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0.025264 | <urn:uuid:14071394-4358-49a7-9f0e-a6e02dd99e10> | en | 0.962779 | REmoving remnants of previous plugins and functionality (2 posts)
1. btard
Posted 7 years ago #
Can someone help me. Every time my home page loads i see it transferring data an the server is itk.socialspark.com which I know is something to do with Izea or payperpost. incidentally, payperpost is also performing a data transfer.
In Firefox web developer plugin I checked the javascripts that were called, some were "normal" calls but then I see this:
+ http://tinyurl.com/2b5ojn
+ http://payperpost.com/javascripts/Objects/Url.js
+ these indicate that they an be expanded and the JS code can be viewed.
I know I deleted the functionality for this a LONG time ago but I cannot seem to get rid of these remnants. Can anyone help. I have no header calls to these files, I have no plugins, I cleansed the wp-options that referenced it.
Your help would really be appreciated to get rid of this damned annoyance, my site is here - http://nostatus.com
2. btard
Posted 7 years ago #
Ack, ignore this. Close this. I had to update footer code and I spotte the function that was causing this. How crazy, I was trying to find out why this was doing this for a few days and then I just find it the minute I ask for help.
Topic Closed
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0.023169 | <urn:uuid:d498876c-4cf2-4e97-a5da-4f8989628fa8> | en | 0.982329 | Story Name: Ixnay on the Bong
Rating: M / NC-17
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Pairing: Edward & Emmett (Edward & Heidi lemon)
Total Word Count: 10,377
Summary: Edward always dreamed of a trip to Europe – but add younger brother Emmett to the equation and it becomes his worst nightmare. Entry for the High Times Contest.
A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns. I rolled and sparked for them. But only somewhere legal.
Edward: somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean
It's not worth it, Cullen. Think of your future. Your family.
On second thoughts, don't think of your family. Still, though. You have a lot to live for.
Nope. Internal peptalk not working. I checked my watch for the ninety-fourth time and continued to stare down at the flimsy implements in my hands with longing.
The tinny repetitive beats blaring from his earbuds, his moronic attempt at beatboxing along; even the sound of him breathing was pissing me off by this point. I took a measured breath, turning the gelatinous 'dessert' on my plastic tray over on the exhale. Definitely no knife required for eating this. No wonder they didn't give you real cutlery in these flying tincans – terrorism was probably the least of their worries. Ten hours in the confines of a pressurised cabin with a family member like my brother would be enough to break anyone.
Okay, he was bigger than me, but the temptation to launch at him and start indiscriminately pummelling was rapidly morphing into compulsion. I'd even written a helpful suggestion on the perky 'How Did We Do?' in-flight customer service questionnaire: Issue tasers to the cabin crew.
As the idiotic music and one-man band continued, I closed my eyes, feeling the cheese steadily sliding off my cracker.
Fuck it. Enough. I snapped my eyes open again and leaned over, ripping out an earbud.
"Emmett," I growled into his ear through gritted teeth, "If you don't move your fat elbow the hell away from my ribcage I'm going to stick a plastic eating utensil in your freakishly oversized nostril faster than you can say fratricide."
His forehead wrinkled. "Huh?"
He was yelling, oblivious to the volume because of the shit music still blaring in his other ear and I could practically see the cogs spinning as he processed what I'd said. "Fratriwhatnow?"
I leaned away from the loud display of stupid as if it was catching and rolled my eyes.
"And Dude," he added slowly after a few seconds had rolled past, "how can my elbow be fat? It doesn't even make any sense."
There are no words. I contemplated him in silence for a full twenty seconds, but eighteen years of bitter experience was telling me that scorn would be lost on him. Still, a few pleasing scenarios of brutal but imaginative death played out behind my eyes before I shook my head in disgust and turned back to the anaemic airline food. I jabbed my fork into a suspect lump, muttering.
"It terrifies me that you were the quickest sperm out of millions."
"Hey, I heard that. Suck my dick, man," he shout-scowled back.
I grinned. "Not tonight, sweetheart." Pleased with myself, I threw a half-grin at the passing flight attendant as she leaned over to remove the uneaten food. When she shyly returned the smile, I winked at her just for the hell of it.
Glancing around with a nervous giggle and touching a hand to her red curls, she smiled back a little more sexily. Huh. Perhaps this flight wasn't so bad, after all.
Scrub that. I was with Emmett, so it immediately spiralled from bad to abject misery. Noticing the exchange, Emmett waded in as per fucking usual with his cockblocking size thirteens and a sharp pin to deflate my momentarily lifted mood. Closest to her in the aisle seat, I watched helplessly as a gigantic bear-paw landed on her arm.
"Excuse me? Miss? I can't help but notice that your eyes are the exact same shade as my Porsche. It's uncanny. Really." He clearly had no idea how loud his voice was; people seated around us were openly staring now.
The attendant froze, frowning down in disbelief. "Remove your hand, sir." All trace of sultriness gone.
I fixed my eyes on the screen mounted in the back of the seat in front where the little flashing graphic of the plane was approaching coastline. Six thirty pm, local time. One more hour sat this close. One more hour to concentrate on not killing, maiming, or at the very least junkpunching him. Palming my face, I sank down as low as possible into my seat.
My first ever trip to Europe and I had to go with Emmett. I stared at little blinking plane with a sigh and visualized the pleasant mental images of the trip I'd always dreamed of, now all overlaid with huge, flashing neon letters:
Still, I was psyched about seeing Alice, I reasoned, brightening at the thought of her. It had been a long six months since she'd gone to Berlin and I missed her crazy ass more than I cared to admit. Our little sister had shocked us all when she decided to go to Germany for a year's study because apparently, she couldn't bear to be separated from the boyfriend she met at college. It was completely unlike the Alice I knew, and totally beyond me. Well, this Jasper dude would be meeting her two fairly large brothers in approximately eighteen hours or so, so here was hoping for his own sake that he wasn't a douche.
Besides, this trip wasn't all bad – at least the 'rents were bankrolling it. Further cosmic bonus: we were breaking our journey with a stop at Schipol Airport.
Schipol, Netherlands.
Schipol, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Win, made of. I smiled to myself.
The smile faded when I noticed the same flight attendant returning along the aisle, checking everyone's seatbelts were fastened and all seats were upright for the landing procedure. My stomach clenched briefly in cringey embarrassment but it was wasted anyway; she studiously ignored us both this time. Kudos. Way to make an impression, Emmett.
As we taxied off the runway, Emmett leaned his massive frame right over me and pressed his face up to the plexiglass. "Dude," he said wonderingly, "it doesn't look any different to the US."
I stared at him again, incredulous. "Firstly, fucking OW, and secondly – what the hell were you expecting, Emmett?"
"I don't know... this is Holland, right?" he mumbled. "Maybe like windmills and shit."
At least he had the good grace to look embarrassed as I shoved him off me and pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my head as far as it would go.
The December evening washed a tingling gray wave of anaesthesia over our faces as we left the plane via the back exit, but not without a walk of shame past the same air hostess as she stood to say goodbye to passengers. I couldn't bring myself to look at her. Unsurprisingly, Emmett, King of the Land Where Nothing is Sacred wasn't as coy. As I took the steps in front of him, his voice drifted over my shoulder.
"Yo, miss? Can't I even get a fake number?"
Jesus. Kill me now. Better still, kill him. Hunching my shoulders and jamming my hands into my pockets, I walked faster, finding it much easier to pretend I was alone now that I wasn't trapped next to him at 40, 000 feet. I kept up the state of denial all the way across the tarmac and into the terminal building. Sadly, at Passport Control I realized I needed to communicate and the fantasy cracked.
"Passports, dumbass." I turned around and held out my hand.
"Huh? Oh, right."
Emmett had caught me at a bad time at check-in at Sea-Tac airport – during a rare moment of guilt over all the 'dumb jock' jokes. Emmett wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination, but I pretty much got my full-time kicks from insinuating that he was, purely because I'm indisputably more academic. Besides, insulting his intelligence sort of made up for eighteen years of being beaten by my kid brother at every sporting event in living memory. That's why when he had insisted on keeping the wallet with our passports and travel documents, I had caved. Against my better judgement, I'd let the normal comments slide and handed them over silently instead, but I still gave him a sideways glance now to check he had it all back safely in the travel wallet before we walked away from Passport Control.
"Okay A-hole, listen up," I said to him as we retrieved our backpacks from the carousel. "We have one night in Amsterdam, Emmett. One night. Try not to fuck this up. We have to be back at the airport no later than ten a.m. in the morning. Remember what happened in Vegas."
Emmett gave me a funny look, slowly shaking his head.
"What is your problem?" I snapped, spying my bag rolling towards us.
He sighed. "Seriously? I'm worried about you, man. I love you, bro, and we used to have crazy fun. What the fuck happened when you went to Harvard, Eddie?" His blue eyes were charged with reproach as a heavy hand landed on my shoulder. "Just chill, and take that stick out from your ass, will ya? Going to college has changed you, man."
Glaring at him, I shrugged off his hand. "Thank you, Dr Phil, for your considered opinion." Oh, lame comeback, Cullen. Finding myself lacking any satisfyingly witty reply, I opted for another eyeroll instead, then shouldered my bag and stalked off. By the time he caught up with me exiting the baggage hall, the bitching had already started up.
"Let's find a taxi, man. Fuck going native."
No. I shook my head determinedly. "No way. Embry said the the train station is actually inside the airport. We're getting the train. Come on Emmett, live a little. Don't be a pussy all your life – surely ninety-nine point seven percent of the time is enough?"
Luckily, Embry had been right; as I spoke, my eyes fell on the sign for the train station, so Emmett didn't have time to argue. We queued for tickets and although I would have rather died than admit it to Emmett I was secretly relieved when the woman at the counter spoke perfect English.
"Woah. It's a double-height train," Emmett breathed like a six year old when it pulled up to the platform.
"Are you serious?" I asked in disbelief, "Wait, don't answer that," I concluded flatly as the doors slid open, "Of course you are."
We dragged ourselves and our huge bags onto the train, Emmett bounding enthusiastically up the stairs to the upper level.
"This is so cool – woah." He did a visible double take at the passenger sitting alone at one seat of four around a table near the entrance to the carriage. Turning back to me, he whispered theatrically from one side of his mouth with all the subtlety of a brick.
"Yo, check out the hottie, man."
Throwing her a grin that should have been melting on a burger, Emmett very deliberately set his messenger bag and wallet down on the table to secure his claim on the place next to the long-legged woman reading a book. Who was, admittedly, very fucking hot.
"Hi, we're American", Emmett said, loudly and slowly to the owner of the loose corkscrew golden-brown curls and blue-gray eyes.
She lowered her book and smiled politely.
"Yes, thank you, I got that," she stated in perfect English.
"Nice to meet you," Emmett twinkled, leaning over to her train pass lying open on the table. "Heidi," he read loudly. Her expression soured. The blue-gray suddenly iced over, regarding him like he'd pissed on the table and she snatched the pass away in a gesture of serious annoyance, stuffing it in her bag.
I leaned as far back in my seat as I could and set to work on mastering the art of becoming invisible.
It clearly wasn't working. "How come everyone speaks English?" Emmett murmured over to me.
"Because you so very obviously don't speak any Dutch, you tool," I replied, rolling my eyes.
Heidi's lips curled into a smirk behind her book.
Unperturbed, Emmett turned to her and tried again. "Excuse me, miss? Is there anywhere good to go in Amsterdam? Have you been?"
She lowered her book fractionally. "I live there," she conceded reluctantly, eyes not leaving the page this time.
Now, I know my brother. Emmett has a heart of gold but absolutely zero sense of tact or subtlety, so I wasn't the slightest bit surprised when he persisted. However, I could tell that corkscrew-curls-angel-tits-perfect-face-Heidi definitely was.
"Oh, really?" he continued, blissfully oblivious to her body language cues screaming FUCK. OFF. NOW, or whatever the equivalent was in Dutch.
She sighed, lifting her gaze to meet his. "I live in the centre, near the Oude Kerk – Old Church," she clarified, taking in Emmett's confused expression. Her gaze slid briefly to mine. "Lots to do around there."
I swallowed, but she had already turned back to Emmett. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm reading."
It was my turn to smirk, at least until he shrugged and stuck his earphones in again and the tinny asshole music started back up. I put my head against the window occupied myself by spying covertly on the hot girl – Heidi – in the reflection, but was still absolutely fucking delighted to discover the journey didn't take long. As the tannoy announced Amsterdam Centraal Station was the next stop, Emmett went into overdrive like an excited oversized puppy, snatching up his things. After one disgusted glance, I turned around and walked out of the carriage.
It was dark, and bitterly cold when we arrived at the front of the station. Wrapping my scarf twice around my neck, I opened out my map.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Emmett's tone was one of petulant disbelief.
I sighed, staring determinedly at the map of the city. "Emmett, central Amsterdam isn't even large. Come on, you're the athletic one. We're in Europe. Let's use our legs, take a walk to the central square and find a hotel." I strode off, wholeheartedly not caring if he followed.
"No," Emmett called, suddenly sounding shifty. "I don't want to spend my night here sitting in some shitty hotel room with my brother – no disrespect to you, Eddie. Besides, I wanna spend the money the big C-Dude gave us on... you know. Poontang."
I stopped walking and turned around slowly. "Jesus. Emmett." I enunciated each syllable as if I was talking to an imbecile, which on reflection, didn't seem far from the truth. "We're here for one night. Our flight leaves at ten tomorrow morning. And it's fucking freezing. I'm not spending it smoking Gauloises on a corner while you contract VD getting blown by a hooker."
Stopping too, he made a face at me. "Okay then, Mr Einstein, what do you want to do?"
"I'm pretty sure it was Dr Einstein." I started to walk again.
"You are officially No Fucking Fun at all since becoming a medical student, you know that, right?" Emmett grumbled, but followed me anyway. He kept up the whining all the way along the street heading into the centre, intersected by canals.
"Fuck this. Let's take a taxi and go to the titty bar, man."
I stopped again, running my fingers through my hair in annoyance. "Newsflash. We're in A m s t e r d a m. Prostitution is legal here. They don't need titty bars."
His bottom lip jutted out just like in countless photos of him as a kid. "Yeah, well I'm thousands of miles away from my parents' jurisdiction in a country where I can legally drink and smoke and go to titty bars, and I want one."
Oh, crap. I knew that face. Petulant Emmett was like a juggernaut – when he set in motion in any given direction in pursuit of an idea, he was never able to be talked out of things without a crash.
"Anyway," Emmett persisted, "What are you, a fucking eunuch? I know for a fact you haven't got laid since you found out ho-bag Lady Tanya was bumping uglies with James as well as you."
I started to shake my head in warning at his mention of my messy breakup, but Emmett steamrollered on.
"Shit, you probably need to get your bags blown a whole lot more than I do, Eddie. How long's it been? Six? Seven months? Hey!" He smacked me across the shoulder blades, brightening. "We can use Carlisle's credit card!"
Hoping he would drop the talk of Tanya, I gave three slow claps. "Bravo, Mister Einstein. And when the Good Doctor checks his credit card online in about five hours, we'll be screwed, with two weeks still left of our trip." I watched his forehead wrinkle as he tried to do the math.
He suddenly grinned. "But it would be a good five hours, bro."
Sighing, I started to walk again.
"Anyway," I said as he fell into step beside me, both of us staring around at the quirky cobbled streets and canals, "There is one thing I want to do. I want to find a coffee shop."
"A coffee shop? We've crossed the Atlantic Ocean to drink lattes?"
Second sigh. "Coffee shops are where they sell the weed, Emmett. I want to get legally blazed."
"Oh. Right. Okay, well I'm down with that meal plan. Let's do this."
I was pleased to see that the red light district was helpfully marked on the map, and not too far at all on foot. That's where Embry had said some of the best coffee shops were, so I guided a gawping Emmett through the freezing cold streets. It was obvious we were going in the right direction, because now on either side of us we were flanked by the surreal sight of women in windows framed by red neon, all in varying degrees of undress. Some looked bored; some were talking on their phones, one was even reading a magazine.
"It's just so clinical," I murmured in amazement, unsure exactly what I had been expecting. "It's... weird, not horny." I nudged him. "That girl's reading Cosmo."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Clinical. Right." Emmett was gazing at an exotic eastern-looking beauty in a window edged with red and electric blue neon, his eyes bugging out. "What do the blue lights mean?"
I snickered. "Shim."
His mouth hung open. "But she's so hot..."
"Go on, Emmett," I said encouragingly. "Explore your sexuality. Chicks with dicks... You might like it."
By now, the gorgeous transsexual had noticed us looking and made eye-contact with Emmett, who just kept on staring, mesmerized.
I choked on a laugh. "Dude, you are totally thinking about it! Go on, man. I won't judge."
"I thought you said you won't wait on a street corner while I get blown?" Emmett still hadn't taken his eyes away.
"So you're considering the practicalities, over letting your brother witness you get your rocks off with a ladyboy? Oh, this is priceless."
Emmett blinked slowly, then grinned. "Hey, man, what goes on tour, stays on tour, right? But c'mon, I'm only playing." He smacked my shoulder and walked off, but not without a final half-reluctant glance backwards.
"They have weed menus?" Emmett sounded like a kid at Christmas. "Oh man, I'm moving to Amsterdam."
I grinned. "I know, right? So... do we hire a bong?"
We'd found a coffee shop called Rasta Baby that I had read about on the net. It had felt beyond weird, entering this place I had researched on my laptop in my dorm room on the other side of the world. Liking the feeling of adventure, I was rapidly concluding that travel, even with Emmett in tow, was win. The bored looking girl behind the counter had addressed us in perfect English, which was starting not to be a surprise. I had expected there to be a whole lot more language barrier to overcome, but so far, there had been none. Sitting down at the counter, she had handed us two menus in English.
A red-eyed guy in a striped teeshirt barrelled up to the bar between our stools. "Guys, you have to try the Purple Haze, it's totes amazing," he said carefully in a clipped British accent, squinting at the menu and pointing with apparent difficulty. "Get the pre-rolleds."
Turning back to the girl, I ordered what he suggested, then as we were about to spark up, I paused, holding the lighter to the tip of the perfectly-rolled spliff.
"I don't know what you say at times like this. Cheers? Bon appétit? Bottoms up?"
Emmett snorted. "How about 'see you on the other side?'"
I shrugged, lighting it and taking a pull, marvelling at the smoothness. "Yeah, that works for me."
Emmett did the same and we sat in silence for a few moments, letting the weed snake into our lungs and minds. In a matter of minutes and several tokes later we were both pretty fucked, giggling like Alice the time she smuggled a keg of beer to a party aged fourteen and I'd had to smuggle her past Esme.
"Man, I've got the munchies. This weed is the bomb," Emmett declared, bending down on his stool and rummaging in his bag. "I'm fiending for some candy. Do they sell candy in Holland?" More rummaging. "Cause I could really do with some milk duds right now." His hands suddenly stilled, and he looked up at me in confusion.
"Dude. Can you tell me what the fuck I'm looking for in my bag?"
For some unknown reason, this was the cue for us to both collapse on the bar in front of us in breathless, helpless laughter. I had no idea what was so funny; I only knew that I hadn't laughed like this in... actually, I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed like this.
The girl at the bar chose that moment to put some tunes on and Emmett straightened up, taking another satisfied pull of his spliff as the strains of Bob Marley floated past us, blending perfectly with the smoke.
"Eargasm. Jah mon..." he put his hands behind his head, nodding.
I stared at him one-eyed. "Okay. I'll let the 'eargasm' slide, but – did you really just say Jah mon? Seriously? Five pulls of a reefer and you're suddenly a rasta – "
There was a crash behind us. Turning around in what felt suspiciously like slow-motion, we were granted a view of Brit-stripey-teeshirt passed out cold on the floor with Brit-dreadlocked-girlfriend clucking around him.
A massive sigh huffed out from the bored girl behind the counter. Slowly popping a bubble on her gum before pouring a glass of water, she added five sachets of sugar, muttering under her breath in Dutch. I couldn't speak it, but I would have bet Emmett's entire porn collection on his behalf that the direct translation would be Fucking Tourists.
Laughter from the stool next to us made me slowly swivel my eyes. The guy in the wide-brimmed hat was shaking his head and chuckling to himself. "Happens about twice a week."
"Huh," I said, trying not to stare at the hat, and the long blond ponytail underneath. He was dressed like a seventies pimp.
"Yeah," Pimphat continued with only the faintest of Dutch accents tinging his words, "Tourists come here all blasé, showing off to each other, thinking they can handle the high-grade. I saw that guy buy a pure spliff of White Widow no more than an hour ago. Then a Purple Haze. And then..." He brought his hands together to his cheek, miming snoring against them. "Sleepy-time."
"Really?" Emmett had been listening in, shaking his head. "That blows."
I took another pull on the spliff, exhaling a pretty, billowing plume of white over the bar. "It totally does. Blow."
We caved into more wheezing giggles. I was crying, smacking the bar with the effort to speak, until I lost the thread of the conversation, if there had ever been one.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Emmett choked after an indefinite length of time, pushing his chair out to stand, wiping away tears of laughter before stumbling off.
Sitting up in companionable silence next to Pimphat, I let the tunes wash over me, pleasantly buzzed. Magnanimous, I decided in triumph. I feel totally fucking magnanimous right about now. Yeah. Life is good.
After a song or two, Emmett came weaving back through the crowd and pulled up his stool again. I stared down at his huge shoes as his disembodied voice floated over.
"Dude, I'm totally spinning out. A hot chick just gave me a line of something in the bathroom."
My pleasant mood instantly dissolved around me.
"A line of what? And also: what the fuck? Why would you do that, Emmett? What the hell were you thinking?" Suddenly feeling almost sober again, my voice rose, faint panic swelling in my throat. "And coke and amphetamines are illegal in Holland," I added half to myself, raking my hair with fingers that didn't feel attached to my hands.
"She was really hot," he mumbled apologetically, hanging his head. The guy in the hat next to us snorted.
I leaned forward on the counter, pinching the bridge of my nose. Every fucking time. Every time I went anywhere with my brother, bad shit seemed to happen. Gah.
"What the fuck is your problem, Edward?" Emmett sounded embarrassed, and defensive.
"Oh, nothing," I sighed without looking up. "I just appear to have reached a personal existential nadir. As you were."
"Oh, okay. Do you want some? She gave me some in a rolling paper..."
"No!" I spluttered indignantly. "I do not want any of your devil's fucking dandruff, Emmett."
"Okay, Mr high-and-mighty big brother," he scoffed, "So you're telling me you've never tried anything else? Seriously? Nothing except weed and alcohol in your whole puritanical life? I don't believe you."
"As it happens, I snorted some shit with Embry when we went to see the Killers in Boston last fall."
"Oh yeah? What happened?"
"I ended up outside the venue holding on to the grass and trying not to fall off the world," I stated.
"And when I finally got to sleep after two whole days, I was left with an imaginary black cat tapping at my dorm window for an entire week. At least I hope it was imaginary."
"Dude." Emmett moved into my line of sight and shook his head in wonder. "It cracks me up that doctors always tell people not to smoke or drink, but they were all medical students once – and you guys are the absolute worst."
He had a point. I was no-one to judge.
"Okay." Emmett prodded me with his foot. "If you won't have a line, will you at least have another smoke? Because, damn, bro. You need to chill. I'll buy this one." He started patting down his pockets.
A furrow appeared in his forehead, deepening by the second.
Bad to abject misery.
"What's the problem, jerkoff?" I asked, already feeling nauseated by the insistent little faraway voice in my brain that was making me suddenly certain I knew exactly what the problem was.
"The passports are in your bag, right?" His voice held a note of pleading that had me grinding my teeth.
I gripped the edge of the counter and breathed out before trusting myself to reply. "No they are not, Emmett. You have them... You do still have them - right?"
At the sight of his stupid fucking concerned expression, the world suddenly tunnelled forward in panic. Soon we were taking out and re-packing every single item from both our bags until the whole coffee shop thought we were insane and the fact that we really had lost our passports finally lodged in my brain with a sickening crunch.
"Think. Think. I know it doesn't come naturally to you, but this is important."
He stared at me, blue eyes clouded with effort, and I was genuinely surprised when they flashed in sudden comprehension.
"Hey... I put them down on the table... Near the hot chick on the train... Heidi..."
The train. Pussy-blinded. Of course.
"We have to go to the police," Emmett said simply.
No. Do not want.
I sat up, resisting a strong urge to punch him in the side of the head. "Hello? We can't, Emmett. We're Americans abroad – they don't like drugs tourism here. They'll make an example of us. You've just snorted God-knows-what in the bathroom, remember?" I wasn't just lecturing Emmett, I realized dully, I was thinking out loud.
"I'm a medical student," I continued flatly. "Medicine. At Harvard. I can't afford a fucking coffee-stain on my criminal record. This could screw everything for me... I'm not doing a Masters in applied asshattery at some jock-college like you are, Emmett, you tool."
I placed my burning forehead back down on the brass counter in front of me. FUCK. Fuck. Fuckity-fuck.
"Heidi? Tall, cute, spiral curls, standoffish?"
I blinked, stunned, then rotated my disbelieving face ninety degrees on the bar towards the pimphat guy, who had spoken again.
"Uh... Yeah."
He nodded matter-of-factly. "I know her," he said simply.
"Hold the phone." Emmett was sweating and his voice sounded different. "You know her? Heidi?"
"Yeah. Tall girl. Long legs forever. Speaks good English. She's a waitress. I'll take you where she works, if you want."
I considered him for less than ten seconds. Impulsively, I nodded. "Okay."
Emmett eyed him with a nervous stare then hissed weakly, "Are we really doing this? With white Huggy Bear here?"
I had no choice but to try. We needed those passports, godammit, and narcotic offences abroad were not on my agenda.
"Keep it together, Emmett," I whispered, smiling at Pimphat. I was rapidly concluding this was my only hope. "Who's officially No Fucking Fun now, huh?"
"I'm Caius," Pimphat said, extending his hand.
"Edward, pleased to meet you," I took his hand and shook it, "And this is my big little brother, Emmett."
To be honest, Emmett wasn't looking great.
"Okay," Caius said, apparently oblivious to Emmett's delicate condition. He smiled widely between our faces, "Let's finish this reefer and I'll take you there. I just need to stop off at my place first and get some... things."
"I knew it," Emmett crooned, half to himself. "He's going to butcher us, Edward. Mom will never forgive us."
"Okay," I said to Caius, totally ignoring Emmett. "What time is it?" It felt like no time whatsoever had passed since the first toke. Caius held out a huge, diamante-studded watch. Eleven thirty pm.
I nodded. "Let's do this."
We finished up the weed and shouldered our bags before heading back out into the cold. Caius motioned us over to an old-skool gold BMW, parked on the canalside. "This is my car."
Sudden laughter bubbled in my stomach again and I couldn't meet his politely quizzical expression.
"Of course it is," I managed.
Emmett was chanting under his breath as I half-helped, half-bundled him onto the green velour of the back seat. "This is fucked up. This is fucked up. It's all a dream. It's all a dream."
I knew I was being an asshole, but I was finding it all pretty fucking funny, all of a sudden. Ha. Serves you right. I leaned into the car after him. "Next time a big-chested woman offers you a line in the bathroom, just say no. Drugs are bad, mmmkay?" I patted his face and winked at him, adding "And just remember, Dorothy... There's no place like home," as I shut the door and climbed into the passenger side at the front, still laughing. It seemed like I was doing a lot of laughing.
Caius drove us through the city for about ten minutes before we pulled up by yet another canal and walked along a quiet residential street. Entertained, I glanced at Emmett and remarked he was a vibrant shade of green, chewing the inside of his lip and sweating, looking around nervously. "Pigeons are looking at me funny," he whispered out of the side of his mouth.
"Well," I said seriously, "If they're watching you, Emmett, the least you can do is be entertaining. And besides - they're looking at me. I'm hotter." I winked, thoroughly enjoying myself. We came to a stop behind Caius at the entrance to one of the tall houses lining the street. As he searched for his keys, I noted that all the other apartment buzzers bore names – respectable-looking, properly typed family names under glass: Mulder, Jannsens, De Vries. And then, scribbled over the top of the glass in purple sharpie, was one that simply said Caius.
Hmm. Curiouser and curiouser.
Emmett whispered nervously behind me. "Is this going to be okay?"
I had no fucking idea, but we were about to find out.
We followed Caius into the narrow hallway and climbed concrete stairs to the top floor. I was rapidly concluding that all the buildings in Amsterdam were super-tall with no elevators. So many stairs... no wonder all the people seem so thin. And tall, come to think of it. Tall, thin people living in tall, thin houses. Shit, I'm really stoned.
After an eternity of climbing, Caius opened a succession of locks on the burgundy door at the very top of the stairs then stood back, holding his hat and bowing low.
"Come in, welkom, welcome."
I walked past him, dragging Emmett behind me into the main living-slash-sleeping area of a small apartment, dominated by a completely round bed in the center of the room. That must have been a bitch to get up all those stairs. Looking down as my feet half-disappeared into a deep shag-pile carpet, I concluded that the place was exactly what I would have expected of Caius if I had made a bet, considering the clothes and the car.
Caius strode in, throwing his keys with a clatter onto a glass coffee table littered with weed debris. "Make yourselves at home for a moment. I just have to get something out from under the bed."
Emmett gave a low moan behind me.
He was standing ramrod-straight, clutching his arms to his ribs and rocking, eyes widened in fear. I followed his panicked gaze as he whispered, "Dude, there's a sword on the coffee table. A sword. On. The. Coffee. Table."
Caius threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, this?" He walked over and picked it up experimentally as though testing the weight, then suddenly swung it around. It sliced through the air with a swooshing sound. Emmett gave a strangled scream, ducking low.
Caius put it back down and grinned. "This is for chopping the solid hash. Also it discourages any, how do you say it? Funny-business."
"Huh. Funny-business," Emmett repeated weakly. "We're going to die."
"Okay," Caius said, smiling as he knelt next to the bed and reached an arm underneath, "Let's have a tiny bong, and then we'll go."
Normally, I would have been pretty fucking uptight about this suggestion, but something appeared to have had happened to me since the Purple Haze: I was having an epiphany. A realization had been slowly percolating into my brain, and it was in surprise that I saw now Emmett was totally right – I needed to chill the hell out.
I'm twenty years old, goddamit, and I've been acting like a forty-year old.
Emmett shook his head, hugging his chest."No, Edward. No. We have shit to do. It's getting late."
Feeling mildly amused by the role reversal, I punched his arm. "Come on Emmett. I finally want to have some fun. Just one bong?"
Emmett's eyes bore into me. "Edward." Why does he sound like Carlisle? "We need these passports, dude. If we sit down and do this now, we'll get so high we'll never get back up in time. Ixnay on the bong."
Ixnay on the Bong. Huh. It sounded like a portent. Mystical.
Or maybe, just maybe, I was more high than I had ever been in my life before.
Whatever the reason, something in his expression made me listen to him. I hesitated. "Actually, Caius," I said, staring at Emmett, "Perhaps Emmett's right. Could we just move on to find Heidi? We've got a plane to catch." Emmett looked relieved before appearing to slump back into his earlier stupor. What the hell? Had he just come alive for one moment of lucidity, to go all Jimminy Cricket on my ass before powering back down into fucked mode again? Freaky.
"Oh, right... Sure," said Caius, sounding faintly disappointed.
We left, Emmett stumbling twice on the stairs, then falling into the back of the Pimp-mobile.
As I watched him struggling to identify which key to use in the ignition, I said tentatively to Caius, "Uh, should you be driving? I mean, I can't really see."
Caius' teeth gleamed in the streetlight. "It's all good. I'm used to it. I often can't see, but Amsterdam's pretty small I haven't lost functionality of my limbs yet." He winked at me and I found myself fixating on the 'yet', laughing hysterically again, unable to stop this time. I have no idea how long we drove for but I'm certain I laughed the whole way. Eventually we rolled to another stop. "This is the main red light district," Caius said, cutting the ignition and beaming like a deranged tour guide.
"So,now we find Heidi?" I asked him over the roof of the car as we got out and Emmett fell out of the back seat. "Yo," I said to him, "Careful, bro. I don't want to fish you out of any canals."
"Yeah," said Caius, "she works near here."
"I thought you said she was a waitress?" I questioned, taking Emmett's sleeve to prevent him from shuffling off in the wrong direction, "It's past midnight."
Caius grinned. "She is, of sorts. A cocktail waitress. She works at pretty much the only lap-dancing club in the city, La Vie en Rose."
I whistled. "Hear that, Emmett? The titty-fairy has granted your wish. You shall go to the ball, Cinderella."
We walked through the crowded streets, keeping close to Caius by following the hat. It seemed like he knew everyone; people greeted him from the doorways of sex-shops, girls were waving to him from red-lit windows. And then there was Emmett, who was proving a constant source of entertainment. He was clutching my arm, still mumbling incoherently to himself.
Ah, brother. I would cherish this moment for ever.
"There are so many bikes here. So many hookers and bikes. The people are so tall... It's a nation of giants, giant hookers, all folded onto bikes..."
I Emmett's sleeve as he rambled on, laughing until I noticed he was looking seriously freaked out.
"There are burgers in the wall. Edward, there are burgers in the wall." Following his eyes, he was looking in anguish at appeared to be some kind of self-service fast-food place, where people were apparently helping themselves to what looked like... yep, burgers. From the wall.
"It's okay," I murmured, pushing him in front of me, thoroughly entertained. I toyed with the idea of getting him one simply to watch his reaction, but decided against it. "Keep it together, Bro," I murmured reassuringly instead. "Turn left..." Emmett swayed to the right and I steadied him, "No, the other left."
Following Caius and guiding Emmett, I walked through a succession of twisting alleyways, all filled with people despite the late hour. "The Old Church," said Caius, pointing to a building.
I stared. "For real? The church is smack bang in the middle of the whores?"
He laughed. "I guess so, yes. It was here first, though."
It was obvious we had reached the place. Not far down another alleyway, we came to a huge line consisting entirely of men. Caius walked right to the front without looking back promptly vanished, so I took a chance and followed him, dragging Emmett with me, to be ushered inside by the two huge doormen.
The damp heat assaulted my nostrils after the freezing air outside. It was dimly lit, full of men and blaring hardcore hip-hop. Caius was nowhere to be seen. Scantily-clad waitresses weaved among mass of bodies while naked girls gyrated to the grinding beats in twos on the neon-lit bar.
I didn't like it at all, I decided instantly, surprising myself. All these dudes of Carlisle's age, cheating on wives, girlfriends, mothers. I glanced behind me at Emmett, who clearly didn't share my concerns. He'd magically woken up and was looking almost normal again, totally in his element.
I stepped backwards, close enough to hear his attempts at flirting with passing girls.
"Hey baby. Am I cute enough yet? Or can I get you some more to drink? ...Ooh, nice shirt. Can I talk you out of it?"
I sidled over and shouted in his ear. "Listen, douchebag. They're not here for you to pick them up; they're here for you to pay to talk to them."
I might as well have been talking to myself. His expression was pure glee, eyes manic, and I was glad I had Carlisle's credit card in my own back pocket. I sighed. "Glad you're feeling better, bro," I said sarcastically to the deaf ears. I walked over to the nearest wall, focusing on the fishtank set into it and wondering if it was a bitch to clean. Leaning, I flicked my eyes around the room. Trying not to catch the eyes of the girls while simultaneously looking for Caius was proving challenging.
And then, a glimpse. A head of spiral curls.
The waitress who owned them was walking towards me with a tray. As she approached, our eyes made the briefest of contact. She narrowed hers, recognition flashing across her face in the same moment it passed across my own. Heidi immediately dropped her gaze and turned around quickly, walking swiftly away. Abandoning Emmett to the girls I followed, pushing through the sweating crowd until I could reach out and put my hand on her shoulder.
"Excuse me? Heidi? I think you have something that belongs to us."
She froze, then turned around slowly, reluctantly, wearing what could only be described as a game-face.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Brazen, defiant.
Two can play at that game. I stood still and said nothing, just raised a sceptical eyebrow. Our eyes – the weapons in this little private duel – crossed again, then locked. Inexplicably, my palms were suddenly damp, but I didn't alter my expression.
One moment.
I'll wait all night if I have to. I've got nowhere else to go without these goddamn passports, I told her with my gaze.
After a full thirty seconds, she rolled her eyes and leaned in close enough for me to smell the coconut shampoo on the curls.
"Okay. Okay, yeah, I've got them." Warm breath tickled my ear. "It's lucky you asked, and not that asshole brother of yours." She raised her chin in Emmett's direction, then tilted her head, inches from mine, looking at me appraisingly. "You're cute..." she began speculatively, then blinked. "Anyway, they're at my place. Not far from here, but you'll have to wait until I finish my shift at three."
I glanced over at Emmett, surrounded by three girls, hand on one of their shoulders, head thrown back in laughter. "Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem. Listen, I don't mean to show up here and inconvenience you, but can I get a beer? Oh, and whatever you're drinking, of course."
"Sure." She smiled at me, her face instantly softened then she half-turned to walk off. Shit, she really is beautiful.
She paused, leaning in close again. "How did you find me?"
Caius chose that moment to de-cloak from the ether, ambling over from apparently nowhere and kissing Heidi on both cheeks. She greeted him coolly, not looking in the least bit surprised when he turned to me, saying, "You found her by yourself. Great."
"Figures," Heidi shrugged, immediately kicking three drunk German guys out of a booth in a corner so the two of us could sit and drink with a good view of Emmett holding court, although a speaker set in the wall above the booth made conversation impossible. At around two-thirty, she slid onto the velvet seat next to me with another tray of beer.
The three of us left the booth together around half an hour later, blanketed in the new-found familiarity of alcohol and weed, dragging a magically revived Emmett away. We followed Heidi out of the club to her apartment, under five minutes away in yet another tall narrow building, up yet another flight of tall narrow stairs.
Heidi's place was a little bigger than Caius' and much more mainstream-looking. As soon as the door swung open she crossed the neat living room, disappearing into a small kitchen and leaving us to enter and close the door. Emmett and Caius made a bee-line straight for the beige couch and flopped down, but I remained standing, suddenly unsure.
"Lucky you knew Heidi, huh," Emmett said to Caius, taking out the bag of weed he'd bought in the coffee shop and starting skinning up.
"Fortunately for you two, sometimes life is stranger than fiction," Caius beamed enigmatically.
"Yeah. Super-lucky," I added, also addressing Caius, "Listen, man, I really appreciate all your help. But Heidi's just finished working; you've done way too much for us already – maybe before Emmett gets too comfortable, we should just get these passports and go..."
Caius leaned back on the sofa and laced his fingers behind his head. "It's cool. Also, I get the impression Heidi's pleased to have you around." He winked and raised his voice. "If Heidi doesn't mind, I'll chill here for a bit then give you a lift to the airport."
"Seriously, man? You don't need to do that; it's okay. But thank you. For everything."
"At least to the train station, then."
I hesitated. "Okay."
Standing awkwardly, I watched Emmett and Caius talking, heads together in easy, companionable conversation. Somehow, Emmett had ended up wearing the pimphat, all earlier misgivings about Caius apparently forgotten. "Here, let me show you how to roll a Dutch Tulip," Caius was saying, "You take three skins like this..."
I sighed. "You two sound like something from an episode of When Good Boyscouts Go Bad."
They both ignored me. "Hey, man, pack the spliff. Might as well use up all the weed we bought before we leave. You can have the rest. Can't take it with us. Or can we? Is weed legal in Germany too?" Emmett's voice was hopeful.
Heidi reappeared from the small kitchen, holding the wallet. Her slim arm extended towards me, our fingers brushing each other as I took it warily from her.
Feeling bizarrely rude, I opened it. The passports were there, and the tickets, but the zippered compartment that had held 500 euro was empty.
"The money's gone." I raised my eyes; she cocked an eyebrow back at me.
"Let's call it my commission."
Wait... She's taken our money?" Emmett called indignantly over his shoulder from his seat next to Caius, flicking through the TV channels companionably. "Surely she should do something to... You know..." his eyes flicked over her body, "Earn it."
Heidi tore her eyes from mine and her head snapped around sharply to Emmett. "Hey, I'm not a hooker, asshole. And you're sitting on my sofa. Watch it." She turned back to me, eyes flashing in anger. "Make your brother watch his dumb-fuck mouth."
"Shut up, Emmett." I held up my hands. "Listen, I'm so sorry..."
Her eyes flickered, met mine, then softened again. "It's okay," she said thoughtfully, "I have an annoying kid brother, too. Come into the kitchen with me; I'll get you something to drink."
She gave me a smile over her shoulder and sashayed away. My weed-and-alcohol addled brain took a moment to process the look.
I blinked. Wait. No way. Was she...? Oh God. Yes way.
I didn't need telling twice. Raking my hair, I followed to the doorway.
She stood with her back to me, tanned arms reaching up to a cupboard and taking down two glasses. The movement exposed an expanse of smooth flesh where her emerald teeshirt rode up from her jeans. I palmed my neck and stared, conflicted – I was having serious difficulty looking away, but equally didn't want to be caught ogling her. Which I totally was.
"I have beer in the refrigerator, or a few different types of liquor if you would like something stronger," she said without turning around.
"If it's okay, I'll just have a water." I suddenly felt about fifteen years old.
"Suit yourself." She span on her heels, poured me water from a jug in the door of the refrigerator then handed it to me with another one of those smiles. I nearly choked on my first sip as she brushed past me in the doorway, very deliberately bumping her ass against my cock, which was suddenly straining to follow her.
A gentle snore greeted us as we walked back into the living room. Emmett and Caius' heads were visible over the back of the sofa, dark and blond resting against each other. Another snore rose up between them and Heidi tipped her head to one side. "Aw. Sweet."
Tutting, she moved swiftly around the front of the sofa and plucked a lit spliff from Emmett's drooping hand. She contemplated it with the same cute head-tilt.
"Hmm. I guess it's just you and me." She paused. "Want to come through to my bedroom? At least there we won't have to hear the pigs grunting."
Fuck. Yes. I want.
Trying not to look like a douche, I nodded, following her ass as it swayed along the corridor and she pushed open her bedroom door.
"So, Edward Cullen." Heidi stretched languorously on her belly on her bed, crossing her ankles in the air behind her and taking a long pull of the rescued spliff. She exhaled in the heavy silence before patting the space beside her. "How old are you?"
I cleared my throat, which was suddenly hoarse, feeling dazzled. "Just turned twenty."
She laughed. "Only a baby..."
"How old are you?" I parried, feeling gauche and defensive.
"I'm twenty-six." Her smile was suddenly huge. "And you're clearly not very observant, because you didn't notice I got your name from your passport, and already knew how old you were."
I raised an amused eyebrow at her smug expression. "Actually, I had figured that, and it's why I didn't try to lie about my age."
Heidi laughed again, lightly. "Touché. Got a girlfriend, Edward Cullen?"
Damn this motherfucking hoarseness in my throat. I took a sip of water and tried my best to sound casual.
"Nope." It was the truth, more's the pity.
Emmett was right - since Tanya had cheated on me in pretty spectacular fashion last summer, I had totally given up on women and thrown myself headfirst into my studies.
Maybe that had something to do with how completely rock-hard I was right now.
Or maybe it was how indescribably hot she was.
I blinked. Whatever the reason, the end result was the same. Rational thought was becoming sticky as a thick layer of arousal coated my brain.
I reached the bed and stood in front of her for a moment, accepting the spliff she held out to me before sitting down slowly, feeling the lightness in my head. Then, as my fingers made their way through my hair for the thousandth time, Heidi reached up and lightly caught my wrist.
"I've noticed you do that a lot. Noticed first on the train. I wanted to do this."
Rising to a kneel on the bed, she took the wrist in both hands and skimmed her lips over the space below the palm before turning her face up towards mine, staring at me from under her lashes.
Stunned and pretty fucking delighted by the surreal turn the evening had taken but determined to roll with it, I inclined my head down to hers until our lips met.
Oh, yeah. Warm. Soft. She smelled of coconut, tobacco and roses.
She kissed me back, her tongue slipping between my lips, sighing into my mouth. Her fingers twisted in my hair for a moment before she pulled gently away, smiling. So fucking hot.
"I was hoping you would do that." She twisted around me until she was straddling my lap as I sat on the edge of the bed and took my face in between her hands. I could hardly breathe. I didn't care.
"You're a very beautiful boy, you know that?" She laughed at my expression, which was probably totally dumb. "Of course you don't. That's why I want to do – this – so badly."
As she said "this", she slid her hands over my chest and gently pushed me backwards onto the bed. I huffed out a breath, feeling her fingers go under my hoodie and teeshirt at the same time, shivering in sudden want and at the feel of smooth cool hands against my skin, which was suddenly burning up.
"And this," she added with a smile, lifting my compliant arms and sliding both items of clothing over my head, "And this, too," she continued, slender fingers opening the fly on my jeans and leaning down, kissing the hair her lips found under the waistband.
Jesus F. Christ. Is this really happening? I can't believe this is happening. I'm so glad this is happening.
I sucked in a breath and looked down, meeting her upturned eyes. Shit. She looked so beautifully sexy there, loose curls half-curtaining her face.
"Come here," I ground out, "You don't have to do that –" Oh, fuck. Please do that.
She smiled up at me, holding my gaze while she lowered the zipper and eased my jeans down over my hips in a deft movement.
"Shh. It's a present. I'm going to make you feel so good... Your commission."
I felt myself twitch, then groaned as she murmured appreciatively, inches away from my erection that had been steadily straining against my fly, springing up as she set it loose.
"Mmm. Are all American boys big like you?"
God. Oh God.
I'd entirely lost the capacity for speech and rational thought. I watched, enchanted, as full perfect lips slipped over the head of my cock, then felt her swirl her tongue around the tip.
I bucked against the bed at the sheer sensation overload - moist, firm, enveloping heat. I hoped vainly that the douchey groans and moans that I could hear myself making would be taken as encouragement, because all I knew was that I really, really didn't want her to stop. She smiled, mouth still wrapped around me, then closed her eyes, starting to suck me rhythmically in a smooth motion while moving her other hand to pump the shaft.
I watched her, stunned, mouth falling open. More groaning. So fucking beautiful. As the feelings grew more intense, I signed myself over entirely, allowing my head to drop back against the pillows with a heavy thud. My whole body was pinned by weed smoke and pleasure. No longer able to engage with her or meet her eyes I just lay there, permitting the incredible feelings to wash over me.
With her lips wrapped around me logical thought was non-existent, but somewhere in my head I still knew this was the best motherfucking thing I had ever felt, in all my life.
Dream? Hallucination? I didn't know, or care. Viewed in any light, from any perspective, this was hands-down the best experience I had ever had. Ever.
My mouth still hung open. Vaguely aware I was groaning, thrusting against her with increasing need.
It felt amazing. Just... amazing. Life altering. She was alternating the rhythm of her movements now – licking, sucking and swirling, all the time caressing my balls in a mind-blowing mixture of stimulation. The waves of pleasure steadily rose as she palmed my balls and stroked me with the hand she wasn't using to pump me with. I heard a succession of panting expletives that must have come from me, when I nearly came when I heard her chuckle deep in her throat. The vibration drove me half-wild.
I reached out and grabbed the bedspread, fisting it, groaning, feeling myself tightening as the pressure built. She didn't let up the intensity. Letting out a throaty groan instead, I started to twitch inside her mouth.
Tanya had never swallowed, and every experience I had had up to this point involved the girl removing her mouth right about now, but Heidi just moaned again and upped the pace. She's enjoying this. The realization tipped me over the edge and I was free-falling, struggling to breathe. I was lost, gone, untied and set adrift, pulsing waves beginning to shoot up my solid cock. I exploded in her mouth like I had never come before. The combination of being high and being sucked off by Heidi made it feel like I never had come before. I tried my best to clutch onto sensations, to hold them and consign them to memory but the weed was making it impossible.
I let out another indiscriminate moan as reality dissolved around me. The room, the bed, my body, all disappeared. Everything was gone; everything but this incredible orgasm that literally felt like it was blowing my mind and Heidi, with her beautiful sensuous warm mouth. She swallowed it all, never releasing me until the throbbing had totally stopped.
Slowly, I released my grip on her bed-spread, reaching stiff-fingered, heavy hands for her, trying to pull her up to me. She was still dropping kisses on my dick and balls, each point of contact from her lips causing more of the hyper-sensation.
I let out another shuddering breath and struggled to locate the jaw-muscles needed for speech.
"This probably sounds strange, but... Thank you. I don't know what else to say. That was... Incredible."
She crawled languorously up the bed and took a sip of my water from the night stand before stooping to plant a kiss on my lips – an intimate, almost chaste kiss, strangely perfect.
"Believe it or not, Edward, the pleasure is mine."
I pulled her into my arms. "You're amazing, you know that?"
Mellow. I feel totally fucking mellow right about now. Yeah, life is good.
We lay together on her bed, easy in each other's company, smoking and lazily making out until the sun came up and we heard someone moving around in the living room.
Caius had woken up first and grinned widely in comprehension when we reluctantly emerged from the bedroom.
"Hey, sleepyheads." A sly wink. "Edward, are you ready to go? I'll take you to the train station."
I checked my watch and prodded Emmett with my foot, deciding I wouldn't tell him anything about my time alone with Heidi. As Emmett's cell rang in his pocket, I smiled inwardly. I was going to keep this all to myself.
Opening one eye, he fumbled for the phone before answering blearily.
"Yello. Oh hi, Mom." He straightened up hastily as if she could see him. "Yes, Holland right now. Yeah... He's here too, everything's fine." There was a pause. "Yeah, uh, culture. There are some great museums here... The, uh, Van Gogh museum, for example. Mmmhuumm. Uh, seven a.m, I think. Listen, Mom? We're just about to have breakfast and head to the airport, so can we call you when we get to Alice's? Okay. Okay, Mom. Love you."
He ended the call and gave a low whistle.
"There is a Van Gogh museum here, right? Does anyone actually go to museums here? I mean, are they just here for cover? While people get their rocks off with the hookers and smoke it up? A smokescreen?"
He threw his head back and laughed for ages at his own joke.
I rolled my eyes at Heidi and Caius, picking up my jacket. "Emmett made a funny."
"Hey, fuck you, man." Emmett was indignant. "You can talk to Esme next time when you're hanging all the way out of your tree."
Heidi came to the door as we left and leaned in close to me, whispering.
"If you ever come back... Look me up."
I touched a finger to her jaw and murmured back. "I'll be sure to."
We said goodbye to Caius at the front of the station. He had put on a pair of gold shades against the low winter sunshine and the hat was back in place.
I hesitated, then opened my arms and pulled him into a hug.
"Thank you, man. For everything."
Caius smacked my back. "It was great to meet you, Edward. If I ever come to the United States, I will come and find you."
He turned to Emmett. "And next time a crazy man in a coffee-shop invites you to his house, maybe you won't think he wants to eat your brains. Although perhaps if it's not me, he will. Wait, now I have confused myself. I need more sleep."
Reaching up, he placed his hat on Emmett's head. "I have to get out of here; goodbyes make me crazy and the traffic cops will be waking up soon."
He turned from us and walked to his car without another word. Watching him pull away, he gave us a salute and grinned.
We reached the airport and checked in with no more problems and time to spare – even enough to satisfy my anal ways by using the showers. When we reached our boarding gate, I handed Emmett the wallet containing the passports with a wink.
"Look after these, dumbass."
As the wheels of the plane left the ground, I found I had to breathe deeply against an unfamiliar sensation rising in my chest, like I was leaving something behind here. It had been less than twenty four hours, but somehow that had still been long enough for me to get the sense that something indefinable had permanently changed.
He turned away from the window where he had been watching the takeoff, looking thoroughly hunted.
"Jesus fucking Christ Edward, what have I done now? I've got the passports right here –"
I shook my head and smiled. Really fucking smiled at him.
"I love you, is all. Emmett, as much as I hate to admit this, you were totally right. I'd forgotten how to have fun. Thanks man. I needed this so badly, and I had no idea."
As I watched a shit-eating grin spread across his face, I added, "But two more things. From now on, we stick to the new spiritual rules, okay? Firstly, no snorting lines. Of anything. Ever, no matter how big the breasts are."
Emmett grinned harder. "Deal. What's the second rule?"
I grinned back. "Always, always ixnay on the bong." | https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6690962/1/Ixnay-on-the-Bong | dclm-gs1-179320001 | false | false | {
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0.060526 | <urn:uuid:3f333a3d-17fe-46a8-8233-ec7e4216cd25> | en | 0.949801 | Skip to content
7 Tips for Improving the Daily Scrum
February 8, 2008 by Artem Marchenko
Daily Scrum also known as daily standup meeting is an important element of the Scrum process. The structure of the meeting is quite rigid and fixed. Everybody has to stand up, meeting should take no longer, than 15 minutes and everybody should answer three questions: "What did you do since the last meeting?", "What are you going to do until the next meeting?", "What impedes you from being more productive?". The purpose of this rigidness is for making sure that daily Scrum is to help team members synchronize between themselves, not to solve problems.
Things to watch during the daily standups are:
1. Standup means stand up, no sitting, really.
Standing up on the daily Scrum draws attention to the brevity of the meeting. The purpose of the meeting is synchronization and no lengthy problem solving. Standing helps to remember that problem solving except the smallest one has to be taken offline - nobody likes to stand for an hour while two guys are arguing about the protocol implementation details.
2. Keep it short. 15 minutes max.
Everybody can spend 15 minutes a day on synchronizing with the others. Especially if it happens to be immediately before or right after the lunch time. Spending half an hour is a very different story. In my experience most of the time the 5-6 person teams are usually done in just 7-10 minutes.
3. Stand in front of the visual progress artifact.
Ideally in front of the task board together with the product and sprint backlog. Visuality and tangibility help discussing things. If task board is used, developers often like waving hands towards the card being currently discussed or even move the cards during this meeting
4. Everybody should be present.
One of the main reasons for meeting live is to utilize as wide communication bandwidth as possible - people are known to communicate more effectively, when meeting live. If particular team member is unable to participate, another person should report on behalf of his/her. If it is impossible for some reason, catch up later.
5. No typing.
Holding a laptop and making notes is power. The one who types immediately starts looking as a manager and often subconsciously starts writing what he thinks was meant, not what team members actually said. If you need notes, take micro-notes by hand.
6. Concentrate on the second and third question, not on the first one.
What's done is more of a context for the second and third questions. The real point is to figure out what's blocking the efficient work and who could help it.
7. If team talks too much to ScM, let him not too look at the team.
Daily standup is for synchronizing between the team members, not between Scrum Master and the team. If team members start behaving as they are reporting to Scrum Master, he can start literally looking at another person or even walk away a little. Such small tricks are often able to confirm that daily Scrum is for the team members and not for the Scrum Master.
Daily Scrum is a powerful tool, but as any other tool it is good, when you know what it's useful for and have some experience in using it. The above seven simple tips can be good starting points or reminders. However, every team knows best how to adjust its standups to serve them better. The important part is the goal, not the method.
Your experience
What feels important in your daily standup?
(Photo courtesy of improve it @ Flickr)
About the Author: As the Editor-in-Chief for, Artem is charged with overseeing the direction for content, advertising, and the overall management of the site. Nowadays in his day life, Artem is a product manager in a global telecommunication company where he leads the development of a product developed in extremely distributed environment. Artem has been applying Agile and researching Agile since 2005. Contact Artem
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bill clinton came in and said we are way too left and have to moderate our positions and that is where the democratic leadership council came in. there are a lot of democrats that were very upset with bill clinton during the late '80s and early '90s. they obviously won the white house back in 1992 because they nominated a moderate to center democrat that could win independents and women and people of color and so forth? >> there is an article that the tea party is over. that obviously is the right of the right fringe element of the republican party. very hard line. they certainly had a bigger voice when more of those supported members were elected to congress in 2010, but is that accurate? do you think the tea party is over for extreme conservea tichl? >> time will tell. clearly last tuesday voters didn't express happiness or support for the tea party very clearly. the question will be whether the republican party tries to move as jonathan just described, kind of moderates their message or still beholden to that kind of extreme part of the party? we're starting to see a few dfrs say we
the border there between israel and gaza. so what does he want? he wants former president bill clinton to get involved. >> try to find someone even as high-ranking, frankly, as former president bill clinton to go and be the negotiator. i know he'd hate me for saying that but we need a person of enormous prestige and influence to have these parties sit down together, as an arms broker. >> during his presidency bill clinton held negotiations at camp david between israel and the palestinian authority. >> other top stories this morning. the u.s. is with you. president obama promising american support for myanmar as the once repressive regime travels the road to democracy. he is the first sitting u.s. president to travel there. he's also the first to go to cambodia, arriving there just this morning. that is the last stop on his very quick tour of southeast asia. >> and 2016. i know i know. it might be a long way away. but a certain senator from florida sure looked like a presidential candidate during this visit to iowa. marco rubio appearing saturday night at a fund-raiser for iowa governor terry
. >> we heard bill clinton had his office affair with the young intern who was a child. his risk was crazy risk. and i guess david petraeus was also as the director of the central inteleagency for goodness sakes. is the appeal so strong it doesn't matter you risk even the presidency of the united states. historic important and significant post and risked that for a piece on the side. >> if you are not thinking it through, yeah. >> is it true that men. i speak now knowing and you know, i know that i am a decade clean and sober now. and i am trying to forget what happened before. but to throw everything away potentially for a little nooky in nit is depending if you get the urge and go for it but there are consequences. >> who power is the approdizziac. >> he controlled himself for 38 years. >> i absolutely believe that. when he tells trusted people like the colonel who were on earlier that this is the first time, i feel sorry for him that you know, i do feel sorry for him. he was a wonderful general and a wonderful director of the cia, and should america evolve enough or have we evolved enou
of bill clinton. this is a question of you want your cia director to have good judgment. is that asking too much? and this was obviously a case of bad judgment. there's a -- i would hope, by the way -- >> and should it just be the cia director or should it be anybody? where do you draw the line? >> i don't know where you draw the line but especially the cia director. this might also be a good time for the country to think about the militarization of the cia. i'm not sure we should have military leaders leading the cia, people in the military. >> that's been a long debate. that's why they wanted him to retire, correct. >> the cia is going to become increasingly a paramilitary operation. we ought to talk about that because that's a momentous development. >> a few months ago the gallup poll indicated our military was the most trusted institution in american life, so this was a huge blow at a time when congress is as popular as a root canal to have another institution of government have failed so badly, so, you know, we respect his service to the country, his sense of duty but this was a fa
government of bill clinton being replaced. no. it's also something that domestic constituencies drive u.s. presidents to participate in. but it doesn't just come from that. i mean, it really comes from a deep u.s. involvement from the start in the creation of israel. a deep concern about wanting to help israel secure itself. but also bring about peace in the middle east. i'd like to complicate this story more by bringing in a regional context. yes, there is internal politics that drives this, there's history that drives it. israel and hamas are dealing with a different regional context as well. hamas had been tolerated by but not really liked by the mubarak government in israel which is in many ways the patron of palestinians in the middle east. the morsi government is more supportive of hamas. they used to be based in damascus, syria. they moved out pretty much just in time as the assad regime begins to crumble there and have found new friend in the region as they distance themselves from syria. israel is finding a region in which it has fewer friend and hamas is in a region in which i
in and won a historic election and after that, the next six years, bill clinton moved to the middle unlike barack obama who is still in left field. that when we had newt gingrich and balanced the budget about the late 1990's, and we cut the capital gains tax and the economy really did boom. you've got to do two things, you've got to cut the-- >> we've got to leave it there. just because of an accident. smart kid. [ voice of dennis ] indeed. are you in good hands? we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day afr day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] e pill eachmorning. 24 hours. zero heartbur [ male announcer ] it's that time of year again. medicare open enrollment. time to compare plans and costs. you don't have to make changes. but it never hurts to see if you can find better coverage, save money, or both. and check out the preventive benefits you get after the health care law. ♪ open enrollment ends dember 7th. so now's the time. v
with prudent spending cuts that show fiscal responsibility. you know, don't forget bill crystal said last week on fox that when taxes were raised in the reagan administration, he didn't say when taxes were raised in the clinton administration. the economy took off. so i think leaders -- >> it's possible. it's definitely possible. >> talk about the spirit of compromise that he had mentioned. what does the president get here out of this in if he gets business leaders on board to get republicans to deal? if he gets them on board, will it force republicans to deal? >> we've seen repeatedly the republicans are seen on their own planetary orbit. if you get wealthy americans to say to them that you have to cut a deal, i think what is really important here is you need to show fiscal responsibility. there's 1 trillion to $2 trillion of gas sitting on the sidelines. and they want to be invested in this country, in growing businesses, in building new equipment. >> does this show us therefore we might be seeing what you just described? release some of the 1.2 trillion dlarz? >> if we can show fiscal respo
time outgoing secretary clinton will be traveling with the president. they were hoping this trip will be about openness in asia. all of that is being overshadowed about it violence in the middle east. bill: does it say anything about the president's middle east policy in the wake of the arab spring? >> reporter: no question this put the administration on defense on whether they have a policy to deal with the arab string. >> let's remember the same situation arose a accumulation years ago before the arab spring. i don't think anybody would suggest somehow it's unique to democratization in the region that there is a conflict between the israelies and palestinians. that's been going on for several decades now. >> reporter: but the reality the president is facing, you have got the crisis in syria. iran moving closer to getting nuclear weapons. the middle east is a tinder box. a big challenge for this white house. martha: congress vowing to investigate how cia talking points about the attack on the american consulate in benghazi were changed before being made public. general petraeus | http://archive.org/details/tv?time=20121112-20121120&q=bill+clinton&fq=topic:%22unitedhealthcare%22&fq=topic:%22israel%22 | dclm-gs1-179430001 | false | false | {
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0.195855 | <urn:uuid:ff0602c9-058f-4365-8ead-701a62598782> | en | 0.949158 | Career Tools
Working With Passion
passionFor many, an occupation is just that, a job and a paycheck. The majority of the population will have to work 40+ years, for some even longer, before the possibility of retirement is an option. Winning the lottery, or receiving an inheritance are pipe dreams for those looking to get out of a dead end job. But for those who have found occupations that offer meaningful challenges, opportunities for growth and play up an individual’s passions, counting the days until a possible retirement seem far less important.
“Few people discover the work they love,” writes Lance Secretan in his book, Inspirational Leadership.
Many professionals have long since faced the facts that finding a meaningful position is a dream long since given up. These individuals measure each day by a clock hanging on the wall and count the hours, minutes, seconds, until the work day is over. Finding passion in one’s occupation can be difficult, but not impossible.
Kenneth A. Tucker, Coauthor of Animals, Inc, states:
Simply put, passion, or its absence, isn’t just a philosophical or psychological matter — it’s a business problem, too. Far too many companies lack employees who are passionate about their work, and they flounder, or just get by.
But some companies instill passion and thrive as a result. Ask Herb Kelleher, founder and chairman of Southwest Airlines, and he will tell you that passion means money in the bank for his company. Fly on one of Southwest’s flights, and you soon come to know why their slogan, “the airline that love built,” articulates the passion of their employees. “At far too many companies, when you come into the office you put on a mask,” writes Kelleher in Leader to Leader. “We try not to hire people who are humorless, self-centered, or complacent, so when they come to work, we want them, not their corporate clones. They are what makes us different, and in most enterprises, different is better.”
Passion helps to engage an organization. When people discover the work that they love, work becomes more than a job — it becomes a unique calling, a life’s mission. People with passion for their work engage each other and their customers.
Kaihan Krippendorff of Fast Company provides 14 tips to finding passion and purpose for work:
1. Build your portfolio
2. Write three lists
3. Recall flow states
4. Explore the “four aims of life”
5. Ask yourself
Deepak Chopra suggests you meditate for a few minutes to reach a state of deep relaxation, then, “Ask what your heart deeply desires and yearns to express and listen quietly for an honest response … don’t fixate on one response.”
6. Create space
7. Write until you cry
Steve Pavlina suggests you write down the answer to “What is my true purpose in life?” Then, write another answer. Keep writing until you cry. “This is your purpose.”
8. Envision your funeral
9. Answer 15 questions
The people at offer a list of 15 questions you can ask to help connect with your purpose, including “What makes you smile?” and “If you had to teach something, what would you teach?”
10. Write your “ideal self”
You are writing a novel or play with your “ideal self” as the lead character: who is he/she? Mine is the bestselling author, the inventor, the “guru” who fills a stadium.
11. Find and seek out your fears
Pressfield also writes, “If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends) ‘Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?’ chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.” So ask yourself, “What is it I’m scared to death of? Where am I today? Is my comfort zone getting very uncomfortable?”
Untitled-112. Write the “moments”
“The answer is that your story doesn’t have to be dramatic, only real,” said Slap. “True epiphanies often come from a series of small moments” that only after reflecting on them you realize formed your values and passions. What moments do you most remember for your past?
13. Watch TEDTalks
14. Remove the cause
The Indian guru Jiddu Krishnamurti distinguishes false passion from passion without a cause. “Our passion is for something: for music, for painting, for literature, for a country, for a woman or a man; it is always the effect of a cause [but] when passion has a cause, there is attachment, and attachment is the beginning of sorrow.” So ask yourself, “If I had nothing to prove, nothing to achieve, if I had all that I needed, what would I love doing?”
Click here to download a workbook detailing these 14 exercises, or
Choose It
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0.043218 | <urn:uuid:7627a7bd-6c70-4da6-815c-e9444db91ef6> | en | 0.953267 | Climate change and the point of no return
Read the rest
An interesting way of explaining scientific certainty and climate change
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You can go wading in the lake at the North Pole
Meltwater lake forms at North Pole
Photo credit: NOAA
Evangelical Christian scientists in Oklahoma
This is not the story you're expecting. Instead, Tulsa TV news channel 6 is reporting on a group of 200 Oklahoman evangelical Christian scientists who have banded together to urge Congress to both accept the science of anthropogenic climate change, and take action to prevent the worst of its effects. Stuff like this is important. Research shows that one of the best ways to change minds on controversial social issues is to have the mind-changing message delivered by someone who is part of the community to be changed. Messages from insiders are more convincing than lectures from outsiders. Read the rest
Climate change creating "heat islands" for blacks, Asians, Latinos in US
Writing at GRIST, Susie Cagle points to a new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, which finds that "not all neighborhoods and racial groups are faring equally" as climate change raises temps in urban areas: "According to the research, blacks, Asians, and Latinos are all significantly more likely to live in high-risk heat-island conditions than white people." Read the rest
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Risk of forest fires rising near Chernobyl
A trend towards drier, hotter summers in the forests around the abandoned nuclear power plant at Chernobyl has increased the riks of forest fires in the region — which is a big deal, considering the fact that trees and plants in the area have absorbed some of the radioactive isotopes from the 1986 disaster. If they burn, more people will be exposed to airborne particles. It's a small fraction compared with the people exposed by the original Chernobyl power plant fire, but still dangerous. Read the rest
Our planet just had the third warmest May in recorded history
400 ppm carbon dioxide? In my atmosphere?
It's true, at least for today. Although the real concern in climate science is average concentrations of carbon dioxide over much longer periods of time, surpassing the 400 ppm mark, even for a day, is a historic milestone. 400 ppm was once a level we talked about avoiding altogether through mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Now, it's a reminder that we're not really doing anything to circumvent the steady increase in global carbon dioxide concentrations and global average temperature. Happy Friday! Read the rest
What's climate change ruining now?: The sex lives of painted turtles
The sex of these turtles is determined by the temperature of the nest while the baby turtles are still egg-bound. The warmer the nest, the more likely the turtles end up female. The warmer it gets in the American Midwest, the more painted turtle society turns into whatever the opposite of a sausage fest is. Now, depending on your personal inclinations, you could argue that this might actually improve turtle sex — but it definitely puts a damper on creating new generations of baby turtles. Read the rest
What's climate change making more awesome today?
Remember, climate change isn't intentionally trying to make your life miserable. It's just a trend in rising global average temperatures. That comes along with lots of side effects, some of which do, in fact, make human life pretty miserable. In other cases, though, the effect can be beneficial. For instance: In Antarctica, climate change seems to be increasing the population of adorable Adelie penguins. Read the rest
What's climate change ruining today?
Okay, sure, jet travel accounts for 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions (this is situation where a small percentage is actually a really big number, fyi). So this is maybe more ironic than tragic, but it turns out that some scientists think changing climates could have an effect on air turbulence. Specifically, one model suggests it will increase the ferocity and frequency of surprise areas of turbulence that pilots can't see coming. Read the rest
It's tin foil hats, all the way down
In 2010, scientists published a paper on conspiracist ideation as it applied to both climate change and the moon landing. This year, the published a second paper — about the conspiracy theories that sprung up in response to their previous research. Read the rest
Biggest threat in the Pacific, according to top U.S. Admiral? Climate Change.
Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, "no smelly hippie," according to Wired News, believes the consequences of a warming planet are likely to “cripple the security environment, probably more likely than the other scenarios we all often talk about.” According to Danger Room, he said, “You have the real potential here in the not-too-distant future of nations displaced by rising sea level. Certainly weather patterns are more severe than they have been in the past. We are on super typhoon 27 or 28 this year in the Western Pacific. The average is about 17.” [Danger Room |] Read the rest
More posts | http://boingboing.net/tag/climate-change/page/2 | dclm-gs1-179620001 | false | false | {
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0.031358 | <urn:uuid:12fc64c5-dea0-41ef-bed7-aee2234059f4> | en | 0.951165 | British summetime might almost be over, but Volkswagen has given soft-top fans something to look forward to with the UK introduction of the new cabriolet version of the popular Golf.
With sales of 1.42 million units, Volkswagen has to be one of the most successful producers of iconic convertibles. Part of this success was down to the Golf Cabriolet, of which 684,000 were sold between 1979 to 2002.
Now the Golf soft-top is back, with a clever electric roof that only takes 9.5 seconds for the soft top to open fully, making it one of the fastest systems available. It can also be opened or closed at speeds of up to around 20mph, allowing continued operation at low speeds.
So, can the Cabriolet reassert its authority against modern rivals? I headed to Marlow for the first UK drive to find out.
The Cabriolet might be lower, with a more sportier, swept back windscreen, but at the front the grille, headlights and bonnet are still distinctively Golf.
Move to the side and the convertible hump of the fabric roof has gone, to be replaced by an attractive open profile.
At the back, the new rear lights and distinctive deep crease in the bootlid are the most distinctive design features.
The finished result might be familiar, but looks every inch the classy, quality convertible you'd expect from Volkswagen.
Move inside the Golf Cabriolet and initially I admit I was slightly underwhelmed, as apart from some metal trim inserts, the dashboard is exactly the same as the one you'll find in any other Golf.
However, like any Golf, once you spend some time inside the new convertible, you appreciate all the features and how well-made they feel.
The driving position is excellent and all the models I tried at the launch were fitted with the optional, supportive sports seats. They look particularly classy with the costly (£1,960) Vienna heated leather option.
Space in the back of the Golf Cabriolet is adequate for two, but hood up and it can be feel a bit claustraphobic with the small windows. Another bonus of the cloth roof is the practical 250 litre boot; rear space can be increased with the rear seat that splits and folds but it's a shame the boot has such a small opening.
Thre new Golf Cabriolet will be available with a choice of three proven engines,: a 1.2 TSI with 104 bhp and is capable of 47.9mpg and produces 139g/km, a 158bhp 1.4 TSI that returns 44.1mpg and 150g/km and a 104bhp 1.6-litre TDi diesel that emits 117g/km emmissions, with a combined consumption figure of 64.2mpg.
I drove the manual and DSG automatic transmission versions of the excellent 1.4-litre petrol turbo. Considering the engine size, it sounds good, feels smooth and is gutsy. I was less impressed by the diesel, that didn't feel as sporty as the looks suggest.
Usually loping off the roof to make a convertible has a bad effect on the handling and can cause lots of rattles in the interior over bumps. Not so in the Golf, as the steering is accurate and free from shakes. The handling is tight with plenty of grip and virtually no bodyroll.
The ride is generally refined even on the 18-inch alloys of the GT trim, with only the worst road scars making their way into the cabin.
To sum up, the Golf Cabriolet isn't a cheap option, but few four-seater convertible rivals can offer such a comfortable, refined, high quality package. | http://cars.aol.co.uk/2011/09/01/first-drive-volkswagen-golf-cabriolet/ | dclm-gs1-179640001 | false | false | {
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0.837577 | <urn:uuid:f8e5a9a1-ddbe-4811-9846-156a8b10b6e7> | en | 0.95849 | Tag Info
New answers tagged
Frankly, I probably wouldn't use a database in the first place. It doesn't sound like you have any need for ACID, which is one the main things which databases provide and which doesn't come cheap in terms of performance. Nor does it sound like you need complicated indexes. What I would do (and have done, an awful lot) is just loop over the files with Perl ...
To answer your question yes I'm sure it is possible to employ a scheme like jkavalik suggested where you: Import the entire file into a single column/cell in a temp table Parse the malformed csv string using increasingly obtuse trickery as each edge case is discovered. I'm sure a smarter person than me could write an event driven, real-time, web-enabled, ...
Top 50 recent answers are included | http://dba.stackexchange.com/tags/csv-file/new | dclm-gs1-179760001 | false | false | {
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0.070534 | <urn:uuid:cb9f9833-5d0d-42ba-a41f-da38a9221a23> | en | 0.984484 | The Newtown Jets
In another life, before the internet became pervasive and when dial-up was still common, I ran a local magazine in the Newtown area.
The idea of being a czar of print, albeit on a microscopic scale, was seductive, but as the project advanced towards the first print deadline I realised I didn’t have much actual content for the public to read.
Casting my eye around the local landscape it quickly became apparent that the Newtown Jets, the local rugby league team, was important and needed to be covered. Coming from an AFL background I was ill-equipped to do the job, and so reached out to Glen Dwyer, the club’s media officer for help.
The result was a regular monthly delivery of sports reporting in the finest old-school tradition and a filled back page.
The magazine closed a long time ago, but I’ve always kept an eye on the Jets. They’ve carved out a singular style since being founded in 1908 (they are the oldest rugby league club in Australia). This is partly based on their location in Newtown, which still hangs on to its working class roots despite the inevitable gentrification of the area over the last 30 years. A key indicator of this is that the quintessential working class man, Jimmy Barnes, chose to wear a Jets jersey in his most recent video. As well, their constant and reasonably consistent battle for success armed with comparatively limited resources is a source of grim pride.
I wanted to visit the Jets again as they played the Wentworthville Magpies, who were just below them on the ladder. The last time I’d been to Henson Park, the home ground in Marrickville, was in 1999. That day was sunny. This day was not.
The Jets play in the NSW Cup, which is a sort of second division feeder competition for the big Rugby League clubs. Newtown is affiliated with the Roosters, and today had the benefit of quite a few first graders as the Roosters had a bye.
The crowd was as large and as cheerful as you could expect on a dismal Saturday afternoon, and they confined themselves to the shelter of the stands. There were some muttered concerns that the comparatively all-star team the Jets had this weekend would indulge in “showboating” and not give their all to the cause.
This was a theme repeated in coach Greg Matterson’s pre-game address in the changing rooms. In the time-honoured tradition of pre-game addresses the air turned blue with exhortation. Greg expressed his initial reservations about his new charges, but the way they had trained during the week had allayed his concerns (or words to that effect).
The first ten minutes of the game made everyone happy with three tries being scored in quick succession by the Jets. It looked like a walkover was in the offing, but the Magpies stiffened their resolve. In the second half the Jets reasserted their dominance. In the words of the official match report:
The Jets reasserted pressure at Wenty's end of the ground bit but didn't score again until midway through the second half. Tautau Moga strode away majestically for his second try after the Jets had worked a smart set play from a scrum on Wentworthville's quarter-line. Winger Adam Henry put the issue beyond doubt with a try following some more well-worked ball play. and the match concluded 26-12 in the Jets’ favour.
It doesn’t get any better than that. | http://fstopsydney.com/newtown-jets/ | dclm-gs1-179990001 | false | false | {
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0.029276 | <urn:uuid:71081dfc-cf33-4e95-b078-28e9a9844161> | en | 0.974022 | How to prepare oxycodone for injection
Common Questions and Answers about How to prepare oxycodone for injection
So even 10mg a day can snare you. The thing I want to know is how long does it take for the other pain to go. My back has been better and the painlkillers have helped me to excercise and get stronger. I think I can go without it if I can get rid of the other pain. The phantom pain is worse than the origin accident. Also, if I take other painkillers like panadene forte, will this still cause the phantom pain to continue or worsen. I have had to go for something else to get through.
Thank YOU,And I ALSO understand your concerns to my questions and why you would be wondering why i want to know, as YES I will be talking to my Dr. and at the end of the day, YES Is IS up to him on what and how much I get for Pain. Sorry IF anyone misread what I was asking here and NO I am NOT on to high of a dosage for the length of time I have been on these dam things, and last but not least..........
And yet, it does ease the pain enough to allow me to care for my children. I do take Oxycodone (not Contin) for breakthrough pain, and, of course, I need to be quite careful doing that. I ususally only take it if dh is home. Though I have never made an eror as a result of meds, I feel it imperative that I be even overly cautious. Anyhow, since the KAdian delivers a steady amount of the narcotic it also doesn't produce any feeling of being "high.
hopefultobeblessed and I both are reading a book called Expecting Twins, Triplets and More that is good and I am also reading a book called Twinspiration by Chery Lage. It is a really good book about how to prepare for twins and helpful tips during the first year after birth (i.e. what kind of stroller to buy and how to grocery shop with it, how many diapers to have on hand, what to expect during delivery etc.).
Hi ChicaBooms! Welcome to our new home!
D Love and Healing, Emily
Then for a 3 mile walk, then to shop for Radox, then home 71hrs now, going to have a long bath.Tried to sleep, no joy so went for another 3 mile walk, pain in legs gets bad. Sunday 18;30 Had to take Terri to hospital, ( bad cut to finger ).
Hi and welcome to Part 50! Wow part 50. Please make yourself at home. Snuggle down. It'll be a bumpy ride but I know you Tramadol Warrirors can do it!
He either doesnt know how to properly prepare the subutex for (safe?) injecting OR he hasnt yet developed the correct technique OR aquired the knowledge to differentiate beween injecting into a vein or an artery.Either way he is risking his limbs and his life. Hep C could explain the yellow discolouration. Are the whites of his eyes yellow? Is he extremely lethargic?. The numbness in his hands could be the result of nerve damage from incorrect injecting.
my question is, i have been given some samples of ultram and was wondering if, for a short time, i could utilize the ultram that i have for my breakthrough, just until i can replenish my traditional oxycodone for breakthrough. i think that the oxycontin that i will continue to take will provide me sufficient opiate levels so withdrawl shouldn't be an issue for concern. so my question is to ask the group whether this was a prudent course for short time palliation????
Hi everyone, I'm new here, just joined this forum today hoping to find a source of support as I try to taper off of oxycodone. It rules my life and I want to stop. I've been addicted to opiates since about 2009. I had a prescription for Vicodin 5/500 4x/day from 2009-2013, initially I took it as prescribed, but after a couple of years my use escalated to about double the prescribed dose. When I would run out early, I'd buy 5mg percocets to fill in the gaps between my prescriptions.
Not only has the screws come out, but my pelvic is so tilted due to trying to compensate for the curve of my spine that they have to try and figure out how to make me straight. It is causing so many other internal problems due to the tilt. If anyone knows of anyone that has had an 8 level fusion after having a 2 or 4 level fusion, can you tell me if the recovery is much different. Thank you!!
I can only hope that she will be able to get back to her chosen profession and help fellow addicts. There is such a need for people in the treatment of addiction! And I mean people who have been down that road and can relate plus not take any BS. I know two nurses who work for the rehab program here that are just marvelous. One is a recovering cocaine addict and the other is in recovery for opiates. Both were high end in the nursing profession.
Also couldn't move, see or hear for 2 weeks while the drs waited for me to be stable enough to live through a back surgery. I was a mess. Every single bone in my face was fractured. The entire right side was pulverized including my eye, nose and jaw. Six long and very difficult years later, physically and emotionally, and 20 facial reconstruction surgeries later, I'm as ok as I'm going to get. My back is similar to yours. T 3, 5 & 7 burst fractures.
Thank you for writing and responding to these posts. You will never know how much it means to me to read someone else having the same experiences as myself.
I had Oxycodone till six days after the op and changed to Ibuprofen. I was in the hospital for three days, I had to be transfused the last day because my hemoglobin count was 8%. Myomectomy is usually an elective procedure I believe, talk to your doctor about iron supplements before the Surgery or bank a pint of your blood. Also, no soda before you start moving your bowels, otherwise you get hiccups.
not only does your last dose carry you for a while but it takes at least 30 days for it to leave your system (sometimes longer depending on how high of dose you are on and for how long) and the withdrawals seem to last a lifetime .
I understand your dillema, and am in a similar situation, as are many here. I've been wracking my brains for a while now trying to figure out how to use pain medication responsibly. Many of the folks on this forum have helped me to validate my real need for pain relief, and start structuring my med use so that I am taking only what is needed for the pain, not one pill more to chase that elusive high. Narcotics are the only thing that work on my pain.
I also abused pain medication and alcohol and I don't know how I didn't OD either. A GREAT way to stay sober is to go to an AA or NA meeting. There are MANY people in AA who abuse(d) alcohol and drugs. I have tried NA and AA but for some reason, I like AA better. Some meetings are better than others. I bet you are saying "No way - what if someone found out?" No one will find out.
Oh well, we are all different, and maybe it's because I had both ovaries out and not just the cysts? who knows. Don't be afraid, it's best to know, and plan for it! Doctors tend not to give you the full scoop on things, so we've only got each other, girls! I hope I've done more help than harm... :) If you think that's funny, wait until "My Top 10 Adventures with Hormones" comes out next... Take care my friends, keep healing and looking forward!
methadone is similar in make up and compared to heroin in its addictive qualities and how hard it is to come off..and never mind if your have been on it for an extended tome, you CAN suffer PAWS for up to 3 years, which is another reason people USUALLY do not obtain success when coming off methadone completely, the withdrawals are NOTHING compared to any other withdrawals i have ever felt, worse than heroin, percocets and oxycontins, thus my reason for switching to suboxone.
Otherwise you are only hurting yourself. Sorry for the soap box, but I mostly wanted to point out that everyone is different in how they react to meds and how they will react to withdrawls...just like my mom with tylenol...who knew it could put people to sleep!!! Certainly not I! Thanks for the ears!!! | http://healthquestions.medhelp.org/how-to-prepare-oxycodone-for-injection | dclm-gs1-180060001 | false | false | {
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0.283795 | <urn:uuid:7c4f3b49-9bf4-40c5-9cd5-7eed75e4be2f> | en | 0.779232 | 30 definitions by Mitchell
Top Definition
a racist term used mostly by natives and blacks people to insult us white people.
Native: eh fuck white boy...
white: fuck off
door MITCHELL 29 maart 2005
clown hat, curly hair, smiley face.
used by eric cartman in the NAMBLA episode of south park when he is talking to men on the internet.
Man: "Okay meet me al Mel's buffet tommorow morning"
Cartman: "Alright cya then!, <@:) "
door MITCHELL 4 juli 2005
The answer that most parents, (mostly moms) will give their child when they dont want them to do something or go somewhere. It is said because they know the child knows they have no answer, so they will simply say, Because i said so!
Billy: "Mom c'mon, please let me stay at Ben's tonight!"
Mother:"No Billy."
Billy: "Dammit why not!"
Mother: "Because I said so!"
Billy: "That's not a answer mom!"
Mother: "I'll pick you up in a hour, bye" **click**
Billy: "FUCK!"
door MITCHELL 12 juli 2005
what crouds in south park yell at city hall when they are outraged or there is a conflict or problem.
Randy Marsh:"We have to stop all these child abductions!"
Mayor:"It's not going to help the situation if all you people do is stand there and yell RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!"
door MITCHELL 10 juli 2005
the noise that you make after someone tells a joke, can be done oraly or by a drum kit.
Mitchell: "Ben tell a joke!"
Mitchell: *hits drums* Ba-Dum-CH!
People at party: "HAHAHAHA!"
(true story)
door MITCHELL 10 juli 2005
door Mitchell 24 april 2004
The Game is a strait up Gangsta from Compton.
He is now kicked out of g-unit.
plus he's way better than fifty.
door MITCHELL 27 maart 2005
Dagelijkse gratis email
| http://nl.urbandictionary.com/author.php?author=Mitchell | dclm-gs1-180430001 | false | false | {
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0.154491 | <urn:uuid:40be29fb-2623-45ec-9aa0-58a765ab2b62> | en | 0.968966 | The New York Times describes how legal reasoning works in the Obama administration. It goes like this: the end justifies the means.
