Bulletin
2.5.4 Equipment Required
2.5.5 Changes
3 Hotel/Travel Information
3.1 Hotel Registration
3.2 Hotel and Event Parking
3.3 Dining
3.4 Sightseeing
3.5 Roommate Wanted
3.6 Ride Wanted
3.7 Airport Transport Information
3.8 Buffalo Airport Shuttle
5 Local Club Meetings
5.1 Wednesday: Toronto, ON
5.2 Thursday: Buffalo, NY
5.3 Thursday: Mississauga, ON
6.1 Friday, August 3, 2018
6.2 Saturday, August 4, 2018
6.3 Sunday, August 5, 2018
6.4 Monday, August 6, 2018
6.5 Tuesday, August 7, 2018
6.6 Wednesday, August 8, 2018
7 The Rose Award
8 Other Donors
10 Prizes
11 Format
13 Volunteers
13.1 Thursday, August 2
13.2 Friday, August 3
13.3 Registration Desk Friday, August 3
13.4 Clean and Pack
13.5 Unassigned Volunteers
14 Further Information
For continuously updated results from our event once it gets underway, please visit the LIVE COVERAGE section.
Online registration is open. A list of registered players is available on this website and on cross-tables.com. The rest of this section describes in detail the various terms and conditions of registration, most of which are also discussed on the registration form.
To play in the NASC, you must (1) be a NASPA member, and (2) have played in an officially sanctioned SCRABBLE tournament to earn an official tournament rating. If you live in the United States or Canada, that rating should be a NASPA rating; if you live elsewhere it may be a WESPA rating or other comparable national rating.
TWL Divisions
If you meet the eligibility criteria and wish to play using the Official Club and Tournament Word List 2016 (TWL), you may do so. Four TWL divisions will be offered, divided by Qualification Rating (QR), with unlimited play-up available. If your QR is 1800 or higher, or if you do not have a NASPA rating, you must play in Division 1. If your QR is in the range 1400–1799, you must play in Division 1 or 2. If your QR is in the range 1100–1399, you must play in Division 1, 2 or 3. If your QR is below 1100, you may play in any of the four divisions.
Your QR consists of the highest tournament rating attained at the end of any NASPA TWL-rated tournament (or segment of a split-rated tournament) which finished during the period from July 26, 2017 to July 26, 2018 (the start of last year's Championship to the close of registration). If you have a rating, but do not play during this period, your QR is your unchanged current rating.
Player division assignments will be reviewed after July 26, 2018 to ensure that everyone is registered in the correct division. If the division in which you registered is not one in which your QR permits you to play, we will automatically move you up to the lowest permissible division.
Collins Divisions
If you meet the eligibility criteria and prefer to play using the international Collins (CSW) lexicon, you may do so. If your Collins Qualification Rating (CQR) is 1500 or higher, you must play in Division 1. If it is 1499 or below, you may play in Division 1 or 2. Players who only have a WESPA rating will be permitted to play in Division 1 or 2 if that rating is 1399 or below. If there are fewer than 20 players registered in either division as of July 5, 2018, the divisions will be automatically combined into a single division.
Your CQR is the highest Collins tournament rating attained at the end of a NASPA CSW-rated tournament which finished during the period from July 26, 2017 to July 26, 2018 (the start of last year's Championship to the close of registration). If you had a NASPA CSW rating prior to this period, but did not play during the period, your qualifying rating is that unchanged rating. If you do not have a NASPA CSW rating, but have a NASPA TWL rating, your CQR is your TWL QR. The Collins division will be run using NASPA rules, except that the Collins lexicon will be used and the challenge penalty will be 5 points per word. The Collins division will be NASPA and WESPA rated.
If there will be two divisions, player division assignments will be reviewed after July 26, 2018 to ensure that everyone is registered in the correct division. If the division in which you registered is not one in which your CQR permits you to play, we will automatically move you up to the lowest permissible division.
Information for International Players
If you are thinking about travelling from overseas to play in this event for the first time, please read our 2018 NASC for Overseas Visitors page.
Again this year, there will again be one or two separate divisions of players using the Collins lexicon at the North American Scrabble Championship.
Players must have a NASPA, WESPA or other equivalent rating deemed acceptable by the Championship Committee prior to competing. Those players with only a WESPA rating will be allowed to compete in CSW2 division if that rating is 1399 or below. For participants with both NASPA and WESPA ratings, the NASPA rating will be used to determine eligibility for CSW2.
The Collins division will be run using NASPA rules, except that the Collins lexicon will be used and the challenge penalty will be 5 points per word. The Collins division will be NASPA and WESPA rated. Please see full information about the division in the section above.
The base entry fee for all divisions is $200.
Youths, defined as those whose 18th birthday is after August 8, 2018, may pay $100 to play in any division.
The above fees will be increased by $50 after May 31, 2018. For example, a player signing up on June 1, 2018 would pay $250.
Players accepted after the close of registration on July 26, 2018 must pay a $75 late penalty. For example, a youth signing up on July 30, 2018 would pay $225. Acceptance of registrants after July 26, 2018 is not guaranteed, and will generally only be permitted if it does not cause a division to be uneven.
Players not staying at the host hotel for the duration of the event must also pay a commuter/facility fee of $20 per day ($100 maximum). The commuter fee does not apply to those local to the Buffalo area. Verification of status as a hotel guest will be performed at registration/check-in and throughout the event. Players staying at the host hotel for only part of the event must pay the full commuter fee, and may then apply for a refund of $20 per day stayed at the host hotel (to a maximum of $100) after the conclusion of the event, by providing the Championship Committee with hotel confirmation number and dates of stay.
Fees payable are computed based on when (Eastern Time) funds are received in full. If you are not paying right away online at the moment when you register, please be sure to allow enough time for your mailed payment to reach us.
Division Changes
To change divisions after you have registered, please email the organizing committee at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org. Division changes are subject to the following conditions:
After registration closes on July 26, 2018, if your division change would increase the number of players who may potentially have to have byes (if you would make two divisions odd, or would make a larger division odd), you will be waitlisted until this is not the case.
A $25 fee will be charged to accommodate the division change.
If your rating rises above the limit for the division in which you registered, you will automatically be moved to the lowest division for which you qualify at no charge.
If you paid your tournament fees by credit card, any credit owing to you will be issued to your card; otherwise, we will mail a check to your membership address as shown in your member profile. No refunds will be issued after the refund deadlines described below.
All refunds are subject to a cancellation fee of $25.
If you decide you need to cancel your registration, we will refund your entry fee (and commuter fee, if applicable), if you so request by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 26, 2018.
Rules, Code and Terms/Conditions
By registering for the NASC, you agree to abide by the NASPA Tournament Rules and Code of Conduct, and agree to comply with the 2018 North American SCRABBLE Championship Terms and Conditions. In particular, some games at this tournament, probably the highest Division 1 board without a Gibsonized player, will be annotated live. If you refuse to play a designated game with annotation, you will forfeit it, and may at the director’s discretion be assigned a spread penalty of −200 points.
Minor Release
A Minor Release and Consent Form will be required for all players under age 18 as of August 3, 2018, and may be downloaded and submitted in advance, or executed by a parent or guardian at registration.
Player Bulletin
Please read our Player Bulletin, and check it again for last-minute updates before you travel to the event.
Participants in the 2018 North American Scrabble Championship are responsible for bringing all equipment necessary to play in the tournament. If neither player in a game has equipment available for their game, a double forfeit may be imposed.
The Championship Committee reserves the right to modify the above to account for unforeseen special circumstances.
Hotel/Travel Information
See also our Google Map.
For information about airline discounts, please consult the player bulletin.
Hotel Registration
The official event hotel is the Hyatt Regency Buffalo at 2 Fountain Plaza, Buffalo, NY 14202 (phone: 716-856-1234). Players registering through our group link are eligible for our special rate of $139/night (up to quad occupancy; plus tax) at the event hotel; those who live outside of the Buffalo area and do not either book a room at the host hotel or book a room within our group block at one of the other hotels listed below, will pay a $100 facility fee to contribute the cost of the venue space.
Complimentary in-room wireless internet is included in our group rate. Hotel bookings at our group rate are subject to availability within our group rate block of rooms, and must be booked before July 21, 2018.
The Hyatt is immediately adjacent to the Convention Center, and is connected to it by an indoor walkway, with elevators available for players with mobility issues.
Hotel and Event Parking
The Hyatt Regency offers valet parking at standard hotel rates (currently $25/day). Hotel guests may also make use of the self parking lots in the vicinity of the hotel.
There are a number of self parking lots available to both hotel guests and commuters to the tournament. For a map of available lots, click here.
Daily parking rates at self parking lots vary. Based on the best available information, rates begin at $4 per day. To search for parking rates, visit BestParking.com and perform an address search using "153 Franklin Street" for the address.
Buffalo offers hundreds of restaurant options, with something to suit every taste. Explore the area's eateries at the Food and Dining Guide provided by www.visitbuffaloniagara.com.
The Buffalo Bisons minor league baseball team has home games vs. Gwinnett on August 7, 8 and 9.
Visit Buffalo Niagara shows the many things to do around town.
Shakespeare in Delaware Park
The Erie County Fair runs August 9-20.
The Spirit of Buffalo
Templeton Landing offers Buffalo Brew Wednesdays, from 6-10 p.m. Sample local brewers, and enjoy local specials.
The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival runs August 1-5.
The VIP Brewery Tour is offered on Thursdays at the Hotel Lafayette.
Old Falls Street features classic rock and dance bands on Friday nights from 7-10 p.m.
Roommate Wanted
If you need a roommate and would like a listing here, please complete the NASC Roommate Request Form and your request will be updated here.
IMPORTANT: When you get your roommate, please contact the committee so we can remove your listing.
Greg Rogers is looking for a male non-smoker to share a room. Please call Kirsten Klassen at 574-264-2857 or email KirstenLKlassen@gmail.com.
Ezekiel "Zee" Markwei is attending with a female friend and is seeking two others to share a quad occupancy room. You can reach Zee by email at ezekiel.markwei@gmail.com.
Ride Wanted
If you need a ride/rider to or from the tournament, and would like a listing here, please complete the NASC Ride Request Form.
IMPORTANT: When you get your ride/rider, please contact the committee so we can remove your listing.
Airport Transport Information
The nearest international airports to the tournament site are as follows. Note that airports with IATA codes beginning with Y are on the Canadian side of the international border, and that travel time does not include highly variable border-crossing delays.
BUF Buffalo Niagara 00:15 10 mi
IAG Niagara Falls 00:25 20 mi
ROC Greater Rochester 01:10 70 mi
YHM John C. Munro Hamilton 01:15 120 km
YYZ Toronto Pearson 01:30 150 km
YKF Region of Waterloo 01:50 170 km
YTZ Billy Bishop Toronto City 02:00 160 km
Buffalo Airport Shuttle
To play in the first round on Saturday morning, you must check in between 10:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. on Friday, August 3, 2018, at the NASC registration desk in the Convention Center lobby outside the playing area. You may ask a friend to check in for you by proxy, if you cannot check in in person. If possible, please email us at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org to notify us in advance of proxy arrangements. If you check in by proxy, but do not show up to play, then neither you nor your proxy will be permitted to check in by proxy at future events. If you do not check in before the desk closes at 7:00 P.M., you may join the championship in progress as soon as it is convenient for the pairings staff to add you back in; this may not take place before Sunday morning. No refund will be issued to latecomers.
When you check in, you will be given an announcement sheet. This is to reduce the number of announcements that have to be made on Saturday morning, so that the event can get underway quickly. You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the announcements and tournament schedule.
Local Club Meetings
Players arriving early may wish to play warmup games at local clubs:
Wednesday: Toronto, ON
The Toronto SCRABBLE Club meets regularly at 4169 Bathurst Street, south of Sheppard Avenue West. See the club website for more information and directions; out-of-town visitors play for free.
Thursday: Buffalo, NY
The Buffalo SCRABBLE Club (No.456) meets on Thursday evenings.
Thursday: Mississauga, ON
The Mississauga SCRABBLE Club meets on Thursday evenings at 7:30 P.M.
This schedule for the 2018 North American SCRABBLE Championship may be modified to add new events, or possibly to change room locations. Also, until about a month before the event, it should be considered an early draft, with only the times for registration and the main event to be set in stone. Once the event begins, please check this schedule for changes at the beginning of each day.
For those arriving early in the region, see also the preceding section on local club meetings. Those looking for something to do between the NASC and the immediately following tournament in Niagara Falls, ON may wish to sign up for a half-marathon.
Unless otherwise indicated, all events take place at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center at 153 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY, 14202.
Registration (Lobby)
10:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.
After hours room open (Room 106AD)
12:00 P.M.–4:00 P.M.
Early bird tournament, restricted to NASC Staff and other NASPA directors (Room 106BC)
4:30 P.M.–5:30 P.M.
Committee meeting for Division Leaders, Division Assistants, Auxiliary Staff (Boardroom)
Set up for play (North Exhibit Floor)
Announcements; Group Photos - School SCRABBLE Players (North Exhibit Floor)
Rounds 1–4 (North Exhibit Floor)
Canadian Committee lunch meetings (Room 109)
Announcements (North Exhibit Floor)
Advisory Board Dinner Meeting (TBA)
9:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.
Trivia Contest (Room 106BC)
Group Photos - Past NASC Champions/Division Winners (North Exhibit Floor)
Rounds 8–11 (North Exhibit Floor)
Club/Director Committee and Rules Committee lunch meetings (Room 109)
Evening Musicale (Room 106BC)
Group Photo - NASC Staff (North Exhibit Floor)
Group Photo - New Yorkers (North Exhibit Floor)
Rounds 15–18 (North Exhibit Floor)
Tournament Committee and International Committee lunch meetings (Room 109)
Town Hall meeting (Room 106BC)
Group Photo - International Players (North Exhibit Floor)
Dictionary Committee lunch meeting (Room 109)
Director meeting (Room 106BC)
Prize Ceremony (Room 106BC)
Tear Down (North Exhibit Floor)
The Rose Award
Bob and Andi Schoenman, creators of Protiles, honor Rose Kreiswirth's memory. Rose was an expert Scrabble® player for over 30 years and cherished the game for its educational values. An accomplished player, Rose was as well known for her sense of fairness and her congeniality as she was for her competitiveness. The Rose Award will be awarded each year at the National SCRABBLE Championship to a female player who, in the opinion of the judges, best exemplifies the fierce competitiveness and compassion that we remember Rose for. Thank you, Bob and Andi Schoenman!
