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Sometimes I get requests from people to do interviews because they're writing a Romani (Gypsy) character and want to use the life of a real live Gypsy girl to write her, and I always feel uncomfortable about the idea of divulging my life story for another writer's creative gain. My friend, Misha Rai, urged me to turn those feelings into an essay, and because Misha's advice is always brilliant, I did it. And now I'm honored and stunned to have "Esmeralda Declines an Interview" in The Missouri Review blog.
No offense intended to anyone who has asked me to interview with them as research for their book. It's wonderful that you want to write well-rounded Romani characters, and I'm flattered that you thought of me. If you are struggling to include Romani characters in your work, then my advice to you is this: "If you want to be inclusive, then read and support the writers you want to include. Don't ask to take our lives for your own gain." I'm sure your intentions aren't nefarious and I applaud your efforts to write mindfully. Just be mindful in your research too.
A good resource for you to find Romani writers is ' list of Romani Authors. I also have a list of "20 Gypsy Women You Should Be Reading" at VIDA: Women in Literary Arts. There are many more places to look, but this is a good start.
Happy reading! And thank you to The Missouri Review and Misha Rai– I love you to bits.
P.S. Check out "Housewives, Mothers" by Misha in The Indiana Review– it's one of my favorite stories.


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Ọyọ́ Aláàfin òjò pa ṣẹ̀kẹ̀rẹ̀ ọmọ Àtìbà. Ẹ̀sọ̀ pẹ̀lẹ́ o.
Oriki Oyo
7.250080 5.221863
Published by oloolutof
Urbanologist, Geographer, Traditionalist and Oral historian. I am a versatile, personable, computer literate and goal – driven achiever. I have good communication skill with ability to interact at different levels. I am self –motivated, can easily assimilate new ideals and quite adaptive to work in different environments. Studied in University of Jos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and University of Calabar. View more posts

subset: commoncrawl


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Here I sit, 24 years old, writing my father's obituary on his banged-up old macbook that boasts an array of cool stickers, including the kayaker symbol he also had tattooed on his right shoulder. 'SUSIE' was tattooed on his opposite side. His stuff is all around me; a dad-scented sweatshirt across my lap, old photos of him with a big ol' smile revealing his trademark diastema on the shelf to my right, his favorite headphones curled up on the table in front of me. But it's not just his things that are here, he is here too.
Dad, we're all going to be alright. We are at peace knowing you are now free. We miss you and love you forever and beyond.
September 27, 1953 – December 28, 2013
Loren Alan Nancarrow, longtime San Diego TV icon, organic gardener and conservationist, passed away Saturday, December 28, 2013 at the age of 60, following a courageous 11 month battle with brain cancer. Loren is survived by his wife, Susie, their son (Graham, 25) and their two daughters (Hannah, 24 and Britta, 20) and the love of an entire city. To his family, his friends and to the San Diegans that love him, he was larger than life.
Loren was a renaissance man, a guys' guy who was as similar to Bear Grylls, as he was to Martha Stewart. A man who loved getting his hands dirty, as much as he loved arranging a centerpiece. He liked making homemade peanut butter and candles, vanilla extract, beef stroganoff…and did I mention centerpieces?
My dad was a kayaker, an organic gardening guru and a lover of wonderment. He enjoyed Bob Dylan, Jack Daniel's and hot sake and was an avid collector of walking sticks, beach glass and beautiful german shepherds. My dad knew everything there was to know about citrus trees and roses and tomatoes, raising chickens and earthworms and monarch butterflies. He was a human Pinterest board.
Loren Nancarrow will be remembered as liberal but openminded, firm but kind, intellectual but hysterical. And he won't mind me saying, he was a quiet but strong supporter of medical marijuana.
He was proud to be San Diego's Organic Son.
We love you wonderful dad, husband, friend and hero: You are not gone, just gone ahead.
And you, dear friends, we love you and are forever grateful to you. With everything we have, thank you. I'll leave you with the quote my dad lived by over these past 11 months:
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'Wow! What a Ride!'"
― Hunter S. Thompson
Hannah Jane Nancarrow (your "Hammer Jane")


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"I call upon all ministers and public servants to desist from engaging in any form of corruption. Corruption by any government officials is a great betrayal to Ugandans who are desperately yearning for service delivery. I implore the general public to embrace this fight and report the crooked officials with evidence, as opposed to rumours and we will take action" (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 13.01.2020).
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President since 1986, whose now richer than God, but came into power with little or nothing. Therefore, he knows what he did to get there. He knows the implicated scandals, the grand corruption and often noticed missing funds in the headlines in the Republic.
That is why these sorts of desisting from corruption Telling the Ministers and the Public from stopping it. Meaning it should stop and get all evidence on plenty of high ranking officials in this government. Get the evidence of state owned enterprises and authorities. There are plenty of officials who would easily be implicated and connected with government tenders and whatnot.
There is enough ghosts, over-inflated state contracts and some-what. Therefore, days like today. Feels futile. The state has created a lot of mechanisms, a lot of organizations fighting corruption. Still, the big-men, the men sanctioned by the State House and the secretive investment deals are overshadowing the supposed battle against corruption.
When there is lack of transparency from the top. There will be less from the bottom too. There is no reason for changes, when everyone is eating and the ones with influence of the State House. They got an ability to get kickbacks, suits, graft and so-on. This is not news, but a reality.
The NRA historicals can steal land, take property and easily, therefore have other perks too. The NRM knows this and let them go. If your big enough and has the blessing, you can eat UNRA funds, eat NSSF funds and GAVI Funds with no costs or damages. You get to build a mansion and own business, on stolen funds.
That is why statements like today is worthless. Not believable. He has the Public Procurement And Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Inspectorate of Government (IGG) and Auditor General (AG). Nevertheless, the big-fish is not getting caught. You have the Police Force and the Judiciary too. Still, all of these cooks cannot make a decent meal. Its a bland mix of watery soup, not even a good broth.
That is why President Museveni. We have to see you fight yourself. Not walk, not talk, but battle your own shadow and that's not happening. Because, your not a cartoon character, but a self-styled President for Life. Peace.