But Barron and Lederman realized that they had to ‘evolve’.
And evolve they did. The rest, as they say, is history. In their own defense they believe they’ve managed to avoid the intellectual excesses of the Bush Doctrine. But as a practical matter, they gave the Obama administration far more power than was used under than under President Bush’s “sweeping” arrogation. The Washington Post published a graphic showing the drone activity under President Obama.
Permanent War that is Non-War
What is truly remarkable about this graph is not only how the attacks have spiked, but that they occur in places where military action has not been formally authorized by Congress.
Congress, you may remember, once had the power the declare war according to a ‘hundred year old document that nobody reads any more’. That was before clever lawyers figured out that cases involving children in Japan could be cited to authorize striking American citizens anywhere on the planet.
How does one resolve the contradiction between what you hear and what you get? President Obama campaigned on ‘ending the war’ and engaging in ‘grand bargains’ with the Muslim world. But perhaps he realized that, given the low information character of his voter base, that for so long as he used the correct terminology to describe his actions, he could treat them like kiddies; he could do one thing while pretending to be engaged in another.
Thus, the War on Terror became law enforcement. Intervention became ‘kinetic military activity’. Destabilizing any country he chose to target became known as ‘leading from behind’. And when anybody objected to the apparently military character of events they were simply characterized as consequent to a ‘duty to protect’. And the kiddies clapped.
In other words, as long as he lied to his base he could get away with anything. But eventually even the worm turns. Even the chumps wise up.
The New York Times is belatedly realizing that President Obama has altered the meaning of the word ‘war’ beyond recognition and having done so is constrained by nothing. Reflecting on Eric Holder’s apparent concession to Rand Paul that attacking Americans on US soil is not Constitutionally permissible law professor Ryan Goodman realizes it’s just another word game.
By declining to specify what it means to be “engaged in combat,” the letter does not foreclose the possible scenario — however hypothetical — of a military drone strike, against a United States citizen, on American soil.
What does it mean to be “engaged in combat”? Well it means whatever the President means it to mean, Mr. Goodman. You are now helpless.
Lawyers have rarely been able to contain power. As practical matter power is constrained only by politics, which as Clausewitz once observed can be another name for another thing which doesn’t exist any more.
Obama’s voters abolished the political consequences. They re-elected him and got what they voted for. President Obama’s unbridled accumulation of power is not the product of a legal failure. It is the consequence of a political failure. The Democratic and Republican parties have allowed a relatively small cabal of individuals of no particular moral stature to exercise unbridled authority over a great state. They been left free for years now to operate without a budget, to utter obvious lies and have Candy Crowley insist they are the truth, they have been permitted to scoff at the law — Fast and Furious comes to mind — and to proceed without even a cursory vetting. All in the pursuit of the partisan political promise of a permanent majority.
He’s promised his supporters employment, free health care, peace on earth, nuclear disarmament, cradle to grave welfare and total transparency. They were offered a carrot and will get nothing but a painted stick. Instead of Hope and Change there be get poverty, death panels, war, and package of ramen noodles for their troubles. Winston Churchill warned an earlier generation of political opportunists that the devil rarely keeps his bargain. “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war.”
But by then it was too late. Those who are too smart to learn from their mistakes don’t.
The Three Conjectures at Amazon Kindle for $1.99
Storming the Castle at Amazon Kindle for $3.99
No Way In at Amazon Kindle $8.95, print $9.99
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Journal Error27's Journal: Vista is crap
Most people say Vista is crap but I always figured that's because they were jealous of Bill Gate's billions. It turns out they were right!
Vista is horrible. The UAC dialogues do pop up all the time. You click on about any button and the screen flickers and goes dark except for the UAC dialogue.
The dialogues are stupid too. So far I've only seen the one where if you click on a button and it asks you "Did you just click on a button? Press cancel if this program started automatically." It's every third button that generates this dialogue. This is on a brand new Vaio without anything extra installed.
Vista automatically updates which is good, but then it also automatically reboots your computer when it finishes!
Also when you uninstall the AOL tool bar that makes Vista reboot. It doesn't ask you. It just reboots. You think probably I'm lying, but I'm not.
You know how all windows computers seem to have an expired copy of Norton on them? I always thought that was because idiots downloaded the trial version. I was wrong, they install nine almost expired applications including Norton at the factory.
What a load of absolute crap...
Vista is crap
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Mommy, what happens to your files when you die? | http://slashdot.org/~Error27/journal/212747 | dclm-gs1-180740001 | false | false | {
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0.886546 | <urn:uuid:04fc0e02-2a7e-4d5f-b373-b54a1a4e3307> | en | 0.919096 | See also the [[Characters/{{Hellsing}} Character page]] for the ''Characters/{{Hellsing}}'' manga and OVA; for characters who appear in both, this page focuses on tropes unique to the [[Anime/{{Hellsing}} TV anime]].
[[folder: Alucard]]
* {{Alucard}}
* {{Badass}}
** BadassLongcoat
* BerserkButton: 'WHAT DID YOU DO?!' (episode 9).
* BreakTheHaughty: After episode 9 nearly gets Integra killed, he behaves far more thoughtful and considerate with her.
* {{Dracula}}: In the final episode, there's a brief moment where Alucard's face resembles Vlad (III) Dracula's.
* EvilLaugh
* HappinessInSlavery: Slight subversion, he's ''not'' so happy and seems SealedEvilInACan, but he hates the idea of losing Integra more (episode 9).
* {{The Hero}}
* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Played straight and then subverted with his 'level one' appearance. Unlike the manga, his appearance as Vlad actually resembles his historical portraits.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: He gets "killed" by trying to shoot Incognito with his Jackal. Afterwards, when he gets better, he uses Incognito's powers against him in a GenreSavvy way.
* HumanoidAbomination
* [[ILoveYouVampireSon I Love You, Draculina Daughter]]: Some shades of this with Seras and the reason why he keeps offering Integra his blood.
* InSeriesNickname: Monster is the most frequent. There is also PeterPan, his codename.
* {{Lolicon}}: "Excellent! I feel such a rage ''swelling'' between my legs!" might not be the most reassuring line to say to a little girl while you pin her to a wall with NoSenseOfPersonalSpace.
* MeaningfulName: Do you really need it explained?
* MysteriousPast: Other than [[{{Dracula}} the shot of Vlad Tepes mentioned above]], it's never really said what or who Alucard is unlike the manga which explicitly shows events from his past.
* NobleDemon: The TV series cuts back on some of his KickTheDog moments and makes him downright paternal to Seras.
* TheMasochismTango: With Integra.
* TheObiWan: To Seras.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Gives a few to vampires he considers to be a disgrace to their species.
-->'''Alucard''': Children without faith... if you had any control you would travel as fog or as a bat. You've gone and taken all those lives, [[EvenEvilHasStandards and not even because you were thirsty.]] Is it fun? Is that what it takes for filth like you to get off? Cheap little two-bits terrors.[...] Eternity is wasted on the likes of you.
* OneWingedAngel: Level 1, his most powerful form.
* PoisonousFriend
* PsychopathicManchild: Type C, mostly, but with some type B in there - which matches [[{{Literature/Dracula}} the original novel's]] description of Dracula having a child mind.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: He's damn proud of being a True Undead. Integra occasionally taunts him, prickling his pride.
* RedOniBlueOni: Red.
* SingleTargetSexuality: He seems to have this toward Integra one way on another. He only changes Seras because she has Integra's eyes, and the news reporter that he bites midway through the series has Integra's coloring.
* UndyingLoyalty: Less of it than the Manga, but he will serve his master.
[[folder: Seras]]
* AdaptationDyeJob: Her hair is much more yellowish in the manga and OVA, but she's a strawberry blonde in the anime.
* AudienceSurrogate
* BettyAndVeronica
* {{BFG}}: Harkonnen
* BreakTheCutie
* {{Chickification}}: Compared to her Manga counterpart, this Seras is smarter, but not as asskicking (most likely because the anime didn't adapt material past Volume 2) and gets too many DistressedDamsel instances (like in episode 3, where it only took one of Anderson's bayonet to knock her out).
* DaddysGirl: With a MissingMom, she seems to be abnormally attached to her father, unlike [[ConvenientlyAnOrphan her manga counterpart]].
* DayWalkingVampire: Seras seems to have to wear hats and sunglasses, but it seen outdoors in light a few times, though those times it was a bit cloudy.
* [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength Does Not Know Her Own Strength]]: She has a humorous learning experience with this in the second episode. At the firing range, one of the Hellsing soldiers suggests that the [[{{BFG}} massive 13.7mm Anti-Midians rifle]] might suit her better. Seras protests that she wouldn't even be able to lift it, only to yank it clean out of the guy's hands one-handed when she tries, leading to this conversation:
-->'''Seras:''' That's strange. What's it made of, is it plastic?
-->'''Soldier:''' It weighs in at 15 kilos, plus a couple more for ammo.
-->'''Seras:''' *Shaking the gun up-and-down with one hand* It's really that heavy?
* FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire
* HappinessInSlavery: She refuses Alucard's offer when he wanted to give Seras her freedom.
* IAmWhatIAm
* IconicOutfit: It's not manga canon, but Seras looks good in blue.
* InSeriesNickname: Kitten, Police Girl, Tiger Lily (in reference to PeterPan).
* GreenEyedMonster: Her reaction when the relationship between Alucard and Integra softens in the last episodes.
* MissingMom: No picture of her at all.
* MoralityPet: She is this to Alucard.
* MsFanservice: UpToEleven from her Manga version (who never wore a revealing outfit other than her Hellsing uniform).
* TheNoseKnows: In addition to the [[SuperSenses "third eye"]] ability seen in the manga, Seras also has an enhanced sense of smell as a vampire. She uses it to [[spoiler: detect a bomb]] in the 5th episode.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Subverted, as she's a FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire. But a vampire nonetheless.
* RedOniBlueOni: Blue.
* ReplacementGoldfish: She might have been intended to be this. According to [[WordOfGod Studio Gonzo]], Alucard turned her because her eyes reminded him of Young Integra's.
* RookieRedRanger
* TheSquadette
* VampireDetective: She journeys into this trope in some of the filler arcs.
* VegetarianVampire
* WhatHaveIBecome: She struggles with losing her humanity, but accepts her vampiric nature much earlier than in the manga, drinking medical blood in the fourth episode.
** The Anime makes a serious emphasis on this, while the manga was barely referred over it or it was PlayedForLaughs with Seras' making comical reactions, and {{Fanservice}} when she finally licked Integra's finger.
* ZettaiRyouiki:
[[folder: Integra]]
* AttemptedRape: Victim of ''three'' of them.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Her mother is shown wearing a sari, implying Indian heritage.
* BerserkButton: Anything that humiliates and stains her Organization and soldiers. She'll avenge a ''thousandfold''. Especially traitors.
* BettyAndVeronica
* BreakTheCutie: Poor, poor young Integra...
* BreakTheHaughty: What happened from episode 9 and towards the end.
* CryCute: Episode 10.
* DaddysGirl: Unlike her manga counterpart (who occasionally remembers her father but mostly when Alucard triggers some memory and doesn't keep even a picture of him), in the Anime Integra seemed to love and dearly miss him (keeping his portrait in her office), but also resent his shadow.
* DarkSkinnedBlond
* GreenEyedMonster: Her reaction to Alucard turning Seras for the first episodes. He seemed to be aware of this, giving her a knowing smirk.
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Integra thinks this way when she announces to Walter that Her Majesty has abandoned them at the end of the series.
* HeirClubForMen: The anime plays up the bureaucratic stress on Integra caused by her peers.
* HonorBeforeReason: Subversion. The ending of episode 9 seems to fit this trope way, but actually she stabbed her neck not to choose death over being tainted by vampire's blood but to ''fight for her life''. Otherwise she would have become a mindless ''ghoul''.
* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: In episode 9 and 13.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: She is able to shoot the shape of a cross onto a vampire's face; this kind of accuracy is nearly impossible in RealLife.
* InSeriesNickname: Lady of Steel (in supplement material), Virgin of the Royal Protestant Order, Protestant Swine ([[ChurchMilitant Maxwell]]'s nickname for her), Wendy (to continue the PeterPan parallels codenames).
* ItsAllMyFault
* KnightTemplar
* LargeHam
* {{Meganekko}}
* MissingMom: There is a picture of her holding baby Integra, and a scene that could imply that she committed suicide.
* NotSoDifferent: To Alucard, she even acknowledges this in episode 4. "Your world is ''my'' world."
* SayMyName: "Acknowledge my approval! '''ALUCAAAAARRRD!'''"
* SharpDressedWoman: As "Sir" Integra, she wears a stylish suit.
* SugarAndIcePersonality
* TheMasochismTango with Alucard.
* TheUnReveal: Will she take Alucard's blood? [[spoiler: She only smirks as an answer as the blood drips down.]]
* VirginPower: Still a virgin here and apparently her blood is super delicious to vampires, and leads to her almost becoming a VirginSacrifice to open the gate of Hell.
* TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask
[[folder: Walter]]
* BadassGrandpa
* BattleButler
* CasualDangerDialogue
* DissonantSerenity: He has the ability to stay calm in ''any'' situation.
* FlashStep
* [[spoiler: HeroicSacrifice: But he lives through it.]]
* RazorFloss
* UndyingLoyalty
[[folder: Incognito]]
* BaldOfEvil: Complete with a Nazca-looking skull.
* BarbieDollAnatomy: It's not clear whether Incognito suffers from this, or he really is androgynous, as some have speculated.
* {{BFG}}: a Grenade launcher.
* {{Big Bad}}: Though he does have a superior.
* BodyHorror: He can summon a weapon from his arm.
* CanonForeigner
* CombatSadomasochist
* DragonInChief: To whoever [[GreaterScopeVillain his master]] may be, though they are [[TheGhost never seen on screen]].
* [[spoiler: Myth/EgyptianMythology]]: [[spoiler: He summons Set, the Egyptian God of Chaos, in the last episode.]]
* EvilCounterpart
* EvilSoundsDeep
* {{Expy}}: He has a very similar vibe to the Major from the original, most notably:
--> "I will destroy everything. I was born to bring ruin to all that is."
* EyeScream: The fact that he has no eyelid over his red left eye would indicate he's had one in his life.
* FullFrontalAssault
* GatlingGood
* LooksLikeOrlok
* OmnicidalManiac
* ScaryBlackMan: Considering he's implied to be from Africa, it's not much of a stretch.
* ThatCameOutWrong: [[spoiler: Set]] will enter me. Made even worse by the aforementioned BarbieDollAnatomy.
* UndignifiedDeath: [[spoiler:Much like Vlad's historical victims, Incognito's body is left with a spear going up his ass and coming out his mouth, though, given his sadomasochistic tendencies, this might not have been overly upsetting for him.]]
* WorthyOpponent: For Alucard.
[[folder: Alexander Anderson]]
* AntiVillain
* BadassPreacher
* BlondGuysAreEvil
* DarkSkinnedBlonde
* DualWielding: He loves doing this with his bayonets.
* DemotedToExtra: He's nowhere near as important in the TV series as he is in the manga and OVA.
* TheGiant: He literally towers over Hellsing's RedShirts and has to stoop down to go through subway train cars.
* InSeriesNickname: Sword Dancer, Vatican's Dog, Captain Hook, Judas Priest (by Alucard).
* WorthyOpponent: Averted. Unlike his manga counterpart, he's not this to Alucard in the Anime.
[[folder: Enrico Maxwell]]
* BitchInSheepsClothing
* DemotedToExtra
* InSeriesNickname: Catholic swine (courtesy of Integra).
* SmugSnake
[[folder: Helena]]
* CanonForeigner
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld
* UndeadChild | http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/HellsingAnime?action=source | dclm-gs1-180910001 | false | false | {
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0.055303 | <urn:uuid:f47946bc-3a55-4d65-b661-5208563cbc93> | en | 0.980701 | I lost that very viewfinder off my Bessa-L into the Rhein (I think it was when a passing bicyclist bumped me), so I can confirm that the concern is realistic! The tape seems like an easy and robust solution, and I'll put it into action next time I use the 21mm. | http://www.apug.org/forums/viewpost.php?p=1252760 | dclm-gs1-181060001 | false | false | {
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0.066306 | <urn:uuid:9d74b657-44fd-49c3-a4cc-70a41b888341> | en | 0.976137 | As Facebook goes corporate, Mark Zuckerberg loses an early player
It's part of the natural evolution of a fast-growing company for some early execs to jump ship when they no longer recognize the start-up they helped build. That might've been why longtime Facebook CTO Adam D'Angelo has departed.
On Sunday, word got out that Adam D'Angelo, chief technology officer at Facebook and a friend of founder Mark Zuckerberg since high school, had submitted his resignation on Friday. D'Angelo had been one of Facebook's first employees, though he did not have formal "co-founder" status.
Reports swirled that he was at odds with Zuckerberg, or that he was no longer interested in the position; whatever the reason, I speculate he may have timed the announcement so that it came after Facebook's announcement of its Facebook Connect data portability project had been finalized. As CTO, D'Angelo, who didn't keep a very high profile in the company, would likely have overseen many of Facebook Connect's operations.
The indie-band metaphor stands. Facebook wasn't bought, but it sure isn't the same company that sprouted up in a Harvard dorm room more than four years ago. Zuckerberg's aim of helping the world communicate might not have changed, but the company's operations inevitably are very different when there are offices around the world, more than 70 million users, and prominent ex-Google employees like Sheryl Sandberg and Elliot Schrage pulled in as executives.
Every company on the rise is going to have at least one, probably more early employees who just don't mesh well with the boardroom furniture and prefer the old dorm decor. A recent survey found that some employees departing Google--which is, to be fair, a much more mature company than Facebook--leave because it's no longer "the revolution." Depending on who you ask, Facebook is still "the revolution," or maybe it isn't, or maybe it never was in the first place and it's still fated to go the Friendster route. Perhaps the Caltech-educated D'Angelo wanted a return to start-up fever, and felt it was his time to bow out.
No rumored catfight with Zuckerberg is necessary. Sorry, scandal fans.
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by Brian Tong | http://www.cnet.com/news/as-facebook-goes-corporate-mark-zuckerberg-loses-an-early-player/ | dclm-gs1-181280001 | false | false | {
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0.098065 | <urn:uuid:386e85fc-d873-48ff-b495-8c20ce099f63> | en | 0.952167 |
Brin said smartphones are "emasculating"
Smartphones are so yesterday, according to Google.
Source: TED Blog
Comments Threshold
RE: Google Glass.....
By retrospooty on 2/28/2013 8:04:50 PM , Rating: 3
"Google giving away a mobile OS, they aren't really supposed to make money on it "
Exactly... But money does come. Tony saying its a "spectacular failure" is ridiculous. Its given for free to bolster other revenue and its about branding, marketing, advertising, and dominating industry. Android is a long term strategy that is just in its infancy. They just starting selling high volume in 2011 FFS. It's not just doing well now, its gone from zero to dominating the industry in just a few years, and is still on its way up. The X phone and Android 5 are just a few months out.
But this isnt about Android, that is just Tony and jis need to change the subject to one that doesnt make an Apple competitor look good. As for Google Glass, it looks amazing. The potential is sky high. I cant freegin wait.
RE: Google Glass.....
By TakinYourPoints on 2/28/2013 9:22:42 PM , Rating: 2
Tony saying its a "spectacular failure" is ridiculous.
Certainly, but hyperbole is a thing on the internet. Something is either the best ever or the worst ever. :)
Potential is there, I want it to be inconspicuous. People walking around with bluetooth headsets are douchey enough. Ocular implants! :)
RE: Google Glass.....
By retrospooty on 2/28/2013 9:44:34 PM , Rating: 2
Ya, I get ya there. Double edge though. I want it to be inconspicuous on me... But then if ytou dont notive it, you neer know when someone might be recording you LOL. ick.
Hell, if nothing else I want it in my car. Like a NAV HUD. Hands free, and never have to look away from the road. If it did zero else, it would be worth it.
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Dinner Jackets
White dinner jackets have been a formal wear option in warm climates since the 1930’s. It is a truly elegant form of dress that is typically worn during summer months (from Memorial Day and Labor Day). Dinner jackets are also quite a classic style dress for formal nights on cruises. Most dinner jackets worn today are single breasted with a shawl style lapel that is “self facing”. A self facing lapel or collar is one that is the same fabric as the rest of the jacket. You will note that tuxedos have a satin lapel instead of the self facing lapel.
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0.022093 | <urn:uuid:c9b4ca92-42c6-423f-9faf-f67c9aa63442> | en | 0.978952 | Review by katastrophie
"And so the story continues"
So, another MGS game has been created by Hideo Kojima. It is the third Metal Gear game for the PSP. I have to say that this game is what the PSP needed.
I am a fan of the series and have played most of the MGS games, and this one doesn't change the love I have for this great series.
Wow, I never would have thought that the graphics would be good on the PSP, but they are great. The detail on Snake's face, clothes, and the environments shocked me. I never thought that the PSP could do a that good of a job.
This game's big cut scenes go into the graphic novel style, which is basically like the still and sometimes moving artwork. It looks like a sketch but looks good the way they made it. I have no problem at all with this, I thought that this was a great feature.
Amazing, the story in this game is incredible. It shocks you at some times, and tells more about Jack's past. They really did a good job with it. It has a lot of twists and turns to it, it's like a maze. You would be glad to listen to the cut scenes because they are very interesting if you know the story so far in past Metal Gear games.
This game deals with the Big Boss, aka Naked Snake, aka Jack. It is six years after operation Snake Eater, and dwells on Snake Eater also later on. This is possibly Jack's last mission, as you would come to conclude later one in the game.
The game play is pretty good in this game, it has a good amount of replay value to it and it still has that Metal Gear feel to it even with it's new system.
In this game you get to play as a wide range of characters besides Snake. You get to recruit enemy soldiers and negotiate with them to join your side, thus getting them. These recruits have a wide range of special abilities, like being able to drag soldiers faster, run faster, etc. It's very different from the other Metal Gears but in my opinion it also makes the game a little to easy. The different types of recruits can go into missions and disguise themselves as the enemy and the real enemies won't do a thing. So basically you can just walk through the whole place without getting caught and thus completing the mission. Although in some places this might not work all the time but in most it will.
You can also get special unique recruits that are people from previous games or bosses from this game, by doing special requirements.
Another new thing would be that you don't continuously walk to your destination like in past Metal Gear games, you can pick where you want to go and you're truck will drop you off. I don't have a problem with this and I didn't have a problem with the way it was either. The game is still great.
Missions are the part I really don't like in this game,well not the mission it self but the difficulty of them, they are just way to easy. You have a destination to reach to in the area and when you do you complete the mission and then move on to the next. It's easy enough, even if you get caught all you have to do is just run and once your in that X destination you complete the mission regardless if your in alert mode.
You also have levels in this, but not the kind that you get experience from beating baddies and levelling up. You have 4 levels which are C,B,A, and S. S being the highest C being the lowest. Each character has a level each field, to name a couple would be CQC, Medical, Technical, Heavy Weapons, Sub Machine Gun. The level you have affects the way how you perform in those fields. Say if you have a person with a C level in CQC, they won't be able to throws, on the other hand a person with a level S in CQC can do throws and other moves. Medical and Technical levels are a bit different, you can make various items to aid you in the Technical field, and make medical supplies like rations in the Medical field. This is actually pretty fun once you get used to it.
Controls are pretty decent in this game, walking is easy but the only slight problem would be the camera. Sometimes it can be in a pretty bad place, and you will always have to stop moving in order to turn the camera around. But the camera isn't that bad once you get used to it.
Bosses are actually in this game are not that hard but also not that easy.. All of them have a specific pattern and you just have to figure it out. They didn't really wow me much but they didn't disappoint me either.
The music and sounds in this game are actually quite good. I liked them all from the start to the credits. Later on in the game as you reach newer levels the music will change not only in the level but also when you're in alert mode. It is quite enjoyable to listen to and gives you a feeling that you are there. No complaints for the sound department from me.
Replay Value
This game has a good amount of replay value, getting all the items and the o so precious stealth camo and other unique characters will keep you playing for a long time.
I give this game a 9 because it is still a great MGS title but some parts are just a little easy. If your a fan of the series go get it it will blow your mind.
Reviewer's Rating: 4.5 - Outstanding
Originally Posted: 01/02/07
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0.028125 | <urn:uuid:2cd10793-ea9a-4fca-987f-0c8c8fb63915> | en | 0.975592 | London (change)
Today 17°C / 16°C
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5 messages
01/10/2013 at 23:49
My Mum grew me some Cobaea seedlings this year, and although I planted them in silly places (I didn't know how big they would get and how lovely they are) they looked fabulous. According to rumour, they can last through a mild winter and I was wondering if anyone has known this to occur? If so, do they then grow from additional shoots at the base, or does the old growth make it through winter and send out side shoots?
02/10/2013 at 09:20
It's a native of Mexico where it is perennial. However, in Britain, it's grown as an annual because it can't cope with temps below +5C.
You could try taking cuttings to keep indoors but given the speed of growth I'd stick with sowing it fresh every year in late Jan/early Feb and then, by the time the frosts are over in mid May, you should have a good sized plant to put out in the garden and give an impressive display all summer.
02/10/2013 at 10:00
Oblelixx is right Sara4,I grow them every year by a pergola near the house, which gives them warm and shelter to a degree. They come in lilac and white and after making rapid growth they flower their their socks off from now till the frosts blacken them. The flowers last for a few days turning darker as they age. I have tried digging up the plant and over wintering in the house but without success. I have been threatening to stop growing them in the last bad summer when the cuttings have not performed as the seeds are quite expensive! But capituclate when I see the beautiful exortic looking flowers as once the plant has warmth and sun it needs little care.So enjoy!
02/10/2013 at 10:40
I've grown cobaea from seed for the first time this year so I'm encouraged that there is still time for the buds to open. They've had big buds for a few weeks now. I live in Cornwall where it should be warmer and they are in a sheltered position.
I've grown one in a pot and there is only a tiny bud on that one but I'm hoping to over-winter it in the conservatory and plant it out next year
04/10/2013 at 00:55
Sorry for big delay in replying, something of a computer glitsch. I shall try growing them from seed myself, and as a more reliable source of healthy plants ask my Mum to do some more! Pam, I'm in Devon and although the papery buds were there for ages they only opened in the last two weeks - lovely greenish white before becoming purple, and I seem to have some more buds coming now. Having said that it is raining SO much at the moment that they might not bother!
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0.055356 | <urn:uuid:7b09e8b8-2812-4712-bb26-56c503cd2961> | en | 0.99227 |
I thought I'd messed up his life, but Joe still talks to me
CJ Stone split up from his wife, lived in a commune and went off the rails. Yet somehow his son grew up unscathed
Joseph was born some time in the early hours of 15 September 1980. It was 1.30 in the morning. Or at least I think it was. I have a clear visual recollection of the clock on the delivery room wall - one of those standard, circular hospital clocks with clean black figures and hands - and it reads just after 1.30am. I can even see the slim, red second-hand ticking round. It's just that I can't be sure whether it's a real clock or not. I may have made it up.
That's the trouble with memories. You never really know where they're coming from.
I have other memories too. I can see the flushed effort on his mother's face as she forced down and down to the cheerleader chants of the nursing staff. "That's it dear: push, push." I remember thinking that it looked like mighty hard work - that's why they call it labour. And one funny incident. One of the nurses handed me a glass of water. "Thanks," I said, taking a sip and setting it down on the side. The nurse gave me a curt, disbelieving look. It was only later that I realised that the water was meant for the woman on the bed, not for me.
Later I remember the surrealistic image of his head popping out from between her legs, poised in a moment of Monty Python silliness, before the rest of his body slithered out like a blood-flecked snake from its red lair. And I remember the look on his face too, like one of those Buddhist demons, all crimson fury, as if he was fuming with indignation that we had dared exorcise him to this place, when he was perfectly happy where he was.
So that was my first meeting with Joe: in the guise of a furious Buddhist demon, bright red and fuming with anger. Fortunately he's calmed down since. I'm the one who has had to learn to control my emotions.
We moved around a lot in Joe's early years. From Barton-on-Humber, in what was then South Humberside where he was born, to Bristol. From there to Whitstable in Kent. From estuary to estuary, for some reason. It's because I'm a Brummie. Brummies always have a fascination for the sea.
And, despite the moves, life developed a routine. "Who's going to look after Joe today? It's your turn to get him up." "No, it's your turn." And in the following years his mum and I drifted apart. We no longer knew whether we were together because of each other, or only because of him. I became sullen and depressed. She was much younger than I was. Maybe she longed to have her own young life back. Eventually we split up.
This is a very ordinary kind of a story, of course, and I'm sorry if you've heard it before. It is the story of the late 20th century. Where it is maybe a little different is in the situation we found ourselves in when we split. We were living in a commune. I'd had enough residual hippiedom in me to have been able to engineer this situation. So, while his mum continued her college course in London, Joe stayed with me. And - being sullen hippies, all of us - child rearing was a shared occupation. Later, again, I moved out of the commune, but the shared childcare continued. So that was how Joe was brought up, shuffling between a shared house in one part of Whitstable, my council- owned maisonette in another, and his mum's flat in London.
It's a surprise he isn't completely mad. He told me he's been counting the times he's moved. Thirteen times, he reckons, in only a few more years.
What we can thank that commune for is that Joe never felt the split like a schism in himself. He never felt like he was forced to choose between the two adults. Because there were many more adults in his life. I was only one of them. His mum was only another. So, no problem really. He could navigate his way between the emotional reefs with a certain grace. He had other people to refer to. As for his relationship to me: there was always a fierce loyalty there.
I became wild after the break-up with his mum. I was a gadabout. I took drugs. I had a lot of relationships. I think I probably broke many more than one heart. I got drunk and loud and - occasionally - unpleasant. I was headstrong and indifferent to the opinions of others. I lost a lot of friends.
And at first I resented Joe too. I kind of blamed him for the loss of the great love of my life. If only he hadn't been around, I thought, maybe we'd have been happy. Maybe we could still be together. A vain hope. But when you're in turmoil you clutch at straws.
All that began to change when we took a holiday in Tenerife. He was about six-and-a-half years old by now. This was about a year after the break- up. Joe and I shared a room. We went to bed at the same time and got up at the same time. We discussed what we'd like for lunch, and discovered we had the same tastes. Tinned octopus and other savouries. Crunchy bread and olives. We'd go to a bar in the evening and stay up late. I drank beer while he drank ginger beer. He discovered he liked staying up late, a habit he has never quite got out of. It made him feel like one of the adults. And, before we went to sleep at night, we'd discuss our favourite things on TV. He liked cartoons, of course. I told him my favourite cartoon character was Bugs Bunny, and he agreed. "What's up, Doc?" we'd say, and break into fits of giggles.
Suddenly I came to know how lucky I was. How beautiful this boy was, and how much he loved me. How much I loved him. How important he was in my life. Motherhood, I thought, was a natural thing, ordained by hormonal nature. Fatherhood, on the other hand, is a rational thing. It has to be decided.
Things came into focus. I remembered a certain look he'd given me more than once, fleeting and bashful and full of surprised admiration, and how he would run towards me with his arms open, like I was his great big teddy bear, burying himself in my beard. I've been as cuddly as any teddy bear.
After that he would watch me. He's seen me in all my turmoil. He's seen me in tears as I fall in love, and tears as I fall out of it again. He's seen me sober and practical, drunk and emotional, domesticated, wild, and absurd by turns. He's seen it all. And never once has he lost his faith in me. Never once has he allowed my madness to get in the way of our friendship.
There was a lot of criticism over the way I chose to lead my life. Joe never listened to any of it. And the only criticism I've ever listened to is Joe's. Once he told me that I was a nasty, spiteful old man. I guess I was going through a hard time again, and was taking it out on him. But those words seared into me like the kind of truth you could only get from God. You can be sure I listened to him, and that I was never nasty, spiteful or old again.
Which kind of brings us up to date. Joe is 18 years old now, and he lives with me. We share a rented house in Whitstable. He's just passed his driving test, and is currently doing his A-levels. The other people in the commune have moved away, though he keeps in contact with them. His mum still lives in London, where she pursues a successful photography career. She's married, to another photographer. We all seem to get along.
And Joe is a typical young man. Smart-casual, with a citrus-gel quiff, and a habit of wearing aftershave though he hardly needs to shave. He drives his car - a Citroen AX - with a kind of controlled insouciance, changing up the gears and accelerating at an alarming rate. He's not at all like me. He's not at all like his mum. He's not at all like the other people in the commune, though he's learnt a lot from all of us. In my case, what I've had to teach him has been mainly negative. How not to live your life. How not to mess up your relationships. He's learnt his lessons well, being self-possessed and extraordinarily loyal. It's like he has learned the courage to be ordinary.
A credit to his Old Man.
CJ Stone's book `The Last of the Hippies' is published by Faber and Faber, priced pounds 9.99. | http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/i-thought-id-messed-up-his-life-but-joe-still-talks-to-me-1095310.html | dclm-gs1-181770001 | false | false | {
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0.02249 | <urn:uuid:e61294a9-d9c9-4a04-bf6c-331e3111eb58> | en | 0.962623 | jimbiza lodge selous
Jimbiza selous from rufiji river entrance to jimbiza lodge selous dining room jimbiza lodge selous lounge jimbiza lodge selous Lunch at jimbiza lodge selous sandbank dinner jimbiza selous lounge area jimbiza selous
The Selous Game Reserve and its history
The Selous Game Reserve is the Largest in Africa. It is roughly the same size as Switzerland and four times larger than the serengeti. The Kruger National Park is in fact slightly larger than the Selous but is a National park and not a Reserve. The Difference between a game reserve and a national park is that Hunting is allowed in a game reserve. In Selous one quarter of the reserve is for photographic viewing while the other three quarters are set aside for high end sustainable hunting areas.
The Selous has a growing reputation for providing a superb game viewing experience with small hotels, large areas and lots of Game. It also has Boat safaris and walking safaris that are very often difficult to do in other parks. When on a Game drive in the Selous clients will rarely see another vehicle for a whole day and as a result clients very often have complete unique experiences. Selous has all the big five but is most famous for large numbers of Buffalo and large packs of African Hunting dogs that are very rare. Birding watching is also popular in Selous and Tiger fishing on the Rufiji is also becoming increasingly popular. Accomodation in Selous varies from extremely luxurious to camping.
There are now many Lodges in and around the Game Reserve that can cater for different types of clients. Transport to the Selous is usually by plane as it is very remote but it is also possible to drive from Dar Es Salaam. The journey takes about 5 and a half hours and over half is on tarmac. Some guest like the journey as it gives them a chance to see how people live in rural Tanzania.
General History: Selous Game Reserve was gazetted in 1905 by the German colonial administration. Seventeen years later, four reserves were combined to establish what is today "The Selous Game Reserve". It was named after Captain Frederic Courtney Selous, who during WWI, was killed and buried within the Game Reserve.
Copyright © 2010 Jimbiza Lodges Selous. All rights reserved. design by SELENGIA/designs
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0.03103 | <urn:uuid:9d881569-cdfc-4865-821c-94abbc2f2db9> | en | 0.982108 | LA QUINTA, Calif. -
More than 40 teachers along with friends and family showed up to demand a new contract with more money Monday afternoon, most dressed in black to show solidarity.
Kevin Colburn is a 5th grade teacher in the Desert Sands Unified School District.
When asked why the teachers were wearing black he responded, "Solidarity and mourning the respect, the lack of respect from the school board."
Teachers in the Deserts Sands Unified School District say they haven't received a pay increase since 2007, but the cost of their benefits continues to rise.
Mona Davidson is President of the Desert Sands Teachers Association. She tells us, "There are some teachers that are paying over 500 dollars a month out of pocket and we're talking teachers who don't make that much money."
Teachers in the Coachella Valley Unified School District were given a one thousand dollar stipend for helping to pass proposition 30.
But, teachers in the DSUSD were only offered a bump of $601.
Davidson said, "We want a thousand. $399 per teacher is all we're apart."
The district failed to reach a resolution again Monday evening, board members saying they need to wait to make sure the money is there. Something they haven't seen yet from proposition 30.
DSUSD spokeswoman Sherry Johnstone said, "Prop 30 simply stopped drastic cuts from the end of this year. They would have been very, very deep cuts to the end of this year. It didn't bring new money, it actually let us continue the year without additional cuts."
The teachers union has another gripe with the district.
Colburn said, "They just hired a superintendent and gave them a 25 percent raise in pay and what do they do with us? They put us as third as priority."
Davidson said, "We feel like the school board was completely and totally irresponsible, fiscally irresponsible in giving a contract like that."
The new superintendent's salary of 257,000 dollars a year would make him the fifth highest paid in the state according to Davidson. She also said he'll receive an automatic five percent raise in two years.
So teachers are taking action by only working what their contract requires of them on Mondays as well as boycotting out of school events.
Teachers will continue to picket to put their message out, hoping desperately to get the respect they feel is missing.
Colburn said it's about more than the money. "It's sad," Colburn said. "That disrespect needs to stop." | http://www.kesq.com/news/dsusd-teachers-picket-negotiations-to-spread-awareness/20042656 | dclm-gs1-181850001 | false | false | {
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0.112825 | <urn:uuid:ef984af4-fdfa-4f09-ac99-75168be70133> | en | 0.925616 | Did you know?
cladding - definition and synonyms
What are red words?
noun [uncountable] cladding pronunciation in British English /ˈklædɪŋ/
1. a hard substance such as wood, stone, or metal that is put on the outside of a structure, especially a building, to protect it or make it look more attractive
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Macmillan learn live love play | http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/cladding | dclm-gs1-181920001 | false | false | {
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0.064533 | <urn:uuid:4a61eee5-a784-4a23-97d6-5761c2d231c4> | en | 0.764324 | Pages: [1] 2 3 4
Order by: Date | Popularity | Show all
Top 25 Favourite Albums Of All-Time
My 20 favourite albums of all-time....
1. Agalloch - The Mantle
2. Opeth - Blackwater Park
3. Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)
4. Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
View entire list ››
Created by Slendyboy on 20.09.2015
Thumbs up: +20
2000-2014: A 'Factored' Top 100
1. Agalloch - The Mantle
2. Opeth - Blackwater Park
3. Blindead - Affliction XXIX II MXMVI
4. Aquilus - Griseus
5. Nevermore - Dead Heart In A Dead World
View entire list ››
Created by Moose on 13.09.2015
1. Rainbow - Rising
2. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
3. Metallica - Ride The Lightning
4. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
5. AC/DC - Powerage
View entire list ››
Created by rivendel on 25.08.2015
Top 100 Albums Of The 2000's
1. Sunn O))) - Black One
2. Lurker of Chalice - Lurker of Chalice
3. Agalloch - The Mantle
4. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
5. Opeth - Blackwater Park
View entire list ››
Created by FullyOttoMatic on 20.08.2015
Thumbs up: +6
The Most Majestic Albums Of All Time
This list contains most beautiful,majestic and soul-touching albums I've ever experienced;albums that are more than music ,and they will remain so precious for me. my most favorite genres are Ambient/Atmospheric/Cascadian Black Metal, BM with Post Rock/Post Metal/Shoegaze elements,Doom Metal and Post Metal.
Albums are ranked by no purpose, I really couldn't care about ranking.for me,all of these musics are important and beautiful in their own way.
I will keep expanding my list.
1. Wolves In The Throne Room - Black Cascade
2. Wolves In The Throne Room - Diadem Of 12 Stars
3. Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters
4. Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestial Lineage
5. Darkspace - Dark Space I
View entire list ››
Created by Moonlover on 10.06.2015
Top 30 Albums Of 2005
2005 is my favorite year in terms of metal musical releases so why not make a list for it?
1. Sunn O))) - Black One
2. Lurker of Chalice - Lurker of Chalice
3. Gojira - From Mars to Sirius
4. Riverside - Second Life Syndrome
5. Draconian - Arcane Rain Fell
View entire list ››
Created by FullyOttoMatic on 15.03.2015
Thumbs up: +11
Generic, Bog Standard Album-By-Numbers (That I Enjoy)
The title pretty much says it all. Feel free to tell me your poor taste in albums, and I will add them as well.
1. Behemoth - The Satanist
2. Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue With The Stars
3. Children Of Bodom - Are You Dead Yet?
4. Chthonic - Seediq Bale
5. Cradle Of Filth - Nymphetamine
View entire list ››
Created by V01d on 13.01.2015
Thumbs up: +3
The 100 Best Albums of All Time
My opinion on what the 100 best albums of all time might be, not sorted in any way right now, along with my favorite song of each album.
1. Tesseract - Altered State
2. Katatonia - Brave Murder Day
3. Septicflesh - Communion
4. Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia
5. Desire - Infinity... A Timeless Journey Through An Emotional Dream
View entire list ››
Created by Constantine on 20.08.2014
Thumbs up: +1
TOP 10 ALBUMS 2005
1. Draconian - Arcane Rain Fell
2. Arch Enemy - Doomsday Machine
3. Candlemass - Candlemass
4. System Of A Down - Hypnotize
5. Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
View entire list ››
Created by rivendel on 21.06.2014
Thumbs up: +10
The Best Gothic Metal Albums
Note 1: This list will take time before it gets a definitive form (or it might take forever if good gothic metal albums will be released in the future).
Note 2: Another important feature is that this list will not take into consideration the Metalstorm way of labeling what is gothic metal and what isn't. Some albums have gothic metal elements yet they are not categorized as gothic metal. No hard feelings. I am also accepting suggestions as I might slip a couple of albums in the process.
1. Estatic Fear - A Sombre Dance
2. Tiamat - Wildhoney
3. The Sins Of Thy Beloved - Lake Of Sorrow
4. Tristania - Widow's Weeds
5. Theatre Of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear
View entire list ››
Created by ManiacBlasphemer on 25.04.2014
Need Time To Check
in no particular order
1. Pain Of Salvation - Falling Home
2. Ensiferum - One Man Army
3. Cavalera Conspiracy - Pandemonium
4. At The Gates - At War With Reality
5. Wintersun - Time II
View entire list ››
Created by MetalFox on 04.01.2014
Thumbs up: +2
Darkevilmuffin's Favorite Albums
These albums are in no particular order, and I will be gradually adding more over time.
1. The 3rd And The Mortal - Tears Laid In Earth
2. Within Temptation - Enter
3. Agalloch - Pale Folklore
4. Agalloch - The Mantle
5. Mourning Beloveth - Dust
View entire list ››
Created by darkevilmuffin on 04.09.2013
Thumbs up: +8
Last Updated: May 15 2015
A collection of my favorite doom, death doom, funeral doom, stoner, drone and sludge metal albums. One album per band and in no particular order other than alphabetical. List will be updated semi-regularly so remember to stop by every so often!
1. Ablaze In Hatred - The Quietude Plains
2. Abysmal Grief - Abysmal Grief
3. Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops
4. Acid King - Busse Woods
5. Anathema - Serenades
View entire list ››
Created by Fearmeister on 01.08.2013
Thumbs up: +14
The wide spectrum of sounds expressed through the sub-genre of Doom Metal often gets overshadowed by the somehow inaccessible slowness that is in its nature and so DM doesn't get the recognition it deserves for being, in my opinion, one of the most flexible subgenres of Metal ... Because of that, Doom Metal has remained among my favorite genres of music since the time I was introduced to it through My Dying Bride's "Turn Loose the Swans".
1. Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale
2. Saturnus - Martyre
3. Lacrimas Profundere - Memorandum
4. My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans
5. Process Of Guilt - Erosion
View entire list ››
Created by InnerSelf on 18.07.2013
Thumbs up: +8
Most Weepworthy Albums
The saddest albums I've ever heard in alphabetical order.
1. Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain
2. Agalloch - The Mantle
3. Ahab - The Giant
4. Aoria - The Constant
5. An Autumn For Crippled Children - Everything
View entire list ››
Created by IronArkadius666 on 04.06.2013
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0.036915 | <urn:uuid:31da19f3-f937-44c6-8c31-1838dfbcc05f> | en | 0.962769 | TV Shows
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The All-New Popeye Hour(1978 - 1983)
Popeye returns in this new saturday morning series on September 9, 1978, The All-New Popeye Hour debuted on the CBS Saturday morning lineup. It was an hour-long animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, which tried its best to retain the style of the original comic strip (Popeye returne...
All-American Girl(1994 - 1995)
Aliens in the Family(1996 - 1996)
Cookie is a recombinant DNA scientist on a far planet. Divorced from her husband and looking for suitable material she abducts a suburban single father from earth. Love blossoms, they marry, and she with her three children join Doug with his two on Earth, an interstellar Brody/Brady bunch. This...
Alien Nation(1989 - 1990)
A flying saucer crashed in the Mojave Desert and its inhabitants turned out to be alien slaves, bred to be super intelligent and strong, and controllable by their Overseers. These Tenctonese, or The Alien ship that crashed is the same one in the V series. The Aliens aged at the same rate we d...
Alice in Wonderland(1983 - 1984)
Alice(1976 - 1985)
Alias Smith and Jones(1971 - 1973)
Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes were train robbers in the Old West, but they never killed anyone. Because of this, the president and governor pardoned them for their crimes, but it was kept secret. They assumed new identities (hence the name ALIAS SMITH AND JONES), and went from town to town getting...
Alias the Jester(1986 - 1986)
"Alias the Jester was a time-traveller bold..." spacer According to the title track, Alias the Jester was a time-traveller bold, by sheer bad luck his ship got caught in the earth's magnetic hold. Which was just as well, really, because it meant we got thirteen cracking epis...
Alf Tales(1988 - 1990)
In that show, Alf and his friends presented famous fairy-tales like: "The Wizard of Oz", "Peter Pan", "Robin Hood" etc'.
Alfred J. Kwak(1989 - 1991)
Alfred J. Kwak is a duck. As a kid he lives in a giant clog with his family, later on he lives with his adoptive father Henk in a clog-shaped house. He is very concerned with other people. Although he has gone through a lot of sad things, his favourite song is 'Ik ben vandaag zo vrolijk' (I'm so ha...
Quote O' Matic
• Phillip: Is too, Lillian!
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• Rugrats | http://www.retrojunk.com/content/sort/tv/alpha/a/13 | dclm-gs1-182440001 | false | false | {
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0.089196 | <urn:uuid:37986c65-bf48-45f2-82ca-eb523f5ccd2f> | en | 0.98467 | Photos from Irving Wolfe's 90th Birthday Party
Note: you'll need to scroll less if you make your browser window really wide. I laid out the page with several pictures two across.
My cousin Irving Wolfe (really, he's my mother's first cousin and my first cousin once removed) has been a leftist activist for most of his 90 years. He's still out there holding signs in demonstrations, now (February of 2003) against a U.S. attack on Iraq. He's a thrifty guy and was able to recycle a sign he had used to oppose the first gulf war:
Irv with recent photo
When I was in college Irv took me out to dinner in Greenwich Village one time when I was spending a school vacation in New York. It was the first time I had calamari (tough and overcooked, I recall, but that was the restaurant's fault, not Irv's). We then went to hear Norman Thomas speak.
The night before my wedding I stayed over in my Aunt Mimi's house in Mamaroneck NY. Irv and Evelyn had just got back from their first trip to Cuba and showed slides. They've been back several times, and so have many of their friends who were at the party. I cracked up when I noticed this vanity plate as we were leaving. I think it says something for America that the government will issue this plate. Well, maybe it just says something for New York State. I don't think I'd park this car in Miami.
check this vanity plate
Before the party proper we went to Irv & Evelyn's house, where the relatives and some friends were gathering. Here are some of the people who were there --
Evelyn Wolfe Feeny Ziner
Evelyn Wolfe and her sister-in-law Feeny Ziner. Feeny wrote a children's book about the Bluenose, the Nova Scotia schooner that's something of a symbol for the whole province, and was delighted that I knew that (without Evelyn or anyone's prompting!). She told me the whole story of how she saw the Bluenose at Expo '67 in Montreal and got to ride on it back to Halifax as part of researching the book.
The party was at something like the Rockland County Conservatory of Music. It's in a shopping mall just off I-87, on the west side of the Tappan Zee bridge, on the second floor. There's a big room in the middle where the sit-down meal was, and a hallway all around that room with small individual lesson rooms and offices on the outside. There was a table set up near the stairs coming up to the place with beverages, and waitresses working their way through the hall with hors d'oeuvres.
Lots of food and people More food and people
Soda and wine were flowing like water, and there were delicious hors d'oeuvres like little rolled up pieces of lox with capers on tiny pumpernickel rounds, endive leaves stuffed with boursin and slightly hot red peppers, grilled chicken rollups that looked like sushi...
Chamber musicians This father-daughter violin duet of friends or neighbors played in the hallway during the hors d'oeuvres hour and then did a couple of Dvorak Hungarian (natch) dances after the meal. That's Feeny again, of course, enjoying the music and company.
Here's what the room looked like -- not all that much to it, really. The people at the table in the distance are the Lawrences, who were neighbors of Irv when he lived at Skyview Acres in the early '50s. Charles Lawrence was the MC for the program that followed dinner, and he and his two sisters sung a bunch of songs from the civil rights struggle era that brought tears to my eyes -- I haven't heard those songs sung like that since I was on a lunch counter demonstration in 1962. I don't have a picture of Charles' sister Sarah Lawrence Lightfoot, an intimidatingly gorgeous woman who is a major figure at the Harvard School of Education. She spoke very movingly of how important Irv had been in her life. The Lawrence's table
Irv, Evelyn, and Chuck Lawrence Here are Irv, Evelyn, and Charles Lawrence on the stage
Irv was really delighted with his birthday cake even though there were nowhere near enough candles. He applauded the audience for their rendition of "Happy Birthday". Irv and birthday candles | http://www.rollingonone.com/irv_party/i_w_90.htm | dclm-gs1-182470001 | false | false | {
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0.018348 | <urn:uuid:219a524c-ef5d-4c30-9f2e-096c9edc798d> | en | 0.967618 | Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11
1. #1
Paying The Price
Dear SSG,
My local WM has had a terrible SW selection ever since Hasbro recalled older fig's to make room for newer figs.
It's so bad that they haven't gotten any new fig's in months! Their whole SW section is only 3ft wide, and it's not even full. The only 3-3/4" fig is Final Duel Jango.
They have gotten a few vehicles (and quickly sold out), 12" figs, and they continue to get SW LEGO.
This is the same store where I was able to purchase most of the first release of figs early b/c they were brought out to the 'floor. All the other stores in my area (TRU, KB, Target) don't seem to be afflicted w/ this problem.
So here's my question to any of you: If you were able to get your figs early (at any store), are you experiencing the same thing? Is this the price to be paid for selling figs before the 4/23 date?
Frustrated In Delaware
BAD needs: HK-50 torso, right arm and head
YVH-1 head
2. #2
No, WM just has a crappy distribution department or Hasbro just isn't sending product to them. I have been told that WM can NOT order SW items. They get what they get when ever Hasbro sends the product.
You Shouldn't believe everything that you read.
(Like my posts)
3. #3
Other than the Holiday Set & Cantina Sets (I bought this summer) I haven't found ANYTHING at a Wal-mart since May.
I've been to numerous local Wal-marts including my local one 3 times a week, and nothing!
Hasbro, Wuher needs help, bring us Ackmena
Kenobi must be the Smith or Johnson of Tatooine
4. #4
yes the penalty is big. braking the "street date" of an item by a big company like Hasbro and lucas can be like $1,000 per infraction. SW fig's is one of the biggest street dates you can brake. if you do you will feel the rath of hasbro. If the box says do not sell before 4/23 and you do you may never get a product from that company early again.
5. #5
I don't think thats the case with WM. If it was we wouldn't be seeing the new 12", trash sets, X-MAS R2 set or any 3.75". It's about $$$$$ and if Hasbro pulled that on WM, Hasbro would loss big time. I mean their WM!!!!
You Shouldn't believe everything that you read.
(Like my posts)
6. #6
Turbowars said it best. It's eight Wal-Mart having a slow or just plain lousy department (my Wal-Marts are like that) or it's that Hasbro is not sending them enough of the right product.
7. #7
I think they are making room for other items and Xmas rush. My WM gets 1 or 2 cases a week and manage to keep 3-4 figs on the pegs. I got the first 2 Ephants they received over a month ago. Since then, no one (including TRU & KB) has received him or the clean-shaven Endor rebel.
8. #8
WM's ordering/distribution does seem peculiar. Mine got the Trash Compactor scenes, the 12" Zuckuss wave, and new LEGO sets, but only recently got the Anakin Skywalker TA wave. I suspect that the latter is simply because Hasbro is still shipping cases of that wave, but it would be nice if my WM got figures during their initial run!!! I still haven't seen Ephant Mon or the Gunship Pilots at WM (my wife found my Ephant Mon at TRU).
9. #9
The problem is Hasbro. While at the store level we cannot order the figs, someone does. That would be our Toy Buyer at Home Office. We have orders in the system for these figs, but Hasbro is not shipping them to us. It seems though that as soon as one WM gets a shipment, most of the rest will get them in about 2-3 days after. I haven't seen anything but the new Lightsabers, 12", and the X-Mas pack come in recently. And I'm in almost every day. I have said it before and I will continue to say it, be patient and the figs will arrive. I know going for months at a time without you fig fix can be frustrating, but be patient.
You're slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter.
10. #10
My Wally World isnt that bad. We have two stores near our home and its strange but one of the stores gets new items and the other never seems to have jack.
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Single Sign On provided by vBSSO | http://www.sirstevesguide.com/showthread.php/16513-Paying-The-Price | dclm-gs1-182520001 | false | false | {
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0.035146 | <urn:uuid:c2e79572-0d9f-4567-b760-32795825df5a> | en | 0.968604 | Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Canadian surrender monkeys, neoliberalization, hobby wars
CBC is reporting the Canadian Forces planning staff under the recently retired and "biologically wired" General Tom Lawson discussed integration with the US military, up to and including "full" integration. The article states that it wasn't about defence agreements like NORAD, but targeting "expeditionary" aka offensive overseas operations: war-making.
Over the past few years, Norad has also assumed increasing command and control over naval forces that protect the maritime approaches to North America. But those efforts are focused on defence; the integrated forces planning was for expeditionary forces to be deployed on operations overseas.
The Conservatives are denying any knowledge of this. I'm tempted to believe them.
There are just so many things wrong with this picture that I hardly know where to start.
If the Tories actually aren't lying(!), then senior staff officers attempted to negotiate the complete surrender of Canadian sovereign control over our defence to a foreign power without the knowledge, let alone the sanction of the government and especially parliament. How else do you put it?
I believe there are very serious laws against this sort of thing.
An earlier piece this week hints at why.
So it's a sort of corporate merger? Perhaps hatched in the mind of a general (or several) seconded to a career-development MBA program, who came back gushing about new "markets" for CF capabilities so the organisation stays competitive. Betcha it's in a dissertation somewhere. That, or coming out of Afghanistan (and Iraq) the international senior officers who worked so closely together came away thinking "oh, it was really great working together, we should do this more often," while their troops are left to carry the mental and physical baggage from all that wonderfully slick "interoperability" and the rest of us get to trot out with our poppies on 11 November and listen to sombre speeches about sacrifice and valour.
Never mind whether the war was won or lost. Not really the point anymore, is it? Deploying, interoperability, relevancy, etc are the discursive terms of traction. Everything is about amping up all that stuff. Where does it lead? One giant US-led superNATO+ where the only one actually able to set a defence (war?) policy is President Trump?
None mention words like "victory" anymore. The modern Western army is an army of adventure for adventure's sake. Maybe the risks of war are too low (for our side), especially so for the air marshals, generals or admirals pretty much guaranteed executive spots in the transnational defence industry jobs on retirement. I'm digressing.
The point is that treaty-making, defence policy, and national sovereignty are and can only be the purview of elected parliament and the government of Canada. The winner on the 19th might want to issue a stark the officer corps.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Election Fraud
Hey, don't forget to also SUPPORT this documentary. It needs it. We need it.
SUPPORT POST PRODUCTION FUNDS from The Script & Film Co. on Vimeo.
Even Elections Canada, hamstrung as it is by the Tories gets that we don't want a repeat or worse.
Watch this. Share and support. Most importantly, VOTE.
I live in Europe and work in a multi-national environment. People I meet tend to come in two stripes.
1. Passively ignorant, in that they know absolutely nothing about Canadian politics and still think we're peaceful, nice, democratic, green folks in a big beautiful land, and/or they had an amazing visit there once.
2. Or they are aware of us, and deeply concerned, asking, "WTF happened to you guys?!" as the elected Harper government bombs and carbons-up the world.
h/t Bob :-)
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Dianne Watts' most amazing adventure
This load of crap was a mail-out received by some residents of Surrey, BC. Dianne Watts, former mayor of Surrey claims it was sent out from Ottawa without her knowledge. I'm calling "Bovine Scatology" on two counts: She's running for the Harper Conservatives and clearly knows what a feces-covered operation she's in, and, her friggin' name is on it and she hasn't disavowed it in any way.
Let's attack this astounding piece of crap.
1. The newspaper on the upper left is bogus. Dianne Watts or a person representing her wrote that headline. Everything in it was manufactured by some amateur Harper Conservative operative with the mind of a 9-year old.
2. Dianne Watts was the mayor of Surrey from 2005 to 2014. During her tenure, Surrey became known as The Murder Capital of Canada as an unrestrained gang-war erupted. On 19 October, 2007 the now-famous Surrey-Six murders occurred in which two innocent bystanders were slaughtered. In 2013 the danger on the streets of Surrey reached unprecedented proportions as the gang-war exploded into daily shooting incidents resulting in 25 murders. Dianne Watts sat powerless in her mayor's chair.
Dianne Watts, with no international experience, isn't going to fight anything. You only have to look at her record to prove it. She can't even keep her own home turf safe and people did not feel secure in their bedrooms in Surrey when she was mayor.
Now, on the 18th anniversary of the Surrey-Six murders, which happened on her watch, she wants you to elect her so she can protect you.
There are better choices.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Windows 10 Question
Windows 10.
I've got the installation file sitting idle waiting for me to make a decision.
Should I install it?
Chess match over Syria
So the Russian government, electing to support the Assad government in this theatre of the current regional war, is deploying fighter and strike aircraft, as well as surface-air-missile systems to Syria.
ISIS has no air force so the Russian air defence toys aren't meant for them. Israel, Turkey, maybe Iran, and the US-led coalition allies (including Canada) all do and all three fly or flown missions over Syria. Not to mention the Syrian's loyal to Assad themselves
Russia might well see Syria as an opportunity to both support its client state, and more importantly, hard leverage against the US and allies presently behind Ukraine inspired sanctions, to cut a deal over cooperation against ISIS, say for sanction relief or something to do with Ukraine. Or risk an incident.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Macleans Magazine Wakes Up
The destruction has been completed.
Dear - certain - serving and retired veterans and police
The partisan bigots among you are blading the rest of you.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Change abounds . . .
MANY CHANGES — some good, some bad — are headed our way. Hopefully an end to our political CONstipation will be one of 'em, especially if folks who think nationally will act locally.
Even the Canadian Mint is getting into the act. "VOTE FOR OUR 2017 POCKET CHANGE" is a new promotion, inviting us to "Celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary with pocket change designed by Canadians and chosen by you".
Until October 9, vote as often as you like for your favourite coin design in each of our five categories. The more you vote and share your choices with your family and friends on Facebook and Twitter, the more you increase the chances of seeing your favourite designs on our 2017 coins.
Some of them are quite nice, like the design you see above, others are awkward. As I reflect upon what Stevie's economic policies have done to our Loonie, I have a suggestion . . .
What, me worry? Compared to the election, this is chump change.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Blinders about the Tories
Harper has been in power for long time now. One of his main tricks for maintaining power is maintaining the illusion of invulnerability. Every question, every answer follows a script. Access to him is tightly controlled. His MPs and staff are tightly controlled. This creates the illusion of a man and party built like an impregnable fortress. So scripted and rehearsed, he's built the myth of the weird light around him that makes him untouchable.
But the past year, more so than anything period in his tenure, has shown his lack of regal attire.
So I'm annoyed and concerned when I see progressive fellow bloggers and friends talk about RCMP conspiracies to swing the election or some such other thing. Yes, sure, it's possible and likely the Tories will cheat to one degree or another. It's possible they've got enough control over any number of federal departments and agencies to help facilitate cheating (e.g. Elections Canada). But to speak as if all is lost already, as I keep reading and hearing, is to feed the myth that Harper is some kind of god.
Good grief. Stop it right now.
These incompetent numpties don't warrant anywhere near that kind of credit.
But none of that should distract from acknowledging their present disposition, which does not at all point to an election victory. Quite the opposite, in fact. Nor should it distract from a careful consideration of what it would take to cheat on a large enough scale to pull them out of their current mess. I mean, five years of majority and they've made such a big bloody mess of things that their main legacy could actually be an NDP majority and, despite their best efforts at disenfranchisement, a record voter turnout. That's not a party of capability and competence.
In reference to cheating, the more elaborate the scheme, the more people have to be let in. The more civil servants will notice odd requests and memos from their Tory appointed bosses. People leak things. Five or nine years of Tory rule in Ottawa is guaranteed to leave a legion of frustrated and disgruntled staff and bureaucrats in its wake. Whatever it looked like to ardent ReformaTory supporters in Ottawa and elsewhere in 2006 - 2011 who might have been happy to abuse their positions to enable a win, it is not that way now.
Of course, the could still pull off a win. But I think there's a much more plausible case for a loss now. We should recognise that.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Just in case you didn't grasp the obvious ...
Stephen Harper thinks his own supporters are too stupid to see past his monotonously unaltered talking points regarding his intransigent and shameful approach to a global refugee and displacement crisis. (You can find the oft repeated talking points right here).
First, he tells us that a majority of these refugees come from a "Terrorist War Zone", as though that is somehow unique.
The truth of the point he won't acknowledge, (and none of the media have jumped on him for it), is that over the centuries virtually all refugees are attempting to escape terrorism and war. There is nothing unique in the nature of this crisis. But Harper keeps pounding that one point in an effort to keep his real reason for not acting, (whatever that is), from surfacing.
Then, he hits his second scripted talking point. He tells us he has a great concern about security and that all refugees must be thoroughly screened and vetted, (so, there will be no acceleration of a very slow process). Because ... they come from a terrorist war zone.
Really. A conservative screening process is the last thing any of us should trust. These guys cannot properly vet candidates that get caught peeing in cups on public TV programs or have public You Tube channels where they engage in lewd and arguably illegal behaviour.
All of this could tell us many things, but without Harper coming out and telling us what's going on in his head, we can safely assume two things: Harper has no idea what a refugee is, and; Harper cold-bloodedness comes from not having the intelligence to grasp the magnitude of the problem.
Wednesday, September 09, 2015
Reality touching a nerve among Harper supporters?
First it was angry old guy calling reporters lying sacks of shit or something for asking about Duffy.
Now Harper supporters are spitting bile when reporters ask about Syrian refugees.
Things really aren't going well for them.
How Will Paulson and the RCMP Intervene in This Election ?
We'd be fools not to expect them to.
So what is it likely to be? And when?
I suspect it will be late enough in the campaign so that the few journalists remaining who care about such things won't have time to look into anything too deeply. After all Harper won't care if it's discovered after the vote - he'll be able to pass another retroactive law exonerating his state police of any wrong doing.
They could barge into some all candidates meetings and march out the LPC and/or NDP candidates in handcuffs while muttering empty phrases about 'terrorism' and 'suspicions'. Again best done right before the event so that no curious journos, if there still are any, could look into it.
They will do something. They are Harper's police force and will do as they are instructed.
Monday, September 07, 2015
Political corruption
corrupt |kəˈrʌptadjectivehaving or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain
Most politicians, even in democratic societies, are corrupt. It is part of the job description to misrepresent intentions and hide actions in order to maintain power and/or implement an agenda. Voters do not respond to honesty if the honesty does not fit their preferred narrative. Speaking truth and facts also exposes them to weaknesses that will be exploited by rivals. So they hide, lie, and spin with differences measured only in degree.
The system, the social contract, demands corruption because we accept nothing else.
Thursday, September 03, 2015
Aylan Kurdi, Chris Alexander, refugee futures
Normally, I think I'd have a certain amount of satisfaction in watching a journalist like Rosemary Barton disassemble a Harper-weasel like Chris Alexander. But I can't today. Aylan Kurdi, 3, was found dead on a beach, drowned along with his brother Galip, and mother Rehan. Their father and husband, Abdullah, returning to Syria with their bodies after he was desperately unable to save them.
Chris Alexander was apparently personally handed this family's refugee claim file, later rejected. A normal person would spend the next week haunted and sleepless, vomiting at his own reflection and drafting his resignation from politics, but I doubt this is the case.
This will have happened before, as just about every rejected claim from a Syrian, or an Afghan, or an Iraqi might well condemn them to die in the Med, under an ISIS sword, or an RCAF bomb.
But now there are faces and names assigned to four desperate people fleeing ISIS, three whom could've been alive and safe if it weren't for some fucking misanthropic Conservative "policy". The fourth will return to Syria and, like his country, probably never recover.
Here's the thing. This is the just the beginning of another great migration. In the coming decades, war, poverty, and environmental change are going to drive millions of people toward anywhere that looks like a refuge. The rich, liberal, tolerant, countries are the obvious and only real choices. Most other countries are ethnocentric and will shoot them at the border. Hell, the Hungarian government eventually just might.
We in the rich countries have a choice: open our doors and let our fellow humans live, or shut them and be prepared to watch as hundreds of millions if not billions die.
Things are different now.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Rearguard election
Harper wanted a long campaign to spend his warchest. Great. All other things being equal, that would have helped him in his offensive attack-attack-attack approach to elections.
Now, barely a few weeks in, events at the Duffy trial have turned that strategy on its head. It's a defensive action they are fighting now. The opposition parties scarcely matter because Duffy has nothing to do with them.
It's all Harper.
Exquisitely so, as a few words from former PMO lawyer Benjamin Perrin surgically dismantled Party lies claims (and possibly even the Crown, although it is too soon tell) case in his testimony at the Duffy trial, stating that PM ignored his legal advice on Senate appointments.
With this, and after the angry-old-man meltdown at the media the other day, the press is pouring fire into the clear gap in the Tory armour.
What's so fascinating to me is watching the control freak in Harper lose control of events. It's happened before the coalition prorogue, but was in response to an Opposition plan and skulduggerously but legally used parliamentary procedure to evade defeat. He cannot control a courtroom like that.
Skeletons are tumbling out of closets now. It's even hard to find a supportive comment in the newsmedia comment threads, which are usually stocked with rightwing idiots and stooges.
There are many days yet in this election, and the winds may shift again. But...
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Duffy Days: Perrin, Harper
Well, if I were a lawyer and my client ignored my advice and did his/her own thing...well, don't come crying to me when it goes pear shaped, pal.
"I was immediately taken aback by the prime minister's decision that if you simply owned $4,000 of real property, that made you a resident," said Benjamin Perrin, testifying at the Mike Duffy trial in Ottawa.
Ouch. No PM's holiday card for Perrin, I'm guessing.
Duffy days: Novak, Harper
"I've always loved you."
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Getting a bit touchy 'bout Duffym, eh?
Witness an angry and confused Harper supporter call a reporter outside a Harper campaign event a "lying piece of shit".
Because swearing at and insulting reporters in the campaign press pool will lead to nothing but an election victory for Dear Leader.
Still, shows that Harper folks are feeling rather touchy about what is emerging from L'affair Duffy.
Monday Rant
Have we had a PM or government in the past 60 years or so that respected the Constitutional role of the Senate?
Does that mean the Constitutional role of the Senate is meaningless and the place should be done away with?
What it does mean is that we haven't had a PM and government in over 60 years that respected the Constitution. Not even Pierre.
Harper has treated the Senate as a resort for retired bagmen and thugs and look where it's gotten him. Chretien and Mulroney did the same.
Mulcair, and presumably his squadrons of trained seals as well, would rather eliminate it, I suspect, because they'd prefer to avoid the possible legislative oversight and leave *all* oversight to the various Courts. Which judges would, naturally enough, be appointed by them.
But wouldn't it be marvelous if the Senate was treated with respect and actually *was* a house of sober second thought, a truly non-partisan chamber with no present ties to any political party, populated by Canadians of distinction and probity from all walks of life whose task was to examine proposed legislation to ensure that it would be to the benefit of all.
Because that is in fact it's Constitutional role.
We elect assholes, conmen and shysters, time after time after time, and expect them to behave like honest, upstanding citizens.
We are unworthy inheritors of democratic tradition and soon enough we'll have lost it.
Not because of some small man or woman in a big office somewhere but because we ourselves became distracted and sated and smug.
As well as more and more profoundly stupid and ham fisted even as we became more and more highly educated and specialized.
Blood soaked monkeys, that's us.
Rant over. | http://www.thegallopingbeaver.blogspot.com/ | dclm-gs1-182650001 | false | true | {
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0.224614 | <urn:uuid:fca6b2eb-35e3-49aa-bfa8-dfd6b95ca634> | en | 0.983875 | Liverpool defender Martin Kelly has explained the ear flicking fans see among the players.
Kelly kindly explained what is going on in the picture above during an interview with earlier this week.
He said: "It's a game we play and having your ears flicked is the forfeit you have if you are in the box when the whistle blows. You don't want to be in the box. There are two in the box against the people outside who are trying to keep the ball from you.
"It's a mixture of the young lads who get their ears flicked. We get a bit stitched up sometimes. You don't see many of the senior players getting stitched up.
"Put it this way - Carragher's never getting his ears flicked!
"There's not necessarily something going on but it's usually some of the young lads - maybe they just bottle it at the last minute!
"I've not had many flickings, luckily. I usually pass it to the person next to me just before the whistle goes.
"Training is enjoyable. Most days now training finishes and we're asking to stay out a bit more to do shooting. We don't want to go home. Sometimes the manager has to settle us down a little bit because we're enjoying it that much out there.
"It's definitely bringing us together as a team and when we do the formation work, we concentrate hard. We have to take that into a game and we understand that." | http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/kelly-explains-ear-flicks-liverpool-1868931 | dclm-gs1-182780001 | false | false | {
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Heart Disease Health Center
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Mediterranean Diet - Topic Overview
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating rather than a formal diet plan. It features foods eaten in Greece, Spain, southern Italy and France, and other countries that border the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating foods like fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fiber breads and whole grains, nuts, and olive oil. Meat, cheese, and sweets are very limited. The recommended foods are rich with monounsaturated fats, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Recommended Related to Heart Disease
Why Are African-Americans at Greater Risk for Heart Disease?
Heart disease has haunted generations of Robin Drummond's family. "I have a family history of heart disease on both sides," says the 55-year-old African-American and resident of Hammond, La. "I've had uncles, aunts, and grandparents who've died from heart attacks and heart disease, and two of my mother's brothers died four months apart. One had a heart attack in church, and four months later, one had a heart attack in the post office." When Drummond's father succumbed to heart disease...
Read the Why Are African-Americans at Greater Risk for Heart Disease? article > >
The Mediterranean diet is like other heart-healthy diets in that it recommends eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber grains. But in the Mediterranean diet, an average of 35% to 40% of calories can come from fat. Most other heart-healthy guidelines recommend getting less than 35% of your calories from fat. The fats allowed in the Mediterranean diet are mainly from unsaturated oils such as fish oils, olive oil, and certain nut or seed oils (such as canola, soybean, or flaxseed oil) and from nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds). These types of oils may have a protective effect on the heart.
What are the benefits?
A Mediterranean-style diet may help lower your risk for certain diseases, improve your mood, and boost your energy levels. It may also help keep your heart and brain healthy.
The benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet reinforce the benefits of eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, high-fiber breads, whole grains, and healthy fats.
For your heart and body, a Mediterranean-style diet may:
For your brain, a Mediterranean-style diet might help prevent:
How can you make the Mediterranean diet part of your eating plan?
There are some simple things you can do to eat more of the healthy foods that make up the Mediterranean diet. First, check out what's on the menu. Then see what Mediterranean-type foods you can add to your eating plan.
On the menu
The traditional Mediterranean diet calls for:
• Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables each day, such as grapes, blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, figs, olives, spinach, eggplant, beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
• Eating a variety of whole-grain foods each day, such as oats, brown rice, and whole wheat bread, pasta, and couscous.
• Choosing healthy (unsaturated) fats, such as nuts, olive oil, and certain nut or seed oils like canola, soybean, and flaxseed. About 35% to 40% of daily calories can come from fat, mainly from unsaturated fats.
• Limiting unhealthy (saturated) fats, such as butter, palm oil, and coconut oil. And limit fats found in animal products, such as meat and dairy products made with whole milk.
• Eating mostly vegetarian meals that include whole grains, beans, lentils, and vegetables.
• Eating fish at least 2 times a week, such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, or sardines.
• Eating moderate amounts of low-fat dairy products each day or weekly, such as milk, cheese, or yogurt.
• Eating moderate amounts of poultry and eggs every 2 days or weekly.
• Limiting red meat to only a few times a month in very small amounts. For example, a serving of meat is 3 ounces. This is about the size of a deck of cards.
• Limiting sweets and desserts to only a few times a week. This includes sugar-sweetened drinks like soda.
The Mediterranean diet may also include red wine with your meal-1 glass each day for women and up to 2 glasses a day for men.
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lowering blood pressure | http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/mediterranean-diet-topic-overview | dclm-gs1-182870001 | false | false | {
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Pirate Bay Promotion Attracts Over 5000 Artists 124
Pirate Bay Promotion Attracts Over 5000 Artists
Comments Filter:
• Re:Evolve or die (Score:5, Informative)
by lorenlal (164133) on Thursday April 05, 2012 @07:31PM (#39592615)
I am not a musician - But my understanding is that musicians and bands make most of their money by touring. If that is indeed the case, then advertising with TPB, getting exposure, and (hopefully) a large fan base actually ends up being a great investment. I'd expect that this is even more so for indies, since they really don't get the benefit of the distribution channels of big label artists.
Plus, concert goers are pretty likely to buy the album. If they're actually good, chances are there are plenty of people who will go and support them by buying music on the various digital outlets too. The Pirate Bay could be doing a lot of good for these artists.
• I submitted (Score:5, Informative)
by jordan314 (1052648) on Thursday April 05, 2012 @07:34PM (#39592647)
I'm one of the 5000 artists that submitted to this campaign. All of the music on my page can be downloaded for free. For artists like me who have only dozens of listeners, the exposure is worth any potential loss of income. []
• Re:Evolve or die (Score:5, Informative)
by Terrasque (796014) on Thursday April 05, 2012 @07:38PM (#39592679) Homepage Journal
"We've decided to stop paying artists entirely, that is up to them."
As far as I understand things, they're largely there already..
* Courtney Love does the math []
* The Problem With Music by Steve Albini []
• Re:Evolve or die (Score:5, Informative)
by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 05, 2012 @08:09PM (#39592929)
In fairness they make most of their money off of touring because the record companies with their various accounting practices and lop-sided contracts get all the profit from music sales. It doesn't have to be that way but yes independents giving away music build an audience is smart.
• Re:Evolve or die (Score:0, Informative)
by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 06, 2012 @09:09AM (#39596457)
Only the really big acts make significant PROFIT from touring. Mid-size and lower acts barely break even, and do it as a marketing tool.
And yes, I manage a band (you may even have heard of them), and I DO know what I'm talking about.
Mommy, what happens to your files when you die? | http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/04/05/2229209/pirate-bay-promotion-attracts-over-5000-artists/informative-comments | dclm-gs1-182950001 | false | false | {
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0.050649 | <urn:uuid:5fcb2e25-c07f-4de7-b0a1-7af6e92f64c2> | en | 0.926795 | Go to Advanced Search
Remote and unresearched : a contextualized study of non-Indigenous educational leaders working in Yukon Indigenous communities
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Title: Remote and unresearched : a contextualized study of non-Indigenous educational leaders working in Yukon Indigenous communities
Author: Blakesley, Simon C.
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
Program: Educational Studies
Copyright Date: 2010
Issue Date: 2010-05-19
Publisher University of British Columbia
Abstract: This study engages in a critical analysis of the lived experiences of non-Indigenous educational leaders working in Indigenous communities in the Yukon Territory, Canada. It sheds light on the epistemic and cross-cultural tensions underpinning much of the literature on educational leadership, and aims to address Walker and Dimmock’s (2000) concern that studies of comparative education have been generally absent from educational leadership and management, thereby limiting the available body of knowledge specific to culture and leadership. The study focuses on five questions: How do non-Indigenous Yukon principals construct their professional identity and their role as educational leaders? How do they construct their notions of educational leadership and practice? Given the Yukon’s distinct governance and policy contexts, how do they construct understandings of ‘indigeneity’ in relation to local Indigenous culture? How do they address the tensions arising at the juncture of policies imported from outside the Yukon and the Yukon Education Act (1990)? A critical ethnographic research approach is used to shed light upon these questions. Extensive semi-structured interviews with two male and two female participants in four Yukon schools are conducted. Detailed observations create unique ‘portraits’ of each school and their principals. Pertinent documents are also examined to provide further information and context. This examination suggests that non-Indigenous Yukon principals are caught at the center of micro (school), meso (community), and macro (government) operational and policy levels that powerfully shape their professional identities and their perceptions of their roles as principals. While referred to as ‘educational leaders’ by the extant body of literature and governments, they do not use this term in their identity constructions. Trapped betwixt and between their schools, communities, and government policies in a fragmented Yukon educational field, instead they refer to themselves in managerial and administrative ways as they juggle educational ends mandated by distinct, and somewhat competing, jurisdictions. This study presents another lens through which to examine educational leadership, and offers insights into the use of ethnographic methods as a powerful research tool. Based on these contributions, this study should be informative to current and future practitioners and scholars of education and educational leadership.
Affiliation: Education, Faculty of
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/24852
Scholarly Level: Graduate
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UBC Library
1961 East Mall
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada V6T 1Z1
Tel: 604-822-6375
Fax: 604-822-3893 | https://circle.ubc.ca/handle/2429/24852 | dclm-gs1-182990001 | false | false | {
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0.035633 | <urn:uuid:f890eddf-297f-4a2a-8af4-97dd3888963c> | en | 0.932789 | Guide To Calculating Cost Basis For Tax Savings
Calculating Cost BasisOne of the most overlooked areas of tax savings is understanding how realized gains and losses impact your taxes. When you sell an investment, calculating cost basis and good record keeping plays a vital role in controlling those savings now and in the future.
To confuse things the IRS made several cost basis reporting changes. It revamped stock basis reporting in 2011, followed by changes in mutual fund, ETF and DRIPs (Dividend Reinvestment Plans) in 2012.
Some say it makes the process easier. Which it does. Really, it enforces accuracy so nobody fudges their numbers. Good or bad, the changes force you to make cost basis accounting decisions at the time of sale. This is easy enough when you sell all the shares of a stock.
But it doesn’t always work out that way. Maybe you want to sell half your shares. Then there are reinvested dividends to account for now and the intricacies of mutual fund shares, reinvested distributions, and return of capital. Or you just want to rebalancing your portfolio. In other words, it’s complicated.
How you report cost basis directly affects your tax bill, which is the point of this guide. It’s also a big piece to a tax efficient investment strategy. That is where you can save money by knowing the rules and planning ahead for taxes.
Table of Contents
1. Intro to Cost Basis
1. Basis
2. Capital Gain
3. Capital Loss
4. Carryover Loss
5. Cost Basis Method
2. How to Calculate Cost Basis
1. Stocks
1. Stock Splits
1. ETFs
2. Reinvestment Dividends
3. Mutual Funds
4. Inherited Stocks
5. Gifted Stocks
3. Find Old Cost Basis Information
4. Return of Capital
5. Cost Basis Spreadsheet
Intro to Cost Basis
When we talk investments (stocks, ETFs, mutual funds etc.), basis is the cost at the time of purchase plus any transaction costs or commissions. There are exceptions like gifts and inheritance, which we’ll cover later.
When you buy 1,000 shares of Ford at $14 and your broker charges you a $10 commission, your cost basis is $14,010 for those shares. That transaction is given a unique tax lot ID so you and the IRS can track those shares separately from other Ford stock you might buy later.
The process is the same for mutual funds, ETFs, and reinvested dividends.
Capital Gain
Anytime you sell shares for a profit, it’s known as a capital gain. The IRS has two classifications of capital gains:
• Short Term Capital Gain – realized gain from assets sold inside of one year of the purchase date
• Long Term Capital Gain – realized gain from assets sold one year or beyond the purchase date
This is important. The tax rate for each capital gain is different and there are rules on how each gain is offset by a capital loss.
Capital Loss
Anytime you sell shares for a loss, it’s known as a capital loss. Again, the IRS has two classifications of capital losses:
• Short Term Capital Loss – realized loss from assets sold inside of one year of the purchase date
• Long Term Capital Loss – realized loss from assets sold one year or beyond the purchase date
A capital loss offsets a capital gain or your income which lowers your tax burden. The IRS has rules in place on what gets first priority.
The rule of thumb is – capital losses first offset gains of the same type, then gains of the other type, and lastly, your income.
So, if you have a big short-term capital loss, it will first offset any short-term gains. Anything left, will offset any long-term capital gains. The rest will offset other income up to $3,000 per year. Any loss beyond that is rolled forward to future years.
Carryover Loss
When a loss exceeds the $3,000 deduction limit, it can be carried over to future tax years. The same rule of thumb applies for carryover losses. It offsets capital gains first, then income, and the rest is carryover for the next tax year until there is no loss left.
Say you sell several stocks for a net $4,000 capital loss this year. You can write off $3,000 of that loss against your income for the current tax year. Then you can use the remaining $1,000 loss to offset any capital gains or income next year.
Cost Basis Method
None of this matters if you use the wrong cost basis method. You remember the lot ID mentioned earlier? When you sell shares, you need to decide which lot ID those shares correspond too. If, like the Ford example earlier, you only bought 1,000 shares of Ford, there is only one lot ID to choose.
But what if you bought 1,000 shares of Ford, three separate times, each at a different share price. Now choosing a lot ID is important. To do this, you’ll need to specify one of these cost basis methods at the time of sale:
• Average Cost – an average of the total purchase cost divided by the total shares held. This is only available for funds.
• LIFO – or Last In, First Out sells shares in the most recent lot ID first.
• FIFO – or First In, First Out sells shares in the oldest lot ID first.
• Highest Cost – sells shares in the lot ID with the highest cost basis.
• Lowest Cost – sells shares in the lot ID with the lowest cost basis.
• Specific Lot – sells shares in the lot ID of your choice.
Every broker and fund company sets a default basis method. If you’re not sure which one is used, contact your broker and find out. Their default method makes tracking your gains and losses easier for them. It is not setup to give you the best tax results.
When you sell all the shares of a stock, you have the full capital gain or loss. But when you only sell some of your shares, you can pick those with the basis and holding period that gives you the best tax results.
By the way, there isn’t a right cost basis method per se. It all depends on your existing capital gain/loss, how a lot ID sale changes that capital gain/loss, the potential for future capital gain/loss on remaining unsold shares, and your tax rate.
I always use the specific lot method because it offers flexibility. In the end you need to weigh the trade-off between your current tax bill and possible future taxes.
To do this, you’ll need to keep track of everything. Now, I know that brokers and fund companies do it for you. It’s always a good idea to have your own records. So, to get you started, we included a free cost basis spreadsheet template at the bottom of this post. Plus, if you ever switch brokers, inherit stock, or just need to double-check, you’ll have the records.
How To Calculate Cost Basis
Stock Cost Basis
You calculate the cost basis for stock you’ve purchased by taking the cost of the shares plus the commission your broker charges. Lets use the Ford example from earlier: 1,000 shares at $14/share with a $10 commission. Your cost basis is $14,010, per share it’s $14.01.
What if you sell those 1,000 share of Ford for $12? Your broker charges another $10 commission for the sale and your proceeds are $11,990. Don’t forget to subtract the commission from the sale. You get a capital loss of $2,020 ($14,010 cost basis – $11,990 sale).
Stock Splits
If a company declares a stock split, the cost basis of your old shares is evenly split between the old and new shares. Say, you own 1,000 shares with a cost basis of $20/share ($20,000 basis). The company does a two for one stock split. Now, that $20,000 basis is split between 2,000 shares with a $10/share basis.
ETF Cost Basis
When calculating cost basis for ETFs, just use the same process we went through for stocks. Thanks to the low costs of ETFs, it’s easy to see someone owning the same ETF for years, regularly buying new shares each month and reinvesting dividends. Not unlike a mutual fund.
Every one of those events is a new lot ID to track with a different holding period and basis. Do that over several years and there is your excuse to have accurate records for tax purposes.
