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Amit Varma is a writer based in Mumbai. He worked in journalism for over a decade, and won the Bastiat Prize for Journalism in 2007. His bestselling novel, My Friend Sancho, was published in 2009. He is best known for his blog, India Uncut. His current project is a non-fiction book about the lack of personal and economic freedoms in post-Independence India.
My first book, My Friend Sancho, was published in May 2009, and went on to become the biggest selling debut novel released that year in India. It is a contemporary love story set in Mumbai, and had earlier been longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2008. To learn more about the book, click here.
If you're interested, do join the Facebook group for My Friend Sancho
Click here for more about my publisher, Hachette India.
My posts on India Uncut about My Friend Sancho can be found here.
Mid Day has a headline today that says: 'Andheri station is the hub of crime on Western Railway.'
If you read the article, though, you might come to the conclusion that it's not the hub of crime, but the hub of rent-seeking.
Posted at 2:52 PM by Amit Varma in Economics | India | News
The Times of India has an intriguing headline up today: 'Marriages last the longest in north India, Maharashtra; least in NE.'
At first glance, you might think that is good news for North India. It is not. In my view, it shows how socially backward the North still is.
A few years ago, I'd written a column called We Should Celebrate Rising Divorce Rates In it, I'd expressed the opinion that divorce rates were "the single best statistical indicator we have of the empowerment of women." If I may quote myself:
Rising divorce rates tell us one thing for sure: that more and more women are finding the means, and the independence, to walk out of bad marriages and live life on their own terms. If we judge ourselves as a society on the state of our women – and surely that must be a parameter – then this is good news.
So the ToI report seems to indicate that women are more empowered in the North-East than and North India. I'd love to see if data backs this up. What statistical indicators can stand as a proxy for women's welfare? Do they show a geographical correlation with divorce rates? These are good questions to ask, though I don't think ToI will do a follow-up report on this anytime soon.
Posted at 2:32 PM by Amit Varma in Economics | Freedom | India | News
This is the 24th installment of Lighthouse, my monthly column for BLink, a supplement of the Hindu Business Line.
I'm a devout carnivore, but a decade-and-a-half ago, I turned vegetarian for a year. My reasons were moral, and best illustrated by a story about the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. In his later years Tolstoy was a vegetarian, and one day he invited his aunt home for dinner. She said she'd come but insisted, 'I must have chicken!' Tolstoy paused at this condition, but then agreed to provide the bird. The lady duly came home, gup-shup happened, and then when they moved to the dining table, she found a live chicken on her chair, and a carving knife alongside.
'We knew you wanted chicken,' Tolstoy said, 'but none of us would kill it.'
The story, as I know it, ends there—but I can't imagine Tolstoy's aunt ate Tolstoy's chicken. She must have been rather exasperated, and Tolstoy was indeed a bit of a spiritual crackpot towards the end of his life. But the story of the chicken resonates with me. It demonstrates our denial when it comes to food. In our mind, there is a screen between the meat that we eat and the animals that are killed for that meat. We taste the flavour and enjoy the texture, but we behave as if the butchery never happened. We pretend that the chicken on the plate and the chicken on the chair are different creatures. But of course they are not. Tolstoy's flapping, squawking chicken is Varma's Chicken a la Kiev—and so, many years ago, I gave up meat.
Even if I later explained my subsequent regression by talking about recurring headaches and how my body was too used to meat to give it up, deep down I know that's just a rationalisation. I didn't have the strength of character to carry through on my resolve. I dreamed of luscious, succulent kababs, and ignored the screaming of the lambs.
The guilt and dissonance I still occasionally feel may soon be moot, though. Some fine scientists, much to be praised for their noble endeavours to better humankind, have recently found a way to grow meat in the labaratory, without a sentient creature being involved. Within a couple of decades, I predict, you will be able to eat a medium-rare steak that is, in every way, the same as any you would get today, except for the fact that no animal will be harmed in its making. The organ it will come from would have been manufactured a la carte, and would never have been part of a living creature. Tolstoy's aunt's grilled chicken leg would have nothing to do with Tolstoy's actual chicken.
On that note, at the turn of this new year, let me tell you about a concept propounded by a gentleman named WEH Lecky way back in the 19th century: The Expanding Circle. Lecky posited that there is a circle of beings who qualify for our moral consideration as equals, and that this circle has tended to expand through human history. In prehistoric times, we might have regarded just our family or our tribe as being part of that circle, and everyone else would have been 'the other'. Other tribes, then other nations, other races, and so on. But through time, that circle expanded. It began to include other communities and races, and eventually included all of humanity itself. It is this expanding circle that led to the end of slavery, to women being allowed to vote, to the great immigrant nations across the world, like the US of A. And this circle is still expanding.
The philosopher Peter Singer, in fact, argues that one day animals will be within this circle. He believes that one day we will be as aghast at meat-eating as we are today when we look back at slavery or women not being allowed to vote and so on. For a person in the 23rd century, looking back at the 21st, it will seem as astonishing that we once killed animals for food as it does to us that the great apostle of liberty, Thomas Jefferson, once kept slaves.
At this point, it is worth considering why the expanding circle expands. To my mind, and I say this with sadness, the reasons are instrumental. The circle expands because incentives change. The two main factors driving this are Trade and Technology.