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Now I have no idea how many people actually believe this, and maybe I'm late to the party, but it seems that the criminal justice system is set up in such a way that people on the lowest socioeconomic rungs bear the brunt of the punishment. Sure, part of it is the fact that the very wealthy can afford lawyers and have more familial strings to pull to reduce the charge. But that stuff is extra-judicial. That's not the way the justice system is set up – that's the way the entire political/economic/social system is set up. It's rigged for the rich – everyone knows that.
But the criminal justice system itself – the way the laws are enforced, what we think of when we conjure an image of 'crime', the kinds of cases we prosecute and the way we go about executing 'justice' – these all seem to be in the business of punishing the poor. Steal $50 from someone on the street and you're a monster – steal several trillion and you're appointed to the president's economic council. We actually have the gall to distinguish between 'crime' and 'white collar crime', as though one is the nicer version of the other.
Now there are a number of potential explanations for this, but certainly one of them is that poor people are just less trustworthy. I was offered that hypothesis straight-faced by someone at Skeptics in the Pub a couple of months ago – poor people are poor because they're immoral and lack the decency to work their way out of poverty. The wealthy are less criminal because they're more moral, right? Yeah, looks like the opposite is true:
A new study gives new meaning to the word "classy" — it turns out wealthier, better educated, more successful people have a greater tendency to lie, cheat and cut off pedestrians while driving, compared with their poorer neighbours.
Stéphane Côté, a psychologist at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management who co-authored the study, said he was surprised by the consistency of the results across all the experiments and thinks it's something that people who are better off should be aware of. "I think it's important for those people who have the resources to understand that this is their basic tendencies and potentially … reflect on their behaviour and whether it in fact takes into the needs of others," he said in an interview Monday.
To test the association between morality and socioeconomic status, the researchers observed study participants in a number of settings. In the first experiment, they looked at the correlation between cutting off another driver or a pedestrian at a 4-way stop, and the type of car the person was driving. Perhaps unsurprisingly to those of you who drive, they found that people in the highest bracket of vehicle type were significantly more likely to cut someone else off.
Now this is hardly an earth-shattering finding. People being entitled dicks in traffic? Next they'll be telling us that rain… I dunno… falls from clouds or something. The other studies were quite a bit more compelling. In a third study, participants were asked to read a scenario where someone unrightfully benefitted from their behaviour, and whether or not they (the participant) would engage in that same behaviour. When controlling for age, sex, and ethnicity, socioeconomic status was positively correlated with unethical behaviour.
Socioeconomic status, above a certain level of sufficiency, is judged in relation to other people. After all, if everyone around you makes the same amount of money, 'rich' and 'poor' don't have a great deal of meaning. In the fourth study, participants were primed to consider themselves either high-status or low-status by asking them to compare themselves to either those at the top or those at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. At the end of the study exercise, participants were offered a bowl of candies and told that, while the candies were for children in another lab, the participants could have some. As one might expect from the previous studies, participants primed to think of themselves as 'high status' took more candies than those who thought of themselves as 'low status'. Because they earned them, obviously. To hell with the kids. You get candy when you get your MBA, lazy!
But aside from literally taking candy from babies, the wealthy were also found, in two separate studies, to be more likely to lie for personal gain.
Whether it was hiring a new employee for a job that was likely to disappear soon, or cheating at a rigged game of chance, people who reported higher socioeconomic status were more likely to ignore the rules to gain an advantage. What is interesting about the dice game is that while sex, age, religion and political affiliation were not predictive of cheating, attitudes toward greed did. Basically, we have another example of confounding, where the relationship between wealth (X) and being a scumbag (Y) is actually a function of how down you are with greed (Z).
To test this, the researchers performed a 9th experiment in which they manipulated participants' attitudes about greed. People were asked how likely they were to engage in certain unethical behaviours (stealing, receiving bribes, overcharging customers at work). They were also either asked questions about things that had happened during their day, or for three benefits of greed (to make the 'up side' of greed more salient). High-status individuals were just as likely to engage in the unethical behaviours, but interestingly low-status participants became just as likely to lie cheat and steal as the high-status ones if they held favourable attitudes toward greed.
So despite the hypothetical assumption embedded into the way our society thinks of criminal and unethical behaviour – that the wealthy are somehow more trustworthy and ethical than the poor, it appears that the evidence is pointing in rather the other direction. It is important to note that it is not wealth per se that makes people behave badly – it is how positive their attitude toward greed is. However, the strong correlation between wealth and greed (which is a chicken-egg question that will have to be addressed in another study) suggests that while you shouldn't judge a person by the colour of hir skin, it might be okay to judge by the colour of hir money.
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Neighborhoods: Leimert Park's important place in LA's music and cultural history (Map)
Millions of people live in the city, occupying diverse neighborhoods like Little Tokyo, Echo Park and Glassell Park. But how much of the city do you really know? In Take Two's new series, Neighborhoods, reporter Tess Vigeland takes us to Leimert Park.
Millions of people live in the city, occupying diverse neighborhoods like Little Tokyo, Echo Park and Glassell Park. But how much of the city do you really know? In Take Two's series, Neighborhoods, reporter Tess Vigeland takes us to Leimert Park in South Los Angeles.
Leimert Park may be most well known because of Hollywood lore — The Black Dahlia was found back in 1947 — but the area is even better known for its extraordinary cultural history. So much so that it's even got it's own two-block walk of fame. While you're there, listen to the ghosts of music past, present, and future, as introduced to my by 67-year-old independent filmmaker and longtime Leimert Park resident Ben Caldwell:
"The history that's more fascinating to me, is the history of the '20s, '30, '40s and '50s, of looking at the real strong cultural density of the artists. You can't name a black American artist who didn't live or work within a 5-mile radius of this place," said Caldwell. "Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Richard Pryor, he got his chops together here at Maverick's Flat. If anything, this is the Hollywood."
So what made Leimert Park the meeting place for these famous musicians and creatives?
"The first thing is the clubs, they had a strong club scene. Even when I was here, there was at least 10 clubs within a 2-block radius," said Caldwell. "From Reggae to Blues to Rhythm & Blues, to the total experience that had the high-end performers from The Impressions and The Temptations. All of that was within these few blocks."
Caldwell himself has had a hand in bringing new music to these streets. He founded a performance space and community arts center called KAOS Network that helped breed acts from hip-hop artists Eazy-E and Yo-Yo in the '80s, to a decade later, Project Blode, an open mic night that spawned the careers of freestyle rappers like Nocando.
"I really love this neighborhood, because it's the only place in Los Angeles where I can find good Jamaican food on the regular," said James McCall, better known as the rapper Nocando. "LA is kind of like, it's a melting pot, but somewhat segregated. If you are in the neighborhood where my studio is, Atwater Village, it's just like this, except for its not black."
Indeed, Leimert Park has one of the largest African-American populations in the Western United States. According to US Census data from 2000, Leimert Park's population is about 79.6 percent black, 11.4 percent Latino, 4.6 percent Asian and 1 percent white. Nocando offers his suggestions for someone visiting the area for the first time:
"Come to Leimert Park, go to Ackee Bamboo and get some good Jamaican food, go to the World Stage and listen to some cool jazz," said Nocando. "Right around the corner on Crenshaw there's like four barbershops, it's like the most competitive barbershop area, so it's pretty hard to get a bad haircut, bad barbers don't last here."
See which locations Tess visited in Leimert Park, plus a few more notable spots:
View Neighborhoods: Leimert Park in a larger map


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Fish Where the Fish Are: Extend Your Blog's Reach through LinkedIn
October 31, 2008 8 Comments
This is controversial, but here goes: I think if you're remarkable, amazing or just plain spectacular, you probably shouldn't have a resume at all.
How about three extraordinary letters of recommendation from people the employer knows or respects?
Or a sophisticated project they can see or touch?
Or a reputation that precedes you?
Or a blog that is so compelling and insightful that they have no choice but to follow up?
Seth Godin, Why bother having a resume?
It appears LinkedIn has taken this advice to heart. LinkedIn already has recommendations. Now LinkedIn has opened up its site to let third parties build apps for users. There are nine apps to start with. There are two apps letting you add documents to your profile, which touches on Seth's "projects" advice above. And two of those apps allow you to add your blog to your profile: WordPress and SixApart.
Which is interesting…two blog apps in the initial nine? What's that telling you?
In the professional world, blogs are a great way to:
- Demonstrate your knowledge
- Stay current on your field
- Explore new ideas
- Connect with others
Out in the wild, there are millions and millions of blogs. The smart advice for bloggers is to stick with it, seek out others and engage in conversations. That's something that should regularly be part of the blogging life. You'll learn a lot.
But, it'd be nice to know your professionally oriented blog was reaching others who might open career paths. Which is why LinkedIn's move to add blogs is so exciting.
Here's how I picture things as they are, and as they can become:
I know the long-term trends favor recruiting via the blogosphere. But for the next few years, I'm not expecting recruiters to get out there and find candidates based on their blogs. They'll still go to places where there are concentrated areas of people with relevant experience. LinkedIn has become one of those go-to places.
That being said, recruiters, or more likely, the clients for which they are recruiting, can see a much better picture of you outside of the list of jobs you've had.
This adds a new dimension to the reasons for you to blog. Bloggers can get caught up in things like traffic, frequency of posts, comments and making sure their blogs are part of the big social media sites. It's just human nature.
But now, your blog becomes something more. It becomes a record for how you think, what topics are your passion and opinions on events affecting your field. Even if no one reads your blog out in the blogosphere, you're still making a case for your talents. And there's no need to have a high frequency. Whatever you last posted shows on your profile, whenever that was.
A friend recently asked me about blogging. She's in the non-profit world now, and wants to transition to the business world. I told her one thing blogging can do is get you out of the box that your past work experience and education put you in. Through blogging, you can demonstrate the aptitude to handle work in a new field.
Hats off to LinkedIn for adding these apps. Great addition, and something more people should take advantage of.
See this post on FriendFeed: http://friendfeed.com/search?q=%22Fish+Where+the+Fish+Are%3A+Extend+Your+Blog%E2%80%99s+Reach+through+LinkedIn%22&who=everyone


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So as some of you may know, I'm writing a new book, and now that I'm through being creeped out by my mc, I'm actually quite enjoying it. But I started to write a scene and was thinking I've written this before... It's a situation where one character is teaching another techniques for essentially blocking their thoughts. I looked back and found the flash I wrote *way* back when I first started writing flash and the scene was almost perfect. The only thing is, point of view is from the teacher, whereas my current project requires the scene to be written in the student's pov. Ok np, it'd still give me some ideas (I've deemed it's not plagerism when you steal from your own writing! The copyright owner gave me permission :)
But what really gave me the shivers -- the name of the student in the first story is an alternate spelling of the name of the student in this story... I wrote it in 2009 and don't think I've looked at it since. It's not a name I use often. Has that character really been floating around in my head since then? I *really* didn't like her the first time around - she was too wimpy. This one I still don't like, although she's more powerful than the first version. In both stories the character is in a secondary but important role.
Just sort of amused me :) Now to go out and play in the sun :)


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Families of car crash victims tied to General Motors' recalls said CEO Mary Barra struck the right tone, but they still have many unanswered questions.
Several families of the victims watched Barra in a GM (GM) broadcast Thursday, as she detailed findings of an investigation into defective ignition switches on Chevy Cobalt cars that led to deaths of at least 13 people.
Among those keenly listening was a grieving Daryl Chansuthus, whose daughter Hasaya "Seyde" died when her Chevy Cobalt hit a tree in 2009. Once again, the mother was moved to tears as Barra pledged to make GM cars safer.
Related: Botched recall "Fundamental failure":
However, Chansuthus pointed out that rather than take responsibility for the root cause of the car crashes -- the faulty ignition switches that shut down the vehicles -- Barra once again focused on the airbags that didn't deploy in the accidents.
That's because GM's list of 13 confirmed deaths includes only those in the front seat of cars whose airbags didn't inflate.
"The safety features wouldn't have been an issue in the first place had the car not shut down," Chansuthus said.
Her daughter Seyde is counted as one of the victims, because her airbag failed to deploy and her seat belt failed to lock. However, there are others who also died in Chevy Cobalt crashes from the faulty switches but aren't counted by GM as victims.
Chansuthus was among families who met with Barra face-to-face on March 31 in Washington and was "underwhelmed" at the time, as Barra wouldn't acknowledge GM's role in the deaths. This time, Chansuthus was more appreciative of Barra's tone.
Related: Moms of GM victims grapple with new grief
Laura Christian, another victim's mom, is skeptical of GM's efforts. Christian is birth mother to Amber Marie Rose, who died at age 16 in 2005 after her Chevy Cobalt crashed into a tree and the airbag failed.
Christian, a former federal investigator who has helped organize and connect families of victims, questioned the independence of the investigation that General Motors paid for.
"Can we really rely on their findings?" she asked.
Related: Two died in 2006, but GM only counted one
Ken Rimer said he was glad to see a big shakeup at the big automaker and see the company take more responsibility for the defective switches. His stepdaughter Natasha Weigel died in the back seat of a Chevy Cobalt that hit a tree in 2006.
"Evidently, they got away from making good quality American cars for American public," Rimer said. "This (report) is a step in the right direction, but I want to see more details."
He and other family members were skeptical of Barra's claim that there was "no evidence" employees "made a tradeoff between safety and cost."
Several families said they want to see proof backing up Barra's assertion.
The families said they were also disappointed there were few new details on GM's efforts to compensate victims.
Families will soon face a tough choice ahead. Kenneth Feinberg, the attorney charged with crafting the plan to compensate victims, has in the past given out disbursements only to victims who gave up their rights to sue.
Rimer said his family is leaning toward not participating in the victim's compensation fund, because there are early indications that the fund isn't going to "fair and adequate" for their loss.