Cost Basis For Reinvested Dividends
The basis calculation for reinvested dividends is the same as those used for ETFs and stocks. But is easily overlooked with DRIPs. Dividend Reinvestment Plans automatically buy shares when dividends are paid out. It’s no different from having the dividends paid in cash, then you immediately turn around and buy new shares. So you get a new lot ID for each reinvestment.
Over several years, the number of shares can quickly add up. So will the number of lot IDs to choose from when you finally start selling shares. This is why tracking everything is important.
Cost Basis For Mutual Funds
Mutual funds have been very popular over the past two decades. They usually come in two forms: load and no load mutual funds.
You calculate cost basis for mutual funds the same as stocks: purchase price plus transaction cost or commission. Purchase price will be the net asset value (NAV) on the day shares were purchased.
A mutual fund with a 5% load, would have a cost basis of NAV plus a 5% commission. So 100 shares bought at an NAV of $10/share ($1,000 + 5%($1,000)) would have a $1,050 cost basis with a basis of $10.50/share.
The average cost method is one method allowed by the IRS when you sell mutual fund shares. You figure out average cost by adding up all the money invested into the fund, including reinvested dividends and divide by the number of shares you own. Then you assume the sold shares are a long-term capital gain/loss.
It’s the easiest method to use for long-held funds, but it probably won’t offer the best tax savings. Once you choose the average cost method, the rest of the shares in that fund must use it too. It’s worth weighing before you lock shares into the average cost method.
Cost Basis Of Inherited Stock
When you inherit stock your cost basis is calculated based on the date of the previous owners death. Even if the previous owner bought those shares years or decades ago at a lower cost basis, you won’t get hit by the tax burden. Instead your cost basis is updated to a current valuation.
For stock, your cost basis per share is the share price on the date of death. It’s the same for ETFs, mutual funds, and any asset where basis plays a role in taxes.
The one exception is if the estate of the previous owner was subject to estate tax. In that case, an alternative valuation date six months after the previous owners death can be used by the executor to value the shares. The executor decides on the date used to calculate basis.
Cost Basis Of Gifted Stock
Unfortunately, gifts don’t get the same privileges as an inheritance. When a family or friend is generous enough to gift you shares of a stock or fund, your basis stays the same as when it was purchased.
There is one exception. When you sell those shares for a loss, the basis is the lesser of – the previous owner’s basis or the value when you received the shares. You can’t benefit from the previous owner’s cost basis.
If you do get a gift, make sure you find out all the cost basis information from the previous owner and the value on the day you received them.
Find Old Cost Basis Information
When you inherit or receive stock as a gift, the last thing anyone thinks about is the original cost basis. Or maybe it was overlooked when you switched brokers years ago. Either way, its information you’ll need when you sell the stock.
When dealing with stocks, this process gets difficult the further back you go. Capital changes, things like spinoffs, stock splits, or issued dividend shares, become more likely. It can make a big difference on the original cost basis.
This can be difficult if you don’t know the date it was bought. In which case, you can ask the prior owner or their old broker for past transaction statements.
But if you do know the date, you can use historical stock quotes to find the information. Just take the average of the high and low price on the date in question. Yahoo Finance is a good place to start and adjusts all historical prices for stock dividends and splits.
Return Of Capital
You might run into a few special situations where you have to adjust basis. Return of capital is the most common found. I’ve covered it with REIT tax rules, but you see it with mutual funds and MLPs too.
When a fund, REIT, or MLP sells an asset, it can reinvest the money or pay it out to shareholders. If the money is paid out to shareholders as a return of capital. It’s not taxed as ordinary income. Instead, it lowers or adjusts the cost basis of the shares by the amount paid out. Eventually the adjusted basis will be taxed as a capital gain when you sell the shares. Unless, the share price drops and it becomes a capital loss.
Say you have 1,000 shares with a $20/share cost basis. You get a 1099-DIV showing a $2/share return on capital. Your new cost basis for the those shares become $18 ($20 -$2). It’s fairly simple but gets complicated the more lot IDs you track and have to adjust.
Cost Basis Spreadsheet
The best way to track your cost basis is with a simple spreadsheet. It’s an easy way to know exactly where you stand before any transaction and throughout the year. When it’s time to finally do your taxes, it makes calculating cost basis that much easier.
You can download our free cost basis spreadsheet template below.
Cost Basis Spreadsheet It’s available in Excel and Google Docs:
If you choose the Google Docs version, you’ll need to make a copy. Just go to File and select Make A Copy like in the image below.
Copy To Your Google Docs
That will copy the spreadsheet to your Google Drive folder and label it “Copy of Cost Basis Spreadsheet Template”. Feel free to make changes, improve it, and share it.
If you don’t want to use a spreadsheet, make sure you find an online broker that tracks your cost basis for you. I use TD Ameritrade, which comes with the Gainskeeper tax reporting service. It tracks my cost basis, along with realized and unrealized gains and losses, to help me make better tax related decisions when I do sell shares.
Every time you buy a stock or fund you start a paper trail that will directly impact your future taxes. But when it comes time to sell those shares, calculating cost basis and good records will decide your tax burden. The hard part is deciding which lot ID to sell.
Of course, the work around to all this is just keep good records going forward. The better discount brokers, like TD Ameritrade (I know because I use it), let you download your transaction statements complete with all your cost basis information. Keeping your own separate records is a good idea too.
If your records are accurate and up to date, you only have to choose those shares with the basis and holding period that give you the best tax results now and in the future.
1. Raul says
Great article!
I have some questions on it.
1) What if I buy several times a day, the same price, the same stock or fund, would it open different tax lots? If the answer is positive, wouldnt it be strange looking a statement position report having tons of lines for a single date?
2) Is it possible to open to the same account and security both long and short positions?
3) What about daytrade trading, how is it computed in terms of cost and positions?
• Jon says
Raul, to your questions:
1) You get a new tax lot for every purchase. So if you buy the same stock, at the same price, 10 times in one day, you get 10 different tax lots. It might seem strange but that’s the rules.
2) Sure, but why would you want to go short and long the same stock?
3) The tax law is different for “investors” and “traders” and the rules are fuzzy for traders. I don’t know enough about it myself, but a search for “tax rules for traders” will get you started. I’d also recommend talking with a tax pro just to make sure you qualify.
2. Raul says
Thanks Jon for your answers.
I understand for mutual funds we may use the average cost basis. In this case, isnt it much more simple to have only one tax lot with the average cost, instead of having many tax lots all of them carrying the exactly same cost?
As for the daytrading, I just needed to understand if there might be a pre-match of buys and sells in such a way my open positions would only be affected after the daily match had been computed (netted).
• Jon says
You can use average cost basis for mutual funds (though it may not be the best choice) because it’s simpler to use, but it won’t change the rules regarding tax lots. The tax lot is just a record used to track share purchases and sales. Your suggestion might be more simple to use, until you buy new shares, the average changes, and the IRS needs to track those changes.
Regarding day trading, a tax lot is a tax lot. It doesn’t matter when you buy or how long you hold shares. How daily buys and sells are settled at the end of day depends on which cost basis method you choose at the time of sale. Keep in mind, it’s the IRS we’re talking about here – not known for simplicity.
• Raul says
Jon first I would like to really thank you for not only being so amazingly fast in your answers but also so precise in it.
So bottom line regarding the average cost is having literally tons of tax lots, all of them with the same cost (imagine I trade multiple times the same stock a day, everyday for several years, not disposing any of these lots), poor investor having to read thousands of pages of holdings report :)
Regarding the day trading, I thought there might be a smart netting of buys and sells before using what is left “long” or “short” to close against the opening position. I know there are some countries that do that.
You wouldnt have a skype, would you?
• Jon says
Re: average cost basis – exactly. Keep in mind, average cost basis can only be used on funds. So someone buying a mutual fund every month, plus reinvesting dividends quarterly will have 16 tax lots each year. After 10 years, they have 160. Two decades, 320, etc. Using average cost basis just makes it easier when that person finally decides to sell shares. However, it might not be the best cost basis method to use if they want the lowest tax hit.
Sidenote: the number of pages to read through is directly proportional to your trading activity. If you want the least amount of pages, just trade less.
Re: day trading – maybe there is a vague rule for those that qualify as a “trader”. Even if there is, you still need to qualify as far as the IRS is concerned. As I said in my first comment, I don’t know enough about the “trading” rules to comment with certainty because I don’t daytrade. You’re better off asking a tax pro there for clarification.
Sorry, I don’t have skype, but I do have email.
• Raul says
Thank you again.
So supposing I have chosen to use AverageCost for my funds positions, when I sell some of them, it makes no difference at all from each position I might deplete. I am asking this because we know there is a thing called bifurcation, which has to do with the time you have held that position associated with the tax.
3. Raul says
“Then you assume the sold shares are a long-term capital gain/loss.”
That makes AvgCost just perfect, since from day-one my new positions would be taxed the lowest bracket.
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| https://novelinvestor.com/calculating-cost-basis/ | dclm-gs1-183120001 | false | false | {
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0.199516 | <urn:uuid:4526d332-6ad5-440c-b1cf-f684ff5fa4be> | en | 0.994469 | Chapter 15 : Control
this is one of those shorter chapters that needed to happen to get the story rolling again...
"What would you like to do then love?" Edward spoke softly as we walked at a human speed up to our bedroom.
"Edward can you come down for a moment please" Carlisle called. Edward stopped and huffed before turning towards the stairs.
"Wait for me upstairs" he winked at me as he ran with vampire speed. "What is it?" I heard him say, his tone was full of anger and I knew he was only raining it in for my benefit.
"Edward she needs to feed" Jaspers voice echoed through the silent house.
"She will feed when she wants to feed" he stated matter of fact. Was I doing this? Why was I causing an argument, I didn't want to but I also didn't want to be told what to do.
"Edward be reasonable" Jaspers tone wasn't one of anger anymore, it was pleading. "Don't you remember that burn. She must be in pain."
There was nothing but silence from the living room, I suddenly heard quiet footsteps racing towards the room and within no time at all, Edward was standing in front of me.
"He made a good point love, I don't want you to be hurting." I sat at the end of the bed looking towards the glass window. I wasn't in pain, I could feel it but I wasn't that desperate.
"I'm not hurting"
"Aren't you hungry… at all?" he walked towards me and sank at my feet, stroking my leg.
"Not really. I know the burn is there but… the appeal seems to have gone… maybe in time…" I tried to sooth him.
"Bella, love …" he tried pleading with me, he thought I was lying.
"I'm not lying Edward." My anger flared. The only flame I felt in my throat was the one that told me to get up and storm out. What the heck was wrong with me???
"I didn't say you were." He watched me cautiously as I stood up and walked over to the window. "Bella?"
"Leave me alone, Edward" I growled at him. He didn't move.
Why did I growl at him? Why did I want to be alone? Why was I taking it out on Edward? He was only trying to look out for me!
"Her emotions are going insane at the moment. She's going to lose control any second." Jasper warned the others downstairs. I knew the if I heard it, Edward did too. He didn't move though.
"Edward get away from her" Esme instructed but he didn't move, he just stared.
Was I conflicted? Was I going to lose it? Maybe? Would that mean I would hurt Edward?
"Edward, seriously your reading this for yourself, get away from her before she harms you."
"She wont" he said full of conviction. I turned then to stare at him.
"You don't know that" Emmett stated.
"Yes I do. I trust her, like she trusted me." My mind was suddenly full of thousands of little flashback… the ones of Edward telling me he wasn't good enough or strong enough and I defied him every time and told him he was. That I knew he wouldn't hurt me even if he didn't. I was stubborn… yes… but I was right.
"Edwards that's… she's a new born, they have no control, you had control… eighty years of it not eight hours." Jasper's words only seemed to encourage him then, he took a step towards me.
"Ignore them. How are you feeling?" he asked softly.
I didn't want to fight, I wanted to hold Edward, to let him sooth me and just be with me. Why was I being so argumentative. Was Jasper right. Was this a new born thing.
"I'm not sure" I finally answered him. "I don't know why I'm arguing with you. I don't want to."
"I know, love"
"Wait, how can she admit that? She shouldn't be able to understand that?" Carlisle's voice was the next that caught my attention. I looked at the ground as if I could see through it down to where they stood.
Edward took another step closer to me. "Your like nothing we know."
"What do you mean?" I asked raising my head.
"Bella don't you see… your control… its not normal." he tried to explain but my self-conscious part didn't like being called not normal.
"WAIT… SO IM NOT NORMAL" I screeched at him, throwing a temper tantrum. "IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK OF ME… MAYBE I'LL NEVER BE" it hit me then that I wasn't acting like myself, so I forced my mouth shut and closed my eyes. After a moment I opened them to see Edward still watching me but the others were at the door, all looking completely amazed. "I don't like this part" I whispered as I looked at the floor.
I felt his cold finger under my chin as he lifted my face to his. "Do you realize how truly amazing you are?"
"What?" I asked my voice thick with sadness.
"You shouldn't have as much control as you do… Emmett's first tantrum left a clearing in the forest, the government put it down to some kind of earthquake. Rosalie's… it lasted days and we ended up having to chain her down. You don't want to know about mine…" he shook his head.
"You mean I'm doing well?" I asked as I looked up and took in all the others around me.
"Unbelievably well" Esme soft voice weaved across the room and into my ears. This was the first time I had ever had anyone tell me I was doing something better than someone else and mean it. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.
"Edwards right, she's like nothing we know" Carlisle spoke as he came to stand next to us. "I'm sorry we were having doubts, we just don't know what to expect…"
"I understand… but I would never hurt any of you…" Even I could hear the sadness that echoed off my words.
"I know you wouldn't." Edwards crooked smile appeared then and he held my face in his hands. He had that same mischievous grin that I had loved since the moment it appeared on his face the day in the meadow.
"What are you thinking?" I asked him flatly.
"That you need to stop your moaning and come hunting with me before Jasper over there explodes" he started laughing and I found that all I wanted to do was laugh with him, and so I did. It was the perfect way to break the tension and he knew it.
I nodded a yes as we took my hand and jumped through the open window, pulling me along behind him.
We returned from hunting a couple of hours later. It really wasn't hard once I knew what to do and watching Edward hunt had been like nothing I could have ever imagined. He was… perfect… as usual. I had to admit I didn't do too badly. At least my clothes had survived, that was until Edward had grabbed me and kissed me intensely. This whole lack of control thing wasn't too bad when it was pointed towards the right task and it also seemed that Edwards so-called control was lacking… after all he was the one that tore them straight from my body. It left me a little anxious as I walked towards my new home.
Edwards pants and his shirt had been the only things to survive for the both of us, so as he walked only in his boxers, I followed trying to cover certain areas with his shirt. He had laughed at me multiply times and a few times I saw the lust build in his eyes as he thought about going again but every time he seemed to change his mind. I knew why. Like me, he knew his shirt wouldn't survive the next round.
As we walked into the house, the others thankfully had given us some space and we didn't bump into anyone, however I couldn't block out the wolf-whistles and booming laughter coming from the distance. Emmett. Only he could make a vampire blush.
I had just gotten changed when I heard the sharp screams of my name. I looked towards Edward who had been watching me intensely as I dressed. His face was a mask of pain and defeat. What ever Alice had seen, he had too and apparently it was bad. I did all I could to keep calm but I needed to know. I flung myself around and headed for the stairs flying down them at vampire speed until I was able to grab Alice and ask her myself.
"They're coming for you!" It wasn't a joke, her voice held no hint of it. The warning was clear and the defeat on her face was a clear as Edwards.
Edwards arms wrapped around me now, as he pulled me tightly against him, as if shielding me from some unseen force.
"Who, Alice?" Jasper asked the question I was trying to get out but couldn't seem to.
Alice looked at Edward and it was him that gave me the answer I need. The panic was clear as he whispered the words "The Volturi"
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. You all are amazing and you make my day. | https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5215545/15/Awaking-Dusk | dclm-gs1-183230001 | false | false | {
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0.223398 | <urn:uuid:9526f03a-3741-464c-b411-0db638eef6fb> | en | 0.985909 | No Happy Endings
Everyone calls me Hazard.
It isn't my name, but people have been calling me that for so long it might as well be. When I first met her and she asked me what my name was, I told it was Hazard, but now I wish I hadn't. I never told her what my real name was, but I suppose it doesn't matter much.
Sitting holed up with her, being as quiet as we can, it gives me time to think on this kind of stuff. Out in the wasteland there's just no time for idle thoughts like these. She uses some fancy words when she talks about it, like 'arid' and 'desolate', but the best word I have for it is 'warzone', full of stuff that'll kill you and eat you, and not always in that order. You have to pay attention out there, look for colors that aren't brown or gray, look for movement that isn't from the heat rising off the rocks. If you don't, you end up dead, and that's just the way it is. They say the war happened two hundred some-odd years ago, but I guess it's still going on.
I guess war never changes.
She shivers from the cold. Her heavy coat's fallen off a bit so I drape the big thing back over her as gently as I can. I don't want her making any noise, not right now. When she's sleeping like this, up against my side, she looks different. When she's awake, she's a little rougher around the edges, has a few more scars than she used to. But asleep, she looks how she did when I first met her.
That day… I can still remember it like it was yesterday. She was wearing this bright blue jumpsuit and was all alone in the wasteland, scared out of her mind, firing bullets at any little thing that moved like she didn't give two shits if she ran out. Like she could just go get more from somewhere. 'Where?' I asked her, 'Where you gonna go get more bullets? You think they'll just be sitting on a shelf somewhere? Or like they'll fall outta the sky? Dontcha get it? Each bullet you got is one more thing that ain't gonna get you.' She's been better about picking her shots since then. Besides, the only thing that comes down from the sky is acid rain. I told her she doesn't want any part of that.
She told me what happened to her: that she was just a few days out of one of those vaults set up to protect people while the war raged on above them, their little group sealed up safe and sound with plenty of food and water. I told her what I know, what I've been told: about the Great War and the bombs, the radiation, the mutations. A couple centuries later and folk are just now beginning to scrape together enough sanity not to kill each other over the stuff she never worried about, and she stared at me like she wasn't buying it. I guess seeing is believing though.
I didn't understand at the time, I thought she was the craziest thing I'd ever seen, and I'd been around the wasteland more than a few times. She was so dumb about how to stay alive in the wasteland, but she was so smart about almost everything else. Not just the stuff I've never bothered with like the 'computers' she talks about, but useful things like medicine how to fix things. Time went on and when she didn't change, it started to dawn on me that maybe it wasn't her that was soft or oblivious, maybe it was us that were too hard, too distant. I must have taken it for granted, but she didn't have that wariness the rest of us do, that distrust of everyone. She still doesn't. Maybe it's because she grew up in that vault that she treats people… I don't know, like they were people. It doesn't even occur to her not to. I try not to be jealous of her, but it isn't always easy.
The noises outside are getting louder, closer, and I shift a bit to peek out the window. It's dark up here but I know it doesn't make a difference to those things, they can see in the dark just fine. Ghouls, they're called. Radiation changed a lot of the stuff from how it was to how it is now, people included. Ghouls used to be regular folk, I think. They look more or less like regular folk, if you took all the skin off them. Most of them are tough and most of them are angry and all of them don't feel any kind of pain, and those are the ones that are still in their right minds. Most of them aren't.
I met some nice ghouls before, but these aren't like them. These are skinnier, like there's less of them on their bones just like there's less of them in their heads. Ferals, she calls them. Her words, not mine. I just figure they're out there and hungry, so we'd better stay up here and quiet. I'm not a huge fan of the place she picked to hide, some old trainyard building, half blasted to hell but still standing. We snuck up to the second floor and jammed up the doorway before the sun went down.
I've been teaching her as best I can about the wasteland, where to go, what to eat, where to hide. How to survive. She's a good learner, a better learner than I am a teacher, so that's something. You do your traveling in the morning, the sun will drive the nastier night hunters back home but it'll still be cool enough to keep the cold blooded ones sluggish. Raiders don't start their runs until midday, so by then you make sure you're up on the crags or down between the boulders to keep out of sight. By noon you start looking for where you're going to hole up to ride out the night, and the process starts all over again. We were going to head through the subway tunnel nearby the trainyard when we decided to hole up inside instead. Good thing too, since all these Ferals started creeping out of it once it got a little darker.
There's a couple traincars out there, tipped over and empty, rusting away. Piles of old metal tracks too heavy for people to scavenge, a couple burned out wrecks of old cars, a few ramshackle wooden sheds too. I sighed and my breath fogged up the broken pane. Shit. One of the ghouls out there perked up, looking up at my window. Not my ideal spot for a fight, too much cover for them, not enough cover for us. There's maybe a dozen of them skulking around, snarling at each other over a couple rats they caught, plus the one looking up towards me. Too many of them. My hands feel clammy in my gloves and I'm trying to weigh our odds, but a scuffle's broken out over a rat and a rubbery chunk of it lands near my ghoul. Distracted, it drops down to gobble it up and I ease back away from the window.
Ugh, raw rat. Cooked, it isn't bad, but raw? That's just disgusting.
She's still curled up under her coat next to me and doesn't move as I settle back down. It's a weird feeling, having someone trust me like that. Her pack is a good three feet away and I know all her stuff is in it. She's still a little dumb, but I can see the nine-mil she's got tucked up by her head, right next to her hand, so maybe she's not as dumb as she used to be. My own stuff is in my lap, I couldn't be comfortable otherwise.
I wrap my arms around my stuff and sigh again. I hate these old buildings, but I've never told her so. To stay quiet you have to keep to the load bearing beams, or at least the cross beams. Otherwise any little shift will creak these old boards at best, or send you falling through the floor at worst. The biggest problem with these buildings is that, since you had the idea of taking shelter in one of them, odds are that someone else did too. Maybe they're friendly, more likely they're not. More likely they're raiders.
I should know, I used to be one.
I don't like talking about it. I don't even like thinking about it. It's easy to say I did what I had to survive back then, lived the only life I knew, but just because living like an animal made it easy to survive, that doesn't mean it was any kind of life. I've learned a couple things from her in our time together and one of them is that she doesn't do things the easy way either. She does them the right way. It's frustrating and difficult and will probably kill us both, but it doesn't sit wrong with me like being a raider did. I'm starting to understand her a bit more. Starting to feel like a person a bit more.
I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of, and I still have troubling sleeping, but I thought I put it behind me when I struck out on my own. Nowadays I suppose I'm thankful, in a sick kind of way. There's nothing but predators in the wasteland, raiders included, so it helps to know how they think, how they move.
How they kill.
It's a cold fact of life out here, so I've been teaching her that too. When I met her I didn't think she had it in her, but when it comes down to it she's not too squeamish about pulling the trigger when her life is on the line. Or mine. Good thing too since we've managed to piss off more than a few folks. We had a bad run in with a bunch of slavers not too long ago, seems like the guys in charge don't take too kindly to the idea of us setting their slaves running around free. As for the guys they had on guard… well, I made sure they wouldn't be running around at all.
She said 'If you're not pissing somebody off, you're not doing your job right.' Then again, she's got a different idea on what 'right' is. It was a strange thing back then, helping some folks that weren't in a position to help themselves instead of taking what I could, or just leaving them to their fate. I'm not normally one to stick my neck out unless I was sure it was going to be worth it, caps or water or supplies. Not her. She did it because that's just who she is, because she can't stand to see people penned up and treated like animals. Spitting in the eye of someone who'll do that to another person is worth it to her, I guess. Doesn't seem too smart in the long run though. Afterwards she said we did something good for those people we set free, and that she was happy we did it.
If it made her happy, that's worth it to me.
The ghouls outside are meandering off, moving further out into the night, and I risk removing my gloves to hold my hands out to the warmer I've built. I don't know how the damn thing works even though she's told me about current and resistance and 'holmes' and stuff, even tried showing me something out of one her books she carries around. Didn't make sense at the time, what those jaggedly lines were or why she'd carry them in the first place. She said she'd teach me what they meant but I know that I have no mind for it. I can tell it's important to her though, so I suffer through.
As for 'how it works,' she's always been interested in the 'how' part while I'm just satisfied if 'it works.' All I really know is that if you take one of those heavy batteries, hook it up to one of those square blue boxes, turn the dial to the right about a quarter way and hook up the other side to one of those spiral things you can scrounge off the top of an oven, it heats up nice without making any light. This little thing has saved our asses a couple times now that winter's starting to blow in. She was like a kid finding a toy out in the rubble when I showed it to her, had this huge grin on her face pointed right at me.
Man, she has the most beautiful teeth; white and straight and perfect. I didn't think they were real when I saw them first, and they make me kind of embarrassed when I see them now. I'm not too pretty to look at and I tend to smile back at her with my lips closed. Then again, she makes me smile. Never did much of that when I was a raider.
I wait another hour or so, then give her a shake to wake her up. It's time to head down into the tunnel. It's a gamble either way, going down there at night and hope the ghouls are all out hunting, or going in there during the day and hope they're all asleep. We settled on night, the less of them the better. The plan is to get into the ruins of Dee-See to meet up with some folks that have the same idea as her about how the wasteland should be, instead of how it is. I heard it used to be the capitol of this whole place, but nowadays it's just a bunch of burned out, fallen over buildings. It's important to her though, so I suffer through.
We grab up our packs and check our gear. She keeps her nine-mil clean, which is hard to do with all the sand and dirt and wind, but she checks it anyway. I make a big deal about her bullets since I don't carry a gun, just a few things I cobbled together out of desperation-fueled creativity. I'm still alive, so they work pretty good I suppose. She says it's 'delightfully anachronistic', whatever that means. She gets all wistful when she says it, so it can't be too bad.
We're just stepping out the door when a flicker of motion across the trainyard catches my eye. Too quiet to be a ghoul, they'll run at you screaming and slobbering, and I'm thinking it must be those slavers coming back for us. We haven't done as good of a job covering our tracks as we could, but vengeance is a pretty poor motivator in times like these, the risk isn't worth it: you can't eat, drink or trade momentary self-satisfaction.
A chill goes through me when I realize that you can trade slaves just fine, though.
She's seen it too and has dropped back to the shadows beyond the doorframe, quiet as can be. We've done this more than a few times and she knows the routine. She hides and covers me with her gun, I walk out into the open to draw attention. In a world full of predators it's useful to have some way to protect yourself, so some wear armor if they're aiming to get in a fight, some sneak around to avoid a fight. I tend to do a little of both, but wearing armor makes it hard to sneak around, so I found a good compromise. I carry a shield.
I made it out of an old faded road sign, yellow and diamond shaped. It blends in with the dirt and rocks well enough that I like to keep it on hand, literally, but after I was done working on it, it weighs a ton. Still, small price to pay for staying alive. I draw it up across my chest and walk out into the starlit trainyard, scanning for movement and listening hard. She says it's funny that I make a big deal about her bullets, being that I don't carry a gun. I tell her that she's the smart one, and the smart thing to do is to pick your targets off at a distance. I also tell her that things out here move fast and like to get up all close and personal anyway, so I figured I'd just let them. I can handle myself up close and personal.
Over my shoulder is the worn wooden grip of an old flintlock pistol I found a while ago. When I reach back for it, it slips from its holster with barely a whisper and it feels comfortable in my hand. This is grim business and it's good to know I got things I can trust, her and this weapon. I said I don't carry a gun, and that's true; this old pistol won't fire a shot, but it doesn't have to. It's sturdy and solid and when I was done welding a lawnmower blade to it, it made a great handle.
Three of them come on out, close together and chuckling to themselves like idiots. Something's off though, and they're looking at me all wrong. The pieces start falling into place when I see that none of them are carrying any slave collars and all of them are carrying guns or knives. Slavers don't usually carry guns, they stick mostly to whips, chains, or clubs. Something that stings or smarts without doing too much damage to the 'merchandise'.
Guns, knives, long bladed cutters like mine, these are weapons used by raiders. Then I see the white hatch mark on their junkyard armor and I realize these guys are from my old crew. They're focused on me, so I don't think they know she's getting them lined up yet. They say it's taken a while to catch up, and that it's nothing personal, just that the boss can't afford to let his people get the notion that walking out is acceptable behavior. I can understand that, still…
Damn. This is my fault.
He says they're going to take me back and make an example out of me, to keep everyone in line, I suppose. Then he says something really stupid. He says they'll keep the girl though, and just take her back. I tell them that's a mistake, but he's made me mad and I'm not certain I use the most civil language.
The one guy with the knife takes a run at me, coming in fast while the other two hang back and level little pistols at me. I turn to keep my shield up between me and them and watch the guy with the knife. There's plenty of starlight to see by, and the moon is high, so I can see it when he tries to fake left and lunge. You don't go by a guy's arms in a knife fight, you go by his hips, they'll tell you which way he's going to swing from. He thinks he's got the drop on me, but my cutter is longer than his. I can bat it away if I want, but I don't.
Carrying a big long blade like this, you have to fight the tendency to swing it like a club. Instead, you got to use it like the big long blade that it is. If you just hack at something then the blade will bite deep and get lodged there, stuck fast while your target gets to take free shots back at you. Instead, you have to carve at it, run the blade along a line and let the edge do the work for you. Like, say, slipping the blade around this guy's outstretched arm and letting his momentum flay the flesh right from his bones. I didn't have to do anything except hold the cutter in place, and now the guy's screaming his guts out on the ground, clutching what's left of his arm.
Two bullets plink off my shield as I step around the guy on the ground. The tip of my cutter finds the guy's throat as I go, and his screaming snuffs out, down to a wet gurgle. I hunker down to cover more of my body with my shield and that's her cue. Out from the dark of the trainyard building comes quick trio of crack-crack-crack and one of them's hit, spun around and grabbing at his leg. The other one had the brilliant idea to try to slip around me, getting past the edge of my shield for a better angle.
Instead of swiveling around to stay covered, I just point my shield-holding fist at Mister Smart Guy and straighten my arm. It hits the lever action set at my elbow, which cranks the release on the crossbow contraption I worked into the inside of my shield. It's only good for one shot, horribly inaccurate, and a pain in the ass to reload, but it can occasionally come in extremely handy. This is not one of those times, I decide, as I watch the bolt go wide.
Smart Guy is off guard though, stumbling back and not sure what other tricks I have left. I use it to close distance on him, keeping my eye on his gun. Gun fights are different than knife fights, more unpredictable. Knife fights are all about intentional, deliberate attempts to kill someone. Accidents happen all the time in gun fights. My best option here is to make this fast while I still have the advantage. I lead with my shield and swing hard, connecting with his gun hand just as he's bringing it back around towards me. The report of gunfire echoes in my ears but I've knocked the gun wide and the bullet kicks up dirt nearby.
I'm already bringing my cutter down from overhead, my shield way out back behind me, but Smart Guy's got a tire iron in his other hand and takes a clumsy swat at my attack. It's gutsy and it pays off for him, now my cutter's knocked aside and I got no choice but to bring my shield back around as he's getting his gun hand under control. Stalemate favors the guy with the gun, it was a good tactic, I'll give him that.
Just not good enough.
Cutter still out wide, I plant my feet and twist as hard I can. It's all in the hips. My shield whistles back around, turned edge-on, and I catch him at the neck just as he's trying to line up a shot at me. It probably would have hurt like a bitch even if I hadn't filed the edges of the road sign down as sharp as I could. The idea was that one blade was good, but two blades are better. I let the sign's knife edge do its work. The effect is pretty messy, but it doesn't bother me too much. I've seen plenty worse.
There's a girly little shriek behind me and I'm already moving back towards her. She's been caught off guard by the guy with the bullet through his leg, tripped up as she came out of the building. I guess he managed to get to limping, looking for his shooter or just looking to get away from me. She's still a little skittish in a tussle which is fine with me. No need for her to be up in the mix of things. Besides, thinking is her strong suit, she can leave the grunt work to me.
I'm moving fast but not fast enough to keep her from getting snatched by the ankle and put on her ass. She's a feisty one and struck her heel at his bleeding leg, which toppled him over with a howl. She keeps a cool head and works to get her feet back under her, but isn't quick enough to keep from getting grabbed around her legs. She put a fist in his face to get him off her, but the angle was all wrong and it had no power to it. Her luck's good though, she still has her gun but he's lost his, and she's working to get the barrel lined up right. That's when I catch the click of a spring and the flash of grubby silver. He's got one of those switchblade knives.
I'm coming up behind him and maybe he figured his other man took me out, or maybe he's on something, or maybe he just doesn't care, but he's got a mind to stick her and not much mind for anything else. He's got her by the wrist, keeping the gun away and I get there just as he's raising his knife up.
So I lop his hand off to teach him a lesson. He starts screaming, so I walk around and kick him off of her to drive the lesson home. A boot to the chest will knock your air out and shut you up good, that's a useful tool out here. Screams mean a fight, a fight means someone lost, and if someone lost, scavengers will come by to see what's left. So, screams are bad. He's looking up at me, pain and fear naked on his face.
Maybe there's something wrong with me, like I'm some kind of monster myself, that I enjoy that. Aiming to kill me is one thing, I've done plenty to deserve it, but I'm not about to tolerate anything happening to her. She's done nothing but good in this world. I'm not having that stop any time soon.
She's still on the ground, breathing hard and not looking at either of us, but suggests we send him back with a message to leave us alone. I tell her, keeping my eyes straight on Limpy, that it wouldn't be any use. The shape he's in, he wouldn't make it back and even if he did, they wouldn't listen. They'd get where we are and where we're headed out of him, them send more raiders after us. How I went about leaving my crew, and what I did just now, the bosses can't be seen as weak to everyone else. No, they won't stop with her kind of message.
So I fix to send one of my own.
Little heaters and crossbow mounted, sharp edged shields aren't the only things I know how to build. The second time she saw it, she called it being resourceful. The first time she saw it, she said what everybody says. I raised my cutter up high over my head, blade pointed up to the heavens, and pulled the trigger on the flintlock pistol.
What you have to understand is two things. First, the best way out of a fight is to not get in one in the first place. A wasteland filled with nothing but predators also means it's a wasteland filled with nothing but cowards. She calls it being 'pragmatic' but nothing is going to go after you if there's a chance it'll get hurt or killed in the process, and getting hurt more than likely means getting killed out here. So you do what you can to use that to your advantage, make yourself look about as dangerous as possible.
The second thing is that the blade wasn't the only piece of lawnmower I used when I made my cutter. I attached the little bubble plunger thing called the primer right beneath where my thumb wrapped, and it's hooked up to a small metal flask I fixed as a handguard. It's a pretty simple concept really. Pushing the primer draws gasoline from the flask up a little tube and spits it down the length of the blade. Pulling the trigger on the pistol sparks the flint, which lights the gasoline on fire.
The cutter lights up like a torch, blazing in the night. 'Oh shit' he says. Everyone says the same thing the first time they see it.
She's got her ears plugged up and her eyes screwed shut. Good thing, I try to make it fast but I also try to make it clear. Most raiders like me can't read words like she can, but when they find him, they'll be able to read what I did to this poor bastard just fine. I finish my message and let my cutter go out. Gasoline isn't exactly common.
I reach down to take her hand and everything gets real quiet all of the sudden. There's a big splash of red across her. My face goes cold real quick and I'm looking all around to see where she got cut or shot. She's staring up at me, eyes wide, and it takes me a long second to figure out the silence was my own ears ringing. There's something dark all over the inside of my shield, my shirt is starting to stick to me and my chest feels tight, like I'm holding my breath. I turned to look and there's another guy behind me. Thirty yards behind me. And he's ejecting a spent shell from a rifle.
Damn. There were four of them, not three.
She's not hurt after all. It sounds odd, but relief is the only thought in my head as I manage to stumble my way into the firing line between her and him, holding out my heavy shield. It's a good thing it's lashed to my arm, since my hands feel funny and I dropped my cutter. I know I should go back and get it but it's too damn far away. Besides, I know if I keep walking towards the guy with the rifle, I can block more of the line. I can still keep her safe. So that's what I do.
I'm walking the hundred miles it takes to get to him when a couple popping noises echo around me. I see the guy jerk, tapped twice in chest. Thirty yard range, friendly in the way, and she does two shots and two hits. That's my girl.
And just like that, the whole thing is over. The ground is starting to tilt under me, like I'm fall-down drunk with all of the fall-down and none of the drunk. Staying on my feet is getting hard so I don't turn to face her. That'd be harder than just standing still, for all kinds of reasons.
Never heard her sound like that before, all soft and breathy, like it can't really be happening. I kind of wish it wasn't myself. I could get used to hearing her talk like that, using my real name though. My legs give out and I end up on my ass, propped up against a rock. This'll work.
She's shouting. Shhhh… No shouting in the wastes. I can see her, she's close all of the sudden, and there's starlight glittering in tracks down her face. Her mouth is moving, filled with those perfect teeth, but she's not making many sensible words. I can make out 'doctor' and 'med-kit', but the way she's staring at my chest says none of that would matter.
This doesn't feel like how I thought it would.
She takes her bandana off and moves to press it to my chest but I push it away. She knows to put it back on, cover up that bright yellow hair she has. It glows like a halo in the sunlight, but I told her it made her too easy to see out in the wastes, made her a target. It made me sad when she listened to me though, but I never told her. I never told her a lot of things. Better save what air I have to tell her something important.
She's still staring at my chest and not paying attention like she needs to, so I pull my shield arm up over my chest. I feel exhausted, like I could just fall asleep here, but at least now she can't see. I hope I look like I'm just sitting against a rock, as normal as can be, it would be better that way.
I want to tell her all the things I never did get to, but I've got no words, let alone air to speak them. I've got no mind for big thoughts like hers, but I've always figured there's three kinds of people in the world. There's the no name folks, who go about their no name lives and die no name deaths. Then there's the other kind of folks, her kind, the kind that change things, that live for something.
The third kind, my kind, we're in the middle, the no name folks who get caught up with people like her, dragged into this and that. We see things happen, we get a little taste of a life that's bigger than us, we help them make changes in the world.
But we still die no name deaths.
She's saying she's sorry, and that I can't leave her alone. But I know her and she'll be fine, she just doesn't know it herself. She knows me though, and she settles herself on my lap and wraps my other arm around herself. She knew I wouldn't be comfortable any other way. There's a hundred things I should have told her, things like what she made think or how she made me feel, but nothing about me is going to help her now. I guess I'm still looking after her, because she needs to know how it's going to be from here on out. Better make this little bit of air worth it.
"Yer… all… 'lone, now, darlin'…"
And just like that, it's all over.
She buried me overlooking the sunset, and set my old, battered shield up as a gravestone. She said it was fitting and all, clearing away some of the dirt from it. She told me she made one for herself and showed it off, one of those red ones that's got more sides than it needs. She tells me the word on it is 'STOP'. She says it's fitting too. She told me she wants this all to end, all this senseless fighting and killing. She says there's a better way, a right way, but she's always had a different idea of what 'right' is.
I hope she manages it, wandering the wastes alone. I hope she can make it all stop. | https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7568520/1/No-Happy-Endings | dclm-gs1-183270001 | false | true | {
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0.140233 | <urn:uuid:4c89827e-8bdf-4654-9d6f-2216d4e416cb> | en | 0.9908 | The Smell of Fear, The Smell of Death
By: Shagti2
It can make you do weird things you would never do otherwise. It can turn a strong confident person into a weak blubbering baby, a former shell of itself. It could make that person do anything for it, to avoid feeling the fear. Even kill.
Then, fear could also make a person do brave and amazing things. It could make a person stand up in front of a bullet, make them give up their riches and social status, or take a fatal blow. That could make the person, the fearful, dead.
The charizard was feeling the first type of fear. It ran through the thick, humid forest as fast as it could carry itself. Its mammoth wings were tucked to its sides, and its sharp claws were tearing a furious path through the bush. It's mouth, usually breathing fire or roaring, was open, its tongue hanging out the sides. Suddenly, it heard it. A strange lilting tune. In its fear, the charizard made the connection between the tune and whatever had scared it that badly. It gathered what few scraps of its courage, and ran towards its origin, willing to die for it's running to end.
Misty Waterflower was sitting at the waters edge, whistling, waiting for her fishing rod to catch something. She had been there for at least half of an hour, and she was slowly getting bored, despite her love of fishing. Then a weird noise and the shuffling of bushes a couple of feet away from her made her turn her head. Absent-mindedly, she continued whistling her tune. The shaking of the bushes got more and more violent, and she stopped. Then a red blur burst out of the bushes. The young woman did the only thing that came to mind. She screamed.
Ash Ketchum was nearby at the camp he and his two best friends had set up for the night. He heard Misty's scream. Without another thought, he sped off, leaving his friend Brock by the fire, making dinner.
The young man sped through the forest, his mind focused on his friend Misty. His shirt-sleeved jacket did nothing to protect his bare forearms, but he didn't seem to mind. His legs propelled him the short distance to the lake in speeds he, in retrospect, never thought he could achieve. His official red and white hat almost fell off, but he took it off of his head and held onto it firmly in his hand.
After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the river where his ailing friend was. She stood there, frozen in terror, as the gigantic charizard towered over her, making her cringe back in fear.
Without another thought, Ash grabbed a rock and flung it at the charizard's head. It connected with a thump, right at the side of its head, drawing blood. Ash started to jump up and down, waving his hands wildly.
"Here, I am, ya big bully! Come and pick on someone your own size!" Ash taunted.
The charizard shook its head to clear it. The damned little piece of meat had hit him with a rock. He glared at it and shot a stream of fire from its mouth. The meat daintily jumped out of harms way. The Charizard ran towards the flesh bag, its wings opening up as if it were to take flight. By then its fear had turned into rage, a rage that burned hotter than the fire on it's long red tail.
Ash turned and ran from the angry charizard. He tore a glance behind him to Misty, making sure that she was ok. Then he concentrated on keeping alive. As he sped ahead of the charizard, his much smaller frame allowing him to get through the trees a lot faster than the charizard, he fingered the pokeballs in his belt.
"Bulbasaur…Squirtle…Lapras…I think I'll use Lapras!" Ash thought as he dodged branches and leapt over a couple of large roots. He spotted a clearing up ahead, and dashed forward, making a break from the enraged lizard behind him.
Launching himself in the air, he spun quickly around, simultaneously, taking the pokeball from his belt and throwing it in the charizard's direction.
"Lapras! I choose you!" Ash yelled, landing on his two feet. At the same time, he placed his cap back on his head and twisted it around.
The ball bounced off of a tree, and opened up. A flash of blue light erupted from the ball, and a red light came from the ball. A Lapras materialized from the red light.
"Lapras, use your ice-beam on the charizard!" Ash yelled.
Before the Lapras could comply to it's trainers orders, the charizard started shooting flamethrowers in their directions. Lapras and Ash started to dodge the fire blasts, trying to keep alive.
The charizard looked at the flesh bag with hate in it's eyes. It ignored the meat's pokemon, its levels far below its. It looked up ahead, a plan staring to form in its mind. It closed it's mouth for a few seconds and launched a fire blast at it. As expected the meat avoided it, but was a bit dazed. The charizard took the advantage and charged it.
Ash quickly shook his head clear, and looked up. By then it was to late. The charizard was almost right on top of him. He looked up at the big, red behemoth, it's arms wide open, fangs bared and a bit of fire erupting from it's mouth. The moment seemed to freeze in time, the image of the charizard baring down on him black and white. Then time started again and the world turned into pain.
Misty breathed a sigh of relief, and collapsed on her knees. A tear ran down her cheek. She was emotionally and physically exhausted, the adrenaline and the brush with death running it's course. Then she looked up.
"Ash…" Misty whispered and broke off into a run, following the trail of shredded and burnt bush and trees. Suddenly a hand grabbed onto her arm. She whipped her head around. It was Brock.
"Where…" he began but Misty cut him off with a gesture. She pointed at the trail and started back running. Brock followed her.
By the time they got to the site, it was over. Lapras stood over her fallen trainer, nudging him with her mouth. Ash was on the ground, bruised and bloody and a bit burnt. The Charizard was encased in a huge block of ice.
Misty and Brock rushed over to their friend's side. He was barely breathing, and he was covered in blood from deep scratches all over his body. He was also conscious and feeling every bit of pain that he was in.
"Misty…Brock…." He gurgled out, coughing up blood.
"No, no Ash. Don't try to talk. I'll go get help," Brock said. He looked over at Misty.
"I'll take Onix to the next town and get some help. You stay here with him and make sure he stays conscious. If he doesn't…. he might never regain it," he told her, his fear and anxiety showing in his voice.
Brock took out one of his pokeballs he kept on his belt, beneath his multi pocketed green vest. He threw it in the midst of the clearing.
"Onix, go!" he cried. The pokeball opened and out popped the 15 story rock pokemon. It looked like a multi-segmented snake in a way, with a ridge on its head.
"Onnnniiiixxx!" it said, and it looked down at it's master.
"Onix! We've got to get to the town we were in before. We don't have much time!" Brock shouted up at the pokemon. It nodded and lowered it's head for it's trainer to get on. Brock climbed on top of it's head and they headed off, moving with a speed that belied it's size.
Misty turned back to Ash. She sat by next to him, and held his hand.
"Oh, Ash I'm so sorry…. so sorry…." Misty wailed, tears coming down her face.
"It's… ok…. Misty…. You… are… ok…" Ash managed out.
"No, I'm not! You got hurt because of me! You got hurt… because I couldn't help you," she sobbed.
Ash tried to wipe her tears away, but left a bloody trail across her face.
"Sorry…" he apologized.
Misty sobbed harder.
"Please… don't cry…Mist….. I'm ok…. It doesn't…hurt that…..bad" Ash tried to comfort her, lying through his gritted teeth.
"Don't you dare lie to me!" Misty screamed at him, trying to keep from crying some more.
"Sorry…" Ash said, his eyes filling with tears.
Misty caught herself. Geez, he's here, all banged up and bloody, not even shedding a tear, and I'm about to make him cry. I'm such a jerk. A big ungrateful jerk.
"No, Ash I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I'm just afraid of losing you. You're my best friend. And the thought of losing you scares me. And it's my fault to. If you died, I don't know how I'll handle it." She admitted.
"Don't… worry. I give ….my word I…. won't die on you. I …promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep Ash Ketchum!"
"I…never do."
Misty gave a little chuckle at that.
"Where are you hurt, Ash? Maybe I could do something?"
"Uh, find out how Lapras is doing," he replied.
Misty nodded and turned to Lapras, who was standing near her fallen trainers side. Her eyes were filled with sorrow, seeing her trainer on the ground, hurt so badly.
"Don't worry, Lapras. Ash'll be better.. you'll see," Misty said, trying to soothe the pokemon.
After about ten minutes, the sound of helicopter blades were heard and a large copter landed in the clearing.
Two paramedics emerged with a gurney in their hands. Misty was bent over crying on Ash's body. His still body.
"Aw, shit…" one of them muttered.
The pair set down the gurney next to Ash, and gently pried Misty off of him. One of them checked for a heartbeat and breathing.
The paramedic looked up and shook his head.
"He's got a pulse, but it's weak. Barely breathing, at least two broken ribs. One of them must have punctured his lung, maybe both lungs. We need him at the hospital, stat."
The other guy nodded and they quickly loaded him on the gurney, and strapped him down, making sure to avoid the deep slashes all over his body. Then they put him in. One of them, the guy who checked for his stats, walked over to Misty.
"Do you know the victim?"
"Yes…yes I do. He's one of my best friends, and if he dies, I don't know what I'll do!" Misty sobbed into the paramedic's shirt.
"Come with me. You can ride back with us," the paramedic said, leading her back to the helicopter.
The blades spun, and the aircraft flew back to the hospital.
Misty, Brock and Pikachu waited silently in the waiting room. Misty had cried herself to sleep, and Brock had shed a few tears himself. Pikachu was in a state of shock, the guilt of not being able to protect his friend seeping in.
A few minutes passed. A nurse walked in.
"Umm, are you people here for Ash Ketchum?" she asked hesitantly, the fear of what she had to do, almost getting to her.
"Yeah. Yeah we are," Brock spoke up, standing up.
The nurse took a deep breath, and began.
"You're friend, I'm afraid is in a light coma. He will wake up, but no one will be able to tell. It could be hours, it could be weeks, it could even years. No one will be able to tell."
Brock blinked back a few tears. Not ever seeing his friend again, up and about… it struck a cord within him. It reminded him off the way his mom died. In a hospital almost like this. But he had to be strong, if not for his sake, but for Misty and Pikachu and Ash.
"Well… he's alive right? That's something to be grateful for. Is he going to suffer from any permanent damage?"
"Yes, that's another thing… you see, some of the injuries he suffered from are, in truth, supposedly fatal, and he should have been dead by the time you got him here. By some miracle, he has held on, and he still is, but barely. You're friend has some fight in him, but it will most likely be a matter of time," the Nurse said simply.
"No… I can't lose him… I can't lose him!" Misty shouted, apparently awake to hear what the nurse said.
"I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do…" the nurse said simply and sincerely, shrugging her shoulders.
"Oh, Brock, what am I going to do?" Misty wailed silently to Brock, finding solace in his embrace.
Brock stayed silent and just tried to comfort the girl, hugging her. He was to busy thinking about what he was going to do. The nurse left.
It was so peaceful, here in the field with Misty. Ash had never felt so content as he had. Pikachu was somewhere playing happily with his other pokemon and Brock was happy too. He didn't know how he knew, but he just knew.
Misty smiled at him. That smile… it was the thing dreams were made of. It was a smile full of love and caring, and it was all for him.
"I love you," Ash told her.
She giggled slightly. "I love you too, Ash Ketchum"
Then they kissed, a deep, passionate kiss. At least it was supposed to be. There just was something wrong. Something missing. Ash knew it in his core, deep inside. But the illusion or whatever it was was good enough for now. So he was satisfied.
They started to make out. Nothing dirty or sinful, but it just felt pure and right. And yet, that nagging feeling got to him again.
Then he noticed the tug. The tug to make him stay there. Of course he wanted too, and he returned Misty's kisses with much fiercer ones of his own. Then he noticed his surroundings. He wasn't supposed to, but he did. Ash realized he was in a bed. A large bed.
They stayed inside the waiting room that night, not even sleeping. Pikachu was a wreck, and every once in a while would make a break for Ash's room, but was stopped gently by Brock.
They were there all thinking about how Ash had affected their lives, but always stopped themselves when it their thoughts started to cross the line to how their lives would and will be without him.
Misty thought about all the fights and arguments they had. Then she thought about that afternoon, and how selflessly he had saved her life. But to her, the irony of the situation was almost unbearable. She would rather have died to have had gotten him killed over her.
Brock was also thinking about the young trainer. He remembered the first time he had met him, and remembered how dedicated and stubborn he was. Ash had always been headstrong, even when he was using an electric type against a rock type. Of course he did come back and defeat him.
He remembered the years of traveling with him, the friendship they shared. Brock couldn't fathom life without him, he the young man who had changed him so much.
Pikachu was still in shock(no pun intended) and he kept on whispering Ash's name over and over when he wasn't trying to see him. He was so sorry for shocking him all those times, for being so hard on him. He was even more sorry for not following him when he went after Misty. He would've handled that Charizard easily. It was his fault, as he was his pokemon, and pokemon are to help protect their trainers from the wild.
Ash broke away, suddenly from Misty. He felt something, a tug, a pull away from Misty.
"What's wrong, Ash? Is everything ok?" Misty asked, gasping for breath.
"No, everything's not ok. Something is wrong. Terribly wrong," Ash answered.
"It happens to some guys, Ash. Don't worry about it."
"NO, NOT THAT!" Ash yelled, blushing furiously.
"Well, it isn't me, is it?" Misty asked, her eyes welling up with tears.
"No, it's just that… I have this feeling, this gut feeling that something is wrong. That I'm not supposed to be here," Ash said and sat up in the bed.
Then it hit him. Wasn't he at some filed a couple of moments ago? In fact, how did he get in the room he was in? He looked around the room, searching for something, for some clue of to where he was.
"Uhh… Ash? Weren't we doing something just now?" Misty asked impatiently.
Ash gave no answer. He tried to open the door, but it didn't budge. He took a step back and tried again. Nothing. He finally turned to Misty.
"Where am I? What is this place?" he asked.
Misty gave a sigh, and she began to cry.
"I knew it! I am a scrawny little runt! No one could ever love me!"
"Cut the crap and just answer my question."
Misty looked up at Ash in surprise. "Fine, if you really must know, you are in between living and dying," she said, cutting the waterworks.
Misty got off the bed. When she did, the room was gone, and all that was left was whiteness. Ash looked around. He was still in his boxers, and Misty was still in her bra and undies, but everything else was gone.
"How did you? When did you?" Ash stammered out.
"Ok, to make a long story… not so long, you are dying. I have no idea how you realized that something is wrong, but you did."
"So, if I am dying, who are you, if you're not Misty?"
"Oh, I'm the part of you that wants to stay. I am just like Misty in every way, shape and form. But I don't have to stay like Misty. I can be anyone you're heart desires. And there are more like me," she explained.
"But I don't want something like Misty. I want the real Misty!" Ash yelled in frustration
The fake Misty shook her head. "Don't you get it Ash? You don't have to worry about arguing about keeping up you're little shield. No more pain, no more suffering, no feelings not felt back."
Ash stepped back. If he stayed here, things would be good. He wouldn't be alone, and he had something that was like Misty… No. He would only settle for the real thing, even if it meant that she didn't return his love.
"How do I leave?" he asked.
The fake Misty sighed. "All you have to do is get through that door, and the rest is up to you."
"Thank you," Ash said, and bolted for the door.
The door opened immediately, and Ash quickly ran through it. He almost ran back with what he saw.
It was… his memories of all of the bad memories he had when he was younger.
The falling out with Gary when he was just eight.
Losing battle after battle with Pikachu.
Letting down his friends, time and time again.
His father… the father he shouldn't remember, but he did. The time when he left and never came back, him and his mother begging him not to leave.
Imagine if you will every time you had ever felt sad or hurt or guilty. Now imagine all that at one time, coming down at you in wave after wave, each wave even stronger. That's what Ash was going through.
Ash lay there in the darkness writhing in pain, sobbing and choking on his tears.
Brock woke up with a start, the loud wail of a machine bringing him back to consciousness.
"Ash," he thought and started following the sound. A staff of nurses and doctors rushed past him, and began to give CPR to the patient.
"Give me that adrenaline, now!" a doctor bellowed. A needle was given to him, and he plunged it in Ash's chest. He pushed the plunger. The heart monitor stopped its wail and began to give a beep, though not as strong as before.
Brock breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around an saw Misty and Pikachu there.
"Was that.." Misty asked, hesitantly.
Brock nodded grimly.
"Is he.."
"Brock shook his head no.
Brock waited for a nurse to come out the room.
"Um, excuse me, nurse? How is he?" he asked hoping she said he would be ok.
The nurse gave a sigh. "I'm afraid your friend was dead for a while. We brought him back. But he's not out of the danger zone yet. We just have to keep praying."
As she started to go, she turned around. "Hey, is that Ash Ketchum, the pokemon master?"
Brock smiled wearily. "Yeah. Yeah he is."
The nurse smiled back and left. Brock wiped at the stubble on his face. He needed to take a quick shave, maybe get something to eat.
Misty sat back down in her chair and hugged Pikachu tightly.
"Hey, uh, Misty do you want anything?" Brock asked her.
"Uh, I'll be ok. You want anything, Pikachu?"
Brock already knew what to get Pikachu.
A quick stop to the cafeteria and he came back, two cups of coffee, a hot dog and a large bottle of ketchup. He handed the hot dog to Misty and the bottle of ketchup to Pikachu. A rather heartless "thanks" and "pika" was what he got. He sat back down, and sipped silently at his coffee.
Ash struggled to his feet, the images fading slightly. He wiped at his face, trying his best to dry his tears. He struggled onwards, a slight limp slowing his progress. Then, wherever he was, turned pitch black.
"Wha-?" Ash stammered out. A bright light flashed on ahead. It illuminated an open door with the sign "Exit". Grinning broadly, Ash began to run as fast as he could towards it.
That is, until another light came on right in front of him, showing a person right in front of him.
"Gary?" Ash asked, shocked. Gary was in his usual garb, the purple tunic, gray pants, and brown boots.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, big shock to see me and all. Look I don't have all day, and I shouldn't even be wasting my time on a loser like you, but hey! I like a challenge!" Ash cocked an eyebrow and folded his arms.
"Are you going to just sit here and berate me all day?" he asked. Gary looked shocked.
"Wow! Ketchum used a big word!" he said in mock surprise.
Ash grinned from ear to ear. "I've been watching Dawson's Creek!" Gary face-faulted.
"Urr… anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I'm here to help you out. As weird as it might sound, but I'm going to be you're guide to the exit."
"Why do I need a guide? The exits right over there!" Ash replied, pointing at the aforementioned sign.
"Oh really, Ketchum? Do you know what's in this darkness? You can't see a foot ahead of you!"
"All I need to do is see my way to the exit and I'll be ok…"
Gary folded his arms and smirked. "Yeah… sure Ketchum. Question? Who always gets your group lost?"
Ash sweat-dropped. "Point taken. Where do we go?" Gary pointed in a direction behind him.
"Follow me, Ashy-boy."
Hesitantly, Ash did follow him.
The nurse's keen ears detected it. "Oh, my gosh," under her breath. The beeps of the heart monitor were coming at a slower rate. She ran to his bedside and examined the screen. Sure enough, she was right.
"We need the doctor in here, stat!" she screamed at the entrance. Her voice carried very well in the halls.
Brock sat up, hearing the nurse's call for help. He set down his coffee and stood up. A knot of tension formed in his stomach, and he started walking in that direction. Unable to contain himself, he broke out in a run. He arrived just in time to see the doctors monitoring his best friend's rapidly declining progress.
"Ash…" Brock whispered under his breath.
Misty was so busy eating her hot dog that she hadn't noticed Brock's disappearance until he was halfway down the long hall. Dropping the hot dog, she ran towards the room, Pikachu close on her heels.
"Are you sure that we're going in the right direction?" Ash asked as he noticed the light to the exit was fading away as they got further from it. Gary sucked his teeth.
"C'mon, Ashy-boy! How many times do you have to ask that question?" he asked, annoyance seeping into his voice.
Sighing, Ash followed, though his gut instinct was telling him to go back to were he was going.
"C'mon! We can't just wait here and do nothing while he's dying!" misty wailed to the doctors, tears coming down her face.
"I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do… not until he flat lines. Then we'll try to bring him back," the nurse replied, on the brink of crying herself.
Misty gritted her teeth and wiped her face with her forearm. She went over to Ash's bed, and clasped his bandaged hand.
"Damn you, Ash! Come back to me!" she whispered softly to him, hoping that her words would change his condition.
Ash stopped dead in his tracks, earning another curse from Gary.
"Were going the wrong way," he said. His eyes refocused on the bright light, which seemed so far away. He started walking towards it. Then Gary grabbed him by his shoulder.
"Ash, look. I know you might be thinking that you're going the right way, but you're wrong. I'm leading you the right way. Trust me…" Gary said pleadingly.
"Oh, yeah like I did all those years ago?" Ash replied hotly. Gary's closed his eyes and lowered his head.
"I'm sorry about then, ok? We were young and I didn't mean anything by it."
"That's a bunch of crap! You knew I was afraid of the dark, and you knew I didn't want to go into that cave! But I trusted you, didn't I? And you betrayed me! You knocked me down and tied me up and left me in that cave!" Ash exploded, and turned around and began running towards the exit.
As Gary began to plead and even threaten Ahs, a sweet voice blocked Gary's pleas. Ash zeroed in on that voice and ran to the exit with all he was worth, ignoring the pain in his leg.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally made it. Not even hesitating, he dove right into the exit. He expected to hit the ground, then he realized: he was falling, and falling fast. The ground wasn't in sight. Ash began to wonder if leaving Gary behind was such a great idea…
"Ash! Please, come back! I love you!" Misty screamed as the heart monitor wailed along with her, not picking up Ash's heartbeat.
Mostly because he had none. No longer able to control herself, she clutched his chest and cried hysterically, burying her face in his shoulder.
The doctors began to prep the electric paddles, as the nurse tried to get her off of Ash's body. Misty started shrieking hysterically. She clung to him as hard a she could, refusing to get up. Brock was weeping silently, leaning against the doorway.
Then the wailing of the machine stopped, replaced by the steady beep, finally getting a pulse.
"Ow… what happened?" Ash asked, his voice husky and throaty, dry from lack of moisture. Misty looked at him as if he was a ghost and then hugged him tightly across the neck.
"Oh, God, Ash! We thought we lost you!" she exclaimed happily to him. Before he could respond, she kissed him full on the lips, for a good few seconds.
Ash had a shocked but happy smile on his face. "Well, thanks Mist. Maybe I should have more near death experiences more often, huh?" She mock scowled and dried her face.
Brock had turned around wiping his cheeks of any stray tears. "Hey, man, good to see your back!" he said as he turned back around.
Ash nodded his head. "Don't even think about kissing me, man!" Brock stuck out his tongue and lowered his lower eyelid with his finger. Ash laughed.
Misty protectively put her arm around his neck. "Yeah, I'm the only one who kisses him! Got that?"
Brock chuckled at that. "You're man? You know maybe you do have something there with this near-death experience thing going, Ash." He turned his attention to the Nurse. Now that the danger was over, he could concentrate on the finer things in life… namely the rather attractive nurse.
"Excuse me, nurse? I'm feeling rather faint. Do you want to go in the back and do a bit of mouth to mouth?"
K… you know the drill…. Comments and suggestions to Shagti2@aol.com and flames to Shoveitupyour@ss.com ! G'night Gracie! | https://www.fanfiction.net/s/91478/1/The-Smell-of-Fear-the-Smell-of-Death | dclm-gs1-183290001 | false | false | {
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0.266046 | <urn:uuid:67821feb-4b27-45b2-9f5d-a850bdb77fd4> | en | 0.957163 | Most of us make some distinction between fear and anxiety. Sometimes it's merely a matter of linguistics. We say we have a fear of something (flying, aging) and anxiety about something (flying, aging).
Sometimes we distinguish the two by our bodily experience. I'm sure you're aware that the neurobiology of fear is different than the neurobiology of anxiety. The sudden re-arrangement of your guts when an intruder holds a knife to your back (fear), is different from the mild nausea, dizziness and butterflies in your stomach as you're about to make a difficult phone call (anxiety).
Anxiety is also the word of choice to describe lingering apprehension, or a chronic sense of worry or tension, the sources of which may be totally unclear.
But the notion that "fear" always connotes something bigger and stronger than "anxiety" breaks down in real life experience.
You can have a short-lived fear response to the bee buzzing around your face, and you can wake up at three in the morning awash in anxiety that won't let you get back to sleep.
When the distinction between "anxiety" and "fear" isn't critical to the discussion at hand, I use just one of these words as the umbrella term in my book, The Dance of Fear.
In everyday conversation, we use the language of emotions that we're comfortable with and that fits our psychological complexion. I've worked with clients who don't report feeling anxious or afraid. "I'm incredibly stressed out..." is their language of choice. "Stressed" is the codeword for "totally freaked out" for people who are allergic to identifying and sharing their own vulnerability.
Or, at the other linguistic extreme, a woman in therapy tells me that she feels "sheer terror" at the thought that her daughter's wedding dress will not fit her properly. I know her well enough to translate "sheer terror" into "really, really, worried."
Whatever your emotional vocabulary, no one signs up for anxiety, fear and shame, or for any difficult, uncomfortable emotion. But we can't avoid these feelings, either.
I am convinced that the more we can look these uninvited guests in the eye, with patience and curiosity, and the more we learn to spot their wisdom as well as their mischief, the less grip they will have on us.
Only when we experience our emotions as both potential stumbling blocks and wise guides--not either/or--can we begin to live more fully in the present and move into the future with courage, clarity, humor, and hope.
Most Recent Posts from The Dance of Connection
The #1 Challenge For "Best Friends"
What's the #1 challenge in female friendship?
What Are Your Anxiety and Fear Trying to Tell You?
How can you decode the meaning of your fear?
The Moment I Was Transformed Into a Champion Worrier
When did I go from being a fearless person to a champion worrier? | https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-dance-connection/200910/fear-vs-anxiety | dclm-gs1-183400001 | false | false | {
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0.031007 | <urn:uuid:889e6478-1050-45b3-b5b5-b1668ff8db34> | en | 0.970499 | Techdirt. Stories filed under "kansas" Easily digestible tech news... en-us Techdirt. Stories filed under "kansas" Fri, 10 Apr 2015 13:22:51 PDT FBI Breaks Up Another Of Its Own 'ISIS' Plots, Where It Supplied Most Of The Planning Mike Masnick stopped a terror plot in Topeka, Kansas -- inspired by ISIS. Here's how the FBI describes its big arrest:
John T. Booker Jr., 20, of Topeka, Kansas, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed today with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives), one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive and one count of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Booker is expected to make an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree of the District of Kansas in federal court in Topeka.
Booker was arrested this morning near Manhattan, as he completed his final preparations to detonate a vehicle bomb targeting U.S. military personnel.
There have been a bunch of these arrests lately of random people supposedly planning to do something big to join ISIS. But, looking at the details in the actual complaint, it quickly becomes clear that this is yet another of the FBI's own plots. Yes, Booker appears to be an idiot who publicly proclaimed that he wanted to blow stuff up to join in the whole jihad thing, but his actual ability to do anything was basically non-existent until the FBI gave him two helpers who presented the details of the plan.
First, Booker did try to do something himself, but blabbed so much about it that the FBI came and spoke to him, ruining his original plan (though they didn't arrest him then):
John T. Booker, Jr., a/k/a “Mohammed Abdullah Hassan,” (“Booker”) is a 20-year-old United States citizen who is currently living in Topeka, Kansas. In or around February 2014, Booker had been recruited by the United States Army in Kansas City, Missouri, and he was scheduled to report for Basic Training on April 7, 2014.
On March 15, 2014, Booker publicly posted on Facebook: “I will soon be leaving you forever so goodbye! I’m going to wage jihad and hopes that i die.” On March 19, 2014, Booker publically posted on Facebook: “Getting ready to be killed in jihad is a HUGE adrenaline rush!! I am so nervous. NOT because I’m scared to die but I am eager to meet my lord.” That same day, the FBI became aware of Booker’s postings based on a citizen’s complaint. The FBI was able to identify Booker based on the publically available content on his Facebook account. On March 20, 2014, Booker was interviewed by FBI agents related to his Facebook postings. After being advised of and waiving his Miranda rights, Booker admitted that he enlisted in the United States Army with the intent to commit an insider attack against American soldiers like Major Nidal Hassan had done at Fort Hood, Texas. Booker stated that if he went overseas and was told to kill a fellow Muslim, he would rather turn around and shoot the person giving orders. Booker stated that he formulated several plans for committing jihad once enlisted, including firing at other soldiers while at basic training at the firing range or while at his pre-deployment military base after completing his initial military training. Booker clarified that he did not intend to kill “privates,” but that he instead wanted to target someone with power. Booker also said that he did not intend to use large guns, but instead a small gun or a sword. Booker was subsequently denied entry into the military.
Okay, so we've established that Booker is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but at least was willing to state his idiotic plans publicly and then admit them to the FBI. But other than denying him entry into the military, they didn't do anything else... other than try to set him up for a big arrest later. That's because a few months later, they sent an FBI informant to befriend Booker and urge him to move forward with his "blow shit up" plans:
Since on or about October 8, 2014, Booker has engaged with an individual who is, unbeknownst to Booker, an FBI Confidential Human Source (CHS 1). Booker has repeatedly expressed to CHS 1 his desire to engage in violent jihad on behalf of ISIL. For example, during a face to face conversation on October 10, 2014, Booker told CHS 1 in relevant part, that he: “was in jihad before, okay. I got captured. Okay, a long story short the people at the Masjid don’t like me because I support al Qa’ida openly. I’m not afraid, I was captured before . . . I was captured by FBI before . . . because I was with al Qa’ida.” Booker stated that he “joined the United States Army” and he “hadn’t really completed, I hadn’t really started . . . I was going to go in there and kill the American soldier.” Booker told CHS 1 that he dreamt of being in the Middle East, and then he showed CHS 1 a video on his phone of Muslims fighting American forces in Iraq. Booker said he dreamt about going with the fighters and wished he was with them. Booker told CHS 1 that he had heard about Americans joining ISIL and that Booker wanted to join, but he didn't know anyone who could help him do so.
So, here we have Booker admitting that he doesn't actually have the capabilities to join ISIS or do anything really. But, have no fear, because the FBI informant is there to help:
That same day, CHS 1 told Booker that he had a “cousin” (who is also a FBI Confidential Human Source, hereinafter referred to as CHS 2) who could get people overseas and asked Booker what he wanted to do. Booker answered, “Anything. Anything you think is good. I will follow you.”
So, now we've got a plot in which two of the plotters are actual FBI informants, while the only other guy is a guy who clearly has no idea what he's doing:
On or about March 9, 2015, while under FBI surveillance, CHS 1 introduced Booker to CHS 2, who he explained was a high ranking sheik planning terrorist acts in the United States.
Then, the plan is set in motion, with the informants basically directing Booker in what he should do -- saying that they would give him the equipment needed to build explosives, and that he should rent a storage space to keep the stuff:
Previously, CHS 1 told Booker that he (CHS 1) may send him some items for Booker to hold until the next time CHS 1 visited – perhaps a package or something in the mail. Booker told both CHS 1 and CHS 2 that his house was not safe to store things because he shares it with his cousin. At that point, CHS 2 suggested that Booker may want to rent a storage locker.
On or about March 25, 2015, CHS 1 met with Booker. During this meeting, CHS 1 told Booker that he had been “selected” to accompany Booker on his suicide mission. CHS 1 provided Booker with a list of supplies that they needed to purchase in order to build the bomb.
Booker even relied on the two FBI informants to build the (totally fake) bomb he was going supposedly going to use, and to give him a map of where he was to set it off:
The second storage unit held a large amount of inert explosive material that Booker understood was to be used to build their Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (“VBIED”). Pursuant to Booker’s plan, Booker understood that CHS 1 and CHS 2 would build the VBIED, Booker and CHS 1 would eventually deliver it to Fort Riley, and Booker would detonate the VBIED in a suicide attack. CHS 1 and CHS 2 then provided Booker with a map of the area of Fort Riley at Booker’s request.
And then, just this morning, one of the FBI informants was needed to tell Booker how the device worked so he could "blow it up."
On or about April. 10, 2015, Booker and CHS 1 drove to a location near Junction City, Kansas where they met CHS 2. CHS 2 met Booker and CHS 1 in the van in which CHS 2 had purportedly constructed the VBIED. CHS 2 explained the function of the inert VBIED to Booker and demonstrated how to arm the device. CHS 1 and Booker then drove the VBIED to an area near Fort Riley that Booker believed to be a little used utility gate that would allow them to enter Fort Riley undetected so that they could find an area to detonate the VBIED that would kill as many soldiers as possible. While Booker was making final connections to arm the inert VBIED at the gate, he was taken into custody without incident by members of the FBI.
And thus, he's been arrested. It seems pretty clear that he's not a fan of the US, but this story matches many previous stories of the FBI stopping its own plots, in which the people they arrest tend to be hapless individuals with no ability to carry out any sort of terrorist attack on their own... until the FBI shows up and provides them with the fake tools to do so.
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Thu, 4 Dec 2014 05:58:35 PST AT&T's Regulatory Hypocrisy On Proud Display In Kansas, Where It's Fighting To Keep The State A Broadband Backwater Karl Bode wrote but failed to pass SB 304, which, like nearly two dozen similar laws around the country, would prohibit towns and cities from wiring themselves for broadband -- even in cases where nobody else will. From the bill:
"Sec. 4. Except with regard to unserved areas, a municipality may not, directly or indirectly offer or provide to one or more subscribers, video, telecommunications or broadband service; or purchase, lease, construct, maintain or operate any facility for the purpose of enabling a private business or entity to offer, provide, carry, or deliver video, telecommunications or broadband service to one or more subscribers."
Like many of these bills, if you then look closer at the bill's definition of "unserved," you'll find it includes very expensive and capped satellite and wireless broadband, making it incredibly hard to gain approval:
"Unserved area” means one or more contiguous census blocks within the legal boundaries of a municipality seeking to provide the unserved area with video, telecommunications or broadband service, where at least nine out of 10 households lack access to facilities-based, terrestrial broadband service, either fixed or mobile, or satellite broadband service, at the minimum broadband transmission speed as defined by the FCC."
Facing an immensely uncompetitive duopoly between AT&T and former Washington Post run CableOne, the city of Chanute, Kansas has been looking to build a citywide fiber network capable of offering 1 Gbps speeds at around $40 per month. After defeating AT&T's attempt to pass new regulations hamstringing the project, Chanute now finds themselves face to face with a 1947 ma-bell era law that requires companies get permission from the Kansas Corporation Commission to sell bonds to fund such telecom projects. With the KCC likely to approve the request, AT&T lawyers have jumped in to intervene, according to the Wichita Eagle:
"Any decision made by the KCC could impact AT&T’s business operations in the area, which is why we asked to intervene in the proceeding," the company said in a written response to questions from The Eagle. “AT&T remains interested in both broadband issues and the work of the KCC."
As I've noted previously, AT&T's also in the process of going state by state paying asking state lawmakers to gut any and all remaining consumer protections (like laws requiring they continue offering 911 to the elderly) so it can back away from aging DSL markets it doesn't want to upgrade. In Kansas specifically, AT&T has promised locals they'll be awash in all manner of miracle broadband improvements, if only they eliminate the Kansas Corporation Commission’s consumer protection regulations and minimum quality-of-service standards. Well, at least the ones that apply to AT&T.
Again, just so we're clear, this is the same company that insists that absolutely any regulatory effort to protect consumers from duopoly power is the very worst sort of government over-reach, but has absolutely no qualms about using government over-reach and regulation to make sure broadband prices remain high and service quality continues to suck.
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Fri, 28 Mar 2014 18:39:00 PDT Kansas Legislative Committee Pushes Bill That Would Make It A Felony To File False Complaints Against A Police Officer Tim Cushing How can you tell if an introduced bill is a bad piece of legislation? Well, there are several indicators to look for -- overly broad language, written as a reaction to a recent tragedy -- but when a bill is referred to as the "retaliation bill" by a large majority of the press, the problems are right there on the surface. (h/t to Techdirt reader Rekrul)
The Kansas legislature's Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice recently introduced a bill with some very chilling implications for citizens.
This bill, currently stalled, would make it a felony to file a false complaint against a police officer, something that used to be handled via civil litigation. And there would be no option for filing anonymous complaints, which would further discourage the reporting of alleged police misconduct.
In addition, officers would be allowed to view the complaint and any related evidence before making a statement, giving accused officers a chance to craft narratives before issuing statements that might be contradicted by the evidence submitted. The complaint's lack of anonymity would give accused officers the name, address, phone number, etc. of their accuser, something that could easily lead to harassment. (Of course, law enforcement agencies could strip this information before presenting it to the accused officer [the bill contains no stipulation to do so], but how many here believe that would actually happen -- or that the information couldn't be accessed otherwise?)
Also problematic is the fact that the bill stipulates that "no other law enforcement agency" can open an investigation on a complaint if another agency has performed an investigation and found no evidence of wrongdoing. This would keep all investigations "in-house," which greatly contributes to the likelihood that complaints will be found false (and subsequently, result in felony charges against the filer). This would prevent agencies like the FBI and DOJ from investigating closed complaints to see if anything was missed or covered up. This stipulation would further insulate police from accountability.
The bill is so bad even the attorney for the local police union (the entity that usually works hard to restore bad cops to their former positions) found the wording somewhat problematic.
He also added that it was a bad idea to limit complaint investigations to one department, noting that previous investigations by outside agencies had led to the rooting out of bad cops who otherwise would have gone unpunished.
As it stands now, the bill is effectively dead. The coverage of the bill has been universally negative, and after its nearly one-sided showing during its floor appearance, no further discussions on the bill have been scheduled. The question remains as to why such a bill, loaded with negative side effects for the public, was ever introduced, as well as who exactly is behind it. The committee page lists several names, but the bill's sponsor is the committee itself, rather than a certain legislator. Safety in numbers applies to bad legislation, it seems. The bill seeks to out anonymous complainants, but has been shepherded into the public forum by no one in particular.
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Thu, 13 Feb 2014 20:16:00 PST Man Bravely Saves His Xbox From Burning House Timothy Geigner Look, for all you critics out there, I admit it: I love video games. They're my primary source of entertainment, since I long ago discarded regular television viewing, most music, and most movies. My entertainment quota is filled by literature and video games. But even my love for video games pales in comparison to this smitten hero from Kansas, who bravely walked out of his burning home with his most prized possession in tow: his Xbox.
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Mon, 8 Oct 2012 08:51:07 PDT Time Warner Cable Suddenly Forced To Compete In Kansas City; Complains Google Has 'Unfair Advantage' Tim Cushing complaining that the incentives provided to Google are "unfair."
In order to create the infrastructure for the cable and gigabit internet service, Google was given everything from free fiber, government employees, buildings, and discounted services; an agreement that a Time Warner Cable spokesman feels puts them "at a competitive advantage compared with not just us but also the other competitors in the field."
Time Warner's spokesman seems to misunderstand what the word "incentive" means. When cities attempt to lure businesses they want, they offer concessions, grants, tax breaks, etc. It's assumed that the incumbent businesses have grabbed substantial marketshare and, therefore, don't need to be given incentives to do anything more than stay. If Time Warner is upset that its new competition was given this in exchange for selecting Kansas City, it can't blame anyone else for its failure to offer better services. It certainly was in the position to do so, but it never occurred to the incumbent(s) to make any great leaps in service and speed until it was "unfairly" forced to do so.
This complaining about being forced to offer a competitive service is nauseating enough. But this sentence tops it:
He continued by stating, "We're happy to compete with Google, but we'd just like an even playing field."
No, TWC. That is absolutely the last thing you want. TWC has never been interested in "level playing fields" or "competition." In fact, it loathes competition (and innovation) so much that it's currently the target of an anti-trust investigation for its attempts to neutralize Netflix and Hulu by obtaining programming at lower prices than online providers are charged (among other things).
Hell, TWC has a long and storied history of doing whatever possible to block a level playing field even to the point of writing legislation to keep out competitors.
Time Warner is only interested in a "level playing field" if it means that everyone else has to come down to its level, rather than improving or innovating. In fact, TWC is so worried about Google's offerings actually leveling the playing field and providing real competition that it's offering rewards to city employees for information on Google's fiber rollout.
Time Warner has set up a phone hotline and an email address that will award three gift cards a week for employees that "[share] tips, rumors, and rumblings about Google Construction or launch activity..."
Still, TWC wants its undeserved place on the "gravy train," and has reached a "parity agreement" with Kansas City, MO.
In exchange for the incentives, the cities are requesting that the companies improve their community services to be on par with Google's efforts, which have resulted in free internet connections in hundreds of locations chosen by the government... The WSJ cites an unnamed source that claims Time Warner Cable has improved its service's speed and performance in the area in return for discounts that mirror Google's, as well as a partial refund of city fees that the company paid earlier this year.
"Improved speed and performance," eh? One wonders (loudly and angrily) what the hell was keeping TWC from improving speed and performance over the last several years? Perhaps it was the lack of a serious competitor and one of those famous "level" playing fields that tilts at a 45-degree tilt toward the incumbent provider. As it stands now, Google's fastest offering (up to 1 Gbps) is 950 Mbps faster than TWC's fastest offering.
Google's entrance into the broadband market should be a wake-up call for providers all over the US. Once this service is available, they'll no longer be able to get away with minimal, incremental improvements and never ending price increases. As soon as consumers have a chance to switch, they will, especially when the old school clings to things like binding arbitration agreements (a bad company's best friend) and metered broadband, rather than meeting customer expectations or improving infrastructure.
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Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:22:31 PDT Wilt Chamberlain's Family Tries To Block Film About His College Years, Claiming 'Publicity Rights' Mike Masnick threatening the filmmaker if he goes ahead, claiming such things as publicity rights over Chamberlain's image (thanks to Nancy for sending this over).
“Please be advised that on December 21, 2001, the court approved that the Chamberlain Family are entitled to ‘all of the rights, titles and interests into the intellectual property and rights of publicity associated with the international sports celebrity in the name and likeness of Wilton Norman Chamberlain.’
“Kevin, therefore, I request on behalf of my family, and as outlined in our above-mentioned letters, that you do not violate these rights by pursuing the name and likeness of Wilt since you do not have permission from our family.”
We've discussed many times just how frequently publicity rights are being abused to stop basic speech, and this appears like another such case. While publicity rights depend on the specifics of state laws, it is generally not considered a violation in any way to make a film about a public figure. That's why something like The Social Network was allowed, despite Mark Zuckerberg's obviously distaste for a movie highlighting the various legal claims against him and Facebook.
Publicity rights are supposed to be about preventing someone's image from being used to endorse a product -- such as putting their image on a cereal box. According to this document (pdf), Kansas doesn't have a publicity rights law (or didn't back in 2010). So, perhaps they're claiming that some other state's laws might apply. The family appears to live in Las Vegas, and Nevada does have a publicity rights law, which extends 50 years after death -- so perhaps that's what they're relying on. Many other states don't recognize such rights after death.
Either way, this seems silly and not at all a publicity rights issue. No one is going to assume that this movie is necessarily endorsed by Chamberlain or his family, just as they don't naturally assume any sort of biopic was obviously endorsed by those the film is about (or their families). Instead, this just seems like a clear case of someone trying to use the law to censor a filmmaker. Shameful.
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Thu, 3 May 2012 06:08:00 PDT Google's Fiber Makes MPAA Skittish. Why Does Hollywood See All Technology In Terms Of Piracy? Leigh Beadon One of the points we're always trying to make about piracy is that it has less to do with people just wanting everything for free and more to do with people rushing to embrace the possibilities of new technology. The industry has been slow to offer products that take advantage of these possibilities, and when they do they usually cripple them and charge too much for them, because they refuse to acknowledge the impact of better distribution systems on the market. Instead of recognizing that technological capabilities dictate how they should distribute their content, they think they get to dictate how far people should utilize technology. So piracy moves in to fill the gap, offering people the sort of comprehensive, on-demand service which they know is possible but which can't be bought at any price.
An anonymous reader points us to a perfect example of the technophobic attitude that has become so ingrained in Hollywood. It starts with a story in Bloomberg Businessweek about Google's pilot project in Kansas City, where they are laying fiber to bring super-high-speed internet to the community. With 922 Mbps download speeds already available in nearly a thousand homes, the topic of piracy was inevitably raised:
[Google spokeswoman Jenna] Wandres stresses that Google Fiber isn’t meant to empower pirates: “We hope higher speeds will actually make it easier to deliver and download more authorized content,” she says. Nonetheless, Howard Gantman, spokesman for the Motion Picture Association of America, notes that piracy is always a concern of the entertainment industry. Google Fiber “could be a great opportunity for consumers whose access to creative content is often hampered by slow speeds,” he says. But in South Korea, “the home entertainment marketplace was decimated by digital piracy” enabled by the widespread availability of high-speed Internet.
For one thing, the statement about South Korea is incredibly flimsy. The Korean music industry thrives on high-speed internet—it grew into an economic powerhouse while the country had some of the highest and earliest broadband penetration rates (and digital piracy rates) in the world. Smart Korean entrepreneurs have figured out how to succeed in the new market. Moreover, claiming that "home entertainment" as a whole was damaged by broadband is just hubris from an industry that thinks only its own products count as "entertainment".
It seems like every Hollywood statement about new technology follows the same format. "This new thing is great, but... piracy!" The problem is that they refuse to act on the first part until someone gives them a bulletproof solution to the second part—and since such a solution does not and never will exist, they ruin every attempt at a new service with ineffective restrictions and DRM schemes. Ars Technica picked up the story and spoke further to the MPAA spokesman, getting yet another "great, but..." response:
Someone should tell Gantman that it's not "the bottom line" if you go on to add caveats and addendums. It's also interesting that he thinks blazing fast internet only "could be" good for consumers—maybe because he knows Hollywood "could" (but won't) offer them a service that fully leverages the technology. Really what's amazing about this is that the MPAA thinks anyone cares about its opinion of fiber broadband, as if the public is going to stop and think, "Gee, I guess I'll just have to wait for faster internet access while Hollywood develops better piracy controls".
The fact that the MPAA can't get through a single statement about something as clearly positive as faster internet without bringing up reservations about piracy doesn't bode well for Hollywood's future. The studios should be getting ahead of the new technology, and making sure that everyone who gets hooked up to a new fiber network is immediately greeted with a well-made, well-priced movie service that gives them a chance to test out their speedy new connection. Instead they're probably going to watch the technology develop with caution, wait for pirates to beat them to the punch, then arrive in the market with an inferior product and complaints about how they "can't compete".
