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Exocortex released Species v1.0 today (the plug-in I helped Eric Thivierge and Chris Covelli with). I designed and did the scripting work for the custom synoptics that come packaged with Species. I'd like to thank Eric and Chris for approaching me and giving me the opportunity to work on such an awesome project. I can't wait to see what users do with it! You can find more information about Species here:
On another note, I'm currently freelancing in Dallas, TX over at Janimation. This is the first time I've traveled a considerable distance for business and I'm happy to have the opportunity to finally do so. Also, it's considerably cold in New York and Jersey this time of year.
I plan on moving this blog over to a full fledged site with my own domain and an updated demo reel in the upcoming months as well, so be on the lookout for that. There's another plug-in collaboration that I'll be working on rather soon too. Plenty of things happening, so stay tuned!


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subset: commoncrawl


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UN Volunteers Promote Peace and Development in Afghanistan
Today is International Volunteer Day, which was created by the United Nations in 1985 to celebrate the power of volunteerism. It is an opportunity for volunteers, and volunteer organizations, to raise awareness of their contributions to peace and development.
In Afghanistan, volunteerism is a traditional part of society, reinforced by Islamic injuntions to help one's neighbor and society. Numerous Afghan tales refer to the value of doing good deeds for community members and strangers alike, irrespective of their gender or faith.
In this multiethnic society, volunteers are a force that can bring people together. And in the face of the great challenges brought about by years of conflict, international organisations rely on these country-wide networks of motivated local volunteers to assist in humanitarian work and alleviate human suffering.
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, a partner of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has been working in Afghanistan since 1989. In the last 27 years, over 1,600 UN Volunteers have served in the country.
Currently, there are 70 UN Volunteers from all over the world supporting peace and development in Afghanistan. Here are just a few examples:
- UN Volunteers with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have helped with emergency assistance and the provision of basic services for the displaced. They have also identified specific assistance and protection requirements for returnees and internally displaced persons, in particular children and those with special needs.
- UN Volunteers have supported the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) since its establishment in 2002. More than 300 UN Volunteers have provided technical expertise to UNAMA in Kabul and various field offices. In Kandahar, for example, one UN Volunteer has conducted political outreach to women in Kandahar and helped foster local peace initiatives in five provinces across southern Afghanistan.
- UNV and UNDP have provided technical support to the Ministry of Youth Affairs for the development of the Afghanistan National Youth Strategy 2016-2020 and its Five-Year Implementation Plan.
- UNDP and UNV are also working closely with the Ministries of Hajj and Religious Affairs, of Women Affairs, and of Information and Culture to organize a series of caravans of volunteer religious clergy and young people to spread key messages on women's rights.
To achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and leave no one behind, traditional means of implementation need to be complemented by participatory mechanisms that facilitate people's engagement, deepen impact and widen reach. Volunteerism embraces these universal and inclusive values. Volunteers have what it takes: commitment, engagement and solidarity to make Afghanistan a better place for its people and our common planet.
On the occasion of International Volunteer Day 2016 under the theme "#Global Applause – give volunteers a hand", let us all give volunteers a hand and recognize their contributions in Afghanistan and throughout the world for making peace and sustainable development a reality.
View expressed in this article are of the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Pajhwok's editorial policy.
- 5078 reads


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Gabriella daSilva-Taylor has been a vegetarian since before birth, dating back to her vegetarian mother's pregnancy. Later, she discovered she had an allergy to eggs, which left plenty of foods off-limits, including birthday cake.
But instead of feeling left out, she trained herself to create modified versions of the meals and treats that would otherwise be forbidden.
"That's kind of been, as a young person, my inspiration to start cooking… was to make the things I couldn't have, brunch foods, baked goods," she said.
Years later, daSilva-Taylor's self-taught skills, combined with a passion for good food, came together in the form of a red-and-turquoise truck that she operates with her partner in business and in life. Amor Food Truck brings healthful and flavorful vegan cuisine to a number of venues in greater Hartford and beyond.
Raised in Los Angeles, daSilva-Taylor drew culinary inspiration from her vegetarian mother and two grandmothers – one of Mexican descent, the other a native New Englander. Nearly five years ago, living on the East Coast, she planned a return to her native California. But at her going-away party, two weeks before heading west, she met the Hartford-based woman who would later become her wife. As Mal daSilva-Taylor put it, "she changed [her address] from CA to CT." The two married three months after they met.
In Connecticut, Gabriella daSilva-Taylor started catering and working as a personal chef, servicing clients in West Hartford and local venues like Real Art Ways and West Hartford Yoga. The two women started the truck in 2013 and have enjoyed their first full season with the business this summer.
Mal daSilva-Taylor comes from a food-loving background as well, born and raised in Brazil to a tight-knit Brazilian-Italian family.
"Italians love the food, they meet up in the kitchen, talking and cooking, it's a family thing," she said. Her father, a medicine man in their village, "treated people with a knowledge of plants."
Their food truck venture started off as The G-Stream, but rebranded as Amor ("love" in several languages) earlier this year, and now the brightly colored truck can be found regularly at the Wethersfield farmers market on Thursdays and the Coventry Regional Farmers Market on Sundays. The rotating menu features entrees, salads, sides and desserts made with local and organic ingredients.
Among Amor's greatest hits: the "Un-Beet-Able" veggie burger, a patty made with beet, lentils and quinoa on a wheat roll with cashew cheese, avocado crema and vegetables; and the Bangin' Beet Salad, with beets, carrots, apples and raisins on a bed of arugula, with maple pepitas and lemon-maple dressing. "As you can tell, we really like beets," said Gabriella.
Other recent items include a Mal-inspired Brazilian plate, with barbecued local tofu (from Middletown's The Bridge) and vegan potato salad and roasted polenta with vegetables. Specials such as vegan meatballs, vegetable summer rolls and vegan tacos will appear from time to time. And desserts, despite the absence of butter and eggs, are equally decadent – consider the triple-chocolate baked doughnuts, with chocolate glaze and a scatter of chocolate shavings.
Amor even makes a vegan version of poutine, drizzling a rich gravy made with vegetable and mushroom stock and cashew "cheese" sauce over roasted potatoes. "It's a play on flavors," Gabriella said.
But the truck still maintains a healthful focus. "We don't fry anything. We were very proud to take that fryolator out of our truck when we bought it," said Mal.
The food features produce from local farms, such as Oxen Hill in Suffield, Serafina Says in Canton and George Hall and Rutabaga in Simsbury. The daSilva-Taylors say it's important to them to work with companies with integrity. "It's simple comfort food, really," Gabriella says of Amor's menu. "[And] you source from people who really care about what they're doing."
That simple comfort fare is meant to attract anyone who's looking for tasteful cuisine, not just followers of vegetarian or vegan diets. "It's not a label thing. We're not just there for that community. We're just there for anyone who wants to eat good food," Mal said.
And as it turns out, the mobile format is the perfect setup for the daSilva-Taylors. "We love people and love food," Mal said. "What else could you have but a food truck, so you can go all over and share that?"


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Breaking: Harvard/Syracuse scientists say more bad stuff in the air is bad!
I finally got around to reading the Harvard/Syracuse paper recently published about the impact of VOC and CO2 concentrations on cognitive function in office buildings, and the results certainly justify the attention this study is receiving. You can read the study here, and the Fast Company article on it here.
Of course it is intuitively true that more bad stuff in the air is bad, but it is interesting that it has taken this long for research specifically on the office environment to quantify the impact in business relevant terms. We have all known that IEQ is business relevant and impacts the bottom line, because we have all experienced working environments where we felt unproductive but couldn't explain why. Now we are finally getting some data to support the supposition! It's great that these direct connections are being highlighted, and it's even better that these connections are going to bring about a very tough question when it comes to buildings and energy efficiency. Namely, what are you getting out of your building for the amount of energy you put in?
It turns out that where work happens has an impact on the quality of the work, so naturally this will lead any rational business owner to take a good look at the quality of their work space. After all, they are paying for it, so what, exactly, are they getting? Does Class A rent in Class A office space mean Class A indoor environment. What is Class A indoor environment? What exactly are they getting for their money?
In the context of energy efficiency, this question is extremely powerful. We spend lots of time thinking about reducing energy use and water use in big buildings, but we don't often consider what that energy is being used for. We talk about energy use in kWh and BTUs, but these are just the inputs into the building as a system, but the output is the indoor environment itself.
Energy efficiency is often talked about in energy use per area or square foot, but that's not really energy efficiency. Real energy efficiency would be input divided by output. The EUI (energy use intensity calculated in energy per square foot or meter) is a dumb metric, as is openly acknowledged. We don't actually care about EUI; we care what the total energy use for environmental and financial reasons. We should also care about the output, but we could never really define it. We did our best, in terms of thermal comfort and humidity and temperature, but we knew we were missing the effect of air movement, noise, odors, that annoying guy in the cube next door, etc.
Combine the conclusion of this study with much more advanced and cheaper sensors hitting the market that can measure things like VOCs and particulates, and perhaps can we try to understand the output side of the equation. You spent how many kilowatt hours of electricity to get what? Is that a lot or a little? Was there a better way to provide that same level of output with less energy input? Should you actually use more energy to improve the output of your system?
Actual efficiency is a measure of input compared to output. I'm not suggesting that more metrics and more performance outcomes are going to lead to less energy use, but at least we will have a better idea of where that energy use is going and to what end. We'll have to figure out if it is worth it later on…


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Golfer's Elbow
Epicondylitis is one of the most common elbow problems in adults, occurring both laterally and medially. Medial epicondylitis of the elbow, commonly referred to as 'golfer's elbow,' is characterized by pathologic changes to the musculotendonous origin at the medial epicondyle.
There exists a paucity of literature regarding medial epicondylitis, likely due to its infrequent incidence of only 9.8% to 20% of all epicondylitis diagnoses. Originally thought to be an inflammatory process, as the name suggests, epicondylitis has been shown histologically to result from tendonous microtearing, followed by an incomplete reparative response. Consequently, some physicians prefer the more accurate term, tendonosis, when describing elbow epicondylitis.