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brachypodium sylvaticum, burnet rose, common rockrose, Cryptocephalus hypochaeridis, Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages, false brome, foxglove, hoary rockrose, Jewel beetles, small shiny metallic green beetle, speckled wood
The first week of June was full of the promise of a glorious summer to come. A run of warm sunny days had brought forth perfect and prolific blooms and began to coax out the butterflies.
June 4th
Along the woodland trail that circuits the lower slopes of the Bryn Euryn Nature Reserve, the early summer wildflowers are peaking. Foxgloves are at their perfect best, with stems full of open blooms graduating upwards to buds. There are not many plants on this site, but they seem to be gradually increasing in number year on year.
Honeysuckle is blooming prolifically, the best I have ever seen it and it smells heavenly.
The wild strawberry patch is also full of flowers, promising a bumper crop to come,although it is in danger of becoming overwhelmed by encroaching ivy and other vegetation.
Birds were heard but not seen, concealed by the dense foliage of the tree canopy; Chiffchaff, Wren, and Blackbirds were all still singing between nesting duties.
Some of the clumps of grass that grow along the woodland tracks are flowering now. This is False Brome-Brachypodium sylvaticum, a perennial grass common in woodlands where it prefers the shade of the canopy.
One of the more severe winter storms brought down three Scots Pines. Two have been sawn up and cleared away but the largest has been left where it fell and poignantly continues to live, now producing new cones.
Beautiful fresh Speckled Wood butterflies were out in number and busy patrolling territories or sitting on leaves, wings closed in wait for intruders or potential mates.
Up the steps and into the small open meadow the first impression was of lush greenery. The grass is growing long and closer inspection reveals it is studded with purple and white clovers, yellow Common Rock-rose and buttercups and the curiously flowered salad burnet.
Along the edge of the tree-line another burnet, the beautiful Burnet Rose (visible centre left of the photograph above) is also in full flower. It too smells divine and was absolutely buzzing with a variety of bumblebee species revelling in the pollen and nectar bounty on offer.
In previous years I have noted that the Burnet roses have played host to a bright orange fungus, this is Rust fungus Phragmidium rosa-pimpinellifoliae. It doesn't appear to harm the plants, but this year the fungus is almost as prolific as the blooms themselves.
On the small rocky outcrop at the top end of the field there are pretty clumps of Common Rock-rose-Helianthemum nummularium.
A glint of emerald green drew my attention to a tiny shiny beetle in the centre of a Rock-rose flower. This little Jewel beetle doesn't appear to have a Common name, so is known by its Scientific name of Cryptocephalus aureolus. The generic name of the beetle and its relatives refers to the insects' heads being hidden under the pronotum. This is a new species recording for me here on the Bryn, which is not to say they haven't always been here, just that I hadn't seen one till now
I saw some little butterflies from here, a couple of Common Blues and Small Heaths, but all flying low in the long grass and in no mood to settle to pose for portraits.
Onwards and upwards along the Summit Trail, taking the track that comes out at the bottom of the steep 'downland' slope. This is often a good place to find Common Blue and Brown Argus butterflies, but not today, although there were a good number of Small Heaths to be seen, again not settling for me.
I progressed fairly slowly up the steep slope and near the summit was attracted to a sheltered corner backed by trees, bordered by raspberry brambles and where the ground was covered by Common Rock-rose and Bird's-foot Trefoil flowers. I was drawn there by the sight of a small brown butterfly, which I hoped may be a Brown Argus, but which turned out to be a female Common Blue.
Then I noticed a slightly larger brown flutterer that I thought at first was a moth. A closer view changed my mind, this was a butterfly and although it was rather faded and a bit tattered round the wing-edges, was the right size and shape for a Skipper. Old records for the site indicate the presence of the Dingy Skipper-Erynnis tages, whose common name may not inspire much excitement, but this is a fairly uncommon butterfly in the UK, with recorded sightings at sites in North Wales not exceeding low single figures. I hope now my ID is right – if anyone knows better, please let me know!
I'm sure I'm not alone here, but I get nervous when I'm confronted by a new-to-me species of anything; especially when I'm aware this may be my one and only chance to record a sighting. So, I find I hold my breath, begin to panic slightly that I won't get a photograph that will help me confirm its identity back at home and pray no-one will pass close by and disturb my target. My 'technique' thereafter is quite basic – to start from a distance and gradually move in closer, capturing as many images as I can before my subject takes off!
This particular butterfly was not making things easy and was restlessly flitting about amongst the flowers, staying low to the ground and frequently hidden amongst the plants. I felt quite dizzy staying focussed and following it around, probably down to lack of oxygen intake from the not-breathing. As ever, I would have liked more opportunities for photographs, but did manage to get a couple of fairly clear images that at least have given me my sighting record.
After a few moments the butterfly took off away down the hill and I lost track of it. The camera battery also chose that moment to expire and as this had been a spur of the moment, travel light walk, I had no spare with me!
I have written detailed posts about many of the subjects mentioned in this one, so rather than repeat myself, I have added links to click onto if you would like to see more about any of them. For more about the Dingy Skipper, go to http://butterfly-conservation.org/679-1101/dingy-skipper.html


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Stillman Real Consulting LLC undertakes these responsibilities first and foremost to establish and protect the reputation of our clients and our company as trustworthy custodians of corporate data, and secondly to protect our clients from any accusation of willful illegality or impropriety in their stewardship of the data which they own, and finally, in the case of public companies, to protect the trust which their investors, clients and employees place in them and their subcontractors to protect their interests with respect to electronic data. Our market niche is company clients which are looking for this level of provision of service.
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- This event has passed.
Laryngectomee Support Group
Monday, November 7, 2022
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every month that begins at 1:00 pm on day First of the month, repeating indefinitely
Meeting: 1st Monday of the month
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Support for laryngectomees, head & neck cancer patients and their families. A Speech-Language Therapist addresses concerns such as speech, swallowing and taste. To RSVP or for further information, please contact Susan Bruemmer at (509) 539-5433. This is not a Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center led group.


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Paul Tagliabue
NFL lawyers filed a motion in U.S. District Court in New Orleans on Friday, arguing that former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue should be allowed to hear appeals on the Saints' bounties case next week.
In their motion, NFL lawyers quote defendant Jonathan Vilma's statement to ESPN in which he supported Tagliabue being appointed to the role, saying ''I think it's a good first step for Paul to be the neutral arbitrator.''
NFL lawyers wrote that, ''Mr. Vilma was right that Commissioner Tagliabue was a good appointment.
''Commissioner Tagliabue has the experience necessary to assess whether the conduct the players engaged in was detrimental to the League and, if so, to assess the propriety of the discipline that Commissioner Goodell imposed. It is difficult to think of anyone else more qualified.''
The action comes after the players' union and the four players suspended in the bounties' case filed a motion asking that Tagliabue recuse himself from the case because of what they say is a conflict of interest. They want a neutral arbitrator to be appointed by the court.
NFL lawyers argue that the NFL Players Association has no basis to accuse Tagliabue of ''anything nefarious,'' saying that the players' union itself admitted that Tagliabue has not had any ''personal involvement in the investigation, arbitration or litigation of the 'bounty' matter.''
The hearings are scheduled for Tuesday, subject to any rulings.
The players association has concerns about ''ethical and legal'' issues involving Tagliabue hearing appeals by Vilma and defensive end Will Smith, Browns linebacker Scott Fujita and free agent defensive end Anthony Hargrove.
Vilma received the stiffest suspension of the four - ruled out for the entire season - but he played last Sunday while the appeals process is in motion.
The union also contends that pay-for-hits programs such as the one the NFL says operated in New Orleans existed when Tagliabue was commissioner, with his knowledge.
Tagliabue was NFL commissioner from 1989-2006. For part of that time, Goodell was the league's general counsel.
Goodell handed down the suspensions in May and they took effect in July after initial appeals were rejected by Goodell. Those suspensions lasted through training camp before being vacated by a three-member appeals panel that instructed Goodell to start the disciplinary process again and clarify his reasons for suspending the players.
The suspensions were reissued by the NFL two weeks ago and promptly appealed by all four players.
By STEVE REED (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL


text:
So yesterday I had to heroically jump in to save Russell Glasser who was stranded without Non-Prophets Podcast co-hosts. For an hour, I chopped it up with him and a handful of others:
Incidentally, if you want to read my takedown of the Black Atheists of Atlanta, you can read it here. Please be sure to read the follow-up as well.
I will have more thoughts on the Wisconsin temple shooting later today.
Like this article? Follow me on Twitter!