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Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:52:00 PST Kansas Governor Apologizes After Staff Gets High School Student In Trouble For Tweet About The Governor Mike Masnick had to write an apology letter to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback for a "disparaging" tweet she sent out while on a field trip to the state capitol. Apparently, while Brownback was talking to the group of students, she sent out from her mobile phone:
She didn't actually make any comments to the Governor, and says it was just a part of a running joke she had with some friends. However, someone on Brownback's staff found the tweet and alerted school officials, who called her into the principal's office and told her that she should write an apology letter to the Governor -- due today. Sullivan thought about it and decided that she wouldn't do it, because she didn't think she should:
"I don't think I should write the letter, and I don't think it would be the best move for me," Emma Sullivan, 18, said late Sunday night. "At this time, I do not think an apology would be a sincere thing for me to do."
In response, it appears the whole story shifted in the other direction, and the one apologizing is Governor Brownback, who has said, "My staff overreacted to this tweet, and for that I apologize." Everyone involved now seems to be playing off the whole misadventure as "a lesson in social media and free speech." The school district also said that it would not send an apology of its own, and that "The issue has resulted in many teachable moments concerning the use of social media. The district does not intend to take any further action on this matter."
In the end, it seems like everyone's right that this is something of a "teachable moment," but it's still pretty crazy that it reached that level in the first place.
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Tue, 2 Mar 2010 08:44:00 PST Topeka (Sorta) Changes Its Name To Google, In Blatant Suck Up For Fiber Mike Masnick announcement that it plans to roll out super fast fiber to the home services in a few small locations, there are plenty of cities and towns hoping to be among the lucky few. But who knew it was a contest? Apparently the folks in Topeka, Kansas think that sucking up to the big G is the path to fiber optic nirvana. They've proclaimed that, for the month of March, Topeka shall be referred to as Google, Kansas. It's not a legal name change -- which (not surprisingly) would be a lot more complex, and likely wouldn't pass -- but just a proclamation that the city should be called Google for the month.
Of course, cities renaming themselves after tech companies isn't all that new. Over a decade ago, some town in Oregon renamed itself in a PR stunt by the startup (which was later bought by eBay). And, a few years ago, a small town in Texas renamed itself Dish, Texas after EchoStar's Dish Network, in exchange for every house in the town getting a free DVR and free satellite TV for 10 years. But this is the first time I've heard of a city pre-emptively (sorta) renaming itself to curry favor with a company.
But, if it works... I'm more than willing to rename my house Chez Google, if it means 1 gigabit per second fiber. Hell, I'm pretty sure I could convince all of the neighbors on my street to rename our street Google Ave. Just let us know...
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0.597181 | <urn:uuid:a706f74b-691c-4ff2-9fa1-7bc457611e9b> | en | 0.943001 | Sign up ×
I have an intel i5 chip. Yesterday I visited and selected the 64-bit download option from the menu. The file which downloaded has the suffix '-amd64'. Is this going to work on my intel chip?
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2 Answers 2
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Yep. Sure will. I have to spend thirty characters saying "yes" here. So, "yes". :)
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Thanks Jim. Any hints as to why it says 'amd' when it is for both amd and intel? – Kim Prince Nov 18 '12 at 21:54
Because amd originally hit the market with 64-bit processors which could run either 32-bit (i686) or 64-bit code; Intel was busily pushing Itanium, which was a completely separate platform and failed miserably. After Itanium finished cratering, Intel responded to the market that was hungrily gobbling up amd64 chips by building their own. The other way you'll see this platform referred to is "x86_64", but in most places in the linux world it's still just "amd64" both because amd got there first and because it's easier to type. :) – Jim Salter Nov 18 '12 at 22:04
and the 32-bit version will say i386 and you don't have a 386 either. – mfisch Nov 19 '12 at 0:54
32/64 refers to addresses. 32 bits can only address ~4GB of memory. 64 bits can address a lot more.
Regardless of what OS you install, your CPU remains both 32-bit and 64-bit capable. If you install a 32-bit OS, you are limited to 4GB total memory, any more will be ignored, because the OS cannot address the memory.
If you install 64-bit OS, each process remains limited to 4GB, but the OS can handle as many as your installed memory will allow.
So don't worry, you have installed the correct OS bit.
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thanks linuxandunix, I understand all that. It just seems odd to me that the file says 'amd' when I have an intel chip. – Kim Prince Nov 18 '12 at 21:54
Your Answer
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0.028566 | <urn:uuid:abe5ff62-a507-4b2d-ac1d-ea3c3f524b26> | en | 0.960327 | Category Archives: Estate Tax
Lifetime Gifts
Portability: Worth Filing an Estate Tax Return?
Dear Liza: It is my understanding that in order to preserve the “portability exemption” a surviving spouse must file an estate tax return (706), which would not be required otherwise. It seems that 706 involves quite a bit of work and additional expenses. Do you think it’s worth the effort? Surviving spouses of those who died in 2011 and 2012 have that decision to make. The problem is, there’s not an easy answer. For those who don’t know what the question is, here’s a quick summary: Current estate tax law allows a surviving spouse to use any part of the $5 million exclusion from the estate tax that was available to their deceased spouse but not used by that spouse. For example, if your spouse died in 2011, and their part of the estate was $1 million, you could use that extra $4 million dollars of unused exclusion to further reduce any estate tax due at your death. Your spouse’s exclusion would be portable to you. Except. There’s always an except. And this time there are couple of them, and they’re all pretty big:
• In order to make use of that exclusion, you do have to file an estate tax return nine months after your spouse has died.
• Estate tax returns require a detailed accounting of all of your spouse’s assets, which costs money and takes time to prepare.
• Once filed, the IRS can examine, without any limitation period, a deceased spouse’s estate tax return to adjust the amount of the deceased spouse’s unused exclusion amount passing to the surviving spouse.
• There’s no guarantee that the additional, portable, exclusion will actually be available to you when you die, unless you die in 2012, because the current law expires in 2013.
In the end, you have to decide whether the time and cost involved are worth the potential tax savings down the road. For some people it is; for many, it isn’t.
Do I Have To Report A Gift to the IRS?
Dear Liza, My Dad recently gave me a gift of $13,000. Do I have to report this on my income tax return next year? Nope. Gifts are not considered ordinary income under the US tax code. So, you don’t have to report the gift. If there’s any tax to be paid, it is paid by the gift-giver (in tax-speak, the ‘donor’), not by the recipient (in tax-speak, the ‘donee’). However, your very nice Dad just gave you the maximum amount that he can give to any one individual each year without having to report the gift (in tax speak, this is an ‘annual exclusion gift’), so you are both completely within the law, and the transaction is entirely tax-free. Nicely done!
Should I Put My Son’s Name on Title?
Dear Liza,, Within a month I’m going to have a closing on a duplex house in NJ. If I want my son to live there and manage it for us (since he lives in NJ) should I put his name in the title also? If somebody sues him for any reason can they go after the house if his name is included in the title? Is there any legal differences whether his name is included in the title or not? Short answer: YES! If you put your son’s name on title to the duplex, you are making a taxable gift to him equal to the value of percentage of the property you put in his name. You and your wife can each give him $13,000 free of gift tax ($26,000) total per year. But if the property is worth more than that, which it probably is, you’ll have to file a gift tax return by April 15th of the year following the gift, reporting the value. Currently, you and your wife can each make gifts of up to $5 million, so you’re most likely not going to owe any gift tax on this transaction, but by reporting it, you’ll be using up a part of that lifetime gift tax exclusion. And yes, certainly, if his name is on title, creditors can go after his percentage ownership of that property. Finally, if you put him on title now, his basis in that property (for the share that he would own) will be the original cost of the property; if, instead, he inherits it upon your death, his tax basis in that property will be stepped up to it’s then current market value (which means no capital gains tax if he sells it at that time).
Giving money to grandkids
Dear Liza: My Dad wants to start giving money to my children each year. Should I to hire a lawyer to draft a trust for this money? That’s so nice of your Dad. And smart, too. He can give $13,000 each year to each of your children (twice that if he’s married and his wife wants to make such gifts), free of any gift tax. Over time, this can really add up. Lucky you. So, here are your Dad’s choices: if he wants to keep it really simple, your Dad can give the money to your kids and you can set up a custodial acccount at a local bank or brokerage company. This is sort of like a generic, off-the-rack trust, established by state law, with standard terms. In many states, a custodial account lasts until a child reaches the age of 21. Before then, the custodian (probably you) can use the money for the minor (school tuition, summer camp, computers). At 21, the money is the child’s money and they can use it for whatever they would like to use it for (trip to Paris; race car business; college). If your Dad wants to limit the use of this money to just college, he can make these gifts to 529 Plan accounts in your children’s names. This money grows tax-free; and can be withdrawn tax-free, provided it’s used for an approved educational expense (like college). If your Dad would like the money to remain in trust past the age of 21, or would like to restrict its use to only certain things: only to buy a house after the age of 30; only for travel to exotic destinations; to stay in trust until a child is 35, that’s when an attorney should get involved. A custom-drafted trust can have restrictive terms and last for as long as the person who establishes the trust wants it to last.
Transfer on death accounts and debts
Dear Liza, I am a single male in my sixties. I do not own any real estate property and almost all of my financial accounts are TOD accounts. I intend to leave my estate to my three adult children. I have a small stock portfolio and some personal property that I will list in my will. Would any estate taxes and outstanding debts be paid from the TOD financial accounts I have before the accounts are released to my beneficiaries or would only the stocks and personal property be liquidated to pay the amounts owed? What would happen if there is not enough in my residual estate to cover any outstanding debts? First off, a Transfer on Death (TOD) account is a bank or brokerage account that has a designated beneficiary, who receives the account upon the death of the account owner, without the need for a probate. It’s a great vehicle for passing assets to adult children, especially when, as in your case, you own no real property. (In most states, there’s no way to make real property pass this way, with a transfer on death deed, which is why living trusts are used to avoid probate.) As for debts, if they are unsecured debts (like credit card debts), your heirs are not responsible for paying them. However, the creditors can go after the assets that your heirs inherited from you to pay these debts–it’s just that it usually isn’t worth it to them to do so. Estate taxes are different–those accounts are part of your taxable estate (you owned them at death) and the heirs would be responsible for paying tax due on these. However, at the moment, you can pass up to $5 million dollars, free of the estate tax, and it doesn’t sound like you (like most people) don’t have that kind of an estate. Here’s a good resource to learn more about this.
Surgery and Procrastination
So, I have a weird job in that I, literally, talk to people about getting their estate plans up to date many times a week. And I’ve done this for TEN YEARS. Over and over, people tell me that they’ve been procrastinating and feel badly that they haven’t gotten things taken care of. And I listen. In fact, my first question is almost always what prompted my clients to finally make the appointment and get the job done. It’s almost always one of these four things:
• An upcoming trip.
• A scary diagnosis or test.
• The birth of a child.
Let’s face it, these are the things that get our attention in a deep way. They make mortality real and make us want to do what we can to get things in order. Until something like this grabs us, there are always 200 other ‘important’ things to capture our time and energy.
And here’s my confession: despite my professional focus on estate planning, my family’s estate plan has been out of date for at least four years! Really. Our guardian got divorced; her kids grew up to not get along with mine; our financial situation changed drastically. Every single thing about the plan wouldn’t work.
Believe me, I get it if you can’t focus on estate planning right this second. But, please, next time life reaches out and grabs your attention, jump on it. You’ll feel better, I can almost promise.
Joint Accounts and the Estate Tax
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0.030159 | <urn:uuid:f121432e-ad97-449c-b79d-dfbf2ee05717> | en | 0.973211 | "With residents reporting near daily sightings, you'd think we were under attack," one man stated.
Truth is, the myth of the black panther in Louisiana - and throughout the United States - has a long phantom existence, according to physiologists and biologists.
Maria Davidson, the large carnivore program manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, calmly explained that the only black panthers in existence are black jaguars found in South America and black leopards that live in Asia and Africa.
The North American black panther generally falls under the term "cryptid," a creature whose existence has been suggested but is not recognized by the scientific community and has been deemed highly unlikely. Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster fall under that category.
They also have been called "phantom cats," "alien big cats" (ABCs), and in certain circles, the sightings have been dubbed "panther paranoia."
And while some people, including local law enforcement officials, discuss the possibility of a black cougar in our midst, Davidson assuredly said black cougars do not exist at all. They come only in tawny and fawn colors, ranging from light gray-brown to a brownish orange.
In fact, she said, Louisiana does not have a breeding population of cougars - in any color - and that the last cougar found in the state was in 2009 and that animal was genetically linked to a population in New Mexico.
Last month, two panther sightings were reported, one in St. Tammany Parish and one in Plaquemines Parish. A few days earlier, a man in St. Bernard Parish said he and his wife saw one sitting a block from their garage, staring at them calmly, before darting into nearby woods.
So, if you're ever in Louisiana for some good ole' deep southern cuisine, be sure to have your camera handy in case you happen to have any unexpected visitors show up. | http://crypticfever.yolasite.com/encounters-and-sightings/black-panther-in-louisiana- | dclm-gs1-183770001 | false | false | {
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0.073502 | <urn:uuid:83c3f9d5-41f2-4dbe-b74d-2a3b618fac0e> | en | 0.703568 | ALFRED: ArchivaL Federal Reserve Economic Data
ALFRED® allows you to retrieve vintage versions of economic data that were available on specific dates in history. In general, economic data for past observation periods are revised as more accurate estimates become available. As a result, previous vintages of data can be superseded and may no longer be available from various data sources. Vintage or real time economic data allows academics to reproduce others' research, build more accurate forecasting models, and analyze economic policy decisions using the data available at the time.
Openness: OPEN (?)
See comments for package:econ-fred
Data og ressurser
Dette datasettet har ingen data, hvorfor ikke legge til noen?
Felt Verdi
Forfatter St Louis Federal Reserve | http://datahub.io/no/dataset/econ-alfred | dclm-gs1-183790001 | false | false | {
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0.069351 | <urn:uuid:9050fe49-7da9-4996-bbb6-8925bfec88a9> | en | 0.94166 | Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Πας μη Έλλην Βάρβαρος*
*'Pas mi Ellin varvaros' = 'Every non-Greek is a barbarian'. This is to be understood as uncivilised, inarticulate and unreasoning. Charmed, I'm sure.
I mentioned earlier the Greek love of bigging up the Greek language at the expense of other tongues. This is the sort of thing you get used to reading and hearing if you live in Greece for any length of time:
‘Greek is the basis of ALL the world’s languages.’ You mean like Chinese, Japanese, Lardil, Kivunjo…?
‘It is the oldest language in the world.’ Sorry, no. You can only say when a language is first attested in written form, and this is not the same as saying it's the oldest. Sumerian and Egyptian developed writing systems first, both appearing about 3200 BC and predating written Greek by some fifteen hundred years. Looking for the 'oldest language' is a waste of time anyway. This is linguist Larry Trask in an interview in The Guardian, June 26th, 2003: "There are no dividing lines. The speakers in every generation can understand their own parents and their own children without difficulty. In fact, the speakers in every generation could understand the speech of quite a few generations back, and quite a few generations forward, if they could hear it. You are separated from Chaucer's Middle English, and from King Alfred's Old English, by a series of generations all of whom could understand earlier and later speech. Once the time gap becomes suitably large, of course, comprehension becomes increasingly difficult, and it eventually declines to just about zero. But there are no breaks, no discontinuities. Those boundaries, like the 1500 dividing line between Middle English and Early Modern English, are arbitrary. There was never a moment when people stopped talking Middle English."
‘It is the most complicated language in the world.’ Why don't you have a shot at learning Inuktitut, and get back to me? Bear in mind that even if you find Inuktitut grammar fiendishly complicated, any two year old Inuit finds it easy as breathing. Complication is in the eye of the outsider.
‘The Greek alphabet, recited, is an encrypted prayer to the sun.’ Yeah, yeah.
‘You can say things in Greek that cannot be said in English.’ That is only because you don’t know enough English.
‘Learning Ancient Greek will make you a better, more generous and humane person.’ This is the view of one Panagiotis Zachariou (of whom it was once said 'who?') an irrepressible proponent of the superiority of Greek over other languages in the pages of Greek ELT News. Reflection on the content of what you read in any language has the potential to improve the mind and sweeten the soul, but the language in itself could never do that. You can be a classicist and a cunt, and you can be unlettered and have a heart of gold.
A few years ago at dinner in Plaka I was arguing with member of the company I’ll call Kostas about daft folk etymologies, which abound in Greece. He had just given me in all seriousness a megillah about the derivation of the noun θάλασσα (thalassa), Modern Greek for ‘sea’. It went as follows:
1. The sea is forever changing
2. The sea is salty
3. Salt changes (the flavour of) things
4. Salt is αλάτι (alati) or άλας (alas) in Katharevousa
5. 'To change' is αλλάζω (allazo)
6. The future iterative form ‘I shall change’ is ‘θα αλλάζω’ (tha allazo)
7. This sounds a bit like θάλασσα (thalassa) if you stretch and pull the pronunciation a tad.
8. So there.
I thought this was bollocks and said so. (Retsina can make you very outspoken) For one thing, the ancients in Athens didn’t say ‘θάλασσα’ but ‘θάλαττα’ (thalatta) and the modal particle θα, (tha) translated above as ‘shall’, is not found in Greek until the Middle Ages. It’s a telescoping of θέλω να (thelo na) = ‘I want to’, a pattern seen also in neighbouring Albanian where ‘do të’ also means ‘I want to’ and is used in same way as the Greek θα. Moreover, words are not coined by committees, musing over this and that pretty conceit before exclaiming ‘OK, done! Let’s call it that, then!’ Imagine it, a group of sages sitting in an olive grove, gravely debating and weighing the possible labels for all things:
‘What term, άραγε, were most meet for the liquid element, that big blue sloshy affair that starts where the sand ends?’
‘If a man dip his finger therein, shall his finger not as a consequence taste of salt?’
‘It is undoubtedly so’
‘May we not say, therefore, that it is the virtue of this liquid to bring about a marked change in the taste of whatsoever be dipped therein?’
‘Most assuredly’
‘And is it not the nature of this liquid to rise and to fall, and ever of itself to be changing, even as it changes that which might be dipped in it? Were not then ‘thalassa’ the only correct term?
‘It is most marvellous! That’s that one thrashed out. OK, then, moving on. What about those white fluffy-looking things floating in the other blue thing we decided we’d call ‘ouranos’ the other week?’
They’d be at it yet, most things still unnamed.
This mockery did not please Kostas, as no foreigner who is not, as he put it, ‘steeped in the language’ gets to voice a contrary opinion without provoking a sulk. I was not wholly sure about the non-appearance of θα before the Middle Ages – but Kostas couldn’t prove me wrong and was pissed off that my reaction to his explanation was one of scorn rather than dumbstruck admiration.
Another one is the debate over the origin of ‘OK’, which many Greeks are certain derives from ΄Ολα Καλά (Ola Kala) meaning ‘all’s well’. There are dozens of theories about this and I couldn’t care less which is true. I would just like the supporters of a Greek derivation to explain how it could come about that people in early 19th century Boston began to use the initial letters of a Greek phrase to mean everything was under control. They never do. You don’t need to explain what you know in your blood, you see.
Anonymous said...
The title of this piece is quite interesting in these troubled times in Greece. To say that anyone who is not Greek is "barbarian" takes on a completely new outlook in view of the rioting taking place in the country right now! Who are the " barbarians" exactly ?????
Bo said...
How I laughed!
I know I sound like a philologist here (as I am), but *futures are very worrying*. I often wonder what the inserted sigma and, outside the active, inserted 'thes' are in ancient Gk. (luo, I release; luso, I shall release). No idea what the correct answer is. But in Latin, the -bo, -bis, -bit endings of the future in conjugations 1 and 2 look suspiciously like some modal form of the ancestral verb 'to be' tacked onto the present stem.
And in Breton, they use the inherited present subjunctive as a future.
Have you ever read my thing on 'My departure from TDN'? My own struggles with this sort of demented folk-etymology.
Word verification: oudefele (Turkish) - the tassel on a fez.
vilges suola said...
Bo, yes, I read your thing on leaving TDN quite a while ago. Would not be surprised to find that that Nimue woman was an Australian Greek (Hush my mouth) That whole thing of 'I'm right, and they are all against me because they feel threatened by my insights' is soooo familiar.
Mac, heard BBC correspondent today say 'street demonstrating is almost a right of passage for young Greeks'. Quite so, but this is something else. Any problems in Kalamata?
Sarah McKellen of McKellen-Messiniaki Properties said...
We are very civilized in Kalamata. The youth came out to demonstrate very quietly. The only damage I have seen is some red paint splashed on the front of the police station on the N. Eisodos!
I live with a Greek who still trys, after 15 years of living together, to get me to believe that everything came from the Greek language and Ancient Greek civilization - yeah yeah
Anonymous said...
Interesting read. The term "barbarian," by the way, originally stems from the sound "bar-bar" that reached Greek ears when foreigners spoke, "blah, blah" per se; Which justifies purist Greeks who label non-speakers of Greek as "barbarians". The term came to mean one who is uncivilized and violent much later than its original coinage.Having resided in Greece for more than twenty years and grown fluent in this wonderful tongue, I now realise that I too was a barbarian once. There are notions that cannot be touched in any other western language, that are easily accessible to anyone who delves in Hellenomathea. It took me years to grasp the full meaning of the word "anerastos" for instance. What is a household word in Greek, explaining sexually frustrated behaviour among the loveless and sexless, it took volumes for Freud to elaborate on and explain to us westerners.
There is still so much to learn, however,about our Greek roots, and this can only be done if one becomes a conscious speaker of Greek. I will end my verbose comment with a quote by Henry James Main: "Except for the blind forces of nature, there is nothing that moves in this world (the West) that is not Greek in its origin."
A fellow semi-barbarian
Vilges Suola said...
Hi, glad you found it interesting. However, your statement that 'there are notions that cannot be touched in any other western language, that are easily accessible to anyone who delves in Hellenomathea' is one I cannot possibly agree with. If a language has a single term that another has not got, it's quite a stretch to claim that the concept is unavailable to speakers of the second language. Sexually frustrated behaviour among the loveless is surely a human universal, and something any sensitive person is able to diagnose and discuss, even if their language doesn't have a single word for it. Word counts are irrelevant - it's what you do with the words you've got that matters.
Anonymous said...
Hi, I chanced upon this blog as I was searching the web under “Panagiotis Zachariou,” having met him and attended one of his philosophical lectures in Chania, where I also purchased his bilingual book entitled ΑΡΜΟΣΚΟΠΩΝΤΑΣ (Harmoscopesis). Although your phlegm "(of whom it was once said 'who?')" could be justified on your being annoyed by whatever it was that he published in ELT News, I can assure you he is well known locally and even hailed by Athens University Professor of philosophy Constantine Voudouris as an original thinker of our times. I am still reading the book (a compilation of philosophy, poetry and his own artwork) and I must admit that he makes some valid, yet unsettling, points when he contrasts Hellenism to the Western world in his article “The Life Course of Greek Civilization and the Premature Aging of the West”. Reading this page I can understand that many Greeks make themselves vulnerable to being stereotyped as hoarders of language and history the world over as many of them are overly pompous have-beens, but speaking to a person like Zachariou, enervating as it is when he discloses truths many of us shy from, I sense that there is continuity of a cultural-linguistic legacy amongst Greek intelligentsia all but absent in the West. I believe Henry Miller discerned this in his book “The Colossus of Marousi”
Vilges Suola said...
Hi Rob, many thanks for your comments.
I have not read any of P.Z.'s stuff since 2001, so it may be he has sharpened up his arguments since then. Certainly they couldn't have got sloppier, or his treatment of dissenters more dismissive and arrogant. It is not surprising that he is well-known locally and hailed by Athens University, really, is it? Local celebrity isn't difficult to achieve if you say all the right stuff.
'Cultural linguistic legacy' is what academics DO, doesn't matter if they are Greeks, Celticists, students of the various stages of English or Romance philologists. There is absolutely no absence of this in the West - why do you say otherwise?
I read 'The Colossus of Marousi' about 20 years ago. I remember Miller quoted Katsimbalis as saying 'you don't know how to make verbs in English!' Miller seems to have fallen for this as if it were an insightful comment. Actually, it's a bloody stupid statement which owes more to chauvinism than it does to linguistics.
What are 'the truths many of us shy from'? I'm genuinely curious.
Best wishes
Anonymous said...
Hi again, Vilges (or is it Steve?),
I can see what you mean by P.Z’s treatment of dissenters being ‘arrogant’, for that is his general tone when dealing with polemics. He does come on as a conceited, offensive bloke until you get to know him. Maybe this is due to his Special Forces background and his obsession with extreme sports.It makes for a unique combination of a warrior gone egghead! However, judging from his articles published locally and various magazines throughout the country, (my Greek wife reads everything he writes) I can assure you that this aggressive tone is indiscriminately leveled at his contemporary Greeks as well as the West. In a nutshell, he likens the world west of Greece to a six year old, force-fed by its Roman tutor to adopt the behaviour of a middle aged man, thus robbing it of its adolescent and youth stages of self development.
He goes on to state that “just as one who has had the impulses of childhood and the self discovery of adolescent sexuality suppressed (hence the complete absence of a European equivalent to the Greek verb ερωτεύομαι ‘to fall in love’ as ‘Semi-barbarian’ attests) inevitably resorts to anomalous behaviour in later life, so has the West thrown itself into such gluttony to fill its primary void, that it is doomed to suffer the plight of Erysichthon” – a mythological king whose unchecked consumption led to his devouring himself, cursed by Demeter (mother Earth).
Although every human populace at some point broke off from barbarism and moved toward civilization, we cannot deny that Zachariou has a point when he stresses that civilization was “forced” on the west, whereas conditions enabled it to “brew” in Greece. He equates the Archaic Age to Greek childhood, the Classical Age to adolescence and youth, Hellenistic Times to middle age and Byzantine times to crippling old age (You can imagine the church does not like him, in keeping with Kazantzakis). He goes on to say that at present Greece is suffering from all the symptoms of senility, amnesia and the dementia accompanying a dying organism. (I must admit, that the declining birthrate in the country and the demoralization inflicted upon this once traditional society by the western mass media is killing off Hellenism in its birthplace.)
Through his metaphorical approach to history he goes on to state that the Romans (the first westerners to come in touch with the Greeks) were cultural-linguistically traversing early childhood when they met up with the Hellenistic Greeks. He therefore likens the Roman to “a child suddenly finding itself in a playground for fifty year-olds. The precocious little Latin tried to emulate the behaviour of the Greek he admired. However, devoid the maturity that can only come with the passing of time, the little Roman turned the theatre into a coliseum blood theatre, the philosophical symposium into a vomit-inducing banquet, the City State into an all-consuming empire, the involved free citizen into a regimented subject and Eros into Sex…” Don’t know about you Vilges, but all this does painfully ring of our world today, does it not?
As for language, it must also be admitted that Modern Greek, boasting over 90% of the same vocabulary used by Homer and Pericles, certainly has an advantage over all other European languages whose warp and woof is essentially Greek. Your Lathophobic Aphasia title, for instance, not to mention its derivatives is in everyday vogue amongst Greeks, whilst we employ such terms to sound sophisticated and quasi-scientific; and that only after consulting etymological dictionaries.This vindicates Zachariou when he says "The plasticity of the Greek language affords its user greater immediacy to meanings within its lexis than the westerner, who, when forced to grapple with high concepts,is forced to coin new words mostly through Greek and Latin roots."
In one of his articles entitled “The Terrorism of –ism” he also deals with “chauvinism” and other ism–suffixed totem and taboo words, loosely used by the media-trained masses to discredit truths in a politically correct fashion. I’ll post it to you if my wife Thaleia, gets it in electronic form.
Thanks for lending an ear to all this in your blogspot, for as I am very interested in anything Greek, I enjoy tackling the subject.
All the best
Vilges Suola said...
Hi Rob
I chose ‘lathophobic aphasia’ as a blog title because I’m a language teacher and I have always thought it a particularly ridiculous piece of pretentious jargon! It was coined in the seventies by Earl Stevick, who could just as easily have called it 'being silenced by the fear of error'. Everybody knew perfectly well what he was getting at. Now if I understand some out-of-the-way specialist jargon because I speak Greek, do I somehow understand it LESS than a Greek does because Greek is not my first language? Any Greek (or speaker of Greek) would decode ‘lathophobic aphasia’ with no problem, because, well, it’s a coinage based on Greek. So what PZ is saying when he writes ‘The plasticity of the Greek language affords its user greater immediacy to meanings within its lexis than the westerner’ boils down to ‘Greeks understand words coined from their own language, and non-Greek speakers don’t.’ Well, what a surprise!
Anonymous said...
Why Steve, I would have thought your being an English teacher you would have understood the whole sentence, including its relative clause: “…the westerner, who, when forced to grapple with high concepts, is forced to coin new words mostly through Greek and Latin roots." Or maybe you are just being selective… for your command of English is at least commendable. Isn’t it sad that our prematurely aged world, as Zachariou puts it, did not enjoy the privilege to self-ferment linguistically enough to render the Greek language obsolete in English? Who knows? We may have even coined “Peopleholdecy” instead of “Democracy” or “connexia” (oops! Latin root) instead of “Harmony”, etc. We may thus have bid good riddance to all these irritating pompous Greeks reminding us of our inadequacies. For that matter we could have produced beautiful statues of our own to adorn our museums with.
Seriously Steve - granted, our mongrel tongue is one of the world’s swiftest tools of communication and has invaded all corners of the globe, but any way you look at it, it is lacking in soul, for it does not warm the heart as other, more indigenous languages like Greek. In my opinion, the soul of these Greek and Latin words borrowed into English is available only to the speakers of these languages where their derivatives abound in daily life (although in the case of Latin to Italian it is more difficult).
Greeks are in love with their language in a way we can never be with ours. And they do not flaunt it exclusively to foreigners either. I have chanced upon interminable discussions amongst non-specialist Greeks over the historical roots of their words. Their very language is a laboratory of thought. The more Greek I learn during my twelve-year sojourn here, the more I realize how impoverished the west is. It is no wonder classicists the world over yearn for a Greek renaissance. The other day for instance, I was trying to translate the word βίωμα as in βιωματικός ποιητής (empirical poet), although the dictionary offers «experience», believe me it hardly suffices to fulfill its powerful meaning.
Let’s not complain, though. We westerners can boast greater materialistic production, greater economies, greater organizations and so on. Greece is devoid all that and plagued by so much more, but let’s give credit to where credit is due. When it comes to light, language and culture, it is at least one up on us.
Over to you with a question. What does the word "hybrid" mean to you? Try this without consulting a dictionary.
Χαιρετώ σε
Vilges Suola said...
Hi Rob,
I know what 'hybrid' means in modern English (a cross between two species) and that the word derives from Greek 'hubris' meaning overweening pride that shames its perpetrator. The Greek origin is utterly irrelevant to the contemporary English meaning (See 'Etymological fallacy' on wikipedia) Words are borrowed from language to language, and their meanings change, since words are just tokens for meaning. The meaning does not inhere in the 'original' word. (Who knows what the original meaning was anyway?) To seek a 'true meaning' or 'original meaning' is a waste of time.
'…the westerner, who, when forced to grapple with high concepts, is forced to coin new words mostly through Greek and Latin roots.' Is there not something unbearably patronising here? We poor sods 'grapple' with 'high concepts' - does this mean Greeks do not need to 'grapple'? Western writers in the Middle Ages and Renaissance used Greek and Latin as linguae francae, which explains the use of Greek and Latin roots. German has, nevertheless, been very good at avoiding Latin and Greekisms and it has not prevented Goethe et. al. from producing some pretty meaty stuff.
As for the stuff about English being a mongrel tongue that does not warm the heart, well, this is falling in with Zachariou's (and the Greeks') chief failing, total subjectivity. Personally I DO respond to English, powerfully, and to say that it is lacking in soul is, forgive me, utterly bizarre. How much English literature do you read? How many local varieties and dialects do you know of? Nothing impoverished here, quite the reverse!
People use and create language, it is not the other way around. Anyone who seriously sets out to study English (or French, or German, or Albanian, or Hindi, or Arabic...)soon realises the extent of the task before him if he is realistic. Languages are WITHOUT EXCEPTION quite extraordinarily complex assemblages of sound, pitch and meaning, with layer upon layer of nuance conveyed by vocabulary and intonation. Mastering ANY language is a lifetime's work.
Sorry for the lecture, and for the haphazzard presentation of these responses. I really do find Zachariou's ideas on language profoundly irritating, because he prefers thε self-congratulatory shit he spiels about Greek to serious and objective consideration of language as a phenomenon, which ought to compel his awe rather than his contempt.
Σε χαιρετώ
Anonymous said...
Χαίρε, Στεφανοφόρε, Στέφανε, Στεφανάκο, Στεφανάκι, Στεφανούλι που είσαι τόσο δα γλυκάκι και γλυκούλι, (Try to do that with a name or adjective in english!)
“To seek a 'true meaning' or 'original meaning' is a waste of time?” PLEASE TAKE THAT BACK!!!, or you run the risk of vindicating misalbionic Zachariou in referring to us Anglophones as the epitomes of the term “Barbarian.” And I can see why he would be right, since according to Greek thought “true meanings” are enshrined within the titan goddess Mnemosyne herself (Μνήμη = Memory, as in mnemonics), mother of the Muses (as in music, museum, to muse and to amuse) and therefore the cornerstone of civilization. The value placed on true meanings by the Greek intelligentsia is even attested by the Athenian philosopher Antisthenes, 450 BC, who held: “Αρχή σοφίας, ονομάτων επίσκεψις» - The principle of wisdom lies in the study of words. (It seems Zack is in good company here.)
By the way, “hybrid is an unnatural cross between two species” (English dictionaries skip the “unnatural” part). Its root being "hubris", the word implies that man commits sacrilege when he intervenes in the natural process of things and thus commits hubris - punishable by the gods! In other words, “Do not mess with Mother Nature”. As you know, hybrids (like mules) are generally sterile; they cannot reproduce. As more and more hybrids are displacing fertile plants and vegetables, the world will eventually be at the mercy of the large firms which monopolize hybridic seeds, for farmers will not be able to produce their own! Not to mention all the chemicals that go into the process… And if that is not enough punishment, then what is? So maybe it is not "a waste of time" to look for the etymon - truth in a word. Greek makes this truth more accessible, does it not?
“…does this mean Greeks do not need to 'grapple'?” you ask.
On the contrary, they grappled with meanings long before us and had the time to take it all in and produce such diction the world had never or will never outdo in clarity. As for German, granted it has a plasticity resembling Greek, and I highly respect it. Why even its syntax is similar, but take the Latin and the Greek root words and notions out of Goethe’s German and you might just as well be reading Tarzan. Did you know that 18th and 19th century Germans were so obsessed with Greek, in particular, that they ended up being the best lexicographers of the language?
Although Germanic in its roots, English, like Latin, somehow lost the ability to form compounds the way that Greek and German does. And you must admit that inflection and gender do colour a language nicely.
As for my appreciation of English, I need not elaborate. My love of the language is self-evident in the way I write it. Being a native speaker of English and an avid student of Greek makes me all the more objective in comparing the two languages. And yes, I deeply appreciate our literary heritage from Chaucer to T.S. Eliot and beyond, but any way I turn it I, like the irritating Greeks you mockingly lash at, find the Hellenic language generally superior to ours.
Concerning Zachariou, I agree, as I earlier mentioned, that he can be quite annoying the way he voices his opinion. I have seen this in his texts. What drives him, though, is not so much his contempt for English (being a bilingual himself) as his disdain for the cultural void of the English speaking world and its Erysichthonian influence on the planet.
Thank you for bearing with me.
Έρρωσθε φίλτατε
Vilges Suola said...
Hi Rob,
What a pity these posts are stuck in the bottom drawer of the blog where hardly anyone will access them.
I think ‘mockingly lash at’ overstates the case a bit. I was sending up those received ideas about language parroted by Greeks who have heard they are linguistically superior to the rest of us but are not quite sure how. (One I didn’t work in there was ‘Greek has so many strange sounds that we can pronounce any other language easily.’) I’m more scathing about Zachariou’s stuff in ELT News because of its arrogance and subjectivity, and because he would not engage with objections to what he said. After one of his pieces was published around 2003, several letters objecting to his pronouncements were published the following month (including one from me.) We awaited Zach’s refutation. When it came, it was remarkable for its refusal to engage with anything those letters had brought up. As someone subsequently pointed out (this one ran and ran…) Mr Z’s approach to debate was to mention an objection, jeer loudly, chuck in a handful of Greek words then move on and repeat the procedure. If we misunderstood him, which is possible, the fact that everyone misunderstood him suggests that what he had to say was less than crystal clear.
In one letter Mr. Z claimed that Greeks somehow have more immediate access to meaning than the rest of us because of the way the Greek language creates words. For example ‘σύζυγος’, is ‘by far superior semantically’ to the English words husband, wife and spouse as it means ‘one bound in the same yoke’. Some words for the same relationship: husband (originally one who tends animals and crops, therefore one who nurtures) Mann (= ‘man’ in German) shok (= ‘companion’ in Albanian) I could say, truthfully, that the idea of being bound in a yoke for life with someone else strikes me as extremely unpleasant, but that is missing the point. The terms are simply tokens that represent the same concept with different sound symbols, using different associations. Zach’s ‘semantic superiority’ is very much in the eye of the beholder.
One of his pieces was about love. You know, we English speakers do not know how to love, because we have only the one word, whereas Greek has four, αγάπη, έρως, φιλία, στόργη. As an illustration of the resultant Western lovelessness he cited the censorious reaction of some American ladies when Zach kissed his son, and of some British louts in Crete when Z. put an arm round a male friend who was feeling down. In an earlier piece he had said ‘speakers of Greek are the only ones who have immediate access to the meaning of speech, the only ones who can truly feel what they say’ and that the rest of us are really only ‘like dogs [who] also respond to mono-syllabic or bi-syllabic sounds’. It doesn’t seem to strike him that that sentence is dripping with arrogance and contempt rather than αγάπη and φιλία. The thesaurus on this laptop offers the following words in the lexical field of love (sounds like a Barbara Cartland novel) adoration, affection, ardor, amorousness, attachment, caring, concern, cherishing, compassion, devotion, fancy, favor, fondness, liking, love, lust, passion, tenderness. I don’t believe for a moment that the fact that some of these are of Latin origin makes the concepts inaccessible to English minds. Nor do I believe that this list of 18 words makes English superior to Greek, or that any language is superior to any other. This article and ones it links to say all this better than I can: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1087 I also like this send-up by Prof. Geoffrey Pullum of Zacharoulean-type ideas on language as Zach seemed to be expressing them circa 2003: http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002504.html. And a list of articles dealing with the same ideas is here: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1081
You say : ‘Although Germanic in its roots, English, like Latin, somehow lost the ability to form compounds the way that Greek and German does. And you must admit that inflection and gender do colour a language nicely.’ I don’t get this. What is so special about compounds? English does them well enough: "Representations of odor plume flux are accentuated deep within the moth brain". Odor plume flux = time variation in airborne smells. (How have we lived without knowing that?) Inuktitut collapses into single words what in English and Greek would be whole sentences. (This is probably what gave rise to the old chestnut about Eskimos having nine, forty-seven or six hundred and fifty five words for snow.) And where does this leave uninflected, genderless languages such as Chinese or Thai?
Anonymous said...
You just wish you were Greek. Apart from being a nationality , being Greek means much more than you think.
Vilges Suola said...
@ Anonymous, how many times have I heard that one, do you think? I could have included it in the blog post as another example of the self-aggrandising twaddle I was sending up. Despite my love of Greece, I have no desire whatever to be Greek, or any regret that I'm not.
theialina said...
άστον, δεν βγάζεις άκρη...
Vilges Suola said...
Who, him or me?
theialina said...
Him, of course! Nobody can deal with this aspect of greek mentality. Although you have practiced enough with your Saudi students.
(as for "siga ton polyelaio", it actually means 'it's not worth it')
Vilges Suola said...
This sense of superiority some Greeks have on the basis of nothing more than reflected glory from the ancients is so frustrating - like they themselves need do nothing more than sit on their ass and be effortlessly great because they were born Greek.
Re the polyelaio idiom - could it also mean something like 'who cares?''So what?'
theialina said...
You are right. And it's getting worse, as our socioeconomic situation deteriorates.
Re. Not really. It's used in order to deflate praise or professed enthusiasm.
eg- Tι ωραίος ο καινούριος γκόμενος της Σούλας!
- Μμμ, σιγά τον πολυέλαιο...
(wrinkled nose and downturned mouth add a lot)
Vilges Suola said...
Really? It's getting worse? Aman! Actually it's a kind of inferiority complex, isn't it? A Greek friend of mine once said it was the mentality of poor kids pretending to be princes and princesses.
Thanks for the correction and the example. Sounds like the closest equivalent would be the Scottish habit of muttering 'Aye. Right.' with totally flat intonation.
theialina said...
Αν έχεις το κουράγιο. Εγώ δεν το άντεξα.
Vilges Suola said...
Me neither. I stuck it for about three minutes before deciding I'd heard it all before - just a compilation of cliches and received ideas from someone who doesn't know the first thing about language and hasn't an ounce of critical thinking skills.
Anonymous said...
What is even more frustrating, Vilges, is a Greek like Zachariou who embodies in the present all that many of you admire about Greece's glorious past. I, like Rob, chanced upon this blog looking for references to Zachariou; not regarding his book, but his recent victories in local cycling competitions. Owning a house in Vamos, Crete, I was dumbfounded to see a middle-ager, albeit in great physical shape, standing in the victor's podium flanked by blokes in their twenties and thirties. The man not only has wit and a pen that has obviously cut you deep enough to make slanderous reference to him, but also, recently, at the age of 54 he is beating men half his age in time trials and 100k endurance races.And all this with only one year involvement in the sport.Such spirit is to be envied. And if it's Greek, all the more so.So please, spare the biased generalizations about Greeks resting in the laurels of their golden past and not producing in the present. Besides, there have always been worthy Hellenes as there have been contemptuous Greeklings in this land that you say you love.
Vilges Suola said...
@Anon, thanks for the comment. I have made no slanderous references to Zachariou or anybody else. I disagree strongly with some ideas about language that he expressed some ten years ago, that is all, and I was not alone. If all of us who expressed contrary opinions about P.Z.'s ideas in 2003 got the wrong end of the stick, then he obviously was less than clear about what he meant. I don't see how his cycling victories have any bearing on any of his linguistic ideas, or whether I see eye to eye with him on those. I disagree with quite a few other people's ideas on matters to do with language and the teaching of language, and of course they disagree with me, as is their right.
Angel said...
«Αποδεδειγμένα σε κάθε περίοδο της εξέλιξής του ο δυτικοευρωπαϊκός πολιτισμόςπροσπάθησε να απελευθερώσει τον εαυτόν του από τους Έλληνες.
Η προσπάθεια αυτή είναι διαποτισμένη από βαθύτατη δυσαρέσκεια, διότι οτιδήποτε κι αν δημιουργούσαν (οι Δυτικοευρωπαίοι), φαινομενικά πρωτότυπο και άξιο θαυμασμού, έχανε χρώμα και ζωή στη σύγκριση του με το Ελληνικό μοντέλο, συρρικνωνότανε, κατέληγε να μοιάζει με φθηνό αντίγραφο, με καρικατούρα.
Έτσι ξανά και ξανά μια οργή ποτισμένη με μίσος ξεσπάει εναντίον των Ελλήνων, εναντίον αυτού του μικρού και αλαζονικού έθνους που είχε το νεύρο να ονομάσει βαρβαρικό (για κάθε εποχή) ότι δεν είχε δημιουργηθεί στο έδαφος του.
Μα ποιοι, επιτέλους είναι αυτοί των οποίων η ιστορική αίγλη υπήρξε τόσο εφήμερη, οι θεσμοί τους τόσο περιορισμένοι, τα ήθη τους αμφίβολα έως απαράδεκτα και οι οποίοι απαιτούν μια εξαίρετη θέση ανάμεσα στα έθνη, μια θέση πάνω από το πλήθος;
Κανένας από τους επανεμφανιζόμενους εχθρούς τους δεν είχε την τύχη να ανακαλύψει το κώνειο, με το οποίο θα μπορούσαμε μια για πάντα να απαλλαγούμε απ΄ αυτούς.
Όλα τα δηλητήρια του φθόνου, της ύβρεως, του μίσους έχουν αποδειχθεί ανεπαρκή να διαταράξουν την υπέροχη ομορφιά τους!
Έτσι οι άνθρωποι συνεχίζουν να νιώθουν ντροπή και φόβο απέναντι στους Έλληνες.
Βέβαια, που και που, Κάποιος εμφανίζεται που αναγνωρίζει ακέραια την αλήθεια που δίδασκε ότι οι Έλληνες είναι ηνίοχοι κάθε επερχόμενου πολιτισμού και σχεδόν πάντα τόσο τα άρματα όσο και τα άλογα των επερχόμενων πολιτισμών είναι πολύ χαμηλής ποιότητας σε σχέση με τους ηνίοχους (Έλληνες), οι οποίοι τελικά αθλούνται οδηγώντας το άρμα στην άβυσσο, την οποία αυτοί ξεπερνούν με αχίλλειο πήδημα.»
Friedrch Nietzsche
(«Η Γένεση της Τραγωδίας», κεφ. XV, 1872)
Vilges Suola said...
I allowed this chunk of Nietsche to pass the spam filter because I think I know who posted it. However, I prefer to hear the opinions of the poster rather than this kind of unanalysed appeal to authority.
Anonymous said...
Wow! Nietsche certainly sums it up quite astutely! It explains everything and gives credence to "ΠΑΣ ΜΗ ΕΛΛΗΝ ΒΑΡΒΑΡΟΣ". Bow to your tamers, therefore, lest the chip fall off your shoulders...
Vilges Suola said...
'Bow to your tamers, therefore, lest the chip fall off your shoulders' Bowing would surely cause any chip on the shoulder to fall off... WTF are you on about?
Torn Halves said...
Just come across your blog via Mura Nava and am impressed. Writing that drips like fat from the roasting αρνακι.
And struck by your reference to Panagiotis Zachariou. Back in the happy days before everything here in Greece went down the plughole we wrote some long rebuttals for ELT News in reply to Panagiotis' philological provocations. Just wondered now if he has survived, and came across this entertaining page about him, describing himself as a philosopher-athlete, and pointing out that the root of the Greek word for god is a verb meaning "to run". Panagiotis Zachariou runs, therefore...
Vilges Suola said...
Thanks for stopping by! Last time I was in Greece about 4 years ago I saw that PZ had contributed another piece to ELT news but didn't read it. Will have a look at the link in a minute.
Vilges Suola said...
Athlete,sure. Not so sure about philosopher. When you say 'we wrote some long rebuttals', do you mean you and I?
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0.075569 | <urn:uuid:be5ca2ee-1897-4b92-9dc0-c62328974df1> | en | 0.959558 | Monday, December 06, 2004
Human Rights Declaration
In December 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 30 articles of which focused on respect for human rights and basic personal freedoms. The unanimous adoption of the resolution was preceded by considerable debate; and the final proclamation of an individual’s personal, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights was understandably hailed as an exceptional historical achievement which would have everlasting repercussions for mankind. Interestingly, it took the United Nations a further 28 years to ratify the declaration into two human rights covenants, both of which helped to formalise the need for universal respect for personal and social freedoms. Yet, over 1400 years ago, mankind had witnessed a much more significant and, given the circumstances prevailing at that time, an extremely profound declaration of rights. The revelation of the Holy Quran , which for Muslims is the true and final word of God, bestowed and promoted personal and communal values which human society till then had not fully appreciated. This unique Book continues to guide and influence millions of faithful followers all over the world. It is an emphatic endorsement of human prerogatives, setting the basis for an equitable society in which both individual and communal rights are unequivocally guaranteed. But the Holy Quran is not simply a code of ethics or a series of directives which are to be taught and blindly obeyed. Its message is much more fundamental and its aims have a far deeper meaning, dealing essentially with a person’s inner self. The values it propagates are absolute and timeless, and the principles therein are not relative to any particular circumstance. Throughout the Holy Quran , however, the need to constantly reflect on the meaning, significance, relevance and practical application of its timeless message is repeatedly stressed. The fundamental covenants of the United Nations Declaration are, in fact, clearly enshrined in the Holy Quran , which with philosophical and practical justification proclaims the rights to life, liberty, personal security, fair trial, individual privacy, education and social equality. And more importantly, it propounds the freedom of movement, thought, religion, opinion and expression.The main doctrine of Islam is that the purpose of existence of man, as of all other creatures, is the submission to the inimitable laws of God. But whereas nature in general obeys God’s laws instinctively, man alone possesses the choice to comply or to disobey.The consequences of man’s action are judged by God, He being the creator and the real law maker in this universe. There is, however no compulsion in Islam, and man is encouraged to reason, to seek, to question and to judge. This naturally generates a moral struggle, manifested by man’s constant endeavour to comfort and satisfy his inner self, and then to look beyond himself to utilise his many potentialities for the sake of others. This is a far-reaching responsibility, which according to Islamic theology is a vital purpose of our existence. The Holy Quran leaves no doubt about its concern for the dignity of human beings. It encourages social service in terms of alleviating suffering, helping the needy and caring for the weak. Again, the aim is not simply showing mercy or doing a good deed because it is required of us to do so, but rather the integration of man’s many virtues towards making himself a balanced personality and in turn helping to create a fair society.
:: As explained
(17:70), Allah Almighty honours mankind; has given it superiority over other creatures and has granted it special favours.
:: On the other hand, all human beings are equal and everyone gets the rewards or otherwise for what he or she has done
(3:195). One of the more fundamental liberties, which man always strives for, is the right to free thought and expression. In proclaiming these liberties, however, the UN Declaration does state limits by recognising societal obligations, the rights of others and the concern for morality, public order and general welfare. These, of course, are not unreasonable restrictions. The Holy Quran also recognises the need for such social norms to be respected, but it remains singularly certain about the value it places on expression.
:: In Sura Al-Rahman
(55:4) the emphasis is clear. Man has been given intelligent speech; the powers to communicate; the capacity to comprehend and the ability to explain.
:: And the parable
(2:253) further amplifies this vital message by highlighting differences of opinion, and the right to differ.Clarity of expression and sanctity of thought are desirable virtues.
:: The Holy Quran itself is devoid of ambiguity and reveals
(12:1-2), that its verses are intended to make everything clear; that they are explicit and comprehensible, so that one may adopt them with reasoning.
By this same token, the person most dangerous in society is the hypocrite or the ‘Munafiq’, who expresses things quite differently from what he or she actually believes and whose actions are more likely to be tinged with ulterior selfish motives.On a more social level and within the realms of a just society, expressing oneself and conversing call for certain etiquette to be respected. The Holy Quran asks that there be no dubiety in speech; that the language used be common and understandable; that conversation remains free from falsehoods and artificiality, and that the speaker’s manner be reserved and restrained. These virtues are, of course, faultless !Islam seeks to establish a society in which everyone can walk freely and have complete physical, mental and spiritual freedom. The only restrictions would be those placed by the Divine Laws.If human beings earnestly make the effort to endorse, practice and propagate the rights, guidance, wisdom and values bestowed upon them, then society would continue to evolve and benefit from the boundless munificence which Allah Almighty has placed at our disposal. Let us then rededicate ourselves to reading about, understanding and practicing with more earnestness, the call for a fair and peaceful society which the Holy Quran guides us towards. The creation of a blissful and universal united nation may then become that much easier.
Concept Of Jehad In Islam
Quran's Perspective
The concept of Jihad in Islam has been grossly misunderstood, rather distorted. In the West, where it has been presented as barbarism, as aggressive use of brute force. The term, ‘militant Islam', which has been in vogue in the world Press recently, is a follow-up of this very approach to the fundamental concept of Islam and a continuation of the old Jihad' phobia of the non-Muslims.
The after-affects of the Crusades, which badly affected the relations between the Muslims and the Christians, still linger on. European Christians are still smarting under that defeat. They have, therefore, tried all sorts of means to eliminate the spirit of Jihad from amongst the Muslims, as it was this spirit that reduced their designs to dust. Through malicious propaganda campaigns, distortion on the true concept of Jihad and labeling of Muslims as barbarous killers and usurpers, they have depicted a horribly ugly picture of Islam in the eyes of the world. The significance of Jihad must, therefore, be elucidates in the light of the Holy Quran. ‘Jihad' means striving utmost to achieve an objective. The primary objective before the Muslims is establishment of a social order based on the Quranic fundamental principles. All efforts to that end fall with in the meaning of ‘Jihad'. Armed fight against formidable resistance by self-seeking people, which is called ‘Qatal' is also Jihad and has been allowed by the Quran. Otherwise, Islam is a ‘Deen' of peace and safety.
Three questions arise here: (1) Is Islam really a ‘Deen' of peace, justice, and tolerance? (2) Does it allow discriminate fighting against the enemy, or has it laid down certain checks and rules for it? (3) Under what circumstances did the Muslims fight against non-Muslims?
So for as the first question is concerned, the Holy Quran says, “There has come to you from Allah Almighty a light in the form of a perspicuous book where with Allah Almighty guides all who seek His good pleasure to a path of peace and safety.”
(5: 15-16). The very word ‘Islam' means peace. Mischief is prohibited in Islam. Thus it is said, “Do no mischief on the earth after it has been set in order.” ( 7:56 ). The Quran refers to past nations who were destroyed for spreading mischief in the world. According to the Holy Quran, the very object of sending Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last messenger of God, was to eradicate mischief which had spread on account of human whims and wishes replacing the Divine laws brought by the previous messengers of God (30:41). Belief in God and mischief cannot go together. They are opposed to each other, (38:28).
A Muslim society cannot accommodate injustice. “O you who believe stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to God, even as against yourself, or your parents, or your kins, or whether it be (against) rich or poor for Allah Almighty can best protect both.”
(4:135). To do justice in a favorable and neutral atmosphere is meritorious but the real test comes when you have to do justice to people who are your enemies. The Quran says: “O you who believe, stand out firmly for God as witnesses to fair dealing and let not the hatred of others make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice.” (5:8). The Holy Quran has strongly prohibited killing anyone unless one is a murderer, or one who spreads mischief in the land.” ( 5:33 ). The Quran strongly prohibits plunder and arson whether the offender or the victim & a Muslim or a non-Muslim (2:205). In code of ethics, how can one expect the followers of the Quran to be cruel and usurpers. The vigorous enemy propaganda that Islam spread by Deent of sword springs from sheer prejudice. Compulsion in the matter of faith is contrary to the basic Quranic teachings. The objective before a Muslim is so to develop his personality in accordance with the Divine laws as to survive physical death and reach a higher evolutionary stage in the life hereafter.
Can an unwilling convert then fit in the Quranic society? The Quran says, “If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth; will you then compel mankind to believe against their will?
(10:99). Again it is said, “So the truth is from your Lord. Let him who will, believe, and let him, who will, reject it.” ( 18:29 ). The Holy Quran has forcefully declared: “Let there be no compulsion in ‘Deen'; truth stands out clear from error” (2:256).
The question then is, under what circumstances did Muslims fight against non-Muslims. Islam is a ‘Deen' which relates to a social organization encompassing all aspects of human life. In a State based on ‘Deen', the sovereignty is that of Allah Almighty or of the fundamental and immutable laws that lie safely inside the Holy Quran. The central authority of the State is only an instrument for the enforcement of laws.
Law & power
An organized political community cannot exist without power. According to the Holy Quran, the Book (law), the balance (justice) and the iron (power) hold a society together. Thus the law its enforcement with justice and the power to protect the rule of law are the basic pillars of a State organization under Divine guidance. The Quran says: “We sent afore time our messengers with clear signs an sent down with them the Book and the balance that men may stand forth in justice; an we sent down iron which is a great strength (for protection) as well as many other benefits for mankind.”
(57:25). A law becomes law in reality when it has been enforced which cannot be done without power. But power too should be used in accordance with law for otherwise it will reduce itself to barbarism.
QITAL: Qital is only a part of Jihad, which is constant struggle for the establishment and protection of ‘Deen'. It was first permitted to Muslims in self-defence only when the Quraish attacked Medina. Where the former had migrated to escape persecution by the Meccans to work for Islam in a more favorable environment”. To those against whom war is made permission is given (to fight) because they are wronged: and verily Allah Almighty is more powerful for their aid. (They are) those who have been expelled from their homes for no truthful cause except that they say, ‘Our Sustainer is Allah Almighty.” The Quran enjoins upon believers to protect non-believers living in an Islamic State and allow them the freedom of worship and protection of their places of worship. Are they not then entitled to protect themselves? The concept of religious freedom amongst non-Muslims is the freedom of worship and freedom to observe their rituals. But in Islam it is the right to determine a way of life or organize a political community based on the Quranic fundamentals. Anybody who comes in the way of this freedom, or interferes with this way of existence shall be resisted by the Muslims. The believers cannot exist in an atmosphere of slavery, though it may be called peaceful from the worldly point of view. Generally, a peaceful reign means the one where all sorts of crimes are forcibly eliminated. This is a positive act, but the Quran leads further. According to the Holy Quran, a real peace can exist only where there is subservience to Allah Almighty alone. Such is the only constructive reign. Subservience of an established truth to human whims and wishes is ‘Fasad' (disorder and confusion) in the Quranic terminology
(23:71). Accordingly, any conflict between State based on Divine fundamentals on the one hand and one based on man-made laws on the other is a conflict between truth and falsehood between order and confusion. Thus fighting is allowed against the forces of evil which interfere in the establishment of a social order based on truth. But believers are commanded only to raise arms in defense of ‘Deen' and are not allowed to transgress limits. Fighting is also allowed in the event of violation of international contracts. Fulfillment of contracts is one of the basic teachings of the Quran. (5:1, 17:34 , 16:91). The Muslims are bound to honour them as long as the other party is faithful to them. But a contract can be openly, not deceitfully, terminated of treachery on the part of the enemy is feared.As against this, the modern pattern of international relationship is based upon diplomacy, which is hailed as an art and a commendable act, though it is another name for deceit. Machiavellianism governs modern inter-State relations. Alliances are made only to be broken at will. But the Quran has laid down specific rules for breaking a treaty. It is ordained that a period of four months should be allowed by way of notice after denunciation of the treaty; that due protection be accorded in the intervening period; that the door to repentance and reunion with the people f God should always be left open; and that if all measures fail and war is bound to be undertaken, it must be pushed with the utmost vigour.
Defence of weak
The Quran also allows fighting for the help of the oppressed. “And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah Almighty and those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? Men, women and children whose cry is: ‘Our Nourisher! Rescue us from this town where people are oppressors and raise for us from thee one who will help.”
(4:75). Evil consorts evil The good have all the more reason for drawing together by not only living in mutual harmony, but also by being ready at all times to protect each other. Otherwise, the world would be given over to aggression by unscrupulous people and the good will fail in their duty to establish peace and strengthen the forces of truth and righteousness (8:73). To help the oppressed, wherever they are and whatever is their race, colour, language and faith, is the duty of the Muslims enjoined by Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty's plan is universal. He provides protection to all his creature. To protect one, He may have to check another. “And did not Allah Almighty check one set of people by means of another, the world would indeed be full of mischief: but Allah Almighty is full of bounty to all the worlds.” (2:251). Within the Islamic State itself, use of force is allowed, first, against those guilty of treason against the State ( 5:36 ); and, secondly against the hypocrites who, though given the privileges of association with goodness and piety, persist in wicked deeds. (66:9) The Rasool (peace be upon him) and his immediate successors acted upon these principles. It was because of their having strictly observed _______ is ethics that the Muslim rule of law spread over vast areas of the globe within a short span of time. But when the subsequent Muslim generations turned their back upon the teachings of the Quran, they were bound to reap what they had sown.
Source: Parvez-video
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Understanding Islam: Evolution & Quran's Perspective
Understanding Islam: Evolution & Quran's Perspective
Understanding Islam: Essence of Prayer
Understanding Islam: Essence of Prayer
Essence of Prayer
Meaning and essence of Prayers
Human beings have been praying for as long as humanity has existed. Rich or poor, literate or illiterate, the urge to pray is equally present in all. A well-known author has best described this as follows: "In wandering over the earth, you can find cities without walls, without science, without rulers, without palaces, without treasures, without money, without gymnasium or theatre, but a city without temples to gods, without prayer, oaths and prophecy, such a city no mortal has ever seen and will never see." [Humanity and Deity, p. 15, by W.M. Urban]
Since the urge to pray is universal in character and crosses racial, cultural and religious boundaries, we might wish to investigate it further by asking some important questions:
What is the essence of prayer? What is the meaning of prayer? What is the purpose of prayer? Does prayer have any effect on individuals who pray? If so, in what way? Does prayer have any effect on society? If so, in what way? Answers to the above questions are more important than the form of prayer itself. When we pray, what really happens to us? The prayer normally consists of reciting some words and possibly some body movements. This is true in all religions—only the forms may be different. Do the words have any effect on the individuals who pray? From the study of Psychology, we know that words have powerful effect on individuals as well as people. But for that to happen, it is necessary that words are clearly understood and their meaning and context fully comprehended. This ensures that the mind actively participates in the prayer also along with the body. Without this, the prayer will become a somatic routine, regardless of how much piety is attached to it from outside.
Thus we see that prayer has a very deep connection with the mind. But this mind-body connection, although made sincerely, should not be superficial that only produces a placebo effect. This has to be real. And a real connection can be established only when the power and the meaning of prayer activate the mind’s cognitive faculty. The so called doctors of religions, on the other hand, have perpetuated a myth which keeps people satisfied by performing the act of prayer without trying to establish this mental cognitive connection.
Religious Leaders and Prayer
Most religious leaders fool people into believing that the very act of prayer gives them plenty of rewards. That is, they exploit the placebo effect experienced by the people. But the placebo can never be a substitute for the real pill. As expected, very often, the promised rewards do not happen in this world. So, they brainwash people into believing that the rewards will come in the other world. Many religious institutions have exploited and continue to exploit this situation.
Religious leaders, of course, never admit that they are exploiting anybody. Instead, they represent themselves as the people of God, supposedly preaching God’s message to the masses. (Remember! The placebo looks exactly like the real pill. The moment people become aware of the truth, it looses its effect.)
As far as prayer is concerned, religious leaders are very particular to mention—and rightly so, that it occupies a central place in religion. But their emphasis is more on the act of prayer rather than its spirit and purpose. Performing the act of prayer is an end in itself to them. They do not emphasize the fact that prayer is a means to achieve some concrete goals in life. This aspect of prayer is normally overlooked and consequently the prayer becomes a soulless ritual done primarily to please God and for individual personal salvation in the hereafter. In other words, they do not want people to find out the true essence and meaning of prayer in order to revive it.
How can we Truly Revive Prayer
The question then is how to inject the soul back into the mummified body of our prayers. We will discuss the meaning of Aqeemus-Salaat (translated as "establish prayer") later but one thing is clear: This is not possible without a critical evaluation of our present approach to prayer.
The best way to start this evaluation is to pose fundamental questions pertaining to the importance of prayer in our way of life. This is what we have done earlier. Answers to these questions will, hopefully, provide the necessary knowledge that will help us in our quest to find the meaning and essence of prayer. To do that, however, we must, first of all, establish a frame of reference. Without this absolute frame of reference we won’t be able to find The Truth about prayer.
An Absolute Frame of Reference is Required
In order to deal with the above questions, we will have to find a permanent and an absolute reference that transcends the barriers of space, time and circumstance. This is because these questions are important to life here-and-now as well as to life in the hereafter. The only reference that can satisfy these conditions is a Book from God. [Books of humans, no matter how great, can never satisfy the above conditions.]
Earlier Books of God (including the Bible) no longer exist now in their original, unadulterated form. [Proponents of these books admit this.] The Qur’an, revealed to Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), is the only Book of God which exists now exactly as it was revealed about 1400 years ago. This fact is borne by Muslims as well as non-Muslim scholars who have done an objective, historical or linguistic analysis of the Quran [See Maurice Bucaille’s excellent book, "The Bible, The Quran, and Science"]. Therefore, the Quran will be our frame of reference. But it might be helpful in our search for the essence and meaning of prayer if we first analyze the reasons why people pray.
Why Do We Pray
A simple, conventional answer may be that we pray because our forefathers have been praying and told us to pray, just as we tell our children to pray. Or that we pray because God has asked us to pray. But for many people who are sincerely searching for a more meaningful answer, this may not be satisfactory. First of all, God has given us freedom of choice for everything, including prayer. So we do not have to pray if we do not want to. In fact, in good times, most of us don’t. Only when some personal tragedy strikes (or when we reach old age) that many of us start praying regularly.
For example, consider a plane full of people about to crash. In this helpless situation, every one will be praying for life and survival. If the situation seems completely hopeless, and they realize that they are going to loose their lives, people will be praying for God’s mercy, forgiveness, His pleasure, and personal salvation in the hereafter. But nevertheless, everyone will be trying his/her best to survive until the very end.
This instinct of self-survival is inherent in every living being, including humans. Other beings have defense mechanisms given by God for their survival. But humans find themselves helpless and defenseless against many living beings and natural catastrophes. Naturally primitive man tried to pray to them, as he had not developed tools for self-defense. He prayed to various natural objects that threatened or benefited his survival. When human beings developed tools for self-defense and gradually advanced in science, they tended to drift away from religion. They found security in science (rather than prayer) because science gave them control over the forces of nature. [Priesthood considered this attitude as an attack on religion itself. This led to a continuous battle of religion with science. History bears ample testimony to this continuous struggle. A classic example of this is the battle of creation versus evolution. But this is a whole new topic.]
Thus we see that there seems to be no single reason as to why people pray. Everyone can come up with his or her own answer and feel satisfied. In fact, this is what we normally do. But as we mentioned before, the answer that transcends space, time, circumstance and human emotion can only come from God (which means His book, the Qur’an.). This brings us to the following question.
Why was the Quran Given to Us
So, let us ask: what does the Quran have to say about this question? But before that, we might ask a related question: why was the Quran sent to humanity?
Allah says that the Quran was sent to Prophet Muhammad (P) to lead humanity out of darkness and into light. "A Book which we have revealed unto you in order that you might lead mankind out of darkness into light"
Various examples can be given to explain this verse. Liberating people out of slavery into freedom is an example of leading them from darkness into light
(14:5). Prophet Moses’ (P) liberation of Israelites from slavery in Egypt to freedom, and Prophet Muhammad’s (P) migration to establish an independent Muslim (community) state in Medina are historical examples of leading mankind from darkness into light.
Removing ignorance, superstition and blind beliefs with knowledge, reason and understanding is another example. Allah Almighty also says that the Quran was sent to remove conflict and differences among human beings. "And We sent down the Book to you (O Muhammad (P)) for express purpose, that you should clear to them those things in which they differ"
So, the Quran removes differences and conflicts which divide human beings and eventually creates unity of mankind.
Prayer and the Quran
Prayer, being an integral part of the Quranic system, must lead towards the above goals. It is important to remember that prayer is neither independent nor mutually exclusive of the overall goal of the Qur’an. That means we can not separate it from the other commands of the Quran and practice it in isolation in the hope of getting rewards in the hereafter.
Let us explain this with some concrete albeit simple examples. Various parts of a car have to work together in a coordinated fashion for it to run properly. If we take out the wheels or the engine, it is not going to move. Similarly, if we separate the various parts of a computer and focus our attention on the individual components, the computer is not going to work until all the components are connected properly and synchronized. The same thing applies to the functioning of the human body. No human organ can survive outside the body. In a similar way, prayer can not survive outside the living body of the Qur’anic system driven by its laws. With this brief background we now come to the main question.
What Does Prayer Mean
The Arabic word Salaat is normally translated as Prayer in English. [It is translated as Namaaz in Urdu and Persian. "Namaaz" is an old Persian (Pahlavi) word which the Zoroastrians (fire worshippers) used for their prayer. It should be translated as Pooja in Hindi! However, no Muslim of the subcontinent would dare say that he is going to do Pooja but he feels perfectly satisfied and honored in saying that he is going to do Namaaz!!] Since no translation of the word "Salaat" could fully reflect its meaning, we have to first understand what Salaat means.
The root meaning of this word is "to follow someone closely." For example, in a horse race, if the second horse follows the first horse so closely that its head is always overlapping the first horse’s body, then it is called Al-Musalli, and the first horse is called Saabiqun. [Taj-al-‘Urus, vol. 10, page 213; Lisan-al-‘Arab, vol. 7, page 398.] Therefore, Salaat means to follow Allah closely. The only way we can follow Allah is to follow His Book, Al-Qur’an, to remain within the limits imposed by it, and never to transgress these limits. This implies that we have to establish a system so that we lead our lives according to the Code enshrined in the Qur’an. Establishment of this system is referred to as Aqeemus Salaat by the Qur’an. This is quite different from theocracy where religious leaders rule in the name of God using their own version of ‘shari’ah’ rather than the ‘Shari’ah of God’, the Qur’an. "Woe to those who write the book with their own hands and then say, "This is from Allah" -
2:79, so says the Quran about them.
What is the Essence of Prayer
The Quran uses the term Aqeemus Salaat quite often which is usually translated as "Establish Prayer." This translation does not fully convey the meaning of the original concept. The root of Aqeemu comes from ‘qaa-ma,’ which means to stand, to be balanced, to have a just, fair and long-term strategy for dealing with problems, and to be steadfast. Therefore, Aqeemus Salaat means "to establish Salaat" as a permanent and balanced system in which human beings can follow the Divine Code in all aspects of their lives individually, as well as collectively. This obviously requires an independent and sovereign land in which the Divine Code can be enforced as a living constitution. This is the essence of prayer and, in fact, an essential requirement for the establishment of Salaat. The Quran is very specific on this point when it says:"These are the people who, when they will have power in the land
(24:55), then they will establish Salaat…" (24:21). This is exactly the reason why Allama Iqbal suggested the idea of Pakistan, normally referred to as Pakistan ideology.
Is Salaat a Ritual?
We have seen that according to its root meaning, Salaat is a system and not a ritual. Prayer (performed five times a day) is only a component of Salaat. Within this system, prayer is a powerful and effective means of achieving the Quranic goals mentioned earlier. Outside the system, however, it becomes a soulless ritual repeated solely for getting rewards in the hereafter. The difference between prayer being part of a system and a ritual can better be explained by the following example.
Soldiers within an army perform many duties and responsibilities. They lead their lives according to the various codes (or shari’ah) prescribed by the army. Every aspect of their lives is governed by these codes and violators are dealt with according to the "shari’ah" of the army. Along with other important activities, the soldiers are required to perform daily drills as well. These drills have their own codes (e.g., dress, haircut, schedule etc.) and every soldier has to follow them. The soldiers are also required to obey the orders of their commander-in-charge. Thus the drill is a component of the system and within the army system it produces its desired result.
Now, suppose the soldiers go home and perform their drills in their home streets exactly as before. These drills are now being performed outside the army system and therefore would not produce the same results as before. Nevertheless, if the soldiers keep on performing their daily drills like this, then this will be called a ritual because these drills are being performed outside the command and control of the army system. The question then is how to establish this system of Salaat referred to by the Quran as Aqeemus Salaat.
How to Establish Salaat
According to the Qur’an, it can not be forced
(10:99) on an unwilling or ignorant people (10:100). First, the message has to be presented to them (62:2). Then, they have to be educated (2:151) so that they can understand this message (12:108). Only when a group of people have willingly accepted, understood, and been convinced of its truth with deep conviction (Iman) and want to lead their lives by this Divine Code, that this system of Salaat can be implemented. This is the process our Prophet (P) followed and therefore, is his Sunnah. The Prophet (P) and the Sahaba (R) did not pray for their personal salvation or just to please God. Their entire life was devoted to fulfilling the goal of establishing the system of Salaat in the society. ‘Aisha (R) is reported to have said that the Prophet (P) was a "walking Qur’an". This means that he was leading his life by the Qur’an. He also made certain that his companions were living by it as well. The Quranic way of life can not be led individually or alone. It must be done collectively as an Ummah under a system driven by the Divine Laws. The only way to do this (according to the Quran and shown by the Prophet (P)) is to replace the old system based on lifeless and soulless rituals with a new one based on the Quranic concept of Salaat.
Praying five times a day is only one part of Salaat. When we finish our prayers in the Masjid, we are not done with Salaat. It is not something to do and finish. It involves every aspect of life, keeping it within the guidelines of the Divine Code twenty-four hours a day. And this has to be done within a system under a central authority according to the Qur’an. This system was originally established by our Prophet (P) and the Sa’haba (R). Five times a day our prayers are meant to renew and reinforce our commitment to steadfastly enforce the system of Salaat ordered by Allah and practically shown to the humankind by the Prophet (P). This renewal boosts our psychological energy to come together and support each other towards the goals of the Qur’an. Salaat is the mechanism by which the Quran is implemented in mankind. This is how Allah’s laws can be engrained within us; this is how the Prophet (P) and the Sa’haba (R) found it so natural to follow the Qur’an, and the results they produced within 30 years speak for themselves. Needless to say, our prayers are not producing the same results although we have been praying for more than a thousand years in ever increasing numbers. What is the purpose of Salaat and its effect on individuals and the society? In what way does it transform the society in the long term? These will be discussed in a future article.
Further Reading
Evolution & Quran's Perspective
Evolution in the Light of the Quran
Ever since man evolved into a conscious being, he had constantly wondered about his origin. In his intellectual childhood, the question was answered by biblical teachings. In the west, uptil 19th century, Christian theology formed the basis of Theory of Creationism which states:(1) that the World is of short duration, at the most 5757 years old.(2) that the World is fixed and not changing.(3) that the created species are constant, and do not evolve into other species.(4) that the Perfect world is explicable only by omnipotent and beneficent creator.(5) that the creation of man was special and apart from other created things.
This was the view held in the west till 1859 when the modern theory of evolution was introduced by Charles Darwin, in his work, titled OnThe Origin Of Species. There are two basic points to this theory;(a) evolution is taking place on earth (b) and it is driven by natural selection.
How did he arrive at these two components of evolution? is interesting to know. From 1835-36, Darwin went on a voyage in southAtlantic and Pacific, which provided ample opportunity for him, to observe various species on land. He was struck by variety withineach specie at a particular geographical area. This gave him the idea of lack of fixity of species; rather species are changing into one another. Then he observed humans cross breeding various animals selectively to improve species. He understood that in environment,ontrolled by man, selection is provided my man; but who provides the selection process, in the natural environment of species?
In 1838, Darwin was influenced by the essay on the Principle of population, anonymously published by Malthus, in which he stated theoor’s law; Only those able to produce, deserve to survive, those who lived of rich and produced nothing, all assistance to them muststop. This gave Darwin the idea of selection of the fittest by Nature, or survival of the fittest. This evolutionary work shocked people, whoso far knew only the Creationism. Darwin was joined by Ernest Heckle and T. H. Huxley, in his atheist theory and in declared that man musthave evolved from ape like ancestor, thus putting man in the phyllogenetic tree of animal kingdom. This was the end of anthropocentrism of bible and rise of atheism in England. Prior to this Germany and France had already rejected religion. Later on Karl Marx also used Darwin’s work, to promote communism and Lenin created scientific museum on Darwinism, to completely eliminateChristianity from People’s life.
Further work by Paleontologists, Molecular Biologists and Geneticists lead us to believe that every aspect of Phenotype is controlled byGenotype. At the cellular level the genes control every metabolic activity. The biochemical basis of the gene is Deoxyribonucleic Acid,in short DNA, which is confined in the nucleus and convey its orders through messenger RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) to the site of proteinsynthesis. Hundreds of biochemical reaction are taking place simultaneously, in the cytoplasm promoted by hundreds of enzymes in the same cytoplasm, and the beauty of the system is that one metabolic reaction does not interfere with other, all under control of DNA. There is a perfect order maintained by DNA, which is just four amino acids chain, arranged in a special sequence. Scientists pondered foryears, as to where did these four Amino Acids come from for the first time? In an attempt to answer this question, Dr. Miller in 1955 did an experiment in his lab. He took a mixture of methane, hydrogen, ammonia, steam and water, and passed the electric spark through this mixture and was able to demonstrate the formation of amino acids in the water. He postulates that in the primitive atmosphere of earth,these gases were present and when atmospheric gases were charged with thunderbolt, basic amino acids were produced in water,which by chance got arranged in sequence of DNA and 1st genetic code was born, and life started in the form of unicellular structure. Over billions of years, the unicellular structure changed into multi-cellular structures, plant kingdom, then animal kingdom evolved into invertebrates, vertebrates, insects, fishes, reptiles, birds, mammals and finally man. As you can see, there are some serious flaws and gaps, in this theory of evolution. First of all no body for sure knows if those gases werepresent in the atmosphere. Secondly, how could mere chance and accident, initiate such intricate, complex, sophisticated process of life, with perfect order in function and structure of the cell? Nay it can not be, in the words of Maurice Bucaille, “It tantamount to saying that the spontaneously forming steel particles from Iron ore and coal at high temperature, could have lead to the construction of Eiffel Tower, through a series of happy coincidences, that assembled the material in proper order.” Further, no body has ever demonstrated the conversion of one species into the other; and what is the proof that man is the descendant of big apes? It is purely a conjecture and theorization based on anatomical and physiological similarities between species. This is purely an attempt to humanize the animals and animalize the humans. Look at the order of evolution, first plants, why? Because every living being consumes Oxygen and releases CO2 and plants do the opposite, therefore Allah Almighty, according to His plan, first made arrangement for O2 by creating plant kingdom first.
Transformation of Man:
According to Science Mankind has undergone four transformation as listed below.
Australopithecus: These are the earliest ancestors who resembles today’s human beings, 1.5 meter in size, smaller than today’s average man. Cranial capacity is about 500 cubic centimeters, capable of thought and using tolls designed by himself, the quality that is not seen in apes. Time wise about 3.5 million years ago. Subsequently replaced by; Pithecanthropines: This is the second wave of hominids, estimated to have lived about 500,000 years ago, survived for about 350,000 years. Their size had grown between 1.58 cm to 1.78 meter. Cranial capacity had grown to 900 Cu. Cm. And intellectual power had grown, invention, creation, and reasoning have developed. Again replaced by; Neanderthals (Paleanthropians): is third wave of hominids appeared about 100,000 years ago and lived for 60,000 years. They were medium sized, perfectly bipedal, low forehead, rudimentary chin, cranial capacity reached 1300 cc. Lived in caves. They used to bury their dead with horns antlers and tools indicating some spirituality, replaced by;
Homo Sapiens: is today’s man; started about 40,000 years ago. Height increased to 1.80 cms, cranial capacity reached 1350 cc, skull became more spherical, ridge above the orbits disappeared, psychic activity much superior than predecessor. These are the four stages of human evolutions, where one group of people were replaced by subsequent group with progressive increase in the size of brain and increase in the intellectual capacity. The size of the brain of man 40, 000 year ago was as large as it is today, while mankind was primitive and did not even need that sized brain. Think about, why? Robert Ornstein raises this question in his book “Evolution of consciousness”. There is some purpose behind it, it is not created in vain. Why do we have a highly evolved visual system. Why creator gave us sophisticated hearing mechanism. Does nature have a future plan for us.
Quran and Evolution:
Origin of Life:Science tells us now that the life on earth originated from water. Even today while we are exploring the galaxies and actively searching for life on other planets, the 1st question we ask; is there any water on that planet to sustain life, because without water life is impossible.Quran has told us about this reality some 1400 years ago, before the discovery of science, said the same thing in
Surah Al Anbiya verse 30 (Out of their sheer ignorance some people take natural phenomena as deities or divinities. This is despite the fact the entire continuum of the universe has been created by Allah Almighty and remains fervently in action according to His given programme. At present various phenomena in the universe appear to them as functioning separately from one another, but) Do they not seriously understand that in the initial stages of creation all of them were one mass which We then parted, so that the various celestial bodies started floating in their own orbits (21:33. 36:40). (Take for example the planet earth. In its initial stages it separated from the original mass, just like a stone thrown out from a catapult - 79:30). Later (when the earth became ready to bear or produce living things) We started life from water. (All living things are created from a mixture of water - 24:45. And over this fountain of life Allah Almighty has kept His own control - 11:7). It is strange that even after all this explanation, they do not believe that only Allah Almighty wields absolute sovereignty over everything in the universe.
First living thing was algae in plant kingdom then animal kingdom started. Quran makes reference to plant kingdom in;
Surah Taha verse 53 He is the One Who has stored means of nourishment for all of you everywhere on this spacious earth. made and traced out ways for your movements. and sends down water from the sky and with which He grows various vegetation and plants .The Ayah also points out the sexual reproduction in plant kingdom, much before science discovered it. In Surah Raad verse 3 male and female fruit plants are described. Similarly reference is made to the water origin of animals in Surah Nur verse 45 And according to His Law, Allah Almighty has created every living being out of water (in that the process of life was initiated from water and its survival also depends on it - 21:30). Among living objects there are some which crawl on their bellies, some walk on two legs and some on four. Allah Almighty creates whatever He likes according to His Law of creation. He has set measures for everything; and He has absolute control over everything .
Creation Of Men : You just read Aya, that every living thing came out of water as a matter of fact 60% of human’s body is water. There are number of verses in
Quran that refer to the earthly origin of man, which the Science found later. Let us go through verses.
Allah Almighty caused you to grow from earth. Surah Hud verse 61 We fashioned you from soil. Surah Hajj verse 5
Allah Almighty is the one who fashioned you from clay.
Surah Al Anam verse 2
Allah Almighty the creation of man from clay. Surah As Sajdah verse 7
We fashioned them from sticky clay. Surah As Saffat verse 11
Allah Almighty (God) fashioned man from a clay, like pottery. Surah Ar Rahman verse 14
We fashioned man from the quintessence of clay. Surah Al Muminun verse 11
Quintessence means gist or extract of some thing. All the chemical components of human body can also be found in earth as well, that is what the aya implies. So, long before the science discovered earthly origin of man, Quran said it before.
Transformation of Man:
We have seen four waves of humans, transformed over a period of time, accepted in Science. Is there any thing in Quran about these transformations. Following verses refer to that: Ingratitude produces disorder in the land. This is illustrated by the story of Adam which has been narrated earlier (2/30-38). We created you and fashioned you and then We asked Malaika to bow before Adam, the representative of humanity. They all bowed, but Iblees did not ...
Surah Al Araf verse 11 The Rabb (Who according to His law of creation) took you through various evolutionary stages one after the other; and fashioned you by removing unnecessary elements, thereby creating excellent balance, proportion and symmetry in you.Thereafter, according to His Law of Mashiyyat, He gave you a suitable form.. Surah Al Infitar verse 7-8
This tussle occurs because We have bestowed man with the ability to nourish and develop his self and lead a balanced life in a dignified manner
Surah At Tin Verse 4 The word taqwiym means to organize something in planned way, implying therefore an order of progress that has been strictly defined in advance. Evolutionists use exactly the same expression while describing the transformation of man in evolution. Further evidence of transformation comes fromSurah Nuh Verse 14 How can you attain this state of life? For this you should ponder over the Divine Law of Creation, according to which you have passed through various evolutionary stages to attain human form." In this evolutionary process each step took you forward and made you better and superior. All this happened without your effort, knowledge or discretion, but the moment you started exercising your discretion, you went astray and started slipping downwards Surah Dahr verse 28, Allah Almighty refers to men as a group, and how groups of people were replaced. (They are very proud that they are mighty and strong; but they forget that). We have created them; and We have endowed strength and stability to their countenances. If they oppose Our Laws, then according to Our Law of Mashiyyat, it is not at all difficult for Us to wholly replace them with another nation Same thing is repeated in verse Surah Al Anam verse 133, about the groups of men.
If (Allah Almighty) wills He destroys you and in your place appoints whom He wills, as your successor, just as He brought your forth, from the descendants of other people.” These two ayah talk about the disappearance of certain comminutes and their replacement with others, according to the laws of Allah Almighty. Today’s human could very well be the result of these phenomena and events .