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Confidentiality is one of the main ethical considerations for school counselors. How do we maintain students' trust, but still do what we can to keep students safe and parents informed? How do laws and ethics co-exist? Here are some basic questions and answers on this topic for school counselors.
1. What exactly is confidentiality, and how is it different from legal privilege?
I like the definition given in a 2002 article in the Journal of Professional School Counseling:
"Confidentiality is a professional's promise or contract to respect clients' privacy by not disclosing anything revealed during counseling, except under agreed upon conditions."
Legal privilege is different. While confidentiality in school counseling is an ethical term, legal privilege is (obviously) a legal term. Whenever there's a struggle between ethics and the law, the law always prevails. Legal privilege is given to attorneys, doctors, and licensed professional counselors, among others. But in many states, school counselors are certified rather than licensed, so legal privilege doesn't apply.
2. Does that mean there's really no such thing as confidentiality for minor students? How does this differ for minors, parents of minors, and adults in general?
There is still such a thing as confidentiality for minors, but there are certain legal exceptions that must be considered. For instance, when it comes to informed consent (such as consent for the student to see the school counselor, or consent for a student to join a school support group), FERPA laws say that until a student is 18, the parents have the right to give or deny consent.
3. So a school counselor can't see a minor student without parental consent?
A parent can specifically forbid a minor student to see the school counselor, or specifically forbid the counselor to work with a minor student. But as long as the parent hasn't stated that specifically, school counseling is considered a regular educational service provided by the school, so legally the counselor can see a minor student without parent consent. (See the PDF version of this page below for more detailed information.)
4. Who is actually the school counselor's "client?" The minor student, or the parents?
Even with the legal issues involved, from an ethical standpoint, the school counselor's client is the student. This is one of the first things discussed in the Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2004). The parents' needs are considered, but the needs of the students come first, above all others.
Here's another excerpt from the same JPSC article: "In attempting to weigh their legal and ethical obligations, it is helpful for school counselors to clearly identify those they consider to be "clients."
"School counselors are part of an educational community. As such, they consult with teachers, administrators, and parents. It is important for school counselors to clarify that their consultation is on behalf of students and that only the students are their clients (except if school counselors offer counseling to students' families)."
5. What are the limits of confidentiality for school counselors?
Ethically, school counselors are required to take appropriate action if students engage in behavior that presents clear and imminent danger to themselves and others. Legally, they're required to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect, and they're also required to respond to subpoenas and participate in other legal proceedings dictated by the courts.
(For more detailed information, please read the PDF version of this article, available below.)
6. How can I be proactive and prevent problems with confidentiality?
The best way to prevent problems is to provide the student and the parents with information about confidentiality before the school year begins, and keep the information visible and available at all times.
I would recommend posting your school's guidelines in various places before the school year begins -- in the student handbook, on the counseling department's web page, on flyers in your office, at the first meeting between the counselor and each student.
7. How do I prepare a student if I need to reveal information?
When you do encounter a situation where you need to notify a parent, CPS, your administrator, or someone else, here are some suggestions, and things to keep in mind:
– If you feel it necessary to share confidential information, let the student know ahead of time that you plan to do it, and what you plan to say.
– Sometimes it's easier than you think it will be. If the issue is something borderline, meaning that you may need to call a parent, but you aren't sure yet, ask the student, "Do you mind if I talk with one of your parents about that?" Sometimes students don't mind at all, and will say, "Go ahead – it's fine with me."
– Assure parents from the beginning, whether in writing or directly, that you will let them know if their students are in harm's way. Most often, that's what parents really want to know.
– If you need to reveal information to parents, encourage the student to make the call from your office (you dial, and be sure you're actually talking with the parent, then hand the phone over to the student or put the call on speaker phone), to be present for the call, or to meet with you and the parents together.
– If you're still unsure about what to do, consult, consult, and consult. Then take the action you think is best, and document everything, including your consultation conversations and conversations with parents.
(Again, for more detailed suggestions, see the PDF article below).
8. What does a school counseling confidentiality policy look like?
Click on the PDF version of this article below to find samples of:
– A signature sheet you could have students sign when they meet you individually for the first time, or a statement that could be put into a student handbook, or on the guidance web page for your school (minus the signature lines on the web page).
– A flyer you could post in your office (preferably in more than one place) to remind students about confidentiality guidelines and exceptions.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Here's the link for the PDF version of this article,
Confidentiality Guidelines For School Counselors,
and here's the link to the longer version, which includes the very detailed (and helpful) article from the Journal of Professional School Counseling,
Confidentiality Guidelines For School Counselors -- Longer Version.
Hope these are helpful!
Go to the next page, "Documentation Tips and Guidelines."
Return to the School Counseling Zone Home Page
You can click on any book cover below to see more information about that specific book, or click the "Susan's Books" tab on the left side of the page to see overviews of all the available books on one page. Enjoy!


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There is something so luxurious, and yet so frightening, about a soufflé, don't you think? I owned a cookbook called Soufflés for a year before I made my first one — I was just too scared! But I'm glad that I overcame it, because I love them. Anything that light, that melts in your mouth the way a good soufflé does, is worth the fear of failure, in my book.
And honestly, I would probably still hesitate before serving these to guests — I've had it firmly pounded into my head that an imperfect soufflé is a disaster! Although I've never made a soufflé that failed to rise, I live in constant fear that my next one won't. Perhaps I have seen Sabrina one too many times (as if that's even possible)…
But I actually make them quite often. Nearly every time I fall in love with a simple, delicious flavor, I can't help but think, "this would make a great soufflé." And my recent obsession with goat cheese made me think, quite happily, "this would make a great savory soufflé!" So when I included a goat cheese soufflé in my "What dish next?" poll last week, I figured I would probably make it even if it didn't win.
But win it did — appartently at least several of you are as excited about this recipe as I am! And let me tell you, it was wonderful. Light and airy but firm enough to spoon out, I ate one soufflé plain and another by placing each spoonful onto a slice of toasted baguette — both were delicious. I'm thrilled to have this dish in my repertoire, and if you try it, I think you will be too!
Goat Cheese Soufflé
3 tbsp butter, plus more for ramekins
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled or coarsely chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped finely
3 eggs, separated
3 additional egg whites
1 tsp salt
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Butter six four-ounce ramekins and set aside.
3. Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan until just starting to get foamy. Add flour, mix thoroughly.
4. Add milk and heat until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. If it heats too fast, remove the pan from the burner for a tiny bit. Whisk thoroughly.
5. Once flour and butter are incorporated, remove from heat and whisk in goat cheese and parsley until smooth. Allow to cool.
6. Add egg yolks to cooled milk mixture. Whisk to combine.
7. In another bowl, beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form.
8. Stir 1/3 of egg whites into egg yolk mixture, and then stir the rest of the egg yolk mixture into the beaten whites.
9. Pour immediately into prepared ramekins, pouring each about 4/5 full. Place on a baking sheet and put them into the preheated oven.
10. Bake about 12-13 minutes, or until soufflés have puffed up. Remove from oven, and serve!
Serves 6 in small ramekins.


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Set yourself apart from status quo
The Nissan Murano has always represented something different. Its rounded shape and edgy design was launched in a world of boxy SUVs, making the Murano look like a concept vehicle rather than something used to schlep the kids to soccer practice.
The Murano is refined to provide more connection to the road, a more polished ride and an unusually upscale cabin.
The engineering and interior improvements have made this midsize crossover more than a successful design exercise — it's a class leader as well.
Browse through the selection of vehicles that have recently been added to our fleet.