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Only in recent years have I begun to wonder whether there are reasons not to follow official recommendations about vaccination. In the 1930s, I had the then-usual vaccinations, including (in Austria, perhaps Europe) against smallpox. A few others in later years when I traveled quite a bit.
But the Andrew Wakefield affair *, and the introduction of Gardasil **, showed me that official sources had become as untrustworethy about vaccines as they have become about prescription drugs.
It seems that Big Pharma had just about run out of new diseases to invent against which to create drugs and had turned to snake-oil-marketing of vaccines. We are told, for example, that 1 in 3 people will experience shingles in their lifetime and should get vaccinated against it. Have one in three of your aged friends ever had shingles? Not among my family and friends. One of my buddies got himself vaccinated, and came down with shingles a couple of weeks later. His physician asserted that the attack would have been more severe if he hadn't been vaccinated — no need for a control experiment, or any need to doubt official claims.
So it's remarkable that the Swedish Government has resisted attempts to make vaccinations compulsory ("Sweden bans mandatory vaccinations over 'serious health concerns'" by Baxter Dmitry, 12 May 2017).
That article includes extracts from an interview of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., on the Tucker Carlson Show, which included such tidbits as the continued presence of thimerosal (organic mercury compound) in many vaccines including the seasonal flu vaccines that everyone is urged to get; and the huge increase in number of things against which vaccination is being recommended:
"I got three vaccines and I was fully compliant. I'm 63 years old. My children got 69 doses of 16 vaccines to be compliant. And a lot of these vaccines aren't even for communicable diseases. Like Hepatitis B, which comes from unprotected sex, or using or sharing needles – why do we give that to a child on the first day of their life? And it was loaded with mercury."
* "Autism and Vaccines: Can there be a final unequivocal answer?"
"YES: Thimerosal CAN induce autism"
** See "Gardasil and Cervarix: Vaccination insanity" and many other posts recovered with SEARCH for "Gardasil" on my blogs: https://scimedskeptic.wordpress.com/?s=gardasil and https://hivskeptic.wordpress.com/?s=gardasil


text:
Song Story:
- David Schrader Contributing Writer
- 2002 25 Sep
If songs are like children to their writers, then 25 year-old Englishman Tim Hughes carried "Here I Am To Worship" to full term, letting the reverent tune take perfect shape over a nine-month period. Back in 1999 while still in college, he first sat down to craft a musical response to his reading of Philippians 2:5, which says, "Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus." And from the start, he had the humility part mastered.
"I was playing around with my guitar when the verse just came out," he modestly recalls. "However, I couldn't get a chorus that I was happy with. The original one was embarrassingly bad!"
Thankfully, Tim recorded the verse into his Dictaphone, and months later during a quiet creative time, he patched it together with another strong melody idea and brought "Here I Am To Worship" to fruition.
"I'd been reading about the cross and thinking through Jesus' amazing sacrifice," Tim says of the lyrical theme. "Sometimes when God meets with us we don't quite know how to respond properly. It's often too much for us to take in. Hopefully in a small way the chorus captures that: 'Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, worthy, wonderful.'"
Although the song had been completed, the writer was still not convinced of its potential. Leading worship at his Soul Survivor home church one day, Tim sang "Here I Am To Worship" for his fellow members and was duly advised by his pastor Mike Pilavachi to start using it more often. Since then, Hughes - who built his own chops leading Delirious and Matt Redman favorites - has seen the song take on a life of its own.
It must be a God thing.... People have seemed to really connect with it, and we've had some special times in worship using the song," he admits. "I remember one time at the end of a Worship Together conference in San Diego when we'd been performing the song. The band stopped, and then the congregation just kept singing the chorus for about 15 minutes."
Road tested and pastor approved, "Here I Am To Worship" was soon ready to be recorded as the title track for Hughes' debut album, released in late 2001. Produced by founding Sonic Flood members Jason Halbert and Dwayne Larring, the two pre-recorded the musical track then flew into London to record vocals with Tim in, of all places, the children's classroom at his church.
"They set up a microphone and their computer, and I sang along," Hughes remembers. "It was quite surreal being surrounded by teddy bears, dolls, and Lego's."
Today, Tim continues his worldwide work with Soul Survivor, and "Here I Am To Worship" keeps expanding to wider audiences. A quick Internet search for the song turns up excited churchgoers wanting to get printouts of the lyrics and lead sheets. And quite notably, Michael W. Smith offered his version of the song at a concert recorded for his upcoming Worship Again live album. (There's no official word yet on whether Smith's interpretation made the project's final track listing - the set releases October 22).
Hype or no hype, Tim Hughes remains strikingly humble about his work and prefers being called a worshiper rather than an artist.
"The main motivation behind the song was simply trying to capture a response to Jesus giving up his throne in Heaven to walk upon the earth and ultimately to die upon a cross," he confirms. "For me personally, it's been very exciting and a real privilege to see how God has used the song."
You can find the work of Tim Hughes featured on All Around the World: Modern Worship here at Songs4Worship.com


text:
1) Is R efficient? (scripting wise, and performance wise) _ Depends on how you code it- some Packages like foreach can help but basic efficiency come from programmer. XDF formats from Revoscalar -the non open R package further improve programming efficiency
2) Should R be written from scratch?
You got to be kidding- It depends on how you define scratch after 2 million users
This has been done with S, then S Plus and now R.
3) What should be the license of R (if it was made a new)?
GPL license is fine. You need to do a better job of executing the license. Currently interfaces to R exist from SPSS, SAS, KXEN , other companies as well. To my knowledge royalty payments as well as formal code sharing does not agree.
R core needs to do a better job of protecting the work of 2500 package-creators rather than settling for a few snacks at events, sponsorships, Corporate Board Membership for Prof Gentleman, and 4-5 packages donated to it. The only way R developers can currently support their research is write a book (ny Springer mostly)
Eg GGplot and Hmisc are likely to be used more by average corporate user. Do their creators deserve royalty if creators of RevoScalar are getting it?
If some of 2 million users gave 1 $ to R core (compared to 9 million in last round of funding in Revolution Analytics)- you would have enough money to create a 64 bit optimized R for Linux (missing in Enterprise R), Amazon R APIs (like Karim Chine's efforts), R GUIs (like Rattle's commercial version) etc etc
The developments are not surprising given that Microsoft and Intel are funding Revolution Analytics http://www.dudeofdata.com/?p=1967
R controversies come and go (this has happened before including the NYT article and shakeup at Revo)
An interesting debate on whether R should be killed to make an upgrade to a more efficient language.
From Tal (creator R Bloggers) and on R help list-
There is currently a (very !) lively discussions happening around the web, surrounding the following topics:
1) Is R efficient? (scripting wise, and performance wise)
2) Should R be written from scratch?
3) What should be the license of R (if it was made a new)?
Very serious people have taken part in the debates so far. I hope to let you know of the places I came by, so you might be able to follow/participate
in these (IMHO) important discussions.
The discussions started in the response for the following blog post on
Xi'An's blog:
Followed by the (short) response post by Ross Ihaka:
Other discussions started to appear on Andrew Gelman's blog:
And (many) more responses started to appear in the hackers news website:
I hope these discussions will have fruitful results for our community,
Contact me: email@example.com | 972-52-7275845
Read me: www.talgalili.com (Hebrew) | www.biostatistics.co.il (Hebrew) |
www.r-statistics.com (English)
My 0 cents ( see it would 2 cents but it;s free)


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text: Subject: bear factsA Russian scientist and a Czechoslovakian scientist had spent their whole lives studying the majestic grizzly bear. Each year they petitioned their respective governments to allow them to go to Yellowstone to study these wondrous beasts. Finally, their request was granted and they immediately flew to NY and then on West to Yellowstone. They reported to the local ranger station and were told that it was the grizzly mating season and it was much too dangerous to go out and study the animals.\nThey pleaded that this was their only chance. Finally the ranger relented. The Russian and the Czech were given cell phones and told to report in each and every day.\n\nFor several days they called in, and then nothing was heard from the two scientists. The rangers mounted a search party and found the scientists' camp completely ravaged. No sign of the missing men. They then followed the trail of a male and a female bear. They found the female and decided they must kill the animal to find out if she had eaten the scientists because they feared an international incident. They killed the female and cut open the bear's stomach... only to find the remains of the Russian.\n\nOne ranger turned to the other and said, "You know what this means, don't you?"\n\n"Of course," the other ranger nodded. "The Czech is in the male."


text:
Adrian Peterson is indeed dealing with a personal situation that a source close to Peterson describes as "tragic."
The source declined to share any further details, explaining that it's a subject Peterson will address at the appropriate time.
On Thursday, Stu Whitney of the Argus (S.D.) Leader reported that Peterson remains in Sioux Falls, "dealing with [a] medical issue involving [a] young family member that likely will be a police matter" and that it is a "very serious" health situation.
No further details are currently available. Multiple tipsters have suggested a possible link to news of a Sioux Falls toddler being in critical condition, and a man named Robert Joseph Patterson charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery of an infant.
We continue to extend our best wishes to Adrian Peterson and his family.


text:
You need:
1. One train
2. A subway station
3. The Canon 5D Mark II
4. And a Canon 15mm f2.8 Fisheye
Passing a subway station from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.
Place the camera firmly against the window. Start video recording just before you approach the station. Add a stupid sound from the default Apple audio library.
Exact location: Nationalteateret station, Oslo, Norway.
…and you can click through to Vimeo to watch the video in HD.


text:
This week's photo challenge is about the Achievement of someone we met along the way.
While hiking Pic St. Loup one day this past summer we came across a hiker/biker. Understand that Pic St. Loup is a dauntingly huge mountain in the Hérault Valley, but for some unknown reason we thought they had 'Disneyfied' it with wide, smooth walking paths since everyone we came across in southern France, from youngsters to seniors, had talked about hiking Pic St. Loup. So off we went to conquer this montagne.
We reached the peak of the mountain after 2 hours of huffing, puffing, sweating and persevering (because we were too far in to turn back) as I noted in a previous post. We were quite near the peak at that point and as we looked ahead we saw a biker, yes, a man and his vèlo coming down the mountain towards us. Surely they were filming an episode of 'The Great Race'… but no, he was completely solo. No helicopter dropped his bicycle at the top of Pic St. Loup. He took (dragged, schlepped, rode?) his bike to the top of Pic St. Loup! Quite an achievement.
The views from the top of the mountain were spectacular, and we spent the entire day debating if this hiker was l'athlète du jour or le fou du jour…still not sure.