Have you ever wondered why so many verses are in Quran about origin of life in general and man is particular, while it is not even a book of Science? The reason for that is, the Quran had condemned the existing wrong opinion, at the time of its revelation, and then dictates the right opinion. Bible also had the description of origin of life and man, which is not only rejected by Science but also rejected by the second Vatican council in 1960s: “Saying that there are many things in bible which are proved wrong by the Science” I will end this paper with the statement, that Quran is the word of God and creation around us, is the work of Allah Almighty (God). If the source of both is same, then there can not be any discrepancy in the two, one has to confirm the other. One is theory and other is the practical, therefore nothing in Science is against Quran. As we have seen today science actually confirms what Quran had already said. Scientists are only discovering the laws of the creator, because everything in nature is caused, by secondary causes, regulated by the primary cause, the creator. To serve best his creator,human beings should read and abide Allah Almighty laws and their cause and effect. It is regretable that the task that was asigned to the Muslims that is being done by non Muslims, why Muslims are not on the fore-front, while they have the guidance of Quran in their hand. Earlier Muslims made scientific discoveries, as a matter of fact they are the pioneers of today’s Science. Karen Armstrong, the author of “Holy War”, says, “This fact has never been acknowledged in the west that all the scientific and technological development that we have today, we owe it to the Arabs and Muslims”. Therefore let the Muslim youth today, persevere to regain the lost position, and work for the betterment of mankind, which is the greatest Ibadat (always act according to the laws of Allah Almighty with 100% believe in its authority).
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Understanding Islam
Understanding Islam
Role of Zakat in Islam
Zakat an economic system of Islamic State:
The economics of zakah and its relevance to modern times is a hotly debated issue among both religious and liberal Muslims. This series of articles will attempt to explain the concept of zakah in the light of only the Quran and the faithful implementation of this concept by our Muhammad (pbuh). We will see how a similarly implemented system can solve the current economic problems of not just Muslims, but of the whole world. We will first examine the prevailing opinions of both religious and secular Muslims, as well as the prevailing institution of zakah in some so-called Muslim countries.
Religious Vs Secular Arguments
Imams and religious leaders emphasize the importance of zakah explaining that the economic problems of Muslims would be solved if we start practicing, in earnest, this much-neglected pillar of Islam. Most religious Muslims, on the other hand, conceive of zakah as charity. They are content with implementing the religious Shari'ah and Fiqh that was developed by religious leaders and jurists ( Imams and Fuqahaa ) more than a thousand years ago. Even with the reality of global economics, many religious Muslims not only do not understand the complexities and underlying dynamics of the Western economic system, but also do not deem it worthwhile or necessary to study and know it indepth. Although many religious Muslims express displeasure with the Western economic system, blaming it for sucking Muslims' wealth, they themselves do not shy away from trying to profit from it. Many Muslims are heavily involved with stocks, bonds, and other investment instruments offered by this purely capitalistic system, but they continue to expound the benefits of the Shari'ah. They hold conferences on Islamic economics in such bastions of capitalism as Harvard University, but fail to see the contradiction. They twist the Shari'ah to suit the interests of the rich and the powerful in the name of adaptation to “our times.” They give fatwas about halal (allowed), and haram (forbidden), identifying halal stocks on Wall Street as opposed to haram interest in banks. One wonders if they really fail to understand that the very interest, which they consider haram, is, in fact, the foundation of capitalism on which stands Wall Street. How can the branch of a tree be halal if its root is haram?
Secular Muslims, on the other hand, dismiss the idea that zakah has the potential to solve the complex economic problems of today's Muslims. They say the world has changed since the Muhammad's time and that the economic system he implemented is no longer applicable to modern times. They are impressed with the outer glitter of the West and dazzled by its economic achievement. In their opinion, Muslims will be better off economically and politically if they follow the Western system. They claim, in imitation of the West, that religion is a private affair between man and God; therefore, it should not meddle with politics or economics. This classical argument is put forth by secular Muslims who forget that Islam, as a way of life, must include every aspect of a Muslim's life: social, political, and economic. Secular Muslims cut the root of the Islamic tree but hold onto a few branches by calling themselves Muslims. They do not have the courage to leave Islam, but they want Islam to leave them – alone. Again, one wonders how they think a tree can be alive if its roots are cut off. Allah says in the Quran that we have to enter in Islam completely (2:85, 2:208). Therefore, there is no such thing as a partial Muslim or partial Islam. Secular Muslims also forget, or ignore, or fail to realize that it is, indeed, the Western system and its economic policies that have polarized the world into Haves and Have-nots; East and West; Developed and Under-developed; First and Third worlds.
In regard to the prevailing system in many so-called Muslim countries, strangely enough, zakah is based on the way it was set up by the Imams under the direction of the Abbasid kings. Since the Quran does not recognize the existence of kings and priests, they had no authority to develop a Shari'ah for the Muslim masses. Yet, today, we do have a Shari'ah in our hands, which we accept unquestioningly. How was this done? In the first place, the Shari'ah of the Abbasid kings and priests was sanctified by attributing it to the Muhammad (pbuh). Secondly, any critics of the time were silenced by the proverbial carrot and stick. This method was just as effective then, as it is now. Those who refused to bow to any form of pressure would be labeled as infidels and put to death; their writings would be destroyed. In this way, the kings and the priests established their version of the Shari'ah as the truth, to the extent that today, many religious Muslims find the following statements very strange: only the Quran is sufficient for us; we can implement true Islam based solely on the Quran; the prophet (pbuh) left only the written Quran to the Ummah; the Muhammad told Muslims to follow only the Quran; the Muhammad (pbuh) gradually abolished slavery; the companions of the Muhammad (pbuh) were true Mumins who did not deviate from the Quran and the true faith. Well-meaning religious Muslims will quickly quote Shari'ah to refute the above statements, which are perfectly true and found in the Quran. How ironic that the
Quran has been made to appear strange and the man-made Shari'ah made to look like the truth.
The Real Zakat – The First Universal Welfare System
Contrary to the beliefs of both religious and secular Muslims, the Muhammad's achievements were based not on ephemeral but on the permanent values of the Quran. He brought about the greatest revolution – even an economic and political miracle – in human history (see Michael Hart, THE 100, pages 3-10). In a very short time after the prophet migrated to Medina and implemented the system of salaah and zakah, the economic condition of the people changed. (For a detailed discussion about the system of salaah, see a two part article in MONITOR, pages 6-10, September/October 1998, and pages 7-12, December1998/January 1999).
The Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: If a single person were to sleep hungry in a town, then God's protection is lifted from such a town. [ Masnad Imam Ahmad ] This hadith emphasizes that no one (Muslim or non-Muslim) under this system should go hungry. Thus this zakah system created the first universal welfare system in human history. It also gradually transformed the existing slave-based economy to a universal welfare-based economy. By the end of the Muhammad's period, the entire Arabian Peninsula enjoyed economic as well as political security. This system reached its pinnacle during Khalifa ‘Umar's time (again, see Michael Hart, THE 100, pages 261-265), a time when, history tells us, hardly anyone was in need of charity. What has occurred then in the intervening years that the Muslim masses are suffering economic deprivation even though they live in areas with plenty of natural resources.
Muslims and non-Muslims alike ask the question: If the system implemented by our Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Sahabaa (r) was so good, why did it not continue? The answer is simple: we changed or abandoned the system implemented by the Muhammad. Instead of deciding matters with open consultation, as the Quran requires, the Ummayad and Abbasid dynastic rulers created a dictatorship under the guise of “ Shari‘iah ” and “ Ijma‘a ”. This was a ploy to fool the people. The rulers first acquired illegal political authority, and then delegated religious authority to Imams appointed by themselves. Thus they hijacked the train of Islam from the track of our Muhammad (pbuh) and his Sahabba (r) and put it on a new track called “ Shari‘ah .” Since then, a minority of the rich and powerful has been riding this train and entertaining their friends while exploiting the vast majority of Muslims along the way. Consequently, common Muslims have continued to live in poverty and to suffer intergenerational economic misery. Islam's system of zakah has had nothing to do with this sad state of affairs.
But The Sermons Go On .......
While the power hungry Muslim rulers, politicians, and autocrats exploit and plunder the God-given resources, the sermons about zakah go on in mosques and convention centers around the world. And while the effective control of Muslim land and its vast resources have slowly passed into enemy hands, the sermons exhorting ordinary, working-class Muslims to give zakah in the name of Islam and the Sunnah of the Muhammad (pbuh) continue. While thousands of children die from malnutrition and lack of medicine, religious Muslims spend millions of dollars on food and decorations to celebrate the departures and arrivals of Hajis (pilgrims) in hundreds of cities and towns around the world. Many religious and rich Muslims firmly believe that performing multiple Haj and Umra is the highway to heaven. While many of the Imams and religious leaders join in and participate in the celebrations of the rich by praising their religiosity, all the while they exhort the poor to be patient and accept their predetermined fate. One wonders why the borrowed Zorastrian concept of predetermination, which favors the rich and powerful and permanently disables the poor and the weak, was inserted and is now faithfully maintained in the books of Shari'ah .
Status Quo Vs Change ................
The big question now looms before us: when and how should we confront these defenders of the status quo? When will we implement the economic system of zakah so effectively demonstrated by our Muhammad (pbuh)? To answer these questions, it is essential that we differentiate between our current concept of zakah and the real meaning and significance of zakah.
Our Present Approach to Zakat
Today, we are taught that zakah is one of the pillars of Islam. zakah is generally translated as charity or poor-due and it is required to be distributed according to the details given in the Shari'ah . However, the descendents of the Muhammad (peace be upon him), generally known as “Syeds” in the Indian subcontinent, are forbidden to take zakah according to this Shari‘ah . No matter how poor, they are considered superior by birth compared to other Muslims due to their supposed relationship with the Muhammad (peace be upon him). Obviously, this is against our messenger Sunnah since he proclaimed justice, fairness, and equality for all, regardless of family or blood relationship.
The dispensation of zakah is regulated by different rates (called shariah) for different items (called nisaab ) whose details are given in books of hadith and Fiqh . Zakat on money is 2.5% of the savings over a period of one year according to the Shari'ah . There are many conditions attached to the giving and receiving of zakah. There is no uniformity even among the Sunnis in the restrictions, rates, and even the items of zakah.
In addition, there are different books of Fiqh and Shari'ah for different Muslim sects or schools of thought! Although Islamic scholars know about these differences in zakah among the Muslim sects, they rarely bring them out into the open, since it is in the interest of these scholars to keep the people ignorant. The differences in zakah among the four Sunni Imams are not as major as among the Sunni and Shi'ia Imams. For example, in Fiqh Jaffariah , there is no zakah on paper currency. So, for the followers of this Fiqh there is no Zakat on bank accounts. When General Zia-ul-Haq, the Pakistani military ruler instituted compulsory zakah in Pakistan, the Shi'ia ‘Ulema revolted against it and refused to abide by the government's zakah ordinance. Ultimately, the government excluded Shi'ias from the yearly bank account deductions. This led many Sunnis to declare themselves Shi'ias on their bank forms to avoid paying zakah on their bank accounts.
Religious Tricks to Avoid Zakat
Some Sunni jurists have been very creative in teaching people how to avoid paying zakah . The Kitab-ul-‘Heil or Book of Tricks teaches Muslims how to avoid zakah while technically fulfilling the requirements of the Sharia'h . In other words, how they can have their wine but not lose jannah: Rind ke rind rahe haath se Jannat na gayee.
Many religious Muslims, who are very particular about prayers, are quick to take advantage of the tricks specified in these books. Like the Jews fishing on the Sabbath, this is tantamount to playing games with the verses of Allah. The Quran reminds us: “ (So Allah's Rusul came to them but) They belied and ridiculed the Rusul and stuck to their positions, creating chaos in society. The result was that people who had established such an unjust society became victims of the circumstances created by themselves and suffered imbalances in their own lives (and were destroyed)”
(30:10). “ It is due to his arrogance that he makes fun of Our Laws. Hence just like the way they ridicule and make fun of the Divine Laws, they will be given humiliating punishment ” (45:9).
Dear sisters and brothers! We must re-turn to the true spirit of the Quran; we must have the courage to follow the Islam of our Muhammad (pbuh), which requires real sacrifice and a drastic change in our lifestyles. We must go back to the Quran as the primary source, and not to the rulings of Islamic scholars from the time of the Ummayad and Abbasid rulers. In Part 2 of this article we will look at the real meaning and significance of zakah - the Arabic word zakah with its root z-k-w , which means growth and development, not charity or poor-due. Keeping this meaning in full view, zakah is supposed to ultimately lead to growth and development of all human beings; it is supposed to remove the need for charity or poor-due in the long term. We will see how zakah not only leads to the economic progress of individuals and all human beings, but to their spiritual progress as well. We will also note the difference between Sadaqaa and Zakat.
Muslim Decline
Today Muslims are living all over the globe. There are 220 million Arabs living in 22 countries, ruled by Arabs. 450 Million Muslims are living in 33 non Arab Muslim countries. The term Darul-Islam is applied to these independent Muslim countries. Muslims, who are living under the rule of non Muslims, such as in India, Europe, North America, Russia, and China, are about 330 Millions. This segment of Muslim population is known as Darul-Harb. Then there are Muslims who are refugees, roaming all over the world, numbering about 20 Million and they constitute 80 % of the world's refugee population. This is called Darul-Muhajireen. There was a time when Muslims were the masters of the earth, controller of the destiny, but today they are on a path of continuous decline. Their Condition is horrible, they face miserable poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, disease and sickness. There is a feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, and frustration among the Muslims. They are just living, for the sake of living, without any sense of direction. Neither the rulers, nor the intellectuals of this nation, have any plan, for this huge mass of suffering humanity. It is really painful to see them suffer, despite the best lands, resources, and vast number. It is very important for those, who are concerned about the future of the Ummah, to ponder about as to what is the cause of Muslim decline? What if anything can be done to end this misery?
Muslims had their own social, economic Judiciary and political system of Khilafat, that was established by Mohammed Rasoolullah and the system was further advanced by Kulfae Rashideen (rightly guided successor). After 40 years, the system of Khilafa was derailed, and changed into Kingship, though the rulers continued to call themselves Khalifas. In order to understand the causes of decline of Muslims, one has to know the fundamentals of Khilafa, as follows: -
1. The government is established according to the commandments of Quran, with Allah being the supreme and sovereign ruler of the state. Man cannot be the sovereign.
2. All power belongs to the system, not to the Ruler. Khalifa is merely an agency to conduct the affairs of the state, by the framework given in Quran. When people obey this system, they do not obey any person, they really obey Quran, the word of God.
3. The Khalifa is the central authority, on political as well as religious front. It is his responsibility to meet social, economic and political needs of the people. In Islam the religion and the state cannot be separated.
4. It is the responsibility of the Islamic system, to create the conditions within the state, where equal opportunity is provided for the Psychosocial development of every individual, on the Quranic line.
Political Decentralization :
Tauheed is the most essential element of Islam. It does not mean only the oneness of Allah. It also means one nation under one Allah. Mohammed Rasoolullah established the Islamic state according to Quran. He was the head of the state, performing the political and religious duties simultaneously. After his demise, it was the rightly guided Khalifah who followed the foot steps of the Rasool, with single central authority (markaziah). Subsequently the system was changed to the dictatorial system, where power belonged to the individual rulers, not to the system. Now these rulers were not interested in the religious affairs of people, they took control of the foreign affairs, treasury, defense and trade and left rituals of Salaat , Saum, Hajj, Zakat, marriage, divorce etc. for the Ulema. So the single centralized authority was divided into political and religious wings. The rulers invented the laws to serve their aims and goals and distanced themselves from the guiding principals of Quran. They did not care for immediate and delayed deleterious effects of decentralization of the Ummah.
In dictatorship, whosoever gets the power, does not want to give it up and likes to pass it on to his descendants. The end result of this phenomenon is struggle for power among the successors, and fragmentation of the elite group. This fragmentation does not stop at the upper-level but trickles down to the commoners, who start supporting one leader against the other. In this way the united power of the people, required for the defense of the country, gets misdirected against each other. When Ummayya became weak in this way, they were easily eliminated by Abbassids who in turn were decimated by Tatarees. This is the punishment, Muslims received, for sacrificing the Quranic principal of Tauheed. Allama Iqbal expressed it well: - There is death for the nations, in detachment from the center, There is life for the nations, in attachment with the center.
Religious Sectarianism :
The vacuum left by rulers on religious front was filled by Mullah. Majority of them were also insincere to the cause of Islam. Most were interested in strengthening their power and position. Their power grew parallel to the power of the rulers and they gradually evolved into institutions. The heads of these institutions became so powerful, that their ruling became the last word. They created followers and supporters, slowly personality worship started. As they say, two of a trade seldom agree; Interpersonal jealousy and struggle for power among the Mullahs, divided one nation into numerous sects. Through these so called Ulema, non Islamic, Greek Philosophy of Tassawwuff and Mysticism was introduced in Islam, that had reduced Muslims next to nothing. Today every Muslim proudly identifies himself with the titles of Sunni, Shia, Ahle-Hadith, Ahle- Fiqah, Ahle-Quran, Hanfi, Shafi, Malki, Hanbli, Dewbandi Brailwi so on and so forth. Sufis have not lagged behind, they too have hundreds of Silsilas. The rulers and Mullah have fragmented one Ummah into so many sects that there is hardly any hope of reunion in the near future.
Further ruler and Mullah have developed a reciprocal symbiotic relationship. Ruler gives a special status to the clergy, tax exempt status, to collect tax free money from people. The clergy on the other hand pays it back to the ruler, by justifying the illegitimate actions of the rulers with their fatwas. They brainwash the people not to react against the rulers, and ask them to accept the status quo. Poor is pacified and put to sleep with the statements like; “will of Allah, destiny fate, reward in life after death, hate for this world of materialism, person who suffers here is the dearest to Allah etc.” The purpose of this is to eliminate the spirit of struggle (Jihad) among the Muslims, so that the field can be left wide open to the infidels. To give a sample, look at the verses of Mirza Qadyyani, and pay attention to what he is preaching: - Now, forget my friends, the thought of Jihad In our time, for the sake of deen, haram is Jihad, Now the Masseeh has come, the Imam of Deen This is the end for all the battles for the Deen, Now the revelation has come down to say The fatwa of battle, war and Jihad is nay, He who calls for jihad, is the enemy of God, now Believer of jihad, is denier of my prophethood, now.
Psychological Change in Ummah:
Under the Islamic Khilafah, there is a complete freedom for people to express themselves. As a matter of fact, Islam gives the ultimate freedom because Quran forbids enslaving of the people, even the Rasool does not have the authority to subjugate people. Public is encouraged to surrender to the system not to the Khalifah. In dictatorial system, people do not have freedom to think and speak against the state. If anyone does dare to speak, he just disappears, never to be found. So people become fearful and unconcerned with affairs of state. As a result of this, people learn hypocrisy, and suffer from fear complex. This is why the nation of 1.2 billion people is facing the crisis of altruistic leadership. Muslims are suffering from sickness of hypocrisy for the same reason. They address each other as brother, but act contrary. For the same reason, Muslim states do not trust each other and are plagued with conflict after conflict, purposely created by outsiders, to keep them tangled in their internal disputes. Both rulers and Mullahs are unconcerned with the future of the nation, as long as they can maintain their respective seats of power. Majority of us do not even react with our tongues, leave alone the constructive action. Is this the practice of Islam? Is this the Muslim brotherhood? According to Quran internal conflicts are the AZABUN-ALEEM (severe punishment). Today Ummah is caught in a vicious cycle of internal division, conflict, and weakness. This cycle must be broken by following measures.
As I have discussed that the cause of Muslim fragmentation is because of the loss of a sacred central authority of Khalifah, we must make a sincere effort to re establish the Khilafah. It must be according to Quranic principals. Otherwise, it will be a failure. To achieve this goal is a Herculean task, but can be done, not impossible. Peaceful approach should be taken, through diplomacy, disciplined dialogue and tolerance. In order to succeed step number two must be taken.
Bulk of the Muslims today are non Arabs, living outside the Arab lands, who neither speak nor understand the language of Quran and Prophet Mohammed. All Muslims must learn to read write and speak Arabic language for effective communication. If we can master English, French, Spanish and German, there is no excuse not to learn Arabic. This should be in addition to their other regional languages.
Present system of education is given to us by colonial powers, secular system of education, which orientates us towards Capitalistic mentality. It teaches us, myself first, while Islam wants us to meet the needs of others first. This system of education transplants Western mind on the Eastern shoulder. It must be replaced by Islamic system of education. Allama Iqbal's philosophy of Khudi must be reassessed and practically implemented in the new system of education. This will infuse the ruh of Islam among the younger generation, which will be more community orientated.
In Quranic Islam, there is no place for priesthood or Mullaism. The word Maulvi, Mulla, and Maulana is not used with the names of companions of prophet. This means These titles are the invention of Ajmi Islam. Priesthood is strong arm of Zoroastrianism, Iranians of that time brought with them Mullaism and introduced into the Quranic Islam, during Abbasi period. At present, If one carefully looks around, the newer sects are produced by these Maulvis, through the process of personality worship. Therefore, those madarsas that produce Mullas should be curtailed and gradually abolished, so that further divisions in the nation can be eliminated.
Muslim Economists and scholars should develop models of LARIBA (interest free) economy. Central Islamic bank and regional Islamic banks should be developed to finance these projects. Banking should be part of LARIBA Islamic economy.
In order to present Muslim point of view, entry into the media is of utmost importance. Through this vehicle all negativism against Islam should be challenged. TV, Radio, Magazine and Newspapers must be established. Movies have a very powerful impact on people. So far Muslims have neglected this powerful mean of impacting the public. This should be persued.
The word Hajj is from Hujjat, which means to discuss and find the solution to the problems. At this annual event, must discuss the problems and find the solutions for the problems facing the Ummah. Annual program must be spelled out in front of the Ummah and and in the subsequent year the goals achieved throughout the year should be presented at the next Hajj. This is the place where unified policy of the Muslim world must be charted out. It should become United Nations of Islam. This should be in addition to present rituals of Hajj.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Understanding Islam
Understanding Islam
What is Islam
It is a word choosen for a system in which society accept the decree of God and practically implement those laws in thier routine life. Islam is a system which contain every single attribute essential for human personality building, wether it is on individual basis or as a nation. Islam covers every aspect of human life either social, financial, political and matrimonial.The core aim of Islam teaching is to produce such a personality which come's on to the true universal standards of human. All those people who followed Quran outlines will be address as Muslim and the society which they establish's known as Islamic society.
Difference Between Religion and System
Yes, Islam is a system. Islam is not a ‘religion’ in the ordinary sense of the word. Religion is the English equivalent for the Arabic word Mazhah, which does not occur even once in the whole of the Holy Quran. The Quran has, instead, used the word Ad-deen for Islam, which means a particular way of life.
Effect of Islam teachings on human personality
>>Islam upbring's human personality and turn it into a flawless character. It is a beauty of true Quranic teachings which evolves a man into human. Here it is necessary to describe the difference between man & human. Man is a biological nam which has been given to a specie, but human is a character of man only entitled when fulfills the universal standards set by God Almighty.
Religion in this sense came about at an early stage in human development when man was still ignorant of the "how and why" of the working of the universe or the threatening forces of nature lightning, clouds, floods, fire, disease, etc. and quite unable to hold his own against them. In that stage man trembled at the sight of everything more powerful than himself and in trying to appease it, made obeisance in complete surrender and submission.
>>Islam give's protection from negativity, disaster and other core disturbances.
>>Islam is a ladder by which one can reaches the apex of success and growth with safety and confidence.
>>Islam teach's protection give's protection. It establish's peace and harmony for every one so they can live with peace, love and with out any kind of fear.
>>Islam asked every one to abide with Quran laws.Accept those laws with firm belief in it.
>>Islam message is for entire mankind that they must follow the path which is balanced and justful.
It further said that donot invest your time on futile things and shun from shameful activities.
>>Islam teach's that when you will do the things it must be according to Allah Almighty Almighty ( God ) decree. That is a time when your efforts, actions will produce fertile results which not only benefits an individual but enriche's entire humanity and it is an aim of Quranic teachings that every one will get nourishment.
>>The results will be reflected from your actions and due to the effect of those reflection the human personality will be in a state of balance and shinning.
refrence: Islam challenge to religions | http://islam-understanding.blogspot.com/ | dclm-gs1-184250001 | false | true | {
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0.056448 | <urn:uuid:2552f3a8-180c-4da6-b0f6-3a213320ceaf> | en | 0.912916 | Subject: Re: New i2c framework
To: None <,>
From: None <>
List: tech-kern
Date: 02/19/2002 18:13:25
| On 19 Feb 2002 wrote:
| > | On 18 Feb 2002 wrote:
| >
| > | > if (id != AT76C651_CHIPID) {
| > | ^^^
| > | What is the defined byte ordering for i2c? Is there one? Since id is a
| > | int16_t, BE and LE machines will handle this bit differently...
| >
| > There is no defined byte ordering for i2c. That is defined separately
| > by each device manufacturer.
| So then how do you know if you got the right id? What if another chip has
| the byte-swapped ID, and its manufacturer chose to use the other byte
| ordering, so that they both end up being the same byte sequence?
You lose.
The way things are *supposed* to work is that each manufacturer requests
a specific bus address for a specific device. Then you can identify the
device by the address at which it probes.
Some manufacturers do not allocate an address for the device, rather they
allow the address to be programmable. In that case you need some other
method of determining what sort of device is attached at a particular bus
In this case, this device has a register with a chip ID accessible with
a specific bus access sequece. Considering the many different possible
addresses and access sequences, the likelyhood that two completely
different devices will probe the same way is almost zero. | http://mail-index.netbsd.org/tech-kern/2002/02/19/0002.html | dclm-gs1-184470001 | false | false | {
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0.052596 | <urn:uuid:1441cb9a-702b-436e-b53a-a8ef56d8701d> | en | 0.954248 | Social Media
And the Winner of Google's Ultra High-Speed Internet Is ...
Kansas City, Kansas, will be the first city to receive Google's experimental high-speed Internet network. The announcement Wednesday ends a year-long process that sparked a heated nationwide competition between more than 1,000 U.S. communities.
The search giant first announced its intention to build an experimental fiber network with speeds 100 times faster than the typical U.S. Internet connection — an astounding 1 GB per second. Google's goal wasn't to become an Internet service provider (ISP) that would compete with the likes of Comcast but rather was to help push broadband and Internet delivery forward.
After Google's initial announcement, dozens of cities started their own campaigns to persuade Google to bring its high-speed network to their cities. Most famously, Topeka, Kansas, briefly changed its name to Google, Kansas, but other cities went to great lengths to get Google's attention.
Now, a full year later, the technology titan has chosen its winner: Kansas City, which has already signed a development agreement with Google to start the project.
So why did Google choose Kansas City, a city with a population of 145,000? Here is the company's explanation:
If your city wasn't chosen, don't fret; Google says it is "looking closely at ways to bring ultra high-speed Internet to other cities across the country." If Kansas City turns out to be a success, then don't be surprised if Google Fiber starts stretching its way from coast to coast. That's good news for Topeka, Kansas City's neighbor sixty miles to the west.
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0.087329 | <urn:uuid:fcecc52e-c489-461d-9a9a-51a78ac48886> | en | 0.776745 | Top Definition
A fan pairing between Marvel's Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Bruce Banner (Hulk.)
Much of the Avengers fan art on deviantART that isn't of Loki. Stanner is the only Avengers slash pairing that makes sense.
door SailorMedic42 26 mei 2012
1.A loser who is housebound.
2.A drongo who works in a factory.
3.A name for a man who still gets grounded by his mum.
4.A term games console newbs would use when buying a new pet guinea pig.
1."Hey man your a total Stanners. You have stayed in all weekend playing your games console."
2."Hey look at that Stanners go by! There he goes to work at that old cloth factory"
3."Hey your such a Stanners i cant believe you still get grounded by your mum at the age of 25"
4."Hey im just on my way down to the pet store to buy a Stanners."
door Henry Drongo 16 september 2008
One who attends St.Ann school
Person A: look at that SKANK in the uniform. Does she go to St.Agnes?
Person B: Nooo, that's a Stanner!
door Natalie M<3 13 juli 2006
Dagelijkse gratis email
De e-mails zijn afkomstig van We sturen nooit spam. | http://nl.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Stanners | dclm-gs1-184590001 | false | false | {
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0.02969 | <urn:uuid:33f72d6b-3ab2-4899-b202-1baec2df5363> | en | 0.860145 | • Gloating About Gluten
(1,537 thumbs up)
• October Theme Of The Month: Halloween!
Braving The Wild Arctic Terrain, One Token At A Time
| Seattle, WA, USA | Uncategorized
(A customer asked me to help with the Skee-Ball machine.)
Me: “Is the machine broken or malfunctioning?”
Customer: “Do you know where the skis are?”
Me: “…excuse me?”
Customer:Ski ball. Where are the skis for me to play with?”
Me: “Skis?”
Customer: “As in cross-country skis?”
Me: “this isn’t that kind of Skee-Ball. You pick up the ball and roll it up there.”
Customer: “Then why is there a slope with a ramp on it at the end?”
Me: “For you to roll the ball up?”
Customer: “IT’S A SKI SLOPE! Although it’s kind of…backwards.” *examines the machine* | http://notalwaysright.com/braving-the-wild-arctic-terrain-one-token-at-a-time/2271 | dclm-gs1-184600001 | false | false | {
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0.020386 | <urn:uuid:3f3afaac-d9bf-462a-bc29-06a346c17f3a> | en | 0.949611 | Praying for: Chuvash of Kyrgyzstan Topic: 1 of 3
Anointed: Preaching
Lord, anoint Chuvash of Kyrgyzstan with wisdom and insight to reach out to the poor and needy. Enable him to put Your truth in a form that can be easily understood. Anoint his words with power to penetrate the heart. Open the ears of those who hear, and make the Good news of Your son Jesus, real to them. Lord, Your heart is near to the poor and oppressed. Anoint Your servant, Chuvash of Kyrgyzstan, to represent you as the Lord and Savior they so desperately need.
Site software customization by SaeSolved:: LLC | http://prayerguard.net/?page_id=11&target=Chuvash+of+Kyrgyzstan&pronoun=6&role=24 | dclm-gs1-184740001 | false | false | {
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0.158819 | <urn:uuid:e64f07d4-3fb3-4eff-b436-3aef5e51e769> | en | 0.942435 | Please create an account to participate in the Slashdot moderation system
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Comment Missing Option (Score 1) 392
You guys don't see that this kind of practice is legal in other countries, which is why it is probably pretty widespread behaviour. So the most important result is that rules are tightened in other countries.
And "the persons responsible" for this scandal are at the moment the ones who missed that the US regulations are more strict on cheating of these tests.
Comment Re:Evidence of the Great Filter? (Score 1) 365
They only tested for really advanced civilisations, that are harnessing energy on a galactic scale. A civilisation building a Dyson Sphere is only Type 2 since it only harvests the energy of a whole star. Maybe these things are just impossible, or no civilisation sees a reason to do this.
Comment It is not scientific to define the result before (Score 1) 125
The project should be aimed at understanding the Arctic and how it changes. It should not only look for possible problems, but also how the Arctic will adapt and cope with it. By setting the vulnerabilities as a topic this research is defined to be one-sided.
Comment Re:not fucking close (Score 1) 147
I don't think Biosphere 2 is a good model for a space trip. We need simplified engineered ecosystems that are optimized for food and oxygen production and low weight. Something more like the plant farms running on the ISS at the moment. It makes no sense to replicate Earth ecosystems.
Comment Re:Can the enemy actually shoot down the F35? (Score 1) 732
There are lots of reports about radar technologies that can penetrate stealth, since years. All you need is a radar system that does not rely on its own sender. It can work with mobile tower signals, the new Eurofighter radar will work with TV station signals afaik. It also works with multiple planes flying in formation, detecting the radar reflection from the other plane's senders. The Serbian radar system just used a longer wavelength than usual, that was already enough to penetrate stealth of the F117. Upgrading older planes with stealth-penetrating radar is also much cheaper than building a fleet of stealth fighters.
Comment Re: Looking more and more likely all the time... (Score 1) 518
Sorry ,that is rubbish. The cars don't move anymore due to friction, they would still move if it was the collision of spaceships for example. And impulse is not just a mathematical construct, it is an important quantity in physics. The conservation of impulse is used to make mechanical calculations. It gives additional constraints to the conservation of energy, and there is no other conserved entity that gives these contraints.
Ok. It violates the conservation of momentum in classical physics, since there are no virtual particles in this. And I think in quantum mechanics the impulse of virtual particles is going somewhere normally. If pairs of virtual antiparticles form the sum of their impulses is zero. Virtual photons can exchange an impulse between charged particles. They take up an impulse and give it to another particle, but I think impulse does not disappear or come out of nothing.
In space, no one can hear you fart. | http://slashdot.org/~Zorpheus | dclm-gs1-184870001 | false | false | {
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0.028141 | <urn:uuid:765b8ac4-f390-469e-8556-e1d4bb8fd850> | en | 0.956003 | Teen sci-fi franchise 'Divergent' debuts with $56M
JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer Published:
NEW YORK (AP) -- To go with "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games," Lionsgate now has a trio of young-adult franchises with the box-office leading "Divergent."
The teen science-fiction thriller starring Shailene Woodley debuted with $56 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The opening, while less than some anticipated, launches Lionsgate's third franchise built on young-adult best-sellers.
With an audience 59 percent female and half under the age of 25, "Divergent" lured young moviegoers with dystopian drama and an upcoming star. "Divergent," though, fell well short of its forerunners: "Twilight" opened with $69.6 million in 2008, and "The Hunger Games" began with $152.5 million in 2012.
Richie Fay, president of domestic distribution for Lionsgate, called it "a great beginning for another franchise for the company." A sequel is already in the works.
"The key to the success of these franchises is finding the difference and marketing it," said Fay. "It's not easy. And I think we're doing it better than anyone else right now, frankly."
In the rush to adapt popular young-adult fiction, Lionsgate has succeeded where many others have floundered. "Divergent," made with a budget of $85 million from Veronica Roth's best-sellers, follows less stellar results from youth-focused films like "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones," ''Vampire Academy" and "Beautiful Creatures."
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, calls the "Divergent" debut a "three-peat" for Lionsgate in a challenging genre that defies "cookie-cutter, assembly line" development.
"They make it look easy," says Dergarabedian. "You're chasing probably the most fickle audience in the world. They can change their minds on what's cool in the blink of an eye."
Disney's Muppets sequel "Muppets Most Wanted," with Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey, fared poorly, earning just $16.5 million over the weekend. "The Muppets," opened notably better with $29.2 million in 2011, benefiting from the high-profile reboot starring and co-written by Jason Segal.
Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney, acknowledged the result was disappointing and somewhat "head-scratching" considering advance tracking had suggested "Muppets Most Wanted" would draw bigger crowds.
"There certainly was something in the last Muppets -- not having anything available for fans for a while -- that satisfied pent up demand that we didn't have the benefit of this time around," Hollis said.
The family film market was also more competitive than expected, as 20th Century Fox's animated "Mr. Peabody and Sherman" has held better than anticipated. In its third week of release, the film -- tops at the box office last weekend -- slid to third with $11.7 million.
Studios often seek out late March release dates for family-friendly movies to benefit from spring break vacations. So "Muppets Most Wanted," made for $50 million, could still eke out more at the box office.
The surprise of the weekend was the strong performance of the independently released "God's Not Dead," made to appeal specifically to faith-based audiences. It came in fifth with $8.6 million, despite playing on just 780 screens.
The performance of "God's Not Dead" further proves the strong faith-based market for movies, one historically underserved before the runaway success of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."
Next week, Paramount Pictures' "Noah," directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Russell Crowe, will attempt to cross over to mainstream audiences with a Bible tale. Opening early in Mexico and South Korean, "Noah" got off to a strong start overseas, earning $14 million.
Expanding from 66 to 304 screens, Wes Anderson's European caper "The Grand Budapest Hotel" continued to pack theaters in limited release. It earned $6.5 million in its third week of release, with further expansion planned.
And though the crowd-funding of the big-screen edition of cult TV show "Veronica Mars" drew much publicity for its successful Kickstarter campaign, the movie has proved only of interest to devoted fans. On 347 screens, it made just $144,000 for Warner Bros., bringing its two-week total to $2.9 million.
1. "Divergent," $56 million.
2. "Muppets Most Wanted," $16.5 million ($1.5 million international).
3. "Mr. Peabody and Sherman," $11.7 million ($11.4 million international).
4. "300: Rise of an Empire," $8.7 million ($21 million international).
5. "God's Not Dead," $8.6 million.
6. "Need for Speed," $7.8 million ($29.2 million international).
7. "Grand Budapest Hotel," $7 million ($9.6 million international).
8. "Non-Stop," $6.3 million ($14 million international).
9. "The Lego Movie," $4.1 million ($4.5 million international).
10. "The Single Mom's Club," $3.1 million.
1. "Need for Speed," $29.2 million.
2. "300: Rise of an Empire," $21 million.
3. "Noah," $14 million.
4. "Mr. Peabody & Sherman," $11.4 million.
5. "Rio 2," $10.4 million.
6. "Non-Stop," $10 million.
7. "The Grand Budapest Hotel," $9.6 million.
8. "Frozen," $9 million.
9. "Fighting," $6.6 million.
10. "Black Coal, Thin Ice," $6.5 million.
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/jake_coyle
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Sign in or Register to comment. | http://www.crescent-news.com/latest%20headlines/2014/03/23/teen-sci-fi-franchise-divergent-debuts-with-56m | dclm-gs1-185770001 | false | false | {
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0.151103 | <urn:uuid:89349a8f-140b-4d3f-b98e-c0927ebba1bf> | en | 0.90155 | Vegetarian Food at Earth Cafe in Marrakech
Earth Cafe Marrakech Vegetarian Food
Earth Cafe Marrakech
flowerMarrakech is a paradise for vegetarians and vegans seeking vegetarian meals in Marrakech. To begin with, all Moroccan restaurants in Marrakech include on their menu an assortment of Moroccan salads, vegetable briouattes, a vegetable tagine and a vegetable couscous.
When you are in the mood for something a little more elaborate, then Earth Café is a fantastic option. Earth Café is the only exclusively vegan/vegetarian restaurant in Marrakech (there are now two Earth Cafés and the second one also serves chicken).
The owner of Earth Café, Barakat, grows most of the fresh ingredients on his farm just outside of Marrakech. If you visit the restaurant you can arrange to visit the farm where they also offer cooking classes.
Earth Café serves fresh, healthy, imaginative dishes that are delicious and really is a paradise for vegetarians and vegans!
Even for non-vegetarians this restaurant can be an escape to taste another type of Moroccan food.
The vegetarian Earth Café is located down a small side street off Riad Zitoun Kdim, accessed in the south east corner of Jemaa el Fna.
Map of Earth Café Vegetarian Food Marrakech | http://www.darzaman.co.uk/restaurants/vegetarian-food-earth-cafe-marrakech/ | dclm-gs1-185790001 | false | false | {
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0.071274 | <urn:uuid:3660eb81-3dbe-4c45-8bd1-461665579e04> | en | 0.969417 | Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Price of Free Speech in the Era of “Gay” Power
Last night I learned that one of my upcoming lectures on homosexuality and the “gay” movement may be forced into an alternate venue due to the belief by the original forum’s management that I am a “hate group.” I’m not sure who’s responsible for telling them this, but I suspect it was the Southern Poverty Law Center (the once venerable civil rights champion turned Christian-basher). It might have been the same SPLC staffer who called Mike Spence of the California Republican Assembly yesterday to pressure him to cancel my event, which is being hosted by the CRA’s Temecula, CA chapter. Reportedly, Mr. Spence was told that, among other things that qualify me as a hater, I advocate the lifetime imprisonment of homosexuals.
I do not now, nor have I ever advocated imprisonment of homosexuals. Nor do I, as they suggest on their website, endorse or condone the murder of homosexuals.
The SPLC and its co-conspirators intend that I, upon hearing these outrageous accusations, will rush to prove that I am not a hater, and in the process, compromise all or part of my beliefs and values. That’s what most others have done when faced with far less vicious lies, which is why you can’t find more than a handful of public officials anywhere in the nation willing to affirm the self-evident truth that homosexuality is morally wrong and biologically disordered. They’ve all fallen back to the least vulnerable position and last line of defense of family: the definition of marriage.
It is my tenacious loyalty to the truth and gift of being able to articulate it compellingly that makes the “gays” and their SPLC attack dog hate me, and tell such lies about me. It started years ago with more run-of-the-mill falsehoods, and eventually graduated to the current whoppers. I refuse to be intimidated.
If you stop and think about it, can you name any single person in America who openly disapproves of homosexuality who is not called a hater? Or what Barney Frank called Justice Antonin Scalia recently -- a “homophobe?” That is indeed the purpose of this nonsense word “homophobia:” to define ALL disagreement with the “gay” agenda as irrational hate. A phobia is an anxiety disorder, a form of mental illness, yet the term as they use it applies to everyone who, for any reason, dares to oppose the social legitimization of homosexuality.
“Homophobia” is not a scientific term, but a deviously crafted instrument of psychological manipulation. And its use by the “gay” activists and their allies reveals just how underhanded they are willing to be in the pursuit of their selfish goals. Note that I’m talking about the activists, not people who genuinely want to be left alone to their privacy -- They don’t bother me and I don’t bother them.
The “gay” activists, however, lie about everything. “We’re born that way?” There’s not been one definitive study proving that theory in fifty years of effort, so why do so many people believe it’s been scientifically established? Relentless lying. “We have no agenda?” Has there ever been a more politically aggressive and organized special interest group? -- all the while denying that they even have an agenda? “We just want tolerance?” Yet, far past tolerance and even celebration of “gay” culture in many places, the now politically powerful homosexual movement demands the censorship and punishment of their detractors. Is that proof of an honest commitment to “tolerance” as an ideal, or the cynical manipulation of public sympathy to gain political advantage?
So, by definition, to be a pro-family leader in this new era of “tolerance is to be a constant target of misrepresentation and outright falsehoods designed to poison the well against you so that average people will be reluctant to listen to what you have to say. Who are the real victims here?
Case in point. Why do they say I endorse the murder of homosexuals? This lie has now spread all over the Internet. It started when I came to the rescue of the Russian speaking community of Sacramento when it was being smeared with racist propaganda by the Sacramento Bee newspaper. There had been a fight between a group of Russians and a group of Fijians in a public park in Sacramento. According to reports from the trial, one Fijian man had been “dirty dancing” with other men and the Russians asked them in vain not to do this in front of their children. In the fight that ensued, a Russian man punched the Fijian man once. The man fell, hit his head on a rock, and died that night in the hospital of a brain injury. It was certainly a lamentable tragedy, but an obviously unintended death if not just a freak accident.
However, the Bee and the “gay” activists characterized it as deliberate murder. Worse, they blamed the entire local Russian community of creating this “hate crime” by having been politically active in the preceding months by rallying in large numbers when “gay” issues came before the California legislature which is headquartered in that city. Guilt by association when the association is a common ethnicity is racism. And skewing facts to serve the “gay” political agenda, especially by a trusted organ of the media, is lying by misrepresentation.
In defense of the thousands of innocent Russian immigrants of Sacramento, I therefore made public statements accusing the Bee of racism and misrepresentation. The “gays” and the SPLC then mischaracterized my comments as endorsement of murder. And they continue to do so, even after the trial of the only man arrested in the matter (not the puncher, who apparently fled the country). In the trial the jury deadlocked on the question of whether the incident was even a hate crime, let alone a murder, causing the case to end in a mistrial. The “gays” then embellished the tale, stating falsely that the Russian man was a member of a church I was affiliated with in Sacramento. Not only was that not true, but I never met the man, nor ever gave any hint of approving of or condoning what he did. I was in fact very clear that I was personally grieved by what had occurred. They are liars.
The next year, 2007, I was on a lecture tour of the former Soviet Union, speaking in universities, churches and conferences in about fifty cities through eight countries. At a conference in Novosibirsk (New Siberia) I was relating the story of what had occurred in Sacramento when a small group of 10-12 Russian nationalists (a genuine hate group in a crowd of about 1200 Christians -- it was open to the public) cheered when I said the Fijian man died. I stopped my speech, rebuked them, and then spent the remainder of my time explaining why we should “love the sinner, hate the sin.” However, there was a “gay” activist in the conference who filmed the event, and the next day posted it on YouTube -- except this person edited it so the clip ended with the boors applauding, deliberately misrepresenting the incident. They “lied” by omission, solely to harm me. Thankfully, the conference organizers later published the entire speech on YouTube.
Why do they claim I advocate the imprisonment of homosexuals? That was the story they invented while I was in Uganda earlier this month for a week of lectures, sermons and media appearances in the capital city of Kampala. While there I also addressed a group of members of the Ugandan Parliament in their assembly hall. My purpose was to call for a liberalization of the Ugandan law against homosexuality by shifting the emphasis away from punishment and toward rehabilitation. I analogized it to the example of my own life, citing my choice of optional therapy for alcoholism after being arrested for drunk driving years ago (during which time of therapy I became a Christian and was completely healed of drug and alcohol addiction). I was accompanied at Parliament by an African-American former homosexual man who addressed the issue of reparative therapy and how it had helped him overcome same-sex attraction.
The first reports from Kampala by the “gays” accused me of calling for forced treatment of homosexuals (not true) and later the story was amended to add that I advocated the imprisonment of homosexuals (another lie).
For the record, I approach the homosexual issue first as a Christian theologian, meaning that I assume the Bible is true and a provably superior guide to human behavior to all competing worldviews if the underlying biblical principles relating to any given issue are correctly construed. Secondly, I approach the issue as an attorney which makes me a respecter of empirical evidence, which I attempt to analyze as logical secular thinkers such as Aristotle might. Both approaches reach similar conclusions about homosexuality: that it is, as Pope John Paul said (and Aristotle would affirm), "objectively disordered." In other words, the male/female duality of the human design is self-evident, and deviation from the design is predictably problematic for both individuals and society. (By the way, I am not a Catholic.)
From this premise, I conclude that public policy should actively discourage all sex outside of marriage, not just homosexuality, but that any such policy should be no more intrusive on personal freedom than is necessary for the preservation of a genuinely family-centered society. Where that might, for various reasons in some cultures, include the criminalization of non-marital sexual relationships (as was true in America prior to Kinsey), it should never involve imprisonment in my opinion. Instead, like laws against littering and excess noise, these policies should serve to deter anti-social conduct in as light-handed a manner as possible. That is what I believe and what I teach. If you watch carefully you will see the “gay” activists and the pro-homosexual media twist even this. So be it.
There are many other misrepresentations about me circulating on the Internet, and other examples I could relate of dirty tricks done to me over the past twenty years that would outrage any fair-minded person, but space is limited, and I think I‘ve made my point. But generally speaking, I’m a pretty nice guy with my own share of life challenges like anybody else. What makes me different from most people is that I know a lot about the “gay” agenda and why it should be opposed by society, and that knowledge makes me responsible to speak out no matter how much I get lied about for doing so.
Meanwhile, I have genuine sympathy for homosexuals, whom I believe are already imprisoned. Not in physical jails, but in the mutual self-delusion they share and continually reinforce among themselves that their attraction to persons of the same gender is unconquerable. They are imprisoned by the lies they tell themselves. I don’t want them to be imprisoned. My prayer is that they will be freed, to enjoy the sublime blessing of sexuality in faithful, life-long marriage, as was intended by the one who made us male and female by design.
1. I think you're a criminal, accomplice of the anti-gay criminals in Uganda and USA. You're not a Christian, Christ would disown you.
2. right, what rainbow said.
actually, first christ would grant you the gift of blowing the son of man, then he would disown you
3. There you have it, this troll wants to fine people for consensual sex he disapproves of. | http://www.exposethesplc.blogspot.com/2009/03/price-of-free-speech-in-era-of-gay.html | dclm-gs1-186070001 | false | false | {
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0.027047 | <urn:uuid:b5227304-1fb6-480c-9ecd-feba683a789e> | en | 0.972374 |
Mother begs cornered South Korean soldier son who killed five colleagues to surrender
The parents of a South Korean conscript soldier who killed five of his comrades in a grenade and gun attack pleaded with him to surrender on Sunday after he exchanged fire with troops who had tracked him down near a school close to the North Korean border.
Late on Saturday night, the soldier threw a grenade and opened fire, killing five members of his unit and wounding seven others at an outpost in the base at Goseong county.
A manhunt went into full swing at daybreak, with helicopters sweeping the heavily forested hillsides while special forces took part in a search that, according to a colonel who briefed media, involved the equivalent of nine battalions. Discovered hiding near a school about six miles from the base, the soldier opened fire on troops, wounding a platoon leader in the arm, the YTN television news channel reported.
The parents of the soldier, according to the Yonhap news agency, were taken to the site, where his mother pleaded with him to surrender as a stand-off developed after the initial burst of gunfire.
“I heard several gunshots for 10 minutes,” Byun Sang-man, an 80-year-old farmer, said from the village. “We can’t go outside… Soldiers have spread out all around our town.”
A military official identified the soldier as Sgt Lim and said he was due to be discharged in September.
Following the shooting, the military threw a cordon around the search zone, including guard posts along the Demilitarised Zone, a 2.5‑mile wide swathe of land serving as a buffer between North and South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
The defence ministry issued an apology to the nation over the shooting. “I offer my sincere apology to Koreans for causing worry,” Kim Min-seok, the ministry spokesman, said yesterday.
The military has faced criticism over incidents in the past. In 2011, a South Korean marine went on a shooting spree at a base near the tense maritime border with North Korea, killing four fellow soldiers before trying to blow himself up with a hand grenade.
South Korea is still in shock after the death of more than 300 people, mostly schoolchildren, in a ferry disaster in April. | http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/mother-begs-cornered-south-korean-soldier-son-who-killed-five-colleagues-to-surrender-9555444.html | dclm-gs1-186340001 | false | false | {
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0.139266 | <urn:uuid:b26ef967-a5cb-4930-a24e-d2f753fa235f> | en | 0.948306 | Americans made $1.15 trillion in purchases with their debit cards in 2011, according to By 2013, the Nilson report expects more than 67% of all purchases will be made by debit cards. While many consumers choose to use a debit card in order to avoid accumulating credit card debt, they may not be aware that they could lose more of their hard-earned cash through debit card fraud than if they had used a credit card for a purchase.
As you probably know, when you make a purchase with a debit card, the money is taken instantly from your checking account. If someone fraudulently uses your debit card number, you could be responsible for some or all of their charges. According to, "If a consumer's debit card has not been lost or stolen but there are unauthorized charges on their account, they will be protected if they report those charges within 60 days of when the statement was sent. When a physical card goes missing or is stolen, consumers have just two business days after learning about the loss to notify the card issuer; those who do will limit their losses to $50. Otherwise, they could lose up to $500. If they take months to notify the bank, they may not recoup any money at all."
Many banks have improved their debit card protections for their customers, and will go beyond the above rules and not make consumers responsible for any charges deemed to be fraudulent, especially if they report the unauthorized transactions as soon as possible.
Here are some rules for keeping your debit card safe:
Check Your Bank Statements Often
Since time is of the essence to receive full fraud protection from your bank, make it a habit of reviewing your bank account online at least once a week, or even daily.
Protect Your PIN Number
Don't give your PIN number to anyone who asks and don't keep it written down anywhere in your purse or wallet. Don't use your PIN at the gas pump: use your card in the credit purchase function to avoid someone seeing it. In fact, using your debit card in credit card mode may offer you extra liability protection depending on your bank.
Consider Avoiding Debit Card Use Online
Some consumers choose to only use credit cards online since a fraudulent credit card transaction will take more time and can become an item of dispute rather than an instant removal of cash from your checking account. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco recommends checking for a security symbol such as an unbroken key or a padlock on each website before you order anything because these symbols mean your information will be encrypted and therefore safer.
Only Use ATMs at a Bank
ATMs located in convenience stores, subway stations, airports and other places have a greater risk of having a "skimming" device attached by a thief, which could store your debit card data. This sometimes happens at banks, too, but it is easier to do in a place without surveillance cameras.
Don't Use Public Wireless Access for Financial Transactions
Make sure you are using password protected wireless signal to check your bank account balance, pay bills and to shop so that hackers have less of a chance to capture your password and account information.
Report Problems Immediately
While you would certainly report it right away if your wallet was stolen and your credit and debit cards are missing, you should also report any unauthorized transactions immediately, too. The faster you report a problem, the quicker you can cancel your debit card and prevent additional charges.
Consider Filing a Police Report
If your debit card is stolen, you may want to contact the police so that you have extra support when you want your bank to reimburse the charges.
Create Your Own Security Profile
As long as you remember the answers, you can make up anything you want for your security questions. Using a pet's name or your mother's maiden name makes it too easy for cons to get into your account. The answers just have to be consistent, and not necessarily truthful.
The Bottom Line
While you may find constantly using a debit card to be a great convenience, it won't be so convenient if someone manages to drain your checking account. A little bit of vigilance and some new habits on your part can go a long way to preventing a damaging debit card experience.
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0.053411 | <urn:uuid:203ab252-8147-4661-a62d-94d67974601f> | en | 0.912694 | Dull Market
DEFINITION of 'Dull Market'
A market where there is little activity. A dull market consists of low trading volumes and tight daily trading ranges. There is very little change and action during a dull market. A common phrase when dealing with dull markets is, "never short a dull market." Some believe that the market is storing energy during dull markets and that the market is preparing for a rally.
A dull market can also be referred to as a flat market or in other words a market at rest. An example would be seeing the market end at or near the same price as when it opened for an extended period of time. During a dull market investors feel that once the market awakens the market is generally set to rise. Any moves after a dull market tend to be larger moves due to the lack of activity. The globalization of the financial industry has reduced the time a market remains dull.
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0.307702 | <urn:uuid:a0ebbb80-edea-491a-ae14-2423e2ae8407> | en | 0.709081 | English Deutsch Italiano Espanol Francais
Safadas Tomando Gozada na Cara
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0.035612 | <urn:uuid:1882d087-57bd-46bf-bc30-4f0963a56eb8> | en | 0.981236 | Offbeat: Stealing from drug dealers, a dancer-bouncer fight and saying something stupid at airport security
David Harris | By David Harris | The Flint Journal
on March 14, 2013 at 1:00 PM
A man called Flint police this week about being robbed, but there's a good argument that this guy had no business calling the cops.
The man told police he was robbed after he was accused by two drug dealers of stealing drugs, according to a police report.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. Sunday at a home on Pennsylvania Avenue near Vernon.
According to the police report, the man went to the home and two men came out and accused him of stealing drugs from them and owing money. The pair allegedly collected the debt by stealing his wallet containing his ID, credit card and $12 cash.
The victim told police he had stole an crack-rock, worth $20 from the home.
So if you are keeping track at home, that's reason number 581 why you never go to a drug house and reason number 1,740 why you never steal drugs from a drug dealer.
Business dispute
Earlier this year Offbeat highlighted a fight between two strippers.
Well, here's a confrontation between a dancer and a bouncer.
A dancer at a bar told police that a male bouncer stole from her because he thought the tip she gave him was too small, according to a Flint police report.
The incident occurred around 4 a.m. Sunday at a bar on Atherton Road near Dort Highway. The name of the bar was not identified in the report.
The dancer claimed she tried to tip the bouncer $15 but said he thought it wasn't enough and snatched $75 from her hand and refused to give it back. There were no reports of any arrests.
I've heard about problems with grabbing at some clubs, just not usually involving cash.
Saying something stupid to security
It's a pain in the butt to travel these days with security and all.
Most people want to get in and out of security as fast as possible. But not this guy.
He decided to do pretty much the worst thing you could possibly do. As he was going through, the Flint passenger said, "Be careful, there's a bomb in my bag," during a bag search at the airport on Feb. 26.
Bad idea, man.
Local police searched him and found he posed no real threat and was allowed to continue his travels.
The episode was, however, enough to earn the man a mention in the Transportation Safety Administration blog.
Detectives to get new vehicles
Flint police will get some new vehicles for its detectives.
According to an order by Flint Emergency Financial Manager Ed Kurtz, the detectives will get 11 used 2012 Chevy Impalas. It is expected to cost around $160,000.
Not sure if you all have seen any detectives driving around, but the cars they have now pretty much look like they are going to break down at any moment.
The update is long overdue. | http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/03/offbeat_stealing_from_drug_dea.html | dclm-gs1-186710001 | false | false | {
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0.026569 | <urn:uuid:23f242a8-6711-4f79-a3ec-e36c56a74fba> | en | 0.987033 | 'Deeply flawed' Armstrong admits doping
Lance Armstrong is interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in Austin, Texas, in this handout photo courtesy of Harpo Studios. REUTERS/Harpo Studios, Inc/George Burns/Handout
Lance Armstrong has finally confessed to using performance enhancing drugs during his cycling career, admitting he cheated to win all seven of his Tour de France titles.
Describing himself as a "bully" and a "deeply flawed character", Armstrong ended years of denials by revealing his darkest secrets in an interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey at his hometown of Austin, Texas.
In the opening question of the televised interview recorded three days earlier, one word was all it took to dismiss any remaining doubt his success on the bike was fuelled by doping.
"Yes," he replied when asked directly whether he used performance enhancing drugs.
True to her word, Winfrey rapidly fired probing questions at Armstrong, offering him little respite and grilling him about every aspect of his tainted career.
Without any hesitation, and showing no signs of emotion, Armstrong replied "yes" to a series of questions about whether he used specific drugs, including erythropoietin, human growth hormone and blood doping.
Asked why he had repeatedly lied about using banned substances until today's startling admission, he told Winfrey: "I don't know I have a great answer.
"This is too late, probably for most people, and that's my fault. I view this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times.
"It's not as if I said no and moved off it. While I've lived through this process, I know the truth. The truth isn't what I said and now its gone."
A cancer survivor who inspired millions with what had seemed like a fairytale career, Armstrong said he did not believe he could have achieved what he did without breaking the rules due to the culture of drugs in cycling.
"Not in that generation. I didn't invent the culture, but I didn't try to stop the culture," he said.
"It's hard to talk about the culture. I don't want to accuse anyone else. I'm here to acknowledge my mistakes."
He said he never considered himself to be a cheat and was sure he would get away with it, until out of competition tests were introduced and testing procedures dramatically improved.
The last time he cheated was in 2005, when he won his seventh Tour de France on the streets on Paris. He made a comeback in 2009 but said he never used drugs again.
"I looked up the definition of a cheat to gain an advantage. I didn't view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field," he said.
Armstrong's admission came just months after the US Anti-Doping Agency released a detailed report describing him as the ringmaster of the "most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."
While he confessed to cheating and bullying, he denied several of the other accusations that have been made against him.
He rejected suggestions he failed a doping test at the 2001 Tour Of Switzerland then paid off the International Cycling Union (UCI) and doping officials to cover up the result.
Armstrong said he thought he had got away with it when he retired for good in 2011 but his downfall was triggered by a two-year federal investigation that was dropped but led to the USADA probe.
He has already been banned for life, stripped of his all race wins and dumped by his sponsors but his problems are far from over.
On Thursday, hours before the interview went to air, the International Olympic Committee stripped him of the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Games.
And as a result of his confession, the 41-year-old Texan now faces the prospect of various legal challenges and orders to repay some of the million of dollars he earned from his success.
"I thought I was out of the woods," he said.
"I just assumed the stories would continue for a long time. We're sitting here because there was a two-year federal criminal investigation."
The tip of the iceberg
Should "It's not about the bike" now be retitled "It's because I was a cheating liar"? Armstrong has managed to put a crushing shadow over nearly all pro cycling. The interesting revelation will be just how he managed to avoid detection by the authorities who always had suspicions that he was a druggie. So, if he got away with it, how many other pro sports people are still getting away with cheating?
Dead meat
You are dead to me now Lance. I believed you and was totally taken in by your lies. Cycling has always been and remains to this day, a dirty sport . . . [abridged] | http://www.odt.co.nz/sport/cycling/242950/deeply-flawed-armstrong-admits-doping | dclm-gs1-186960001 | false | false | {
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0.420581 | <urn:uuid:1e5cdcc9-b591-4cd9-a797-c426cb9956a7> | en | 0.969476 | Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Harris County, 15th-largest in Texas, and 159th largest in the United States. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston. Burnett named the area after Pasadena, California because he thought the vegetation was similar. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city's population was 141,674. As of 2007, it is estimated to be at 152,968. The Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department is the largest all volunteer municipal fire department in the United States.
Criminal Appeals Law Lawyers In Pasadena Texas
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0.03346 | <urn:uuid:16cb17ce-c397-448a-b84d-776090ace646> | en | 0.926482 | Date : 05/31/2003 Duedate: 06/13/2003
DM-93 TURN-143
This Weeks Top Honors
(93-7156) [6-1-2,84]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
THE DARK TIDES (1234)
(93-7156) [6-1-2,84]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
WEDNESDAY GHENGIS KAHN
THE DARK TIDES (1234) THE DARK TIDES (1234)
(93-7156) [6-1-2,84] (93-7534) [1-1-0,15]
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. X-MEN (1236) 36
2. RIFF RAFF (1305) 32 AVENGERS (287)
3. THE DARK TIDES (1234) 31 Unchartered Team
4. MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300) 23
5. DRUNKEN CLONES (1144) 14 TYCRON'S MERCS (1298)
The Top Teams
1/ 1*TYCRON'S MERCS (1298) 9 5 0 64.3 1/ 1*THE DARK TIDES (1234) 10 5 1
2/ 2*X-MEN (1236) 15 10 1 60.0 2/ 2*MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300) 9 6 0
3/ 4*MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300) 14 11 0 56.0 3/ 5*X-MEN (1236) 6 4 0
4/ 5*THE DARK TIDES (1234) 18 17 3 51.4 4/ 4*DRUNKEN CLONES (1144) 6 9 1
5- 6*THE BLACK GUARD (1299) 1 1 1 50.0 5/ 3*TYCRON'S MERCS (1298) 5 4 0
6/ 7*DRUNKEN CLONES (1144) 12 16 1 42.9 6/ 0*RIFF RAFF (1305) 2 3 1
7/ 0*RIFF RAFF (1305) 2 3 1 40.0 7/ 8*NO HOPE (1303) 2 8 0
8/ 8*NO HOPE (1303) 2 8 0 20.0 8- 7*THE BLACK GUARD (1299) 1 1 1
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Everyone talks about how some stats are more important than others but their
reasons are not always clear. So what I have done was assigned each stat a power
rating and will explain the reason for the rating. Now it is true that the
importance of each stat is a little varied for each style but what each stat affects
never changes. Now to the good stuff.
Will -- Rating 8 -- Your will affects the starting skills for attack, parry,
defense and decisiveness. In ADM when you can raise your stats above 21 you can also
gain Initaivie skills. Your will grants you a modifier to your HP's which is
extremely useful. Will is the key stat for your character's endurance. Will is also
the stat that affects your stat raises.
Break Points: 15, 17 and 21
Downside: You gain the same starting skills at 14 that you gain at 9.
Wit -- Rating 7 -- Wit is the main stat of skill learning. Wit effects the
starting skills of initiative, riposte, attack, defense, and decisiveness. All
weapons have a minimum with requirement to use effectively.
Break Points: 13, 15, 17 and 21
Downside: Wit's downside is its upside. Your wit basically only affects your
skills. It is a stand alone stat only relying on itself so high wit is almost a
necessity for any long term character that you want to hold his own weight.
Deftness -- Rating 7 -- Deftness and wit are so close to each other in
importance that it is hard not to give them the same rating. Deftness affects your
starting skills of Initiative, riposte, attack, parry, and defense. Deftness gains
more starting skills at the same stat level as wt, (ex. Def -- 13 gives you 26
starting skills and wit -- 13 gives you only 24.) Deftness works with speed to get
your coordination. And all of the weapons have a minimum Deftness requirement to use
Break Points: 11, 13, 15, 17, and 21
Downside: Deftness doesn't affect your Decisiveness. Its weapon requirements cause
you to have to put ponts here.
Size -- rating 6 -- your size affects your defense, parry, and initiative. Size
also gives you a bonus to your hit points. Your damage is highly affected by your
size. The bigger you are the more damage you are likely to do. Some weapons also
have a size requirement.
Break Points: Sizes 3 and 5 have a bonus to Defense and Parry. Sizes 15, 17 and 21
have a bonus to initiative.
Downside: You cannot add points to size during creation or train size up later on
causing you to hope for a rollup with a good size for the weapons and style you want
to run. If they would allow you to adjust your size at creation then size would be
an even bigger factor.
Strength -- rating 6 -- Strength affects your starting attack and parry skills.
Encumbrance is also greatly affected by how large your strength is. With this stat
is also where you can have some control over your damage capablity. Encurance is
also affected by strength. All weapons also have a minimum requirements to use
effectively. You can also train strength from 7 to 14 without burning any skills.
Break Points: 7, 15, 17, 21
Downside: Strength relies on the heolp of poor stats mainly constitution and size.
And your encumbrance relies on this stat being larger than constitution.
Speed -- rating 5 -- Speed affects your starting initative, riposte, defense and
decisiveness. The most important of these is the Decisiveness. you can usually get
the riposte, defense and initiative you need from other stats. Speed also helps with
your coordination.
Break Points: Just try to hit an odd number.
Downside: Pretty much all of the other stats do what speed does and most of the time
they do it better. Make sure you hit a solid number in Deftness before you add to
Constitution -- rating 3 -- The lowest rated stat, but the lowest rated is often
turned into the most neglected. Constitution affects three of the most important
areas in my opinion. Encumbrance is affected by your constitution. Your con has to
be equal to or lower than your strength when figuring encumbrance or else con will be
reduced to the same as Strength. Endurance is also affected by your con making it
the third stat to affect Endurance. Now for constitution's greatest ability, hit
points. Con is the main stat for your HP and if it is too neglected then you have a
higher chance of losing and even worse dying.
Break Points: None
Downside: You gain absolutely no skills from Constitution which causes people to
ignore it causing low HP characters that die if they don't win fast. There is a
silver lining to the downside though. Seeing that you don't gain skills you can
train con without worry of burning your skills.
Well I hope that this helps someone with understanding how the different stats
work by themselves and with the others. If someone feels that I have something wrong
or would like to add something, please diplo me. So may we share the blood that
stains the sands in the heat of battle. But let yours be more than mine.
The Dark Tides (1234)
DM 93
>)]H[(< + -----:----- + >)] *IHI* [(< + -----:----- + >)]H[(<
Profile of a Style
When you read about the parry-riposte style in the rulebook, it looks like it
might be a lot of fun to run, and it is. But it's also really tricky. The plain
offensives: basher, lunger, slasher, striker, and the total parry, are easier. I
don't think I've ever heard a manager say that he really understands the parry-
riposte style, I certainly don't myself. But I've run a lot of them, and some have
survived, and they ARE fun.
So just for a basic introduction to warriors of the parry-riposte style, known
to one and all as rippers, here's what I know.
Design: This is tough. The ripper needs it all! Especially important, though,
are endurance from constitution (CN) and will (WL), plus skill from wit (WT) and
deftness (DF), and it doesn't hurt to have enough strength (ST) to do a decent amount
of damage... and what does that leave that you can go short on? Size (SZ), okay, a
ripper can be--usually is--small. Speed (SP), well, I just don't know. It wouldn't
hurt them to have speed, but where are all the points going to come from?
I have made a lot of rippers over the years, some of them from roll-ups that
were spectacularly unsuited to the style. These are ones who lived to graduation:
Santee 13- 7-14-17-15- 8-10 LO mod/mod slash
Toryn 9-12- 7-13-15-11-17 EP vlo/mod
Scovellie 9-13- 8-17-17- 5-15 SH low/mod
Chia 10-13- 5-17-17- 5-17 SS low/high
Saba 5-17- 9-15-17- 4-17 EP mod/low
Bali 9- 6-14-15-17- 8-15 LO vlo/mod
Jane 9-10- 9-17-17- 5-17 SS mod/mod lunge/riposte
Cedar 15- 6- 7-15-17- 9-15 LS mod/mod
Azureen 9-12- 8-17-10-11-17 SC high/mod riposte
Similde 6- 6- 5-17-17-16-17 LO low/mod
Tailida 9-13- 5-15-17- 8-17 SH low/mod
Korlo 9- 8-12-17-15- 8-15 LS vlo/mod
Tilona 9- 9- 7-15-17-10-17 SH low/mod lunge
You'll see my biases at work here.
Strength is usually at least nine; in the cases where it started lower, the
warriors were cursed with little damage, and I trained it up as soon as I could.
(The numbers shown here are all original, before stat trains.)
Constitution generally moderate. Most of these warriors could take a hit or two
and survive.
Size mostly small, but not always. I did try a couple six-footers, and they didn't
do as badly as one might expect.
Wit is 15 or 17, except in one case. I always look for brains in a gladiator, and
this style needs it.
Will is, except in one case, 15 or 17. High will improves endurance, an important
factor for a parry-style, and makes it easier to train stats when the time comes.
Speed may be anything. I generally did not add any points to speed during the
design phase.
Deftness is 15 or 17 again, except in one case. Deftness, and the skills that go
with it, are important to a finesse style like the ripper. Plus, where strength may
be a problem, accuracy helps.
Weapon selection: There are six weapons well suited to the parry-riposte style,
listed below with the minimum stats required for their best use.
Epee ST 7 SZ - WT 15 DF 15
Longspear ST 11 SZ 9 WT 5 DF 9
Longsword ST 11 SZ - WT 13 DF 11
Scimitar ST 9 SZ - WT 11 DF 11
Shortspear ST 9 SZ - WT 7 DF 7
Shortsword ST 5 SZ - WT 11 DF 3
Only weapons well suited to the style will show up as favorite weapons when a warrior
graduates. Yes, you CAN put other weapons in their hands, but you aren't likely to
get the best results that way. (You may note that some of my graduated rippers
listed above were initially unable to use their favorite weapon to best advantage.
This is one of the sneaky things the Gladiatorial Commission does to keep you on your
toes.) I STRONGLY advise that when you design a ripper, consult the weapon chart and
make sure that your warrior will have the stats to use at least one of the weapons
listed to its best advantage.
Armor selection: This depends on how you plan to run the warrior. If he's
going to be fast, and/or he can take a few hits (takes normal damage, for instance,
signified by no comment on the overview) but maybe has low endurance, put him in
light armor. If you plan to run him slow, or he can take little damage but maybe has
high endurance, put him in medium to heavy armor.
Strategy: This is always a tricky thing to advise people on, which is why I've
listed the favorite rhythms on the warriors above. Very low (vlo) is 1 or 2, low is
3 or 4, moderate (mod) is 5 or 6, high is 7 or 8, and very high (vhi) is 9 or 10.
Offensive effort is listed first, then activity level. You can see that most rippers
in this sample prefer to run at middling speeds, usually with the activity level
higher than the offensive effort. Not all of them, but a majority. You can ignore
that--I sometimes do--and run them fast and hard, as though they were simple
offensive warriors. Some take to this treatment, others burn out. The medium speeds
are safe, and a place to start from.
You'll note I haven't mentioned kill desire here. There is no such thing as a
warrior or style having a favorite kill desire. Your kill desire can have a profound
effect on how the warrior fights, but it is strictly a personal decision. However, I
can say that my own experience has been that if a warrior has a high KD in
desperation, he will tend to go berserk, and if he has a low KD in desperation, he
will surrender. Warriors who surrender lose fights, but generally they survive to
fight again. I can't say the same of warriors who go berserk in desperation.
Tactics: I don't use tactics much, myself, but that's just me. You'll note
that out of the thirteen warriors listed above, two have favorite offensive tactics
(slash and lunge) and one has a favorite defensive tactic (riposte) and one has both
an offensive and a defensive tactic (lunge/riposte). All this tells us for sure is
that slash, lunge, and riposte are tactics that rippers can use well (or they
wouldn't appear as favorites). Experiment with them, but don't try to use an
offensive AND a defensive tactic in the same minute; it confuses the warrior.
And to go from the general to the specific--
Profile of a Warrior
Tailida Dawnrain
Tailida is one of the rippers listed above.
She's left-handed
She's intelligent
Makes the most of her enemy's mistakes
Has an unusual fighting style that confuses many opponents
Rarely makes mistakes
Is always thinking ahead
She plans out every move that she makes, seldom wasting any effort
She is very quick (the DF more than the SP, I think)
She cannot carry a lot of weight in armor and weapons
(more a question of her SZ than her ST)
She is incredibly quick and elusive on her feet
Making even dangerous opponents look harmless
She does little damage with each blow
(curses! I had hoped that the ST of 9 would offset her small SZ. It didn't.)
ST 9 CN 13 SZ 5 WT 15 WL 17 SP 8 DF 17
If I decide to run her on the Isle, I will train up her ST until I get normal
damage. (Note, no skills will be burned between ST 9 and ST 14, skill-wise, this is
a barren stretch. But it WILL increase the amount of damage a warrior can do.)
She graduates with a master in riposte, an expert in attack, a master in parry, and
an advanced expert in defense.
She is naturally adept with the shortsword, which I don't think she tried
She favors a fighting rhythm of low offensive effort and moderate activity level
And she tends to learn parry skills most easily.
She received her graduation notice when her record was 21-9-2,96 in Tricorus (dm 51).
On the same turn as her graduation notice arrived, she was challenged by a total
parry in plate armor and a full helm, carrying a broadsword and a medium shield.
Tailida herself was in leather armor and a helm, carrying a scimitar (and a
Tailida was running 7-7-x, faster than she would have liked, but that's how
she's being running straight along, and it kept her alive and with a winning record,
so I don't want to hear her complain.
Tailida got the jump and hit her opponent twice in the first minute, several
other blows being parried, hit once each in the second and third minutes, with other
blows being parried, was parried completely in the fourth minute, was showing signs
of weariness in the fifth minute but still managed to land a few blows in the fifth,
sixth, and seventh minutes. Then she collapsed with exhaustion at the end of the
seventh minute and lost the fight without being hit once. This is why you find
managers speaking harshly of "scum": we all hate to see our warrior work hard, do all
the right things, and lose because the opponent wasn't doing anything but standing
there in heavy armor.
The Middle Way
+<]H[>+-----+<]H[+ Question of the Week #7 +]H[>+-----+<]H[>+
From turn 414:
All -- In case last cycle's personals don't make it: What are the advantages and
disadvantages of using one or two weapons. I'm particularly interested in Riposte
effects. -- Q.O.W. Hanibal
Q.O.W. -- Two Weapons. That's a good subject.
Disadvantages: Few if any, but it has been suggested that some weapons give
bonuses to attack if you use them in two hands instead of one, such as SC. An
obvious one is you can't use two handed weapons. If you don't have the attribute
requirements (which are more stringent for off-hand weapons), then you may suffer
penalties when using certain combinations. Last, you may swing with an off-hand more
than you want, say if you are using a shield. It's usually prefered to have a real
weapon in your off-hand.
Advantages: You have a second weapon already in hand if one breaks. If you are
ambidextrous, this is the biggest advantage, because they will swing with that off-
hand weapon almost as if it were their on-hand. My ambi-warriors will win fights
with off-hand weapons. An off-hand weapon is not bound to a warrior's style
suitability, so a LU could use a SC in their off-hand without penalty if they have
the attribute requirements. Another advantage is suggested in that it assists in
parrying. I tend to think highly coordinated warriors are better at parrying with
their second weapon than those who aren't. I rarely use shields, so I can't comment
extensively on their benefits over a real weapon, especially in AD, but in basic,
shields seem to make it easier to parry attacks.
Riposte and 2-Weapons: I have not noticed any specific variance in the ability
of a warrior to riposte if they are using two weapons. Once in AD, riposting is more
often than not following a dodge. I don't think there is much correlation here, but
it is definitely something to look into. -- Adie
to see that it reaches Aruak.
If you have questions that you would like answered by the experienced managers
of the game, don't hesitate to ask--we can't answer if you don't ask. Questions can
be posed in the personals here, or by email to me (jputney@zianet.com) or Pagan
(pagan@gte.net), or by diplo to Jorja/The Middle Way 4 here in DM 93.
Question from turn 415 of Aruak City:
All -- Do you think you get negative modifiers when you go desperate? What about "is
dangerously stunned" or "is bleeding badly" or "is on the verge of shock"? -- Hanibal
Answers from turn 416:
Hanibal -- That's a good question! I honestly don't have much of an opinion on that.
In the old days, warriors could get permanent wounds that would affect their fighting
in later matches (but not anymore), and it's been suggested that getting hit in
certain locations affects what your character can do during a match (obvious cases
are losing the use of an arm or being knocked down), but the sorely wounded comments?
It probably just has to do with giving a hint as to how close that warrior is to
going down if it gets hit in that badly wounded spot again. -- Adie
QOW -- After 'bleeding badly', 'dangerously stunned', 'sorely wounded', 'verge of
shock', etc., a warrior's ability to defend themselves is penalized. Desperation by
itself may not represent an ability penalty as much as a time to check for surrender
and a switch to the desperation strategy. Often, with a drastic strategy switch in
desperation, a warrior's performance can improve. -- Carmen
QOW -- I've noticed that by the time I get somebody to that point they're finished.
But I've also noticed that some of my more defensive comrades will give their
opponent a moment to recover and they're still able to. Despite this I would say
that by the time the comments you listed come into play the warrior who's getting
beat is in really bad shape. Whereas statements like "fights with the cunning of
desperation" or "eyes flare with renewed determination" still leave plenty of room
for the warrior to make a comeback. Therefore I would say that the earlier
desperation statements don't carry any significant penalties. -- Maxwell Honorblade
>)]H[(< + -----:----- + >)] The Free Cities #61 [(< + -----:----- + >)]H[(<
Ibizond, Korga, and in between:
Aghtamar and Zilla had argued with Fist of Kjarran, but not for long. After
all, someone to play bait WAS needed, and he WAS a Lord Protector and therefore had
guaranteed resurrection.... The Murskan, Cadal, suggested that they all get a good
night's sleep here in Ibizond, look over the area where they wanted to set their trap
tomorrow by daylight, and then run the bait tomorrow night. This seemed such a
sensible suggestion that Aghtamar hesitated to accept it; there was sure to be an
unpleasant catch in it somewhere. But Zilla was for it, and even Fist, not one to
wallow in luxuries, agreed, so she shrugged and nodded.
They stayed at the inn where they'd eaten, the Red Cow, and it seemed to
Aghtamar that the night was endless. She dozed and woke and dozed and woke and it
was still dark. Maybe the sun had forgotten to rise. Maybe she was caught in some
magical time loop. Maybe she was worrying too much. Maybe she had insomnia. She
rolled over and thumped her pillow and tried to go to sleep again. Really asleep
this time. But there were so many things that could go wrong....
By the time morning came--reluctantly, with lots of clouds and a cold, damp
wind--Aghtamar was a rag. Squinting at the imperfect mirror in the small bedroom,
she amended that to a depressed, grumpy rag. Or hag. The kind of rag or hag that no
right-thinking gladiator would want as a companion on an adventure. She was going to
be as second-rate at adventuring as she had been in the arena. She was just working
up a really good depression when Zilla pounded on the door.
"Come on," Zilla urged, bouncing on her toes once the door was opened. "The
guys are waiting."
"Maybe it would be better if I didn't--"
"They're WAITING for us, Aghtamar. Come ON." Zilla grabbed her arm and dragged
her out into the inn's tiny hallway. "I kind of LIKE having a couple of men waiting
for us," she confided. "Even though Cadal is OLD, he must be forty or even FIFTY,
he's a very HOT-looking old man...."
At that, Aghtamar laughed. "I didn't know you had a thing for older men,
"Well, he's a Lord Protector, so he won't get any older than he IS, after all,
and I bet he knows lots of INTERESTING things." She glanced sideways at her friend.
"I bet he knows some men he could introduce to you."
"Uh...Zilla, I'm not really looking for--"
"You should be. It's great exercise!"
"Jack told me to watch out for you," Zilla said. "He likes you. I like you.
Lots of people like you. He was, we were all worried you might get depressed again.
You take things too seriously, Aghty."
"What kind of nickname would YOU suggest I make out of Aghtamar? Why you ever
let your folks--or Jack if it was him--saddle you with such a mouthful of a name...."
Zilla squinted at her thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll call you 'Sunshine'. Would that be
By this time, they had arrived at the ground floor, where Fist of Kjarran and
Cadal were, indeed, waiting. "I've got horses for us all," Cadal said the moment
they appeared, "and lunches packed. Let's go, we're burning daylight here."
Basically, the part of the Traders' Road that ran between Ibizond and Korga was
just like the parts between Korgan and Malcorn and between Ibizond and Murska.
Unpaved, rutted, hilly, muddy in the low spots, with trees crowding close on both
sides most of the way. Many of the steepest hills had been cut down to make the
grade easier, with the road passing through dirt-walled notches--great places for an
ambush, as Fist of Kjarran observed cheerfully.
Cadal nodded, but he looked gloomy. "Great places," he agreed, "but our killer
doesn't use 'em, mostly. Out of the dozen we think are victims of the same killer,
only two were attacked at a road cut like this." He looked up at the steep, muddy
banks with their shaggy topping of brush and sighed. "One in six isn't significant.
That would be too easy. Our killer doesn't seem to need ambuscades."
"But we do," Zilla said. "So, which ones do you favor, and how do you expect us
to get the killer to attack Fist where we're watching?"
"There is no way," Aghtamar muttered.
"Sure there is. Fist sets out in a group--say four people--from Ibizond about
sunset. As he approaches the spot we've picked as best for our purposes, the other
three turn back, leaving him to enter the target zone alone. So far, the killer has
never attacked a group as big as four, and besides, we can probably get enough out-
of-work gladiators from Murska, gods know there are plenty of them, to do the escort.
But my figuring is that he won't be attacked till he's alone. And if he gets beyond
the optimum area without an attack, he turns and comes back, and if he gets all the
way back through it without being attacked, we join him and call it a night and go
back to Ibizond."
"I wouldn't like to go back to the inn and leave a job undone," Fist of Kjarran
"But doing the job needs the cooperation of our killer, so we're not totally in
control of that," Zilla pointed out. "This sounds like a decent bet. Let's do it."
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 466): TREMERE of DARK TOADS (TigToad, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 464): TONY THE TIGER of ARENA FELINES II (Garfield, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 460): DIRT KNAP of UNKNOWNS XX (Dark Spirit, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 460): BUBU of GEN KHAN (Technogeek, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 457): NUTT BRITTLE of CARNIVAL (Carny, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 228): NIGHTSHADE of CRYPT KNIGHTS (?, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 449): MR. YUCK of THE TAKEN (Stillgard, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 446): LIGHTNING of HARBINGERS (High Lord Bosk, mgr.)
DM 33 ANASAZI (turn 444): RYANATOR of OBSIDIAN HALL (Dameon Darkheart, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 437): KING BEAR of THE BEARS (Papa Bear, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 400): FLYING MARMOSET of KORGAN CRUSADE (Jack Wolfspider)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 203): DEBBIE DAHMER of MORDRED'S MADMEN (Abraxis, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 198): RING D'BELL of CARNIVAL (Carny, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 325): NESSUS of ACT OF MALICE (Carnage, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 305): VLADIMIR TALTOS of BLACK PEARL (Dr. Guts, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 133): PUNCH DRUNK of WAY TO GO! II (Spawn, mgr.)
(Rillion, mgr.)
Top Teams
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 466): BLUE MOON (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 464): ARENA FELINES II (Garfield, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 460): UNKNOWNS XX (Dark Spirit, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 460): SILK AND STEEL (?, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 458): SPECIAL ED (PTFT, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 457): CARNIVAL (Carny, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 228): FLOWER HAMMERZ (Hammer, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 449): EQUESTORS (Spartacus, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 226): THE STORMBRINGERS (High Lord Bosk, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 446): FISHERMAN'S WHARF (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 33 ANASAZI (turn 444): PATH OF THE BLADE (Vhagar, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 437): THE BEARS (Papa Bear, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 400): THE FAMILY (Don John, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 203): MORDRED'S MADMEN (Abraxis, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 198): SPOONERTIKS (Spawn, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 185): OPEN SESAME (Crip, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 325): REDHORSE (Mila, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 305): FAVORITE GUYS (Obscure Source, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 133): DRAKE'S TELEVISION (Drake, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 350): MEOW MIX, etc. (Ultraist, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
(turn 463): MIDNIGHT DANCER of SWEET MAGIC (Jorja, mgr.)
HU MI of GEN KHAN (Technogeek, mgr.)
10-11-8-15-17-14-9ST of KINDRED OF KAOS (PTFT, mgr.)
(turn 457): LAWN DART GOALIE of SPECIAL ED (PTFT, mgr.)
(turn 227): WIMPY WIND of THE PENTARCHY (The Pentalque, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 225): DROSS of SOLIPSISM II (Abdiel, acting mgr.)
VE of LORDS OF VALHALLA (High Lord Bosk, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 436): JELIAH BIGABO of PHILANTHROPISTS 3 (Aragorn, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 197): INSOLENT IDIOT of MYSTIC ORC FEAST (Slugbait, mgr.)