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Thursday, January 14, 2016
When mothers speak from above at the grocery store
Yesterday have been my mother's 90th birthday. The last time we were together was for her 87th in 2013 and she died unexpectedly in April just before we were to visit again. In Minneapolis I always brought her either tulips or hyacinths on her birthday- something to bring spring to the cold winter.
Yesterday I bought myself a potted Hyacinth-I rarely buy things for myself out here due to budget and that is going to change in Maine. Not that I am a big shopper, but all my money goes into the animals. When I saw the potted spring flowers at the grocery store it made me miss her-but instead of passing them by to pinch yet more pennies, I grabbed one and put it in my cart.
I could feel her saying,
Buy them, treat yourself, you deserve it.
Thanks, Kelly, I miss you.
3 comments:
You *do* deserve it, Katherine. ♡��
- Jimmie said...
I love hyacinths. I always think of this verse:
"If, of thy mortal goods, thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store two loaves
alone to thee are left,
Sell one & from the dole
Buy Hyacinths to feed the soul"
-Musihuddin Sadi
13th Century Persian poet
So there! You are feeding your soul.
Diane in North Carolina
- Katherine Dunn said...
That's wonderful-I love that,thank you for sharing!
Post a Comment
Thank you for reading! The farm and my art/writing keep me hopping, so might not respond immediately. Thank you for understanding. ~Katherine & Apifera ~


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Historically, Labor Unions have imposed huge costs on the economy while providing little social benefit.
Image from the Daily Signal
People on the left generally are fans of labor unions. Some of them have a tendency to attribute nearly all progress to such organizations. From the view of economic theory however, unions may impose net costs on society by pushing wages above the free market equilibrium. The free market equilibrium is the price (in this case the price of labor) at which the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied. Since the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied, at this price, all the people who are willing work should be employed.
However, at a price above the free market equilibrium, more people will want to work (because higher wages will encourage them to do so) and firms will be less willing to hire them (because the price of labor has increased, reducing the demand for labor). Theoretically, this will result in more unemployment than if the price of labor (wages) had been determined by the free market (i.e the forces of supply and demand).
Thus, since unions push wages above the free market equilibrium, they may result in more unemployment. In fact, empirical research tends to back up this theoretical presumption. According to one paper, unionized businesses employ fewer people and are more likely to go out of business. Other economists have found that "union influence leads to slower job growth during an economic recovery" following recession. Unions impose other costs as well, according to research by Barry Hirsch of Florida State University's Economics Department, "…increased collective bargaining is associated with lower profitability, decreased investment in physical capital and research and development (R&D), and lower rates of employment and sales growth."
Using a variety of statistical techniques, economists Richard Vedder and Lowell Gallaway examined the data and came to the conclusion that labor unions have reduced U.S. output by significant amounts, trillions of dollars over time, as a result of the adverse economic effects of unions (such as those previously noted). While individual workers may benefit from being in a union, the economy as a whole suffers as a result of unionization. Vedder and Gallaway conclude by stating that "the overall evidence is overwhelming that labor unions in contemporary America have had harmful aggregate effects on the economy."
For all these costs, unions provide little benefit. Although labor unions claim that they have reduced working hours and improved workplace safety, there is little evidence this is actually the case. According to one researcher, "most empirical studies of the relationship between unionization and important safety outcomes, such as injuries and fatalities, have failed to find statistically significant evidence of a `union safety effect."
Research also finds that during the early 20th century, when the number of hours worked declined rapidly, "high unionization and strike levels reduced hours [only] to a small degree." Among economic historians, the "consensus [is] that economic growth was the key to reduced work hours," not unions.
The evidence presented here shows that labor unions aren't all they are cracked up to be. They benefit some workers but concurrently impose rather large costs on the economy as a whole, amounting to $50 trillion in lost economic output from 1947-2000 according to Vedder and Gallaway. While the reduction in working hours and improvement in workplace safety over the course of US history has been attributed in large part to labor unions, the evidence simply does not justify this. Indeed, it seems like labor unions are taking credit for accomplishments which are actually a result of a growing economy, which is ironic considering that labor unions actually seem to hinder economic growth.
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This Saturday, dog lovers alike will converge in Ensoburg Falls, VT for the first ever Vermont Dog Festival! Dubbed as a "fun, family friendly event that caters to our canine counterparts."
Laurie Lawless of Dogs Rock! Vermont is excited to have been offered a spot to speak at the event. Laurie will have the opportunity to spend 15 minutes discussing positive reinforcement and relationship building in dog training with Emily Lewis of A Click Away Dog Training.
As a member of Vermont Professional Dog Trainers, a group made up of dedicated Vermont Professional Dog Trainers who strive to provide the most up-to-date scientific training methods to their clients and their pets, the sheltering and animal welfare community and service and working dog groups, Laurie is excited to present this topic to the dog-loving Vermont community.
The full day event will feature local rescue dogs, games, vendors and more! Please come find Laurie and her new pup Moose at the festival! She will be stationed at the Vermont Professional Dog Trainers booth.
Laurie is looking forward to meeting you! RSVP on Facebook to let her know you are coming!!!


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President Obama, winner of the Nobel peace prize, has thrust the United States into yet another war. I know from facebook and twitter that many of Obama's liberal supporters are shocked and upset with the decision. It really shouldn't surprise anyone. As I noted out in the run-up to the election, Obama never was a peace candidate, much less a proponent of just war theory. Instead he uses roughly the same calculus for war as Bush did, though as Douthat points out he uses a more multilateral approach once he's made that calculus. Obama's position as a peace candidate was grounded more in not being a Republican than being a believer in peace, and it is the fault of those advocates for peace that they didn't do the basic research to see that truth. I am curious to see if this has changed the minds of many of the more "liberal" Catholics who voted for Obama, but I have not seen anything from them yet.
Since most of our attention was on Japan, I think most Catholics and Americans are still feeling a little whiplashed by the quickness. It's so difficult to determine whether this action was just b/c there is so much confusion and secrecy both about our true intents towards Libya as well as the actual situation in Libya. The Vatican hasn't been able to offer much guidance either. It is true that Pope Benedict's neutral statements are far less condemnatory (if they are condemnatory at all) than JPII's during the buildup to Iraq, but the key word there is "buildup." There was very little buildup, and very little opportunity for debate and dialogue before the war was begun. It is true that the Vatican is more comfortable with a multilateral, UN-endorsed war than a unilateral war but it is not certain whether the Vatican approves.
So we'll need to rely on the sources of just war doctrine ourselves to determine whether this was a just war. I confess that I don't feel comfortable enough with the facts of Libya to say for certain, but I find it very unlikely that this is a just war. Don did a post a few days ago with different just war standards, and just for the sake of brevity let's assume that there are two different approaches to just war: the Thomistic approach and the current approach.
Under the Thomistic approach, there are 3 requirements in the Second Part of the Second part, Question 40: (1) that the war be declared by a legitimate sovereign; (2) that there be a just cause; and (3) there must be an intention of advancement of good. Catechism 2309 has a more detailed description (I would argue that they simply explain further what Aquinas is saying rather than raising the requirements, but that may be an argument for a different time) in which the aggressor nation (i.e. the one to be attacked) must be inflicting lasting, grave, and certain damage, all other means must be exhausted, there must serious prospects of success, and the use of arms must not produce greater evils than the evils sought to be prevented. Let's look at the Libya situation in detail
This war was declared by a legitimate sovereign, either by Obama or by the United Nations. However, this requirement ought to give us some pause. While the US intervention meets this, the original war was a revolution/civil war declared by no sovereign with legitimate authority (unless Qaddafi meets that requirement & declared the war rather than responded to the rebel attacks). Although Americans are very fond of revolutions, Aquinas was very reluctant to endorse them because of the inevitable anarchy and chaos that follow, with the result being a tremendous amount of evil.
There seems to be a just cause here: namely the humanitarian protect of Libyan citizens from harm. However, the question really comes down to is that the true intention? Serious questions need to be asked about why under this reasoning we are intervening in Libya but chose not to do so in Iran and continue to abstain in Bahrain. After all, the true intentions are what matter and is is difficult to discern with so little discussion what the intent of the UN powers is.
Finally under the Aquinas account, they must advance good. I think this includes in the modern definition the prospects for success as well as the admonition to avoid doing more harm. Pope Benedict has expressed reservations that any modern war, considering the capacities for destruction as well as modern warfare's tendency to become urban fighting, can meet this requirement. It is true that the UN has tried to limit itself to just airstrikes, but it is questionable whether an effective protection of the people of Libya can come through air alone. Thus a more extensive war may be required. This is particularly true if there are areas at the end which the rebels control and aid is required to assist them to secure peace.
However, this is sort of speculation, as I'm presuming different definitions of success. What is most troubling about this campaign, and what probably prevents it from being a just war under any theory, is the total lack of an objective. You cannot have reasonable prospects of success if at the outset there is no definition of what success is. Is it stopping the massacres? Is it thwarting Qaddafi's attempts to crush the rebellion? Is it removing Qaddafi? If it is, what are we seeking? Who are the rebels? Is there someone in power? Are we deciding the government or are the Libyans? And who is we? The UN + the Arab League? Just the Arab League? Perhaps mostly the US?
While it would be unreasonable to anticipate every possible solution, it is reasonable to require governments to have a much more detailed and settled plan before going to war so that they and their peoples can have a basis on which to determine whether a war will do more harm than good. They still haven't decided who is actually going to be a part of the no-fly zone, with no one willing to pick up the bag. Considering our lack of resolve coupled with the immense damage modern wars do, it is very difficult to make an argument that we will do more good than harm.
As for the catechism's other requirements, I presume Qaddafi's attacks & killings would meet this requirement. The other one is more difficult, as it requires all means of dialogue and negotiation to have been exhausted. It's clear the UN didn't do much but on the other hand if you describe it as an emergency action I'm not sure how much time & negotiation they really had. Part of the problem here to my mind is that the UN sat back and hoped the Libyan rebels would win like they did in Egypt, and when they started getting rolled back they quickly decided they had to do something. I imagine the war fails this requirement, but I'm not sure how demanding this requirement is if there's a legitimate emergency.
In closing, it appears unlikely that this action satisfies the Church's requirements for a just war, particularly b/c there is a lack of an objective goal that would prevent the damage of anarchy & chaos that follows the violent overthrow of a regime. This coupled with the damage of modern warfare as well as many other questions that surround this hasty war suggest to me that Catholics ought to oppose this as an unjust war. Regardless, all Catholics ought to follow the example of the pope and pray for peace in Libya.