text:
Money Stock Measures - H.6
Performance Evaluation of Statistical Release H.6: Money Stock Measures
December 20151
I. Introduction
The Federal Reserve Board's Statistical Release H.6, "Money Stock Measures" is issued each Thursday, generally at 4:30 p.m., unless Thursday is a federal holiday, in which case the release is issued on Friday, generally at 4:30 p.m. The release provides information on the monetary aggregates and their components. The data on the monetary aggregates play a role in the formulation and conduct of U.S. monetary policy. A copy of the H.6 release is included as attachment 1.
Table 1 of the H.6 release presents monthly data on the two major monetary aggregates, M1 and M2, over the most recent two-year period.2 Both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted data are shown. Table 2 presents the recent growth trends in M1 and M2, as well as 1-, 4-, and 13-week average data on the aggregates. Tables 3 and 4 present monthly and weekly seasonally adjusted data on the components of M1, the components of M2 not included in M1 (non-M1 M2), and institutional money funds. Tables 5 and 6 present the components of the monetary aggregates and institutional money funds on a not seasonally adjusted basis. Table 7 provides monthly and weekly data for selected series, mainly deposit items that are excluded from the monetary aggregates and U.S. government deposits.
Most of the data shown on the H.6 release are reported by depository institutions, though some information is obtained from nonbank issuers of traveler's checks and from money market mutual funds (MMMFs). The frequency of data collection ranges from daily to annual.3
A more detailed discussion of the H.6 release follows. It begins with a brief history of the release and its definitions and concepts, followed by a description of the release's various data sources, including information required by Section 8, Performance Evaluation, of Statistical Policy Directive No. 3.
II. Historical and Analytical Background
The Federal Reserve System has constructed and published monetary statistics since 1914. Timely and accurate data on the monetary aggregates are needed by the Board of Governors and the Federal Open Market Committee for use in monetary policy deliberations and by the public in assessing financial flows and conditions and their implications for the economy.
Concepts and definitions of the money stock have evolved over time, reflecting changes in the regulatory and institutional environment. For example, the publication of the M3 monetary aggregate on the H.6 release was discontinued in March 2006. M3 did not appear to convey any additional information about economic activity that was not already embodied in M2, and it had not played a role in the monetary policy process for many years. Consequently, the Federal Reserve Board judged that the costs of collecting the underlying data and publishing M3 outweighed the benefits.
The footnotes of the H.6 release detail the current definitions of money stock concepts, which are summarized here.
Ml is made up of funds that are readily accessible for spending. M1 consists of (1) currency outside the U.S. Treasury, Federal Reserve Banks, and the vaults of depository institutions; (2) traveler's checks of nonbank issuers; (3) demand deposits; and (4) other checkable deposits (OCDs), which consist primarily of negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW) accounts at depository institutions, credit union share draft accounts, and demand deposits at thrift institutions. Seasonally adjusted M1 is calculated by summing currency, traveler's checks, demand deposits, and OCDs, each seasonally adjusted separately.
M2 is composed of a broader set of financial assets held principally by households. M2 consists of M1 plus (1) savings deposits (which include money market deposit accounts (MMDAs)), (2) small-denomination time deposits (time deposits in amounts of less than $100,000), and (3) balances in retail MMMFs. Seasonally adjusted M2 is computed by summing savings deposits, small-denomination time deposits, and retail MMMFs, each seasonally adjusted separately, and adding this result to seasonally adjusted M1.
Deposits at depository institutions held by the U.S. government, U.S. and foreign depository institutions, and foreign official institutions are excluded from the monetary aggregates. Government and interbank deposits are excluded because the monetary aggregates measure money in the hands of the nonbank public in the United States.
III. Sources and Methodology
A. Major Deposits Reports
The primary information source for construction of the monetary aggregates is the reports of deposits filed by depository institutions. The system governing the filing of these reports is closely tied to the structure of reserve requirements, which are established by statute (Section 19 of the Federal Reserve Act) and implemented pursuant to Federal Reserve Regulation D--Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions.
The frequency with which an institution files a report of deposits depends on the institution's net transaction accounts, its total deposits, and its total transaction accounts, savings deposits, and small-denomination time deposits.4
The primary report of deposits is the Report of Transaction Accounts, Other Deposits, and Vault Cash (FR 2900; OMB No. 7100-0087). A copy of the FR 2900 reporting form is included as attachment 2. This report contains 12 items, 7 of which are used in the construction of the monetary aggregates: other demand deposits; automated transfer service (ATS) accounts and NOW accounts/share drafts, and telephone and preauthorized transfers; cash items in process of collection (CIPC); total savings deposits; total time deposits; total time deposits with balances of $100,000 or more; and vault cash.5 This report is filed either weekly or quarterly, depending on the institution's assigned reporting category. Weekly filers of the FR 2900 report daily data for the deposit week, which begins on a Tuesday and ends on the following Monday. As of June 2015, about 2,300 institutions reported the FR 2900 on a weekly basis and held about 93 percent of all deposit liabilities. Quarterly filers of the FR 2900 report daily data for one week each quarter. The quarterly report week begins on the third Tuesday in the months of March, June, September, and December and ends on the following Monday. As of June 2015, about 4,500 institutions reported the FR 2900 on a quarterly basis and held about 5 percent of all deposit liabilities.
All FR 2900 respondents (weekly and quarterly) that offer deposits denominated in foreign currencies at their U.S. offices file the Report of Foreign (Non-U.S.) Currency Deposits (FR 2915; OMB No. 7100-0237). A copy of the FR 2915 reporting form is included as attachment 3. As of June 2015, about 144 depository institutions filed this report. The report collects seven-day averages, as opposed to daily data, on the same schedule and frequency as the quarterly FR 2900 report. The amounts of foreign currency deposits held at U.S. offices are converted to U.S. dollars and included in the appropriate line item on the institution's FR 2900 report. Foreign-currency-denominated deposits are reservable, but such deposits are excluded from the monetary aggregates; therefore, foreign currency deposits reported on the FR 2915 are subtracted from the appropriate component when the monetary aggregates are constructed.
The Federal Reserve uses the quarterly reports of condition (Call Reports) that are submitted to the various federal regulatory agencies to estimate the contribution to the monetary aggregates from approximately 6,000 depository institutions that are not required to file an FR 2900.6 As of June 2015, these institutions held about 2 percent of all deposit liabilities.
If a depository institution's Call Report is not readily available, the Annual Report of Deposits and Reservable Liabilities (FR 2910a; OMB No. 7100-0175) is used to estimate a depository institution's liabilities for the purposes of constructing the monetary aggregates. A copy of the FR 2910a report form is included as attachment 4. In June 2015, there were approximately six such institutions, with aggregate deposits of about $30 million.
In summary, the current reporting framework furnishes at least some information on deposits and vault cash from all depository institutions. For institutions that do not file a deposit report weekly, the Federal Reserve Board staff uses the most recent quarterly or annual report filed to estimate deposits and vault cash on a weekly basis until the next report becomes available. The published monetary data are revised quarterly to reflect the difference between the estimates and newly reported data.
B. Data Sources Used to Construct the Components of the Monetary Aggregates
This section discusses the construction of and data sources for each of the major components of the monetary aggregates.
The currency component of M1, sometimes called money stock currency, is defined as currency in circulation outside the U.S. Treasury, the Federal Reserve Banks, and the vaults of depository institutions. Data on total currency in circulation are obtained weekly from balance sheets of the Federal Reserve Banks and from the U.S. Treasury. Weekly Data on currency in circulation are published each week on the Federal Reserve Board's Statistical Release H.4.1, "Factors Affecting Reserve Balances of Depository Institutions and Condition Statement of Federal Reserve Banks." Vault cash is reported on the FR 2900 and subtracted from total currency in circulation. For institutions that do not file the FR 2900, vault cash is estimated using data reported on the Call Reports.
Data for the nonbank traveler's checks component of M1 are reported by six nonbank issuers of traveler's checks as of the last business day of each month. Traveler's checks issued by banks are included in the demand deposit component of M1. The respondents provide the information on nonbank traveler's checks by e-mail.
The demand deposits component of M1 is defined as total demand deposits at commercial banks and foreign-related institutions other than those due to the U.S. government, U.S. and foreign depository institutions, and foreign official institutions. In order to avoid double-counting those deposits that are simultaneously on the books of two depository institutions, the demand deposit component of M1 excludes CIPC and Federal Reserve float. Demand deposits due to depository institutions in the United States and the U.S. government, as well as other demand deposits and CIPC, are reported on the FR 2900 and, for institutions that do not file the FR 2900, are estimated using data reported on the Call Reports. Demand deposits held by foreign banks and foreign official institutions are estimated using data reported on the Call Reports. Federal Reserve float is obtained weekly from the consolidated balance sheet of the Federal Reserve Banks, which is published each week in the Federal Reserve Board's statistical release H.4.1.
The other checkable deposits component of M1 consists of NOW accounts and ATS balances at banks, thrifts, and foreign-related institutions; credit union share draft balances; and demand deposits at thrifts. These items are reported on the FR 2900 and, for institutions that do not file the FR 2900, are estimated using data reported on the Call Reports.
The savings deposits component of M2 consists of passbook-type savings deposits as well as MMDAs at banks and thrifts. This item is reported on the FR 2900 and, for institutions that do not file the FR 2900, is estimated using data reported on the Call Reports.7
The small-denomination time deposits component of M2 consists of time deposits at banks and thrifts with balances less than $100,000. The small-denomination time deposits component of M2 excludes individual retirement account (IRA) and Keogh balances at depository institutions because heavy penalties for pre-retirement withdrawals make these balances too illiquid to be included in the monetary aggregates. Gross small-denomination time deposits are derived as the difference between total time deposits and time deposits with balances of $100,000 or more, both of which are reported on the FR 2900. For institutions that do not file an FR 2900, gross small-denomination time deposits are estimated using data reported on the Call Reports. IRA and Keogh account balances at depository institutions are also estimated using data reported on the Call Reports.8
The retail money funds component of M2 and the memorandum item institutional money funds are constructed from weekly data collected by the Investment Company Institute (ICI), a trade association for the investment company industry. ICI collects weekly data from approximately 570 retail money funds and 880 institutional money funds.The retail money funds component of M2 excludes IRA and Keogh balances held by MMMFs, which are reported by ICI on a quarterly basis.
IV. Publication Schedule
A. Processing of the H.6 Release
The H.6 release is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. each Thursday, unless Thursday is a federal holiday, in which case the release is issued on the following business day. The release incorporates money stock data through the week that ended on Monday of the previous week (10 days earlier). Time series of H.6 data are also made available to the public electronically on the Federal Reserve Board's public website, found at www.federalreserve.gov/econresdata/statisticsdata.htm, shortly after 4:30 p.m. Since October 27, 2011, H.6 data have also been available through the Federal Reserve Board's Data Download Program (DDP), which provides interactive access in a variety of formats. The H.6 release has been published on time every week over the past three years.
Release to the public is handled by the Federal Reserve Board's Public Affairs Office.
B. Avoidance of Premature Disclosure
Data on the H.6 release are provided to the public in aggregate form only. For most of the underlying reports, data from individual respondents are held confidential under the Freedom of Information Act.
Prior to publication of the H.6 release every week, access to the latest H.6 data is limited to members of the Board of Governors and selected Federal Reserve staff members who are responsible for any of the following tasks: (a) receiving data transmissions from the Reserve Banks, (b) reviewing the data for quality and completeness, and (c) preparing and reviewing the H.6 release prior to its publication.
The Federal Reserve Board provides the H.6 data to credentialed news services approximately 30 minutes in advance of the public release time. The Board has procedures to remediate situations in which a news organization prematurely discloses H.6 data prior to the public release time, including revoking an organization's access to embargoed H.6 data. There has been no premature disclosure of the data by the Federal Reserve over the past three years.
C. Accuracy and Reliability
Data on the H.6 release are revised for three reasons: (1) revisions to the data reported, (2) revisions to estimates that result from newly reported monthly or quarterly data, and (3) annual revisions to seasonal factors.
FR 2900 weekly data for the latest five weeks are especially subject to revision, and these revisions are included in the data published each week. Similarly, revisions to the past three quarters of quarterly FR 2900 data are included in the data published each week. Generally, twice each year, revisions to FR 2900 data outside the window just described are published in the H.6 release, and historical data incorporating these revisions are made available on the Federal Reserve Board's public website.
Newly reported data from the quarterly Call Reports and revised data from previously reported Call Reports are used to revise estimates of several netting items (discussed earlier) as well as estimates of deposits and vault cash data for those depository institutions that do not report on the FR 2900. Generally, these revisions are included on the H.6 release quarterly.
Data on IRA and Keogh balances held by MMMFs are used to revise prior estimates of this item about quarterly and are included on the H.6 release (IRA and Keogh balances held by MMMFs are subtracted from gross retail MMMFs).
In general, in late January or early February each year, seasonal factors for the aggregates and their components are re-estimated. The revised seasonal factors are announced to the public in a special cover note on the first H.6 release in which they are incorporated. A comparison of monetary data before and after the factors have been re-estimated is included in that release as well. Revised historical data are posted on the Federal Reserve Board's website. Any definitional or methodological changes in measurement are usually implemented at the same time and are fully discussed in the cover note.
Experience suggests that the explanations provided in footnotes and special attachments to the H.6 release generally are sufficient to inform the public. Individuals have infrequently telephoned or written Federal Reserve Board staff seeking clarification of technical or methodological issues. The Federal Reserve Board takes pride in the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information it disseminates to the public.9 If there are a significant number of inquiries concerning a specific point, footnote, or text component on the H.6 release, then that item may be amended.
D. Dissemination of Revised and Historical Data
Federal Reserve Board publications and the Federal Reserve Board website are arranged so that historical data (including revisions) are available to the public in a convenient form and so that revisions can be tracked through time.
The Federal Reserve Board's public website, www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6, has the H.6 releases back to February 4, 1999. Up-to-date (revised) historical data for the monthly and weekly series are available back to January 1959 and January 1981, respectively, via the DDP, found at www.federalreserve.gov/datadownload/default.htm.
List of Attachments:
- H.6 release (H.6)
- FR 2900: Report of Transaction Accounts, Other Deposits, and Vault Cash
- FR 2915: Report of Foreign (Non-U.S.) Currency Deposits (FR 2915)
- FR 2910a: Annual Report of Deposits and Reservable Liabilities (FR 2910a)
- Effective January 1, 2016, the Federal Reserve Board's Statistical Release H.6, "Money Stock Measures," will be removed from the Office of Management and Budget's list of principal federal economic indicators. The release will not change in any other way; the removal of the "principal federal economic indicator" designation will not affect the contents of the release or the manner of its publication. Return to text
- Other aggregates formerly shown on the H.6 release include the M3 aggregate (discontinued in 2006), the nonfinancial "debt" aggregate (discontinued in 2002), and the "L" aggregate (discontinued in 1998). Return to text
- Most of the Federal Reserve reports used for construction of the monetary aggregates are used for other purposes as well. Detailed information on these reports is available from the respective supporting statements on file at the Office of Management and Budget, in the associated Federal Register notice, or on the Federal Reserve Board's website (under "Reporting Forms") at www.federalreserve.gov/apps/reportforms/default.aspx. Return to text
- For more information on how institutions are assigned to reporting panels, see the Reserve Maintenance Manual at www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/reservereq-reserve-maintenance-manual.htm. Return to text
- The remaining items on the report are used in the calculation of a depository institution's reserve requirement. Return to text
- The Call Reports are submitted to the following agencies: the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (which collect data on FFIEC 031/041; OMB No.7100-0036); and the National Credit Union Administration (which collects data on NCUA 5300; OMB No. 3133-0004). Return to text
- The savings deposits component also includes an estimate of certain telephone transfer accounts at depository institutions. Return to text
- The small-denomination time deposits component also includes an estimate of retail repurchase agreements held at banks and thrifts. Return to text
- See "Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by the Federal Reserve Board" at www.federalreserve.gov/iq_guidelines.htm. Return to text