ESPRESSO of COFFEE RULES! (Mr. Coffee, mgr.)
(turn 132): UU DOEWANAKNO of DRAKE'S LODGE (Drake, mgr.)
LACONIC LEMON of GARDEN GUMBIES (Firehawk, mgr.)
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
Well another easy victory. Too bad that it was a standby. You know what? It's
kind of lonely at the top. Venomous Concubine? I always thought concubines were
female. Guess Half-Elfs are a little bang. Oh well, to each their own. Who am I
to judge. Look at my profession. Gladiator for fun...Dominatrix by trade. Now, I
can't figure out where this rumor that I am shunning my team is coming from. Let me
find out who it is and I will meet them on the sands. Besides all the original team
is dead except for me. I haven't had time to shun this new one.
Middle Way 8, I told you not to enjoy your stay at top. What did you think of
The Wretched? I remember a familiar fight between Les Nayle and Marcus where the
shoe was on the other boot.
It is a nice change to have more teams in the arena. Three teams just wasn't
cutting it. It was a bit pathetic that I went from an Initiate to The Duelmaster on
my third fight. It was huge on my popularity though. And a bit of advice for newer
managers than me, stick in there. Your manager abilities will get better with time.
Diaretic is by far no expert manager but he took a team that was going 2-3-0 and made
a team that just went 5-0-1. People talk about Scimitars, Longswords, Battleaxes and
War Hammers for a reason. They are good, use them. Well it's time to go until next
week because NO ONE in this arena can beat me but my own team. So may we share the
blood that stains the sands in the heat of battle. But let yours be more than mine.
of The Dark Tides
SPY REPORT
Modeen. I return to NOBLISH ISLAND once again! NOBLISH ISLAND's got someone new to
push around. C'mon everyone, challenge RIFF RAFF. Let's see how long they last.
What's with TOAD? He actually beat MIDDLE WAY 8's RENDOR QUIL, and walked away with
16 more points from the fight. Major screwup at TYCRON'S MERCS. KESSEL lost 11
points to FURIOUS IMP. Some new strategies, perhaps? Maybe KESSEL will provide more
easy wins... VENEMOUS CONCUBINE was reminded on the sands why WEDNESDAY is
Duelmaster. Wouldn't it be nice to have live subjects to practice on? I hear some
team is looking into the uses of convicted prisoners.
If at first you don't succeed, avoid. That'll get you in the Spyreports. How
well I know the feeling of being in the most avoided team! Don't fall out of
practive, DRUNKEN CLONES! In my day, no team with a 11-12-1 would scare me off!
What's the problem, THE DARK TIDES? What do people see in KESSEL? His 2-1-0?
TYCRON'S MERCS ain't talkin', but he's got 7 points. MORPH didn't quite know what to
make of a challenge he received from WARTS B. GONE of NO HOPE, who is 24 points below
him. WARTS B. GONE perhaps got his just desserts, seeing as he was subdued by MORPH
and ended up with 3 recognition points.
to walk away, or not? Many a warrior has met his fate in a hungover stupor. You
young rapscallions, take note!
Many other cities have retirement homes for aged warriors. Any plans here? Are
good luck. Until next time,-- Olaf Modeen
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
WEDNESDAY 7156 6 1 2 84 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
LITTLE HORN 7526 3 0 0 38 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
KATRINA THE RED 7504 3 0 0 31 TYCRON'S MERCS (1298)
MORPH 7528 2 0 0 27 X-MEN (1236)
FURIOUS IMP 7536 2 0 0 26 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
WOLVERINE 7163 3 2 0 25 X-MEN (1236)
STRIDEN 6650 4 2 1 24 DRUNKEN CLONES (1144)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
BEAST 7165 3 2 0 23 X-MEN (1236)
TEALIN SALI 7514 3 2 0 22 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
GAMBIT 7166 3 2 0 20 X-MEN (1236)
NEFAN MURH 7511 3 2 0 20 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
TOAD 7527 1 1 0 17 X-MEN (1236)
POO FLINGER 7529 1 1 0 16 NO HOPE (1303)
GHENGIS KAHN 7534 1 1 0 15 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
JINX 7546 1 0 1 14 RIFF RAFF (1305)
RAVAGER OF DOOM 7503 2 1 0 13 TYCRON'S MERCS (1298)
LENA KORIL 7510 3 2 0 11 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
RENDOR QUIL 7513 3 2 0 11 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
-ZULOK THE SHADOW 7508 1 0 1 10 THE BLACK GUARD (1299)
POL OLVAN 7512 2 3 0 9 MIDDLE WAY 8 (1300)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
XARION 7108 2 2 0 8 DRUNKEN CLONES (1144)
STICKY 7530 1 1 0 8 NO HOPE (1303)
PORK CHOP 7542 1 0 0 8 RIFF RAFF (1305)
KESSEL 7501 2 1 0 7 TYCRON'S MERCS (1298)
THE WRETCHED 7535 1 1 0 7 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
THE ROOKIE 7502 1 2 0 5 TYCRON'S MERCS (1298)
WARTS B. GONE 7533 0 2 0 3 NO HOPE (1303)
PANSY BEDWETTER 7531 0 2 0 2 NO HOPE (1303)
RED BABOONBUTT 7532 0 2 0 2 NO HOPE (1303)
-AMASTASIA 7506 0 1 0 1 THE BLACK GUARD (1299)
GUTTERSNIPE 7545 0 1 0 1 RIFF RAFF (1305)
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
CONVICTED THIEF 1 0 1 0 1 JINX 7546 143 NONE
DELCIEVA 7153 2 3 0 THE DARK TIDES 1234 STRIDEN 6650 141 REVENGED
CHAOS 6648 2 4 0 DRUNKEN CLONES 1144 SPYMASTER 22 143 NONE
CALDUIL 6651 2 4 0 DRUNKEN CLONES 1144 BANDIT PRINCE 25 143 NONE
ZEDDICUS 7525 1 2 0 DRUNKEN CLONES 1144 BLACK ORC 20 143 NONE
MO RON 7544 0 1 0 RIFF RAFF 1305 SHEWISH GIANT 21 143 NONE
ZERO 7543 0 1 0 RIFF RAFF 1305 BLACK ORC 20 143 NONE
MELOFARLASKI 7500 1 1 0 TYCRON'S MERCS 1298 ZULOK THE SHADOW 7508 142
PERSONAL ADS
Diaretic -- Howdy! My name is Sensei Jan and I run several teams. I noticed you
were asking Jorja about some aggressive leaning arenas; and as a former Noblish
Island alumni I would like to tell you about two that I think would suit your style
of play. Both are Delarquan, which promotes the aggressive play, so about anything
goes. Sunset(21) is called the Arena of Death. It is tough, but not the toughest.
The personals are active and it is a growing arena. Jorja also has a team there.
Valamantis(62) is my favorite arena I've ever played in. It is a good mix of new
managers and some veterans. It is very active and has a decent mixture of styles.
My teams in those arenas are Sunset--Yakuza and Valamantis--Samurai Kids II.
Whatever arena you choose, make sure you look into that arena before you place your
team there, as otherwise if you don't like the arena after you've begun playing there
it is a long process through a transfer arena to move. Good luck! -- Sensei Jan
Tycron -- Tough fight, yes. Fair fight, there is no such thing. There is just me
winning and you losing. But good luck anyway. -- Diaretic
All -- Of all the luck. Where is Crazy Man when I get my team tuned up? Nowhere to
be found. -- Diaretic
P.S. I told you I would figure it out. 5-0-1.
Jorja -- There's the Lighthouse. Whenever you start at it regularly feel free to use
some of my team. They are always there anyway. :) -- Diaretic
P.S. Getting Wednesday drunk and passing out is the only way we can control her.
Even aiming at the legs she killed. AH IT'S USELESS!
Striden -- Don't think the fun's over yet. -- Little Horn
Katrina the Red -- Don't get cocky with the attention you're getting; it won't last
long. -- The Wretched
Wolverine -- I'm surprised you could move. You shouldn't've had to "pause to regain
your strength," in the second minute. -- Pol Olvan
P.S. Yeah, yeah, I know, I lost. But that's because I'm a rotten warrior, not
because I'm dumb.
Warts B Gone -- I think you may be running a tad too fast for your skills, my friend.
-- Tealin Sali
P.S. Also, you're too short. I wouldn't have hit you in the throat if your throat
was higher up, because I wasn't AIMING for it, you know.
Sticky McPants -- Looking good there! But what is the deal with the houseplant
stuff? Of course I could kill a houseplant, but it has nothing to do with fighting.
-- Lena Koril
The Wretched -- Damn. Classic style match. -- Nefan Murh
Morph -- How'd you get past the drug testing? You weren't supposed to be wired
enough to jump me, given our styles and all. Oh, it WORKS, but it isn't ORTHODOX. I
like things to be regular, you know? -- Rendor Quil
P.S. Good fight.
Diaretic -- "Popping in and out"? Well, everyone gets ten turns here and then has to
leave for good. This is just to give new managers a chance to play a few turns
before they run into the heavy competition in the regular arenas. In those other
arenas, there will be managers popping in and out as they prep warriors for tourneys,
yes, but each arena has a stable core of teams that are there come rain or come
As too a good, aggressive regular arena, hmm. Do you want large, medium, or
small? Andorian (they prefer to see no down-challenges or deliberate kills, and
expect you to write half-way friendly personals), Delarquan (the win is all), Free
Blades (tone of the arena varies a lot from one to the next), or Lirith Kai (similar
in tone to the Andorian arenas)? Fast (two-week turnaround) or slow (four weeks)?
Oops, you said not a slow arena--well, I'm going to list the hot slow arenas anyway,
in case someone wants to know. Besides, you could also consider getting TWO teams in
slow arenas instead of one in a fast one. (39 and either 31 or 28 make a good pair,
as they run as near to opposite each other as it gets, you'd still get turns every
two weeks.)
For Andorian fast arenas, I'd recommend Aruak City (dm 11) and Aradi (dm 60);
for slow Arkers (dm 8).
For Delarquan fast arenas, the toughest is Talcama (dm 18), and Bonsur (dm 7),
Kolact (dm 10), and Sunset (dm 21) are good; for slow arenas, Xochithlan (dm 39) is
the best.
Free Blades fast arenas seem to be in flux right now, but I would suggest Riztab
(dm 12) and Willaf (dm 16), maybe Lapur (dm 29). In the area of slow arenas, Free
Blades is hot: Morya (dm 28) is just starting a contest, Chimlevtal (dm 31) is always
jumping, as are Stormcrowe (dm 45) and North Fork (dm 47).
In Lirith Kai, Daiyla Kiv (dm 74) is in the middle of a contest, which means
lots of players, and Jade Mountain (dm 75) is the friendliest.
Hope this helps, but ask for more specific information and I will answer. --
P.S. I'm always here in Noblish, but I'm a special case--I've been playing a good
long while now, and I'm here to give advice and opinions, answer questions if I can
or find someone who will answer them, etc.
Comments on the articles:
Tricks of the Trade, by Roku. I don't think Roku is active right now, and even if he
is, how will you contact him? Not that his points need much discussion. But I will
point out that if your warrior is not intended to go on into Advanced Duelmasters,
it's okay to "burn skills" by raising stats as needed. I have never encountered a
warrior who maxed his skills in Basic.
Warrior Handedness, Jessie Jest. Jessie is inactive everywhere. And as to his
article, so? Some are right handed, fewer are left handed, and fewest are
ambidextrous. You can't do a thing to change that.
The Arcane Slasher, by the Arcane Kid. This manager is active, right where he says
he'll be: in Osksi. This is a sound article if you want to build a great slasher.
But you can get perfectly decent winning slashers with a more relaxed set of numbers.
The Basher, by Uncle Charlie. I think he may be active now in DM 36, but under a
different manager name. I have no doubt that these work well for him, but what can I
say? I wouldn't do 'em that way. I'd lower the WT a little to get a higher DF; I
like them to hit their opponent some, maybe even hit their targeted location.
The Anti-Thesis Slasher, by Talon Volksie. He is usually active somewhere, but I'm
not sure where right now. Try ADM 105, team Car and Driver. This is a sound article
by a manager who knows what he's talking about.
10 May 2003
15 May 2003
Assurnasirbanipal invites all to use his computerized warrior management tool. The
web at: http://www.geocities.com/assurnasir
27 May 2003
keeper of lists
30 May 2003
summer. Please direct any Snailmail to:
Devon Hagy
Open Skies Ministries
Att: Hammer
1515 E 7th St
Okmulgee, OK 74447
See you on the sands!
-- Daryl P Holloman aka Hammer
Flower Hammerz DM 28
Casino Hammerz DM 33
Fish Hammerz DM 54
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
CHAOS was butchered by SPYMASTER in a 1 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
CALDUIL was slaughtered by BANDIT PRINCE in a 1 minute gruesome Dark Arena battle.
ZEDDICUS was narrowly killed by BLACK ORC in a 2 minute gruesome Dark Arena fight.
MO RON was butchered by SHEWISH GIANT in a 2 minute gory Dark Arena contest.
ZERO was assassinated by BLACK ORC in a 2 minute bloody Dark Arena match.
GHENGIS KAHN was bested by STRIDEN in a popular 3 minute Bloodfeud duel.
LITTLE HORN bested WOLVERINE in a 1 minute Challenge match.
FURIOUS IMP devastated KESSEL in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge competition.
THE WRETCHED was handily defeated by KATRINA THE RED in a 1 minute Challenge melee.
TOAD vanquished RENDOR QUIL in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge duel.
POO FLINGER vanquished XARION in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge duel.
WARTS B. GONE was defeated by MORPH in a 1 minute beginner's Challenge match.
RED BABOONBUTT was overpowered by TEALIN SALI in a 3 minute one-sided Challenge fight.
WEDNESDAY demolished VENEMOUS CONCUBINE in a 1 minute mismatched Title competition.
GAMBIT bested LENA KORIL in a 2 minute battle.
POL OLVAN subdued GUTTERSNIPE in a 4 minute novice's brawl.
NEFAN MURH overcame STICKY in a 1 minute novice's conflict.
RAVAGER OF DOOM vanquished PANSY BEDWETTER in a 1 minute mismatched bout.
THE ROOKIE was vanquished by BEAST in a 2 minute one-sided fray.
PORK CHOP bested MORDANT DESERTER in a 4 minute amateur's brawl.
JINX assassinated CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute one-sided bout.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|LUNGING ATTACK 5 SLASHING ATTACK 11 - 5 - 2 69 |
|WALL OF STEEL 5 LUNGING ATTACK 13 - 6 - 0 68 |
|AIMED BLOW 4 PARRY-LUNGE 4 - 2 - 1 67 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 4 WALL OF STEEL 14 - 12 - 1 54 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 3 AIMED BLOW 9 - 8 - 0 53 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 3 PARRY-RIPOSTE 14 - 14 - 1 50 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 3 BASHING ATTACK 15 - 15 - 1 50 |
|BASHING ATTACK 3 PARRY-STRIKE 9 - 10 - 1 47 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 2 TOTAL PARRY 4 - 5 - 0 44 |
|TOTAL PARRY 2 STRIKING ATTACK 13 - 17 - 1 43 |
Turn 143 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the
PARRY-LUNGE 2 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 2 3 LUNGING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK 4 - 1 SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 2 2 AIMED BLOW
PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 - 1 BASHING ATTACK 1 - 2 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE
AIMED BLOW 2 - 2 WALL OF STEEL 1 - 4 1 SLASHING ATTACK
STRIKING ATTACK 2 - 2 TOTAL PARRY 0 - 2 1 PARRY-STRIKE
1 WALL OF STEEL
1 PARRY-LUNGE
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
SLASHING ATTACK WEDNESDAY 7156 6 1 2 84 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
LUNGING ATTACK LITTLE HORN 7526 3 0 0 38 THE DARK TIDES (1234)
The overall popularity leader is WEDNESDAY 7156. The most popular warrior this turn
was GHENGIS KAHN 7534. The ten other most popular fighters were GAMBIT 7166,
ZEDDICUS 7525, STRIDEN 6650, MORPH 7528, WEDNESDAY 7156, NEFAN MURH 7511, BEAST 7165,
The least popular fighter this week was GUTTERSNIPE 7545. The other ten least
popular fighters were PORK CHOP 7542, PANSY BEDWETTER 7531, STICKY 7530, POL OLVAN
WRETCHED 7535, and KESSEL 7501.
Article for Newbies
KEY FOR ODDS OF WINNING:
1 - ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE 6 - BETTER THAN EVEN
2 - HARDLY LIKELY 7 - GOOD CHANCE
3 - NOT MUCH 8 - HIGHLY PROBABLE
4 - SLIGHT CHANCE 9 - MOST DEFINATELY
5 - 50/50 10 - ALMOST GUARANTEED
Reminder: Left Row vs Top Column
BA ST LU SL AB TP PS PL PR WS
BA 5 2 6 6 8 9 7 6 5 6
ST 8 5 8 9 9 6 7 5 6 4
LU 4 4 5 6 10 5 7 7 9 6
SL 4 1 5 5 8 6 8 7 8 9
AB 2 2 2 4 5 10 6 6 6 7
TP 3 4 6 4 1 5 7 8 6 5
PS 3 3 3 4 5 4 5 4 5 4
PL 5 4 3 3 6 2 7 5 7 6
PR 7 5 2 2 4 5 6 3 5 4
WS 5 8 6 2 4 6 7 5 6 5
roundtable and without whose effort little projects like this would prove quite
David Gottwald - Magic Man
The Crew - Monuntial (34)
Rocky's Heroes - North Fork (47)
Tragedy Strikes - Andor (57) (inactive)
Natural Born - Illis (59)
Slow & Easy - Aradi (60)
Omega Squadron - Dragonhead (72)
MAKING YOUR CHALLENGES GO THROUGH
2. Is your handwriting clear?
experienced warriors so they will learn.)
the last two turns, then they can't challenge.
There are several things that will help:
still might get your second challenge.
increases your chance of getting your own challenge through.
that they won't be fighting this turn.
issues of the newsletter to find out who the TVs are.
get challenged a lot.
includes any warrior your team fought within the last two turns.
currently at war with anyone.
I hope this will be of some help to you.
The Rogue She-Puppy
following procedures.
the excitement.
accidentally uncover an unexpected replacement rollup. This is a traumatic experience
go exactly as planned.
to leave a loaded musket nearby.
it is nice to choose an exceptionally violent alternate selection for those
hockey gear.
consecutive war hammer shots to the head...
Isn't Duelmasters great?
DM-10 (Kolact) Beermacht
DM-22 (Solven) Steel Warriors
DM-24 (Zorpunt) No Escape
Winning With the Average Warrior
Primus TVs.
the arena!
M.A., a proud member of GAPPDA
TWELVE TIPS
I missed.
try the jerk routine!)
can be hurt both striking and defending.)
real "rush!"
was a long, long time ago.)
THE CONSORTIUM
DM 8 Smithsonian (Curator)
DM 11 Bulldogs (Kennelworth)
DM 20 Animal Farm (Mino)
DM 46 Fandils (Fandil the Wise)
(and many, many more) | http://www.reality.com/duel2/modules/Newsletters/a093t143.htm | dclm-gs1-187180001 | false | false | {
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0.01957 | <urn:uuid:6ea4926f-5a72-4d4a-aa4e-09eb779869f2> | en | 0.955208 | click for video
Source: Yahoo Finance
Aaron Task:
“This bull run will eventually end…[and] the best way to handle that trade is to wait for the market to tell you the run is over,” says Ritholtz. But it hasn’t said that yet, and is behaving instead as would be expected after a big bull run.
“When you have a market up as torridly as this one has been since QE4 was announced you to have to think there will be a little bit of a slowdown. You can’t grow 13% a quarter for very long,” says Ritholtz.
Ritholtz, who is also the creator of The Big Picture blog, studies the internal dynamics of the market for signs of where it’s heading, but those indicators are mixed.
More here . . .
Category: Markets, Media, Video
7 Responses to “Ritholtz: Market Bull Run is Not Over (Yet)”
1. Jan Perlwitz says:
I have a question for Barry Ritholtz.
You are quoted in the interview as saying following:
“Cash balances in individual investment accounts at 18-month highs,” suggesting investors have lots of money to pour into stocks when the time is right—a bullish signal.
This statement implies that cash balances of individual investors tend to go down during a bull market run on average, until it reaches some minimum at the peak of the bull market. Thus, if the cash balances of individual investors go down, whose cash balances go up at the same time on average? There are always two sides in a trade, the seller and the buyer. The money does not vanish. And it is not “poured” into stocks like stocks were a container where it was stored. If the cash balances of the individual investors reach some minimum at the peak of the bull market on average, some else’s cash balance must reach a maximum at the peak of the bull market on average. Who are the ones on the other side of the trade who are not individual investors and who have maximum cash at the peak of the bull market?
2. icm63 says:
IRS tax receipts YOY% change are flat to falling (trimtabs blog)…recession is coming.
Also I will sell you my lunch for a once of gold anytime. Gold has been a currency longer the US dollar. In fact 1000;s of years.Of course it goes up and down. Cyprus folks dont agree with you.
3. chartist says:
I too believe this bull has legs. Market tops don’t let investors out easily like this one has. We seem to be building a short term head and shoulders top on the S&P. Target is 1500. I think it will be mid May before the market stabilizes….I have an SPX target of 2070 in 18 months followed by a 50% decline. A favorite stock is Ford Motor. The monthly chart shows a H/S bottom pattern with a target of $30 in 18 months.
4. DiggidyDan says:
Barry, I agreed with you the other day that I thought there was a bit left on the rally. . . but not much. Originally, after QE∞, I figured it was risk on and a grind up until inflation approached 3% or UE approached 6%, but now I’m not so sure we will get there. I keep looking at the base commodities and transports divergence and getting that not so warm and fuzzy feeling. Looks like emerging slowdown and deflation on the horizon, truthfully. How does the Fed react to that now? | http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2013/04/ritholtz-market-bull-run-is-not-over-yet/ | dclm-gs1-187230001 | false | false | {
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0.02099 | <urn:uuid:d02717ff-3fff-459c-bafb-5a704202d8fd> | en | 0.703261 | Southern Steel Pipe Tobacco
WARNING: Tobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in nonsmokers.
Made In USA
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| http://www.sxbrands.com/products/southern_steel | dclm-gs1-187510001 | false | false | {
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English 252
French 1
of the strongest parts of our struggling economy? hi, eryone, i'm brenda butner. the bulls and bears this week. gary b. ith, toeben smith, jonas, john layfield along with susan ox. welcome to everybody. okay, gary b., you say all this snooping could shock the one part of the economy that's actually growing? how so? >> absolutely, brenda. look, i'm going to call this the nsa tax, if you will. you know, we have the e-commerce segment o our gdp is about $269 billion. it's growing the faest of any retail segment that we have out there. in fact, it's probably,if you look back over the last few year really supplied the bulk of the job and growth and innovation in the retail sector. if people now are afraid to go online, and they ar i mean, they've been aaid in the past. you know, credit cards and stuff like that. this is only going to exacerbate it. if that industry starts to shrink,oh, boy, the economy is really going to suffer. >> jonas, you say consumers are going to get used to it afte a little while. >> i don't think it's going to change shopping behavior. the other day, you can save 3% on some
of an ingracious way to do it because ben bernanke got him elected by pumping all the money into the economy, and being the only thing promoting economic growth because his fiscal policies he even admits fail. that's pretty bad. i was shocked at bernanke's statements yesterday. they were clear and concise and said in clear terms that we're going to end this, when we get any sort of indication it's probably going to be over. we may even end et al. together next year if the economy starts to improve. he knows the markets are so volatile, on tender hooks about ending quantitative easing, and you have to thicket was payback. >> neil: normally, they stay before you fire a person, make sure you have their security pass. and check they don't have weapons. but in this case, the powerful weapon. i'm not saying -- there could be the temptation to say i'm going do it sooner than the market thinks. >> i don't think what the president said was an accident. i don't think he says anything accidentally. and you can read a lot into that. and there has been a ton of chatter since that interview, talking abou
on whether the economy continues to improve. gone in two days were was last two months of gains in the stock market. for the year stocks are up more than 12%, even if a lot of us have doubts about the health of the economy. >> unemployment needs to be fixed, housing market. >> i'm worried about the economy. >> reporter: what is next? the year is almost half way down. corporate reports will come out soon and experts are nervous, housing recovery, mortgage rates are inching up. >> these stocks will be volatile until we get clarity on what the feds are doing. >> reporter: there is no shortage of opinions even inside the fed itself. jim bullard said the bond buying was inappropriate time. >> i think the fed was purposely trying to take air out of the housing market and stock market. they don't want the stock market going up 20% every six months and house prices rising 10% year after year. >> reporter: they took bernanke at his word, the economy is recovering and a policy charge is a short-term shock to the system. >> we're babying, over medicating this economy. this economy is like a 12-year-old
wall street journal," -- -- he went on to say, "the economy is recovering too slowly and should not be regarded as the new normal." >> we need a new approach. an approach that removes obstacles of growth, prosperity -- of growth and prosperity. unleash the nation of builders. to become a nation of builders and i think we have to stop picking winners and losers and start focusing on expanding opportunity for everyone. we started out by giving our kids a good chance at an education. to hirend opportunity axa's education so students are ready for tomorrow's job market. to become a nation of builders again, we need to fix our tax code. if we clear out all of these loopholes and make the tax code fair it is going to make it easier to understand, we will be creating more incentives to bring jobs home, and keep our resources here in america. a host: john boehner before the national association of manufacturers. this headline from "the -- this editorial from "the wall street journal" -- joseph on our twitter page has this comment -- logan is on the phone from las vegas on our independen
not be until december or early next year. third point, the u.s. economy's still only growing sluggishly, only 2% growth. just about 1% inflation. modest profits. falling gold. and a steady king dollar. interest rates in my view are not going to skyrocket. there's more money to be made in stocks. the second half is going to be a slower slog than the first half. okay? that's my take on the story. here now we bring in former federal reserve governor frederick mishkin, currently an economics professor at columbia university. welcome back, rick. i just want to ask you, this is a very complicated news conference and a lot of people are saying many different things. first of all, let me ask you if i have the story right. i heard the news conference. the fed will slow down bond purchases toward the end of the year. is that what bernanke said? >> i think what they're trying to do, they've been very concerned, i'm sure, about all the volatility in the markets. and they want to make sure that people understand that in fact they are going to get out of this purchase program, which raises a lot of complicat
fiscal policies. opinions are divided on how the growth plan can lift the economy. nhk world's chie tanaka has more. i >> reporter: cabinet ministers gathered on friday to give final approval on the new economic growth plan. its purpose is to make japanese businesses more competitive and to bolster the country's economy. the plan includes tripling the value of infrastructure exports by 2020 to over $300 billion. it also calls for establishing special economic zones to provide tax incentives and permitting sales of medicine online. abe also wants to promote the export of medical services and technologies to a market worth over $50 billion by 2030. some private firms welcome the new growth plan. japan's the leading manufacturer of medical image equipment is one of them. >> translator: we are looking forward to promoting our high quality medical products with government support. >> reporter: one economist says a growth plan with specific goals bodes well for the economy. >> setting a new target over prime minister's abe's growth strategy is very easy to understand, what trend of the po
that is something that is likely. you would have to see something happening much bigger in the overall economy. i do not think it is likely. >> during the recession, new home construction dropped by roughly half. now, thanks to supply and demand, we are starting to see what could be a very robust housing market. a great deal will depend on the broader economy. connell: david, thank you. david lee miller four us in the newsroom. great story. dagen: new regulations could create a labor shortage in that industry. connell: added to my long-standing theory. nevermind. twitter founder jack dorsey teaching small business leaders how to harness attention in social media. he sat down with our friend, peter barnes. talking about rates all day long. dagen: hello. connell: hey, how's it going? dagen: that is a big move. connell: exactly.% a big move from where we were. we will be right back with more "barkett now." ♪ i want to be prepared for the long haul. ishares minimum volatility etfs. foa smoother ride. find out why 9 out of 10 large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackr
the obama economy? this is "special report." good evening, i am chris wallace in for bret baier. investors and traders on wall street are breathing a sigh of relief, thanks to a break from two rough selloff days in the financial markets. chief white house correspondent ed henry reports there's one man that remains on the hot seat, federal reserve chairman ben bernanke. >> reporter: after two days of market melt downs and high anxiety about 401(k)s plunging again, the last thing president obama or his aides wanted to do today was try to decipher the words of the fed chairman, ben bernanke. >> how is the white house sorting out what he said? >> here is what i have to say about the markets and the fed chairman and fed policy. >> reporter: nothing to say. probably smart because the market settled today, with modest gains for the dow and s&p 500 and a small drop for nasdaq, after a two day global selloff for stocks, bonds, and commodities, sparked by a massive credit crunch in china, refusal by communist leaders to intervene by pumping cash into the system, coupled with bernanke's comment that
. one of our supporters that says, liberty. immigrants contribute to our economy. immigrants pay taxes. we're actively mobilizing a lot of the important aspects of our economy. so when we are having a discussion about what is the living wage and how fast can we live on, right now, $14,500 is the living wage. they're talking about be giving access to services. we're creating a shadow economy of a community in perpetual -- >> i think the conservative movement in this country does not want immigration reform. it helps keep wages down like you're talking about. there is a mindset that is very strange. this came out of mouth of jeb bush. i want to you hear what he said about immigrants. here it is. >> we're going to have fewer workers taking care of a larger number of people that the country has a social contract with. to be able to allow them to retire with dignity and purpose we cannot do that with the fertility rates we have in our country. immigrants are more fertile and they love families and they have more intact families and they bring a younger population. >> what is your response t
december kay and economies die." >> while we spend a lot of times talking about how poor economies can improve their institutions to get richer, we don't talk about how richntries can get poorer. >> rose: we conclude with george packer. his book is called "the unwinding: an inner history of the new america." >> i the book appeals to people who are of different political persuasions who say "that's it. that's what life in america has been this past generation. it's been a time of winners and losers, of old institutions that used to support middle-class people eroding and instead a kind -- a landscape where people are on their own and some people do very well and some people do not and the ties that have held us together as a people seem to be getting looser. >> rose: naill ferguson and george packer when we continue. captioning sponsored by rose communications from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose. ferguson is here. his new book is called "great degeneration: how institutions decay and economies die." in his book he argues that the west is in decline and he examines th
of america, this remains a vibrant place to live with a balanced economy. the american people must have a voice about what those rules will be. and congress cannot skirt responsibility to legislate. again, i would like to close here by thanking those who led this effort, mr. collins in particular, for leading the floor conversation. he has shown great leadership, working very hard. you came here as did other members of the freshman class to make a difference by supporting the reins act and i think you will advance that cause. mr. collins: it is easy to follow in the stoot steps. and we will work to continue that fight. i thank you for being here tonight. it is now with great pleasure, another freshman who has come from north of me in north compassion for his constituents. mr. holding: i thank the gentleman from georgia for the opportunity to discuss this administration's excessive regulations. we know the harmful effect that overregulations had on the economy and since taking office, president obama and his administration have continuously burdened the american people with an exceptiona
and breaking the news, the stories behind the headlines. if the economy is getting better, why did wall street have the worst day of the year and the walls, exclusive the man that co-founded apple with steve jobs, his interview tonight on a segway, a machine that nearly killed me once. we'll get around to talking about why. i want him to talk about the new upcoming jobs movie. >> nobody wants to buy a computer, nobody. >> how did somebody know what they want if they have never even seen it? >> also, government snooping taking us back to the days of the cold war soviet union. >> i want to begin on the tragic death of james gandolfini yesterday. we're learning more about the moments of his family found him in his hotel room last night. dan is live in rome with more. dan, what is the latest? >> reporter: well, we've been piecing together the tragic final minutes of james gandolfini's life. we know that he arrived at the hospital at 10:40 p.m. having been rushed in found collapsed in his hotel room in a five-star hotel here in central rome. we know he was traveling with his 13-year-old son. there
morning to you. leaders of the world's most powerful economies are gathering in northern ireland for a two-day summit. british prime minister david cameron is the host, and he's pushing for countries to share more financial information. leaders there also expected to discuss differences on some of the big issues. syria's civil war, free trade between europe and north america and of course global tax evasion. we'll have a live report from steve sedgwick on the ground in the next hour. >>> unions in turkey, they're on a owuone-day strike over the eviction of protesters from a park in istanbul. police and protesters clashed from sporadically overnight following a weekend of scuffles in the city. nbc's richard engel will join us with the latest in the next hour. >>> also in corporate news this morning, a large activist investor in smithfield foods is pressuring the company to explore a break-up rather than go ahead with that planned $4.7 billion takeover by a chinese meat producer. i don't know if this is going to make joe happy or not, but "the wall street journal" reporting that starboard va
to show the fed will continue to stimulate the economy. the dow soared 138 points, the nasdaq up 30 and the s&p by 13. gold sold off as oil gained. in the after-hours session, shares of lay-z-boy and adobe both initially rallied on earnings news. adobe beat estimates, but the future is in question. facebook will be out with its new big idea tomorrow. a new way to show photos or videos is highly suspected. and treasury secretary jack lew is giving up his loopy signature for a more traditional one he will use to sign banknotes starting this fall. larry shover of sfg alternatives joins us for trader talk. good to have you on the show this morning larry, and i am wondering how you are preparing for this fed day. - the way i am preparing today is just keeping the powder dry. clearly the smarter money - not to say that i am, but the bigger, smarter money - has been on the sidelines really for the past two to three weeks. a lot of big moves we have seen have been just dramatically done by hedge funds, futures, and fast money. so, i am keeping the powder dry. - it's easy to forget the other
a crucial role in our economy and vital role in our communities. mr. president, that was proven last night at 5:00 when the congressional budget office, this nonpartisan arm that we look to for direction with what things cost and don't cost here on capitol hill with our legislation, they issued a statement yesterday that this bill certainly, that's on the floor today, this bill certainly is good for the economy. as i will say a couple times during my brief remarks here, it's going over the next two decades, what's left in this one and the next decade, reduce the deficit in america by almost $1 trillion. of course as we've said here previously, previous to getting the report from c.b.o., this legislation is good for the economy and good for security. that's a good package. well, mr. president, these 11 million people need a pathway to get right with the law. a commonsense bipartisan reform proposal before the senate will help them do just that. it will reduce illegal immigration by strengthening our borders. it will fix our broken immigration system and crack down on unskraoup less employer
economies in terms of -- because they need europe to be able to take their stuff. watch for china -- i don't know who's really running that country, but i can tell you this, their deceleration in economics is just incredible. it's not bringing us down. >> china may go down below 7%, 6% growth this err year. we are right now the tallest building in elmira, new york. >> it's the shung kamao bank. >> how do you know about elmira, new york? >> i come to play. >> you do come to play. we may be the tallest building in elmira, new york, but people keep buying the dollar. what are you going to do? go to europe? go to china? they're all train wrecks wait to go happen. >> you can't feed china. that's a big issue. 700,000 recespiratory deaths la year. let's go to john meacham. speaking of smoking, he smokes way too much. john, you look at europe, the g-8, they were all lecturing president obama three years ago. sarkozy, where is he now? who knows? he's probably staying at your place in the south of france. >> oh, no, unh-unh. >> but united states is in this strange position of just sort of crawling a
the economy may not be enough to draw the sim lus in fine 13. what's that mean? in 1937, when we were coming out of the great depression, the white house and congress decided things were bouncing back strong! strong enough that it was time to start closing the deficit by raising taxes and putting less financial support into the economy t. fed agreechltd hey, come on, man, it was a first class disaster. >> the house of pain! >> it turned out to be a recession within a depression. now the president and congress have raised taxes as a part of the fiscal cliff deal. they agreed to the sequester, which was supposed to cut the defend spending. it is impacting a lot of little programs the media isn't focused on. wetion heard much about it. the fact that they're at 52-week highs, makes it seem like the sequester doesn't matter at all, who cares? government just doesn't know what it's doing. that's not the point. the point is neither the president or congress is doing anything extra substantive to get it moving beyond what it's done. we have for the interstate highway to build out over ike. we have n
to start closing the deficit by raising taxes and putting less financial support into the economy. fed agreed. hey, come on, man, it was a first class disaster. >> the house of pain! >> it turned out to be a recession within a depression. now the president and congress have raised taxes as a part of the fiscal cliff deal. they both agreed to the sequester, which was supposed to cut defense spending. it is impacting a lot of little programs the media isn't focused on. we haven't heard much about it. the fact that they're at 52-week highs, makes it seem like the sequester doesn't matter at all, who cares? government just doesn't know what it's doing. that's not the point. the point is neither the president or congress is doing anything extra, anything substantive to get it moving beyond what's done. we have no interstate highway to build out over ike. we have no wars, fortunately, like world war ii. we don't have a problem to fix bridges and tunnels. i often think the pipeline companies and google, google are doing more to help infrastructure and the government. into the breech comes ben
much that is costing the european economy, european jobs, and the european government? guest: at the moment, we are asking our citizens to do a lot of sacrifice in order to adjust to the impact of the financial crisis. we cannot allow a number of people to escape, a number of people to evade their tax responsibilities. so, i think this was a powerful message from the g8. very much supported and initiated by the europeans to make sure that our tax system is assumes itsverybody responsibilities in terms of and that when we ask normal citizens to make sacrifices, we should at the same time ensure that any of the people that tries to escape this sanctions -- is sanctions. cooperation among states is an effective one, and this is what they discussed in the g8 and what we are implementing. we are happy to see that we are on the same wavelength with the americans. host: what about switzerland? is which alone one of those locations used as a tax haven? guest: switzerland is not part of the european union, but we have a solid relationship with switzerland. we made a number of agreemen
that actually is a good balance and works for everyone in this sector of the economy. this bill first creates a way for current undocumented workers to obtain legal status through the blue card program if they've worked at least a hundred workdays or 575 hours from january 1, 2010 through december 31, 2012. all the blue cardholders will receive biometric identification. employers will be required to provide a record of their employment to the department of agriculture as well. and to be eligible, then, for a green card, the workers must have worked for at least a hundred days per year for eight years prior to enactment or 150 days for five years prior to enactment and they also would have to show that they pay taxes on their income that they earn while in blue card status, that they have not been convicted of any felony or violent misdemeanor as well. next, the bill also establishes an agricultural worker program to assign work visas for immigrant workers who don't wish to live in the united states but want to be able to come to the united states to be able to work legally. workers must regis
in the largest wely gain in four years. the sooner the fed pays it out, presses on buying. hurting the economy more than it has helped. editor-in-chief steve forbes, great to have you with us. qe appears to be at an end, sort of. $85 billion continues, the rates are moving higher, so that will be problematic. your thoughts on the timing on all of thisy the fed chairman. >> three years late, better late than never, what ben bernanke has done inadvertently this make it easier for the vernment to deficit spending, get back on their feet, issue newonds but for the rest of the economy, smaller businesses like with what they said in russia, health care is free but you can't get any. they a thehe job creators, they are hurt by what bernanke did. not much left for the small guys. lou: a lot of lilimited government, some of them are anti-fed. oh, my gosh, we cannot conclude it a $5 billion per month. i do not like what he has done, bbt don't let him reverse course here. there is a chorus of hypocrisy in pleading for more punch bowl, please. >> it is hard to give up when you have it. bernanke will not d
the buying spree. >>> meanwhile, across the pond they are talking the global economy. the g8 summit is under way in northern ireland, but it's not all about monetary policy. cbs reporter tara mergener on the discussions expected on u.s. wiretapping and syria. >> hello, everybody. >> reporter: president obama and british prime minister david cameron visited a northern ireland school where students are learning about the g8 summit. >> i think i just went outside the lines. >> reporter: but soon, the president and his counterparts turned their attention to the global economy. >> i'm pleased to join these leaders to announce the launch of negotiations on a new trade agreement. >> reporter: the economy is not the only topic at the g8. the civil war in syria is expected to dominate talks including president obama's meeting with russian president vladimir putin. russia supports bashar al-assad and sells him weapons. putin opposes president obama's plan to give military assistance to rebel forces trying to overthrow the government calling the fighters barbarians. >> are these the people you want to
the original small business. small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the engines of job creation. and over half of americans own or are employed by a small business. mr. speaker, there are 30 million small businesses in the united states, and they create seven out of 10 new american jobs each and every year. small businesses are the key to economic prosperity. the government does not create jobs. american small businesses create jobs. the government and its lawmakers should do everything in their power to cultivate an ideal environment for small businesses to grow and prosper by removing roadblocks to growth and building economic certainty. we need to keep the focus on the american worker and on small businesses. we need to remember that every week is small business week. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the entleman's time has expired. further requests for one minute? for what reason does the gentleman from texas rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one inute. >> thank you, mr. speake
the economy has not recovered from the collapse that wall street caused in housing and other areas. we had recreational vehicles industries gone. we had some high tech that's moved on. we had a lot of construction, home building, lumber, wood products pretty much decimated. the rural areas i have in my rural counties, unemployment over 20%. people are struggling to make ends meet, and we're going to cut their benefits. they want to work. some of them are working, and we even have a higher minimum wage than some states, but it still won't get you through the end of the month for your family. now, this is just outrageous. there are ways to cut this bill. we're going to stop paying finally at last, we are going to stop people not to grow things. we are going to have a new program of crop insurance and some estimates are this program which goes to anybody with an unlimited income, if you're a corporate farm and has $2 million, government will pay 80% for your crop insurance, 80% subsidies. why is that? we could cut this and -- if you earn a quarter of a million dollars a year, go buy your own
. there haven't been a lot of good things, the nsa stuff in particular. the economy is beginning to look a little firmer. and so, usually, that is the fundamental push in the trend line. so, yeah, there is a little surprise there. >> bill: you know, all of the talk about -- of course, benghazi, the irs, the department of justice and then, as you points out, the nsa. it all had its impact the. on nsa, the president said the intelligence community has to explain what this program is all about. they made their first attempt saying this has foiled 50 different terrorist plots. do you think this buries the issue and americans will accept it and go along now? >> there are a couple of different layers to the issue. one is: do -- -- does the public generally accept the notion of vacuuming up all of this data? if it is persuaded that this is what is necessary to stop terrorist actions. my guess is the public would be split but basically lean towards favoring it. and as we have seen over the past couple of weeks in polling on this stuff. the second is: does the
to this great city, all that you got to do is work together and have a sharing economy and support each other, and i think that is very simple and so with this graduation time, i want to thank you for being our investment and we have got a lot invested in you and i want you to be successful for that very reason and just ask you one thing, when you become successful, you turn around and you invest in somebody else. and eukarotickry the spirit on. this is the strongest spirit that you ever see in san francisco. and we are strongest in the whole bay require right now and our economy is the strongest and everybody believes that we have it. and i am going to keep it going but we have to share it with everybody else. this is the time to show that we are not the san francisco of 25 to 50 years ago where the haves and the have-nots and the have, one over the have-nots, but this is about a sharing economy where we invest in other each and this is the way that we can sustain our economy for everybody thank you and congratulations. [ applause ] thank you, mayor lee. good evening, my name is zelda saly a
while ago about the two countries' need to work closely together for the sake of the world economy. >> germany is the largest trading partner with us in the eu so we have a profound stake in each other's success. we agree there's more work to do. not only do we have to grow, but we also have to reform our economies structurally. >> the president also took time to defend u.s. spying saying they have averted at least 50 threats and saved lives in the process. mr. obama's berlin visit comes almost 50 years to the day since president kennedy delivered his famous anticommunist speech. >>> a tree trimmer used his chainsaw yesterday in the area of golf links road and mountain boulevard. kpix 5's juliette goodrich was first on the scene and talked to the man who came face to face with a suspect. >>> reporter: >> then i see this guy over there. and he says come here. and i thought it was a cop. >> reporter: it wasn't a cop. it was a suspected carjacker hiding from the cops after a high-speed chase from san leandro to oakland. victor happened to be trimming trees in the area. >> he called me
economy has done better. we build bigger, stronger fences. john: as the border patrol now we are here? >> oh, yes. john: an hour later they showed up. >> filming a segment. i intend donald -- ten donnelly. john: after that the left them one. once more fences. >> is this your ideal fans? >> ts is good. it forces people w wantt to smuggle something to go to a high point where law-enforcement border patrol ents can easil see they have been interdicted. we ought t secure it. john: a problem with the current fans. >> here is this biggeffective miti dance. impervious, scalable. then all the suddenn it just hands. is right here is absurd. >> despite the billions we have spent, there are still lots of balls in the fen. especially the older part. >> ts looks like a pretty good-sized already your. >> this is an area that we have volunteers who came down with welding track and well that up these holes. i mean, it is patchwo. >> i'm touching mexico. john: not that hard to get over the fence. drug dealers build ramps. this carappens to get stuck. kennedy found it was pretty easy to climb the fence
a facebook page now. so, you know, the world has really changed, and our energy economy has similarly changed. if you go back again to that time ten years ago, oil production, of course, continued to fall in the united states, imports increasing dramatically. top business leaders and thinkers from lee raymond to alan greenspan be projected an enormous natural gas shortfall and, in fact, there were lots of investments for lng imports. today we talk about blend w5u8 problems. pv, distributed pv, $10 a watt. today we're talking about incredibly reduced costs. wind power up by a factor of 15 in that time period. so there really has been tremendous change, in fact, even in the four years since president obama took office we've seen this. most especially, of course, we all know how unconventional gas and oil have been a game changer in this, in this country. we often think of the energy industry, the energy system as one of incredible inertia and very hard and resistant to change. and there are some, there is some truth in that, and there are some good reasons. capital intensity, all kinds of issue
, putting money into the economy. that's is what is going to happen. and -- >> neil: when you say taper, so not 85 billion. >> 7 5. and cautiously say if things get worst we're back to buying again. i think that's is what the say. most economists agree on that. it's interesting -- this is my one, -- i think the fed, even if it tapers a little bit, the chances are the stock market will keep going up. i only say that people should be cautious about the future. here's one reason. wall street is trying to sell this there are notes from goldman sachs, larry fink, meredith whitney, a big bull. they're trying to sell this market. i only worry that when wall street says, listen, don't worry too much, keep buying stocks, as an average investor, play attention to it. and i can give you an interesting bullish scenario. the fed does taper, the economy is getting better, markets start reflecting the economy, corporate profits, earnings are strong, and low inflation and guess whatting are as they taper, the pop the bubble in the bond market. there's a bubble in the bond market. particularly the more ri
, promotes growth and creates jobs, investments in infrastructure and innovation, expands our economy and strengthens the middle class and responsibly reduces the deficit. cognizant van hollen has been our leader on budget issues and the -- always promoting a budget as a statement of our national values of fairness, and opportunity, while reducing the deficit. please yield to the distinguished gentleman. >> thank you, leader pelosi. leader pelosi and president obama have in calling for some time now for the house of representatives to get working on legislation that will help boost growth. the economy has been improving but we know it can improve much faster if congress would do its work. two percent economic growth. because of things congress has done, like the sequester, we are slowing down economic growth in the country. the congressional budget office says economic growth this year will be one third less because of the sequester. which is why we have proposed a budget. senate democrats and the president of the united states have proposed budget that would replace the sequester wit
this much improvement in the economy versus this much distortion of every kind of asset class investors have a choice of. it is time, isn't it? melissa: that is not really what we're talking about. we're talking bu with the chaos that ensued this week. for example, let me play the sound bite president obama basically fired ben bernanke and charlie rose. we will get both your reactions on the other side. president obama: i think ben bernanke has done an excellent job. he is like fiv bob mueller. he stayed a lot longer than he wanted or he was supposed to. >> but if he wanted to be reappointed, you would reappoint him? president obama: he has been outstanding partner along with the white house. melissa: what? that is nottreally a ringing endorsement. that is like somebody saying how is your husband? that is like somebody saying he has been outstanding partner until now. >> anybody can be a loose cannon, it is just odd it is the president of the united states? melissa: was that a loose cannon? >> he is not going to jackson hole, that was a little odd. he has been telegraphing things and a lot o
. now, wednesday ben reports on the state of the economy. good news for the market is expected. the dow will be up close to 100 points minutes from now. the president is northern ireland at the g8 summit. he's not saying anything about the irs or obamacare, his approval rating is sinking. how about this for a super hero blockbuster. the latest superman movie brings in 125 million dollars over weekend. "varney & company" is about to begin. >> if the world found out who i really was. he was convinced the world wasn't ready. ♪ [ cows moo ] [ sizzling ] more rai.. [ thunder rumbles ] ♪ [ male announc ] whenhe world moves... futures move first. learn f futes from experienced pros with dedated chats and daily live webinars. and trade with papermoney to te-drive the market. ♪ all on thinkorswim. from td ameritrade. all on thinkorswim. a brand new start. your chance to rise and shine. with centurylinks your trusted technology partner, you can ust that. th our visionary cloud infrastructure, global broadband network a stom communications solutions, your business is more rele - secure - ag
of the sequester. , it is something that because of the strength of the economy, it has not been as much of a public focus as the white house hoped. host: is it a matter of capitol hill not bringing it up enough? what has capitol hill been doing on this? guest: the democrats ready regularly bring up the sequester. there is no pressure on anyone to change the sequester at this point. the economy is doing fine. the budget situation is getting better. the economy is improving. the sequester is having a role as well. at this point, it seems impossible anyone would turn off the sequester before the end of september. it actually looks like the budget things that were included as part of the bill that created the sequester will continue for some time. i would expect the kind of cuts we are seeing right now will continue in the foreseeable future. we are taking your calls and comments on sequestration. the nsa to leaks, the upcoming decisions on gay marriage, and any other subject you want to talk about on capitol hill this week. ken is up next on the independent line. good morning. caller: good
constituents have made it clear time and time again that we must make us work together to grow the economy. once again, republicans refuse to listen. instead, we are debating legislation that endangers women's health and disrespects the judgment of american women and their doctors on how to make judgments about women's health. this bill would deny care to women and the most desperate of circumstances. it is yet another republican attempt to endanger women. it is disrespectful to women, unsafe or families, and unconstitutional. at the start of the congress, the republicans take great pride in reading the constitution, but then they proceed to ignore it. one example is this clearly unconstitutional bill. they claim to reduce the role of government, except when it comes to women's most personal decisions about their reproductive health. leading medical experts believe this legislation is dangerous and wrong. that is the message we have seen from doctors and health- care providers who point out that this would put medical professionals in the untenable position when treating women in need -- w
while ago about the two countries' needs to work closely together for the sake of the world economy. >> overall, germany is our largest trading partner in the eu so we have a profound stake in each other's success. we agree that there's more work to do. not only do we have to grow, but we also have to reform our economies structurally. >> the president also took time to defend u.s. surveillance programs saying they have averted at least 50 threats and saved lives in the process. mr. obama's berlin visit comes almost 50 years to the day it was june 26th, 1963, when president kennedy delivered his anticommunism speech with the well known phrase, "ich bin ein berliner." >>> house republicans want to make it a federal crime to be in the u.s. illegally. a republican-based house economic voted yesterday to pass a bill boosting criminal penalties against anyone who is not a citizen. republicans say the bill is necessary to uphold enforcement of the law. democrats say it's too dangerous and are especially disappointed as the senate plans to work on an immigration bill to provide citizenship
, dana, you would think maybe he would talk about the global economy because, you know, germany's still very much struggling with its economy. it's so much tied to the united states. why not talk about that? >> well, it's hard to imagine it's not going to be at a least implicit in his speech. but one of the things that people may not know about president obama is that when he was here in the capital, when he was senator obama, that issue, the nuclear issue, was something on the top of his priority list. in fact, when he was campaigning in 2008 and making the point when he got to the general election that he could work across the aisle with republicans. one of the examples he could give is working with former indiana republican on the nuclear issue. that they even traveled together on it. this is actually something, he wasn't here very long as a senator. he didn't even finish his first term, but this is something when he was here briefly he did focus on. the other quick thing i want to point out, gloria talking about the big crowd of 2008 and the much smaller crowd here now that he's pre
about, is starting a conversation with air b & b and the other members of the sharing economy about how can we do some proactive thinking about leveraging the greater community to help come together and be organized in a time of need. for air b & b, we've taken that functionally it that we developed for hurricane sandy and we made it such we can deploy it next time within 30 minutes, whether it be here in san francisco or anywhere else around the world, to rally, to rally support and provide services. and, so, in closing i just want to thank our city leaders, mayor lee, president chiu, the department of emergency management, the bay share and the sharing economy companies for getting this dialogue started so that we're ready when it's needed. thank you. (applause) >> thank you, nate. and thank you all for coming. this has been a great day today. we are going to get -- go back into our meeting and continue our dialogue, but mayor lee and president chiu and i believe nate and milicent also will be here to answer a few questions if you would like to. so, thank you all for coming. (applause | https://archive.org/details/tv?time=20130615-20130623&q=economy&fq=topic:%22california%22 | dclm-gs1-187990001 | false | false | {
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0.060902 | <urn:uuid:ba445811-b222-43e4-bc82-df12d3081513> | en | 0.905536 | Kentucky warbler
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Kentucky warbler
Oporornis formosus FWS.jpg
Male Kentucky warbler
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Geothlypis
Species: G. formosa
Binomial name
Geothlypis formosa
(Wilson, 1811)
Oporornis formosus map.svg
Oporornis formosus
The Kentucky warbler (Geothlypis formosa) is a small species of New World warbler. It is a sluggish and heavy warbler with a short tail, preferring to spend most of its time on or near the ground, except when singing.
Adult Kentucky warblers are about 13 cm (5 to 6 inches) long. They are mostly an olive-green in color on their back and nape, and a brilliant yellow below from their throat to their belly. They have a small tinge of black on their crown, and a large black mask with a yellow pattern that runs from the beak and encircles the eyes, resembling a pair of spectacles. Female Kentucky warblers have slightly less black on the sides of their head, and immature birds may have almost no black at all.
The Kentucky warbler is a scarce bird with a large range, frequenting moist deciduous forests. It is migratory, spending summer in the central and eastern United States, often ranging as far north as Wisconsin to Pennsylvania. Come fall and winter the Kentucky warbler will migrate back to the Yucatán Peninsula and the many islands of the Caribbean, flying non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico.
Kentucky warblers nest on the ground hidden at the base of a shrub or in a patch of weeds in an area of ample vegetation. The female will lay between 3 to 6 eggs, which are white or cream-colored and speckled with brown. Incubation is done by the female only, and lasts for about 12 days. The young Kentucky warblers usually leave the nest about 10 days after hatching.
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0.027729 | <urn:uuid:a3258b35-7ff3-479e-8eaf-14bb40d3bdf3> | en | 0.951333 | Waves rashing on the beach
February Spring Tide
Please try entering https://graph.facebook.com/441544789308720/photos?fields=source,link,name,images,album&limit=200 into your URL bar and seeing if the page loads.
More coastal "overtopping" today, and another 3.5m height tide, with southerly winds and low pressure lead to an extra high tide. SEPA issued a flood warning for Cordon, but there are other areas that get flooded too. One of which is the low section of road in Sannox. It was passable but do you really want to risk stalling in the middle of it? Salt water in your brakes or in your engine is not clever!
Less direct wind into the beach and no rain meant a much more enjoyable view of the spring tide. Don't try this yourself, never take you eye off the waves. when they come in, they are full of stones so it would hurt! Many banks have now become overhangs and sannox beach is a good couple of feet lower!
Also if you look closely at some of the photos you will spot the rip currents along the beach, fall in and get caught in one of these you'll find yourself 100m from shore in a matter of seconds. If the worst happened and you got caught in one, don't panic, just swim parallel to the shore until you stop being dragged out to see then surf the waves back in :)
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0.019539 | <urn:uuid:c92c9be4-8b9f-43f4-9833-3285042a0f2e> | en | 0.717052 | Saturday, September 12, 2015
Hace demasiado tiempo de la última entrada de esto. Han pasado muchos semestres y muchas materias, desde inglés de Elementary a CAE, Teaching of a Second Language, Ed-Tech, etc. He podido experimentar con muchas estrategias nuevas, plataformas (Schoology se ha ganado mi corazón en los últimos meses...) y sobretodo, he conocido muchos alumn@s nuevos que me inspiran para que mis clases sean muchas cosas, pero no aburridas. Bueno, eso digo yo....
Y ahora escribo, porque si lo pienso más no lo haré, mientras espero que comience un curso que tomaré que incluye Tecnología, Storytelling, Teatro, etc......seeeee, ecléctico y variadito como me gustan. Es parte de mis cursos de inducción porque este semestre entré, una vez más, al Sistema TEC, pero esta vez al Tecnológico de Monterrey....y la verdad lo estoy disfrutando mucho. Serán semestres de muchas cosas nuevas, una nueva forma de trabajo, y sobre todo de aprendizaje. Y amo los cursos!! Ya saben: Once a nerd, always a nerd.... Y si le aumentamos que la tecnología ocupa un lugar primordial, pues es una receta para mi satisfacción personal.
Saturday, October 04, 2014
Liderazgo educativo
Hola a todos! Durante las últimas dos semanas, al platicar con otros colegas sobre una situación que se estaba dando con nuestros trainees, vino a mi mente que rodeamos a nuestros alumnos de muchas materias que consideramos importantes pues las consideramos herramientas para el futuro (llámese Morfo, Discurso, Docencia, Estudios Contemporáneos, Redacción, Francés, Inglés (bueno, esa si es la más importante jijiji)) , pero en el camino nos perdemos un poco de algunos aspectos humanísticos que son, por mucho, más profundos y necesarios. Quizá no todos los días analicemos un texto, hagamos una traducción judicial, usemos un phrasal verb, pero todos los días estamos en contacto con otras personas. Personas con una historia detrás, personas con ideales, con problemas y que responden con lo que tienen. Y para evitar situaciones incómodas, agresividad pasiva (y no tan pasiva), necesitamos estar más conscientes de la respuesta que damos. Y aquí es donde entra la idea de liderazgo. El liderazgo educativo no es solamente para directores, coordinadores, o entrenadores. En el momento de estar frente a un grupo de estudiantes, al tratar con otros profesores o compañeros, al planear una clase, se necesita justamente esto.
Desde hace un tiempo sigo una página llamada "Uncollege", en su último newsletter llegó un artículo que me parece pertinente. Lo dejo a su consideración. Ojalá lo disfruten.
3 Ways to Be a Leader
By Nelson David Bassey
For many years society has imposed certain myths about leadership on us, which sadly, we have accepted unquestionably. Many of us have been taught that leadership is about position, roles, job description, politics, greed or manipulation. Some of us have even been lured to believe that leadership is about personality types, or that there is a genetic factor to leadership. But is that really what leadership is about?
In January 2011, as a young college student, I set out to explore and find the true meaning of leadership. I started out by reading lots of books. Many of them emphasized management practices. Some of them introduced complex systems and definitions of terms that left me even more confused. Nonetheless, I kept on learning. What I didn’t know at the time was that leadership doesn’t have to be learnt or sourced through elitist education, expensive seminars and privileged programs. But I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn experientially as well. I joined clubs, started one, managed teams, pioneered programs, failed terribly and succeeded remarkably too.
After three years of my personal journey in leadership, I came to understand what truly leadership is about.
• It’s not about having or holding a position.
• It’s not about having connections or high social standing in society.
• It’s not about being born with a special leadership microchip in your left brain. (Just if you’re wondering, I certainly was not born with one.)
• It’s not even about having charisma or possessing certain personality traits (introversion or extroversion).
I learned that “The real secret about being a leader is finding yourself, discovering your purpose, believing in your abilities and living it every day of your life – thereby growing your value and influence, and impacting the lives of other people in different ways.”
My life exploded. Today, through writing, speaking and training, I help students understand the true meaning of leadership, embrace it wholeheartedly and increase their value and influence through it. Because of what I learned and the change I made in my own life, at age 23, I authored my first book, and have since had the privilege of speaking at conferences, conduct training and workshops for institutions across Malaysia and internationally.
People ask me, “What is leadership?”
Leadership is not a strategy. It is not a role or a responsibility. It is a way of life. “[It] is first an attitude and belief, followed by the ability to stand up and take ownership in walking taller and stronger on a new path or an improved current path.” – Rhae Duttagupta [paraphrased].
The next question is, “How can I become a leader today?”
Well, the answer is – you already are! We all have the seed or conviction of leadership within us. It can either be active, emergent or dormant. So, the right question is “How can I become a great leader?”, “How can I become a leader that will leave a positive impact for generations?”
Here are three (3) ways – not all the ways – of becoming that kind of leader:
1. Become “Leaderless.”
There are four kinds of people in our society today. There are people who do the right thing without being asked to do so. There are other people who do the right thing after been told once. There are also people who do the right thing after been told twice. And lastly, there are people who will not do anything even if you told them to. These people do not get any reward. The people who get the most rewards in life are the first kind. Which one are you?
True leaders are people who do the right thing without being told to. These are initiative takers. They take initiative to solve problems by asking the right questions (quoted from my book, “The New Generation of Leadership” page 51-52):
“…What can I do for my country today? What can I do for my community today? What can I do for my institution today?”
2. Create ladders for other people to climb higher.
Less than two weeks ago, I was blessed with a humbling privilege to share stage with Professor Muhammad Yunus (the ‘father of social entrepreneurship and microfinance’), in Jakarta, Indonesia. There I addressed 2,000+ ASEAN youths and social entrepreneurs on leadership and social entrepreneurship. The impact was remarkable, beyond words. However, that would not have been possible without a lady I truly love and respect. I call her “Ms. Chong.” She is the CEO of a non-profit in Malaysia. Ms. Chong got me on what became my biggest platform without any prior request from me. I received a call one bright morning, and was presented with one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. I accepted the opportunity which turned out to be a game changer for the Indonesian youths and for me personally.
Just like Ms. Chong, great leaders are people who create ladders for other people to climb towards higher performance, to succeed, to win and to actualize their dreams and potential.
3. Stand up for people and not for ideas.
From Nelson Mandela to Mother Theresa, Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King Jr. each one of them, like every other great leader you can think of, stood up for people. They didn’t stand up for ideas. They fought for people and not for ideas.
When you are starting a project, creating a product or making decisions in the boardroom, are you doing so for the “idea” sake, to prove that you’re intelligent and smart; or are you doing so thinking about the “people” who will be affected by it? Great leaders stand up for people. You can, too! These are the people who leave an impact for many generations long after they are gone!
In conclusion, my challenge to you is this:
How can you be “leaderless” today?
In what ways can you create a ladder for someone else within your network today?
Who can you stand up for today?
Remember, "There is no off switch on leadership. Every one of us can demonstrate leadership in every role we play, not just at work but everywhere, every day." - David A. O’Brien
Para finalizar este post, sólo quisiera decir que antes de ser profesores, somos personas. Y las experiencias, antes de separarnos, pueden ser un puente para acercarnos, considerarnos y conocernos un poco más. Parte de ser maestro es tener la sensibilidad para tender estos puentes y acompañarnos para cruzar juntos. | http://www.melbuendia.blogspot.com/ | dclm-gs1-188470001 | false | false | {
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0.119441 | <urn:uuid:272cda17-e2d9-4ef8-823d-417c1e748bad> | en | 0.936516 | Zoners: so where is Barbie at?
Discussion in 'NFL Zone' started by CrazyCowboy, Sep 16, 2010.
1. CrazyCowboy
CrazyCowboy Well-Known Member
32,226 Messages
250 Likes Received
Did Barbie Carpenter get picked up?
Just curious if he won a starting job--if so at what?
2. Everlastingxxx
Everlastingxxx All Star
7,209 Messages
187 Likes Received
Take a guess.
3. Hostile
Hostile Persona Non Grata Zone Supporter
119,427 Messages
3,700 Likes Received
Miami Dolphins.
4. garrett316
garrett316 Have I got a little story for you Zone Supporter
2,806 Messages
578 Likes Received
#50 - Dolphins. Saw him play a good bit. Looked like he was their nickel LB. Looked as lost as he was here and not looking for contact.
5. Hagman
Hagman Put Niland and Green in the ROH
1,272 Messages
0 Likes Received
Yes, he's safe in the bosom of Uncle Bill, suckling at the teat of his football godfather.
6. bbgun
bbgun Benched
27,868 Messages
0 Likes Received
He's in a hammock somewhere dreaming about being Clay Matthews.
7. ZeroClub
ZeroClub just trying to get better
7,619 Messages
0 Likes Received
Not a pretty picture.
8. Go Big D!
Go Big D! Destination End Zone
1,761 Messages
0 Likes Received
I'm scarred for life.
9. Joshmvii
Joshmvii Cowboys baby!
2,687 Messages
71 Likes Received
He's in a thread where the topic doesn't end in a preposition. :laugh2: I kid, I kid.
Share This Page | http://cowboyszone.com/threads/zoners-so-where-is-barbie-at.192814/ | dclm-gs1-188680001 | false | false | {
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0.018317 | <urn:uuid:4864487b-f3bf-4023-8173-f283d0411aff> | en | 0.96802 | A cap-and-trade program that auctions 100 percent of its pollution permits and refunds the auction revenue back to taxpayers is functionally equivalent to a refunded carbon tax — or at least as close to a functional equivalent as carbon policy is likely to get in this world.
So when Obama unveiled a budget that contained a cap-and-trade program with 100 percent auctions and 80 percent rebates, you’d think advocates of refunded carbon taxes would have been thrilled. They could have said, "this isn’t exactly what I’d advocate, but it’s a step in the right direction. I welcome Obama’s willingness to compromise."
So what did Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who allegedly supports a refunded carbon tax, do?
He called the proposal "sleight of hand." He said:
I guess his claim on Tuesday night that no one earning under $250,000 would pay more in taxes did not apply to this massive climate tax increase all Americans will pay.
This, remember, is from a guy who allegedly wants a carbon tax.
Moments later, Corker’s office said:
Corker has worked to ensure that whatever Congress implements, be it a cap-and-trade system that acts as a tax or a transparent carbon tax, that 100 percent of the tax revenue is returned to the American people and is not used to increase the size of government.
Obama proposed an auctioned system that returns 80 percent of the revenue. Corker wants 100 percent of the revenue returned. Because he didn’t get exactly what he wanted — only 80 percent of what he wanted — Corker is badmouthing the plan and working to destroy it.
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0.097442 | <urn:uuid:76ea916d-2048-45a7-b94b-2d7c5d9607f0> | en | 0.94437 | Archive for the ‘marriage’ Category
What do we do when our brain WILL NOT TURN OFF?
I recently read an article about how the Whooping Cough was an epidemic in California and in the blog it stated it was a direct result of people choosing to not vaccinate their children. (see link below). I was shocked by the parents’ vehemence towards each other on the topic. Yes, if my child contracted a deadly disease, as a result of being around UN-vaccinated children, and I vaccinated my children, I would be hysterically angry and want to blame the parents who chose to not vaccinate their kids under the ‘herd-mentality’ premise.
However, lately, I decided, when I get inwardly steamed about a controversial subject, I am trying to do the opposite of overreacting and commenting wildly on Facebook. I am trying to bring my inner Dali Lama to the forefront and find a medium in which we can agree to disagree and really try to support each other as we raise our children in this world.
As a society, I feel like parents; women especially, could do a much better job in supporting each other when it comes to how parents chose to provide for and raise their children. There are 500 different scenarios, and I do not think I have to list them all out because any parent that’s pouring love out of their heart to raise their children is a parent I support. Why does it have to be a competition? Why are SAHP (stay at home parents) cast as a certain stereotype and working parents cast as another? There are perks and insurmountable obstacles of all types of scenarios in raising kids. I worked part time on three separate occasions after I had kids, and WE could not make it work as a family. Why the competing forces on this topic?
For the record, I have probably criticized every one of these items in my head or out loud. Through some personal growth, I am realizing that when I criticize another person in general, my own inner insecurities are rearing their monstrous head. My criticisms of anyone or anything, has everything to do with my issues and little or nothing to do with their issues. My point, stop throwing stones in the glass house and start using some Windex together. Let’s try to remove the following preconceived notions and judgement out of our parental interactions:
1) The number and type of extra curricular activities (I.e. sports) their children are involved in and Thankfully , because of some of the work I have done on myself, I’m less likely to parent my children based on “comments” made by other parents.
2) How a parent disciplines their children. Aside from physical, emotional abuse and neglect, how you (or as a family unit) chose to discipline your children is YOUR BUSINESS. You are in the shoes 24/7, not the onlooker.
Both scenarios have their pros and cons. Stop trying to win the argument because there should not even be an argument anymore. It takes a Village.
5) BEING A SINGLE PARENT. Enough Said. I know my Dad struggled with this feat for many many years and I have the utmost respect for the single parent.
6)Being A Gay Parent. How is “gayness” affecting the child? or your child? If you associate being “gay” with being perverse, that’s your problem.
7) Home Schooling your Children. Sending your Children to Private School. Sending your children to Public School. I personally could not home school my children because I substituted as a preschool teacher and I learned very quickly that it’s simply not in my DNA and I would be performing an injustice to their education.
8) What type of religion , if any, is taught in the home. I do my best to teach my children what I know, I bought them “cartoon-esque” bibles so they have a basic understanding of Christianity. Essentially it is their decision to believe in what they want to believe in for themselves. I believe in a Higher Power of my understanding, I want them to come to understand what that means to them on their own terms.
9) How many chores your kids do around the house or if they earn an allowance. Again, you are not in the parents’ shoes 24/7, you are the onlooker. What works for some , may not work for others.
10) I’m backtracking a bit, but breastfeeding. I did not breastfeed, I tried and had to stop. No, I am not going to buy another mom’s milk over the internet or even next door. I applaud the women who breastfed and breastfeed. “BREASTFORMATION” (projectile vomiting of information on the benefits of breast milk) is not going tot make a woman who did not breast feed, change her mind on the subject, it’s only going to make the woman feel horrendous about her decision she can not or should not change based on your opinion. Information on the benefits of of Breastfeeding is great for groups and people who want to hear the information. I speak from experience and most moms I know who also did not breastfeed, DID NOT COME UPON THE DECISION LIGHTLY. Many tears were shed over my decision to formula feed my children.
I am around a lot of moms. The most common thing I hear is that they are so tired of being judged and tired of feeling like they are losing themselves in what other people THINK they should be doing. Why are we so damn hard on each other, aren’t we hard enough on ourselves??? Whether you are a strict parent, a funny parent, a fly by the seat of your pants- parent, cook three meals a day for your kid parent, kids were potty trained at 18 months or 5 years, parent, organized pinterest guru parent, handy parent, dramatic parent, etc!!! , I think the worst thing we can do to each other as parents is criticize each other!
Have you hugged another parent today?
* Article on Whooping Cough
profielic1I think I blogged about this before, but I absolutely have zero memory of what I wrote and yes, I could go back and read it. However, one of the 10 things that happen when you turn forty is forgetfulness and lack of patience. (picture is me 40, husband 38. Yep. I’m a Cougar. you can barely see my lips, see # 1)
On with it:
1) You lose your lip line. I’m not kidding, your face starts to melt into your lip line. Lip Liners are not for youthful people. The entire Lip Liner Industry was targeted for women over 40 who wake up one morning, look in the mirror and say “OMG WHERE ARE MY LIPS??????????????????”
a) Caveat: You LOSE LIP FAT. LIP FAT. That’s NOT EVEN FAIR. God, or Buddha, or your divine being that created you / me, I must ask “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WITH THIS ONE??? Wasn’t there somewhere else on my 40 year old body that you could have taken fat to use for whatever you need fat from my lip to assist the body part with the needed fat from my lip??? I could make a few recommendations? ”
2) Spider Veins. Varicose Veins. Bumpy Veins. No, not the pretty ones that show on people who eat the perfect amounts of food and exercise perfectly and have pretty veins that barely show in their arms but kind of show because they are lean and strong. I’m talking veins that APPEAR OVERNIGHT in some cases that look like a cluster of blue bug bites. Or Looks like your children got a hold of a blue sharpie, glue and blue confetti (not shiny or glittery, the dull confetti, the kind that sits out too long in the sun at the craft store and loses all its joie de vivre) and decided to decorate your thighs and legs.
3) Cellulite. Seriously. TRAPPED FAT? Dear Divine Creator. Again, where are we going with this one? Fat being TRAPPED on your body. If the fat is there, isn’t it kind of already trapped? Why do we need to make little pockets for it to stay trapped. Its like Hotel California for FAT??? Purpose of Cellulite?? – It gives the Celebrity Photo Shoppers a vocation. OR it gives Celebrity Paparazzi something to chase after on the beach so they can hound some thin celebrity and broadcast to the world “LOOK EVERYONE EVEN SHE HAS CELLULITE” Nice.
a) Caveat: I recently took up foam rolling NOT because it’s a healthy and prevents injury. I heard it “got rid of” cellulite and I was all over that like paparazzi on cellulite on celebrities at the beach. I know it does not get “rid of it”, I know the word was “reduces the appearance of cellulite” but in my book “reduces” = “rid of”.
4) Your metabolism? Wave good bye. I had this whole long thing written out but there really is not a whole lot to explain. Scientifically it’s the truth. I had to take a very long and cumbersome test when I was a fitness instructor and the ONE thing that they kept hammering over and over in the “Nutrition” section is the older you get, the more stuff slows down. Period. End of story. I passed the test (barely) but I know I got that answer right. The good news is if you foam roll, you will NEVER EVER get injured, have zero cellulite and can exercise off everything you eat. (I’m joking here…kind of….I’m really counting on this foam rolling stuff to kick in and turn me 20 again)
5) Ladies. Your boobs. Will either go straight down or off to the side. I asked my friend if their was a cure for “armpit boobs. Mine increasingly gravitate toward the side more and more, it seems like on a daily basis. I have to re-adjust them. Hourly. Dudes, I don’t know what happens to your instruments, but feel free to blog and let your 40 year old friends know all about whatever strange phenomenon is occurring on an hourly basis, but keep it classy.
6) If you lacked patience before, expect to lack it even more. I went to very few camps or church gatherings as a child but there was one song I clearly remember “Be patient Be patient don’t be in such a hurry, you will only start to worry, Just remember God has patience too, Just think of all the times others had to wait for you”. The song frankly annoys me because it (as a song ) it invokes memories of people behind me in line, rolling their eyes and shooting me looks of severe disdain. It divinely pops into my head when I am in the line from hell at Walmart or Home Deport or Lowes or Dollar General or DMV or where ever places long lines go to DIE.
7) You eyelashes leave their home and start a new home on your chin, , jawline , above your “un-lip-lined” lip, and the top of your feet. They move south for pre-Retirement years. No extra description needed here.
8) Every time someone yelled out to you “Use sun screen” and you did not listen – turns into a sunspot, guess where?? The same place your eyelash hairs relocate to for their pre-Retirement party. Thus, you have a parade of unwanted hairs and GIANT torpedoed freckles on your upper lip, chin, jawline and feet in addition to the Hotel Calfornia’d cellulite and Micheal’s Craft store veins and so on and so forth.
9) You start giving your parent’s advice. They don’t listen and they ignore EVERYTHING you say to them in form of advice and CHANGE THE SUBJECT TO SOMETHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH HIP HOP MUSIC????? It’s like some twisted reverse-psychological- punishment for any hell you put them through when you were a teenager. I really think they do it on purpose.
10) You drone on and on about “what happens when you turn 40”. Mall teenagers, people in their “twenties” are mildly annoying, and TRUST me they find “people in their 40’s and above” as equally annoying. It’s just a vicious cycle of annoyance if anytime there is a mix of these ages; Which is virtually, any family gathering. THE only PEOPLE that favor well at family gathering, are babies. So if you over the age of TWO, things just go down hill from there. HEY BABIES AND TODDLERS – Be prepared to be annoyed for the rest of your life. :)
WAIT, I almost forgot. Bonus) Forgetfulness.
WAIT, I just thought of another one when I was loading blog link to instagram. SELFIES SUCK.
PS.This is ALL in good fun.
“Do pistachios grow on tweese?” I ask my husband
“On Cheese?” He responds
Then we both bust out laughing. Except I’m snorting laughing, because I kept saying “Pistachio Cheese” in my head over and over and over. Seriously say it! Say it out loud, ten times right now. Oh yeah, people are most definitely, sneaking past you hiding their children saying “DONT LOOK AT HER\HIM. YES HONEY, WE ARE ALL GOD’S CHILDREN BUT DON’T TALK OR LOOK AT THE ONES MUMBLING PISTACHIO CHEESE TO THEMSELVES”
The complexity of marriage (civil unions etc) has yielded gatrillions of experts, books, and seminars on the subject. People dedicate their entire lives to counseling couples on how to stay together or on the flip side ostentatiously advertised how NOT to, with giant billboards screaming 1800DIVORCE on the freeway. Therefore, I thought I’d take a stab at the lighter side of thing as it pertains to the blissful union of two souls….especially when one asks a lot if questions.
Listed below are 10 (or more) things\questions/stuff I do and\or I say to my husband and some of his responses. If there is no response, it means he is dumbfounded that he once “found my corporate drive” attractive and wondered “wtf happened”:
1) “Do pistachios grow on TREES and is it warm enough for us to plant pistachio trees at our house this year?”
Reaponse: none
2) “Is this Trey Songz Song about his Mee Maw?” The song is called “Nana” as Trey Songz belts out “why ya gotta act so naughty”. Response: none
3) “Is it ok if I paint my nails while we are driving?” Response: “hell no”
4) “does my stomach look as bloated as it did yesterday?” Response “This feels like a trap.”
5) “Do you think Jay z and Beyonce make a ton of money because they seem really popular right now ” Response “seriously?”
6) “Do you think I look as Bootylicious as Beyonce is her song about being Bootylicious?” Response “OMG THERE IS NO WAY I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION CORRECTLY”
7) “Do you think me when John Legend sings ‘All of Me?'” Response: None
Caveat husband “do I sound like John Legend when I sing the song?”
Caveat “do I sound like Beyonce when I sing Partitions?”
…this could go on for hours and if you have read any of my other blogs, me a B are besties, so step off.
8) oh Crap, now he and the kids are asking me questions “is Texas bigger than California?” RESPONSE “I don’t home or car school”
9) “What ever happened to Fat Joe or Big Pun and do you dance or pull up your pants and do the Rockaway or do you just Lean Back? AND remind me to put Lean Back on my Bootie Jamz Play list please” Response :”oh look everyone, out the window, at all those critters over the bank right there”
Ok Clearly we need to go to Gary Chapman “Love Languages” seminar, we are not on the same page.
10) “do you think I have a lot of problems or am I just moderately ‘problem afflicted’ Response “I just don’t worry about shit like you do”
He literally doesn’t. He has zero anxiety. None. Zip de na da.
11) “Do you think my boobs grew from doing push ups or do they just go to the side more than ever before?” Response “I’m not opposed to boob jobs” Again, different pages. Gary CHAPMAN WHERE ARE YOU??
12) ” Are you disappointed that I have made zero money with all my part~time~mommy type career endeavors?” Response “Can you please put the pistachio shells in a separate bag so I don’t eat the shells”
2) Leave cabinets open by getting sidetracked with wiping the bathroom down with Clorox wipes.
3) This goes for leaving lights on, drawers open, garage doors dented, trash cans plowed over etc etc
4) Lose my phone 156 xs a day. He found in fridge once
5) Coddle our first born
6) Say “I don’t need a drink” and drink his completely.
7) Lose all the remotes to TV and blame the kids
8) Try to blame the kids for 1~6.
9) Talk like the Kardashians
10) My Driving. Period. Oh wait, there is one thing that causes him anxiety.
11) Ask him a MILLION questions during all movies and shows that he hasn’t seen either or have ZERO relevance to the show…We may have slept in separate rooms during Breaking Bad
….”.Why did Walt do that? Do you think Jesse Pinkman is a nice person in real life? DO YOU THINK SKYLAR MAKES SMOKING LOOK SUPER SEXY? OMG how did Gus walk with half his face gone?? Do you New Mexico would be a cool place to visit? How does Hank not know what’s going on? “.And so on and so forth…
12) Not knowing how to navigate anywhere at anytime and not really making much of effort to care that I’m incredibly directionally challenged
13) I know I said 10, but I just go with it. Last but not least…Not knowing how to fix my daughter’s hair, like at all. I try, I really do but she’s like him, stubborn, bossy and independent so really it’s his fault ….:) | http://scrappiemomma.org/category/marriage/ | dclm-gs1-189050001 | false | false | {
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Blackout Stout - Indian Wells Brewing Company
Not Rated.
Blackout StoutBlackout Stout
Educational use only; do not reuse.
29 Reviews
no score
(Send Samples)
Reviews: 29
Hads: 54
Avg: 2.5
pDev: 28.8%
Wants: 1
Gots: 3 | FT: 0
Brewed by:
Indian Wells Brewing Company visit their website
California, United States
Style | ABV
Irish Dry Stout | 5.20% ABV
Availability: Year-round
Notes & Commercial Description:
Beer added by: GClarkage on 01-01-2009
Beer: Reviews & Ratings
Sort by: Recent | High | Low | Top Raters
Reviews: 29 | Hads: 54
Photo of Pegasus
2.59/5 rDev +3.6%
Mouth feel: Thin and watery, with slight stinging carbonation.
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Photo of RyanK252
2.37/5 rDev -5.2%
Bottle poured into an Indian Wells Brewing Co pint glass
A: Pours dark ruby brown with a frothy light brown head
M: Light to medium body, moderate carbonation.
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Photo of Fatehunter
2.86/5 rDev +14.4%
Pours a half finger of head on a black body.
The taste is sweet milk start with a sweeter candy finish.
The texture is fizzy with moderate carbonation.
It's fairly sweet without let up and on the fizzy side.
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Photo of utopiajane
2.31/5 rDev -7.6%
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Photo of Offa
3.32/5 rDev +32.8%
This is another slightly-better-than-mediocre beer from this brewery. Indian Wells does, I find, produce at least a few pretty good beers. This is not one their best, although it is not one of the worst, either, and is about middle of the road for them.
Black, it has a small tan head soon thinning to a foamy ring.
Aroma is fermented charcoal and prune, singed leaves - pretty good but simple and light.
Taste is pleasant charcoal and prune, dry roasty finish after sweeter start, slight sourness. It is decent and pleasant but thin, simple, and very light.
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Photo of treque
2.73/5 rDev +9.2%
A: very deep brown, some ruby highlights, the head is very small which presents a tan color and dissipates quickly
S: some chocolate, some toffe, fruity, low esters
T: very dry finish, deep bitter, watery, crisping on tongue, there is no creamy character, low carbonation, small harshness a little soapy
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Photo of AgentZero
2.04/5 rDev -18.4%
A hardy har har to spycow for sharing this one.
A - Dark brown beer with a bit of a tan head that left a little bit of stick on the glass. Okay, so far not a disaster.
S - This smells bad. Stouts should not smell like corn and cheap chocolate. There's some malts also.
T - Lots of corn, some rottenness, and a bit of a harsh finish. Bad chocolate and wow this is just a horrid beer. Manages to be watery as well.
M - Medium bodied, lower carbonation.
O - This is a bad beer. It tastes like crap and I think it made me sick later on in the evening. Don't drink this.
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Photo of MasterSki
2.34/5 rDev -6.4%
Hell yes! A rare, retired Indian Wells tick. Thanks Chris (spycow) for sharing this gem. Unknown vintage, served in a Bruery tulip.
A - A nice half-finger of tan foam quickly settles to a thin collar, wisps, and minimal lacework. Dark brown body that has a transparent glint to it when held to the light. Nothing surprising for the style.
S - Smells like contract-brewed Guinness from St. Lucia or Canada. Generic macro aroma, with creamed corn and waxy fake chocolate dominating. There's a hint of unfermented malt beverage in the periphery.
T - Hint of malted chocolate and a shit ton of corn and generic macro aroma. Some grain, soda water, and a mildly astringent finish.
M - Surprisingly low carbonation, medium body, and no obvious alcohol. A bit watery, but relatively inoffensive in this domain.
D - My second encounter with Indian Wells was a mild improvement, but still pretty unpleasant. Tastes like a bad dark macro lager more than an Irish Dry Stout. Unfortunately, it isn't bad enough to reach comical levels.
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Photo of zac16125
2.65/5 rDev +6%
Pours a dark brown. Poured agressively and still gives almost no head. No lacing whatsoever. Aromas are subdued and no scents particularly stand out. Mild chocolate and coffey flavors are present at first, so there is a slight michalek flavor, but mostly this tastes watered down to say the least. Light Mouthfeel with a light body. It is easy to drink so you could certainly have more than one, although I choose not to. Overall, to weak and watered down, would not drink again.
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Photo of ChainGangGuy
1.8/5 rDev -28%
Appearance: Pours out a black body with an acceptably-sized, beige head.
Smell: The most incredibly faint hints of dark malted barley and, well, that's about it. Essentially smells like nothingness.