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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Aquarium Field Trip...Thanks to TARGET!
Thanks to TARGET for fully funding our trip to the Aquarium!
Our class has been studying Ocean life and each student selected an animal to research ( it had to be at the Aquarium) and will do a final report-presentation at the end of March. The kids have done an amazing job and were SO EXCITED about the grant, research, trip, cameras...oh yeah, and family work night!!!
Posted by Suzanne at 11:15 AM
Labels: Field Trips, Grants, Ocean Life
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In times of the refugee crisis, the collapse of late-capitalist lifestyle and the recurrence of aggressive nationalism on the old continent, we think it is time to question our conceptions. What are the cultural concepts that the idea of Europe includes? And which are excluded? Which antagonisms are constructed – Christianity vs. Islam; Democracy vs. Despoty; West vs. East; America vs. Europe? Is the idea of Europe reactionary? How is it developed? What did Europe mean to the ancient Romans and Greeks? Can there be an emancipatory concept of it?
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: September 25The Refugee Crisis, Humanity and the Future of European Identity
Later Event: October 14The Other and I- Existentialist Philosophy


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Sola Salon & Suites 206 Indian Lake Road, Hendersonville, Tennessee 37075, United States We are Suite #19 located inside Sola Suites


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MLB warm-up: The winter's biggest winners
The confetti's barely been cleaned off the turf after Super Bowl XLVIII, yet we're a mere four days away from the start of baseball season.
Well, kind of.
Arizona Diamondback pitchers and catchers hold their first workout on Friday, getting a jump because they play the Los Angeles Dodgers in a season-opening two-game series in Australia beginning March 22. Dodgers pitchers and catchers report Saturday.
So, what exactly happened in this most unusual - and abbreviated - offseason?
It's not every year that the Seattle Mariners make the biggest splash – here's hoping you like salmon and rain, Robinson Cano – while several high-level free agents remain available into February, as is the case with Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, Nelson Cruz and Stephen Drew.
That's the kind of winter it has been, with clubs freely spending their new TV bounty but shying away from giving up a high draft pick, which has hurt the leverage of players like Santana, Jimenez, Drew, Cruz and Kendrys Morales.
Today we examine the teams that helped themselves the most in the offseason:
New York Yankees: You could see it coming. Whenever the Yankees miss out on the playoffs – and it has happened only twice in the last 19 years – they come out spending with a vengeance.
This time they committed a total of $458 million (including a $20 million posting fee) on Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, and catcher Brian McCann. That's in addition to the $16 million it cost them to re-sign right-hander Hiroki Kuroda.
The result? The Yankees' offense should be considerably better than the injury-ravaged outfit that ranked 10th in the AL in runs scored and next to last in home runs in 2013. The addition of McCann also gives them a much-needed leader behind the plate. Nobody's going to be showboating after hitting a homer off a New York pitcher, lest they incur the wrath of McCann.
Signing Tanaka was a major coup and an absolute necessity, as he slots in behind the slimmed-down CC Sabathia in a rotation still searching for a No. 5 starter. The Yankees hope Michael Pineda, coming off shoulder surgery, fills that role, and that closer candidate David Robertson can step into Mariano Rivera's enormous shoes.
The Yankees also have major question marks at second base, shortstop and third, where they were used to fielding perennial All-Stars in Cano, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Only Jeter will be back this year, and he's 39 and coming off a lost season. The leading candidates for the other two spots are Brian Roberts and Kelly Johnson.
Guess half a billion only buys you so much.
Texas Rangers: The typically offensively explosive Rangers dropped to seventh in runs scored in the league and sixth in slugging percentage last year, so they recharged their offense with two major moves.
Signing outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, who finished fourth in the majors in on-base percentage (.423), gives them a top-of-the order hitter with extra-base power. And they more than replenished the lost production from Cruz's assumed free-agent departure by trading for Prince Fielder.
Though his numbers dropped last season, Fielder is only 29 and he averaged 38 homers and 112 RBI the previous six years. The move to a hitters' paradise like Rangers Ballpark should be a boon to him.
Texas will have to fill the void created by Derek Holland's offseason knee injury, and Jurickson Profar still needs to prove he can aptly replace second baseman Ian Kinsler, the main exchange in the Fielder swap. But the club's moves have put the Rangers in position to contend after missing the postseason last year for the first time since 2009.
Seattle Mariners: By signing Cano to a 10-year, $240 million contract – tied for the third largest ever in baseball – the Mariners took a major step toward becoming relevant again after registering just two winning seasons and no playoff appearances in the last 10 years.
Cano gives the Seattle lineup a centerpiece, the kind of hitter other teams need to game-plan around, as well as an accomplished defensive second baseman.
That won't be nearly enough, though, and the Seattle brass knows it. The addition of free agent outfielder/first baseman Corey Hart, a two-time All-Star who sat out last season while recovering from two knee surgeries, provides Cano a bit of lineup protection. The trade for Logan Morrison is intended to have the same effect, although he has battled knee woes himself and is two years removed from his 23-homer season.
With a batting order still leaning left, the Mariners would like to bring in one potent right-handed bat, preferably in the form of an outfielder-DH type. Cruz would certainly fit the bill, providing an offensive threat and helping make up for the firepower Seattle is missing with the departure of Morales and Raul Ibanez.
The Mariners would also like to plug in another veteran pitcher into their rotation, so their offseason shopping spree may not be done.
Kansas City Royals: After registering their first winning season since 2003 – and their second in 19 years – the Royals are eager for more. They spent years building up their farm system and developing talent. Now they're supplementing their young core with veterans.
Boosted by a sensational bullpen, the Kansas City pitching staff improved dramatically last season, when it led the AL with a 3.45 ERA after finishing 10th the year before at 4.30. The rotation lost a key piece in Santana, but the Royals replaced him with lefty Jason Vargas, who averaged 32 starts and 204 innings from 2010 to '12.
The Royals also bolstered the top of the lineup by trading for speedy outfielder Norichika Aoki, who stole a total of 50 bases the last two years in Milwaukee, and they scored a major coup in landing steady infielder Omar Infante to play second. Infante, who batted .318 with a .795 OPS for the Detroit Tigers last season, is the kind of unheralded contributor who can help an emerging club get over the hump.
Minnesota Twins: Minnesota starters had a 5.26 ERA last season, by far the majors' worst, and the club had 10 pitchers start at least eight games, so it wasn't difficult to pinpoint what led to a 66-96 record. The tough part was addressing the problem within the limitations of the Twins' payroll, which shrank from $113 million in 2011 to $82 million last season.
The Twins went hard after Ricky Nolasco, who started at least 31 games in five of the last six seasons and won 13 games with a 3.70 ERA in 2013. A week after landing Nolasco, they took a three-year, $24 million flier on Phil Hughes, a 16-game winner with the Yankees in 2012 who badly needed a change of scenery.
With Joe Mauer moving permanently to first base, Minnesota signed Kurt Suzuki, who has lost his old hitting stroke but remains popular with pitchers for his work as a receiver.
The moves won't make the Twins contenders, but they should help make the club more respectable and buy time while one of baseball's top farm systems starts sending prized prospects like Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano to the majors.
GALLERY: Top remaining MLB free agents


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Online message boards are a trip. A few clicks and a scroll down, and you can get a picture of the general sentiments in the community. I recently went through message boards concerning the Hays USD 489 budget woes, and the picture is grim.
I'd like to note here the board is dealing with problems that already existed. While messages on articles about the budget debate run a gamut from annoyed to downright incendiary, I have yet to read one that points to our recent past in the state, when the tea party took control and ousted anyone with a mind for compromise.
I hate the cuts. I understand the frustration of parents, students and administrators who must work this problem out. It's a doozy. The board is in an untenable position and will find rancor everywhere as they make tough decisions.
It's hard to watch such discord in our community, especially when I have benefitted from public education, and the district was pretty good when our kids were in school. Looking back, I think my biggest complaint was Fred Kaufman wouldn't call enough snow days.
The people I've talked to all have some bitterness about the cuts. Why music and the arts and not football or soccer? Why not lump all extra-curricular activities for the chopping block and save teachers' jobs? How can we lose even one more nurse, librarian or counselor? These positions have been consolidated during the last few years by sharing those people through two or three schools, and now we're losing more professionals. Current policy has stripped teachers of their rights to representation, handily gagging any dispute over fairness.
The school board has voted to increase fees to $150 per student, pro-rating the fee for low-income households in a sliding scale. Unintended consequences of this divisive move are parents who can afford it will resent paying for those who can't, and those with assistance will endure the stigma of being a "taker" one more time. Kids whose parents can't pay won't be in school. This vote reinforces education as a privilege, not a right, and the civil playing field is corrupted, setting us at odds.
More than a few posters on Hays message boards noted the absence of administration cuts, and many mentioned six-figure salaries that could use a trim. They forget a seasoned professional brings more to the table in experience, not just administrators but teachers, secretaries, janitors and kitchen help.
For all those venomous people who want to take cheap, anonymous shots at the school board, I have only one thing to say: You are the perfect example of why we need public education.
These cuts didn't just happen out of the blue. The budget problems we face are the product of tea party politics that cut all social programs under the fantastical "zero tax" plan coming out of Topeka. Neo-conservative voters have given us this mess.
The tea party crossed themselves piously and gave lip service to the veterans, the children, the sanctity of life and the American way. It felt good to believe, but it was a carnival show.
When taxes are cut for the wealthy and corporations, the shortfall filters through to Main Street in many ways. We witness the school budget problems as they play out, but most voters haven't made the connection. We've been given regressive sales tax policies that hit the poor harder than anyone else. We have increased property taxes, and the mill levy is debated one more time because the money has to come from somewhere.
The alternative is an uneducated society. Who wants to go there? What person would choose to stay in Kansas but those of us bred to the prairie, and what does it say of us that we allowed ourselves to be the butt of so many bad jokes?
The taxes that aren't being collected, the taxes that used to fund our schools and elderly and children, taxes that maintained our infrastructure, are gone. The shortfalls we experience are as much about poor management as a lack of funds. The current administration's "Great Experiment" has left this state in squalor.
Another way must be found.
Mary Hart-Detrixhe is a lifelong resident of the prairie and Ellis County. Her work can be found at www.janeQaverage.com.