If you are interested in donating prizes to events at the championship, please email us at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org.
For information about sponsorship opportunities at the championship, please contact Chris Cree.
Full details about cash prizes, and anticipated merchandise prizes, will be posted on the prize table once they are available.
The NASC will be paired using tsh along the lines of past events, including Gibsonization on spread. After an initial phase of fixed pairings based on pre-event ratings, the top contenders are paired with each other, and everyone else is paired Swiss. These two groups, contenders and noncontenders, are paired with minimal repeats. For example, if there is no way to pair the contenders without at least one repeat, then they will be paired with one repeat.
The maximum number of contenders is 12 in Rounds 1-28, 8 in Round 29, 4 in Round 30 and 2 in Round 31. The contenders are further divided into a subgroup of leaders and non-leaders, if this can be done without increasing the number of required repeats while maintaining at least four players among the leaders. Leaders are paired by repeatedly having the top unpaired player play the lowest-ranked player that can catch up to them. Non-leaders are paired Swiss.
For further information about this pairing system, please refer to the section on Chew pairings in the tsh documentation.
Chris Cree
Assistant to the Director
Diane Moore
Rich Baker
Division 1: John Robertson
Division 2: Bryan Pepper
Division 3: Dan Stock
Division 4: Kieran O'Connor
Collins: Jason Idalski
Division Assistants
Joyce Stock
Sue Tremblay
Jim Pate
John Chew
Vince Castellano
Kate Bernadina
Internet photographer
Patty Hocker
Lisa Kessler
Pete Zeigler
Kristen Chew
Volunteers are needed to help prepare the playing area, man the registration desk and to help pack and clean after the event. Volunteers receive a free NASC T-shirt. Lunch is provided for those who assist with clean up on Wednesday. To sign up, please complete the 2018 NASC Volunteer Form
Volunteers are needed to help prepare the playing room for the tournament.
Registration Desk Friday, August 3
Volunteers are needed to help with registration and check-in.
12:30 P.M.-1:30 P.M.
Mike Gincel
3:30 P.M.-5:30 P.M.
Clean and Pack
We need about 15 Clean and Pack volunteers to help collect and box NASPA tournament supplies to be shipped back to the storage facility after the awards ceremony on Wed., August 8, 2018.
Unassigned Volunteers
Following is a list of those who have volunteered, but do not yet have a specific assignment:
This page will be updated as the event draws nearer. If you have urgent questions about the event, please email us at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org.
Retrieved from "http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=2018_North_American_SCRABBLE_Championship&oldid=13461"
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Shahid Kapoor sets the terms for Vettai
We had told you Shahid Kapoor has opted out of the Hindi remake of Tamil blockbuster Vettai. However, the actor now says he will reconsider his decision provided a reliable Hindi dialogue writer is brought into the project by director N Linguswamy. "Get a good Hindi dialogue writer," Sasha is reported to have given an ultimatum to Linguswamy.
So the problem was only about the language? Linguswamy told Mirror, "I cannot communicate in Hindi. And the dialogues were not being translated properly. That was the main problem. Now my producers UTV are hiring a dialogue writer of their choice, who will be getting together with the Tamil dialogue writer of Vettai to get the essence of the dialogues."
Is Sasha convinced? Says Linguswamy, "We've sorted out the problem and are getting ready to shoot. You must understand I've never done a Hindi film. And it's an all-new experience for me. The Hindi version of Vettai has to be totally different from the Tamil one."
According to a source close to the project, Shahid wasn't impressed by the dialogues in Hindi while the same dialogues in Tamil were bang-on. Buzz is that in all probability, Prasoon Joshi will be brought on board as the Hindi dialogue writer.
News HT
Agent' Kat and Shahid to script a Korean drama
Shahid Kapoor finally looks all set to star opposite Katrina Kaif and he has only Imtiaz Ali to thank.
This will be Shahid and Imtiaz's second project together after the 2007 superhit Jab We Met, and the latter's debut as a producer under his production house PI Films (P stands for his wife Preety and I for Imtiaz).
The movie, which will also mark the directorial debut of choreographer Bosco (of Bosco-Caesar fame), has been titled 2 2 Tango and is an official remake of the 2009 South Korean romantic action comedy, My Girlfriend Is An Agent. Bosco confirmed the news.
will direct the film and we are right now at the scripting stage.
'The official announcement will be made once we are done with the script,' he said. He refused to divulge any details about the cast though.
'All we can say is that the film will feature prominent actors. We don't want to reveal anything without locking a tight script,' he said.
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Ruling Coalition Loses Supermajority
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported in the second half of July 2019.
Jul 31, 2019 by Michael Penn in Series
Japan Loses Control Over Its Soft Power
“Japan was postmodern before postmodernism was cool” wrote Douglas McGray in Foreign Policy magazine. While that may be true, Japan has lost control of its own major cultural exports.
Jul 31, 2019 by Andrea Moser in Society
Healthcare Worker Shortage a Silent Crisis
The World Health Organization estimates that there will be a shortage of 18 million healthcare workers by 2030. This equates to a 20% gap in the global capacity to provide healthcare services. Japan, which is already grappling with an aging society and its attendant problems, is at the forefront of this crisis.
Jul 30, 2019 by Michael Penn in Economy
The World Leaves Japan and South Korea to Slug It Out
While Japan and South Korea are locked in an escalating and rather senseless set of retaliatory actions against one another, the rest of the world simply sits on the sidelines, afraid to either take a side or even mediate between the two nations.
Jul 26, 2019 by Nikolas Maffei in International
Akita Election Deals Blow to Controversial Missile Defense System
The planned construction of the Aegis Ashore missile defense system in Akita has once again suffered a blow as independent, opposition-supported candidate Shizuka Terata won in the House of Councillors election. Terata’s victory owes to the efforts of many in the region who are strongly opposed to the deployment of the facility so close to the city center.
Jul 22, 2019 by Nikolas Maffei in Politics
Fans Rally to Support Kyoto Animation
The tragedy at Kyoto-based studio Kyoto Animation, known to its fans as KyoAni, in which arson claimed the lives of 34 workers and injured 35 others, is compounded by the fact that the studio had a reputation for providing excellent working conditions, a living wage, and permanent staffing in an industry known for relying on exploitive contract-based work.
Jul 22, 2019 by Armita Ventura in Society
Flower Demo: A Time To Heal
The #MeToo movement has reached Japan and highlighted the unsavory reality of the female harassment which exists in abundance.
Brazilian-Japanese Still Struggling to Integrate
In the 1980s, Brazilians of Japanese heritage immigrated to the country as an initial attempt to meet Japan’s demographic challenge, but the policy resulted in only a mixed success, creating an ethnic community that still struggles to be a full part of Japanese society.
Harassed for Taking Paternity Leave
Despite Japan’s generous allowance for childcare leave, many parents are pressured and even punished by their employers for taking advantage of it. Glen Wood, a single father and victim of paternity harassment, has taken his case to court in an attempt to regain his job and bring awareness to the issue of harassment in the workplace.
Jul 16, 2019 by Nikolas Maffei in Society
Global Progressives Must Stand Up for Okinawa
If progressives truly believe in our values of freedom of expression, equal opportunity, and security, we must stand in solidarity with the Okinawan people.
Jul 16, 2019 by Darcy Miller in International
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“ESPN-ING OF SPORTS”
By: Ron Brounes
Twenty-five years ago, ESPN burst onto the broadcast scene and the world of sports has never been the same. For college kids (or, at least, those at University of Texas), nightly Sports Center and around the clock 24-hour programming took priorities over studying for exams (which helps explain my grade point average); adult couch potatoes found that Australian Rules Football represented an attractive alternative to those household “honey do’s.” Roberto “Remember the” Alomar, Bert “Be Home” Blyleven, and Andre “Bad Moon” Rison among others were immortalized by Chris Berman with each replay. Fans eagerly awaited the “Play of the Day” with hopes that their favorite teams and players would appear on the evening highlights.
As part of their extended silver anniversary celebration, ESPN structured Top 25 lists of virtually everything sports-related. The 1980 U.S. Olympic team’s miraculous victory over the Soviet Union was selected as the “most memorable sports moment” of the past 25 years. “Do You Believe in Miracles?” I remember the pride I felt watching that team of unheralded, overmatched young men proudly stand on the Olympic platform accepting gold medals on behalf of our country (and I barely even understand hockey. Today, we remember very few of their names, but will never forget that patriotic spirit exhibited by this true team of underdog Americans that defeated a superior hockey power. Thankfully, that memory is forever etched in our collective brains, because it may be quite a while until we experience anything like that again. Ironically ESPN is partly responsible.
Fast forwarding 24 years to the 2004 Olympic summer games in Athens, we find very few similarities with those members of the recent U.S. basketball “Dream Team” who were selected (or begged) to wear our country’s Red, White, and Blue. The patriotism that U.S. athletes once displayed was replaced by arrogance and indifference; the pride we once felt at watching them perform was replaced by disappointment and disgust. Representing one’s country was once considered an honor of the highest degree to be cherished for a lifetime; many of today’s American hoopsters saw it as a burden, an inconvenience, a waste of their precious time. Several “Superstars” chose not to participate at all; many of those who comprised the team acted like pampered babies, seemingly more concerned about playing time, personal stats, and endorsement opportunities than honoring our country. Rather than stay in the Olympic Village and mingle with their fellow athletes, these celebrities chose to hobnob among the “rich and famous” aboard the Queen Mary II cruise ship; rather than ride team buses to and from games, they instead traveled by limo.
And yet, despite the two weeks of luxury, the world’s best basketball players were overmatched and out-hustled by athletes from those superpowers of Puerto Rico and Argentina. The likes of Manu Ginobili (Argentina) and Pau Gasol (Spain) proved to be the best NBA-ers in the games, though they unfortunately represented other countries. From the opening tip-off of the first game, our American heroes couldn’t shoot, pass, or defend. They bickered; they bitched; they brooded. In the end, they stood on that lower platform and embarrassingly accepted their hard-earned bronze medals (while dreaming of that next endorsement deal).
Just a few months later, another group of U.S. sports heroes had a chance to redeem their fellow athletes as the Ryder Cup matched our best golfers against the best from Europe. With home course advantage, our superstars again set out to prove our athletic superiority over the rest of the world. Tiger vs. Monty? Lefty vs. some Brit named Luke Donald? Surely this would be no contest. And it wasn’t. Just a few years removed from “suggesting” that Ryder Cup participants be paid, America’s greatest golfers showed the world that arrogance, greed, and bickering are not reserved for our basketball courts. Some chose that week to test out new golf clubs; other opted out of afternoon rounds because they were simply too tired. From the onset, our players went through the motions, barely talking to each other, rarely encouraging successes. On the other hand, the Europeans exhibited a team unity, passion, and pride of country (continent) that had somehow eluded their rivals. And in the end, we suffered another embarrassing defeat.
NO “ME” IN “TEAM”
A funny thing has happened over the past 25 years since ESPN revolutionized the way Americans watch their sports. Perhaps, because of segments like “Play of the Day,” we started glorifying athlete over team, individual play over game plan, slam dunk over pick and roll. Perhaps, fans encourage this attitude by their obsessions with players’ statistics and the popularity of fantasy sports leagues. Many of today’s superstars are pampered well before high school, promised the moon from unscrupulous agents, promoters, and other seedy characters. They believe that sheer talent supercedes the need for hard work and mastering fundamentals. Personal highlights represent their meal tickets (and a prized Berman nickname) regardless of the impact on the team. They sign endorsement contracts from shoe and sports drink companies that occasionally pay more than their salaries and bonuses (and contribute to misplaced loyalties). Many are compensated better than their coaches and treat them with indifference and disrespect. They snub the autograph-seeking fans who pay their salaries and make headlines with improper behavior that would land the rest of us in jail. They celebrate great plays with choreographed routines, knowing that such actions provide more SportsCenter moments. They put themselves above the team, the result of which is often fundamentally poor efforts (and losses to inferior teams from other countries). Please realize, I am generalizing and not all athletes fit this selfish mode.
The memories of that 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team live on in highlights and movies, but the pride and patriotism experienced by its players are rarely exhibited today in sports. We all have seen old clips of stars like Ted Williams donning military uniforms after putting their careers on hold to serve their country. We remember the challenges faced by Jesse Owens who represented his country despite threats to himself and his family. Arizona Cardinal star safety Pat Tillman walked away from millions of dollars on the gridiron to join an elite Rangers unit serving in Afghanistan where he gave his life in defense of our country. And Tim Frisby, a 39 year old freshman (and father of six) at the University of South Carolina, competed a lengthy military career and now is a wide receiver on his college football team. (Google him to learn more.) Yes, many heroes do exist in this country and even in sports. But, more and more often, many athletes think less of country, less of team, and only of themselves. After all, the Olympics and Ryder Cup come around only every few years. But, the “Play of the Day” is chosen every night.
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FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH is a publication of Brounes & Associates focusing on marketing, communications consulting, and strategic planning. Please call Ron Brounes at 713-432-1332 for additional information. Don’t get me wrong: I still watch SportsCenter and ESPN daily. Then again, with my college GPA, I don’t know any better.