"A hole would be something. No, it was nothing."
--The Rock Biter
Taste: Scantly roasty, but then in rolls an odd, rather unpleasant lactic lacquery tone and select vegetal tastes hand-picked from your grandma's backyard garden. A curious acrid bitterness. An embarrassing, melancholy finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium-low carbonation.
Overall: Straight-up bad, yo.
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Photo of abraxel
2.58/5 rDev +3.2%
Tasted blind as part of Blind BIF 5, sent by sholland119. Poured into a snifter.
A - Pours an opaque, very dark brown, almost black. A bit of tan head that grew with a more vigorous pour. Looks pretty good.
S - A fair amount of booziness, but also sweet plums and raisins. A little too much alcohol, but otherwise pretty nice (it seems like a quad).
T - Surprisingly bland. The tiniest bits of the dark fruits that were so prevalent on the nose. There's a touch of alcohol at the finish and some coffee-like roastiness lingers afterward (but no coffee flavor). Other than that, I taste almost nothing. This is like an existential kill-shot: the complete lack of taste is making me wonder whether reality is contradicting itself... shit, did you just give me the red pill?
M - Not bad. A little thinner than the appearance and smell made me expect, but rather smooth. I get far more sensation from the mouthfeel than from the flavor.
Overall, this is just not good. It's not horribly unpleasant to drink (it's only slightly less tasteless than water), but it's not anything I'd ever choose.
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Photo of seeswo
2.14/5 rDev -14.4%
Pours black with a touch of head. Gives off that faintest notes of roast. Really lacking in the nose. Holy cow, this beer is watery. Like, really watery. It really tastes like an irish dry stout with the dry roastiness, poured over ice and then sat out for a while. There is some suggestion that there is a clean, dry roast flavor, but it is completely lost in the wateriness. The body is shockingly thin - probably the worst body relative to style on a beer I can recall. This beer is really unacceptable. I am surprised that it was bottled.
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Photo of Rizalini
2.48/5 rDev -0.8%
Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass...
A - Pours black, slightly dark brown edges, with a very minimal brown head.
S - Roasty toffee, carmel aroma.
T - Dry toastiness, but not much more than that. A very average tasting stout.
M - Medium, almost watery. Not what I like my stouts to be.
O - This tastes more like a porter than a stout. Too light on the pallete, and defenately not enough flavor.
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Photo of sholland119
1.79/5 rDev -28.4%
A-Pours deep dark brown with a very thin tan head. No lacing and very light carbonation.
S-Light roast and heavy pencil shavings. Not ideal.
T-A little bit of roasted malt with some cola and a bit of cocoa powder. Not much like a dry stout.
M-Light bodied, undercarbonated and watery.
D-No I would not say this has "drinkability". It does have drain pour-ability however.
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Photo of Retsinis
2.52/5 rDev +0.8%
Picked this up as part of make your own six pack at Whole Foods (other than Total Wines, not sure the Whole foods in Cali offer that option) while on vacation in Chandler AZ over the new year's holiday.
Review is from notes, and just finally have the time to add this.
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a large brandy snifter.
The beer pours a light hazy black with about a half inch of foamy cappuccino colored head that faded, with just a slight bit of retention. No lacing.
The Aroma's were mild, and a bit subdued. Light roasted malt, coffee, chocolate. Simple.
The flavors in the taste are a bit thin, even a bit bitter, unusual for a stout. Best description is it reminds me of the cheap, old, used coffee in a corporate pantry. A hint of light chocolate, but no alcohol taste.
The mouth feel was light and thin. Not flat, but it had this grit to it, might have been old now that I see it is no longer made.
Thankfully, I only paid for one, and looks as though it will be the last one I'll ever have if they are no longer making it. No real loss there though from this one, as it was forgettable.
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Photo of bens0n
2.69/5 rDev +7.6%
I have seen 6 packs of this stuff sitting the the shelf for months and had no idea this was a limited quantity batch when I bought it, had a tough time finding this beer without knowing the brewery name. Now I know why it has a layer of dust on the bottles and why I had never heard of this brewery before.
This beer pours an opaque black with a small amount of off-white head that fades pretty quickly.
This is one of the sweeter smelling stouts that I have had... Its got a milk chocolate backbone along with some other sweet fruity notes. It smells rather sugary and sweet for a stout, but I like that.
Beyond a pour and a couple good whiffs this beer goes downhill fast, this beer is extremely watery, and not rich like the smell would suggest. Tastes watered down and is extremely thin. There is an ever-so-slight hint of roasted coffee, but its almost not even there. Its just bland and unsatisfying.
I was amazed with how thin and watery this stout was. Its watered down characteristics make it totally drinkable, but this it not anything like the 'blackout stout' I was expecting.
This beer is far from getting drained though, its definitely drinkable, but not a good *stout*, not even close.
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Photo of GarthDanielson
2.15/5 rDev -14%
Served on-tap in a pint glass at the Brewery. The stout looks like a typical stout from afar. Light and airy head for a stout, though. Once it is within smelling distance, all that goes out the window. A nose full of berries and cherries is what I got anytime the glass came close to my face. Tied in with the aroma, the initial taste on the palate was that of strong fruit, with only the slightest, miniscule hint of coffee at the very end, almost into the aftertaste. No signs of roasted tastes in this stout. The beer itself felt far too light in mouth to even be considered a stout. None of the typical characteristics of a stout that we have all come to know and love over the years. This particular brew may do well in a second life as a brown or a porter, given the proper tweaks and modifications.
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Photo of nickd717
2.15/5 rDev -14%
12oz bottle thanks to largadeer.
Pours black with a decently formed light beige head.
Decent aroma, roasty with only a slight vegetal Indian Wells note to it.
The flavor is worse, rather acrid with roastiness and vegetal flavors.
Astringent and nasty mouthfeel, really bad.
What do you know, another bad beer from the Wells. Have to love these guys for their consistency, but you have to hate them for their consistent crappiness.
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Photo of Beerandraiderfan
2.57/5 rDev +2.8%
Ample blackness, but not eclipse black, sturdy tan head. Aroma was earthy chocolate.
Taste, not bad, choco coffee representin'. Pretty bitter and sour which is giving me some concern. Alcohol was existent, but pronounced beyond what I like in a beer. It does have a somewhat unique taste to it, so I can appreciate it on that level. Seems gritty and thin at the same time at points.
Certainly not going to win any gold medals, but the beer is serviceable in a pinch I guess. Just too much bitterness and not enough body.
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Photo of bmwats
2.5/5 rDev 0%
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint.
A: Black. Pours about a half finger, foamy, brown white head. Settles fairly slowly. Pretty much deteriorates completely. No real lacing to speak of.
S: Roasted malt. A little woody, and a little unsweetened chocolate.
T: Slightly bitter. Slightly malty. Tastes kind of like i'm eating a leaf. Just not much here.
M: Light, watered-down. A bit of an off-putting aftertaste. Reminds me of tapwater.
D: Easy drinkin' in a sense.... there's nothing there.
Atmosphere is pretty average. Appearance is okay, but nothing special; nose pretty much the same description. Flavor is almost nonexistent. There's just not much here. Overall, this is not that great a quaff.
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Photo of dwilson01
3.37/5 rDev +34.8%
poured from a 12oz bottle into an indian wells pint glass. The body is dark, not quite black, has tints of brown noticably as well as a reddish tint on the outsiteds. The head is a yellow sandy off white, not much to speak of and dissipates quickly with minimal lace.
The smell is of dark malt, not too much roast or smoke but mainly a sweeter bisuity smell combined with a refreshing floral hopping.
The flavor bascially gives me a smooth dark bready nut sweetened with molasses. The hops come through minimally but keep it from being overly sweet. I get a slight hint of alcohl during the tasting but only enough to make you want more.
it's very smooth, definitely a session stout, seems like it has a mouthfeel between a thicker oatmeal stout and the thinner Irish Dry stout which balances a sipper with a thin chugger.
All in all it's not a bad brew although I can't say I was very impressed either, I would probably pick another stout like old 38 or barney flats...
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Photo of DovaliHops
1.34/5 rDev -46.4%
Pours black with a not-so-impressive light-tan head that diminishes very quickly. Smells like chocolate metal. This beer does not smell good. The taste is not much better. Very watered down and metallic tasting. I would need to be completely wasted to find this beer descent tasting. Taste like someone took some soda water and let a couple nickels, dimes, and quarters sit in it for a while. Then they added some chocolate syrup. I think this is gonna be a drain pour. Mouthfeel was light....blah blah blah GROSS!
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Photo of EgadBananas
2.64/5 rDev +5.6%
A - Pleasant dark, nearly black look. Dark reds round out the edges in light. Frothy off white head, about a finger, sits on top. For an Irish Stout, it's just about there.
S - Slight malts, with a splash of tin, maybe a hint of sweetness. There's an Irish Stout in there, but it's muted by a good deal of nothingness.
T - Same goes for the taste. It's a little roasty, a hint of sweetness shows, and it's a bit bitter in the end. The flavour just doesn't last. It starts out decent, at about a 3, then halfway till end, it's gone. So, split the difference, and it's a 2.
M - It's watery and thin...but that's not far off from may experience of any other Irish Stout. So, yea, it's okay.
D - It's not really flavorful, but It's light, and easy to put back.
Overall, this is yet another bland offering from Indian Wells! 3 strikes and your out, I won't be trying another.
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Photo of charlzm
1.9/5 rDev -24%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 1
Consumed June 19th, 2010. Bottle obtained directly from brewery on May 30th, 2010. Consumed in "special" Samuel Adams glass.
Controlled pour results in a two finger frothy tan head that sticks a little to the sides of the glass. The beer is a deep brown with little light penetration. What does get through produces mahogany highlights and reveals plenty of rising bubbles.
Aroma is Guinness like, but with a solid mineral water backbone (as with all the Indian Wells beers I have tried). Lacking in roast and chocolate in the nose.
Flavor is a trainwreck. Lightly nutty with grace notes of roasted grain would be a fine description for this beer... IF it didn't have some sourness (to style, perhaps) and a cabbage/mineral water component. In other words, there is an acceptable example of Irish dry stout lurking in there, but as a whole the brew is utterly flawed.
Texture is a bit thick and a touch on the creamy side; they got this part right.
Just awful and undrinkable.
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Photo of GregSVT
2.55/5 rDev +2%
12oz bottle into a pint glass
A: Pours black with a decent tan head that fades to a ring and leaves a tiny bit of lacing on the glass.
S: The smell is decent with a malty cocoa aroma that resembles chocolate milk but there's a bit of a funky acidic smell in there too.
T: The taste is where this acidic aroma makes itself very known. It starts with a sour/skunky flavor that lasts most of the time and a small amount of cocoa and coffee are apparent on the finish. This would be good if it was brewed with good water like some other reviews have mentioned.
M: The feel is slightly creamy and light bodied but the nasty flavors detract from this.
D: One and done for me...in fact I may not finish this. Glad I only bought a single bottle instead of a six pack.
How does something like this make it's way to TX yet a good brewery like Russian River can't seem to distribute here? I also wonder when Great Lakes will send them a cease and desist letter about the name...
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Blackout Stout from Indian Wells Brewing Company
66 out of 100 based on 29 ratings. | http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/619/46967/ | dclm-gs1-189330001 | false | false | {
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0.029235 | <urn:uuid:62f19da6-dbf3-4e16-91e2-033f77568303> | en | 0.966037 | London (change)
Today 18°C / 14°C
Tomorrow 15°C / 9°C
6 messages
24/05/2012 at 08:53
Is it better to move my lovely Acer to a suitably prepared planting hole now, or wait until the autumn? It's looking great at the moment, but I feel it will do better in the ground. I'm not going anywhere on holiday so am aable to keep on top of watering and feeding. I just want to give it a bit of 'legroom'.
24/05/2012 at 09:33
It's my understanding that you can plant out pot grown specimens just about any time when the weather and ground conditions are suitable. Acers don't like windy sites, and generally like a bit of shade from unremitting sunlight so it's also worth choosing its permanent site well. I'm sure there will be other responses!
24/05/2012 at 09:51
Figrat's right - you can plant a pot-grown specimen at any time. If yours is potbound, plant it out as soon as you can, but remember to water it as though it were still in a pot over summer, because the roots need time to spread enough to support the plant.
24/05/2012 at 10:11
Be careful where you put it. Acers are VERY fussy and can cess to thrive even if there moved 12 inches. I must admit I rarely repot them, my biggest specimen has been in it pot for about 6 years - the pot is 14inches high by 20inches wide. When I find a spot that they like, I don't move them.
24/05/2012 at 10:17
Oh, and am sure I read somewhere that the best time you should move an acer is in autumn.
24/05/2012 at 10:27
thanks all. I have several of varying sizes, which are (nearly) all in the ground now. It's just, with this being the biggest, and my first one, I want to give it the best chance. It has the most glorious colours in autumn...and the blue tits & goldfinches love it. My 2 cats both pretend to be stuck up it as well, just so I can 'rescue' them...bit silly really as the bigger cat is so big all she has to do is drop her back legs and she's on the top of the pot! I might wait til the autumn, as the soil will still be warm then to let the roots start finding their way out before winter 'shutdown'.
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0.037159 | <urn:uuid:65c8eee4-93b4-4442-99aa-ebae0ac212f7> | en | 0.959522 | Recent Entries from Jessica Ritz Movable Type Pro 4.38 2014-08-18T11:33:59Z SoCal's Longstanding Pastrami Obsession,2014:/living/food//1240.74309 2014-08-18T18:33:59Z 2014-08-18T18:33:48Z Pastrami has a long Los Angeles history. We'd venture to say it's even more iconic to our city than it is to New York. Jessica Ritz On Santa Monica Boulevard near La Brea in the West Hollywood Gateway complex, sandwich emporium Mendocino Farms touts its artisanal, small-batch pastrami made in collaboration with a culinary outfit known as Ugly Drum. The brisket meat is smoked for twelve hours over pecan wood, the details of the rub ingredients predictably shrouded in some degree of secrecy, and the final result is fork-tender, thickly sliced meat consciously stacked in a particular way so as to achieve optimum fat-to-lean-meat distribution.
Instead of creamy cabbage and sliced cheese draped over the proteins, the slaw gets its tang from an apple cider-based vinegar marinade and a mustard dipping sauce that's been prepped to go with the Ugly Drum product. Such is the way Erik Black and Joe Marcos, two cooks who've clocked time in distinguished kitchens including Rustic Canyon, Osteria Mozza, and the erstwhile Spice Table, have presented their pastrami sandwich on a traveling circuit around Mendocino Farms locations. Soft caraway-loaded rye comes from Drago Bakery, rather from a source that's been cranking out crisped loaves on which to pile intense, funky meats for decades. Pastrami sandwich aficionados might deride the sandwich as catering to soft West Coast palates. It's arguably a gold standard sample, albeit a politely mannered one, which to some die-hards, might boast a level of technical precision that in turn lacks a certain ineffable soul.
Fast casual restaurants such as Mendocino Farms and Wexler's are revisiting old world pastrami curing and smoking techniques from start-to-finish without the intervention of any other large-scale purveyors. (As much as we're loathe to admit a lag time of culinary crazes reaching Los Angeles, small-batch, back-to-basics, updated deli does seem to be a trend that was kicked off in other American cities, including New York.) Many more restaurants, ranging from Langer's to the Oinkster, are also making their own famous versions using proprietary blends in collaboration with Burbank-based food supplier RC Provision.
But to get a taste of an iconic union of meat-and-bread that's reflective of our region's taste, however, travel a mere one-and-a-half-miles from Mendocino Farms in West Hollywood to Oki Dog on Fairfax, home of the notorious pastrami-loaded hot dog burrito, or to the Stamos family's Capitol Burger on Pico near Crenshaw. After all, crouching down in front of a grimy window attached to a little vernacular roadside building -- ideally with a weathered vintage atomic age-inspired neon sign standing proudly by -- to order a pile of thin-sliced meat loaded on a French roll, or within the walls of another local chain such as the Hat, is also typical of how L.A. eats its pastrami.
To some non-native eyes, the visible presence of pastrami in unlikely neighborhoods is yet another Southern Californian curiosity. "But even if most Jews left Boyle Heights long ago, their pastrami lives on as their culinary legacy," Dvora Myers wrote in Tablet magazine last year. In the article, Myers traces how targeted policies, most significantly real estate redlining by banks in collaboration with governmental housing agencies, led to a geographic dispersal of white ethnic residents and Boyle Heights' once-robust Jewish community, among other groups. (Internment of Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II, for example, already had a devastating impact on the area.) This is a familiar story in neighborhoods across Los Angeles, and in all major American cities. This movement went both ways; while Jews decamped from parts of the city, they brought pastrami and their tastes to new swaths of L.A.
And yet spiced and smoked meat managed to transcend ethnicity. In the post-World War II era, factors such as buildings designed to accommodate the automobile, economic prosperity, and increasingly mechanized food supply chain dovetailed to create what became a distinct burger and fast food culture. Southern California's demographics and multicultural palate meant that pastrami started to occupy a prominent place in the mainstream. According to Micah Wexler of Wexler's Deli, Jewish deli food, and different approaches to pastrami in particular, are "all kinds of comfort food from different cultures that have become L.A. comfort food." Its ubiquity, however, doesn't equal knowledge among the general eating public. "Pastrami is always fascinating to me because people love it, but they don't have a clue what it comes from," explained Neil Strawder of Big Mista's BBQ. "All they know is, you slice it, and throw it on my burrito. It's like the meat that's behind bacon that you can use in everything."
Pastrami is not a consistent or cohesive delicacy; save for a generally smoky and peppery flavor profile, many expressions of pastrami have little else in common. "Deli style," for instance, typically refers to meat located at the brisket's navel end, while L.A. fast food style is another (and is more likely to come from much lesser grade beef). Comparing what's served at Wexler's, Mendocino Farms, and Langer's to what Vienna Beef distributes to its restaurant clients is akin to likening Arby's sandwiches to Lawry's hand-carved meats and tableside service. Pastrami, and particularly the French dip sandwich, is arguably a convenient way to mask inferior quality meat that's been injected with polysyllabic components rather than brined and cured for a considerable amount of time with what Johnnie's Pastrami in Culver City declares to be "costly spices."
"I grew up eating pastrami and eating at those kind of places, like Jim's, Pete's Blue Chip," said chef and restaurateur Andre Guerrero, who first encountered it as a child in San Francisco soon after his family immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines. "After work, my dad would stop at a corner drug store, and we lived on Geary Street right near downtown. There was this old Jewish guy who owned the drug store, and there was a little diner counter. My dad would always buy a slab of it, and he'd bring it home, I remember it was wrapped in white paper. Something about that smell really imprinted in my memory." It was an obsession with pastrami later in life that led him to open the modern-day "slow fast food" joint in an A-frame building that for decades had been a Jim's location in Eagle Rock.
Whether thinly or thickly sliced, on French rolls, rye bread, or atop other foodstuffs, Pastrami's many unconventional uses fit into the region's broader culture. "We're a little more experimental here, so it doesn't faze us to have some chili cheese fries with pastrami on it," Strawder said. "We do stuff like that. We don't put stuff into little boxes." But that doesn't mean pastrami isn't to be taken very seriously. If you ask a self-identified pastrami connoisseur in Los Angeles about the topic, be prepared to tangle with his or her worldview.
Activist Robert Egger's SoCal Return,2014:/living/food//1240.72275 2014-04-25T18:42:40Z 2014-12-18T20:16:51Z The founder of D.C. Central Kitchen has a million-dollar grant from AARP to start a Los Angeles equivalent. We talked with him about charity, the "fiction of the nutritional guidelines," and more. Jessica Ritz Robert Egger
After having "lived long and hard in D.C.," food activist Robert Egger is reconnecting with his Southern California roots. But that doesn't mean he's slowing down. Quite the contrary.
Referencing a certain Seinfeld episode, Egger, a very personable contrarian, explains, "I always say we practice the Seinfeld model. Everything charity did, I did the opposite." At D.C. Central Kitchen, which he founded 25 years ago after a long stint running nightclubs (the band at Egger's D.C. going away tribute party included members of Fugazi, The Cramps, and Thievery Corporation), Egger irreverently -- yet successfully -- created job-training and food access programs using mostly donated surplus food to serve millions of meals to many thousands of residents. And more importantly, he created templates that are replicable in other cities, such as the kitchens that have been established in Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, and Chicago. So, next up: L.A.
Armed with the AARP's first million-dollar startup grant, as well as in partnership with St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, Egger is officially launching L.A. Kitchen as part of a sprawling 56,000 square-foot industrial brick building on Avenue 26 in Lincoln Heights that's about to be transformed into the L.A. Prep food complex. Trim and charismatic, Egger could run "with the hipsters in Echo Park," but the 55-year-old Egger and his wife have settled in quieter Mount Washington while he focuses his latest food activism efforts on seniors and integrating his programs with broader issues related to aging in America.
As part of a military family, he grew up Chula Vista and Capistrano Beach, and remembers his easygoing years spent in Anaheim when the "Tragic Kingdom" felt like an extension of the surrounding area's suburban backyards. These days he's an in-demand speaker at nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship, and community activism conferences around the world.
Egger has joined forces with developers Mott Smith and Brian Albert of Civic Enterprise to be the anchor tenant in L.A. Prep, a facility with 49 commercial kitchens. Food Centricity, a "business accelerator," will also work with L.A. Prep's artisanal food and drink producer tenants, and Civic Enterprise has collaborated with the L.A. County Department of Public Health in order to better position small-scale food entrepreneurs' products in the marketplace vis-à-vis full code compliance.
On Thursday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m., the team is hosting a "Demo-cation" event at the space at 230 W. Avenue 26. Shlemmer Algaze Associates will helm the overall renovation design, with FE Design on board for the kitchen components. Construction is scheduled to be completed early next year.
Egger met up on Avenue 26 to talk about his plans for what he calls "the third variation of my career." He is a man of many opinions, but here are 10 points culled from our conversation.
1. Los Angeles is prime territory for his non- and for-profit community development model, because it's "where the future comes to happen."
You get the food, you get the people, you get the media. I love to tell people that L.A. is where the future comes to happen. It's a creative economy here. People are prone to believe. If you can make it happen, right on.
2. Outdated federal programs explain a lot of what winds up in the mouths of elderly and poor Americans.
If you look at what really drives food in America it's the federal reimbursement. School food, senior meals, prison meals, SNAP. It's all federal money. Ergo, to get reimbursement for Meals on Wheels, there's certain nutritional content of the meals. This was all drawn up by the people who want you to buy their pre-packed meals, or their meat, or their dairy. It's the kind of fiction of the nutritional guidelines.
3. "Charity food" doesn't need to look, feel, and taste the way it typically does.
The problem is the plate. The institutional plate you see where the big piece of meat goes here with the other stuff around it -- that's the problem. The plate is driving our entire structure, so if you get rid of the plate, you're free. So what we're looking at is kind of a bento box model that says, here's how we'll spread the protein out. So instead of a bad piece of chicken, we'll do lots of alternative proteins throughout.
Right now [federal reimbursement programs] contract with what is called the "American menu," which is in effect white people food. I anticipate in 5 - 10 years a huge demographic up-tick in seniors who want vegetarian and vegan meals because they want to be healthier. I see our future as people who are going to want locally sourced, ethnically diverse, nutritionally dense snacks and meals. I look at the food I can get for free or very low cost. If you go to Café Gratitude or Tender Greens, I can produce that meal for poor people. That's what's exciting. I want to take the food truck culture. Between the labor, and the availability of the food here, I can do anything any restaurant can do for literally nothing.
4. Keeping seniors engaged and intergenerational exchange are essential to wider social and economic well-being, and this is a great place to encourage it.
An economic principal that's key is in every city in America is that older people need to stay home, and be as independent as possible, and be productive as long as possible. And that's volunteerism. I think intergenerational [interaction] is a huge part. These are trends of the future. Let's do this now, let's lead here in L.A.
5. The current foodie culture is problematic.
I find the food culture wildly indulgent and somewhat over the top. I wrote a blog piece [asking], Does posting pictures of your food send the wrong message? There are a lot of people around the world who don't have a lot of food. It makes Americans seem oblivious and blind to how other people live. We're so wrapped up in the excitement of our lives and our luck.
Dudes, I get it. Have fun. But be a little more humble in your fortune. Boy, did I hit a nerve on that one.
6. Childhood anti-hunger campaigns are worthy, but also help reinforce the charity and food policy status quo.
It's easier to raise money for kids. Historically, I run a successful program, but for crack addicts, prostitutes, and the mentally ill. All hunger is wrong. You're just picking the lowest fruit, and making it four times harder for the rest of us. Plus strategically kids don't vote. Seniors vote. You want to really change food policy, talk to seniors.
But we did one of the most successful cooked from scratch school meal programs in America. We're doing 5,000 of those a day. What we were able to show is you can produce a locally sourced, cooked from scratch meal -- and kids would eat it. There is a striking similarity between what you do for kids, and what you do for seniors.
7. Egger works from an intensely grassroots up model, challenging assumptions at every level.
I tend to kind of reject normal metrics. In my business, people judge success by how many pounds you move, or how many agencies you serve. And it's like, just because I moved a bunch of food, doesn't mean it was good food? I could've poisoned people!
I was so discouraged when I came in. I first proposed this idea in the 1980s. I didn't want to do it. I ran nightclubs. I said to some of the charities I knew were serving people, "I know you do it well, but here's a way you can feed more people for less money, and if you do job training, restaurants need workers." It was always trying to challenge the status quo but in a way that offered an alternative.
8. Produce should be better processed to maximize use and nutritional value, and minimize waste.
This is about processing. Chopping, dicing, pureeing, and then freezing or refrigerating, or using immediately. With the typical model now, [fresh food] would either go from a farm, to a food bank, to a pantry, and to a home. You have cascading decay all the way down. That takes more than three days, you're starting to lose a huge amount of your stuff. You have a lot of excitement about fruits and vegetables coming into the system, but the system was geared towards stable, non-perishable food. The system doesn't work well for produce. All it can do it shove it out the door as quick as it can. Look, if you process it, you have the ability to stabilize it.
9. Food programs for seniors need to get smarter about present, and prepare for the near future.
We're struggling to feed people, and less than 10% [of eligible seniors are taking advantage] of Meals on Wheels or SNAP benefits. Right around the corner is an army of Baby Boomers who will be wildly ready to take advantage of food stamps and Meals on Wheels, but will be wildly demanding. And meanwhile, you have a system of the food banks that rely on donating products, which is lost profit. So, L.A. Kitchen is coming along, saying, this is a smarter way to look at this.
10. Celebrity Chef José Andrés is one of his longest supporters.
José and I have been friends for 20 years. A friend of mine, Rob Wilder, who's now his partner [in ThinkFoodGroup] but at the time was his boss, had just hired this young Spanish dude. And he was like, "Hey man, you got to meet our new chef." So, José came down, and for some reason he just loved what we did, and we've been friends ever since.
He showed up at my office one day, and announced his plans for World Central Kitchen. I said, "I have D.C. and you have the rest of the world!" That's very José. It's rare that when he gets media attention, he doesn't turn it around and talk about D.C. Kitchen. He's been very generous. He's done everything he can do. We've always had the support of the chefs.
Eat Here Now: Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club Cafe,2014:/living/food//1240.70192 2014-02-25T23:22:32Z 2014-02-26T03:07:24Z Come Friday afternoon, what's arguably the safest restaurant in Los Angeles will go on hiatus. Jessica Ritz Revolver CafeCome Friday afternoon, what's arguably the safest restaurant in Los Angeles will go on hiatus.
The Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club Café is an Echo Park institution known for its association with a certain clientele, namely the LAPD officers, staff, and trainees who work up strong appetites while going about their rigorous business at the Police Academy and the Revolver Club nestled inside Elysian Park. (More specifically, the 20-plus acre campus is "about 700 yards due north of Dodger Stadium's left-field barrier," according to a 1969 Los Angeles Times story about a threatened closure of that never came to pass.) The Café itself is open to the general public, and yet has been somewhat of a kept secret and hidden gem. That can't be good for business. "With less Department personnel assigned to the Academy and fewer classes being held, our sales in the Café have significantly dropped," reads a memo posted to the LAPRAAC's website and in the restaurant's window. "The income has not been at a level to sustain the operations."
The Café's closure isn't permanent, however, and business at the daytime eatery (hours: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday) is slower due to construction plans. (The decline in qualifying candidates and general LAPD recruitment challenges, however, can't help either.) Included in this renovation spree is an overhaul of the Café. The LAPRAAC and Academy grounds include banquet facilities, shooting ranges, ball fields, athletic rooms and equipment, and a supply and gift shop. The rock garden and grotto crafted by artist Francois Scotti (who designed the waterfall at Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria downtown) is City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument Number 110, and a magnificent example of cast stone work. Dining at the Café means a background soundtrack of cop chatter, gunfire ("Revolver" isn't part of the name for nothing), and the occasional sound of gentle lapping from the swimming pool nearby. Although this is the restaurant's last week for at least two years, during which the entire rock garden area will be off limits, the Café's catering operations will continue through June.
LAPAA rotating truck lineup will provide access to food after the Café closes. Whether or not mobile kitchens slinging sliders and fusion Asian cuisine will be enthusiastically welcomed remains to be seen. It's hard to replace menu items with monikers not found anywhere else, such as the Rookie Burger (a quarter-pounder with cheese), Hollenbeck huevos rancheros, and the Beck Sandwich (grilled Parmesan sourdough bread stuffed with grilled onions, grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes, melted mozzarella, and Caesar dressing), all priced quite fairly.
The memorabilia-filled Revolver Café (if those billy clubs could talk) is essentially a coffee shop grafted onto a 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival institutional building, and the mid-century vernacular richness is responsible for much of its character. It would be a shame if the swaths of faux-wood grain Formica laminate, stainless steel beams, the soffit-mounted stainless display cases that flank the kitchen pass, terrazzo skirting around the three islands of counter seating, floor-mounted counter chairs, interior and exterior rock-clad walls, and other vintage finishes and equipment were to be replaced with generic new off-the-shelf materials. While we can celebrate some recent historic preservation victories related to buildings of this general style and type -- of which greater Los Angeles used to boast hundreds, and thankfully still has some outstanding remaining ones -- we've already lost enough Googie and mid-century coffee shop treasures.
LAPRAACThe LAPRAAC was formed in 1925 by local law enforcement officers who wanted to establish a private shooting and recreation facility for officers and their families. During the following years, the LAPRAAC and the newly formed Los Angeles Police Academy came to share the tremendous resource that was the Elysian Park property leased from the Recreation and Parks Department. The amount of history here and its ongoing, complex ripple effects is staggering. For starters, this was the site of the shooting range when Los Angeles hosted the 1932 Olympic games, and the Academy building itself was originally a dormitory at the Olympic Village in Baldwin Hills until it was donated to the police department. Off-duty officers personally moved and rebuilt the structure in Elysian Park. Given the time during which these events unfolded and the public nature of the projects, the WPA later played a role the expansion of the grounds and buildings.
The names of officers and LAPD Chiefs who have downed platters of tri-tip and artery-clogging breakfast combos are sure to elicit a range of responses as vast and varied as the territory the Los Angeles Police Department protects and serves. And placing the City and Department officials inscribed on a 1937 cornerstone plaque into deeper context would be a much better experience if one's dining companion were, say, Joe Domanick. The fact that the Revolver Café was the site of a 1995 benefit for Laurence M. Powell, one the officers convicted in the federal trial of the Rodney King case, might be reason enough for some people to never step foot in the joint.
Revolver CafeTo get a closer look at the Revolver Café's facility, food, and dedicated staff, watch this 2011 behind-the-scenes tour from dining duo 2 Hungry Cops. (By the way, why are these LAPD retirees not food media stars? Their work would benefit from tighter editing, but c'mon. They're awesome. Someone please give them a real show already.) If nothing else, Steve Clark and Dan Campbell's love of this "top cop eating spot" will send you heading to Elysian Park before the week's end. It's power lunch intrigue of an entire different sort than what's typically associated with this town.
The restaurant's ongoing quality "says something about tradition, which is a big part of what the LAPD is all about," Sergeant Clark comments following their nostalgia-fueled meal. "It's good to see that it's still in the café."
"Cops don't like change, but when it comes to food, we don't mind," Sergeant Campbell chimes in. LAPD Academy in-training cadets, staff, and established officers -- as well as lay folks who've enjoyed the Revolver Café hospitality over the years -- will hopefully approve of whatever transformations are revealed when the Revolver Café reopens sometime in 2016.
To Market, To Market, We...Don't Go: L.A.'s Best Farm-to-Home E-Grocers,2014:/living/food//1240.69073 2014-01-22T19:52:39Z 2014-01-22T21:23:51Z We've noticed a growing number of businesses aimed at discerning farmers' market types who aren't interested in getting all their food via a major corporation, but have limited time and some extra cash. Jessica Ritz Summerland LAWhen FreshDirect began delivering a huge selection of groceries directly to Manhattan residences and offices almost 12 years ago, the online service gave picky New Yorkers much to celebrate. (As well as plenty to be concerned about.) Now the West Coast has a similar option, thanks to a Seattle-based behemoth, but local food entrepreneurs have tapped into another particular niche.
Good Eggs
Sign up fee: None
Out of the Box Collective
Delivery areas: Ranges from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks to Pasadena
Venice Merchant
Sign up fee: $20 membership fee
Delivery areas: Venice, Topanga, and Santa Monica coming soon
Summerland LA
Sign up fee: None
Delivery fee: None
Red Bread
Sign up fee: None
Delivery fee: Minimum $55 order
FarmBox L.A.
Sign up fee: None
Delivery fee: $4.95 for orders under $50
Grab a Pint: Alta Dena Dairy Drive-Thrus,2013:/living/food//1240.67011 2013-11-20T23:30:29Z 2013-11-20T23:30:00Z If you lived in Los Angeles County during the 1960s through the 1980s, you most likely knew of a place to stop for milk and other provisions, all taken care of within the comfort of your own car. Chances are, it was associated with Alta Dena Dairy. Jessica Ritz Some car-centric businesses and amenities in Los Angeles have become more prominent over the years, while others fade into the blur of the drive-by whirlwind landscape. Most Angelenos know where their closest In-N-Out is located, especially given the local chain's ongoing growth. But do you know where your nearest drive-through dairy store is?
If you lived in Los Angeles County during the 1960s through the 1980s, you most likely knew of a place to stop for milk and other provisions, all taken care of within the comfort of your own car. Chances are, it was associated with Alta Dena Dairy. In today's Los Angeles, dozens of these heavily weathered convenience stores still have loose ties to the company founded by the Stueve brothers from Missouri in 1945. Soon after the siblings -- three out of a family of 18 children -- got into business with their one wagon and 61 cows in Monrovia, home delivery was becoming outmoded. It was time for a shift in retailing to better suit the way people lived in Southern California.
]]> In-N-Out Burger's first drive-through opened in the late 1940s and helped test the waters of this new set-up. Alta Dena Dairy's initial experiment in 1951 also proved successful. As co-founder/owner Harold Stueve's daughter Nancy Keefe told the Los Angeles Times in his 2006 obituary, "My dad saw that in California, cars were becoming more and more important. He thought it would be a good service to give people a place to get their basics without having to get out of their cars." This type of store was referred to as a "cash and carry."
As the company grew to become one the world's largest dairy producers, Harold Stueve embraced the role of raw milk activist. He was quick to find clever loopholes in the anti-raw milk regulatory environment, and advocated for the establishment of the Los Angeles County Medical Milk Commission, which the County assumed oversight of in 1967. In 1969, Kenneth Hahn helped lead the charge among the County Supervisors to support efforts by the County Health Department to ban the sale of unpasteurized products. "Someone is determined to get rid of raw milk," Stueve, who also served as Mayor of Monrovia and was deeply enmeshed in dairy politics at the state and county levels, told the Times. Mirroring controversies that continue to this day, the paper noted that Stueve, who was briefly arrested on contempt of court over the issue, "is opposed to pasteurization because it causes milk to 'lose almost all of the enzymes.'"
The State Board of Public Health ruled the County could enforce a ban based on evidence of contamination and human illness as a result of tainted products, a directive that was overturned by the Superior Court, citing lack of evidence connecting Alta Dena Dairy raw milk to pathogens or illness. (In the early 1970s, Trader Joe's placed advertisements in the Times touting Alta Dena Dairy as "the only dairy in California which is certified to make raw milk.") But the recalls and lawsuits continued; the fallout from a 1985 listeriosis outbreak caused by contaminated cheese produced in California, for instance, lingered until Alta Dena was cleared of liability four years later. Stueve spent millions of his own fortune on political lobbying and lawsuits, leading him to bankruptcy in the 1990s.
Alta Dena wasn't the only company to offer drive-through convenience stores, but it managed to cover a significant amount of turf. Much like its competitors' retail operations, the shops began as outposts located near pastureland that comprised L.A. County's remarkably productive dairy industry, and gradually became integrated into the new residential and commercial clusters that sprang up during L.A.'s twentieth century boom periods. (While affiliated with certain dairy companies, drive-thru dairy stores were later independently owned and operated, with over 80 Alta Dena-associated drive-thrus still remaining in 2006, according to the Times.)
Unlike some more attention-getting, outlandish examples of what David Gebhard termed "programmatic architecture" and Jim Heimann documented in California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture, form followed function at the dairy outlets. Alta Dena drive-thru dairies weren't fashioned in the shape of milk cartons, but instead were generally simple structures, typically with open sides designed for easy customer access, and often capped with a low-pitched roof with deep eaves. Some locations played with the form a bit.
Other examples of this building type, however, made a stronger effort to grab the attention of passersby. Driftyland Dairy-Port in El Monte was built in 1961 and is listed on the California Register of Historical Resources, thanks to its intact Googie style and Space Age theme design elements.
By 1989, when Alta Dena Dairy employed over 70 family members, the bottling operation and a portion of the Stueve family's herds were sold to a European corporation. (It had relocated from Monrovia to the City of Industry decades prior.) For a period following the sale, the conglomerate allowed Harold to keep raw milk in the marketplace by creating a new label, Stueve's Natural. The family's Chino farmland and holdings were eventually sold in the 1990s, raw milk production and sales ceased, and Dallas-based Dean Foods now owns Alta Dena Dairy.
Signs and evidence of the local dairy industry are still all over Los Angeles. Check your grocery store aisle for Broguiere's Farm Fresh Dairy milk -- or better yet during this time of year, its eggnog -- still sold in glass bottles. And when you see a car-accessible convenience shop that resembles a large kiosk that may have seen shinier days, it might be a reminder of the dozens of drive-thru milk stores that dotted the region, when we didn't need to buy raw milk at the farmers' market to know where our dairy came from.
Green, Emily, "The Great Stueve Wars," Los Angeles Times, August 2, 2000, 3.
Grimes, Teresa, Driftyland Dairy-Port nomination to the California Register of Historical Resources, 2007.
Nelson, Valerie, "Harold Stueve, 88; Farmer Founded Alta Dena Dairy With 2 Brothers in 1945," Los Angeles Times, August 10, 2006, B11.
"Ban on Sale of Raw Milk Lifted After Court Refuses Injunction: Judge Says Evidence Fails to Support State and County Charges That Injurious Organisms Are Present in Product," Los Angeles Times, March 25, 1969, C1.
The SoCal Roots Of Panda Express,2013:/living/food//1240.66643 2013-11-13T14:19:21Z 2013-11-14T03:32:40Z The international chain appeared in a time and place where mainstream audiences were ready to explore ... just a little. Jessica Ritz Owner Andrew Cherng in the 1980s
]]> How and why did you select the original Panda Inn location?
That was the location we could afford.
How big was it?
The original restaurant was about 3,500 square feet.
Was that a daunting amount of space?
No, it's not that big for a restaurant.
How was it different from other Chinese restaurants at the time?
Not particularly. There were enough Chinese restaurants then already.
Was most of your original clientele familiar with Chinese food?
At that time? No, not very well.
Were there certain dishes people responded to?
Did you adapt any dishes to American palate?
So you served the food your family loved.
Yeah, that we thought was good.
I would say so. Very much so.
How has being an entrepreneur here impacted the business?
What are some of your other favorite local restaurants?
What market would you really love to reach?
St. Vincent Court's Strange Past and Unsure Future,2013:/socal/food//1240.57465 2013-03-12T01:12:15Z 2013-03-13T23:06:49Z The outdoor tables dotting St. Vincent Court downtown have been ordered removed. Doing so ignores the small square's rich L.A. history. Jessica Ritz Image via Wikimedia CommonsLong after the streetcars stopped running along Seventh Street and the department stores lost their luster in the core of downtown, but years before this stretch just west of Broadway became host to a freshly buzzing restaurant and bar scene, a discrete and distinctive pocket of the city evolved at its own pace.
Driving along Seventh Street between Hill and Broadway, the break between the solid building frontage on the north side of the street is easy to miss. But as a pedestrian, it's impossible to pass St. Vincent Court without popping in through the breezeway. In its current incarnation, a look around St. Vincent Court might very well have turned into sitting down for a serious meal, most likely one involving hearty portions of grilled meats, gyros, and traditional Mediterranean and Middle Eastern appetizers. Kebab spits had become the main attraction on what was the site of the first college in L.A.
The outdoor seating that's a major part of the alleyway's atmosphere and character, however, violates city code. And because of ongoing disputes with its neighbor, the iconic Los Angeles Theatre, the city cracked down on illegal al fresco dining when the theater's owners filed a complaint claiming that the tables and chairs block access to the venue. While this feature of St. Vincent is relatively new vis-à-vis the alleyway's overall history, it's largely to thank for the courtyard's new lease on life. But once again the future of St. Vincent is in flux.
Image by Flickr user Doc_BrownMerchant and banker (and USC co-founder) O.W. Childs donated a portion of the land that he had received from the City of Los Angeles in exchange for his extending the irrigation ditch to St. Vincent's College. On a parcel between Broadway and Olive, and Sixth and Eighth Streets, the first post-high school educational institution in Los Angeles began construction on its first building in 1867, where it remained until moving further south during the real estate boom of the 1880s. (After a series of mergers, St. Vincent's eventually became Loyola Marymount University in Westchester.)
Then came Arthur Letts, who founded the Broadway department store in 1898. When Letts opened the first Bullocks location at the northwest corner of Seventh and Broadway in March 1907, it was a bold retail gesture in an increasingly confident city. Letts had picked up a location held by Express newspaper publisher and land owner Edwin T. Earl; streetcars rumbled by constantly on both Broadway and Seventh, foot (and horse) traffic was heavy, but other aspiring retailers had given up. Here Letts trusted and financed John G. Bullock, a longtime Broadway employee, to spearhead an unprecedented upscale retail effort that would catalyze development in the area.
St. Vincent Place, dedicated in 1907, proved to be a convenient space for shuffling goods throughout the growing retail behemoth. Bridge of Sighs-like walkways were also constructed in the airspace above.
Image courtesy USC Digital LibraryBut the biggest identity shift came in 1957, when plans were put in place to spruce up the utilitarian alley with a quaint (or in retrospect, corny) paintings, plants, and awnings. New businesses were brought in, with Bullocks maintaining managerial oversight. St. Vincent Place was renamed St. Vincent Court, which is now California State Landmark #567.
The renovation that had been announced in 1956 followed shortly thereafter. New businesses moving into the court included Broadway Flowers, which had other locations around the city and in downtown. Ambrose Pasquini set up the neighborhood's first espresso bar when Bulloc's invited him in the early 1960s to join the social and retail scene, which was an odd combination of genuine urban grit paired with classic Hollywood style set building and illusion.
Ambrose Pasquini's son, Guy, recalls a newsstand and bookstore among the Pasquini's Espresso Bar's few neighbors. (The espresso machine distribution and repair company's headquarters are located just west of downtown on Olympic in Pico-Union.) Pasquini's bar remained until Bullocks closed. Additional modifications followed. Tony Reveles, an Irish-Mexican-American artist from Los Angeles who had assisted David Alfaro Siqueiros when the famed muralist came to Los Angeles, added another mural in 1974. (Ambrose Pasquini claims this was a result of his urging management to upgrade the place a little.)
This plan sounds deeply familiar in the context of Los Angeles. Build out a retro, quasi-European style kitschy streetscape tucked within the cavity of a dense downtown building cluster, and they will come. Call it a very rudimentary, quaint version of Rick Caruso's retail template on a much smaller, more modest scale.
Downtown changed dramatically as the city's sprawl increased and the streetcar system met its final demise. Businesses came and went. By the 1980s St. Vincent Court struggled to hold onto its charm. The LA Times noted the "regulars speaking Italian hanging out and there's a trompe l'oeil painting of Italian apartment buildings across the alley. The espresso and cappuccino are about the best in town" at Pasquini's Espresso Bar. Malcolm Boyd noted in May 1982, "The alleyway here, with its painted doorways and windows that suggest a facsimile of counterparts in Venice or Florence, is one of the most romantic spots in the city." Boyd didn't miss a chance for a cappuccino (price tag: $1).
The original Bullocks shuttering in 1983 meant an abrupt transition from one chapter to another in the block's history. Los Angeles United Investment Company spearheaded the adaptive reuse of a portion of the original Bullocks structures to create St. Vincent's Jewelry Center. In December of that year, the complex became the main seat of the area's wholesale and retail jewelry transactions. As the professional demographics gradually shifted, restaurant tenants showed up, eager to cater to a new largely Middle Eastern clientele.
New business owners in the court continue bring their own visions of the place. Kacin Celik, chef and owner of the Tulip Café, has his own distinct history in downtown L.A. A native of Turkey, Celik owned an Orange Julius outpost on West Seventh Street. When he opened up shop in the court a few years ago, Celik proposed adding more false fronts on the alley building façades.
Celik serves everything from a vegan Mediterranean sampler to Iskender kebab to chicken and beef kofte towards the north end of the alley near where the alley terminates at the contested south elevation of the Los Angeles Theatre. "If I made a difference, that's good," Celik says. "I'm happy."
These days in particular, however, Celik and other St. Vincent's tenants have fewer reasons to be upbeat, especially since the vast majority of their customers chose to eat and check out the scene outside -- indoor tables probably won't keep them in business.
Fellow St. Vincent Court neighbors include restaurants such as St. Vincent Deli, a pizza joint, the Sevan Garden kebab house, a barber shop, a French-inspired café, and a shoe shine station (now prohibited under the current crackdown). The series of ersatz façades and discreet entrances into the Jewelry Center lining the herringbone brick alleyway showcase Greek, Chinese, Italian, British, and French motifs. There's even a replica of the Statue of Liberty. It's a stunning microcosm of ersatz, egalitarian Los Angeles eclecticism where you can eat really, really well on the cheap.
If there's one constant of St. Vincent's Court history, it's this place's ability to reinvent itself, much like the institutions and city it's been a part of for over 100 years. Hopefully this flexibility and resilience will be of use as St. Vincent's and the Los Angeles Theatre are caught in regrettable battle of competing interests between two signature landmarks of downtown Los Angeles.
Apple Pie a la Mode Sundae,2012:/socal/food//1240.51371 2012-10-22T20:24:42Z 2012-10-24T22:39:45Z We're loving this take on pie a la mode: all the good stuff, none of the crust. Jessica Ritz Photo by Arnold InuyakiSweet Rose Creamery's Shiho Yoshikawa has what may be the coolest, most enviable job title on the planet: Ice Cream Chef.
She shared with us one of her favorite seasonal recipes, a play on apple pie a la mode that's a bit involved at the outside but worth every minute of preparation, especially if double-crust isn't your favorite type of pie. Whip up a batch and read all about apples as art over on Artbound: a perfectly seasonal afternoon combo.
Apple Pie Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart
Apple pie puree:
1.5 lb mixed apples
¼ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoon butter
Preheat the oven on to 375ºF.
Peel skin and cut into quarters. Core each apple. Cut each piece crosswise, about 1/4" thickness. Toss apples with lemon juice, then sugar and spices. Place the apple mixture into oven safe baking dish, dot butter all over on top, then seal it tightly with foil.
Bake for 40 minutes, then stir and bake for another 40 minutes until it's juicy and apples are soft.
When apples are done and while it is hot (be careful not to burn your hands), puree in the food processor or blender until smooth.
Chill over ice bath.
Ice cream base
1 ¾ cup milk
¾ cup cream
¼ cup sugar
3 egg yolks
Bring milk and cream to scald. Meanwhile, whisk together sugar and yolk to pale creamy color in a bowl. Slowly pour scalded milk into a sugar yolk mixture while whisking. Put the mixture back into the pot.
Cook over low medium heat, bringing the custard to 165º F. Strain and cool over ice bath.
2 cups apple pie puree
2 cups ice cream base
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
Mix well in a bowl. Chill overnight. Next morning, churn it according to your ice cream maker.
Salty pecan crumble
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup flour
1/3 cup pecans
½ teaspoon salt
Paddle butter, sugar and flour until it almost comes together. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Make a block of dough, wrap it and chill at least 3 hours or overnight.
The next day, crumble the dough onto a parchment lined sheet. Bake at 325º F for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool. Alternately, you can time this step so to serve hot over the ice cream pie, too.
Cinnamon Sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
In a saucepan, whisk brown sugar and flour together. Slowly whisk in the water over medium high heat, and bring mixture to a boil. Add butter to melt and bring it back on boil, and keep boiling for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and whisk in ground cinnamon.
Place a dish in a freezer for 5 minutes.
Scoop apple pie ice cream into the chilled dish.
Drizzle hot cinnamon sauce over the ice cream
Top it with the crumble and freshly whipped cream.
Experimental Apples of Jessica Rath,2011:/arts/artbound//1834.51362 2012-10-22T08:00:00Z 2012-11-14T19:20:41Z L.A. based artist Jessica Rath speaks about what the fruit has to teach us about current food debates, diversity, and our relationship to nature and art. Jessica Ritz While rushing between college Halloween parties during a particularly cold late October New England night, I ran into a friend dressed as a witch. Along with the dramatic black dress, hat, stellar makeup and the rest, her primary prop was a huge shiny red apple that she creepily cradled in her hand. This small detail sold the entire getup. "That's fake, right?" I asked. "Nope, it's a Rome," she answered.
mode sundae
Apple Shadow (clone water sprout).
So what is it about apples?
Apple Shadow (clone columnar with early pubescence).
What's happening to orchards?
Apple Shadow (clone weeping with resistance).
When did you decide to use two media for this project?
Apple Shadow (sisters weeping).
Are you sick of apples?!
Yellow Bellflower.
Cooks County's Corn Soup,2012:/socal/food//1240.47323 2012-06-19T20:00:37Z 2012-06-21T20:21:13Z Warm yourself up with some corn soup from Cooks County. Jessica Ritz
- 8 ears of white corn, shucked
- 12 cups water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 leeks, medium size, washed and sliced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
- 8 cups of corn stock
- 1 jalapeno, roasted
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped, including stems, plus a little extra for garnish
- 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
Cut the corn off of the cobs and reserve. Place the cobs in a large pot, cover with the water and simmer for 45 minutes, then strain, reserving the corn stock and discarding the cobs. In a separate pot, sweat the leeks, onion and celery with the thyme until soft. Add the reserved corn, cilantro and jalapeno, stir to combine, then pour over the corn stock. Season with the salt, add the bay leaf and simmer until the corn is tender.
Purée the soup in a high-speed blender. After it is all puréed, adjust thickness and seasoning. If you like, add more fresh cilantro during this step for a brighter more pronounced flavor. For a silkier soup, strain through a fine mesh strainer (we do not).
Reheat the soup, portion in individual bowls and garnish with avocado and additional
cilantro sprigs.
Cooks County
8009 Beverly Boulevard
(323) 653-8009
Photo of corn stalks by Flickr user SomeHoosier.
A Trip to the Tapia Bros. Farm Stand,2012:/socal/food//1240.47307 2012-06-19T17:00:10Z 2012-06-20T06:50:33Z A native Angeleno revisits the charms of Encino's classic Tapia Bros. Farm Stand. Jessica Ritz Even though growing up in Los Angeles meant better access to high quality produce than most parts of the country, the sense memory of certain fresh tomatoes and corn on a summer afternoon stands out. I must have been around nine-years-old when my best friend's father, an Italian-American Bronx native who would go out of his way for outstanding food, took us to a little stand in the San Fernando Valley.
Everything about this excursion was different. Being Hollywood-area bound, we hardly went to the Valley for much of anything, let alone vegetables. And while our destination wasn't typical for the area, the charmingly crude set-up didn't exactly fit my image of a pastoral farm either. Additional cognitive dissonance stepped in, too. Up until then, I primarily associated Hayvenhurst with the Jackson family home location, and not because I was actually ever a guest there. Sometimes odd facts stick in the mind of us native Angelenos, I guess.
Just before we got back into the car to head over the hill, I was handed a sliced tomato under a canopy surrounded by crates of produce and cooped up chickens in the shadow of the 101. It tasted brighter and more robust than anything of its kind I'd ever had. We twisted through Laurel Canyon back to my friend's house, where her folks boiled ears of corn we'd picked up, and we all feasted on the firm kernels that burst with sweetness of the season. Save for Big Sticks, I'd experienced a new height of summer food nirvana.
The traffic on the freeway has gotten worse, but that outing we made almost thirty years ago is still possible today.
The Tapia Bros. Farm at the intersection of Hayvenhurst and Burbank remains an anachronism, both a handy place to pick up some local produce and a chance to witness a hint of the San Fernando Valley's former agricultural life. Farm stands aren't fussed over in most parts of the country -- for decades they were a common part of the landscape here, too. Several other urban farms and roadside stands survived encroaching development in the western San Fernando Valley through the late 1980s. And yet in a contemporary twist, the new Altadena Urban Farmers' Market provides a much-needed venue for city growers to sell their backyard yields.
Even though Tapia Bros. stand didn't settle into its current site across from the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area until 1984 -- when the family took over what had been the last of four Maria's Corn Stand locations ("leaving behind a small cadre of sad, devoted customers," the Los Angeles Times wrote in December, 1983) and the land that Marguerite Nunn's grandfather started farming in the early 1920s -- dates almost don't matter. The makeshift structures, well-worn hand painted signs, open space, animals and beat-up farm equipment might be a form of set decoration, but it still serves as a reminder of what preceded the expansive miles of wide commercial concrete boulevards and low-density residential tracts that characterize the Valley.
The Tapia Bros. Farm dabbles in what third-generation farmer Tom Tapia calls "agro-tainment" while maintaining a dogged dedication to keeping up a family business. You can pick up strawberries, tomatoes and other freshly picked crops during the summer. Come back a few months later and the lot will be full of pumpkins, Christmas trees, corn mazes or hay rides, used to bolster seasonal and holiday spirits.
Luckily for the Tapias, one thing that has changed over the years is an increased awareness and demand for locally-produced food. Tapia Bros. Farm does not, however, exclusively grow organically. "Corn unfortunately has worms," Tapia explains about the challenges of producing their signature crop. (It should be noted that there's no relation to the Tapia Brothers Company, a large food service distributor. "People see their big trucks out on the highway and ask, 'They're yours?' 'We wish,'" Tom Tapia jokes.)
Although Tom works with his brother, Felix, Jr., Tapia Bros. is in reality an extended family operation that began with their grandfather a bit further north nearly 80 years ago. Crops are grown on approximately 100 acres in the Sepulveda Dam Flood Control Basin leased from the Army Corps of Engineers -- it was closer to 200 acres when the Tapias bought the lease from Nunn in 1983 -- with the main plot located across the street from the retail stand. Goats and rabbits hang out by the smaller demonstration garden, which can be wandered through without having to cross the busy street.
The Encino stand offers produce from other farms, as well as harvests brought in from the family's land in the Lancaster area. During the downtime when the stand closes in winter, Tapia Bros. sees a flurry of activity in late March when Tomatomania's massive seed sale and festival descends on Hayvenhurst Avenue.
As with any farming business, there's no resting easy, especially when the Tapias have to deal with "growing competition from big box stores." So around this time of year when they're better equipped to sell what they grow, Tapia Bros. vendor booths start showing up the Thousand Oaks, Agoura, Valencia, Canoga Park, Antelope Valley, Sherman Oaks and Beverly Hills farmers' markets. "We try not to go too far," Tapia says. It's a good marketing tool. "A lot of people don't realize we're here. It's been working out really well."
Tapia Bros. Farm Stand
5251 Hayvenhurst Avenue, Encino
(818) 905-6155
Photos by Jessica Ritz
Closed on Mondays' Saucy Meatbealls on Garlic Toast,2012:/socal/food//1240.46399 2012-05-30T19:41:20Z 2012-06-05T19:38:48Z On the occasional Monday, Canelé in Atwater Village is jam-packed with guests eating down-home, feel-good food. And we have one of those beloved recipes here. Jessica Ritz When a beloved neighborhood restaurant is full and humming at top volume by 5:30 p.m., chances are it's on a weekend, or maybe a Thursday. On the occasional Monday, however, not only is Canelé in Atwater Village doing business on the day when the restaurant is usually shuttered, but it's jam-packed with customers. And everyone -- including many young families at that hour -- is there because of Closed on Mondays, a dinner series organized by three women who resourcefully harness goodwill, strong appetites and available resources to help aid local grassroots food organizations.
Closed on Mondays' Saucy Meatballs on Garlic Toast
Serves: 10-12
For the meatballs:
4 pounds beef chuck or ground beef
3 cups fresh bread crumbs (see instructions below)
1/2 cup cream
4 egg yolks
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan
For the sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 arbol chilies
8 garlic cloves
2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes passed through a food mill
3 cups beef or veal stock
chunk of Parmesan rind
To serve:
Photos by Amy Tierney.
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0.020663 | <urn:uuid:8cd81ec1-e80c-4219-bf0f-c46265907a3f> | en | 0.930201 | London, Aug 19 IANS | 1 year ago
British investigators have discovered two new vaccines that can prevent the transmission of meningitis bacteria from person to person.
The vaccines do this by reducing "carriage" of the responsible bacteria in the nose and throats of the population.
"The new findings tell us that the vaccines also have an effect on carriage in the throat and explains why they can be so effective across the population," said Robert Read, a professor of infectious diseases at University of Southampton.
The study took place over 10 centres across Britain and tested the effectiveness of two meningitis vaccines - MenACWY-CRM and 4CMenB - on participants aged 18 to 24.
MenACWY-CRM was shown to reduce carriage rates by 39 percent while the 4CMenB vaccine reduced carriage rates by between 20 and 30 percent.
(Posted on 19-08-2014)
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0.059808 | <urn:uuid:994e9f3c-2cdb-48e1-b490-424e8342a681> | en | 0.965586 | NEW YORK -- Foster City-based Sling Media, the maker of devices that let people watch their cable channels while traveling, is trying to become more relevant in the living room.
Traditionally, Sling's strength has been in so-called place shifting. Attached to the home cable box, the Slingbox device sends video to various phones, tablets and other devices. If you're on a work trip in Boston, you can still catch the local news in New York live on a SlingPlayer app. You can also use that to watch shows on your home video recorder.
Inside the home, though, the Slingbox hasn't been of much use beyond letting you watch from a phone or tablet in another room.
Slingbox: Newly affordable, and now with Wi-Fi connectivity (PRNewsFoto/Sling Media)
The new feature incorporates some of what's already found on TiVo recorders and cable set-top boxes. Because the box still can't record shows, the Slingbox's biggest appeal will likely remain in remote viewing -- both when traveling and on devices in other rooms.
Even so, Sling will have a tough time broadening its reach.
It works only with television channels you have at home, so it will exclude those who have dropped cable service and want more than what the antenna provides. At best, it's for college students who wish to remotely watch what's on their parents' TV.
In addition, Slingbox has been popular for sports fans wanting to keep up with their teams while traveling. Sling wants to broaden its appeal to those who keep up with fictional television shows and reality-style competitions, but fewer people are watching those live.
Sling Media is owned by EchoStar of Englewood, Colorado. | http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_26155386/sling-media-unveils-2-devices-out-home-tv | dclm-gs1-189750001 | false | false | {
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0.02613 | <urn:uuid:d3762a16-ed95-4c5e-a9ae-0b97858fa95b> | en | 0.962929 | Culture > Movies
Movies | Collateral is a film about men with guns that not unexpectedly wants to trade in philosophy as well
Films like Collateral help make the case for auterism, the idea that the guiding vision of a single author (usually the director) shapes a film project. Collateral may at first sound like "the new Tom Cruise movie" or perhaps standard summer action fare. Wise-cracking black guy paired with serious white guy? Sounds like the formulaic Anthony Hopkins/Chris Rock dud Bad Company of a few years ago.
But Collateral (rated R for violence and language) is none of those things. Collateral is a Michael Mann film through and through: a film about men with guns that not unexpectedly wants to trade in philosophy as well. The moral dimension of the proceedings is undercut, however, by frequent profanity and some jarring violence.
Mr. Cruise plays a hit man sent to Los Angeles with a contract to murder a series of individuals connected to a drug lord under the scrutiny of the feds. He plans to accomplish this task in a single night, enlisting the help of a cabbie (Jamie Foxx) to drive him from hit to hit.
The screenplay spends the bulk of the film inside the cab, listening in on the conversation between these two very different men. They're not only separated by profession, but by their outlook on life. Mr. Cruise's contract killer is a doer, a man who justifies his profession by convincing himself that humans are just "specks" in the universe. Mr. Foxx's cabbie is a dreamer; he tells himself that he's on the way to becoming the proprietor of his own limo company. The problem is that he's been driving cabs so long-12 years-that he has his routine perfected down to a science.
Although full of implausible plot developments, each scene in Collateral works so well on its own, and is so full of fascinating detail, that one hardly cares. Mr. Mann can make a simple shot of Tom Cruise climbing a staircase full of depth and visual interest. The glimmering city of Los Angeles becomes as much a star of the film as Mr. Cruise or Mr. Foxx.
What makes Collateral all the more interesting is the interplay between its stars. Mr. Cruise uses his considerable, but often facile, charm to lure Mr. Foxx-and the audience-into his amoral universe, as he (and, by extension, the audience) becomes increasingly complicit in his passenger's murders.
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0.030672 | <urn:uuid:354e8645-191e-4026-9219-d666fb49b78a> | en | 0.970519 | Portland chef Greg Higgins is best known as one of the forefathers of sustainable, farm-to-table dining in the Pacific Northwest, which he's been dishing up at his downtown restaurant Higgins for almost 18 years. ---
But right now, he's about 6,000 miles from Southwest Broadwayâmaking sausages in Mongolia.
Higgins is there with Mercy Corp's Farmer to Farmer project, sharing his sausage and charcuterie making expertise with local butchers. During his three-week stay, he'll be blogging regularly for
. Here's his first diary:
In two words, it's Mercy Corps. But in reality, it's much more than that. This is an ancient nomadic culture redefining itself in our digital age. I was asked to come here to share my knowledge and skill in making sausage and cured meats with people who have the world's greatest wealth and abundance of grass-fed livestock, yet struggle on many other economic levels.
This is a ruggedly beautiful place—amazing people proud of their heritage, and in transition from being nomadic herders for millennia. Many still live in gers—heavy felt tents—burning coal, dung or wood to heat and cook with.
Today we brined our first goat hams. Tomorrow we'll stuff some camel salami, and make three other new products drawing on my background in classic European meat curing traditions. Each of these items are as new to these folks as they are to me. The wonder of it is in the interaction; we each learn in different ways.
I'm looking forward to sharing those first tastes tomorrow with my new sausage-making Mongolian friends.
In tomorrow's entry, Higgins visits an all-female butcher shop and learns to make chacuterie without pork (hint: it will involve horse and yak meat). | http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-27879-higgins_in_mongolia_goat_hams_camel_salami_and_an_.html | dclm-gs1-189880001 | false | false | {
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0.156705 | <urn:uuid:544e261c-cd73-4def-87bd-5944dbbc4aa1> | en | 0.944487 | You are here
Electronic Waste
Environmental Source
Electronic Waste
Full Document Available in PDF
Increasingly, news reports and environmental activists are claiming that we are facing a new solid waste crisis. “Electronic junk [is] piling up everywhere, creating what some experts predict will be the largest toxic waste problem of the 21st century,” reads an article in Environmental Health Perspectives. Similarly, Greenpeace claims, “The world is consuming more and more electronic products every year. This has caused a dangerous explosion in electronic scrap (e-waste) containing toxic chemicals and heavy metals that cannot be disposed of or recycled safely.” As a result of such rhetoric, Europe has passed several “e-waste” laws, U.S. states have begun looking into their own regulations, and members of Congress have proposed legislation. Unfortunately, misinformation about the issue and the naive belief that government is positioned to improve electronic waste handling is leading to misguided policies and legislation.
In 2003, the European Union (EU) passed a couple of e-waste policies that are becoming models for U.S. regulation. The Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) phases out certain “hazardous substances”—lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, bromated flame retardants— that are used in electronics. The other directive, the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive, mandates that companies take back electronic equipment for disposal starting in 2005.
The costs of these programs are likely to be significant. The EU government estimates that both programs will cost €500 million to €900 million, and industry estimates costs of up to €62.5 billion. According to Gartner Inc., a U.K.-based technology analysis company, the cost of the two directives will raise personal computer prices by about $60.
The benefits of the programs are assumed, rather than assessed through any comprehensive study. Instead, these programs are based on the precautionary principle, which assumes that in the absence of information about risk, regulators should act to prevent potential risks.
Following Europe’s lead, several members of Congress formed an e-waste task force in 2005 to study the issue and produce legislation. Members of this task force are basing their policy on misinformation, as is apparent from their comments on the topic in the press.
During the 109th Congress, several members offered e-waste legislation. Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA) introduced H.R. 4316 and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced S. 510, both of which would provide tax credits for recycling computers and would ban disposal of computer monitors in landfills, among other things. Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) offered H.R. 425, which would impose a tax on electronic equipment sales, levying up to $10 per item. The funds would go to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which would use them to award grants to parties working to recycle computers.
In addition, numerous states are following Europe’s lead. For example, in 2001, California banned the disposal of computer monitors in landfills, and in 2003, it passed a law to place a sales tax on computers—which lawmakers euphemistically call an “advance disposal fee.” This new tax is supposed to fund a state computer recycling program, but if costs of the program grow, the state can increase the tax to cover its costs. The fee is likely to grow, because it costs about $20 to $25 to recycle each unit. Some program supporters advocate increasing the tax to as much as $60 per computer sold. E-waste policies are also in place in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington State, Connecticut, Oregon, North Carolina, and Texas. | https://cei.org/studies-other-studies/electronic-waste | dclm-gs1-189900001 | false | false | {
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0.02824 | <urn:uuid:db8a1187-db4c-4e2f-adac-52aebaf2ee87> | en | 0.960459 | Australian politics, society & culture
Let them pull their weight
I’ve always found Tony Abbott’s stance on asylum seekers loathsome. He refers to refugees as ‘illegal’ despite knowing it’s entirely legal to seek asylum. He recently announced the Coalition would reduce Australia’s refugee intake, seemingly just to show he is tough. And TPVs are now back on the Coalition agenda.
So it was confronting to hear Abbott proposing a ‘work-for-the-dole’ style scheme for asylum seekers. Because for once I agree with him.
In typical fashion, Abbott framed the scheme as a way to ‘break the something for nothing mentality’. As if people who’ve fled their homes and ended up on leaky boats headed for detention centres are natural-born welfare cheats.
Only Tony Abbott could present a promising policy idea and make it sound like a cynical means of punishment. But this is a good idea. It’s a break-the-political-deadlock good idea.
One thing is irrefutable. Australia will have a lot of asylum seekers to deal with in coming years. So far they have overlooked some pretty severe deterrence measures, so even if the rates of arrival slow, there’ll still be many who end up living in Australia. How do we make the best of this situation?
Some people will continue to advocate that these people should be punished for having the gall to be refugees in the first place; and some will think that it’s inhumane that all refugees are not welcomed with permanent residency and full welfare access immediately upon arrival. The government needs a refugee policy that is acceptable to the bulk of Australians, who sit somewhere in the middle.
At the moment the government proposes that asylum seekers be put on bridging visas (for five years, it is hinted) and given meagre support payments but refused the right to work. This is a flat-out stupid idea. The most likely outcomes will be mental health issues or illegal action among refugees – and pity, anger or resentment among the public.
Five years is a long time to do anything, and it’s an even longer time to do nothing. It sticks in my throat a little to say it, but Tony Abbott was right when he said this is no way to prepare people for Australian citizenship.
The strength of Abbott’s counter-proposal– let’s refer to it as the Snowy Mountain scheme of our time, to sell it – is its potential to change the way we think about refugees. Implemented properly, a mutual obligation scheme could recast prevailing views about refugees in Australia.
All but the unreconstructed racists acknowledge that migration has fundamentally been a force for good in Australia. Migrants have brought culture, skills, business, food, love and ingenuity to Australia. Weirdly the discourse about boat people ignores this history.
A work-for-benefits scheme would be no picnic, and in an ideal world it wouldn’t be necessary. But we’re a long way from an ideal world. Pragmatic, imperfect political solutions are all that are available at the moment, and this one could work for all parties.
Regional councils and businesses have been crying out about labour shortages for years. The general public doesn’t want to see its tax dollars squandered. Companies seeking unskilled labour, national parks, NGOs, charities, the fishing industry and the farming sector would all be ripe for it.
So what are the likely objections?
That it’s like slave labour? Absolutely, if they are forced to work for 60 hours a week or more. But if the scheme is set at 30 hours’ work per week, and asylum seekers receive fair recompense and basic entitlements, it would be reasonable. They’d also have a greater claim (hopefully this would be acknowledged) on permanent settlement. If they’re not willing to participate, refugees wouldn’t be prevented from returning to their home shores, to detention centres, or pursuing refugee claims elsewhere. Their rights would need to be protected by legislation, but really, could they have fewer rights than they currently do?
Undoubtedly there would be objections mounted on socio-economic grounds: That the scheme might drive down Australians’ wages, or maybe that ‘they would take our jobs’. The scheme would certainly work best if targeted primarily at areas of the economy that are struggling to fill labour shortages; it wouldn’t be big enough to broadly affect labour conditions, but arguably might have a stimulatory economic affect in discrete parts of the economy.
What else: that it’ll be too difficult to keep organising meaningful work programs? It couldn’t possibly be more complicated than dealing with the refugee situation at the moment, or the fallout from having thousands of refugees without the means or rights to live a normal life. And if a government can’t organise work for a labour force such as this, they should sack themselves. Others soon will.
The government is likely struggling with the fact that it was Tony Abbott who introduced it, but if political pride is the problem, on this issue the ALP has swallowed enough of it to last a lifetime. And let’s face it, they’ve never been afraid to borrow Coalition immigration policies in the past.
This article was originally published on The Drum (ABC).
About the author Nick Feik
Nick Feik is the editor of the Monthly. | https://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/nick-feik/2012/11/26/1353886328/let-them-pull-their-weight | dclm-gs1-189970001 | false | false | {
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0.040703 | <urn:uuid:6f39e964-428d-41f2-b924-d6175f66b862> | en | 0.869975 | id summary reporter owner description type status priority component version resolution keywords cc guest host 9370 virtio network device trashes udp packages > 1KB a3p "diagnostic from the host: [34958.661066] UDP: short packet: From 53253/1488 to test case for the guest attached. sends one package with either 1KB or 4KB. the 1KB package comes through fine, while the 4KB package is being dropped by the host. This can only be reproduced with virtio network adapters. emulated ones work fine. Host and guest kernel are and " defect closed major network/hostif VirtualBox 4.1.0 fixed Linux Linux | https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/9370?format=tab | dclm-gs1-189980001 | false | false | {
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0.034394 | <urn:uuid:0d00f69e-a767-47cc-a4e0-d93be8a0bd68> | en | 0.976068 | The American Civil War Overview
Lincoln appointed "Fighting Joe" Hooker to the command of the Army of the Potomac on January 25, 1863. Hooker immediately set out to improve the welfare and morale of the troops. He introduced corps insignia badges to give the men more pride in their units. He also reorganized the Federal cavalry into a single corps of 11,500 troopers under the command of Brigadier General George Stoneman to better counter the Southern cavalry superiority.
Hooker had more than 130,000 troops and 412 artillery pieces, more than twice the strength of Lee in all three combat arms: infantry, cavalry, and artillery. He intended to use these superior numbers to effect a plan whereby he would employ a pincer movement against Lee. One half of the army would cross the Rappahanock River below Fredericksburg and the other half would cross upstream to move against Lee's rear. Each Federal wing would be almost the size of Lee's entire command. The Federal cavalry meanwhile, would attempt to create confusion by operations behind Lee's lines.
Bad weather prevented the execution of the plan until late April. Hooker initially misled Lee as to his true intentions by leaving Gibbon's division in camp while moving the rest of the army. Lee quickly discerned Hookers's true intentions however. After watching Sedgwick's men consolidating their bridgehead below Fredericksburg, Lee decided that the main threat was Hooker's flanking column. Lee therefore moved the bulk of his army towards Hooker and left Major General Jubal Early with about 10,000 men to contain Sedgwick.
For some reason on May 1, Hooker suddenly became cautious, halted his advance while still inside the tangle of the Wilderness and ordered his men into a defensive posture. Had he continued to more open country, his superior numbers would have given him a decided advantage, especially with respect to his artillery.
With Hooker paused in the Wilderness, Lee and Jackson conceived a bold but risky plan to strike Hooker first. Lee divided his forces once again and sent Jackson's corps on a long march to turn Hooker's unprepared right flank. Late in the afternoon of May 2, Jackson slammed into Hooker's flank, routing the XI Corps and apparently unnerving Hooker even more. Tragically for the Confederacy however, Jackson was accidentally shot by his own men during the confusing aftermath of the initial assault. He would die of pneumonia eight days later.
On May 3, Sedgwick attacked and broke through Early's defenses in an attempt to come to the aid of Hooker. He was stopped again near Bank's Ford and Salem Church. On May 4, Lee launched an attack against Sedgwick, but could not drive him from his position. Meanwhile, Hooker continued contracting his own lines and constructing defensive fortifications. However, later that night, his nerve apparently failing him again, Hooker ordered a full retreat of the Army of the Potomac.
Although Lee was very upset that Hooker's army had escaped, had he actually continued to assault the Federal army in its prepared defenses, he could very well have destroyed his own army instead. Hooker was defeated more by his own loss of nerve than by Lee and Jackson. The troops of the Army of the Potomac were still full of fight, but "Fighting Joe" Hooker had had enough. He would be relieved of command of the army in mid-June.
This Page last updated 11/22/03
CHAPTER VIII, The Western Theater: The Vicksburg Campaign | http://civilwarhome.com/chancellcmpg.html | dclm-gs1-190010001 | false | false | {
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0.187133 | <urn:uuid:158e0a3f-fe37-4a31-9a2b-c6641d35d4b0> | en | 0.77789 | List:Internals« Previous MessageNext Message »
From:Michael Widenius Date:June 20 2001 8:28pm
Subject:Re: Testing MySQL 4.0
View as plain text
Paul> Hi again,
Paul> As I remember I forget to attach my current patch for sub-selects (for now
Paul> it's mostly for sql_yacc.yy).
Paul> b) optimize (found non-crossreferenced subqueries and execute them
Paul> before
Paul> main query?, other optimizations);
Paul> c) initialize
Paul> d) execute
Paul> e) free resources
Paul> where initialize/execute/free can be called many times. So, I needs
Paul> a help
Paul> to make this work.
>> ok.
Paul> Michael, can you explain which function sets already used in the stages
Paul> listed above (to find where to split mysql_query())? I'm not familiar with
Paul> MySQL sources... :(((
sql/mysql_select.cc is where the big work should be done.
to handle the different stages instead of being a big massive
function. The init part and free resources part should be pretty
obvious, but the rest is a bit harder.
Paul> BTW, when I'm trying to run mysqld under GDB without setting any args it
Paul> says about "Read manual how to run mysqld under root" and halts, but I can't
Paul> re-run it under GDB until GDB restart. If I specified '--one-thread -u
Paul> mysql' all works fine (server starts and after SIGSEGVs it can be restarted
Paul> without restarting GDB).
I know; GDB doesn't work really good with threads.
try creating the following .gdbinit file in the directory you are
doing debugging:
set print sevenbit off
handle SIGUSR1 nostop noprint
handle SIGUSR2 nostop noprint
handle SIGWAITING nostop noprint
handle SIGLWP nostop noprint
handle SIGPIPE nostop
handle SIGALRM nostop
handle SIGHUP nostop
handle SIGTERM nostop noprint
In your ~/.my.ini file you should have:
Some comments for your patch:
Rename 'mysql_new_subselect()' to 'mysql_init_subselect()'
This is more in line with mysql_init_select()
+ mysql_new_subselect(lex);
+ if (lex->sql_command!=SQLCOM_UNION_SELECT) lex->sql_command=
- Space around !=
- If and command on different rows:
+ if (lex->sql_command != SQLCOM_UNION_SELECT)
lex->sql_command= SQLCOM_SELECT;
The expr_expr change looks VERY long.
Wouldn't some of the things, like
expr NOT LIKE '(' subselect_stmt ')'
I assume you plan to separate functions classes to handle the
different 'normal' sub selects like:
expr IN_SYM '(' subselect_stmt ')'
What do you plan to do with:
expr GT_SYM some_all '(' subselect_stmt ')'
each operator just to be able to handle 'some_all'.
We need to do some conversation to do this efficiently.
For example:
1000 >= SOME (SELECT a FROM t1 WHERE X )
should of be converted to the expression:
If there is a row
return 1 else 0
1000 >= ALL (SELECT a FROM t1)
should be converted to
If there is a row
return 0 else 1
use Item_func_not().
Hope this helps a bit on your way.
Anyway, your patch looks ok so far! Good work! | http://lists.mysql.com/internals/994 | dclm-gs1-190110001 | false | false | {
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0.092972 | <urn:uuid:3d9706a9-155a-4d95-a664-4706616f0520> | en | 0.947649 | 143 Blogging Ideas To Create Epic Content
According to a Hubspot study, businesses that blog have 126% higher lead growth than those who don’t. Once you publish about 24-51 posts, your blog traffic can grow by as much as 30%. There is more than enough proof that business blogging helps you increase your visibility and generate leads. And let us assume you have taken the plunge and started your business blog.
The number one question every new blogger faces is what to blog about. It is prudent to develop a content strategy that integrates with your business. A top down approach will work well here. List the different topics you want to write about. These should address the problems faced by your target customer. Product reviews and comparisons, tips and tricks, how to type posts, list posts – these are some of the kind of posts that you can use to mix it up.
143 Blogging Ideas to Create Epic Content
Image Courtesy: Michal Marcol/ freedigitalphotos.net
We have taken a shot at doing some brainstorming and provided some topics for certain well known type of businesses or professions. You can just pick any that applies to you and start writing a brief post on it. Some of these are high level, so they can be broken into a number of posts. These are more of a ‘method’, and hopefully they will get you thinking about other similar things you can write about for your blog.
Table of Contents
This is a LONG post, so I suggest you settle down with a cup of coffee or a chilled Coke, and maybe a notepad to enjoy this.
Blogging Ideas for Real Estate Developers and Interior Designers
Blogging Ideas for Real Estate Developers and Interior Designers
Image Courtesy: anankkml/ freedigitalphotos.net
1. Hazardous staircase designs you should avoid in your home Or X Hazardous step and stair designs you should know
The post can cover the different staircase designs that were involved in accidents in single-family homes. You could also include some of your customers’ views on what features they think are most dangerous.
2. How to make your steps safe for children and seniors
Include various external treatments for indoor and outdoor stairs that make them anti-skid and blunt the impact.
3. How to choose the right window shape for your home
Environmental factors change based on geographical location. Discuss the different window design that are in vogue and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each.
4. How to select the interior doorways for your home
Every family is unique and so are their preferences. Discuss what ergonomic factors people should think of when they talk to developers and architects during construction and internal layout of the house. What are the different possible doorway designs and advantages of one type or the other?
5. X Ways to make your home secure
People put their sweat and equity into a dream home. But homes are still vulnerable to burglaries and intrusions. Discuss some of the basic precautions people can take to secure their homes.
6. Burglar alarms and security systems you should consider
There is a range of different burglar alarms and security systems available in the market. Explain the different features of these security systems and the factors your readers should consider while buying one.
7. X things to consider for a business location
Location! Location! Location! Depending on your business, this can be the single most important factor in your client’s success. Discuss what according to you are the most important factors while choosing a business location.
8. X tips to make windowless spaces bright and cheery
Closed spaces are often dull and dampen people’s mood. Discuss how you can make rooms that do not have windows or skylights more cheery for the inhabitants.
9. X essentials to give your house a contemporary look
Before making a redecorating decision people research different decoration styles and approaches. Discuss these styles briefly and explain the elements that give the décor a contemporary look.
10. X ways to reduce electricity consumption during winter/summer
Electricity consumption often shoots during extreme temperatures, especially if all the appliances run on electricity. Discuss subtle changes to existing structures that can help reduce the consumption. You can also discuss some designs that people can incorporate while building their house based on local weather conditions.
11. How to prepare your house to deal with fire
Wooden houses are more susceptible to fire than concrete houses. Discuss some of the basic precautions every household must take to ensure that they are prepared for such an event.
12. X most vulnerable spots for fire in a house
Fires can start almost anywhere. However, there are certain places that are more susceptible to fire than the rest. Discuss which spots are most vulnerable and how to take additional precautions in these places.
13. How to design dining spaces to stimulate appetite
It is well know that certain colors and smells can stimulate the senses and increase craving for food. Discuss how restaurants can incorporate these in their dining spaces to stimulate their guests’ appetite
14. X things you must know about moving
Moving is a chore. No matter if you are moving two blocks away or to a different country, it is the most exhausting task. Discuss what your readers need to know about moving on their own or hiring professional movers. You could also add posts on packing and caring for things during the move.
15. How to maximize space in mobile homes
Mobile homes are quite popular and have their advantages and disadvantages. Discuss how mobile home owners can design interiors and select furniture to maximize space in mobile homes.
16. X best design for your dens
Discuss the latest trend in furnishing and designing dens in single family homes.
17. How to choose exterior and interior paints for your house
Discuss the different types of paints available. Which of these are suitable for external surfaces of the house? Which are suitable for the internal surfaces? Does it make sense to use a different type of paint for baths and kitchen?
Blogging Ideas for Online Branding and Marketing Businesses
18. Funny advertisements and slogans
Write a monthly post on the funniest advertisements you come across on the web, in print, or on the street. This will give ideas to your team members and also attract potential clients.
19. Most popular Advertising slogans of the year
Write a report on advertisements that went viral on different social media networks and discuss the anatomy of the piece.
20. Constant advertising does not work
Constant advertising was an important part of marketing. Has that notion changed in the Web 2.0 world? What are some other changes in advertising in the last decade?
21. X effective promotions that work for restaurants
Technology changes in the new century offer many ways to promote businesses. Social media and smart phones have opened new opportunities for the food industry. Discuss some of the most successful social media promotions and how local restaurant owners can use these new solutions for their business.
22. How to out-date your competition in the social media world
Information is the currency of social media, and it quickly loses its value if it is not current. Discuss different ways you can stay ahead of your competition in the social media world.
Business Blogging Guide
23. How does a judge decide on the alimony sum
This is a good topic for divorce lawyers to explain to their clients about the factors that contribute toward deciding the alimony sum.
24. How to legally change your name or get a new name
Many people want to change their name for any number of reasons. But most do not know whom to approach to get this done. Write about what is involved and what considerations the person should make before requesting a name change.
25. X things you should know before ordering you license plates
Designer or custom license plates are allowed by most states. However, the amount of imagery and text that you can put on the plates is governed by specific rules. Discuss what restrictions your state has and advise the readers on design. This topic can also be used by businesses that provide license plate services.
26. Top requirements you should fulfill before being considered fit for adoption
Adoption is not only a long drawn process, but also includes a stringent review process. Advise your clients about how they can make this process smooth and the preparations they should make to get approved.
27. X Information sources to start your business
Starting a business involves many legal and administrative steps. People need to get the right licenses and permissions before they can set up their business. Discuss some of the most helpful information sources for your readers.
28. How to register your business with the government
Registering a business involves multiple steps and elaborate documentation. Explain the various steps involved in the process in this blog post.
29. X ways businesses can use BBB resources
New entrepreneurs do not know about the many resources that are available to them from different organizations and government agencies. Discuss how new businesses can use the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to their benefit.
30. How to procure a fishing license
Fishing is a favorite summer activity for many and many new enthusiasts join each year. Discuss the different laws that people need to know about fishing and how to get the right permissions to fish.