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Warren Buffett consistently advocates for higher taxes. Recently, he called for higher taxes on people making $250k+/year.
Is Warrent Buffett a swell guy? Is it enlightened self-interest?
This post had an interesting quote.
"Warren Buffet is a dirtbag who has made millions buying small businesses that are forced to sell in order to raise money to pay estate taxes."Suppose you built a successful small business worth $50M-$100M. When you die, you're hit with an estate tax bill of $20M+. You probably don't have $20M cash to pay the estate tax bill. You are forced to sell your business, due to taxes.
Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway specialize in buying small family-owned businesses. Many of the businesses are forced to sell due to estate taxes.
Warren Buffett likes the estate tax. The estate tax enables him to buy businesses at fire-sale prices. It's a forced sale due to the estate tax.
In effect, the State stole the small business. The State gets a fat tax check. Warren Buffett gets control of the business. In effect, the State seized the family-owned business and gave it to Warren Buffett.
Warren Buffett is a bankster. As a large insurance corporation, he gets to borrow for close to the Fed Funds Rate, although Berkshire Hathaway is not a Federal Reserve Primary Dealer. Insurance contracts have an implied interest rate, with the Fed Funds Rate or Treasury Rate as the benchmark.
In effect, Warren Buffett buys family-owned business with newly-printed money. A bank prints new money, borrowing from the Federal Reserve. That money is lent cheaply to Warren Buffett. He uses that money to buy the business. That money pays the estate tax bill, with a little left over.
The family does get some cash after the estate tax bill is paid. However, they lost their business. The family doesn't get the cashflow and profits from operating the business for another generation. In many cases, the family members who know how the business works become Berkshire Hathaway employees. In fact, Warren Buffett openly brags about how he treats family members well, after the State forces them to sell their business to him.
Insiders use trust and tricks to avoid taxes. Consider Comcast. Even though it is a public corporation, Brian Roberts owns special supervoting shares that give him control, even though he only owns a tiny slice of equity. Brian Roberts inherited those supervoting shares from his father, Ralph Roberts, using trusts and tricks to dodge estate taxes.
Estate taxes do not hurt true insiders like Brian Roberts. Estate taxes hurt small business owners who want to pass a business on to their children. Income taxes and estate taxes do not hurt insiders, who already control a State monopoly. Taxes hurt someone who's trying to bootstrap a small business.
It makes no difference, if Brian Roberts' taxes are raised. If his taxes are raised $20M, then he can just pay himself $20M more in salary from running the Comcast monopoly/oligopoly.
Comcast has an explicit State-backed monopoly. It's illegal for me to compete with Comcast. It's illegal for me to lay down wires and start my own cable/Internet/telephone business, even if I could recruit customers and raise capital.
I'm trying to bootstrap a profitable Internet-based business. Right now, I'm blogging and planning to expand. Part of the taxes I pay subsidize large media corporations that compete with me.
The tax system acts as a barrier to non-insiders, as they accumulate wealth. You might make millions of dollars, but you probably won't become a true insider like Brian Roberts.
The income tax hurts someone bootstrapping a successful business. If you raise tax rates, that hurts the successful small businessman making $200k-$500k/year. He has to pay a higher tax bill, reducing his ability to reinvest in his business. That money/wealth is stolen by the State, and used to subsidize insider-controlled businesses.
True insiders use trusts and tricks to dodge taxes. Why is Warren Buffet using a charitable trust to dodge taxes? Why doesn't he pay estate tax on the full value of his inheritance, just like the families whose business he steals?
Warren Buffet is actually a negative taxpayer, just like most insiders. The actual taxes he pays are less than the value of the State subsidies he receives. As a bankster, Warren Buffet benefits from artificially-low interest rates. Warren Buffet invests in corporations with a State-backed monopoly, making profits practically guaranteed. For example, Warren Buffett's recent investment in Bank of America is backed by the State financial system money laundering scam, and the fact that Bank of America is "too big to fail".
Taxes don't hurt true insiders. They receive State perks worth more than any taxes they pay. Insiders are negative taxpayers. Instead of raising taxes, State subsidies for insiders should be eliminated. If you receive $100M in State subsidies, it makes no difference if you pay back $40M or $60M in taxes. If your taxes are raised $20M, then you'll just take an extra $30M in State subsidies. For true insiders, the nominal taxation rate is irrelevant, because they're negative taxpayers. The people hurt most by higher taxes are people bootstrapping a successful business.
Higher taxes hurt people who have a successful business, but can't afford their own Congressman.
That's why I like agorism. Agorism enables you to bootstrap a small business without being robbed by the State. Any taxes you pay subsidize your larger corporate competitors.
This point is missed in the "raise taxes" debate. True insiders are negative taxpayers. Their nominal taxation rate is irrelevant. Taxes hurt non-insiders who want to bootstrap a business, or pass it on to their children.
The important point is not to tax insiders more. True reform would remove their State-granted perks. The taxation debate is a smokescreen. It hides the fact that true insiders are negative taxpayers. Insiders like Warren Buffett receive State subsidies worth more than any taxes they pay.
Insiders profit twice from the tax system. First, they use taxes to line their pockets. Second, they use taxes to prevent others from accumulating wealth and influence and challenging them. Nominal taxation rates are irrelevant, because true insiders are negative taxpayers.


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County of Riverside, DPSS
The new, 50,000-square-foot County of Riverside, Department of Public Social Services provides necessary Self-Sufficiency services to the surrounding region. DPSS Self Sufficiency programs serve the basic needs of Riverside County Residents and can help clients become self-sufficient. Programs include CalFresh (SNAP), CalWORKs, Child Care, Employment Services, Homeless Programs and Medi-Cal.


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Welcome, Mark Agle, P.L.S.
We are excited to welcome the newest member of our staff, Mr. Mark Agle. Mark is a NYS Licensed Land Surveyor (1987) who recently retired from a 25 year career as Manager of Real Estate with National Grid, a major northeast electric and gas utility company. He was responsible for the acquisition of all property rights necessary to support the installation, operation, and maintenance of the company's facilities, the management of all existing company owned lands and rights-of-ways, and day-to-day administrative supervision and direction of the Western New York Regional Real Estate Department.
At Nussbaumer & Clarke, Mark will develop new business opportunities for the company and provide exceptional professional services to their existing clients.
He holds an AAS in Civil Engineering Technology from Erie Community College, a BS in Business Administration, and a MA in Organizational Leadership from Medaille College. He is a current director of the Niagara Frontier Land Surveyors Association (two-time past president) and member of the New York State Association of Professional Surveyors and the National Society of Professional Surveyors.


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We have three postdocs who recently joined the lab!
Phil Abitua completed his PhD in Mike Levine's lab at the University of California, Berkeley. Phil investigated the evolutionary origins of neural crest cells and neurogenic placodes.
Will Joo completed his PhD in Liqun Luo's lab at Stanford University, where he studied the assembly of neural circuits during development.
Bushra Raj received her PhD from the University of Toronto, where she studied the regulation and function of alternative splicing in the mammalian nervous system in Ben Blencowe's lab. Bushra has been awarded postdoctoral funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).


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ChallenGe DAy15
What Is Your Creative Outlet?
By Alison Ramsay
"The energy born of love is creative – it makes everything it touches new. To see how passionate you are, look around at what you have created". Deepak Chopra
Creativity can sometimes be thought of as this special gift only a few possess. Perhaps you are a person who has been rewarded for your creative expression throughout life… or maybe you are someone who laughed out loud at themselves during art class and shied away from self-expression - preferring to stand at the sidelines, and out of the spotlight. Either way, you are creative. Yup. Creativity is simply the use of the imagination to create things. These things can be beautiful works of art, but they can also be veggie gardens, flower arrangements, online marketing layouts, beautiful, healthful food, journalling, blog posts, happy children, or seamless schedules.
The key to discovering your natural creative abilities, is tuning into *yourself*. We are all creatives, we just express it in ways which are totally unique to us - authentic to us. The key to discovering that creative urge, is to look where you feel very drawn… even if you haven't done it before! It will be something that tugs at your heart, whether you're watching someone else do it in a movie, or you've carved out time for it already. It will be something that makes you well… you.
Set aside a good amount of time for quiet space. Use this time without distractions to tune into yourself. You can even meditate for a while. Then when you're feeling relaxed and present, make a list of all the things (and maybe there is only one and that's okay) that you'd love to do that you have not yet tried, or aren't making time for. It doesn't have to be oil painting or interpretive dance. What tugs at you? If you're having a hard time coming up with things, think back to when you were a child. What did you want to be when you grew up? Who did you role play or aspire to become? Even now the people you follow and admire hold clues to possible hidden creative parts of yourself longing to come out to play.
Once you have your list, pick your top two things and brainstorm ways you can engage them. Is there a class nearby? Or somewhere you can volunteer? Do you have a friend doing something similar you can learn from or join with? Or if that feels too steep a step, you can even go see someone else doing it - like seeing a play or live music - the most important thing is that you are engaging that authentic creative urge that's wanting some air time.
Share your new self-discoveries with your friends and how you are going to make them a regular part of your life!