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08Jan Rep. Calley provides end of year legislative update Categories: Calley News State Rep. Julie Calley, of Portland, reviewed the progress she and her colleagues have made this legislative term on issues that matter most to the people of Barry and Ionia counties.“I’ve listened to what people have to say. They want support for our local communities, they want our roads fixed, more career training opportunities for our young people, help for opioid addicts and those dealing with mental health challenges,” said Calley. “We’re making changes in all of these arenas, and I’m proud to support those measures.”From a budget standpoint, the Michigan Legislature continues to pay down state debt while road funding is at an all-time high. She noted that 2018 will be the first full year of increased road funding and anticipates more improvement, as a result.Calley also emphasized that an increased Homestead Tax Credit was included within the road funding laws, passed a few years ago. Beginning in 2018, the maximum credit is increased from $1,200 to $1,500. The qualifying household income cap is changed from $50,000 to $60,000.Calley said the Legislature passed many bills in 2017 promoting skilled trades.“Technical careers are in high demand, and it is essential to create an atmosphere for students in those fields to be successful,” she said.Calley noted that she supported legislation which would have cut the cost of auto insurance premiums. The bill was 10 votes short of passing in the House, but Calley is hopeful the conversation will continue in the next term.“Michigan has the highest auto insurance rates in the country, and I think that’s unfair to our residents. At the very least, I would like to see anti-fraud bills passed in the coming year,” Calley said. “Our community members have made it clear that they want relief when it comes to auto insurance.”The first-term legislator also emphasized the importance of repealing Michigan’s driver responsibility fees, which often result in the loss of transportation to and from employment. The fees were enacted in 2003 during former Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s administration in the hopes it would deter drivers who repeatedly violate traffic safety laws. In November, the House overwhelmingly supported the package of bills that would end the fees.In 2018, Calley anticipates legislation clarifying Michigan’s income tax. New language is needed because of federal changes recently signed into law. The removal of the federal personal exemption would cause an unintended increase to Michiganders on their state income tax returns.“I am confident this correction will be addressed early this year. Our residents deserve assurance that legislators are not interested in raising their income taxes.”Also in the year ahead, Calley looks forward to reviewing proposed legislation from the House bipartisan mental health task force, which spent several months touring the state to host meetings where members could hear from mental and behavioral health specialists.“I want to focus on a better Michigan for all of our residents, including those who are differently abled.”“There’s still much to be done,” said Calley, “but we’re off to a good start for the people of Michigan. I look forward to the opportunity to serve our communities in 2018.”
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Sand from a Famagusta beach a parting gift to late mayor Updated
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San Mateo Daily Journal: Oculus moving to Burlingame | Local News.
https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/oculus-moving-to-burlingame/article_a9350aa4-a1e6-11e8-a5c8-5ba458354ae2.html
- posted by Oleg Zabluda @ 10:46 PM | permalink | | | technorati | bloglines | feedster
Buttplug is an open-source standards and software project for controlling intimate hardware, including sex toys,...
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Far too often during the Obama administration, attacks that had all the hallmarks of Islamist terrorism were never charged or labeled as terror attacks. Some of the many examples: The 2009 fatal shooting attack by Tennessee Islamic convert Carlos Bledsoe on a military recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas; the 2014 fatal decapitation attack by Oklahoma’s Alton Nolen at Vaughn Foods in Moore, Oklahoma; and the 2017 head-shot execution of a Denver transit security officer by Texas resident Joshua Cummings. Those and many other Islamist-inspired attacks were left to local authorities to charge under various state laws, such as murder.
Correct or not, critics often attributed Obama-era decisions not to charge extremism-motivated cases under federal terrorism statutes to a desire to downplay the Islamist threat -- and maybe also to reduce the number of terrorism attacks accrued under the Democratic Party’s watch.
After killing two soldiers at the Little Rock recruiting station, Bledsoe wrote Arkansas prosecutors demanding to be prosecuted as the Islamist terrorist he insisted he was, having radicalized in Yemen two years earlier and trained with al-Qaeda. The lead Pulaski County prosecutor pressing a regular murder rap against Bledsoe was quoted dismissing the claim: “If you strip away what he says, self-serving or not … it’s like a lot of other killings we have.”
New Jersey used its statute to charge Washington state resident Muhammad Ali Brown for one of four murders he committed in the name of Islamic jihad -- that of New Jersey native son Brendan Tevlin, a college student shot in the chest apparently at random. For whatever reason, the feds in Washington state never treated the Brown killings as terrorism. Yet Brown had stated that he did them as retaliation for American military forces killing Muslims in conflict zones, had a prior terrorism conviction in Oregon, kept journals lauding ISIS, and was on the terrorism watch list.
Arizona was another state that triggered its 9/11-era terrorism statute for the first time, in the 2016 case of Mahim Atif Khan. The 18-year-old was the target of an elaborate federal sting that found he was plotting to bomb an Air Force recruiting station in Tucson with a pressure cooker device. He had also reached out to ISIS for help securing firearms and bomb-making instructions. It’s not entirely clear why the feds chose not to prosecute what appeared to be a strong case. Khan received an eight-year state prison sentence on the state terrorism conviction, so it will join the ranks of jihadist terrorism incidents anyway thanks to the Arizona statute.
https://pjmedia.com/homeland-security/texas-juvenile-jihadi-shows-why-we-need-state-level-terrorism-statutes/
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Hello Everyone. I apologize for being offline longer than I expected, but I have had trouble setting my connections up, and as I live in a building owned by a 501c3 non-profit organization, I’m prohibited from blogging at home. Hence, I send you my greetings from the McDonalds WiFi in Washington, DC’s Union Station. As we enter the final week, Gov. Palin’s name is increasingly mentioned in the media, and Monday and Tuesday were our first ever consecutive days with over 5,000 hits each. Keep the faith. We’re almost there, and I have a bottle of Sparklig Cider chilling in the fridge for Friday (my building doesn’t allow alcohol, or else it would have been champagne).
In the meantime, I have written a little pep talk to make sure that we keep our spirits high.
Sarah Palin is an anomaly in American politics. It’s not because she’s a woman, not because of her blue-collar background, and not because of her ability to juggle the titles of “governor” and “committed mother of five”. Forget about all of that stuff for a moment; it’s interesting, but if Barack Obama has taught us anything, it’s that a compelling biography is not a qualification for leadership. Instead, Palin is unique because she can claim one of the broadest bases of support of any leader in our country. Other than the lunatic fringes of Alaska’s kleptocratic political establishment, nobody hates her.
Most politicians rise to power because they represent a certain wing of their party, and even some of their own partisans detest them. Mike Huckabee will never resonate with libertarian republicans, social conservatives cannot support Rudy Giuliani, certain evangelicals will always have a problem with Mitt Romney, and frankly I doubt that hard-core conservatives will ever fully embrace John McCain. That doesn’t make them bad candidates; it just means that they face significant opposition within the Republican Party. Sarah Palin does not have that problem.
I have been working to draft Gov. Palin as Vice President since February of 2007, and I can recount first hand how she has united divergent views among Republicans and is now even gaining Democratic support. The key is that she offers a combination of qualities that make her a hero to many, many different groups. For instance, two of our strongest bases of support have been social conservatives and libertarian republicans, who are normally at each other’s throats.
However, she offered both groups something that they desperately wanted without compromising any appeal to the other. The SoCons loved her pro-life, pro-family, and pro-gun positions, while the libertarians and fiscal conservatives cheered her on as she vetoed hundreds of millions of dollars of wasteful government spending. Getting those two groups to sing kum-ba-ya was enough of an accomplishment, but now it appears that a third group has found what it wants in Gov. Palin: McCainocrats.
For those Democrats who are considering abandoning the Obama ticket (primarily disillusioned Clinton supporters), Palin represents the final push into the Republican camp. Not only is she a woman (which, like it or not, is an issue for some voters), but she also puts a fresh, future-oriented face on the McCain campaign. By upending Alaska’s corrupt political class, Palin has actually produced the type of change that Barack Obama can only talk about; and her collar is far bluer than Joe Biden’s ever was. Furthermore, she is arguably the only candidate who has the necessary expertise to address the single most pressing issue in this election: gas prices. As Governor of Alaska, Chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (America’s largest interstate organization), and a former Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Sarah Palin can run rings around almost anyone when it comes to oil.
The last candidate to assemble such a broad coalition of support was a gentleman by the name of Ronald Wilson Reagan. He not only won the presidency in two successive landslides, but went on to become one of the most beloved and effective presidents in recent history. Now, I realize that it is somewhat presumptuous of me to make this comparison, but I personally have no doubt that Sarah Palin has the capability to become the next Reagan. In fact, the only real question that I have heard is whether we should bring her to the forefront now as a VP candidate or save her for later as a full-fledged presidential hopeful in 2012. I personally choose the former, because the latter involves the defeat of John McCain and the election of President Obama and Vice President Biden. 2008 will be a crucial election year, with the winner being handed the responsibility for the Iraq war, the gasoline crisis, the Russo-Georgian conflict, and any number of other issues. The stakes are simply too high to throw McCain under the bus and bide our time. Likewise, Sen. McCain should realize that the stakes are too high for him to select a VP candidate who simply “does no harm” rather than pushing his ticket over the top.
There is one sure fire solution to this problem, one way to guarantee a McCain surge, one way to put Obama on the defensive, and one way to steamroll to victory in November. Her name is Sarah Palin.
Hott Spott said...
We have to win this thing. McCain needs Palin. And with her, he wins in a landslide. Please, Sen. McCain, don't be scared off by those crooked ass politicians in Alaska. Pick Palin! For the love of God, pick Palin!
Kudos to your fine efforts in this fight. I sincerely hope that Sarah is chosen for so many reasons, and your site has been crucial in enumerating those to me and the masses who googled her name, much as I did, wanting to know more about an amazing woman.
The Saragnostics are starting to get to me by yelling Romney, and I won't be gutted if he gets the nod, but I certainly won't be as enthusiastic. More white guys. Yay.
If she doesn't get the nomination, this serves as my formal request to join your staff for our 2012 push!
Sarah Palin has been compromised by a legislative investigation for abuse of power.
So now all eyes are turning to Senator Hutchison, who has a strong conservative record down through the years. She's a steady performer who will not be cowed by Joe Biden in the debates.
Kay Bailey Hutchison has the experience we can trust!
There are more examples of "surprise" VP picks at the tape than frontrunners. Byron York of the National Review is reporting that Mac is meeting with his inner circle on the veep. I will be praying for Senator McCain tonight that wisdom may guide him and help him to make the best choice. I hope fellow bloggers will be praying as well.
Ted, I can tell you that having been born and raised in Texas, I really feel torn if McCain picks Hutchinson.
Sen. Hutchinson would make a fantastic VP if McCain picks her, however I know her and Gov. Perry don't see eye-to-eye on many things and I'd fully support her decision to challenge him in 2010. She'd make a fantastic Gov. and Texas could use some strong leadership right now, especially since Houston Mayor Bill White is going to run -- and he's arguably the strongest candidate the Democrats would field in years.
"not real" Ted:
Please crawl back to the hole you emerged from.
Adam--that was a wonderful paean to Sarah Palin. If McCain nominates her for VP--as he should!--you will have done an immeasurable service to your country.
Moe said...
As a Massachusetts conservative and Mitt Romney supporter, I am proud to voice my support for Gov. Palin as VP. I think with her on the ticket, it won't even be close. You know there is an attack ad awaiting Mitt or any of the "well known" names. I only became familiar with Gov. Palin's resume several months ago and it didn't take long to become a Sarahophile. If McCain makes a mistake like Obama did in selecting Biden, I hope Gov. Palin considers running for the top spot in the near future. America needs her!
Well, I think McCain HAS to put Sarah on the ticket now. My opinion is that by hrc asking the dnc to make it unanimous to select bo as the dem's choice will play big in the public's eye. It will go along way to healing some of the bitterness AND bring many of the PUMAs to bo's side.
McCain MUST do something to excite people. He'll have no chance if he doesn't. Of course...if hrc, bo, or biden do anything really stupid, I fear the election will go to them...and possibly by a big margin.
Chung said...
Well, certainly no one suspected that Cheney would end up as the nominee back in 2000.
Conservative mom of six, the microphone tester is running away with it! :D I'm looking forward to her speech immensely, whether she gets the nod or not. I think it will be fantastic, and it could be her launch point like BO's was at the last convention--assuming the worst that she doesn't become VP.
A couple of things,
1. Thanks Adam for your hard work for the past two years.
2. if Sarah is indeed the choice, I think we'll have some heads up b/c she'll have to travel from AK to Dayton, Ohio. I doubt that would be kept a secret b/c people are probably watching her up there.
3. I do somewhat disagree with some points in your post. I really don't think there are many factions within the GOP anymore. By and large, most people are conservative on all three areas, social, econ and foreign policy. You are probably right that there is a small pure socon/evangelical element to the party, but many "evangelicals" are in the main faction.
Actually, there is no such libertarian-republican wing within the GOP. I know you're in Washington, Adam, so you will find there are a lot of libertarian think tanks. Libertarians are overrepresented b/c they are true believers and more willing to spend their money to advance their causes. That's why Ron Paul did so well raising money but not getting votes.
I think you were also alluding to social moderates who are conservative fiscally as a force within the GOP. As we all know those people aren't a force in the GOP anymore; Rudy Giuliani's implosion proved that.
Sarah Palin is my first choice, even though indications are showing Pawlenty to be the pick.
I will never be ashamed about backing Sarah Palin for the position and I will still support Palin until McCain makes his VP announcement. Palin is, by all means, one of the brightest stars in the sky that is American politics, and if not this time around, then definetely in 2012 if McCain decides to step down.
There is a reason all the college guys call her "Governor McHottie", all the real conservatives call her "Governor Values", and why many Alaskans call her "The Better Of All Governors (except Wally Hickel").
Sarah Palin, we stand with you until the final announcement is made on Friday.
Erin: You're looking forward to Palin's speech because you haven't heard her speak much. It's a hoot!
Real fake, folksy Minnesotan like. Extremely annoying.
Why doesn't she answer these questions?
www.ontheissues.org/Sarah_Palin.htm
Exactly WHO are you promoting to be VP?
The powers in the Republican party are a bunch of whimps!!
They do not hear the REGULAR AVERAGE GUY like me in OHIO that demands a GUTSY STRONG FEMALE named PALIN for VP!!!
PALIN and her family are THE AVERAGE FAMILY that AMERICA could sit down have a pizza and discuss today's issues.
I GOT IT PALIN POLITICAL PIZZA PARTIES all around the country on the campaign trail!!!!!!!
(If you you use it, just invite me one to hang out!
They will go with a Rich guy like ROMNEY!!He has too much baggage, and other things the the Libs will hit him with like a crowbar!
I have read up on the crazy stuff with that Puke that should not be a trooper!!! He should have been fired a long time ago from his abuse of power as a Trooper!
jri111 said...
long time reader and supporter, first time poster.
McCain has made his choice! See Drudge (developing)
Let's hope it's the right choice!
Gov. Sarah Palin
My fingers are crossed, but I'm getting a bad feeling that it's Romney.
He is such a bad choice!!! I just do not see what Romney could possibly add (of benefit) to the ticket!
Drudge says the person will be notified tomorrow, so when the Secret Service show up (like they did with Biden), we'll know.
Risa said...
the announcement is going to be made in a basketball arena in Ohio. Go Sarah Barracuda
Keep your eyes on flights out of:
Boston, Mass. or somewhere in Michigan.
http://flightaware.com/
It's what Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic used to find out that something was happening at Biden's place.