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Well, I definitely did not finish the Tour De Fleece and I had hoped to. I did manage to make some very lovely yarns though, and so I am happy. All together I came in at just under 840 yards of yarn, which isn't too shabby, actually, and once my mini dehumidifier arrives I can get that alpaca yarn dry once and for all and start spinning again. In the mean time, I finished a dishcloth:
And started a baby sweater using my hand spun:
Oh my goodness, y'all, this baby sweater is so freaking pretty, I can't even words.


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Apple Unleashes Aggressive New iPhone Campaign in Punch to Galaxy
In its old campaign, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) simply argued that the iPhone 5 was the biggest thing to happen since the iPhone. For weeks, the top image on the company's website was of the new iMac and the iPad mini, with the tab to reach its suite of iPhones positioned near the bottom of the page.
In the face of growing competition and just days after Samsung released the Galaxy S 4, however, Apple has emerged with a much more aggressive iPhone campaign, hitting rivals with its list of customer satisfaction awards and exclusive features in a direct hit to the Japanese mobile device maker.
Even more, Apple has created an entire new web platform explaining why the iPhone is better than any other smartphone. Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple also offers several nods to its loyal customer base, including bragging about its eight straight J.D. Power and Associates awards for customer satisfaction.
"There's iPhone. And then there's everything else," Apple declares on the new "Why iPhone" homepage. "Apparently love can be measured."
It then gets much more aggressive with the tone of its ad, touting the iPhone has the only Retina display and "the world's most popular camera." Its earlier campaign simply compared the iPhone 5 with its predecessor.
The Galaxy has long been praised for its high-quality camera compared with the iPhone, and the Galaxy S 4 is its best yet. Apple, while previously saving just one line in its web campaign for the camera where it simply referred to it as an "8 MP iSight camera," has now given the camera its own section.
Apple provides data from Yahoo's (NASDAQ:YHOO) flickr that shows the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 as the world's three most popular cameras and waves away the Galaxy's 13-megapixel rear camera that allows users to use the front and rear camera simultaneously.
"While other smartphones simply tout large amounts of megapixels, taking great pictures is about so much more," Apple said.
The new campaign comes as Apple struggles under the weight of heavy criticism regarding its ability to continue serving as the mobile device world's greatest innovator and as its stock has fallen some 40% from all-time highs.