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It is one hot summer day and Lily Labeau needs to cool off. She sees that her neighbor is enjoying the day in his pool, so she asks if she can partake. He is more than willing to let her use his pool, but only if she does something for him in return. I hope she doesn't do anything I wouldn't do. Collapse
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Merritt Academy (Infant – Gr. 6)
January 31, 2015 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join us on Saturday, January 31 to learn more about Merritt Academy's outstanding Early Childhood, Preschool and Elementary School programs. Visit classrooms, speak with teachers and administrators, and tour our campus before registration opens for the 2015-16 school year. Our Open Houses are fun and informative for the whole family- no RSVP necessary. We look forward to seeing you there.


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top tips: back to work after maternity leave
I.e., coping with sleep deprivation and unstable hormones while trying to balance two elephants who are juggling 13 balls each. :) A twitter friend, Emma Gwillim, asked me last week for my top tips on going back to work after maternity leave, as she's about to do the same. Its taken me this long to come up with any because it's taken me this long to get a handle on it again myself! But I'm so glad she asked because it's been in the back of my mind and helped me to be more intentional in trying to do it well. I thought I'd go ahead and share my thoughts here... Keep in mind these are probably only for those who are self-employed and have the freedom of a flexible schedule. I have no idea how one does it in a regular 9-5 and with a boss where expectations are different.)
1. Sometimes sleep is more important than work
We had one night this week where all three boys were crying: Oswin with aching legs (growth spurt), Linus was teething and cried nearly all night long, and Irving with the regular intervals of hunger. (Poor boys!) My sleep? Zero. Well, maybe 30 minutes twice. In the morning I considered starting work after the kids were off to school but quickly realized how worthless I would be and went to bed first for a two hour nap. I can only imagine how incoherent those email replies would have been if I had tried to answer them first!
2. You may need to lower your expectations
Maybe I'm just remembering wrong but I could've sworn I was much more with it and ready to go back to work after my first two, maybe three babies. They slept through the night early, I was younger... This time: more kids, less sleep...I am not able to do the same amount or level of work I was doing before the baby. I can feel it. And I'm choosing to accept that. Be realistic about how much you can do well and only expect that from yourself. I'll get back to my normal capacity soon enough (hopefully!). Until then it doesn't do me or anyone else any good to demand more of myself than I can give.
3. Conserve your brain -- single-task
My brain power and energy are just running on a pretty consistant low. All my intentional efforts to fuel myself get me to that low (as opposed to empty). I can get by though if I single-task. As soon as I try to do more than one thing at a time things fall apart--either me or whatever it is I'm trying to do. Pick one thing to do at a time. When I'm working, I'm working (one task at a time). I'm not listening out for the baby. I'm trusting Tiffany (my au pair--which is a huge luxury, I know--I didn't always have one) will take good care of my babies. I put on my noise-cancelation headphones if I have to. And when I'm taking breaks to feed Irving (breaks make you more productive anyway, right?) or I'm done with work, I try not to think about work at all. It's family time.
4. Take care of yourself
This one can be really hard. It's easy to let myself get caught up in the needs of my family and work. I could keep myself busy every hour of every day between the two of them. But I try to remind myself that I am a pretty vital member of both of those components (my family and my work) and they are both going to suffer if I am completely run into the ground. If for no other reason, I need do what it takes to fuel myself for the sake of my family and work. This isn't a time you get to really fuel yourself though, you have to find small ways. For me right now, getting out of the house, even if it's to go to the grocery store, counts. Walking outside to take a phone call in the sunshine counts. Getting my nails done definitely counts. And by this point, finding a piece of quite where there is no sound, no needs, and no demands, can be more refueling than sleep. (That's when you find it--in the middle of the night when its dark and still and everyone else is asleep.)
5. Pull the I-have-a-newborn card
I have been trying to do all this well. But it can be super hard and I have fallen short in all sorts of ways. When it's work, try your best, and then double check it, and then, if it's important, have someone else check it. I have made mistakes and blown it. (I'm sure this post is riddled with grammar mistakes but I'm not going to allow the time give it the rounds of editing it probably needs--sorry.) When it's home and relationships, gosh....try hard. But I have definitely lost my patience and not been kind. In both cases, apologize, and if needed, occasionally you can use your I-have-a-newborn card. And I have to say, I think it's a very legit excuse. Sleep deprivation is a long-practiced method of torture! It does crazy things to you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Most people are very gracious and/or understanding.
Hang in there and remember -- for better and for worse, this too shall pass.
Good luck, Emma, and all you who are in this sweet and challenging/test-your-mettle time!