Drudge reporting a decision has been made, another site said its down to KBH & Pawlenty???
Whoever it is, the logistics mandate there has be some movement because that person has to be in Dayton on Friday at 11am...
If it is Palin, she would have to get ready soon, because the candidate will continue on to Missouri and Michigan w/Mac (I believe) prior to Minnesota.
Adam, however it breaks we all owe you an immense debt of gratitude for your yeoman efforts in this gallant cause...I commend you and wish you the best in your new endeavors in DC!!!
Governor Palin, as an Auburnian, I believe that William Seward, the Governor of New York and great Secretary of State under President Lincoln, is looking down onto the current events, proudly rooting on the Republican Governor of Alaska! He would be very proud of this maverick woman from "Seward's Folly"! Best of luck over the next 48 hours!
WHAT: Alaska Commemorative Quarter-Dollar Ceremonial Launch, followed by a Quarter Exchange Coin Collectors Forum Hosted by Deputy Director Andy Brunhart
WHO: United States Mint Deputy Director Andy Brunhart
Governor Sarah Palin
U. S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
Curt Menard, Mayor, Matanuska Susitna Borough
Mark Vinsel, Chair, Alaska Commemorative Coin Commission
John Venables, Re-enactor
John Klapperich, KMBQ-FM, Master of Ceremony
WHEN: Quarter Release Ceremony: Friday, August 29, 2008, 1 p.m. (Alaska Time); Quarter Exchange to follow
Public Coin Collectors Forum: Thursday, August 28, 2008, 4:00 p.m. (Alaska Time)
WHERE: Quarter Release Ceremony: Alaska State Fair, Colony Stage, 2075 Glenn Hwy., Palmer, AK 99645
I'm getting a bad feeling that it may be Romney too. I pray that it isn't. I hope McCain shows his maverick streak. He has too. He needs a woman on the ticket!
This on McCain's final pick from the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28repubs.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
No mention of Palin, but of course, that doesn't mean anything. The McCain camp is keeping this extremely close.
Sarah made sure to sign HB3001 today.
Mom of 6,
Drudge says the candidate will be informed tomorrow, so it could be anyone. I'm sure all of them (save Huckabee and Romney) have plans outside Dayton for Friday. I can't speak for Sarah, but I'd give up a coin collector's meeting for a VP slot! :D
*overhears "I'd love to, but I'm giving $.25 EACH to a number of my constituents. Ask me again in four."
StudentsofAmerica said...
It's Not Palin, According to this NY times report, it's going to be Romney, Pawlenty, or Libermann
(I Hope There Wrong)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28repubs.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin
WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain has decided on his running mate, two Republican strategists in contact with Mr. McCain’s campaign said Wednesday. He is expected to reveal his choice at a rally at a basketball arena in Dayton, Ohio, at 11 a.m. Friday.
Mr. McCain’s decision is known only to his small inner circle of advisers, no more than three or four people, who have refused all public discussion on the matter. Republicans close to the campaign said that the top contenders remained the same three men who have been the source of speculation for weeks: former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and, possibly, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut.
It's obvious that this "conservative mother of 6" is a stooge. You must have an axe to grind with Gov. Palin. Get off of this site. This is for people that support her. Adam, delete this person's comments. It's obvious that there are enemies in the camp. I don't know if you are a Romney supporter, an Obama supporter, or just a corrupt Republican who refuses to allow a reformer on the ticket, but you need to go, really. You're doing yourself a disservice by posting anti-Palin comments on a pro-Palin site. It doesn't make you tough. It doesn't make you bad. It doesn't make you an "honest" citizen. It just makes you corny. It's easy to post comments attacking someone on a site that supports them. It takes no skill to do that. It takes no guts to do that. What really takes guts is to be honest about your intentions and why you are here instead of passing lies, half-truths, and disgustingly biased information on as fact and pretending to be "just a concerned citizen". That isn't true and you know it. You are already making yourself look like a liar and if you aren't honest about your real intentions, then you're a coward too.
Check out intrade.com. Romney is in a free fall. Bad news that Sarah Palin is way down. KBH is now almost in the lead
It's ok.
When Gov., eventually, President Palin's face appears on the Presidential Dollar Coin, we'll all think back on this moment and hope and pray that "conservative mother of 6" didn't work to prevent America from electing it's first woman President, the conservative rockstar, Sarah Palin.
CMO6 = Alaskan In Alaska = Corrupt Kleptocrat who needs to be vanquished.
Hey, Conservative Mom of 6:
You must be a really crummy mother, one who never teaches plain old MANNERS to your children.
You blog continually where you've been politely---POLITELY----asked to quit bothering us.
You aren't doing us any favors, nor yourself. You look like a jerk, not a decent mother.
Why don't you behave as a truly decent conservative and take your very poor manners ELSEWHERE?!
Now---on to more positive matters, namely the wonderful Sarah Palin:
If they've ruined her chances for being our VP, then there's always four years from now. However, meanwhile, I will be very disappointed in McCain, for not having the smarts to pick this tremendously positive role model and savvy woman for our VP.
However, if McCain picks another qualified woman, he'll have my vote. If he picks a magnificent male who is truly pro-woman, he'll have my vote. But if he picks another white sexist oinker, FORGET IT. Women have got to call an end to this junk.
Please, McCain: Pick Sarah Palin.
Oh? The ones that the Democrats are trying to pass in Sacramento?
Oh wait... that's right! They're 50-odd days late with a budget, but half the legislature is in Denver voting for Obama for President.
I guess they have their priorities set straight.
To answer your question: NO, he hasn't due to the situation mentioned above, and NO he won't sign for a budget so destructive to the world's 6th largest economy.
I am a big fan of Palin for VP, she is a Conservative, female, down to earth, great on energy, etc.
I have my own Palin blog ( Moderator can remove if he wishes' nothing will be held against them )
http://makingthecaseforpalin.blogspot.com/
and I have been witnessing first hand the major support for Mrs.Palin
Hott, Mountain,
Hey, it is okay to have people who want to give rebuttal, that is what this political process is all about.
She could have her knickers on too tight, and could just be a lib on here to make inept comments!
PALIN is the correct choice if the MCCAIN CAMPAIGN had a Pair to make the decision to grab the female voter's attention!
Ted Nugent would vote for her, he was on BECK, and is a true conservative!
If McCAIN gets his butt kicked having Romney on the ticket, he can look back and say,"I should have Picked PALIN!"
Look what happened on the www.mccainpalin.com web site.
Well, that proves that the mccain/palin site was a fake.
..sigh..If it isn't Palin, it should be a woman.. I like HP's CEO but not Hutchinson...
Keep contacting the offices..
Still Dreamhosted. Which means we don't know.
Jimmy P. at the DNC—My sources tell me that Mitt Romney will not be John McCain's running mate. Joe Lieberman, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Meg Whitman still in the mix. Developing...
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2008/8/27/sources-romney-is-out.html
Back in 2000, I was a Registered Republican, but was a moderate one at that. I voted for John McCain when he ran for the Republican nomination because he was a maverick, but I was outnumbered by all of the idiots who voted for GW. After 8 years of GW's destruction of this country, I changed parties and have voted democrat every since. Then when Hillary announced her candidacy for President, I was ecstatic. I threw my support at her, and yet again, I witnessed my choice (and vote) overridden by Obamaniacs. If John McCain displays his maverick streak once again and selects Sarah Palin (a more than qualified young woman) as his running mate, I will vote for him guaranteed (and so will many of us disgruntled Clinton supporters). Now if he plays it safe and picks another boring old conservative man such as Romney, Pawlenty, Lieberman (the list goes on and on), I will stay home on Election Day. Because frankly, I will have the choice between electing an unqualified, arrogant Obama or a sell out named McCain. No thank you. McCain-Palin 2008!
Jenny, Liberman is not a conservative - he's a Democrat who ran as Al Gore's VP in 2000. Pawlenty is a young social conservative and would be a good pick. (Gov. Palin being the best of course) Other news agencies are reporting that Kay Bay and Meg Whitman are still in the mix. Regardless of who McCain picks you should still vote.
Jenny - Please contact McCains office with the exact quot that you made!!
If any of you held your nose and read Maureen Dowd's piece in the NYT on the DNC it is so obvious that a female pick is the route to go! Don't rule out Palin, yet!
I just scanned through the newest mailbag posting on the McCain Blogette (his daughter Meghan's blog) and she didn't post any e-mail from anyone promoting any VP. So as far as I know, the only time she put up an e-mail concerning a VP was in Viewer Mail Volume 10 with the pro-Palin one. We can only hope McCain reads his daughter's blog.
Jenny - I just emailed your quote to all 50 offices of McCain campaign and referenced this thread.
If he does pick Palin, you can thank yourself. That was an excellent statement that you made and I do hope they take it seriously
I would suggest everyone to make a strong push tonight!!!
Especially female and ex Hillary supporters!!
Dr. Vicki said...
I don't mean to sound sexist, but I think any of the women that are being discussed would be a better choice than any of the men being discussed. By that I mean that none of the men are particularly outstanding choices. Given that, why not choose someone who might reach across to a group of voters that is there for the picking. I think moderate women would hop on a female vp pick in a heartbeat. I'm real apprehensive about KBH, though, due to her age. It just makes a pretty geriatric ticket. Blackburn or Palin would be better. Palin best of course. I just hope he'll give this campaign a shot in the arm of a pick with some youth and vitality. He does seem to like to hang out with the old folks, though. He doesn't seem to like to hang out with younger folks. I guess we'll know in about 36 hours or so.
Your efforts on behalf of Governor Palin are greatly appreciated by this life-long Republican. Yours was the first site to provide me with information about a woman I consider to be one of the future hopes of my party.
I must reluctantly conclude, however, that the McCain campaign, as well as most of the party hierarchy, do not see the possibilities that we see should Senator McCain choose Governor Palin as his running mate. If he eventually chooses her, it will be the greatest head fake in political history. I hope and pray that he does, but I fear that he will not. He may win this election without her, but a great opportunity to expand the base of the party will have been lost.
I do not see Senator McCain selecting Governor Palin for several reasons. First, as I have pointed out before, the McCain campaign itself has given absolutely NO indication that she is even on their radar screen. The only hint was the last op-ed by Bill Kristol, and she was portrayed as an out-of-the-box choice with Governor Jindal. At least he was asked to have lunch with Senator McCain.
Second, the platform committee took out the language urging drilling in ANWR this afternoon to accommodate Senator McCain's environmentalist sensibilities. We've said all along that probably the best way to take advantage of this lifesaver issue, and to possibly nationalize the election to improve our congressional chances, would be for Senator McCain to visit ANWR personally and to permit Governor Palin to persuade him to change his mind on this issue. Apparently, drilling in this "pristine" area is a bridge too far for him. Had Governor Palin truly been in the mix, ANWR would have remained in the platform.
Third, Senator McCain shows absolutely no interest in issues of concern to social conservatives. Have we truly sunk so low in our fervor for the unborn that we get excited when our candidate merely states the obvious, i.e., that a baby is entitled to human rights at conception? Apparently so. By voting against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, and then lying about it, Senator Obama hands us the very kryptonite to end his candidacy and I have heard not one peep from the campaign -- not from Senator McCain, not from any of his surrogates in Denver -- and all the while Speaker Pelosi is in a knock down, drag out with the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church over the very same issue. Governor Palin is THE pro-life running mate, and her sex and her motherhood amplify the party's pro-life message like no other running mate could. Crickets chirping.
Finally, the story of this summer, and of Denver, has been the disenchantment of women Hillery voters with Senator Obama. This story speaks to the general question of all women voters, i.e., when will our political parties recognize and accept a woman candidate for the national ticket as anything other than a gimmick (with apologies to Congresswoman Ferraro)? If there is ever a year when putting a qualified woman on the Republican ticket is not only a political, but a moral imperative, this is it. And as I've said earlier, the blowback from women voters may be withering, if they perceive that Senator McCain's choice of a male running mate leaves them at the altar after he intentionally toyed with their affections with three Hillery ads during the Denver convention, and it may cross-over from Democrats to moderates and, possibly, some Republican women. And for the last two weeks, with those ads in the can and with an implicit invitation to women Hillery voters, all we have heard is how Senator McCain really wants to run with Senator Lieberman, with a last minute headfake for Senator Hutchison, both of whom will keep social conservatives home on election night.
Again, either Governor Palin was never in the mix or the McCain campaign is on the verge of pulling off the greatest surprise running mate announcement in the modern era, let alone the Internet era.
Thanks again, Adam.
Mongo signing off.
I just went to the McCainPalin.com site and now it says:
http://www.johnmccainvp.com
It's a new URL and talks about McCain-Pawlenty 2008.
However, I checked McCainPawlenty.com and it remains the same...
Hallelujah! Finally, a sane comment.
Thank you, Mongo Mere Pawn.
Palin was never in the mix. She said so herself.
Looks like Palin won't be chosen. In spite of what anybody says, the "scandal" wasn't an issue. Some people would like to believe it was, so they could claim partial credit for Palin being passed over. Whatever. There have always been haters around.
So, there are 2 reasons, and they both suck:
*The floating of these other names is just an attempt to make McCain seem receptive to the idea of a woman, just like Obama did with Sebelius. Ironically, the mentioning of all these other names has hurt Palin. There are still powerful forces in the GOP who demand white males only and marginalize anyone else. I guarantee they've been in McCain's ear this week. Palin went from a great choice to "one of those women".
*The GOP platform's energy position has officially been set, and it DOES NOT include ANWR drilling. It's a pathetic, watered-down, pandering attempt to keep one foot in common sense while the other steps into the "global warming" camp.
Without the full force of the domestic energy issue, and with the possibility of being labeled a "token pick", Palin became less viable.
Her remarks at the convention will be interesting. She could mention the party's failure to nominate a woman, or just be a team player and endorse the ticket. She could strongly argue for ANWR drilling and get a huge ovation, or not mention it in deference to McCain.
I predict she'll pass on the former, but hit the latter over the center-field wall.
Sarah Palin for President in 2012!
Really, flapper? You wouldn't mind having a socialist as President?
I appreciate Adam's attempts to rid this site of trolls. I know he's busy with lots of other things.