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by emptywheel
(Photo by Kuni Takahashi/Chicago Tribune)
No, I don't mean Fitzgerald is a shiny object. In fact, he looks downright morose, sitting next to one of the men who has shredded our Constitution. (Though notice, Fitz wore his seersuckery gray suit we made fun of in the trial--wearing his Sunday best for AG AG, I see!)
What I mean is the shiny object of the November 27 meeting. If you click through and watch the video, you will see precisely what question got Abu Gonzales so scared he ran away: When did you approve the final list of USAs to be sacked?
"It was sometime in the Fall of 2006," Abu Gonzales answered, then showed Chicago the hand and walked away.
It's a curious answer and an equally curious moment to abandon the Press Conference. After all, as I pointed out just after the most recent document dump, the November 27 meeting, at which Abu G purportedly approved the list, does not answer the outstanding questions--not about the gap, and not about the decision to fire the USAs. Most importantly, that November 27 meeting still doesn't explain how we go from wondering whether Harriet's boss needs to approve the firings on November 15 (just as Bush left town for two weeks) to when the WH says "we're a go" on December 4, just after Bush has returned to DC.
Call me crazy, but I suspect there's a very good reason Abu G is being so vague--and skittish. Wanna bet that November 27 meeting is not what he's most worried about?


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7 questions Bears need to answer for 2010 season
Editors: Story embargoed until Thursday.
It's now four years since the Chicago Bears reached the Super Bowl. They haven't reached the playoffs since. They've been unusually bold in trying, trading for Jay Cutler last year and making a $91.5 million free-agent splash on Julius Peppers this winter.
Yet for all their efforts, the Bears open training camp Friday in Bourbonnais with as many questions as ever. Here are the top seven, one question for every victory last year:
7: Forte or Taylor?
In his sophomore year, Matt Forte fell from a star who set franchise rookie records of 1,238 yards rushing and 1,715 yards from scrimmage. Supporters blame it on spotty offensive line play, but his backups did fine. Forte gained his 929 yards by averaging 3.6 per rush. Everyone else on the team was 4.3 or higher.
Because the backups (and quarterback Jay Cutler) ran so well, Chicago actually increased its average from 3.9 yards to 4.0 last year. But the Bears fell to 29th in yards rushing (1,492), 29th in touchdowns rushing (six) and 23rd in fumbles as the formerly sure-handed Forte dropped the ball literally as well as figuratively.
Chester Taylor lacks Forte's explosiveness, but the free-agent signee is also a former 1,200-yard rusher and accomplished receiver. If he supplants Forte, it could give the Bears a better inside running game. Or maybe his challenge will bring the best out of Forte again. Chicago needs one of those two things to happen. The Bears won't make the playoffs if they are again saddled with a bottom-five running game.
6: Does Olsen have a role?
No Bears draft pick in the last decade was greeted with more praise by fans and media alike than Greg Olsen. Chicago, for the first time since trading Mike Ditka 40 years earlier, would have a star pass catcher at tight end.
Only it hasn't worked that way. Olsen has averaged 526 yards in three seasons. And the former No. 1 pick is a substandard blocker. A year ago, Olsen's bond with new quarterback Jay Cutler was the talk of training camp. He did catch eight TDs, after totaling seven his first two years, but averaged only 10.2 yards per catch — and often couldn't hold on to the ball in traffic. New offensive coordinator Mike Martz has never had use for tight ends who don't block well. Olsen needs to improve, both as a blocker and a receiver, or lose his starting job to free agent Brandon Manumaleuna.
5: A mad genius or just mad?
Mike Martz doesn't throw to tight ends; no tight end has ever caught 40 passes in his offense. He likes to throw deep. He likes to throw often: 46 passes vs. 13 rushes in his Super Bowl victory, 47 passes vs. 22 rushes in his Super Bowl loss. And that's when he had Marshall Faulk, one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.
Mike Martz coming to the Bears is as jarring as the Nebraska Cornhuskers junking the option and going to a pro-style passing attack several years ago. The Bears needed a change. Chicago has ranked in the bottom 10 in the NFL in total offense nine of the past 10 years. But will Martz be the right change? Or will he just make things worse on an already turnover-prone team?
4: Will the line hold?
Frank Omiyale, a bust at left guard, has been moved to right tackle. Chris Williams, a No. 1 draft pick in 2008, will get his first full season at left tackle. Olin Kreutz, a 13-year veteran, is coming off his worst season at center. Ditto for 10-year veteran Roberto Garza at right guard. Josh Beekman, whose ultimate future may lie at center, will get first crack at left guard.
A nondescript line that far outplayed its pedigree was the foundation to Chicago's back-to-back division titles in 2005-06. Chicago's line has been below average ever since. Any hopes of a return to at least average start with Kreutz returning to form and Williams playing like a No. 1 pick under the tutelage of new line coach Mike Tice.
3: The Peppers effect
The Bears have had more than 41 sacks only once in the last 16 years; they had 48 during their 13-3 season in 2001. The Bears spent $91.5 million on Julius Peppers to fix that. Peppers has had double figures in sacks seven times. Only one of the seven teams with more than 40 sacks last year had a losing record. The Bears need Peppers to not only make the Pro Bowl for the sixth time but to anchor an otherwise unproven defensive line and make Tommie Harris, Mark Anderson and his other linemates better.
2: Urlacher's health
After missing 15 1/2 games with a wrist injury last year, Brian Urlacher can't be expected to register more than 90 solo tackles, as he's done seven times. But even a return to his 2008 form would be a big boost. He was merely solid that year, with the occasional big play, but those big plays — five interceptions and five sacks — were huge difference-makers.
1: Cutting Cutler's mistakes
Even in a bad year, Jay Cutler passed for 3,666 yards, second in Bears' history. With Mike Martz calling the plays, Cutler is a cinch to become Chicago's first 4,000-yard passer if he stays healthy. But he has ranked first and second in interceptions the past two years. That can't continue.
Good Jay/Bad Jay won't play in Chicago.
Neither will a fast-aging Urlacher. Or a blockable Peppers, a porous line, an out-of-control coordinator, a fallen tight end or a runner who can't run.
Bourbonnais is where Chicago fans begin to learn whether the Bears have answered all those questions. Testing begins Friday.
Matt Trowbridge can be reached at 815-987-1383 or email@example.com.