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Grammar Doesn't Tickle His Fancy…
Stephen Fry makes me smile. Have a look-see and a listen-hear…oops I mean here:
33 Ways To Stay Creative
Can a Face Tell A Story As Much as Words Can?
The kinship between people and art is a bond built from the need to express our innermost feelings. Art's aesthetic qualities haven't only been a key component in demonstrating personal taste; it's also played a role in identity formation. A lot like art, our identities tell a story; however, it's a story that's often misperceived. When art and the body are fused together, a more profound story is told. It's a story that's prompted by individuals like Orlan, a performance artist, who uses body modification technologies to claim ownership over her identity. Technology can be both advantageous and empowering when examining body modification in Orlan's work.
If we were to erase relentless images of perfect bodies, flawless faces, or even the media for that matter, we, who are built on these false ideas of beauty, would be a lot happier with who we are. We would also be able to construct an identity on our own without any influence from what we see in the media. As a result it's difficult for you or I to create the authentic self, meaning that we construct our identity based on what we see, not on our own. False implications of authenticity, which are promoted by the media, are consumed by individuals who work to replicate images of beauty and perfection by applying it to their own identity. The medical industry also plays a role in promoting identities as something that can be changed, preserved or augmented. The question: is changing one's identity a personal matter as much as it is a societal matter? And to what lengths will people go to achieve the identity they see as fit for public display? The answers to these questions are challenged by Orlan, who's on a mission to conquer society's tainted views of what it means to be beautiful. Orlan escapes common motives for undergoing plastic surgery. Her motives revolve around mastering her own identity by constructing it with the help of plastic surgery. In doing so, she's proving that technology can be used as a means for proper use for proper representation because her many faces challenge what it means to be beautiful.
She says: "I was the first to use plastic surgery to divert it away from its obsession with improving the body and making it younger. I act with respect to sculpting oneself, inventing oneself" (page198, Donger et al).
Instead of trying to fit into an identity that society deems as acceptable, she does the opposite. Her work demonstrates the opposite of what we think of femininity, gender, race and conventional beauty. Orlan uses plastic surgery procedures to achieve human uniqueness and to break away from conventional ways of creating an identity. Her live surgeries are a part of her performance revealing the body as a machine. In the text Sociology of the Body, the author notes that Orlan "…has been engaged in a series of projects in which she performs body modifying surgeries, which are filmed while she is awake and during which she speaks about the politics of medical technologies, consumption, fashion, art, body image, and beauty" (Malcrida and Low, page 352). Although the surgeries are an extreme means for constructing an identity and her performances are gruesome, Orlan brings her audience closer to her project allowing people to confront the issue with identity formation. She's allowing us to see how identity is created; a different perspective outside of the one that is commonly created by the media. Plastic surgery allows Orlan to produce the authentic self- an identity that is in constant flux.
(Picture: Orlan, Self-Hybridization African: Mbangu Mask with Face of Euro-Saint-Etienne Woman in Rollers, 2002.)
Above, Orlan becomes a site of power and a symbol of resistance as she depicts unconventional beauty. This face also challenges normality and even raises questions about abnormality. She demonstrates the binary between the natural and the unnatural, the beautiful and the monster, and even black and white (race). She also links the body and technology to personal agency because it's become her choice to choose her identity and put it on display, which is interrupting and deferring the male gaze. It's also important to note that the autonomous Orlan gains freedom by producing her many faces in a way she wishes to promote her identity. Her many faces are a testimony that speaks to our society. The fact that Orlan has sacrificed her body for body modification surgery demonstrates that the issue with identity has been an ongoing problem within our society- perhaps paralleling the reason why bullying is a growing problem?
In an interview she says:
"…the surgery performances are an extension of these ideas [self-sculpting], a way of refiguring yourself, of vacillating between disfiguring and refiguring, the idea of not accepting what is automatically inherited through genes…It was also present in the idea of retransforming my body in a way that violated dominant aesthetic criteria…The changes I made to my face was an attempt to sidestep the norms we-and I- are constrained" (184, Donger et al).
The autonomy Orlan achieves has the power to imply to its audience that there is more to the body than the body itself.
(Picture: Orlan, Fifth Surgery Performance or Operation Opera, 1991.)
During her performance surgeries, like the one above, face tissue and blood is revealed by surgeons who are constructing her face and although it may seem as though Orlan is portraying the body as organic, she is doing the opposite. She "surgically transforms herself into an ambiguous subject, potentially placing herself in an abject and marginalized relationship to society" (O'Bryan, 110). This solidifies the body as a machine and the body as a metaphor for the pain the body endures from public scrutiny. Orlan sacrifices the face she was born with for a constantly changing one. In doing so, she is escaping the ordinary world and is abandoning the ideological constraints that systems of power place on individuals. She isn't striving to represent the real nor is she trying to produce something recognizable. Her purpose lies in engaging people in a discussion about identity. In another interview she discusses the notion of the body as a vehicle that carries meaning.
She says: "This body is at times helping us think, and at other times paralyzing us, deciding for us, as if it were outside of us. I have aimed to expose this distanciation, to put it into relief, through the multiple images of my body that I have created: the body as material; art as material for being, sculpting and inventing oneself; the body as language. I have attempted this by tapping into reality and thus employing the literal, or material, quality of performance with respect to the violence inflicted upon the body" (189, Donger et al).
Orlan represents utopian ideals because she's become who she wants to be, escaping the institutions that affect the construction of a person's identity, like the media for example. Despite the scrutiny that Orlan may encounter, medical technology serves as a purposeful tool that demonstrates how technology can be both advantageous and empowering. Identity formation has become a cultural narrative that people can relate to, oppose, or find interest in. Whether technology promotes individualism or whether it's a part of aiming to create a conventional society, all technologies are a part of consumerism and capitalism. Undoubtedly technology can assist in reshaping the self and breaking out of the constraints society creates. The result of medical technology in Orlan's work demonstrates how technology can be used to claim ownership over one's identity, helping one achieve human uniqueness and empowerment. Her body modification work also demonstrates that the fusion of art and body can act as a powerful means for sparking conversations about identity. It also shows how a face has the power to tell a story. You couldn't pay me to do what she does, which also says a lot about Orlan. She represents more than art, controversy and a changing face, which sparks both positive and negative conversation. She represents sacrifice.
What do you think?
Haraway, Donna J. "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century." Sociology of the Body. Ed. Claudia Malacrida and Jacqueline Low. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
O'Bryan, Jill C. Carnal Art: Orlan's Refacing. Minnesota: University of Minnesota, 2005.
Orlan. Orlan: A Hybrid Body of Artworks. Eds. Simon Donger, Simon Shepherd, Orlan. New York: Routledge, 2010. Print.
On Happiness
Our whole lives are spent searching for happiness. It can be attained. It can be lost. How daunting it can be. Happiness is but a flicker, a flame, a glimpse. Our reservoir of smiles soon runs dry, only to be filled with tears, until we find happiness again. We are overwhelmed. Hope becomes a virtue to live by; seeking smiles instead of tears. Whatever made us happy begins to lose its significance. What makes us happy doesn't last a lifetime…
Then again, neither do we.
Be happy.
Letter to an Unforgettable Love
Dear New Year, Old Love:
We've begun another new year. I without you and you without me. I promised myself that I would forget you and if I couldn't forget you, I promised myself that I would seek a way to. I often break promises with myself. This letter is probably an indication of that. Perhaps if you didn't still hold such an important place in my heart, I would be able to forget you. Not all things in life are easy to erase. You are one of them.
I took a drive tonight. In a whirl of subconscious freedom I found myself driving down the road, which led me to the place, our secret place, where everything we experienced there was nothing but a great memory. Despite that I was aware of where I was travelling to, I couldn't fathom the thought of turning around. I had to face it. I had to face the place where we shared greatness in us. You've always known me as brave and mostly stubborn and when have I ever been afraid? You're right, almost never. I put the car in park and climbed out of the driver's seat. I leaned on the hood of the car and took everything in. It was a little scary, being there, without you. I'm not sure if it was because it was dark, but it seemed as though a lot had changed about that place in so little time. The trees are much bigger, the grass is much taller and everything is grander than it used to be. They've even started building houses nearby. Everything has become bigger, grander, except our love. A lot has changed. So have we.
I walked to the spot where we sat that night in the cold; where you and I had smoked our last cigarette; where we witnessed the smoke from our mouths get carried out into the distance through the translucent air. I sat there tonight, between frosted blades of grass and buried my head in my arms. I shut my eyes tightly and revisited that moment of moments we shared, once upon a time. I remembered how we sat and stared at the moon and the stars, and breathed out the warm air from our lungs. I rested my head on your shoulder. You wrapped your arm around my left side and held me close. Neither one of us said a word. We just sat there in silence and allowed it to cloak us with comfort. I remembered how beautiful that silence was. There was something about it, which I relished and felt possessed by. The words in this letter wouldn't be enough to describe the effect it had on me; the effect you had on me. Time stood still and so did we. We didn't need words. Maybe it was because we couldn't find the right ones or maybe our love for each other was important enough that it was able to exist without words. I don't think we ever needed words to explain it, we just knew. Silence was enough. Sitting in the cold beneath the moon and the stars in silence, was enough. We hadn't even kissed, yet inexplicable electricity between us, was there. Most would have considered it overzealous and silly to contemplate an unstated love as deep as ours. Perhaps it was, but that's what made it shameless and beautiful. I remember how anxious I was. I remember how butterflies filled my stomach and danced about with excitement. And that knot in my throat. That knot. How I wish I could feel that again.
Tonight I touched my lips and closed my eyes. I tried to remember how kissing you felt. I tried to remember how seamless each brush stroke of your lips was against mine. I remember how you looked at me, how you looked into my eyes and held your stare. I remembered how you placed your hands on both sides of my face, pulled me in with assurance and confident strength, and kissed me. I remembered how deliberate your intent was. After I reminisced about that moment, I opened my eyes and I placed my hand on my chest to feel my beating heart. A lump formed in my throat, different than the one I had felt years ago when I sat there with you. All I felt now was sadness. That lump in my throat was the result of tears being held back. Panic electrocuted me. In that moment I realized I was there, alone, without you. In that moment I was afraid that I would probably be alone forever. I fell back and lay there and although I wanted to cry I felt an overwhelming blissful sensation of joy. I lay there with my arms behind my head and smiled. Although I was sad, I was interrupted by happiness. I suppose what they say is true: you can be sad and happy at the same time. Bittersweet moments seem to strike us in the most magical of ways. It's finding happiness in sadness which makes a memory, a moment, very significant. When you can miss someone and smile at the same time it demonstrates true victory over a broken heart. It demonstrates that wonderful memories have the strength to last a lifetime.
So, I write this letter to you with tears and a smile. This bittersweet feeling I have is not a force to be reckoned with. If you're wondering why, I'll explain. I wrote this letter to come to terms with what I felt tonight. If this letter ever finds you, please read it with an open heart. Every word hangs from emotion. Every word is a glimpse of our past. I have always hated clichés, I have, but I couldn't help but imagine a senseless, bold me, who had the guts to run outside in the gently falling snow, all the way to you, just to tell you how wrong I was, what a big mistake I had made and how much I wanted to recover what we had and how much I wanted to bring it back to life. Every New Year's Eve, I pictured our reconciliation like this, but I never followed through. My pride always got in the way. I suppose the abolisher of fairytales, in me, always interfered. I sometimes wish we could go back to that moment where you and I sat on that hill, in the cold, where we didn't feel cold. We felt like ourselves. Now I don't feel like myself anymore, because you're gone. Perhaps one day we'll find ourselves on that hill where things would be different just to be the same, in the way they used to. If that day never comes, just know that I'll be fine. I will forever celebrate a new year, an old love.
Be well,
Your past love
Sketching Out with an End of the World Sketch
Remember when someone said this to you and it was only a figure of speech? Let's hope tomorrow's events turn out the way we're hoping they will and the above remains as a figure of speech. In case the world does end tomorrow, I'm posting this today. In case it's my last, I just want to thank ya'll for reading. If we live to see December 22nd, then ignore what I've just said.
Letter to a Man in a Suit
Dear Sir:
I like words. I much prefer them in poetry, in songs, in stories. This is where words live beautifully and safely. They grow happy together and we, we grow fond of them. I don't know what happened to words. When they became ugly. When we stopped believing in them and in their beauty. The words, which roll off our tongues and are formed by our tender lips strike, impose, and come with malicious intent. Often words tend to lose their beauty, especially in conversations between two people, who discuss hatred and cruelty.
I couldn't help but overhear your conversation in which words reflected catastrophe. You spoke those words loudly. Why did you? Words, which are beautiful, must be spoken with pride, for everyone to hear. Not words which are brutal and destructive. When did it become apparent to you to use such words so openly? I suppose you have no idea what it's like to be betrayed by words. To have them used against you. To be pinned up against the wall and forced to hear them; your mouth covered from speaking words in defense.
In ill repute, I write this letter to you. Everything has been shed above. Perhaps reading them will do more justice than hearing them. I fear that defensive words, which are spoken, sometimes do not do justice. They are said and then they flutter away into dismay. Words, which are spoken ferociously and not gracefully, sometimes lose their importance. I have choked on your words and have wanted to throw them up. They made me feel ill; however, what those words mean to me will eventually fade away, as do the effects on a person. I have learned not to allow disgusting words, like the ones you have spoken, to impose on the beauty language can be. I do have one request: in the future, please do not taint them with anger, violence, and humiliation. If you so choose to, please confine them to your mind and not to the open world. Words are meant to be beautiful. Seek beauty in words instead.
A disgruntled listener


text:
According to Anush Gasparyan, commercial director of Fashion Consulting Group, the explanation for the trend is quite simple. Over the past year the yuan exchange rate against the ruble has almost doubled. Moreover, there is a very high tax on luxury goods in China and the prices for them are almost 70% higher than in Europe.
"So it would be logical to assume that buying luxury goods [in Russia] has become more advantageous for residents of China," Gasparyan said.
"On the Internet, one can buy these products at European prices via online retailers which have proven to be reliable," Gasparyan explained.
Russian entrepreneur Vladimir Verbitsky also confirmed that the increased demand for luxury goods, and especially for luxury cars, is quite understandable.
"In Russia, cars are now cheaper than anywhere else in the world," Verbitsky said. "Before the crisis, a car cost one million rubles which was equivalent to 28 thousand dollars. Recently, the car price has risen up to 1.25 million. And this is only 16 thousand dollars. Thus, the benefits are evident."