FWIW, I think "alaskan", "wasilla", "mom of 6", "dad of 22", "fake ted", etc. aren't random folks. It's the same person, or people who know each other working together. I'm not a psychiatrist, so I won't bother analyzing it.
My favorites here have been real ted (for his insight and optimism)and paul (for his "don't just sit there, do something!" attitude).
At any rate, as Task Force Palin goes forward, I assume things will be consolidated into a central site.
I'll see you all there. :-)
I'm not a psychiatrist either, but I'm sure we can all agree that they should lay down on a couch for an hour or two. ;)
Looks like the "Ted" moniker has been appropriated again. Anyway, THIS IS THE ORIGINAL TED AND I'LL PROVE IT:
Regarding ANWR, while the GOP platform does not specifically INCLUDE reference or statement to ANWR drilling -- the proposal to do that was rejected -- THE PLATFORM DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDE ANWR EITHER, SIMPLY THERE IS NO STATEMENT ON ANWR IN THE PLATFORM ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. I take this, NOT to mean the platform says NO drilling, but that it leaves it to McCain -- and since to date McCain has not YET endorsed ANWR drilling, why should the platform look like it is pushing or undermining McCain. IN OTHER WORDS, IT LETS MCCAIN TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS, rather than letting it look that McCain is being pressured by the platform.
Again, the GOP Platform does NOT say NO drilling in ANWR.
And finally, unless there is something really negative or no-go about Palin that we are not aware of, I still can't see how McCain -- ESPECIALLY NOW POST-HILLARY -- can NOT pick Palin unless, that is, McCain lacks the requisite abilities, political judgment, and mental soundness to be President -- which overlooking Palin WOULD PRECISELY indicate.
Will McCain have the courage to make the case that Palin is ready to lead? Intrade.com which has an extremely good prediction record and has been cited by Adam before isn't flashing good signals.
Intrade is being manipulated. In other words, not all traders are buying and selling to make money, but to endeavor to politically influence. It's like spending money on political ads -- and intrade is really a cheap form of advertising. So, for exampls, pro Romney and pro Dem/Obama groups will buy Romney shares to make him look more inevitable (Dems desparately want Romney on the ticket and NOT Palin) and then others will spread the news of Romney's strong intrade showing.
They WANT to make it look that Palin is out of the running and are spending some money to do it.
The numbers of children these people claim to have should be a dead giveaway that they support Romney.
Anyhoo, Drudge has breaking news...McCain will announce his selection at 11 on Friday in Dayton. I had hoped we'd know a little more overnight.
Mongo, I agree top to bottom with your post, but of course there's that little nagging bit inside me that won't let go. I imagine this is how Hillary voters felt when the possibilities got smaller and smaller for her to win the nomination.
I'll simply say this, if McCain overlooks Palin for say, a Pawlenty, IT WILL BE THE SINGLE BIGGEST POLITICAL (AND THEREFORE NATIONAL) BLUNDER IN THIS GENERATION AND PERHAPS THE NEXT. History is about to be made one way or another.
52% of the electorate, if not more, are women -- ESPECIALLY NOW, POST-HILLARY. If not now, WHEN???????????
There is perhaps one exception, which would be a good non-Palin or non-female selection, and that would be Michael Steele.
Speculations have a way of becoming disconnected with reality. I think the final pick will reflect the initial conventional wisdom. Just as Obama ended up going for a white-male with foreign policy heft, McCain will choose a fresh-faced, out-of-the-mold (but not pro-choice) Republican. That means Pawlenty or Palin.
chung, you're certainly on target that a pro-choice pick (Lieberman, Ridge) is definitely ridiculously out of the question -- unless McCain truly is insane.
...and Kay Baily Hutchinson is pro choice
and Cyrus at the end of the last sums it up very very very well, I think deserves repeating:
"Let's keep in mind that Conservatism has lost it's way and society see themselves as more of a centrist or moderates.
There has to be a gradual grassroots movement of Conservatives to bring Conservatism back into the mainstream. We cannot shock the system because it will never work.
The idea of putting a Conservative women on the ticket will satisfy the womens movement, who are more interested in elevating women in high position, rather than pushing one particular issue.
Republican has to show the American people that they are able to break out of that old classic mold and put a wow factor into the mix. Something that may be considered radical to others is something what the American people wants to see.
Therefore, by putting a women on a Republican ticket, who is a Conservative, will satisfy the Conservative movement and the centrist movement."
that's Cyrus comment, at the end of the last thread
It's down to the nitty-gritty. Many ask who is McCain going to select as a running mate? Perhaps the better question to ask is why McCain would select an individual in the first place. I think, politically speaking, in a competitive race, it boils down to only one factor: 1) Who will ensure my victory or short of that who gives me the best chance to win the election?--that is the number one and only consideration-choosing someone who can take over if you die prematurely is all academic.The facts are McCain has fought many elections. If Tiger Woods (he's too young) could win him an election he's pick him. If Michelle Malkin would ensure him success he'd pick her, if Mitt Romney would do it for him--he'd pick him. Let's get down to brass tacks--to win an American presidential election not only should you strive to gather more votes than your opponent but what you must do is win enough states to get to 270 electoral votes. That's the bottom line. Now here's how any professional politician would look at the situation. I've got a base of support that allows me to bank on winning the electoral votes in a given state (eg for Republicans Texas and for Democrats California)by a comfortable margin (more than 5%).In McCain's case many of these 'safe' states are located in the Deep South and the non-coastal West. Frankly, he doesn't have to do much to keep these states in his column: by saying he's pro-life, supports the 2nd amendment, that he believes in a strong America with a strong military and that he promotes individual enterprise and lower taxes is a winning message every single time; that is unless he appears horribly weak or too liberal or if he does something to piss enough of them off so they won't support him-now the dirty little secret in politics is that you're not so worried that they are going to vote for your opponent-the majority of them have such deep-seated core beliefs that would prevent this-but your campaign must do enough to get them to work for your campaign ENTHUSIASTICALLY and to get them to the polls.Choosing a pro-choice running mate is a high-risk strategy for McCain. Abortion shouldn't be such a big issue in 2008 but the facts are that it still is. If McCain did go with a PC running mate he is telling the world his support is so solid in his 'safe' states that he could afford to lose a sizeable segment of support there and still eke out a slight victory.That is what liberal to moderate Republicans are telling McCain. However the polls consistently, to McCain's chagrin, have not reflected this sentiment. Reports are that there are 60-70m evangelicals/devout Christians in the USA-the majority who vote Republican-folks that's a hell of lot of people to offend. Just imagine if 10% of evangelicals in those 'safe' states stayed home-you get the picture--you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what will happen--to arrogantly buck these figures you have to be a complete idiot and I don't think McCain is an idiot. So folks I think that rules out any pro-choicers such as Ridge, Giuliani, Lieberman. On the other hand Mccain knows he must 'reach out' and win enough competitive states to prevail-and to win them he must TAILOR his message towards, but always bearing in mind not to dilute the conservative message so much that he offends his base in big numbers; on the surface Huckabee would be a great choice-he would appear to firm up the evangelical vote--but to what extent would he help McCain win in a competitive less conservative or evangelical state? If McCain only is concerned about that he should pick Huckabee-at least if he loses he can always boast that he preserved the Republican electoral college base for the next Republican presidential candidate. But if his goal is to attract more rational, fiscal or libertarian conservatives and bleed off a a sizeable amount of the PUMA's Huckabee is not his guy. And folks every election is different. In 2008 the PUMA factor(disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters) is huge. If McCain wants to win he knows that he must bleed off enough of them--he may decide that he can do it by personal persuasion, his gravitas or by ads and whoever he picks as VP (male vs female) is irrelevant in this regard but as I have said time and time again who he picks as VP will go a long way to show the world that he wants their vote-will give him short-term credibility with them until he can seal the deal. Choosing Pawlenty is a safe pick to keep the base in line, but complaining that your wife would rather go fishing than have sex with you is no way to attract disenchanted 'feminists' or women who have been sexually abused by a man. By also selecting the innocuous, boring, evangelical Pawlenty, Mccain is saying 'I playing the game to keep it close-no mistakes-I'll capitalize when Obama and Biden screw up-I'll let my surrogates-Carly Fiorina, Meg Whitman for example, head the outreach campaign to Clinton supporters and hope it works. Thus McCain is saying despite the short-term blowback of not choosing a female running mate I am not going to sacrifice my VP pick to accomplish a narrow goal. Same goes if he picks Mitt Romney. Romney appears to be a great choice on the surface but surveys have consistently shown that he has the highest negatives (45-50%)among the VP candidates.Unfortunately he is a polarizing figure. You either love him or hate him. In other words the votes he gains for you in one section of the country he will lose for you in another region of the country. For that reason alone he is not a viable option. At least Pawlenty might win you a few more votes and not lose you any. Now the only reason McCain would choose any other male such as Cantor would be to win a specific state (eg Virginia) or garner the votes of a certain segment of the popn (eg Jewish voters). This will be considered a great strategy if it works but one that will be subject to great criticism if it doesn't work. Now finally if McCain chooses a female he is openly admitting that he needs the PUMA vote, that he is actively going to pursue it and that he has 'good faith' intentions. Choosing Palin, Hutchison, Fiorina, or Whitman would accomplish this. in addition it would offer up other opportunities to win the vote of female moderate independents who may identify with with a female VP. If McCain doesn't choose a female in this political climate what he is essentially saying is that no female in the Republican orbit is capable of helping me to win the election; there is no upside and may be plenty of downside such as being accused of pandering or appointing a 'token' or 'trophy' candidate. What he is also showing that he doesn't recognize an opportunity when it is staring him right in the face and folks do you really want somebody to be president that can be so dense? Unless of course if the alternative is much worse.
i have to say I'm discouraged because all the articles the last two days have been Romney, Paw and Lieb. And they had narrowed Obama down pretty accurately to Biden, Bahy and Kaine. I keep clinging to the comment from the campaign several days back that they were going to make announce a "unconventional" pick. Which truly would rule out all the guys except Lieberman.
We must never give up.... call and email today. Untill he makes that call, it's not too late.
Drudgereport has a poll on Rep VPs...Palin not even listed.
HUCKABEE?
'dark horse'
Yeah, Drudge even included Rudy as a choice and I didn't think he was considered in the running at all.
A Lieberman pick is basically a stab in the back. While McCain likes to style himself a maverick, he is now the leader of the Republican party. The choice he makes today will determine which direction the party goes. Picking Lieberman means a headlong dive into oblivion.
I've heard that Drudge has a (or some) former Romney supporter(s) on his immediate staff.
And since Romney people are manipulating Intrade, I wouldn't be surprised of some factor here as well. Romney people have been making a full court press -- and seem to be the main opposition to Palin.
No possible way for Lieberman -- pro-choice and a Dem -- that is ridiculous. It's amazing that Team McCain has successfully been able to get that name out there as a believable possibility (to fuel media attention/speculation)!
This way, when McCain doesn't pick Lieberman, McCain gets the benefit of having closely looked at a Dem -- to make himself more attractive to Dem crossover and moderate voters. McCain seems to be using the Veep selection PROCESS/MEDIA for all he can get out of it. Good job!
First, if you haven't done this yet, then TODAY, please contact everyone you know, to persuade them to support Palin.
I find it most helpful to send them the link to her Inauguration Address: she's just fantastic, and that's very persuasive!
Then encourage everyone to join you in calling and emailing the various McCain offices TODAY. I know the supporters of the other VP candidates are doing this, so we must continue contacting the staff, too. (Lord, read through the posts of the Romneyites: scary!)
Second, keep praying. Prayer has far more power than we realize!
Supposedly McCain has made his choice already? Well, GOD can change McCain's mind! Keep praying and have HOPE! (It's not just Obama's turf!)
Palin is a delightful, pro-life reformer with CEO experience, so GOD can prod McCain to see how her God-given GIFTS will help this nation return to demonstrating decency and fiscal responsibility.
Pray also that McCain ignores all the selfish interests he's hearing from, and picks the ONE person who can join him to pull various factions in our party together, so we can win the election, and then challenge this nation to grow and REALLY change. Not to mention that Palin and her family will be a tremendous model of fun and normalcy for Americans!
Finally, focus on the future, too. If Palin isn't chosen now, we can work to help her make a national run in 2012. By then, Trig will be older, and this dumb "investigation" will have been completed.
Meanwhile, thank you, Adam, for keeping this site going and keeping us informed and uplifted by your insights.
I don't mean to sound like Pollyanna, but I still think there is a slight chance that McCain WILL pick Palin. He certainly must realize that Palin will generate SO MUCH ENERGY and delight for this campaign!
Palin might be the "dark horse" Drudge and others mention!
PRAY! CALL!
PALIN! PALIN! PALIN!
Yahoo reports that McCain has NOT YET MADE HIS CHOICE!
PRAY, PEOPLE!
CALL, PEOPLE!
And SMILE! God is working!!!!!!!1
The Republican party runs a fairly tight operation. In 2000, there was zero rumor that Cheney would select himself. In 1996, if I remember correctly, the frontrunner was Gramm, McCain, and Mack at various point, then Kemp emerged as the nominee, seemingly out of nowhere. Of course, that ticket crashed and burned.
I'm also gonna assume that McCain people are reading this website and this particular thread of comments.
Isn't it highly possible that McCain has already decided on Palin -- and that all the rest is part of Team McCain's strategerie surrounding it.
Drudgereport saying name leak by 6pm...confirmation at 8pm TONIGHT.
Now, I have tremedous respect for all the name being mentioned. I think all would be just so much better than the Obama/Biden FAR left liberals.
But the Republican name is tarnished and down right now. McCain is NOT my favorite, by any means.
We need him, Mr. Maverick to really shake this up. Palin is a perfect choice.
She is a governor, outside and I mean WAY outside DC in Alaska, but she is a woman, a mother, we know the rest. But more than that, by having her on the ticket you bring the issue of ENERGY, which is the BIGGEST issue facing the country, to the top of the list.
I just don't think it will succeed with a Romney, Pawlenty etc. I like them and respect what they bring to the table. But it isn't time for more of the same.
I hope McCain can see this. I also hope he doesn't go in the other direction and pick Lieberman. Again, respect him on some issues, and he would be excellent in the cabinet.
I guess we will find out. I come to this site multiple times each day to see if there has been any news....I will pray for a real moment for our country and the Republicans.