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This post will be talking about Game of Thrones. In particular, I'll be discussing king-in-exile Viserys Targaryen. This has been your spoiler warning.
There's precious little that can be said positively in regards to Viserys Targaryen.
Unless we want to talk about his death in Season One. That was quite epic and oh so satisfying.
But otherwise Viserys was just all around awful. Entitled, abusive, and creepy. The worst big brother ever.
My boss hadn't read the books and told me of his surprise that the show had finished off Viserys so quickly. He'd previously predicted to me that the season finale would no doubt end with the unpleasant beggar king landing on the shores of Westeros with his foreign cavalry. (My boss was a sweet summer child. How adorable!)
I don't know if Viserys could have logistically pulled of my boss's predicted invasion timeline, but it's not unreasonable to imagine an event like that happening. Viserys was just missing one simple thing.
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
Unlike Aaron Burr in the musical Hamilton, our lad Viserys was just not willing to wait for it. (That will be the only time I make an indirect comparison between Viserys Targaryen and Alexander Hamilton. Or will it be?)
After years of living in exile, having kept on the move to avoid being assassinated, Viserys was so close to getting what he wanted. He'd found protection from a sympathetic-to-his-claim patron, Magister Illyrio. Illyrio had brokered a deal with Khal Drogo, the mighty Dothraki warlord who could provide Viserys with an army. Viserys' sister, the princess Daenerys, would wed the Khal and in return the Khal was expected to offer his people as cavalry for Viserys to reclaim his Targaryen birthright.
Illyrio suggested to Viserys that he should remain secure and comfortable in the city of Pentos while the Khal celebrated his marriage. The magister was certain that eventually Drogo would repay Viserys with the gift of an army. But Viserys felt uncomfortable letting his investment out of his sight.
Illyrio: Just wait for it.
Viserys: I'm not throwing away my … shot!
Illyrio: I never should have gotten you tickets to Hamilton.
Ser Jorah Mormont, the exiled Westerosi knight who had offered Viserys his sword, also recommended that his fellow exile and monarch stay behind. After all, Ser Jorah was used to Dothraki ways and could keep a watchful eye on the situation in regards to the Khal and the fulfillment of the bargain.
But Viserys, being a hands-on guy (no further comment), refused to delegate and insisted on traveling with the horde.
In doing so, he quickly lost Ser Jorah's respect and then his life when Drogo got tired of dealing with his crap.
But let's imagine a world where Viserys made different choices.
Jorah: I got this, your grace.
Viserys: Illyrio is planning an epic party for this weekend, anyway. Enjoy the saddle-sores, suckah! King Viserys, out!
Viserys, the King Who Waited and Watched
Some things would have undoubtedly remained much the same had Viserys remained in Pentos.
Daenerys would have traveled to Vaes Dothrak. She would most likely have gotten pregnant along the way, passed the examination of the Dosh Khaleen, and then started in on Khal Drogo to consider returning to Pentos to put Viserys on the throne.
I'd assume that the Khal would postpone this a bit, since there seemed to be a plan for Dany first to give birth and provide her husband a son as a requirement before warfare and conquest.
There still would have been an assassination attempt, which would have fired up Drogo for vengeance, regardless if it had succeeded or not.
And the attempt might have succeeded. With Viserys not around to fire up Dany's resistance to her brother, Jorah might not have found her as compelling, and abandoned his pardon to save her. Or he still might have. I continue to entertain the idea that Jorah had been planted in the exiled Targaryen retinue by Lord Varys to protect Dany from any assassination attempts that might be ordered by the Baratheon administration.
Ser Jorah is a complicated dude.
It's possible that had Dany been poisoned, Drogo could have just decided to cut his losses and simply remarried, but it feels more likely that he'd be motivated for revenge. But would he feel obligated to support Viserys at the same time? Uh. I'm not seeing that.
So – to sum up:
- A failed assassination attempt on Dany would get the horde moving west, probably to support Viserys
- A successful assassination attempt on Dany would probably get the horde moving west. Maybe the Khal would be interested in coordinating this with Viserys, but probably not.
But let's assume Jorah saves Dany, as before.
With Drogo on the warpath and Dany by his side, supporting a Viserys who hadn't come along and made a mess of things would still be a factor. That doesn't necessarily mean the same events would take place. In the normal course of events, with Viserys dead in Vaes Dothrak, Drogo was looking to finance the invasion on his own and so opted to enslave a large amount of Lhazarenes to sell them in Slaver's Bay for arranging passage to Westeros.
Drogo's warriors might not have needed to attack the Lhazarene if Viserys and Illyrio were waiting in Pentos for a Dothraki army. One assumes that Illyrio had already secured financing and worked out the logistics.
If the Lhazerene were not attacked, then Drogo might not have been subsequently injured and no treachery/blood magic from Mirri Maz Duur. Dany would have no detour and delays in Essos.
The biggest change: the dragons would have remained stony eggs. This is a fairly big deviation, even if Viserys got his army of hardcore horsemen.
Again, in summation:
- Drogo might have still attacked the Lhazarene, been wounded, received improper medical treatment from the maegi, went comatose, etc. Dany burns Drogo but hatches the dragons.
- Drogo might have just rode on to Pentos without needing to engage in risky side-ventures along the way. Dany arrives in Pentos with an army for Viserys, but without dragons.
If Drogo did die and Dany traveled to Qarth with her dragons as before, she might have then sent word to Viserys for aid, or she might have handled things on her own. After all, she did have a patron of sorts in Xaro Xoan Daxos.
But Viserys might not have needed dragons at that point, since the Seven Kingdoms were about to break apart. He might decide not to wait for her.
Regardless, Viserys would have the expectation that any forces Dany had amassed, either Dothraki, dragons, or even Unsullied, would be his to command ultimately. (This might be a false expectation on his part.)
If we ignore Dany's storyline for a bit (let's assume Viserys is being uncharacteristically hands off and letting Dany move through her narrative in Slaver's Bay with the assumption that she'd eventually make her way to Pentos to support him…) the situation in the Seven Kingdoms after the first season would have been very much to Viserys' liking.
Viserys, you died too early to be able to appreciate the disruption about to befall Westeros.
The War of the Five Kings kicked off early into King Joffrey's reign, and Westeros was no longer unified under Robert Baratheon, the epitome of anti-Targaryen sentiment.
Viserys seemed to believe, at least according to what he would tell Dany, that the people of Westeros secretly longed for the return of the three-headed dragon banner.
Until recently, I was very skeptical that the people of the realm would so quickly rush to support a misanthropic, tantrum-prone, entitled, bullying, delusional man-baby with clear foreign entanglements and who was looking forward to reversing long-held civil liberties.
But now I can believe it.
Because of the change of stability in the Seven Kingdoms, it's possible that Viserys could have convinced Illyrio, rather than waiting for the Dothraki, to seize the day and fund a small conventional army to establish a beachhead in Westeros while a public relations campaign kicked off to inflame the populace in favor of the old rulers. (This was the Blackfyre's usual strategy, right? You World of Ice and Fire scholars can correct me on this.)
After all, the center of Westeros was getting all of the attention as warfare raged in the Riverlands. No one had time for stuff happening on the periphery – something Balon Greyjoy was taking advantage of in the Iron Islands.
Balon Greyjoy: I am not throwing away my … shot!
Tywin Lannister: You'll be back.
I doubt that would really work, but let's pretend that Lannister-hating Dorne could be persuaded into supporting the return of a Targaryen king.
This form-a-beachhead-and-hold action could have happened, but it seems like a very risky move. Especially since it might cause the warring factions to at least call a truce until this newest clear danger could be dealt with. (I'm kind of assuming Viserys doesn't have the Dothraki army at his disposal in this scenario; otherwise his best move would be to go on the offensive with the Dothraki instead. The horselords wouldn't want to just be sitting around.)
Go North, Young Man
But Viserys might have more success if he worked from a different direction, with a different group of non-conventional warriors. Depending on if he could beat Stannis Baratheon to the punch.
No, I'm not suggesting that Viserys attack King's Landing before Stannis. I'm suggesting Viserys attack the Wall before Stannis.
With a small army (the conventional one I suggested that Illyrio might finance), Viserys could have taken Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and then moved on Castle Black from the east, south of the Wall. Once Viserys had secured the gate at Castle Black, he could then let in the wildlings from beyond the Wall.
Viserys had no love for the northmen since he blamed the Starks for supporting Robert Baratheon; the name he used for them was the Usurper's Wolves. Most of the North's fighting force was in the Riverlands, and cut off from the North by the Ironborn occupation of Moat Cailin.
Viserys would be letting in a large population of scrappy anti-northmen Free Folk.
So how could Viserys in Pentos have coordinated things with Mance Rayder? A move like this would have required a certain amount of planning and assurances.
If Viserys had gotten word that Mance Rayder was mobilizing the wildlings (it wasn't a secret, Jeor Mormont was telling everyone in Westeros about their need) the exiled Targaryen might have arranged to work out some messages to and fro. It might have been rare for men of the Seven Kingdoms to go North of the Wall and return, but it wasn't unheard of.
Recall that once upon a time, Tyrion, Bronn, and Shae were playing a drinking game.
Tyrion (to Bronn): You've been north of the Wall.
Bronn: *drinks*
Shae: What brought you up there?
Bronn: Work.
Having Viserys Targaryen occupy Castle Black would make for some interesting dynamics. First of all, there's this guy Alliser Thorne…
The dreaded ranger and arms instructor was sentenced to serve at the Wall for being an unrepentant Targaryen supporter during Robert's rebellion. As a brother-in-black, he swore an oath to forgo political concerns as a member of the Night's Watch, but his sympathies might lie with the young Viserys. (Particularly if some kind of pardon was possible.) But Viserys was bringing in wildlings, and Thorne would not be so quick to embrace that. Regardless, Ser Alliser would likely make sure to cause trouble for Jon Snow.
Thorne never had much affection for Jon and as mentioned before, the Starks were the Usurper's Wolves in Viserys' account of the rebellion. Jon being Lord Eddard Stark's acknowledged bastard would not be kept a secret from Viserys.
But action taken against Jon would not be viewed favorably by the old maester of Castle Black, Maester Aemon. (And not just because he's blind.)
The ancient Aemon was also Viserys Targaryen's great-great-uncle, or something like that. It would be very interesting if Maester Aemon suspected that Jon was not just the nephew of First Ranger Benjen Stark, but also the nephew of Viserys as well.
I'm not saying things would work out swimmingly for Viserys if he made a move to occupy the North. Once Mance's people were south of the Wall, I don't think the leader of the Free Folk would be interested all that much in assisting Viserys, unless it served to safeguard his own people.
But it would certainly shake things up.
Viserys the Disruptor
Honestly, shaking things up would probably be the most that Viserys could accomplish, no matter how much he could take advantage of Westeros' chaotic state, or make use of the military assets Danerys managed to accumulate, assuming she was willing to remain subordinate to him.
Viserys gotta be Viserys, you know? If Drogo hadn't been the one to pour molten gold on his head, he would have probably been poisoned, or pushed off the Wall, or something equally career-ending.
But I think we all agree that his hanging around with the Dothraki was certain death. As Tyrion said "Death is so terribly final, while life is full of possibilities." Had Viserys been more patient and let things play out a bit without him rushing headlong into his doom, he would have have more opportunities to take advantage of these possibilities.
Viserys: I am not throwing away my … shot!
Ser Jorah: Targaryen, lower your voice. You keep out of trouble and you double your choice.
April is almost over, and usually at this time we'd have had several episodes of the newest season of Game of Thrones to enjoy.
Sadly, we're still waiting and I've resorted to talking about Viserys Targaryen. (You can tell I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel for topics to opine about. Sorry about that.)
Next week, I'll be talking about another topic that might not get anyone all that excited: Dorne.
Sand Snakes: RISE UP!
(Season Seven cannot get here soon enough.)
(Comments are always welcome. Super welcome! But if you want to talk spoilery Game of Thrones talk with me (also welcome) I'd invite you to visit my Safe Spoilers page on my backup blog. That way my non-book-reading friends won't be shocked with foreknowledge.)
Most images from HBO's Game of Thrones (obviously.)
I make no claim to the images, but some claims to the text. Just not the text that's riffing on Lin-Manuel Miranda's lyrics from Hamilton. So there.
If you liked this article, thank you! I have all of my Game of Thrones related articles on my handy-dandy Game of Thrones page should you want to read more but don't want to navigate around my site.
© Patrick Sponaugle 2017 Some Rights Reserved


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We've been immensely fond of Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman's relaunch of the famously trippy comic book Animal Man. Now, courtesy of DC Comics, here's an exclusive sneak peek at next Wednesday's issue.
So far in the series, Animal Man (a.k.a. Buddy Baker) and his superpowered daughter Maxine have been relentlessly pursued by The Hunters Three, a grotesque trio of entities who seek to claim her for their own nefarious purposes. Jeff Lemire's been penning a gripping script, and Travel Foreman's pencils are proper gorgeous yet stomach-churning. This new issue hits stands Wednesday, December 7. Here's the plot synopsis:
Animal Man #4
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art and cover by Travel Foreman
After coming face to face with the mysterious Totems, Buddy learns the truth about Maxine's destiny – but it may be too late, as The Red is infiltrated by agents of The Other, and Buddy struggles to control his new, unfiltered powers with deadly results! Meanwhile, Ellen and Cliff must face the last Hunters alone!