text:
There have been points along my creative path I wasn't sure where I was headed. Everything felt like a BIG unreachable dream and I wanted "all the things."
Somewhere along that path of stumbles, I was unknowingly defining my passions more and more.
It was easy to see what others were doing and imagined myself there. I wanted to travel the world and I wanted my photos to be meaningful. I wanted them to "help" the world.
How crazy of a dream was that!?
At the beginning there were so many bridges to cross it felt overwhelming. I wondered if I had crossed the right one, or wasted so much time going in the wrong direction.
Now I look back and see how each bridge crossed was somehow leading me in the right direction. Even if a bridge felt like a detour, it brought a lesson, new knowledge, a fresh outlook and a story that is mine.
It's hard when you want to quickly go from point A to point B - enjoy the path of stumbles. Perfecting your craft and narrowing down your niche takes time and continuous effort.
When it doesn't resonate with everyone...you have started to narrowing your creative niche and I believe that is an awesome path to be on!


text:
This page lists mobile devices which have been confirmed to work well with Electric Imp's BlinkUp™ technology. The list includes smartphone and tablet products that have been tested by Electric Imp, and mobile devices used by its customers to configure imp-enabled connected products. If a device is not listed here, its absence does not signify incompatibility with BlinkUp. Many devices not yet listed here support BlinkUp.
The presence of a device on this list does not guarantee that any specific individual unit will perform BlinkUp correctly. Factors such as the number and kind of concurrently running apps, operating system settings, and the use of unauthorized software may hinder the performance of BlinkUp.
Click here to download a .xlsx spreadsheet listing currently compatible devices.
The devices listed in the spreadsheet are those recorded to be compatible with BlinkUp's standard mode on Android — they have successfully been used to perform BlinkUp by end-users. Please note that this does not guarantee that a future vendor software or device update will be compatible. BlinkUp is now supported only on Android 4.4.1 'KitKat' and up.
BlinkUp has been continuously improved over time. If you are unable to get BlinkUp to work with your Android device this is typically because the imp is running an older version of the impOS™. If you can borrow an iOS device to configure the imp, when it connects it will update its OS automatically and improve Android BlinkUp compatibility. This particularly applies to imps running impOS 27 (November 2013) or earlier.
BlinkUp standard mode is compatible with all iOS devices running iOS 7.0 and up. This includes the following:
No other mobile or personal computer platforms are supported at this time.
For detailed guidance on solving BlinkUp-related issues, see 'Troubleshooting BlinkUp'.
Updated January 16, 2019


text:
Im 21 and yes already divorced and with a beautiful baby! When i was 17 I started eating less and exercising more dropping weight fast and it made me so happy!! Now all that i seem to do is over eat and then purge 😞 my ex husband cheated multiple times and i always forgave him and moved on. Now whenever he texts me it makes me feel the need to binge. I cant conteol myself! And not having control over my own body is driving me insane 😫😫 then i feel so gross having taken in so much food that i need it out of my body. I just feel so down and even thinking about it makes me feel so negative about my body.
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11-08-2017 #1Junior Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2017
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- California
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My ex husband is a trigger for me
Just-Breathe i am so sorry about your situation with you x-husband and the effect it is having on you. I am glad to here you have a baby that is exciting congrats on that. I think you need to simply ignore his text I wish I had better advice for you. It is not right what he has put you through. Try to lean on your friends and family at this hard time. It is not easy being in your shoes and experiencing what you have so young. Try calling up a friend and talking to them instead of binging after he text you if you could, but remember sometimes you need to offer your self grace as well sometimes you do need that pint of ice cream.
Don't let anyone groggy you hunny, stay strong , you are a mountain!
- It's only a dream one day it will be true... -
- 000 000 000000000000000000000 000 000 000 000 000 -
I know hes your baby daddy but hes not worth the the feelings your having over him. theres better people on this earth <3
Un suicide élégant est l'oeuvre ultime d'art
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text: When a country is essentially cut off from the rest of the world, peculiar things can happen. In Cuba, the half-century-plus trade-embargo means antique Chevy Bel Airs roam the streets like pigeons, and apparently North Korea's communist ideology translates to some pretty interesting views of the future. A tourism firm in the region gave a state-employed architect free reign to imagine how the mountains of Myohyangsan would appear with a high-rise bridge connecting them in one instance, and what a floating house/hovercraft hybrid (seriously) or a hotel and gondola in Nampo's port would look like in others. The whole of the idea was to experiment with what a "sustainable tourism model" might resemble, according to CNN. And, if you ask us, the four-year project has a certain pulp sci-fi vibe to it. The concept drawings will be on display at Venice's Architecture Biennale until November if you'd like a first-hand look, otherwise hit the source if you can't make it to Italy by then.


text:
On any given Sunday morning, this is a taste of what you can expect. Our service starts at 10:30 am, but our choir and worship team do sound checks before, so the Sanctuary is open and people involved are often mingling and catching up. When you take a bulletin, you will find many people on our symbolic "front porch"; a lobby area with chairs and coffee service near the glass doors entrance.
Our services start with a prelude by our organist Laurie to prepare our hearts for worship. Rev. Nick, or the speaking pastor, will welcome us to service and we will have a brief time of announcements for upcoming events and updates. We move into a section of service that reflects both traditional and modern worship music. There is a pastor-led children's chat before the kids are dismissed for Children's Church or Toddler Time (childcare and programming from ages Infant-5th grade). Here at UCC we are a family church. If your child cries or runs down the aisle to the front, we likely won't bat an eye. No need to be embarrassed. Jesus said "Let the little children come to me!"
An anthem from our choir (all weeks but the summer season) and an offertory precede the scriptures and the message, and we close once again with a time of worship. The Pastor will be at the door to greet and receive you on your way out. Our service is typically 75-90 minutes with communion on the first Sunday of every month. We are a family church, so come as you are, whether that be casual or dressed to the 9's. Either way, we welcome you in.
Parking is available on the street or in the Off Track Betting (OTB) or Pioneer Bank lots nearby.


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2011's Hottest Tech: CES and Beyond
From CES in January to next holiday season, 2011 promises some phenomenal new gear.
From CES in January to next holiday season, 2011 promises some phenomenal new gear.
At CES in Las Vegas, Olympus got off to a hot start by announcing two new digital cameras that are among the most interesting we've seen at the show so far. The fixed-lens Olympus XZ-1 is a high-end pocket camera that offers full manual controls and impressive hardware, while the Olympus PEN E-PL2 is a well-priced interchangeable-lens compact camera that's designed for casual shooters who want to learn photography on the fly.
CES never fails to disappoint
The onslaught of brand-new cameras for fall continues: Pentax is adding two offerings to its Optio line of point-and-shoots, one of which includes a clever twist to make a low-end pocket camera more enticing.
"Three-dimensional everything" is shaping up to be the big trend of 2010 (or at least its most-prominent bastion of hype), but Fujifilm had an early jump on the 3D craze.
In the past few years, video-capable DSLRs and compact interchangeable-lens cameras have gained momentum in the world of filmmaking: they have big sensors, shallow depth-of-field capabilities, versatile interchangeable lenses, and affordable prices when compared to professional-level camcorders.
Though 3D-capable cameras are nothing new, two new additions to Sony's 2010 Cyber-shot line are notable for their 3D-shooting capabilities: They're the first everyday point-and-shoot cameras that offer 3D imaging capabilities, and they create 3D photos with a single lens.
If you get an iPad, make sure to buy a protective case for it. Compared to the iPhone, Apple's latest tech toy is more prone to easy damage.
Panasonic announced two new additions to its interchangeable-lens Micro Four Thirds camera stable today. The announcement itself is no surprise--in fact, we'd been expecting new Micro Four Thirds cameras from Panasonic at CES or PMA earlier this year--but the details of the new cameras offered an unexpected twist.
These cameras have innovative extras that may win you over as soon as you try them.
Pentax offered a parting shot for the PMA crowd with the announcement of two new point-and-shoot cameras today: the 26x-optical-zoom Pentax X90 fixed-lens megazoom and the weatherproofed Optio W90.
At PMA 2010 Sony unveiled a concept model of a compact interchangeable-lens camera with an APS-C sized sensor (24mm x 16mm).
Samsung is a company more commonly associated with HDTVs and smartphones, but the company's camera announcements at PMA 2010 in Anaheim made it clear that they're very serious about cameras.
Sony today announced two additions to its 2010 Cyber-shot camera lineup, both of which should be on display at the PMA 2010 show in Anaheim, California, later this week.
It's nearly impossible to recommend a single camera for all types of user--people who would be best served by a simple, slim point-and-shoot aren't the same as those who need the top-notch photo quality, granular controls, and lens-swapping versatility of a DSLR.