One final straw at which to grasp. The URL www.mccainpalin.com now redirects to www.johnmccainvp.com, with a bogus announcement of a McCain-Pawlenty ticket. Why? We can't figure out who owns the domain, but had it been one of the nutroots, you know the redirection would have sent you to some hatefilled Bushitler website, sort of like what www.mccainforpresident.com does.
Also, www.johnmccainvp.com is merely two letters more than the official campaign website, www.johnmccain.com. It's not a stretch to think that the campaign would have purchased the former when they purchased the latter. And the McCain campaign has shown a great deal of savvy regarding the Internet and YouTube.com, so they had to know that people would be running the domain traps for some indication of who he was going to choose as his running mate.
Finally, by redirecting, does it not leave the www.mccainpalin.com domain available to work-up for the actual announcement? If this is the McCain campaign and your intent is to not only re-, but misdirect, then why not keep the palin announcment up?
Again, a straw, but I still have some degree of hope that Senator McCain and his people have been involved in an incredible political intelligence op that will not only stun the Democrats and MSM, but also completely energize the base.
Okay, I have officially drunk the Koolaid.
Drudge just announced that the VP pick may be leaked at 6PM (during the Democrat convention) to presumbably steal some thunder from Obama's coronation. If that is McCain's intention (and I believe it is) I have to believe that his choice has to be somebody who is NOT 'part of the usual suspects' or the media will give the pick short shrift and ho-hum it. I think that rules out Romney, Pawlenty, Giuliani and Ridge. Now it could include Lieberman but that would destroy any chance he has to win so what I think it means is that he has chosen a celebrity, a prominent minority candidate or a woman as his running mate--a person with pizzazz or a somebody with the potential to be a game changer. Could that mean Colin Powell, Clarence Thomas, or JC Watts--anything is possible; but could that also mean Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina. KBH, or Sarah Palin? As to Sarah, could you imagine the excitement of Palin flying in from Alaska to Dayton, Ohio and stumping with him for 3 days straight--John McCain would own the news cycle-the Democrats would not be able to capitalize on their convention as much as they expected.Then, barring the hurricane, they go right into their convention excited beyond belief, selling Sarah to the Republican base and to the American people-then leaving the convention on an incredible high ready to go to battle. However, Hollywood very rarely reveals itself in real life other than Tiger Woods amazing victory at the US Open on one leg. It would take a miracle for all this to happen but when you think about it isn't it a miracle, through the help of people like Adam, that Sarah Palin is now as well-known, respected and loved as she us by so many people across all age groups by both men and women so that she has finished either first or second in the WSJ poll, Townhall poll and the NRO poll, that in a recent poll of professional bloggers she tied with the well-known and media-darling Mitt Romney as the candidate they most would like to see as McCain's running mate. From a virtual unknown to the darling of the conservative community in a matter of months without any media fanfare--indeed that is a miracle. Jaded as we are, can we possibly think another miracle is possible?
Just heard on the radio WTKK-FM with Michael Graham on-site at Denver talking to some woman involved w/McCain Camp or something like that, saying that she's heard from her sources that Romney is out of consideration confirmed by logistics and she is saying Gov Pawlenty is the pick. Since Pawlenty is a total boor, unspiring, unexciting, barely won in Minnesota, and Hockey-Mom Palin likely to carry Minn more than Pawlenty, Palin much better debating Biden than Pawlenty, and women/Hillaryites currently being wooed by McCain's ads would be more than ticked, scorned and let down with a Pawlenty pick -- leads me to Palin. Apperantly, things are being sped up because of the impending hurricane.
from politico: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12934.html
"AP's Liz Sidoti reported: "Inside GOP circles Thursday, speculation swirled around Lieberman. It was fueled by reports that McCain's advisers had asked for additional detailed information from him, by McCain's close friendship with the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee, and by word that Republican operatives had been told to prepare for the possibility of an 'unconventional' choice."
Without hope, you have nothing, whether that hope be for 2008 or 2012. The fact of the matter remains: John McCain could pick my left shoe to be his running mate, and I would still feel more confident about voting for McCain/Shoe than Obama/Biden.
A previous poster brought up the point about the McCain camp leaking it tonight between 6-8pm. They're also right in the fact that the pick needs to REALLY drum interest for it to compete with or overshadow Obama's speech tonight. conventional wisdom says it may be one of the, if not the most watched speech of all-time. If Mac comes out with a bad pick or a boring pick, it's toast. Forget it. It will uniformly be overshadowed by Obama's "I have a dream 2" speech.
But, I'll give the Mac camp credit. This is the same camp that brought the man back from the political dead a month ago. Let's hope their brains are still working the same way and a pick is made where it crushes Obama.
C'mon peoplem let's knock it out of the park tonight.
Mac/Palin '08!
Does anyone know Gov. Palin's activities, on schedule today? Has there been any feedback or movement in Alaska in terms of local media reports???
I only have been able to get news on the Parnell-Young race, her signing a bill yesterday and the Stevens matter...
Whoever it is, that person has to be ready for 11 am tomorrow in Dayton. (a basketball arena ironically, since we all know Sarah Barracuda's abilities in that sport)
KBH doesn't get along with Mac, plus she wants to be Gov. of Texas, she is very bland.
I think Lieberman is a head fake.
Romney is out, Team Barry already have queued up his clips vis-a-vis Mac in the primaries and talking points about the number of houses, and joint wealth, etc. (typical class warfare rhetoric)
He really needs to pick Palin, she is the one, but it seems like Pawlenty, in my estimation.
He was on GMA-ABC this morning and had canned answers for Sawyer regarding his "experience" in contrast to Barack's.
Stop with the Lieberman talk already. That is utterly ridiculous!!! NO WAY, simply some diversionary chatter.
Now, if announcement comes right before the Obama speech anD it were Pawlenty, it would be a nothing, zzzzzz, blaaaah, so what -- SO I'M THINKING ITS GONNA BE THE WOW, DRUMMING UP GOP EXCITEMENT AND DROWNING OUT OBAMA RIGHT AT THE PERFECT TIME!!! Go Palin!!!!! McCain/Palin '08.
They would have to be here in Dayton at like 9AM to speak with McCAIN.
Pawlenty would be better than Romney, too much video swipes at McCain for Dumbocrats to use against McCAIN. Plus Romney has a few houses and is not just and ordinary guy.
SHOULD BE PALIN!!!!!!!!!
PALIN is someone that could GRAB FEMALE voters to McCAIN !!
Perhaps the reason for a 6 pm "leak" will be the obvious need for the candidate to be getting on a plane, which will be easily noted by the press by this evening...
Ever wonder if any of our emails or letters even get forwared to senior staff? What if the intern or volunteer is a Romney supporter and doesn't even bother to forward the message. I hear there are a lot of Romney people in the McCain camp.
Well, 6 PM Eastern would be 2 PM Alaska Time, and it's about a 6 hour flying time to Dayton, so if she left at around 2 PM, she'd get in about midnight Eastern Time. That would give her plenty of time to get to Dayton.
I am really hoping and praying for Palin. She is what our country needs! We need someone to fight corruption, create energy self-sufficiency, and help unite the Republicans.
I've sent an email to all of the McCain offices. I hope they read them and pass them on. I hope McCain and his campaign are hearing us! They need someone to totally take the Democrats off-guard and that would be Palin! She can do it!
McCain-Palin'08!!!!!!!!!
In theory, there is ample time for any candidate to get on a plane after the supposed "leak". In fact, that will likely be the case regardless of who gets the nod. Romney and Pawlenty are in Denver, who knows where Lieberman is, but I'm guessing its not Dayton. Regardless of the pick, SOMEBODY is going to have to catch a flight to Dayton (unleess they do something wacky like pipe the VP in via sattelite).
http://flightaware.com
Keep your eyes peeled. Now, if it was Palin, would she be leaving from Anchorage or Juneau? Cause I can't find Juneau anywhere in the listings...
Yomi, as often the case, if Palin is in Juneau she might have a flight from there to Anchorage and then from there it could be a charter flight from there to Seattle and on to Dayton.
DaveF said...
Both Juneau and Anchorage have flights to Dayton. But there is one from Anchorage that leaves around 7:00pm tonight and arrives in Dayton around 8:00am tomorrow morning. I was curious too.
Here is a theory I discussed with a buddy at work today in regards to the leak this evening. Let's say I'm McCain and I want to get the media's attention. At 6:00pm I tell the newsies I have made a definite decision on my VP, but I still need to make some arrangements and tie up some loose ends. I tell them to come back at 8:00pm for some big news. What does this do? 2 things: First, it grabs some attention and gets people talkin'. Second, it takes attention away from the DNC. Now for the best part...At 8:00pm when they show up I tell the person I tapped has accepted, and I will introduce them tomorrow in Dayton.
Take some Thunder and then leave them Hangin'.
I'm an Obama Dem, but I like to stay informed. I found this post very interesting. The DC news just reported that Sarah Palin was, in fact, chosen for McCain's VP spot.
What a contradictory article. You start off saying this has nothing to do with her being a woman, blue collar, and a mother but come back later with those points in your argument. I look forward to Obama winning this election so I don't have to worry about old, rich, white people telling me, as a woman, what I can and can't do with my body.
Jeff Foster said...
I am a happy man now. I'm not a big McCain fan, but after some research I did about Sarah over the last several months, he couldn't have made a better choice in my opinion for a multitude of reasons.
I certainly am not wishing McCain any ill, but should it happen, I could be happy with Sarah stepping up to fill his shoes. Young, conservative, large family friendly, pro-life, all I can say is, Thank God.
I can only hope that Nobama is quaking in his shoes this morning. McCain did what Nobama was too arrogant to do, and that was truly offer change. McCain has a lot of room for improvement for conservatism's sake, but with Sarah by his side, I can rest knowing she will be a voice for conservative reason in his decision making.
With this choice, I can see 12 to 16 more years of Republican leadership in the White House, but we have to stick to our conservative principles. I believe Sarah will do that.
Go Team McPalin!
Avid Fan said...
You Palin people just want to tap that Alaskan ass. Hillary voters are not idiots; they don't just want "A" woman...they want "THEIR" woman. Joe Biden is going to chew this bitch up and spit her out. Old Man McCain just lost the White House.
East Richland HS Class of 1982 Reunion said...
OMG! What experience does this women really have????? So she is a women. I would hope that John McCann doesn't think that women are so stupid not to know what he is hoping for....and I say hoping. I will talk to everyone I know NOT to vote for John McCann.
Sorry to crash your party, but can you back up your claims with facts? Right now Palin is the laughingstock because not even the campaign can produce a fact sheet about her. Heck, even Kay Bailey Hutchinson doesn't know Palin, has never met her and doesn't know what to think.
Women everywhere are offended or flustered by this pick.
mills5 said...
I am really excited about Sarah Palin as the VP choice. She and her family have a grueling road ahead. I hope her family is as tough as she seems to be. I have felt unenthusiastic about the McCain and Obama ballot. Now there is something to be excited about. Nice job McCain!
Congrats on the success of your campaign...McCain really caught me and a lot of others off guard with this pick.
lilteabag said...
Good choice. Clinton supported (me) will be voting this year, all because of Sarah Palin.
gregamstutz@hotmail.com said...
Maybe what we need is someone who is fed up with the politics as usual in Washington and this pick has it pegged. I am at a loss as to what people really disliked about Bush except he had many of those 'senate and house cronies numbers' , I like him. Palen is no dummy. She could easily step in and represent America as we really are experiencing some very tough economic issues today. Why do people think we need 'the same ole' experience when we really want change in our political leadership. Someone who understands what its like to raise a family and work for a living and who doesn't have a bazillion dollars behind them could be the best choice ever made in history. Obama has scared the heck out of me and what really has he ever governed? Really....He is a professional campaigner and has great success at that, but what happens when Iran invades Isreal? Oh, we need to talk, how about starbucks at noon? Palin would kick 'a' and take names and no prisoners. So would McCain. War is a fact of life. Humans are a violent species, read the newspapers folks. By our standing up for what is morally right in Iraq we have stabilized the mideast, and all I hear from liberal dems is I'll get us out, BS. Palen roots out the bad and encourages good. This is what I want in my country, someone who cares about what role we play around the world and hope for those that care enought to work for a living.
garyb said...
Sarah Palin is an ideal choice for VP. She is also qualified for the higher position. John MCain and Sarah shoul speak out against the "fluff" issues of competancy and personal issues of the Palin family. Mccain and Palin should be proud that Obama is striking at these fluff issues because he can not debate the "REAL" issues.
Julie Badion said...
I'm worried! We have to be realistic and look at the facts. Sarah Palin supported Ted Stevens’s “Bridge to Nowhere” until it became a political disaster, then diverted the money to other projects. In her speech to the Wasilla Assembly of God in June, she said it was “God’s will” that the federal government contribute to a $30 billion gas pipeline she wants built in Alaska. According to Ms. Palin, the war in Iraq is “a task that is from God.” Presumably, God also disapproves of the Wasilla librarian’s reading list. Before Ms. Palin was elected governor, her greatest accomplishments as mayor of her tiny suburb was raising the sales tax to build a hockey rink and firing the librarian for refusing to ban certain books. The librarian was later reinstalled as a result of public outcry. These are items people will pay attention to. It's not enough to be an understanding mom of a pregnant teen!
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Instagram develops "Threads" app is messaging and states
Facebook It is developing a new messaging application called "Threads" (Threads) that is intended to promote constant and intimate exchange between users and their closest friends.
Threads, which is designed as a complementary application for Instagram, which invites users to automatically share their location, speed and battery life with their friends, along with more typical text, photo and video messages using the creative tools of Instagram. The application, which is designed to share with your list of "close friends" in Instagram, and for now it is being tested internally in Facebook.
This application is following the steps of Snapchat, which is now an important part of its users. Reports have indicated that the average Snapchat user spends more time within the application than the average user of Instagram.
For Facebook and Instagram, which have long coveted Snapchat's strong commitment among younger users, Threads could represent another effort to reduce the appeal of its rival.
The screenshots reviewed by The Verge show an application designed to promote constant and automatic exchange between users and people on their "close friends" list in Instagram.
It is a tool intended for those who choose to share their day to day automatically, and the threads will regularly update their status, giving their friends a real-time view of information about their location, speed and more. At the moment, Threads does not show your location in real time; instead, I could say that something like a friend is "on the move," according to sources familiar with the matter.
You can also update your status manually, with statuses that appear in the main feed along with messages. It is the last effort to automate state exchange using mobile phone sensors and state exchange with one touch.