Blogging Ideas for Small Clinics and Pharmacies
31. X things about anesthetics to discuss with your doctor
Use of anesthesia during a surgery is one of the most important factors. A drug development company or a clinic can discuss the latest in this drug category and inform the readers about important factors they need to know.
32. What are some of the common reasons babies cry
Why babies cry is a universal mystery. New parents make wild conjectures and play a guessing game to calm their bundle in vain. Discuss some of the most common reasons babies cry and what the helpless parent can do to try to calm the baby.
33. X signs your kid needs an eye checkup
Kids are not always great at spotting subtle changes or deficits in their eyesight. Discuss the typical symptoms and signs that might indicate that the child needs an eye checkup.
34. X ways excessive coffee drinking can harm you
People know caffeine is bad for health, but are often unaware of long-term problems excessive coffee drinking can have on their health. Discuss the various health effects of coffee drinking and healthy alternatives.
Blogging Ideas for Veterinary – Doctors, Clinics, and Spas
35. X Common ailments that can harm your dog
An excellent topic for a dog shelter or a clinic to attract pet owners and dog lovers. Discuss the most common ailments dogs suffer from and you can extend the post into symptoms and signs that pet owners should watch for.
36. X home remedies to keep your dog free form tics
Tics are one of the most common problems dogs and dog owners have to face. Discuss basic things that the owners can put in place to ensure that their dogs don’t suffer and stay clean.
37. X first-aid tips you should know for your pet’s safety
Pets too are vulnerable to accidents. But often drugs designed for humans are not right for animals. Discuss how owners can give first aid to their pets before reaching the vet.
38. Popular dogs of 2014
Dogs come in different breeds. Some are in, some are out. Like the Chihuahua or the Jack Russel. List some of the latest fashionable dogs. This can be informative as well as entertaining.
39. Apartment dogs versus estate dogs
How do you choose a dog based on where you live? What kind of dogs can you have if you live in an apartment. Or if you live on a farm? Discuss merits of each.
40. How people name their pets worldwide
Believe it or not, pet names vary across the world. Talk about how the same pet might be called something else depending on the country.
41. Different types of dog or cat food
What are the different brands for dog food or cat food. Which is better and why?
42. X Toys your Cat really wants
What kind of toys does your pet crave? Do they need that bed or that soft toy? Or that rubber bone?
Blogging Ideas for Toys and DIY equipment Businesses
Blogging Ideas for Toys and DIY equipment Businesses
Image Courtesy: Paul/ Freedigitalphotos.net
43. How to build a telescope for your kids.
Most DIY kits come with instructions, but providing information about how to do that step by step along with some tips makes the task much easier.
44. How to set up a sandbox for your child
Discuss and instruct your readers about different types of sandboxes and how to build a safe sandbox for their children.
45. Must Have tools for every home owner
List some of the tools everyone needs to carry out some basic maintenance around the home.
46. How to set up a tent
This can be an educational post about how to rig a tent from scratch. You can also write about different kinds of tents and the factors that affect the choice of tent.
47. Art Day with your child
Talk about simple projects you can do at home with your kids, like finger painting curtains, painting stoneware, creating scrap books etc.
Blogging Ideas for Automotive Businesses
48. How to ensure that your car is safe to drive?
Most of us service our cars regularly. But there is always that nagging thought before you decide to go on a road trip about your car’s road worthiness. What are some simple checks a driver can make before leaving on a road trip to make sure that there is no immediate danger of failure.
49. What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying a police car?
Used police cars are regularly auctioned and can be bought at low prices. As an experienced auto shop owner, what advice can you provide to your readers. Do you have many customers who bought such cars. What was good or bad about these cars?
50. What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying a car at an auction?
The biggest fear for used car buyers is to land with a lemon in their lap. Auctioned cars can be cheap, but are they worth taking a chance. Discuss your experience with such car auctions and some interesting stories you have heard about car auctions.
51. Step-by-step approach to buying a used car
In addition to the bargaining challenge, used car buyers also need to ensure that the car is in a good condition and that they won’t incur any immediate major repairs on the car. As an auto mechanic, advise your readers on the best method to inspect a used car before they make the final decision.
52. How to Get the Most out of your Tires
Talk about some basic tips for tire care. Weigh the benefits of tire rotation. What happens if you replace just one tire instead of all four? Should you go for retreading?
53. The red engine light, and why you should pay attention
As more and more car parts become computerized, the red engine check light seems to come on more often. Discuss why it is important to check it out right away.
54. DIY oil change
Can you do a oil change yourself. What are the pros and cons of doing it at home? What precautions should you take before doing one?
55. X gadgets for DIY car maintenance
Talk about some tools you should always have in your car. These could be the Flat fixer spray, anti freeze if you live in a cold climate, spade or shovel for snow, deicer spray and so on.
56. How to fix small scratches
Small scratches on the paint are common if you live in metro cities. Or they could be caused by pesky kids running a blade on your fancy car. Talk about small things you can do to touch up the paint, instead of going for a professional paint fix.
Blogging Ideas for Personal Blog or Affiliate Bloggers
57. What are some of the common dangers faced by expecting mothers in this century
Discuss what are the most common dangers discussed by medical practitioners. This topic can also be used by doctors and clinics.
58. X ways highschoolers can earn an allowance
Doing odd jobs for an allowance is an established tradition. However, technology revolution has opened up many new avenues to earn an allowance. Discuss some of the unique ways kids can earn an allowance that will also help them in personal development.
59. X part-time jobs for grad school students
Grad school tuitions are prohibitory, any small amount can add to reducing this burden. What are some of the traditional and new par-time jobs that grad school students can explore to earn money along with their education.
60. How to manage the bird problem at your home
Birds are getting scarce in the city every day, and we do like to feed them and provide water. But with a lot of them around you, it can easily become a problem. Talk about the different solutions and commercial products that can help you solve this problem.
61. Choose the right bird feed
People often buy birdfeed for their backyard. Discuss the different types of birdfeed and stores where your readers can buy the birdfeed. Do specific birds prefer a specific type of birdfeed? Add this information and help your readers attract the right kind of birds.
62. X Bird Watchers organization you can join
Organizations are a great place to connect with like-minded individuals and share ideas. Discuss some of the most popular and active bird watcher’s organizations in your country and state.
63. X Birds that can be trained to talk
A Parrot is the most commonly encountered talking bird. What are some other birds that can be trained as easily to talk?
64. How to train birds to talk
Do birds just pick up what they hear and start talking? Or do you have to train them to repeat certain words. How much can a bird be trained. Discusses various training methods and tools people can use to train birds.
65. X tools to manage your monthly household budget.
Monthly budget is the only way you can keep your household expenses in check. What are some of the most popular software and mobile apps that help people track their monthly household budget?
66. How to create a Monthly Household Budget.
Most people want to budget their monthly expenses and run a tight ship. But not everyone is a born accountant. Discuss simple steps everyone can take to create a monthly budget and common expense heads.
67. How to prepare your child for a haircut at the barber
Most children are afraid of haircuts. Discuss different tricks that you have learned and know that soothe the child and prepare them for the haircut.
68. X refreshing ideas for a kiddie party
You can never know enough games to keep this clientele interested for hours. Discuss some of the latest trends for kids’ birthday parties and suggest fun games and other party preparations.
69. How to determine the right shoe size for your child’s feet
The task may sound simple, but it is not. How much space should you leave at the front? How much room is too much? Discuss various tips that your readers can use while trying on shoes for their kids.
70. How to gift wrap like a pro
Wrapping gifts without wasting paper and neatly is a huge challenge for many. Discuss the best way to cut gift paper and a step-by-step method to neatly wrap boxes.
71. X Tips to decorate your house for festivals
Almost all people across the world decorate their homes during festivals and holidays. Discuss various traditional and new trends in decoration for people from different communities.
72. Fireworks safety every child needs to know
Fireworks are dangerous, but there are some simple things that everyone can follow to stay out of harm’s way when playing with fireworks. Discuss tips and tricks to light fireworks without getting too close.
73. How To keep your furniture clean and smelling fresh
There are various polishes and other liquids that can be used to clean you furniture without harming the material. Discuss the products that can keep the furniture clean and also eliminate odors.
74. X things you should check in a return policy while buying online
Every portal has a different policy for different types of goods. Discuss what specific clauses can harm consumers or what they really mean in simple terms.
75. How to care for your winter clothes after winter
Some of the clothes we have are seasonal and they need to be stored. Discuss different ways to care for seasonal wear to keep them from damage through the year.
76. X tools every kitchen gardener must have at hand
Kitchen gardens are very popular where weather permits people to have one. Discuss the essential tools and equipment that kitchen garden enthusiasts need to have to build a garden of their dreams.
77. Farming innovations of the decade every farmer must know
Innovations happen every day. Discuss some the greatest and most popular tools and methods that evolved in the last decade that helped farmers increase the farm yield.
78. How to build a picket fence
This could be a long-term project for many. Discuss the best places to source material for the fence, the kind of wood, coatings and other equipment the readers need to get started on the project.
79. X latest fence styles you should evaluate
Fences add to the overall beauty of the house. Discuss the latest designs introduced in the market and the most popular ones. Talk about advantages and disadvantages of these styles.
80. X Interesting facts about (your country’s) national flag
There is always an interesting story behind a country’s national flag. Report the most interesting facts about your country’s national flag.
81. X standard sauce recipes
Most traditional cuisines have standard sauce or gravy recipes that go with multiple preparations. Discuss how to prepare these sauces and different preparations that can be made with them.
82. Different cuts every food blogger must understand
Many recipes use specific meat cuts without which the recipe won’t really mean much. Discuss various cuts listed at the butcher’s and what they mean.
83. X things you should know about organizing a fundraiser
People like to organize parties to raise money for local causes as well as other charity purposes. Discuss how to best organize these events to attract the right people and maximize donations.
84. How to spot a fake antique
There are many antique shops and people who like to shop for antiques. Discuss how to analyze the pieces and typical markers that the piece is not really an antique.
85. X facts you must know about printing good quality photos
With a range of devices and cameras to take and view photos, photo printing may not seem too popular. However, this range of devices also means more choices for image formats and quality. Discuss how to select the right image formats and specifications for printing good quality photos.
86. X Groundhog Day stories you will love
Everyone loves the end of cold winter and arrival of spring and I am sure are as happy as the ground hog. Share some of the most interesting stories you know about Groundhog Day.
87. X holidays that are observed across the world
Each country has its special and unique holiday list. Discuss some of the holidays that are celebrated across the world and talk about what they are and how they are celebrated. You can also talk about how they are celebrated in different countries.
88. X ways to manage domestic insects and pests
Seasonal insects and pests can damage your house if not dealt with immediately. Discuss products that people can use and preventive measures that you can take to deal with the nuisance.
89. X exciting new games for a kiddie party
There’s always some new craze or toys that are doing the rounds. Discuss the latest thing that is getting kids excited and suggest some themes for the kids’ parties.
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Blogging Ideas for Florists
90. How to keep flowers fresh in a vase
Flower arrangements add to the home environment and also have an invigorating effect on the interiors. Discuss some tips and tricks that help keeping the flowers fresh for a long time.
91. How to choose appropriate flowers for an occasion
Are there any specific guidelines about which type of flowers are suitable for what kind of occasion? Discuss these guidelines and help your readers buy the right type of flowers for the next event.
92. X funny first date notes/messages with flowers
The first thing people do when they get a flower delivery is read the attached card. Blog about some nice messages for different occasions.
93. When is it ok to send flowers?
Not sure of flower etiquette? What are some dos and don’ts while sending flowers? When is it ok to send flowers, and when is it in bad taste. Or is it ever? Discuss your point of view.
94. What does a certain flower say?
We know red roses mean love, and yellow probably mean friendship. Talk about what a flower is known for. Does sending a certain flower convey a particular message?
95. X themes for Flowers for weddings
Some people might plan an entire wedding around a flower they like, or the color of the flower. What are the popular themes for weddings this year? What kind of color themes can come out of a certain flower.
96. Assembling a wedding bouquet
How do you design a wedding bouquet? What do you take into consideration while doing it?
97. Popular flowers of 2014
What are the flowers that are making waves in 2014 at celebrity events or parties? Choose 10 top actors and talk about their favorite flower.
98. Flowers and scents
What flowers are popular for scent making? Which is the most favorite flower based scent out there? For example, the 1920s were known for the scent of violets. Patchouli made an appearance with Shalimar and Opium.
99. Flowers and aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is popular nowadays. Talk about what that gardenia candle is doing for you. Or why you might choose lilac over frangipani.
Blogging Ideas for Musical Equipment business
100. Memorable moments of school bands at xxx
Every school has a school band that performs at school events. What were some of the memorable moments in your city?
101. Popular band formations and band instruments
A band plays a range of instruments. Discuss which instrument is the most coveted or popular among kids.
102. How to tune Piano and Guitar Strings
Newbies often do not understand if their guitar is in tune or not. They are also unsure about how tight the string should be. Discuss how to check if the equipment is in tune and then how to tune it.
103. Ethnic or offbeat musical instruments
You have heard of a guitar and drums, and maybe a trumpet. But have you heard of a sitar? Or a tambourine? Or a ukulele? Talk about different instruments used to create folk music or instruments that are from a certain region.
104. Origin of instruments
Where did the guitar come from? Or the banjo? Create a weekly theme where you talk about the historical aspect or some interesting story behind how an instrument became popular.
105. Music Genres inspired by Instruments
When you think jazz, the saxophone comes to mind. When you think rock, a guitar is a must. What about the violin or the piano? Talk about different music genres inspired by a certain instrument.
106. Top X Guitar Players
Create a theme around the well known musicians around a certain instrument. Like top 5 guitar players, top 5 violinists, top 7 pianists, top 3 drummers – you get the idea. WordPress recently named their latest version after Charlie Brown. You can certainly take inspiration from it.
107. How to take care of your musical instruments
How should you care for your trumpet? Or your piano? Talk about steps to take to keep musical instruments in top condition.
Blogging Ideas for Finance and Banking
Blogging Ideas for Finance
Image Courtesy: frankie_8/ freedigitalphotos.net
108. X factors that affect your chances of getting a loan
Although in most of the large banks, this decision is based on numbers and is done by an algorithm, some smaller banks do involve humans in the decision process. Either way, knowing what factors influence the decision can help your readers make the right choice. Discuss the typical factors that are evaluated for offering a loan and deciding the interest rate.
109. How to plan savings for retirement
People have many questions about planning for retirement: when to start saving, how much to save, and which options are risk-free. Discuss the various investment categories and long-term saving options.
110. X must have features of a retirement plan
There are various options to start retirement saving. Discuss some of the basic and must have features that people should look for in their retirement plans and explain these features in detail, perhaps in separate posts.
111. X facts you must know about life insurance policies
Buying a life insurance policy is an important investment and often a difficult one. Discuss the different types of life insurance policies people can buy and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type of policy.
112. How to select a life insurance policy
People need to consider many important things before making a decision to buy a life insurance policy. Discuss a step-by-step approach to short listing a life insurance policy.
113. All about mutual funds
What are the different types of funds. What are their ratings and what do they mean? What kind of fund should be chosen? Should your age affect what type of fund you invest in? There is always a new crop of people wanting to know these things. Informative posts with example will be very helpful to your readers.
114. What is Prime rate and how does it affect the personal investor
This might get a bit technical but your skill lies in breaking things down so that it is simple for your customer to understand.
Blogging Ideas for Human Resource Organizations and Professionals
115. Do bonuses really motivate employees?
Bonuses have been long used by employers to recognize the efforts their employees put in their work. Is this still the most prevalent motivation technique used by employers or do workers now put more value into some other methods of motivation.
116. Different Manager Personas and their advantages
Different managers have different management styles. What are some of the broad typical manager personas that we see in offices today? From a manager’s perspective, discuss which management style is most easily accepted by today’s workforce.
117. X quotes and signs to cheer up the workplace
Discuss some of the most inspiring quotes and jokes that can make people smile and stay upbeat.
118. X recreational activities to boost employee morale
Team building activities outside of work help motivate employees and make them more productive. Discuss some of the latest trends and events that organizations are using to boost their employees’ morale.
119. X primary reasons people look for job change
In your experience, what are the most common reasons people leave jobs? Discuss these reasons, and how organizations can address these common issues to reduce employee turnover.
120. X ways to alienate people and make enemies
We have books written on how to get people to like you and be agreeable. What are the sure shot ways of alienating people and making enemies at the workplace? Discuss a list of what not to do and how to handle tricky situations.
121. X proven ways of getting others’ cooperation
Getting the cooperation of team members is extremely important for managers and team leaders. Discuss some tried and tested ways to create a conducive team environment where leads don’t have to exert much to get cooperation from team members.
122. X most important factors included in appraisals for promotions
Appraisal for promotion and raise is an annual ritual. Discuss some of the most important factors that management considers while deciding to give a raise or promote someone to a higher responsibility.
123. X new jobs for the decade you should know
Technology and socio-economic conditions are always in a flux and affect the jobs that are available to the people. Discuss some of the most important developments of the decade and how they will influence the jobs that people are doing now.
124. X qualities every leader must have
Are leaders born or are they made? Discuss some of the most important qualities every leader must have.
125. Characteristics of an engaging application letter
The application letter or a cover note can make or break your chances. Discuss the information that every cover note must have to entice the reader to open the resume.
Blogging Ideas for Writers and Publishers
126. How do Editors decide what to publish?
This question is topmost in new authors’ minds. Discuss what goes into a decision about an article or a book at your publishing house or the things editors consider before publishing a piece.
127. How do publishers decide the number of books to print in the first edition?
Most popular authors have historical data that publishers can use to decide the number of prints they want in the first edition. But how is this decision made for a new author?
128. Essential components of a book marketing plan
Digital devices like Kindle and the self-publishing trend has brought an explosion in the number of books that are released in the digital world every day. Discuss what basic strategy these self-published authors should adopt to market their books to the readers.
129. X books every first-time author should read
This can be a list of useful resources, right from those on creative writing to book marketing. Think of the different things a writer needs and make a list of what can be most useful. This can be spun into a number of posts according to categories like writing resources, author branding, book marketing, publicity etc.
130. X Author success stories
This can be a recurring feature on your blog. Showcase first time authors who have made it big. Talk about their work and what they are doing to market their book.
131. Self publishing or traditional publishing
This is a question that every author faces at some time. The latest self publishing revolution is very enticing because it promises instant success. Should authors even try to go the traditional route now? What are the pros and cons of each method?
132. How can authors build an online brand?
Whether authors choose to self publish or not, they still need to have a strong presence on the Internet. How can one go about building it?
133. Typical grammar and editing mistakes
You would think that someone who is about to publish a book knows grammar. Not necessarily. It will be very helpful to write about some typical mistakes authors make based on what you see in business. This can also be a recurring theme.
134. The Case Against Professional editing
Should you hire an editor? Or just do it yourself? Talk about pros and cons of either method.
135. Do you need an agent?
Another common question – should an author hire and agent or not?
136. Book Trailers and how to get them for cheap
Book trailers are all the rage. Talk about the essential elements of one and how an author might get one created.
Blogging Ideas for In Store Sales Professionals
137. X ways to manage store walkouts and increase sales
Discuss various ways you can engage a customer walking out of your store without making a purchase and ensure that you have done everything to make a sale.
138. X new in-store sales techniques that work
Earlier, people came to the store to buy. Now with online shopping getting popular, more people come to just look at the product and prefer to buy online. What are some of the modern effective sales techniques professionals can use to close the deal in the store?
139. X ways to break the ice
How can you get a customer talking? How can you break the ice once you get them talking. Discuss time proven strategies a sales rep can use to establish rapport with the customer.
140. X things to Avoid
What are some of the things that might annoy a customer? Discuss behavioral dos and don’ts for sales reps. Talk about what to avoid like being too pushy or rude.
141. How to be politically correct
With the population becoming more global, there are a wide variety of ethnic people in stores. Train sales reps about how to be inoffensive, how to respect religious and ethnic boundaries, how to exhibit neutral behavior regarding people’s political preferences or lifestyle choices etc.
142. How to close a sale
This might be the oldest thing to be taught to an aspiring sales rep, but it is still an art that is much needed. Discuss various ways you can encourage customers to take a buying decision. This matters more for big ticket items like televisions or washing machines.
143. Cross sells and Up Sells
Your customer just bought some cans of paint. What else is he going to need? Maybe masking tape, gloves, brushes, rollers, even a ladder! Discuss ways in which sales people can spot wider opportunities based on what people are buying.
These seem like a lot, but I haven’t even skimmed the surface. There are so many other small business owners out there like spas, beauticians, fitness trainers, personal chefs, graphic artists, care givers, fashion designers and so on.
You can always contact us to get some blogging ideas for your particular profession. If you found this post helpful, please leave a comment to let us know. And keep those questions coming so that everyone can benefit from them.
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0.670899 | <urn:uuid:03e674b7-d175-435a-8987-09fd7a3c8f90> | en | 0.958263 | ASC first Faculty Lecture is September 22
The Adams State College Fall 2010 Faculty Lecture series begins with "All in the Family: Understanding Family Dynamics", by Dr. Linda Christian, professor of teacher education, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 22, in Porter Hall (the science building) room 130.
Why do fish and relatives stink after three days? Why do people in your family expect you to solve their problems? How do you know what the rules are in a family? Did the conflicts between you and your partner seem to center in minor issues like where to squeeze the tooth paste and when to open holiday gifts? Have you ever been in a home and thought, "wow, what a great place to be a kid"? Do you and your partner seem to have very different ways of resolving conflicts? How much of your identity is tied to your family? Why are television families so entertaining?
Dr. Linda Christian
Dr. Linda Christian
This presentation will focus on examining the family as a system with certain characteristics that help define how we function within our families. We will discuss the roles, rules, boundaries and hierarchies that all families have and how understanding those can facilitate change of family dynamics. Come with your sense of humor and an open mind.
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0.026601 | <urn:uuid:6922353d-e203-4d02-bc30-a16f5fa6a5ef> | en | 0.813035 | Colorado > Statewide > Probate
Informal Appointment Of Successor Personal Representative JDF 952 - Colorado
Informal Appointment Of Successor Personal Representative Form. This is a Colorado form and can be used in Probate Statewide .
Fillable pdf Last Modified 2/6/2008
Get this form for FREE as a print-only pdf
District Court Denver Probate Court _________________________________County, Colorado Court Address: IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: COURT USE ONLY Case Number: Deceased Division Courtroom INFORMAL APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE On the basis of the statements made in the Application for Informal Appointment of Successor Personal Representative filed by ______________________________________ (name of applicant), the Registrar finds and directs: 1. The previously appointed personal representative has resigned, died or been removed. 2. Any required notices have been given or waived. 3. The applicant adopts the statements in the application or petition for appointment that led to the appointment of the person being succeeded except for the following changes or corrections: ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________. 4. _____________________________________________ (name), whose address is ________________ _________________ __________________________________, telephone (_____) _______________. has priority for appointment as personal representative. Those persons having prior or equal rights to appointment have renounced their rights to appointment or have received notice of these proceedings. Appointment is made without bond in unsupervised administration. 5. Successor Letters Testamentary of Administration shall be issued. 6. Successor personal representative shall give notice of appointment to all interested persons within 30 days of appointment pursuant to §15-12-705, C.R.S. Date: ________________________ ____________________________________________ Registrar JDF 952 7/07 INFORMAL APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE American LegalNet, Inc.
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0.304106 | <urn:uuid:c69cd417-115f-443b-8432-667d365563eb> | en | 0.934866 | Take Action Join Us Make a Donation
Marine Ecology
The Ocean / Trophic Structure »
What is Marine Ecology?
Marine Ecology is the scientific study of marine-life habitat, populations, and interactions among organisms and the surrounding environment including their abiotic (non-living physical and chemical factors that affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce) and biotic factors (living things or the materials that directly or indirectly affect an organism in its environment).
Marine ecology is a subset of the study of marine biology and includes observations at the biochemical, cellular, individual, and community levels as well as the study of marine ecosystems and the biosphere.
The study of marine ecology also includes the influence of geology, geography, meteorology, pedology, chemistry, and physics on marine environments. The impact of human activity such as medical research, development, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry is also studied under marine ecology. In some ways, marine ecology is more complex than the relatively straightforward study of a particular organism or environment because of the numerous interconnections, symbiotic relationships, and influence of many factors on a particular environment.
To understand the difference between marine biology and marine ecology, it may be useful to look at a community of organisms. A marine biologist may focus on behavioral relationships between the organisms in one particular species while someone studying ecology would study how the behavior of one organism influences another. An ecologist would also look at abiotic factors and how they influence that organism. A scientist studying community ecology might study a group of organisms to see how they influence other species and abiotic factors.
The major subcategories of ecology are:
The study of ecology in general includes all of the subcategories listed above as they apply to marine ecology, animal ecology, plant ecology, insect ecology, arctic ecology, tropical ecology and desert ecology.
What is needed to sustain life on Earth?
Earth has been divided by ecologists into four areas: the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere. The hydrosphere refers to water on the planet, the lithosphere consists of soil and rocks, the atmosphere is the air, and the biosphere refers to all of the life on Earth. The biosphere can be visualized as a thin surface layer on the Earth from 11,000 m below sea level to 15,000 m above sea level, even though there are no permanent residents living in the atmosphere.
The Biosphere
The first life on Earth was formed in the photic zone of the hydrosphere when organisms with more than one cell evolved in the deep ocean benthic zones. After the ozone layer formed, which protects land organisms from harmful UV rays, life began to evolve on land. After the continents separated and reformed, biodiversity began to increase as life began to adapt to new environments. Biodiversity can be observed at the genetic level, the species level, the population level, and the ecological level.
Abiotic elements like carbon, nitrogen and oxygen are present in great quantities in the biosphere. Phosphorus, calcium, and potassium are also present in smaller amounts. All are elements critical to the existence of life. Every element in the ecosystem transforms from mineral to organic forms and back to minerals and is never destroyed. Life depends on energy from the sun and the organisms that are capable of transforming light into chemical energy form the basis for the food chain. The process of photosynthesis converts light into chemical energy, resulting in the production of glucose and oxygen. Other organisms depend on glucose produced by photosynthesis for energy to fuel biological processes such as cellular respiration. During cellular respiration, organisms split glucose back into water and carbon dioxide. The breaking down of glucose releases and utilizes energy from the sun stored by photosynthesizing plants. The oxygen level of the Earth's atmosphere is largely reliant on the amount of photosynthetic activity and respiration going on in the biosphere. A build up of elements in areas with a lot of organisms is prevented by circulation of the atmosphere with global air currents.
The Earth is full of cycles simultaneously occurring and interlaced. Water is cycled through the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere in relatively predictable movements.
The flow of basic elements and the stability of the Earth's climate and temperature depend on oceanic currents and the vast amount of water stored in the ocean. Ecologists often depend on computer modeling to determine how human activity can influence the intricate cycling of the biosphere.
Every organism is influenced somehow by every part of its environment. An ecosystem is any place or time where organisms interact with their environment. Ecosystems can be divided into the life in the area and the area in which life exists. Biocoenosis is the life in the area and the biotope is the environment by which life is influenced. One form of interaction in the ecosystem is the food chain, a system moving energy and matter through organisms and the environment. A microecosystem is a small system like a fish with parasites. A mesoecosystem could refer to the coral reef in which the fish lives and a macroecosystem might be the area in which the coral reefs are located and how they interact.
Abiotic factors include geographical, climatological and geological influences. Biotopes are determined by certain abiotic factors. Examples of abiotic factors include, water, air, soil, pH, salinity, temperature, amount of light, and even natural catastrophic events.
A grouping of populations of plant, animal, or microscopic organisms is referred to as a biocenose. When the number of organisms in a species becomes too small, inbreeding reduces the genetic diversity causing weakness in the species and possible extinction. The stability of a biocenose is also connected to biotic ecological interactions by organisms of the same species or organisms of different species.
Interactions between organisms of the same species are cooperation, competition, territorial divisions, and organization in the population. These factors are collectively referred to as intraspecific relations. The interaction of organisms of different species is referred to as interspecific relations and can include symbiotic interactions, competition, parasitism, and infectious disease. When two organisms occupy the same ecological niche, competition for resources can occur. It is important to determine whether the interaction is positive for both species, negative for both, or positive for only one species. Another example of an interspecific relation that is negative for one species and positive for the other is predation. Predatory activities form the basis for all food chains. While predation is natural and provides nourishment for the predatory species, in some cases it can upset the balance of the food chain when the prey species is already overexploited.
Biogeochemical cycles are present when minerals and organic materials are used by organisms and sent out as waste. Ecosystems can remain relatively stable when untouched by catastrophic events, detrimental human activities, or other unusual occurrences. Homeostasis, or self-regulation of ecosystems, occurs when supported by natural control mechanisms.
A biome is an ecological area separated from other areas by certain definitive characteristics and relies on the interdependent nature of ecosystems. Water, among other elements, can cycle from one ecosystem to another. Organisms like salmon and freshwater eels often move from one ecosystem to another. The biosphere includes all of the Earth's biomes. An example of a biome is the photic portion of the ocean where sunlight is present and photosynthetic algae can be found. Biomes are divided into ecozones corresponding loosely with the continents and are further divided into ecoregions.
Species are related to each other through the role they play in the food chain as producers, consumers, and decomposers. Producers are photosynthesizing plants, consumers are herbivorous or carnivorous animals, and decomposers are organisms (such as bacteria) that break down organic material into minerals, which are eventually used by producers. There are more producers than consumers. The total amount of living matter in any place is called the biomass. When the biomass of plants increases it is measured as the primary productivity: the biomass produced by consumers and decomposers is measured as the secondary productivity.
Primary and secondary productivity are measurements used by scientists to determine an ecosystem's capacity to support life.
An ecological crisis can take place when species or populations evolve in an unsustainable way. Sometimes the quality of the environment is lost after trauma, like a lack of rain or an increase in the temperature of a region. Other times, too much predation can ruin the balance of an ecosystem, as can be seen with overfishing by humans. Sometimes, too many organisms in one place will cause a poor living environment for others. There are different time scales for ecological crises ranging anywhere from a few months to millions of years. Extinction events can affect many species or just a few individual species. Human activities, like oil spills, can cause local crises as well as global crises like global warming. Even with a local crisis, the loss of a few species can have a disastrous effect on the survival of others in the food chain. A global crisis can result in a loss of nearly all species on Earth. The most common example of such a crisis is the extinction of the dinosaurs. Other examples of well-known ecological crises are the Permian-Triassic extinction event, the Cretaceous-Tertiary Event, Global Warming from the Greenhouse effect, the hole in the ozone layer, desertification and deforestation, and nuclear meltdowns like Chernobyl. Fortunately, nature always prevails and when species disappear, new species evolve.
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0.028875 | <urn:uuid:a61bcbf0-e722-46a1-b069-2714b2dcc04e> | en | 0.954939 | Arizona home insurance
Home insurance is the only way to protect your family and home from the perils of the world. Arizona Home Insurance | has some unique challenges it needs to overcome. Arizona has low deserts to high mountain ranges, making it home to a range of climates, each one presenting a different obstacle.
You might not realize what kind of troubles your home is facing until it’s too late. This is why having a comprehensive home insurance policy is so important. Like most disasters, they can come in the blink of an eye. A storm can quickly turn into a flash flood or lightning strikes can set off a wildfire.
A lot of people dismiss how powerful mother nature can be and they would be surprised to know that within 3 years over 835,555 acres of land and 3,224 structures burned down from wildfires. A wildfire can be a catastrophic event, that could effectively leave you homeless without proper coverage.
Statistics like that, is why getting your home insurance needs professional assessed is of the utmost importance. It also makes it incredibly important, that you fully understand your insurance policy and all the instances that are covered. If you think your standard policy has wildfires covered, you should better find out for sure.
If you’re able to get an insurance agent to your home, be sure to ask as many questions as possible. Have them walk you through the entire process, so that you understand everything detailed within your home insurance policy. Be sure to also inquire about any discount that might be available to you. There are multiple ways to decrease your premium, you just need to ask about those options.
Once you have home insurance, you’ll want to keep your premium from getting any higher. The best way to do that, is to not make any small claims. If your home receives minor damage, you should get it assessed by a handyman or contractor as it might be cheap enough to repair on your own.
You don’t want to make small claims because the more claims you make, the higher the chances your premium will raise. Over time the increase in your premium could cost you more, than if you just payed out of pocket to begin with.
Remember, home insurance is best unused. However, if you do need to make a claim, make sure it’s worth the cost and not simply because you don’t feel like paying it yourself. | http://www.microclass.org/arizona-home-insurance/ | dclm-gs1-190390001 | false | false | {
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0.200794 | <urn:uuid:343ab673-5d98-4343-b586-31d9b7f7e7ec> | en | 0.660756 | Record Setting Mastadon Tusks Found in Greece
Via National Geographic. The tusks are 16.4 and 15 feet long.
2 Responses
1. How do we know those aren’t Homo Floresiensis in the photo?
2. ‘Cause there is a 16.4 foot long tusk for scale :)
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0.022827 | <urn:uuid:b29d2b4e-52c7-4022-8bb1-62e618740147> | en | 0.823978 | Micromega uM-FPU64 64-bit Floating Point Coprocessor
$19.95 ea.
Not wimpy 16-bit, or even anemic 32-bit - this match chip does 64-bit math while expanding the I/O capabilities of your design.
Description [Hide]
Doing GPS navigation? MEMS-based sensor calculations? 32-bit floating point number calculations may not be sufficient. If you're after greater precision, try the The uM-FPU64 coprocessor, with support for both 32-bit and 64-bit floating point numbers.
You might be an super-programmer that can work these calculations into an 8-bit platform, but you won't be able to do it as quickly as a dedicated module can, and as it talks SPI or I2C, you'll be able to talk to practically any micro platform. As software match libraries can chew up your micro's memory rather quickly, you'll be better off using an uM-FPU64 to take care of the heavy-lifting math tasks. And as it also features FFT, matrix operations and NMEA sentence parsing capabilities, you'll be set for future calculations.
Want to program your own functions? The uM-FPU64 also features flash memory for storing user-defined functions, 128 64-bit registers, and 128 32-bit registers for floating point and integer data.
The uM-FPU64 is compatible with the instruction set of Micromega's popular uM-FPU V3.1 32-bit floating point coprocessor. Advanced instructions are provided for fast data transfer, matrix operations, FFT calculations, serial input/output, NMEA sentence parsing, string handling, digital input/output, analog input, and control of local devices.
Local device support includes:
• RAM
• 1-Wire
• I2C
• SPI
• UART
• counter
• servo controller
• LCD devices
A built-in real-time clock and foreground/background processing is also provided. The uM-FPU64 can act as a complete subsystem controller for sensor networks, robotic subsystems, IMUs, and other applications.
The uM-FPU64 IDE (Integrated Development Environment) makes it easy to create, debug and test code for the uM-FPU64. Code can be written in the IDE's high level language or in assembler, then compiled to produce code targeted for any one of the many microcontrollers and compilers supported, or stored in Flash memory. The IDE provides support for editing code, compiling, tracing code execution, setting breakpoints, examining registers and programming user-defined functions in Flash memory.
For a printed summary of uM-FPU64 features, see uM-FPU64 Brochure.
Related Products [Hide]
uM-FPU64 Breakout Board
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uM-FPU v3.1 Floating Point Math Coprocessor DIP18
The uM-FPU V3.1 math coprocessor is a full featured standalone math engine that is capable of crunching even the toughest of mathematical equations.
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We found a limited quantity of excellent Schottky diodes that have lower-than-usual voltage dropout
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The 74AC240 is an octal (8-channel) inverter buffer chip, or better known as The Bicore IC.
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0.039547 | <urn:uuid:226be087-fc30-4d7e-ae47-3d17f43d99ed> | en | 0.958787 | Can You Get HIV from
How You Can and Cannot be infected with HIV
Ever had a cold and no-one wants to go near you in case they catch it? Well, like a cold, HIV is a virus, but you can’t become infected with it in the same way. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
For many years now, there has been a lot of publicity and education work undertaken to teach people the ways in which they might be at risk of HIV transmission. In spite of this, some of the messages have been mixed and occasionally contradictory, and there is still some confusion about what is safe and what is not. This section will clear up some of the myths.
Many people are concerned about whether certain situations could result in someone becoming infected. Worries about the possibilities of infection lead to people with HIV being very isolated and sometimes resulted in prejudice and paranoia. HIV is a virus that is found in blood and other body fluids such as semen and vaginal fluids. It can’t live for long outside the body, so to be infected with HIV you need to allow some body fluid from an infected person to get inside your body.
The most common ways that people become infected with HIV are:
• by having sexual intercourse with an infected partner
You can get HIV from…
Vaginal sex
If a man with HIV has vaginal intercourse without a condom, infected fluid can pass into the woman’s blood stream through a tiny cut or sore inside her body. Such a cut or sore wouldn’t always be visible, and could be so small that the woman wouldn’t know about it.
If a woman with HIV has sexual intercourse without a condom, HIV could get into the man’s blood through a sore patch on his penis or by getting into the tube that runs down the penis.
Oral sex
Anal sex
If a couple have anal intercourse the risk of infection is greater than with vaginal intercourse. The lining of the anus is more delicate than the lining of the vagina, so it’s more likely to be damaged during intercourse, and any contact with blood during sex increases the risk of infection.
Injecting drugs
There is a good likelihood of becoming infected with HIV if you share injecting equipment with someone who has the virus. The virus can be passed by sharing needles, syringes, spoons, filters and water. Disinfecting equipment between use can reduce the chance of transmission, but doesn’t eliminate it.
Blood transfusions
Blood products
Blood products, such as those used by people with Haemophilia, are now heat-treated to make them safe.
Mother to child transmission
Infection in the health-care setting
Some health-care workers have become infected with HIV by being stuck with needles containing HIV-infected blood. A very few have become infected by HIV-infected blood getting into the health-care worker’s bloodstream through an open cut or splashes into a mucous membrane (e.g. eyes or the inside of the nose).
Tattoos / piercings
Anything which allows another person’s body fluids to get inside your body is risky. If the equipment is not sterile, having a tattoo done could carry a very small risk. If you are thinking of having a tattoo or piercing, ask staff at the shop what procedures they take to avoid infection.
You can’t get AIDS from…
Sneezing, coughing, sharing glasses/cups, etc
You also can’t be infected in swimming pools, showers or by sharing washing machines or toilet seats.
Injecting with sterile needles
Drug use with sterile works will not transmit HIV either, as long as clean works are used every time – this means needle, syringe and spoon, water and filters. There are still many other risks associated with injecting drug use. And, if you are on drugs, even alcohol, this may cloud your judgment and make you more likely to become involved in risky sexual behaviour – it’s harder to make the effort to use a condom when you’re off your head.
Protected sex
Condoms, if used correctly and consistently, are highly effective at preventing HIV transmission. There are myths saying that "some very small viruses can pass through latex" – this is not true.
Anal sex is not necessarily a risk if unbroken condoms are used and there is no blood-to-blood contact. You can’t "create" HIV by having anal sex.
Note: This information is cross-posted and slightly adapted from in order to emphasize some aspects refering particulary to Moldova. For more details, visual adds, updated information and primary sources, please visit web page. | http://aids.md/aids/index.php?cmd=item&id=275 | dclm-gs1-190550001 | false | false | {
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romney said something similar a few days ago. let's talk about how the purpose of this war is being purposefully misremembered. we're being told now today all these reasons to feel good about the war. is it accurate to say that donald trump may have been the only republican to tell the truth what he said this was supposed to be a war for oil. >> he was accurate in part. there were a lot of reasons. those two quotes appeal compared to the things dick cheney had to sayness documentary running right now which absolutely curdled my blood. oil was a part of it, but there were many other parts. as you go through each one of the players you find each one had their own special reason for getting us into this nightmare. >> i wouldn't say i would condemn every politician who supported this, but in the case of cheney, bush, mitt romney and rush limbaugh, people who avoided military service in vietnam and then supported this war, do they get a special place in satan's party room? >> yeah, i would think so, but cognitive distance is par for the course for the republican party. it didn't surprise
successful and mitt romney was elected they would have gotten their way. neil: but, it is they might get their way wit president behind them. but declines numbers, might make it difficult even with the president. >> no question, righto work, and end of collective bargaining is bad for unions and workers. you have republican governors, like chris christie, who is supportive of private sector unions and collective bargaining, it is not the end of the world, but,hey will support a man who standing by their agenda, that is the way it works in washinnton. it works other way. so, you know, unions -- >> i don't know that they would have needed to getting any. a lot of folks watching this, say, i see they are in trouble in washington having a heck of a time since last year in wisconsin, losing out on some big state cutbacks even in california and what is going on across pretty were the southeast. so, they beg to feel like custer? >> i think for most part, you have to think about president obama's second term agenda, which you know, parts of it may affect the unions, but he is focused on gun cont
of the three million white guys that didn't vote for romney. i'm one of the people that are being driven away. first of all, i just think it's interesting, talking about the challenges of asians and hispanic communities, well, how come we don't talk about the challenges that germans face or italians or polish? because those groups assimilated. i don't know how many times i have to keep saying this, it just goes in one ear and out the other -- host: you think republicans are having trouble reaching out to those groups as well? >> caller: no, i used to believe in assimilation. we used to believe in moratoriums on migration, which was best for the whole country is unity. it's not diversity. it's encouraging groups to reject the idea of ethnic voting blocs and ethnic grievance. we don't believe in that. now, the republicans, country club republicans leadership wants to become democrats. they want to bow to the concept of the permanent ascendancy of multilingualism, the permanent ascendancy of group identity, and it's not going to work. and for every person they might reach out to, if they want to
against that, and again, we had an election in november 2012. right? one of the issues was mitt romney with paul ryan has his running mate said we are going to privatize medicare turn into it a voucher system. the american people by a margin of almost 5 million people said we don't want that. third thing wrong is it repeals the affordable care act. it repeals obamacare, which has already kicked in. which has been there now two years, which the american people like, which is working, which even republican governors now have been buying into seven, i believe it is latest republican governors who have accepted the expansion of medicaid under obamacare. kids can stay on their parent's health insurance until they are 26. insurance companies can no longer deny kids coverage because they have a preexisting condition. by next year insurance companies won't be able to deny anybody coverage because they have a preexisting condition. that kicks in. and also these insurance exchanges making it possible for small businesses to ban together have been set up now in most states e
of massage the message. example, if you talk to naacp like mitt romney did in 2012, you don't do this. >> i'll eliminate every nonessential expensive program i can find and that includes obama care and i'm going to work to -- >> joining me now, democratic strategist robert zimmerman and cnn contributor anna nevaro. thank you for being with us. i want to go back to that event at naacp in 2012. >> why, carol? >> i was intrigued with the new massaging of the message. i thought we were friends. >> i'm sorry. i have to ask you this. how could mitt romney have better put that and make the audience a little more receptive to what he had to say? >> carol, mitt romney who? look, he's yesterday's news. he's not the candidate anymore. he himself has acknowledged there were a bunch of mistakes made by his campaign. he's not the one setting policy. he's not the one setting the tone for the republican party now. i think what we should talk about is what the rnc did today. they appointed some very no nonsense pragmatic people including our colleague ari fleischer from cnn and also sally bradshaw among the
going to happen? do you see seiu endorsing mitt romney? >> not mitt romney. he's history. but the fact of the matter is, if the republican party wants to broaden itself out, going forward, they will choose canned -- candidates and issues that attract labor -- >> we have the very best! we have the very best issues about labor, we want to lower the taxes on working people and more liberty for working people. we want to protect america's borders and from terrorism for working people -- [overlapping dialogue] >> that has nothing to do with what we are talking about. >> we are not talking about the borders. you are conflating a burch of stuff that has nothing to do with unions itch the idea that working people is union membership is a fraud. working people need job creation. and conservative approximatelies will bring t. liberal policies will crush it -- [overlapping dialogue] >> that's proven to be untrue. >> shannon: gentlemen. we talked about the numbers. neap 1953, it is peak for union membership here. 26% of the labor force. now it's 11.3. if the unions are vital and so powerful, why t
romney of certain things from the senate floor. harry reid has to be called responsible for the statements that he made. as i say it, he needs to go over to the marine barracks before formation of marines, standing with the commandant and give an apology and not just have some spokes people from his office do it. that's cowardly. >>alisyn: harry reid did not say it was because of the sequester. what he did on the floor was he linked the two. he didn't say it was because of the sequester that this terrible tragedy happened. he was talking about the tragedy and then he just segued in his own head and verbally to talking about the sequester and about how we have to be careful. harry reid does this a lot, by the way. his spokes people are forever apologizing about the clumsiness. >>steve: his people tried to walk it back and they suggested the same thing you have. but when you listen to it where there are these dead marines and the sequester, he clearly has linked it. whether he wanted to or not, he linked it and it's wrong. not only should he apologize to the marines, he sh
to the very wealthy. it's like the romney plan on steroids. >> you would dispute that. "the wall street journal," though, congressman, wrote thing something on friday that caught my attention. the headline, conservatives warn lawmakers against tax deals. conservative activists and organizations have begun warning republican logtss if they agree to raise taxes in a broad budget deal with the president, they should expect to face challenges from the party's right wing in the next primary elections. i've tried to ask this week after week. any ratio of spending cuts to tax increases that any republican is prepared to support? >> every viewer that's watching today that's working already got a tax increase. the president took $600 billion out of this economy. he talks about a balanced plan but he never talked about cutting. >> but you extended 99% of the bush tax cuts, your own leader said that was a pretty good deal. >> he raised $600 billion worth of taxes. he took from the economy, and he never made any cuts. look, the president has a different belief than we do. he believes deficits don't
hearing from mitt romney about self-departation? >> hey, thomas, it's good to be with you. if you think about it president reagan and president bush, 43, are the last two american presidents who pushed comprehensive immigration reform. so, you know, immigration reform is -- has to deal with economic opportunity and growth. and that is very consistent with republican economic policies. so it's something that where i disagreed with governor romney's position on that. but we've got to move forward. and certainly as a committee, we did call on the republicans in congress to come up with a solution that's comprehensive, dealing with immigration reform. we're not trying to say, look, we want to tell republicans in congress what exactly needs to be in the legislation. but we have got to deal with this issue. >> one thing, henry, from the rnc report about that exact issue saying young voter, increasingly rolling their eyes with what the party believes. when someone rolls their eyes at us, they're not likely to open their ears to us. that's again to younger voters. another thing important to you
: well, the last time i was in israel, where you see that windmill over my shoulder, mitt romney was giving a speech. and during that trip, it was netanyahu who seemed to align himself with the president of israel. now these two leaders is trying to show the closeness of the relationship. to say all that friction was in the past, we got along so well, such that there was one moment that stood out. the drama of the morning, perhaps, was during that red carpet welcoming ceremony. the two of them walking side by side at the tarmac at the international airport in tel aviv. you saw the president take his jacket off and throw it over his shoulder. netanyahu awkwardly thought to himself, what do i do here? do i take it off? do i not. and he did the same as if to show not only were they so comfortable together, they could take their jackets off, the same shirts and blue ties. it was a moment that was really made for the public in this country that has viewed this as being a wide gap between the two leaders. but the primary topic in the conversation for the two later today behind closed d
million-vote margin between mitt romney and president obama. there's also some reference to the policy there. but it's unclear exactly what that would mean or where it would go. look, this just falls within the narrative of everything we're seeing in this country. as more and more republicans, more and more democrats and the american public evolves and has evolved quite quickly on this issue. and it's time quite frankly for our elected leaders in washington to catch up with the rest of the country. >> rock on, human rights campaign president, chad griffin, thanks for coming on the show. >> pleasure to be here, thank you, alex. >>> hash tag now is the time, it could be mantra for middle east peace. we will ask the new republican's ben birnbaum about the fierce urgency of a two-state solution when he joins us live from tel aviv, just ahead. hey, our salads. [ bop ] [ bop ] [ bop ] you can do that all you want, i don't like v8 juice. [ male announcer ] how about v8 v-fusion. a full serving of vegetables, a full serving of fruit. but what you taste is the fruit. so even you... could've had
today in business week. it says mitt romney struggled in the early primaries last year, newt gingrich and rick santorum nearly agreed to form a joint unity ticket to consolidate conservative support and topple romney. but the report says the negotiations collapsed because gingrich and santorum could not agree on who would be president. business week quotes gingrich as saying, in the end it was too hard to negotiate. >>> meanwhile at an elementary school yesterday, a politically savvy young student put new jersey governor chris christy on the spot. >> i'm a third grader at the elementary school. you've done a great job here in new jersey and i was wondering if you were thinking about running for president. >> do you work for msnbc? i'm not thinking about running for president right now because i've got a job to do here. and i've got an obligation to all these folks. you can't worry about fourth grade until you finish third gras grade and i can't worry about that until i do this job. when what you just bought, just broke. or when you have a little trouble a long way from home... as an a
about joining forces to keep mitt romney from winning last year. but could not agree on who should top their unity ticket. on facebook rick agran writes, it is like picking between tweed el dee and tweed el dumb. patrick williams says obama would have had an even larger victory. wsa alexander describes the gop as pale, frail and stale. go to our facebook page and join the conversation. don't forget to like "the ed show" when you're there. we'll be right back. ♪ i'm your venus [ female announcer ] what does beauty feel like? find out with venus embrace. every five-bladed stroke gives you 360 degrees of smooth for goddess skin you can feel and feel. ♪ i'm your venus only from venus embrace. by the armful? by the barrelful? the carful? how the bowlful? campbell's soups give you nutrition, energy, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. >>> welcome back to "the ed show." millions of americans line up to grab a cup of starbucks copy every morning. now the head of the global giant seems it favor helping his customers more easily affor
romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. it's great to be here this evening in the vast magnificent hilton ballroom, or what mitt romney would call a little fixer-upp fixer-upper. >> you got to admit, no matter what side of the line you sit on, those are pretty funny. those are more than just funny lines. my guest wrote an op-ed for on obama's "weaponized wit." obama didn't invent the political jab, but the president has taken the art form to a whole other level to take on rivals. dean's live for us in new york. dean, what is it? why do you think obama's become such a good
forward-looking agenda for america. he made a mitt romney with a wife that's equestrian -- let's not kid ourself. we have two robust parties. each have their own problems. we're likely to see a competitive political environment for decades to come. as for rand paul, good comment. republicans need to help resolve the issue of immigration reform, in order to get this issue behind us. i think it's interesting. mitt romney got 27% of the latino vote. in the battleground states with exit polling he got 32%. in the battleground of battlegrounds, ohio, he got 42% of latino votes. maybe that's a small sampling. nonetheless, the fact of the matter is, the more he was able to make these arguments about the economy and deficit and debt and the affordable care act -- >> but doesn't the republican party have to pass immigration reform, seem to passing it to avoid having the appearance that they're not welcoming? >> the republicans have to play a role, absolutely. my former white house deputy has taken the leadership of the effort in california to help recruit and elect hispanic republicans at the loc
about them. so, for instance, mitt romney had this very big focus on the economy, but for the average american, it was tough to see how mitt romney's economic policies would make their lives any better off. i think that's the challenge republicans want to face if they want to be competitive. >> tim, some people would say americans for prosperity is part of the problem. >> not me. . who would say that? >> some people would say that requiring a strict orthodoxy when it comes to no tax increases, that's part of the problem. what's your response? >> in fact, a vibrant, growing, strong movement is a recipe for a party's success, and that movement is outside the party. the democratic party is not that strong. it was the obama campaign, it was george sorros in 2002, 2004. a lot of movement groups on the left that dragged the democrat party along with their energy, with the movement's energy. so i think a strong movement is a good thing. frankly, a not-so-strong party is a good thing. the democrat party is not that strong. it's about the movement, pulling them along. i think that's what we ha
romney's former vice president's running mate, congressman paul ryan. but first, senator rand paul of kentucky who recently complained the gop is becoming in his words stale and moss covered, criticism many believed is aimed at senator john mccain. >> i want you to clarify, there has been a rift between you and him. you suggested the other day that some of the senators and everyone assumed you were referring to senator mccain when you said the gop of old has grown stale and moss covered. you didn't want to say who you were referring to, but you said everybody knows who you were referring to. were you referring to senator mccain? >> i would say figurative sort of sentence in the sense that it isn't to be taken literally. it was also meant for humor. and i think it garnered a little humor, but it is to say we as a gop need to embrace new ideas and grow our party in a way that some haven't. but i didn't intend it to be directed at one person. >> but he was one of those persons that you were referring to? >> it is a figurative, illusion, it is not meant to be taken for one person. he a
this. here's romney at the end of. >> i'm going to eliminate every non-sheshl expensive program i can find. that includes obama care, and i'm going to work to reform and save --. >> also on the table, remember all those republican debates. >> are you just going to keep talking or are you going to let me finish with what i have to say. >> the plan is to limit them, shorten the primary calendar and move up the party's convention. >> it's a start. is it the magic formula, the silver bullet to start winning elections? no. >> the bottom line, modernize the message. in washington i'm tori dunnan reporting. >>> the supreme court heard argument today about whether states can require voters to prove citizenship. the case involves arizona and would affect four other states but not california. arizona requires voters to they're citizens. immigration rights advocates worry add law discourages some people from voeth. >>> a new commute alternative is hardly having the impact many had hoped. coming up the ferry that's creating smaller waves as some originally predicted. >>> by this time tomorrow, ra
's plans. this so called autopsy is calling for the gop to shift its focus. >> reporter: after mitt romney lost last november, party leaders, ordered an autopsy on what went wrong. they released the findings in a report called the growth in opportunity project. >> we need to do a much better job crafting our message to appeal to voters from demographics who have not been voting republican. >> reporter: the report says they need to reach out to minorities especially latino voters who overwhelmingly supported president obama. republicans should tailor their message. >>> the message should be we are going to provide, opportunities, without regard to the color of your skin. >> reporter: it urges them to reach out to women. >> marketing politics is like a product you have to use messaging specific to the target to succeed. >> reporter: we asked voters downtown walnut creek. >> the generation my children are growing up and have a much different view of the world than the republican party of you know my generation or the generation before. > republicans are mired in the past i am republican i do
's not conservative. it didn't get its base out in the 2012 election. >> rush is putting the blame on mitt romney who suddenly became a severe conservative after being a moderate republican. let's look at true conservatives in the running for president in 2012. rick santorum, newt gingrich and rick perry. all three made an appearance at cpac. the influential conservative gathering, we believe these are true conservatives. would any of those true conservatives really have beaten barack obama? amy? >> carol, i don't think anybody would beat barack obama. he's a pop culture icon, and he's captain to that generation that all they care about is pop culture. when rush is talking about people being conservative, he's not talking about social issues i don't think. he's talking about somebody fiscally conservative. i come from a red state and i didn't think mitt romney's conservative enough for me, he is for his state. it's all relative. that's what he's talking about. >> maria. >> agree with amy. i don't think that any of the other candidates would have beaten president obama. now, i do agree with rush that
would rather deal with ahmadinejad than me. >>absolutely. >> and so would mitt romney. (vo) she's joy behar. >>and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? ♪ >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation on your radio, and on current tv this is the "bill press show." >> bill: senator dianne feinstein says harry reid broke his word. nothing. nothing, nothing worse than the united states congress than for a member of congress to break his or her word. there are strong words coming from the senior senator from california. good morning, everybody. hello. hello. hello. it is great to see you today. it is thursday march 21st. this is the "full court press," welcome to the program this morning, and thank you for being a part of the program. you are a part of the program every morning. it's not just us talking to you, it's not just us telling you what is going on. we have a conversation here. we'll let you know what is happening, and you tell us what it all means to you. 866-55-press is our toll free number, that's how you wa
-huh. >> the brothers plan to have the transplant at oakland's children's hospital in mid- april. >>> mitt romney is set to host a retreat in utah this summer. according to reports the former republican presidential candidate has sent out e-mail invitations to a number of politicians, business leaders, and donors. the cost of attending the sefntdz 5,000. the retreat is sponsored by romney's son's investment firm. it is said to give business executives and politicians a chance to network with each other. >>> bo obama is a wanted dog. let me show you some video posted on youtube. this is from the oregon humane society. in it, one of their dogs, a golden doodle named ramona asked bo to be her date to the society's annual doggy dash fund-raiser. it is being held in may. the humane society is also asking bo to serve as grand marshal for that event. so far no word back from bo or the white house. >>> this afternoon san francisco zoo's newest tiger cub is making her first public appearance. she has yet to be named. she is daughter to leanne and larry. today and tomorrow she is going to be on display in the zoo
a rick perry in texas and ideally maybe even a governor romney in massachusetts. they deal across the aisle. they deal with practical issues. they can help the party sort of see where the country is going and move ahead in a practical matter and take credit for it if the party is smart enough to take advantage of that. >> eroll, you're making the point. practicality, bipartisan thinking, nonideological thinking is the reason people elect republican governors so easily. they don't have to make a big ideological choice. there you have republican governor kasich, who, again, i say i like, giving a nonideological answer. i haven't thought much about it but, yeah, civil union sounds fine to me. it's a reasonable answer for a guy who hasn't given much thought to something. thank you. >>> up next, chris christie meets the press, the third grade press. literally. this is "hardball," the place for politics. [ female announcer ] your smile. like other precious things that start off white, it yellows over time. fact is, when it comes to your smile, if you're not whitening, you're yellowing.
the terrorists acting out. romney didn't feel that situation that well with his press conference he called it at the wrong time about the guy that runs the entire foreign policy apparatus in the united states. it really does seem he used to say that a reporter is someone else that will sell his soul for a good story but it took turns out when the story might make barack obama look bad or make his presidency looks like a failure they are going to miss stories by definition simply for the inability to see the failure to be interested .... on the editorial page recovered the way that i wanted to be covered if i have anyone to blame but myself. we are part of who we are as the washington examiner but we also there is no reason that we should be the only ones to be ill-defined obvious trends in the labor statistics that we were practically the ones to write about people seem unaware of of the economy. 25 to
romney's campaign with attack ads. republicans had group of their own but were not competitive against the democrats' more sophisticated technology and approach. america rising mission is not to end the less advantage and level the playing field. it's to tilt things right. >> we are going to test our tools to see what tools can the republican candidates use to make sure they get the information, negative information to democrats to the wider audience. >> america rise willing not use the tv ads. those are left with clients who could be as big as the republican national committee or small as individual races or causes. the truth is most voters prefer to get the facts before they cast the ballot. not after the elections are over. >> shannon: thank you. >>> late champ, a democrat vetoed bill to require voters to show i.d. he said it would impair the right to vote. it would cost $330,000 to provide free i.d. to those without one. they can override the veto with a simple majority vote. we look at the latest in syria with the fox all-stars when we return. [ male announcer ] red lobster is hit
, how to tackle women's issues in a way that doesn't repel women, as mitt romney did in november. >> lots of work ahead. thanks very much, brianna for that report. the report, by the way, repaired by the republican national committee, is remarkably blunt in discussing the party's problems. the rnc chairman is blunt, as well. reince priebus is joining us now live from party headquarters. reince, thanks very much for coming in. >> hey, wolf. thanks for having me. i told you it was going to be big and bold, and i know a lot of people didn't expect it this way. but that's what we delivered this morning. >> certainly did. in fact, i have a copy of it right here, and it's a lot of pages. and the type is pretty small. the font, we should say. let's talk a little bit about what the big problem -- is it a problem of messaging? is it a problem of organization? or is there a substantive policy issue that you have to change? >> well, i think that, you know, here's where i kind of focus in as chairman of the party, and it makes sense. this is where i would first go. and i just think that we h
, and there wasn't a lot of hispanic support the last time around -- >> not for mitt romney. jon: about 30% as compared with 70% for president obama. >> right. and jeb bush's brother, president bush, got 45% of the hispanic vote. so we have a long road to go now. the gang of eight, they want to have a vote on this bill june/july. i'm hopeful, also, the house can pass a bill so we can have comprehensive immigration reform. jon: are the two bodies likely to see eye to eye? i mean, it's one thing to get republicans and democrats together in the senate which is a more collegial body -- >> yes. jon: the house a little more fractious. >> well, senators mccain and graham went over to the house and met with some republicans, and flake said they're open. i'm not going to say exactly what they said, but the bottom line is this: if the senate can prove this is not a blanket amnesty bill, then they can bring some people from the house onboard. jon: so you're fairly confident this is going to get done. the senators say they are very close on this immigration legislation. >> i'm confident that it will g
with the palestinians and broker an apology over a commando raid. he didn't win the presidency but mitt romney plans to have a say. he's asking political and business leaders to a four-day retreat in utah in june. the idea, look for solutions to the country's problems. romney says he wants to stay engaged in public policy. among those invited are new jersey governor chris christie and house budget chairman congressman paul ryan. >>> 149 airport control towers around the nation are set to close because of spending cuts. the faa says it is targeting low to medium traffic airports. closures could also effect big airports causing delays of as much as 90 minutes. i asked a former air marshal and union president representing air traffic controllers if this would affect air safety. >> there's no concerns for the public as far as safety is concerned. i believe with these closures we'll have somewhere between 150,000 flights that take off and land per year. to give you an idea of what the percentage is, there's more than 26,000 flights that take off and land every day. you are talking 150,000 throughout the
to a presidential race for the countries that we are tired of this war. neither gov. romney nor president obama to their mutual credit talked about accelerating the drop down just to get the heck out. we went through all of 2012 with no major speech by the president or governor romney about how we should hurry up our departure. if you look at our history, whether it's with the middle east, korea, taiwan, we spent decades supporting young democracy that were not always doing that well anomalies that impressive. we recognized we had security interests. it took south korea for decades to get to the point of a legitimate election and we stood by them all time. if we have our security interests engaged in seat gradual progress and the partner countries, we americans are capable of doing what i consider the right thing in sticking with it. into not talk ourselves doing something for our long term interest before we even try. >> i agree with all that mike has said. the point made other post- conflict societies where we have had a long-term presence, because of the staying power, we toe these societies
the group called america rising mitt romney's former campaign manager matt rose. carl cameron is live for us in washington. this will be a superpac that will just do research? >> reporter: opposition research as it's called and rapid response. both sides do it. all political parties do it in one way or the other. usually the research of ones a poepb event and pumping it out to the public is done by the state or political parties or individuals themselves. they will be an independent superpac and focus ongoing after democrats to help the republicans on the right go against the liberals on the left this. all came together literally in the same week that the republican national commit lee last week announced its own season autopsy, and urged the formation of a quote, an allied group dedicated solely to research to establish a private archive and public website that does nothing but post inappropriate democratic utterances and information on democrats. in 2012 a couple of democratic superpacs did real damage to mitt romney's reputation and his campaign. republicans have had a couple of superpacs | http://archive.org/details/tv?time=20130318-20130326&q=romney&rows=50&start=100 | dclm-gs1-190590001 | false | false | {
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I am a princess, that flaming yellow and red costume becomes me as I perch atop the marble sill,
peeping out of the tiny window, looking out at the world beyond the formidable walls of my Fort Palace; I am Vaselisa the Beautiful, my thick plait dancing wildly behind me as I amble along the dense silver forests, the carpet of grass spangled with lavender kissing my feet, the snowy white rabbits watching me wide eyed as I daintily pluck some cherry blossoms.
I am a dreamer, I SPIN STORIES. I am a traveller, I weave stories around places I see, destinations I visit, things I look at, people I meet. Road trips do that to me, I watch the world go by as I sit pretty in the cozy comforts of my car, time and again rolling down the windows to feel the wind in my hair, taste the salt on my face, touch the tiny raindrops that patter down, soak in the romance enveloping me, to see the new beyond.
I simply love the spontaneity and flexibility road trips offer. Nothing to do on the weekend? Tired of visiting the malls but hate to stay back and spend the Sunday at home?Your friend is lapping up the sun in Bali while you wait for that eluding increment. Voila! The solution lies in your car keys. You had to leave at 5 in the morning but the sheets refuse to let go of you. Hey, another hour of sleep won’t turn your world upside down, after all there are no planes to catch. You don’t need to plan months in advance, just pack up and go.
I can carry an entire wardrobe with me, three changes for the day, those new boots I so wanted to be clicked in, a silver, a gold and a black clutch, the classic sling and the practical hobo. I would need
my floral tiara too and throwing in some chunky chic accessories won’t hurt either. I might find the
novel, I plan on reading, boring so I better keep the other one along. Just in case.
The polaroid, the digicam,laptop, chargers, adaptors, my neck pillow... The boot of the car survives it all. I even carry my blanket along, you never know...
Road trips give you this feeling that you are in control, that you have the power to set the pace of
your holiday. You can take innumerable pit stops, the excuses can be varied, a washroom break, a photo opportunity, inexplicable hunger pangs or the uncontrollable urge to ask for directions from a
corner kiosk even though the GPS seems to be working just fine. Backseat driving adds a whole new dimension to cruise control.
Road trips have a No Fixed Plans recipe on the menu. I grew up at my grandparental home, visiting the small town my parents lived in, only during school vacations. While going back, away from my parents, I invariably developed (read-’feigned’) some kind of sickness which would help delay my departure by a day or two. Those complimentary days meant the world to me. As do now, the extra unplanned extended stays when you have yet not got your fill, when you are reluctant to leave just yet. One more day, another hour beyond lunch, a minute extra...the luxury of those stolen moments which only a road trip can offer.
Road trips are a time to bond, with family, with friends. Long conversations, those songs that stir up nostalgia, recounting funny old stories, making new memories, there is time for it all.
Journey is the reward. It is a learning process, smooth roads, rough terrain, concrete jungles, bucolic vistas, majestic ruins, off beat trails, a new adventure is always waiting around the corner.The thrill
of finding something new, unexpected, is what keeps you going. Meeting interesting people on the
way, exchanging pleasantries with strangers, reading signboards like “KFC-Kangra Famous Chicken”, waiting patiently as the shepherd navigates his scampering sheep from out of the way, tasting that odd cross between an orange and a sweet lime freshly and stealthily plucked from a roadside orchard, listening to the forest whisper and streams chortle, getting lost only to find something more bewildering, more beautiful. Travel is my Drug. Road trips confirm this theory.
Yet don’t jump to conclusions. Don’t just yet fall in love. The bubble is fragile, my romance has a
few enemies, the ride not without hiccups. The treachery lies in the deplorable condition of the roads, the unrelenting traffic snarls, that obnoxious and continuous honking right in your ear. You are
exhausted even before you begin. The back pain and stiff neck will follow for the longest time.
Finding a clean hygienic restroom, forget that, a restroom, any kind of it, becomes an impossible task once you steer away from the highway. You bide time, holding in and listening to “ I told you so”.
Be prepared to eat at road side stalls, forget all about your jasmine flavoured green tea, endless
cuppas of cutting chai and oil stuffed pakoras await you. Carry your own water in case you are
allergic to “Baislari”. Hand sanitizers, wet wipes, paper soaps, deodrant, mosquito repellant need to urgently replace some of your carefully packed make up in the hand bag.
Finding new routes, going off the beaten tracks, taking the roads less travelled, as paradisiacal as it
sounds in your head, can get a little scary when you actually get lost, the GPS won’t work, the
cell phone signals have dropped to a new low, street lights are alien objects, unheard of in this part of the world and there is no soul in sight. I say my little prayer, silently pledging never ever to be this
adventurous, striking off all dreamy epic road trips lined up on my bucket list.
Next morning, curled up in my hotel room at Palampur, fresh like a dew and stuffing my mouth
with hot syrupy pancakes, I tell my husband, `Let’s try Langsdown in October, maybe’.
My bitter sweet relationship with Road Trips continues....
Thursday, 8 January 2015
It Rained That Day In Zurich
When it comes to Switzerland, images of Interlaken and Lucerne flood our vivid minds but on our third trip to the country which technically, was 'just' a flight hop, we, that is, my husband and me, decided to spend a full three days in Zurich. We had it all sorted, planning to travel to the neighbouring touristy cities by train each of these three days while our luggage rested conveniently at some Airport hotel. It had to be Bern and Montreux, I insisted as I had yet to sight the 'Barengraben' and the 'chateau' de chillon'. My husband meanwhile wanted to revisit all the places we had done before( how romantic, one must think, but turned out tickets to the latter were cheaper). So we had plenty of time in our hands and obviously, covering most of these places seemed very very achievable and we weren't ( when I say we, it is mostly I incase of travel plans and aspirations) the types to waste our precious holiday time in Zurich, the financial capital of Switzerland ( yeah! It sounds boring even in the head), especially after several well wishers had warned us about the drab and the dull Zurich. " There isn't anything to do in Zurich", " Why couldn't you catch a direct train to Lucerne and stay there instead", " Three whole days in Zurich, are you guys crazy"....and yet we didn't listen, were here, brimming with enthusiasm to explore Switzerland, we had smartly chosen a central hub, had no worries of chugging the heavy luggage from place to place and planned to take a new direction from here each day.
But what do you do when you wake up on the first morning in the hotel bed and are faced with the looming possibility of having to spend 24 hours in Zurich, Switzerland, as all roads going up to the mountains are closed due to incessant rains. And however crazy you might have pictured us to be, we weren't stupid enough to burn precious swiss franks in train tickets on such a sloppy wet day.
Well, what do you do when it rains in Zurich?! Actually, you are in for a real treat; grab your umbrellas ( in our case, we bought one from the nearest store which happened to be a kid's shop and tried sharing it!), get a Zurich city pass(ask your hotel for one.) and board the first tram to Zurich Zoo. This gem of a rainforest themed zoological park hidden in the heart of Zurich will enamour you with its lively ambience and eclectic showcasing of exotic animals and their niches and a superb layout. The cherry on the cake is the Masoala Tropical Rain Forest under a geodesic dome where the entire Madagascar biosphere seems to come alive with the musical cacophony of birds flying around, myriads of buzzing, fluttering insects and chameleons and the likes gracing the giant green trees, not to mention the overgrowth of exotic epiphytes and ivys. The gurgling of a waterfall cascading down in the background and soft raindrops pecking your cheeks from an artificial downpour has a mesmerizing effect. The boardwalk through this paradisiacal jungle is a stimulating, exhilarating experience and removes you far far away from that cold blue rainy day of Zurich. Later, you can take a boat cruise on the Zurich lake and a little dance in the rain at the deserted promenade wouldn't hurt either, trust me I am speaking from experience. It was one of the most romantic days of my life, we wandered aimlessly, rode the free trams and city trains( thanks to the all day Zurich pass), drenched ourselves silly and shared umpteenth cuppas of hot tea. Tomorrow would be another day!!
Friday, 2 January 2015
Manitoulin-Discovering Thousand Islands Canada
Where the giants walked: discovering the Manitoulin Island :: Lonely Planet India -
Sunday, 14 December 2014
" I live for the Nights I won't remember, with the Friends I will never forget'', and that sums up all that is Ibiza, the 'Ecstasy Island'. The word Nightlife is synonymous with IBIZA. Innumerable songs have been devoted to this emerald Balaeric Island in Spain, the land where electronic music is said to have originated and the land which is a hotbed of wild parties and crazy clubbing. That Ibiza is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a different story altogether.
Pardon me if I sound a little aloof, somewhat disengaged, describing without being too attached, discount me, because what else would you expect from someone who is a teetotaler, whose husband has two left feet and who would almost always prefer,if given a choice, to grab a lounger and a book rather than those passes to a Rock Concert in the neighbourhood. But then being the traveller I claim to be ( to be honest, I don't mind the tourist tag any longer), Ibiza had long been on my to do list and so here I was, in the Entertainment Capital of the world, husband and my teenage son in tow ( yeah! I know..)
Ibiza is known for the razzmatazz, the glitzy summer clubbing scene, the wild theme parties but there is so much more to see, to discover and experience. It is like being at two different places in one, the contrasts are stark; the Old Town with its cobblestoned pathways, whitewashed villas, quirky boutique stores, the coastline dotted with innumerable sail boats and a handsome spattering of intimate cafes along the promenade, is a delightful glimpse into the Spanish way of life. The formidable ramparts of the moorish castle look magnificient lit up in the night while the cute little lighthouses are picturepostcardusque.
The streets are filled with makeshift pubs, flyers luring tourists to nightclubs pasted everywhere, be wary of shady salesmen buzzing you constantly with offers of free drinks with club entry tickets. I should now post the first of the warnings- Go only for reputed clubs like Paccha, Amnesia or Privilege to name a few. Most of the action takes place around two hubs- Ibiza Town , Playa d'en Bossa which has a more cosmopolitan vibe and then there is San Antonio catering to the British uber. The tickets cost anywhere from $30 to $90 while a drink would cost around 20$. BEWARE of fake tickets and hideous sales counters and if you have no choice left in the entire universe, only and only then board the Disco Bus which plies through the night. You can save some money by buying tickets online or opting for PreParties showcasing DJs who would be playing later. Boat parties are another fancy way of cutting your losses. Though, the clubs are open seven nights a week and all seven nights feature different themes and music; the party scene begins to heat up only by May and come October all tourist centres quieten down a little but not before some flashy closing parties make the round.While Privilege is the largest club, Space and Bora-Bora give you the oppurtunity to party even during the day. Paccha is the oldest club and built like a Tunisian temple, the guest list here boasts of Ursula Andreas and the Rolling Stones. Other than these and a handful more of the swish and swanky ones, I wouldn't suggest the dark, sweaty, overcrowded, asphyxiating dungeons to anyone except hardcore partygoers who are already past discerning the discomfort of it all. Some of the good ones don't fail to impress though, with some mind blowing theme nights replete with street performers, costume parades (be prepared for some very naughty costumes or none at all..) and International dance troupes. The parties go on until dawn, I wouldn't be exaggerating if the noon sun greets you through the glass roof.Ibiza is like a 24X7, round the year festival. The guilt free extravaganza of wild beach parties and in your face exuberance, the carnival like spirit draws you like a magnet, leaves you hypnotized. Being a bystander is not a choice, you have to become a part of it else the strangeness of it all will alienate and disengage you, will leave you feeling awkward and unsure.
For the fainthearted, let me suggest a leisurely stroll through the charming old town, the Dalt Villa or High Town as it is known, or a romantic boat ride exploring the island with its secret smuggler's coves, salt lakes and long curved sandy beaches.
Take a pick from taking a trip to Formentera, another pristine blue gem some forty minutes away by ferry or visiting the Archaelogical Museum and Clock Tower. Or simply watch the sun paint the sky in several hues of pink as it bids farewell for the day. Find a quiet beach for that, we found Talamanca.
But again, if you are going only for soaking in some Island sun or want to walk through the rich Spanish History, check out Mahon or Mallorca instead ( In my head I might be thinking, ''you must be crazy to do that'' but seriously, if you are not a party freak, Ibiza won't mean the same to you). Also, it is a destination to do with friends, probably the only beachy affair where friends out do romance.
Ibiza is not your run-of-the-mill destination and expectedly needs special travel plans. A short but usually choppy flight from mainland Spain aboard a low cost carrier is how most people arrive, then there is the option of a painful and long 9-10 hour ferry from Barcelona, though,you can choose to cruise aswell like we did.(P.S. Most of the big luxury cruise liners offering Ibiza on the itinerary, stop overnight and so there is no threat to the party frenzy you had always dreamed of, you still get to wake with that nasty hangover, hit the family beach in case you still care and go for that lazy stroll along the esplanade.) For those looking for a luxury stay can check out La Torre Del Canonigo with amazing views of the coastline of port Eivissa aka Ibiza Town. The Ushuaia and Ushuaia Towers offer a more International vibe.
Go. Because even Nostradamus wanted you to.
P.S. It is believed that Nostradamus predicted that " Ibiza will be Earth's only refuge after Armageddon". And his prophecy had nothing to do with Ibiza 'culture' but because of something very scientific like prevailing wind patterns.
Friday, 14 March 2014
Saturday, 8 February 2014
Surajkund Crafts Fair- India In A Heartbeat
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0.067736 | <urn:uuid:67d9fcde-72d6-4c3b-9bff-695e6a195ef0> | en | 0.960478 | About IATP
Mission statement
Rooted in family farms
Facing globalization
IATP works with organizations around the world to analyze how global trade agreements impact domestic farm and food policies. Alongside a global coalition, IATP advocates for fair trade policies that promote strong health standards, labor and human rights, the environment and, most fundamentally, democratic institutions.
Building sustainability
We are developing alternative economic models that include clean sources of energy such as wind power and biofuel that would spur rural development. We're working with landowners to form cooperatives that promote sustainable forest management. We're advocating for green businesses and farms that reduce toxic runoff into the Great Lakes and Mississippi River.
Safe food, healthy ecosystems
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0.018396 | <urn:uuid:aaf32555-c1e7-4360-8078-649dab1d0ce0> | en | 0.978383 | YouTube Sensation Gets NFL Tryout
Havard Rugland_0YouTube has resulted in a range of arrests, singing contracts, and other recognitions for their virtual celebrity status. However, Havard Rugland may be the first to get a NFL tryout from a YouTube posting. The Norwegian posted this video showing his incredible kicking skills. It went viral and now he has had a tryout with the New York Jets.
Kicking coach and former NFLer Michael Husted worked with Rugland in San Diego. Rugland felt it went well — it had to be better than the last season for the star-crossed Jets.
The 27-year-old Rugland would like to secure an NFL contract for 2013. He would not be the first Norwegian to make the cut. One of the three kickers in the NFL Hall of Fame is Norwegian Jan Stenerud who kicked for the Chiefs, Packers and Vikings for 19 seasons. He also was a four-time Pro Bowler to boot.
Source: Daily Mail
31 thoughts on “YouTube Sensation Gets NFL Tryout
1. I met Jan Stenerud when I was a kid. He was (in retrospect) a really good person. It was my 8th birthday and we were having the party at a now long defunct restaurant where part of the deal was an artist made small individual caricatures for the party guests. When Stenerud was recognized, he came over to the table and talked to all of us kids and signed every picture (which the artist drew with football helmets). In today’s celebrity mad culture, I don’t think you’d find many if any footballers willing to spend 20-30 minutes out of their day doing something like that with a random bunch of kids he ran into while having lunch.
So that being said, best of luck to you Havard Rugland. If you are fortunate enough to get that NFL contract, you could do a lot worse than to follow the example of Mr. Stenerud on how to treat your public.
2. Nice anecdote, Gene. I moved to KC toward the end of Jan’s career. He is one of the few kickers who have gotten the accolades from football that he deserved. Placekickers and punters are considered like stepchildren by the nasty owners, GM’s, and coaches. They realize intellectually these guys can win[or lose!] games for you, but they just don’t admit that. There’s a punter for the Vikings[Jan’s last team] that has been fined for wearing a handmade patch on his uniform saying Ray Guy should be enshrined. Of course, he’s been fined. I would need to check it out but Jan may be the only sole placekicker in the Hall. Before the advent of soccer kickers the kicker was often another position player, as you probably know. My take on Jan was he is a soft spoken, nice man.
3. Those last two kicks would have done Calamity Jane credit. Any team that is not beating down his door with a contract has oatmeal mush for management brains.
And I agree that Ray Guy should be inducted. The University of Southern Mississippi has turned out some awesome players. Besides Ray Guy, Brett Favre comes to mind. There have been others as well.
4. OS, I have longed believed that teams don’t compete for great kickers is collusion. Keep them in their place. Don’t give too much credit for winning games but hang them out there to dry when they lose a game. “They’re not football players” mentality permeates the NFL. This keeps salaries down. For what they contribute, placekickers and punters don’t get paid shit.
5. Nick,
Ray Guy is the only punter ever to go as a first round draft pick. Here is a short video of John Madden advocating as to why Ray Guy ought to be in the NFL Hall of Fame.
6. The NY Jets signed Tim Tebow for publicity and didn’t use him. They are the only team in football right now that believes piblicity is better than winning. This guy might be a great kicker but their contact with him wasn’t about making the team but getting it PR. The owner Woody Johnson has all the integrity and business skills of Trump and also hit a triple when he was born on 3rd base. I should know since I’ve despaired as a fan for fifty years. An exercize in masochism.
7. Woosty,
Football is not my game. But I loved catching final scores just to see the off result which indicated that a field goal made the difference. His coordination is super-unreally high.
8. bettykath
In a punting situation, no. Once the ball is kicked it technically belongs to the receiving team and the kicking team can only spot it at the site then catch it at.
However, a kick off is actually a ‘free kick’ and as long as it goes 10 yards its anybodies ball. I doubt anyone could get down field fast enough for a TD reception but it could make for some pretty exciting ‘on-side’ kick attempts. If he can hit a guy 15-20 yards down field it could be a game changer.
The NFL would issue new rules preventing this the first time one of their premier teams lost on the play. There used to be a lot more blocked field goal attempts until the Miami Dolphins lost a play-off spot to Matt Blair’s ability to time his leap. Shula got that made illegal at the next competition committee meeting.
9. Frankly, What is a punting situation? I guess a punting situation is anytime a player kicks the ball rather than run or throw it? Exceptions being kickoff and point after and field goal. This guy did a successful 60 yard kick. So field goals rather than punts once they get to the 60 yard line.
10. bettykath:
Punting is the safest way to turn over possession of the football. You get to kick it as far away from your goal as you can before the other team receives it. I once had a coach in college who said it was the best offensive play we had since it usually averages 35 or more yards – net. I guess he forgot at the end of the play you lose the ball. He liked it so much that one time he ordered a punt on third down and 20. That was great for our morale. He’s not coaching anymore as you probably guessed. I think he’s a motivational speaker.
11. mespo, lol. I understand that you want the other team to start as far away from their goal as possible, but which team is on the field? Is the defensive team still on the field? Is the offensive team (that wasn’t able to go 10 yds in 3 plays) still on the field? If so, are the previously defensive team able to run it back? Is the offensive, now able to stop them? Or did the punter coming on the field call for a complete change of offensive team to defensive team and vice versa?
I used to watch but anything in my brain that’s that old tends to be forgotten and I don’t have tv so I can’t watch to try to figure it out.
12. bk,
Most teams use a ‘special teams’ group of players for the kicking game. The key, of course is the kicker. Kickers are either a punter (kicks the ball after dropping it) and the place kicker (kicks from a tee). There are a few multitalented people like the fellow in the video who can do both.
13. mike, yea, i know. unlikely b/c if he misses the other team takes it there. but still…… score tied, time for only one more play, a kicker who’s strong enough to do it, especially with a qb who hasn’t been connecting. It could happen. Hope I’m watching.
14. mespo, There’s a high school coach in Arkansas who has raised eyebrows w/ his game plan of using all 4 downs on offense and not punting. I love people who give the finger to conventional wisdom.
15. Jan Stenerud is the only dedicated kicker in Hall of Fame. There are two other kickers but they also played other positions. The flaw of early kickers was their physic. They couldn’t have stopped a return if their life depended on it. Rugland, a seasoned soccer-player, stand 6’2 and weighs in at 142 lb. I have the same background (Norwegian, soccer, weight and height) as Rugland and it took me 60 days to place in as a tight end on a college football team back in the 90′. I only had to learn what to do when but as many of you will recognize, tight end is a little “weird” position and therefore you don’t have to be that acknowledgeable on football to play there. There is no reason Rugland shouldn’t be a sensation as a kicker in NFL. Mind you, I have no experience on the difference between college and pro-ball but I am sure he will persevere.
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Comments are closed. | http://jonathanturley.org/2012/12/26/youtube-sensation-gets-nfl-tryout/ | dclm-gs1-190990001 | false | false | {
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0.051454 | <urn:uuid:8e006341-1fd2-476d-af50-dcbe663a555d> | en | 0.937916 | • Elseya albagula;
• turtle;
• diving;
• bimodal respiration;
• water impoundment
This study investigated the diving behaviour and performance of the bimodally respiring turtle Elseya albagula within the Burnett River, central Qld, Australia. Diving parameters were recorded using pressure-sensitive time-depth recorders for turtles residing within a free flowing versus regulated reach. Maximum submergence time recorded for El. albagula (greater than 3 hours) is among the longest recorded for a voluntarily diving vertebrate, and is attributed to the turtle's ability to respire aquatically. Median dive times logged for El. albagula within the regulated reach (6.7 min) were threefold longer than values recorded for turtles residing within a naturally flowing creek (1.9 min), with discrepancies in dive duration possibly due to the variable hydrologic flows recorded below the weir. No correlation was observed between dive duration and subsequent surfacing intervals, suggesting that dives remained aerobic throughout the study. Despite considerable differences in the magnitude and daily variation of water flow between the two locations, similar diel activity and surfacing trends were recorded for El. albagula. Turtles undertook deep resting dives (>1.5 m) during the day before moving into shallower habitats (<1.0 m) for the night, while the crepuscular hours were characterized by elevated surfacing frequencies attributed to periods of increased activity possibly associated with foraging. | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00289.x/abstract | dclm-gs1-191170001 | false | false | {
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