Nous recommandons: 8bit Doves - App of the Week on iTunes
The core of Threads seems to be messaging, and it looks very similar to the existing messaging product within Instagram. Your friends' messages appear in a central source, with a green dot indicating which of your friends are currently active. If your friend has published a story recently, you can also view it from Threads. Threads also has a camera, which you can use to capture photos and videos and send them to your close friends.
It is not clear when threads could be launched. Facebook You could finish the development before sending the application to the general public, as you did with Direct. But the CEO of FacebookMark Zuckerberg said in March that he sees private messages as the company's future. Threads seems to represent the company's latest effort to realize that vision. With information from The Verge.
On this note
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Realme launches the Realme XT and announces its arrival in Spain soon
Good news for Chinese Realme brand adherents. The company has revealed that it will land in Spain next October with two new devices: Realme 5 Pro and Realme XT, announced a few weeks ago. Therefore, a very easy way to acquire a terminal from this manufacturer is opened, that we imagine will expand the catalog as the months go by.
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In addition, in the last hours it has also given a new terminal: Realme XT 730G and the list of mobiles that will be updated soon to Android 10, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system. We will explain everything below.
So are the new Realme XT and XT 730G
The Realme XT is one of the candidates to arrive in our country in mid-October. This model has a 6.4-inch panel with Full HD + resolution, as well as an all-screen design with water drop shaped notch. In its rear part there is room for a quadruple camera arranged in an upright position. This is formed by a first 64 megapixel sensor with an f / 1.8 aperture, accompanied by a second 8 megapixel wide angle sensor, a third 2 megapixel sensor with depth sensor and a 2 megapixel macro camera. The latter will give us the ability to capture images at close range. For the selfies we will have a 16 megapixel sensor.
As for the rest of the features, The Realme XT houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 processor inside, accompanied by 4, 6 or 8 GB of RAM, and a storage of 64 or 128 GB. There is no lack of a 4,000 mAh battery with fast charging. The device will go on sale in India on September 16 in the following versions and prices.
Really XT 4 + 64 GB: 200 euros to change
Really XTE 6 + 64GB: 215 euros to change
Really XTE 8 + 128 GB: 240 euros to change
Nous recommandons: Mario Kart Tour will be released for mobile on September 25
For its part, the Realme XT 730G offers the same technical set as the XT except for the processor, which includes an improved one. This is a Snapdragon 730G, accompanied by fast charging VOOC at 30W for the battery. This model will be available in a single version with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Availability is expected in India, although we do not know if this phone will end up landing in Spain.
Realme phones that will update to Android 10
In addition to the news of his arrival in Spain next October, we have also known the list of Realme devices that may be updated to Android 10 shortly. As you know, this version of the system is already official and will gradually be introduced in a large number of Android phones. For now, there are eight phones that are listed and that have been confirmed by the company to update.
Of course, we will have to wait for next year, since the first updates are scheduled for the first quarter of 2020. Of course, the most recent Realme teams will be the first to enjoy the benefits of Android 10. These are the Realme 3 Pro, 5 Pro, Realme X and XT. They will receive the update sometime between January and March. For its part, Realme 3, as well as users of Realme 5 and Realme 3i will have to wait for the second quarter. The Realme 2 Pro will be the last to have Android 10. It will be updated in the third quarter of 2020.
Nous recommandons: The Redmi Note 8 will be launched this month in Spain
Other news about … mid-range
announcesArrivallaunchesRealmeSpain
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First POST: Tony Meow Now
BY Micah L. Sifry | Tuesday, April 22 2014
Tony Meow Now
The Upshot, the New York Times' new data-driven news vertical, has launched. Most interesting, from editor David Leonhardt's introductory note:
Perhaps most important, we want The Upshot to feel like a collaboration between journalists and readers. We will often publish the details behind our reporting — such as the data for our inequality project or the computer code for our Senate forecasting model — and we hope that readers will find angles we did not. We also want to get story assignments from you: Tell us what data you think deserves exploration. Tell us which parts of the news you do not understand as well as you’d like.
Dan Gillmor, the first mainstream journalist to blog, who was way ahead of his time in saying "My readers know more than I do," should take a victory lap. The Times never hired him, but they have internalized his best idea.
Staff working for Australia's Prime Minister and Cabinet have apparently spent a fair amount of time discussing a web plug-in called "Tony Meow Now" that replaces pictures of Prime Minister Tony Abbott with cute kittens. The developer Dan Nolan and Ben Taylor filed a FOI request to get any internal correspondence related to their plug-in, and now the government wants them to pay $720 in fees to get 137 pages of internal correspondence. Says Nolan, ‘I don’t think there’s going to be any high-level stuff ... but it would be really interesting to see how a government department reacts to these weird new kinds of technology and culture jamming stuff, which previously they wouldn’t have had to deal with.’’ (h/t Mark Pesce)
Felix Salmon gets at the existential truth of Silicon Valley start-up life: it's a miserable lottery with very few winners and many self-exploiting failures. And yet, like past gold rushes, it is warping our culture.
Are they using gold-plated email? The Department of Health and Human Services pays $146.64 per month per user for email, a charge that "covers connectivity, storage, and other email services," and is independent of how many emails employees send or receive," the GAO reports in a footnote in a memo explaining the department's efforts to solicit support for the Enroll America nonprofit.
Tin Geber looks at whether apps can help fight sexual harassment, for us at WeGov.
Enter the dronie.
CrowdRise, the crowdfunding platform for nonprofit causes, is getting a new round of $23 million in investment, led by Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures.
Ben Taylor
crowdfuding
Crowdrise
Dan Nolan
David Leonhardt
Mark Pesce
Tin Geber
Union Square Ventures
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The Spirits of Ansett
Fred Niven Pages
Jim Haynes Page
Keith Maynard
Ansett Anecdotes
Bob Ansett
Tom Ballantyne Page
Kenneth Bond Page
History : Keith Maynard
Address by Keith Maynard at the first
"Spirits of Ansett"
It is with great pleasure that I join with you today in your "get together" of personnel who have served the Company over many years under the Ansett Airline flag and it certainly delighted us all, I'm sure, to hear from the State Manager, Jim Parkinson facts and figures covering achievements and predictions past, present and future of Ansett Airlines.
Those of us who had some share in early operations of the airline industry are proud to reflect on its advanced achievements. For this reason I thought some of my early associations might prove of interest to you here today.
After a period of 10 years with the Holyman Company on the shipping side of their operations at Ulverstone, Stanley, Melbourne and Launceston, I was in 1932 transferred to the small airline office of the company. A decision had been made by the directors, on the instigation of the late Victor Holyman, to set up an airline operation as he had experience in this field serving in the R.A.F. years before. He was also a sea captain as well and was master of the Laramah, one of the company's steamers on the Melbourne to Launceston service, carrying freight.
On one trip, carried on deck, was a DH83 Fox Moth and after being offloaded was flown to Western Junction by Victor Holyman.
The aircraft had one motor, carried 3 passengers with their luggage, some freight and mail if required. The pilot operated from an open cockpit. The aircraft was named "Miss Currie" and carried the registration VH-UQM.
The service from Launceston to Flinders Island was commenced and 109 miles being covered in 1 hour 15 minutes. The operators were Holyman Bros. Pty Ltd. and were in competition with Captain L. Mc. K. Johnston who had already set up a service with his De Soutter monoplane, VH-UEE named "Miss Flinders" (now on display at Western Junction Airport). This aircraft carried 4 passengers with pilot comforts inside the cabin. Within a short time both operators joined forces and operated as Tasmanian Aerial Services and with the company's Chief Engineer, Jack Stubbs and Keith Maynard, to name but a few of the personnel, the foundations were laid.
The company in its pioneering days were looking to its future and added planes and staff in quick steps, D.H.84s, D.H.89, D.H.86, and D.H.86B etc. All increased the carrying capacity and services were spreading out.
In 1936 the Douglas aircraft was introduced to the service, DC-2, DC-3, DC-4, DC-6 etc.
In the early operations losses took their toll on aircraft but above all the company lost its founder Victor Holyman and, of course, Gil Jenkins his Co-Pilot. This to be followed by other losses later, but these did not deter Sir Ivan Holyman in his determination to continue.
In the 1939-1945 war period, many of the company's aircraft and their pilots and engineers were pressed into service and participated in the activities in war zones.
In 1939 I was appointed Manager for King Island and covered the company's operations there. During this period, one incident, which can now be told, may prove of interest to you today. Because of the location of the island in Bass Strait it was considered to be a possible potential landing ground for enemy forces. So, the decision was made to place the area under heavy security. Obstruction posts were erected on the grassed areas between the three landing strips. A system of mobile barriers was placed at regular intervals across the strips. These were removed prior to our aircraft arrivals and replaced after take-offs.
Demolition charges were sunk across each runway at regular intervals and wired to a control point in an underground pit, closely guarded by members of the Civil Army, stationed on King Island at that time.
Our Douglas passenger service had just landed and parked on the runway, adjacent to the airport building, or waiting room.
It was obvious that a storm was pending so Captain Jack Bennett, Keith Maynard and one of our staff proceeded to place ballast against the wheels of the aircraft. The storm broke soon afterwards and we three took shelter in the aircraft with the hostess who was doing some duties within the cabin.
Hearing a loud report I saw flashes appearing along the runways and alerted all 4 in the aircraft that we would be in danger if we did not make a quick exit.
It was over in minutes and we saw an impressive sight of earth piled up 10 feet high and from a total of approximately 150 demo charges laid 5 had remained intact – and 4 of these were under the Douglas aircraft from which we had made our exit.
As you can imagine a lot of work was done to clear a path, enabling the Douglas to take off at 1500 that day to ferry back to Melbourne.
Some of the craters were 15 feet across and 10 feet deep and in rows of 4 across the runway one could well imagine the mass of soil shifted. Some clods were located about half mile from the airport. Secrecy on this prevailed.
On a subsequent trip Jack Bennett enquired of me "How the heck did you beat me to that waiting room?" We sure had some Stawell Gift contenders.
In 1945 however I returned to the Launceston office and in 1953 was appointed Devonport Manager and continued there until 1962 after 30 years association with the airline industry. During that time many lasting friends both within and outside of the industry were made.
Thank you for the kind invitation to myself and wife to attend this memorable gathering, and I hope this will be the forerunner of many more. I also hope that Ansett Airlines will have prosperous years ahead.
Legends of Ansett
Convairs & ASA
2011 Reunion Photos
Our Entitlements
Engineers Pages
Fred Niven's Pages
Ramp Pages
Copyright © 2014, Spirits of Ansett.com
Site Visits :
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Zombies Abound in ‘The Walking Dead Episode 4: Around Every Corner’
Comments Off on Zombies Abound in ‘The Walking Dead Episode 4: Around Every Corner’
By: Jeb Haught
DEVELOPER: Telltale Games
PUBLISHER: Telltale Games
SYSTEM: Windows 7/Vista/XP (Xbox 360, PS3)
PRICE: $10 download
ESRB RATING: Mature
REVIEW RATING: 4.0 stars (out of 5)
I’m not a fan of horror movies, but for some odd reason I can’t seem to satiate my need for zombie slaying! That’s why I really enjoy watching “The Walking Dead” TV show and playing the video game. Episode 3 of the video game was not only horrifying, but also it forced players to make extremely difficult choices. This set a high bar that “The Walking Dead Episode 4: Around Every Corner” doesn’t quite surpass.
Players take on the role of a troubled man named Lee whose arrest by the police is disrupted by a worldwide zombie outbreak. Lee soon discovers a young girl who is all alone, and they band together to try and survive. Eventually they meet up with other survivors, and players are forced to make decisions that affect later portions of the game. In episode 4, the survivors arrive in a town called Savannah and search for a boat to escape the undead threat.
Fortunately, player decisions have more of an impact on the current and future episodes than they did in previous episodes. I also enjoy the fact that the writing in episode 4 has more … err … bite to it. Established characters are visibly changed by their horrific experiences and a new living enemy emerges.
There is also more gunplay in this episode than past ones, which would be welcome if the controls weren’t so unwieldy. Players use Lee to explore various areas on his own, but they feel a bit disjointed. On the plus side, conversation choices are remembered and offered as the default choice in future conversations.
Game play issues aside, “The Walking Dead Episode 4: Around Every Corner” still temporarily satisfies my hunger for zombie cyber-violence.
‘Midway Arcade Origins’
DEVELOPER: Backbone Entertainment
PUBLISHER: Warner Bros. Interactive
SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360 (PS3)
ESRB RATING: Teen
Modern consoles, handheld devices and even cell phones provide such high-quality gaming entertainment that it’s easy to forget how far the video game industry has advanced in a short amount of time. However, a few hours playing the nostalgic compilation, “Midway Arcade Origins,” will definitely help anyone gain a newfound respect for modern game developers.
Believe it or not, this title contains thirty-one classic titles from the golden age of arcade gaming for less than $1 per game! I remember how easy it was to waste five dollars worth of quarters in less than fifteen minutes at the local arcade (which horrified my parents!), so this is quite a bargain! Fortunately, every single game is presented in it’s unrefined, vintage glory, so anyone who enjoyed these games in the arcade will like them at home.
Listing every single game would take up most of this review, but it’s safe to say that there is something to please everyone. Some of my favorites include: 720, Defender 1 and 2, Gauntlet 1 and 2, Rampage, Robotron 2084, Spy Hunter 1&2, and Xenophobe. Most of the games in this compilation focus on combat of some sort, but A.P.B., Bubbles, Marble Madness, Root Beer Tapper, Super Sprint and Toobin’ are sure to please those old-school gamers who prefer nonviolent entertainment.
Playing these games against friends is one of the major draws to arcade gaming, so I appreciate the ability to play side-by-side at home. Sadly, the only online feature is the ability to compare scores via leaderboards. Would it really be so difficult to offer online multiplayer for up to four people?
Some of the titles suffer a bit from the lack of track-ball and steering wheel controls, but “Midway Arcade Origins” is still a great blast from the past.
REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM
5 stars = Must Have
4 stars = Very Good
3 stars = Above Average
2 stars = Bargain Bin
1 star = Don’t Bother
RATINGS KEY
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
E: Everyone
E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)
T: Teen (13 and older)
M: Mature (17 and older)
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Cardinal Dolan's Reply to Critics
Cardinal Dolan answered critics on the Obama. I do not find his arguments convincing. http://deaconjohnspace.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/cardinal-dolan-explains-reason-he-invited-president-obama/
I am afraid he is a product of post-Vatican II theology. Pray for him.
For one, an invitation to the Al Smith Dinner is not an award, or the provision of a platform to expound views at odds with the Church. It is an occasion of conversation; it is personal, not partisan.
Two, the purpose of the Al Smith Dinner is to show both our country and our Church at their best: people of faith gathered in an evening of friendship, civility, and patriotism, to help those in need, not to endorse either candidate. Those who started the dinner sixty-seven years ago believed that you can accomplish a lot more by inviting folks of different political loyalties to an uplifting evening, rather than in closing the door to them.
Three, the teaching of the Church, so radiant in the Second Vatican Council, is that the posture of the Church towards culture, society, and government is that of engagement and dialogue. In other words, it’s better to invite than to ignore, more effective to talk together than to yell from a distance, more productive to open a door than to shut one. Our recent popes have been examples of this principle, receiving dozens of leaders with whom on some points they have serious disagreements. Thus did our present Holy Father graciously receive our current President of the United States. And, in the current climate, we bishops have maintained that we are open to dialogue with the administration to try and resolve our differences. What message would I send if I refused to meet with the President?
Finally, an invitation to the Al Smith Dinner in no way indicates a slackening in our vigorous promotion of values we Catholic bishops believe to be at the heart of both gospel and American values, particularly the defense of human dignity, fragile life, and religious freedom. In fact, one could make the case that anyone attending the dinner, even the two candidates, would, by the vibrant solidarity of the evening, be reminded that America is at her finest when people, free to exercise their religion, assemble on behalf of poor women and their babies, born and unborn, in a spirit of civility and respect.
Some have told me the invitation is a scandal. That charge weighs on me, as it would on any person of faith, but especially a pastor, who longs to give good example, never bad. So, I apologize if I have given such scandal. I suppose it’s a case of prudential judgment: would I give more scandal by inviting the two candidates, or by not inviting them?
No matter what you might think of this particular decision, might I ask your prayers for me and my brother bishops and priests who are faced with making these decisions, so that we will be wise and faithful shepherds as God calls us to be?
In the end, I’m encouraged by the example of Jesus, who was blistered by his critics for dining with those some considered sinners; and by the recognition that, if I only sat down with people who agreed with me, and I with them, or with those who were saints, I’d be taking all my meals alone.
I have a few thoughts. One, those of us in the pew who fought for pro-life in Illinois when POTUS was in power in that State, have consistently felt let down. This man has a long history of fighting against the Church. Second, if we are the Church Militant, and I am from my baptism and confirmation, am I not supposed to fight against error and evil? When does one keep silent? Even Christ spoke harshly to the leaders of the Jewish religion of His time and over dinner as well.
Third, do not the bishops have a lawsuit against Obamacare? Four, what about the Obama camps use of the photo opps to yet confuse more Catholics in the pew? Some will say “See, His Eminence is with Obama, so why can’t we vote for him?” Photos are stronger than words, in this post-rational society. The media is the message, remember? Five, it is a fund raiser, and I would not give money to a fund with the president as the speaker. Who gives money to the Archdiocese? Are these all pro-Obama backers and pro-abortion backers and pro-civil marriage backers? Six, if His Eminence wanted to do the right thing for all of us lowly ones watching him, he could make a prayer for all the 50 million plus aborted babies in the beginning of the dinner and ask POTUS to give money to pro-life activities in front of all. Challenge the man right then and there. Six, too many bishops are caving into the lie of “engaging the culture” instead of “changing the culture”, and this dinner invitation is engaging in the culture without any indication of changing the culture of death. Call it for what it is, and this does not cover all the other issues this president holds dear, including civil unions and the taking away of our religious rights. Seven, I pray for His Eminence. I call his position on the site a dance of compromise. Either we are hot or cold, not lukewarm. Christ set the bar, not us. I am grieved at this decision.
Good News for Romney and Ryan from the Washington Examiner
A Romney first: over 40% of youth vote back him
August 15, 2012 | 9:19 am http://washingtonexaminer.com/a-romney-first-over-40-of-youth-vote-back-him/article/2504893#.UCu2gt2PWTm
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
For the first time since he began running for president, Republican Mitt Romney has the support of over 40 percent of America's youth vote, a troubling sign for President Obama who built his 2008 victory with the overwhelming support of younger, idealistic voters.
Pollster John Zogby of JZ Analytics told Secrets Tuesday that Romney received 41 percent in his weekend poll of 1,117 likely voters, for the first time crossing the 40 percent mark. What's more, he said that Romney is the only Republican of those who competed in the primaries to score so high among 18-29 year olds.
"This is the first time I am seeing Romney's numbers this high among 18-29 year olds," said Zogby. "This could be trouble for Obama who needs every young voter he can get."
Zogby helped Secrets dig deeper into his weekend poll, which we reported on earlier. The poll had Romney and Obama tied at 46 percent.
Zogby has been especially interested in the youth vote this election. In 2008, 66 percent chose Obama over Sen. John McCain,the highest percentage for a Democrat in three decades. But their desire for hope and change has turned to disillusionment and unemployment. Zogby calls them "CENGAs" for "college-educated, not going anywhere."
In his latest poll, Obama receives just 49 percent of the youth vote when pitted against Romney, who received 41 percent. In another question, the independent candidacy of Gary Johnson is included, and here Obama wins 50 percent, Romney 38 percent and Johnson 5 percent.
But while taking Johnson out of the equation in the past has seen a surge in support for Obama, now the numbers for Romney--and undecideds--increase.
Zogby speculates that Romney's selection of 42-year-old Rep. Paul Ryan helped turn more younger voters to him. "It could be his youthfulness," said Zogby of Ryan. Plus, he said, more younger voters are becoming libertarian, distrustful of current elected officials and worried that they are going to get stuck with the nation's looming fiscal bill.
"They want change," said Zogby.
Labels: American politics
An answer to those leftists who claim Ryan is a Randist...
Ryan Shrugged
link is on name of author
and Father Z has some comments related to this link
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2012/08/rep-paul-ryan-and-ayn-rand/#comment-359054
APRIL 26, 2012 4:00 A.M.
Representative Paul Ryan debunks an “urban legend.”
By Robert Costa
'You know you’ve arrived in politics when you have an urban legend about you, and this one is mine,” chuckles Representative Paul Ryan, the Budget Committee chairman, as we discuss his purported obsession with author and philosopher Ayn Rand.
Paul Krugman, the New York Times columnist, recently called Ryan “an Ayn Rand devotee” who wants to “slash benefits for the poor.” New York magazine once alleged that Ryan “requires staffers to read Atlas Shrugged,” Rand’s gospel of capitalism. President Obama has blasted the Ryan budget as Republican “social Darwinism.”
These Rand-related slams, Ryan says, are inaccurate and part of an effort on the left to paint him as a cold-hearted Objectivist. Ryan’s actual philosophy, as reported by my colleague, Brian Bolduc, couldn’t be further from the caricature. As a practicing Roman Catholic, Ryan says, his faith and moral values shape his politics as much as his belief in freedom and capitalism does.
“I, like millions of young people in America, read Rand’s novels when I was young. I enjoyed them,” Ryan says. “They spurred an interest in economics, in the Chicago School and Milton Friedman,” a subject he eventually studied as an undergraduate at Miami University in Ohio. “But it’s a big stretch to suggest that a person is therefore an Objectivist.”
“I reject her philosophy,” Ryan says firmly. “It’s an atheist philosophy. It reduces human interactions down to mere contracts and it is antithetical to my worldview. If somebody is going to try to paste a person’s view on epistemology to me, then give me Thomas Aquinas,” who believed that man needs divine help in the pursuit of knowledge. “Don’t give me Ayn Rand,” he says.
Ryan enjoys bantering about dusty novels, but it’s not really his bailiwick. Philosophy, he tells me, is critical, but politics is about more than armchair musing. “This gets to the Jack Kemp in me, for the lack of a better phrase,” he says — crafting public policy from broad ideas. “How do you produce prosperity and upward mobility?” he asks. “How do you attack the root causes of poverty instead of simply treating its symptoms? And how do you avoid a crisis that is going to hurt the vulnerable the most — a debt crisis — from ever happening?”
Church-Going Chicago Style
A woman in Chicago had her purse stolen when going up for Communion. Now, for over twenty years, I have taken my purse up when I receive in rural as we.ll as urban areas.
Chicago has one of the highest crime rates of all cities in America. I have even heard good priests remind women to take their purses, or handbags, as these are called in England, with them.
The thief was driving a car. Not really poor. Some of us are too poor to own a car. She may have been drunk, according to witnesses. But, we must not pretend or be naive, or give a thief a chance.
It takes seven seconds to snatch a handbag and leave.
Take your bags with you, ladies and especially your laptops. Maybe it is because I lived in Europe so many years ago that I got in the habit of doing this.
We need to stop being naive, whether in suburbia or the county.
Take your belongings with you to the front of Church. Now, the woman was new to America and as an American, I apologize for her rude awakening to Chicago-style living.
We do not belong to ourselves--thoughts on the Feast of the Assumption
Laurence Whistler Window, St. Nicholas, Moreton, Dorset
I have been ill with a virus. This is very inconvenient for me, as I have work to do. I do not like being ill. I hate it. To be ill, however reminds me of two things I want to share with you on this Feast of the Assumption.
The first thought begins with a verse from 1 Corinthians:
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 6:19-20
Glorifying God in my body does not mean merely staying away from sins of the flesh, although that is important. That is the beginning step. As my body does not belong to me, this bold statement from the Holy Spirit shows me that I belong to God in my flesh.
If He allows illness, we must accept it. Sometimes this is easier when big illnesses hit us. For example, I am a cancer survivor. Before I heard the bad news in 2009, I prayed. I prayed afterwards. I grieved at the loss of parts of my body which God had created. But, I knew, in my heart, that this was God's Will for me to endure all of this. I had complications and missed work. I was fired for having cancer and being ill, which is legal in some states. It was like being on a long retreat. God was there in the loss and in the suffering.
Before two operations, I looked in the mirror and said goodbye to those important parts of my body I was losing on this earth. To dust and shadow, these are gone. I am not the same physically or mentally. But, these losses are gifts, as I slowly approach the great loss of my body in death. I consider the steps a blessing. I know how to give up the flesh and live more in the spirit.
My body does not belong to me. God owns me. He can do whatever He Wills. I was bought, not like a slave out of the slave markets of Rome, or Bristol, but out of deadly sin which would have sent me to hell. But, the slave price was the Passion and Death of a God, the Son of God, Who as the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity suffered for me. His Father allowed this in order to free me, and to free you.
My body, now incomplete, is glorified in Christ only partly now on earth, but in Heaven, I hope to see the glorification of this body, through Christ, again. As St. Paul states, we do not know exactly what we will be like, but the Church teaches we shall have, at the end of time, our bodies restored to us. This is one of the messages of today's feast. Our Lady went before us and her purity demanded that her body did not see corruption. We shall follow her at some time, as we allow God to make us pure, slowly but surely.
The smaller illnesses, like flu or a broken toe are in some ways harder to deal with, which is why God sends these to me, to learn patience. Irritating interruptions of our way of life mean we have to adjust to remembering Who is in control and what it is He wants. Patience, love, contentment in small things...
We do not own ourselves. The second point is that we shall be like God, as we were intended to be. We were made in the Image and Likeness of God and as St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote, "We have kept the Image but lost the Likeness." Body and soul are somehow reflecting God.
Those of us who sometimes see our bodies as "getting in the way", especially as we grow a little older, know deep down inside that we are moving towards death. But, this is not scary and there is a wonderful movement of the soul towards God as the body loses its, my, power and potency. A woman who was beautiful in her youth see this daily, as beauty fades. But, with God, this foreshadows a new interior life, one of interior beauty, the life of the virtues.
But, today's Feast of the Assumption points us to the real end of all things.
And remember, the Assumption is connected with the Immaculate Conception and the Annunciation. Mary was the first person to experience the Indwelling of the Trinity, which we all have.
Mary is our Queen, as the prayers state today, she reigns in Heaven. She reigns over us.
She is the only Queen to whom we can honestly say, "Long live the Queen". She lives now, showing us the Way, the Truth and the Life.
I write this for all my baby-boomers friends whom I love so much. May we approach the next life realizing that we glorify God in our bodies and souls here and beyond.
Happy Feast of the Assumption.
The Labor Day Statement from the USCCB
The USCCB's statement on economics this holiday includes some ideas not seen before in documents. In Placing Work and Workers at the Center of Economic Life, there is a criticism of unions I have not seen coming from the American bishops before this document. This is a fair statement. Unions have not only been partisan, but leaning towards Marxism, using Marxist language and symbolism and blatantly socialist, which should concern the Church in America.
Unions and other worker associations have a unique and essential responsibility in this needed economic renewal. Our Church has long taught that unions are "an indispensable element of social life, especially in modern industrialized societies" (Laborem Exercens, no. 20) and are examples of the traditional Catholic principles of solidarity and subsidiarity in action. At their best, unions demonstrate solidarity by bringing workers together to speak and act collectively to protect their rights and pursue the common good. Unions are a sign of subsidiarity by forming associations of workers to have a voice, articulate their needs, and bargain and negotiate with the large economic institutions and structures of government.
Like other institutions, including religious, business and civic groups, unions sometimes fall short of this promise and responsibility. Some union actions can contribute to excessive polarization and intense partisanship, can pursue positions that conflict with the common good, or can focus on just narrow self-interests. When labor institutions fall short, it does not negate Catholic teaching in support of unions and the protection of working people, but calls out for a renewed focus and candid dialogue on how to best defend workers. Indeed, economic renewal that places working people and their families at the center of economic life cannot take place without effective unions. This renewal requires business, religious, labor, and civic organizations to work together to help working people defend their dignity, claim their rights, and have a voice in the workplace and broader economy.
The bishops seem to be working on a longer document. Let us hope it is much better than the paper from the Vatican which created the debacle surrounding the unapproved economic paper released last autumn. I suggest the bishops read some of the books on Father Z's reading list....
Cold birds
Jumping bird
Webcam bird
Happy Feast of the Assumption
I love the icon symbolism of Christ holding the precious, Immaculate Soul of His Mother in the Dormition of Mary icons.
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