Economics teaches us that every human being can provide value to this world (comparative advantage) and that voluntary trade always leaves both parties better off, leading to a positive-sum game. If 'The Other' is working hard to improve our lives, and it is in our interest to improve theirs, for that is how we profit, then the circle is bound to expand to include them. Immigration is great not just because of moral reasons, but because it helps societies and economies flourish. The larger our circles are, in whatever sense, the better we do.
Technology also plays its part. Until recently, half of humanity – the female half – was deeply constrained because that's just how the comparative advantage game played itself out. Housework and raising large families took so much time that it made economic sense for family units to specialise, and for women to stay at home and for men to go out and be bread-earners. This got codified in social norms, and thus women got forced into subsidiary roles. That changed in the 20th century. Firstly, household technology freed up huge chunks of women's time. Secondly, birth control gave them, well, more control over their bodies. There is much to be said for good intentions, but women's empowerment really happened because of technology, and so hurray for technology.
And hurray for technology one more time, because if our circle expands to include animals, it will do so not because of the benevolence of meat eaters around the world, but because growing meat may no longer require the killing of animals. And here, consider the consequences of all animal products being manufactured without animals being involved. The incentives around rearing farm animals will change entirely. And so one day, cows and pigs and chickens and goats may go extinct not because we ate them, but because we stopped. The irony is delicious.
Posted at 1:00 PM by Amit Varma in Economics | Essays and Op-Eds | Lighthouse | Personal
The Monday Poem:
by Billy Collins
When it's late at night and branches
are banging against the windows,
you might think that love is just a matter
of leaping out of the frying pan of yourself
into the fire of someone else,
but it's a little more complicated than that.
It's more like trading the two birds
who might be hiding in that bush
for the one you are not holding in your hand.
A wise man once said that love
was like forcing a horse to drink
but then everyone stopped thinking of him as wise.
Let us be clear about something.
Love is not as simple as getting up
on the wrong side of the bed wearing the emperor's clothes.
No, it's more like the way the pen
feels after it has defeated the sword.
It's a little like the penny saved or the nine dropped stitches.
You look at me through the halo of the last candle
and tell me love is an ill wind
that has no turning, a road that blows no good,
but I am here to remind you,
as our shadows tremble on the walls,
that love is the early bird who is better late than never.
Posted at 10:50 PM by Amit Varma in Arts and entertainment | The Monday Poem
The Monday Poem:
by Vijay Seshadri
The mountain that remains when the universe is destroyed
is not big and is not small.
Big and small are
comparative categories, and to what
could the mountain that remains when the universe is destroyed
be compared?
Consciousness observes and is appeased.
The soul scrambles across the screes.
The soul,
like the square root of minus 1,
is an impossibility that has its uses.
Posted at 10:32 PM by Amit Varma in Arts and entertainment | The Monday Poem
The Monday Poem:
by Robert Bly
You're alone. Then there's a knock
On the door. It's a word. You
Bring it in. Things go
OK for a while. But this word
Has relatives. Soon
They turn up. None of them work.
They sleep on the floor, and they steal
Your tennis shoes.
You started it; you weren't
Content to leave things alone.
Now the den is a mess, and the
Remote is gone.
That's what being married
Is like! You never receive your
Wife only, but the
Madness of her family.
Now see what's happened?
Where is your car? You won't
Be able to find
The keys for a week.
* * *
This poem is from the collection 'Talking Into the Ear of a Donkey'.
Posted at 6:50 PM by Amit Varma in Arts and entertainment | The Monday Poem
This is the 23rd installment of Lighthouse, my monthly column for BLink, a supplement of the Hindu Business Line.
One of the things that most exasperates me about Indian political discourse these days is that we often speak in terms of 'left-wing' and 'right-wing'. This is wrong for two reasons. Firstly, this is not how politicians themselves actually speak (unless they're humouring the English-speaking media). Voters in India vote for a myriad of reasons, mostly local, and they don't frame issues in terms of left or right. Therefore, neither do politicians when they speak to their constituencies, or when they strategise among each other. There is, thus, a disconnect between politics and political discourse. Many political commentators, unable or unwilling to engage with the complexities of the political economy, insist on imposing simplistic narratives.
But this would not matter if a left-right prism was useful in evaluating the desirability of policies, or provided a compass to gauge the moral or instrumental value of the actions of politicians. But it does not, which brings me to my second reason, which is not a local one. Across the world, framing issues in terms of left or right misses the central principle at stake in any modern society: that of individual rights, and of freedom. I view the world through a classical liberal (or libertarian, if you will) prism, and my liberalism boils down to a respect for individual freedom. On moral grounds alone, if we come from first principles, we should respect individual freedom above all else. From a consequentialist perspective, also, we should defend freedom, for economic freedom leads to material prosperity, and personal freedoms, such as freedom of speech, enrich our culture.
As a true liberal, I see no difference between economic and social freedoms. As I am fond of saying, once we accept that two consenting adults may do whatever they want with each other provided they infringe the rights of no one else, it should not matter whether they are fucking in a bedroom or trading in a marketplace. Interfering with either is wrong. And here's the thing: parties on both the left and right sides of the political spectrum support infringements on individual freedom all the time.
Parties on the right tend to want to impose their cultural values on others, and are suspicious of those they view as 'outsiders'. They don't care much for free speech or other personal freedoms. Parties on the left tend to oppose economic freedom. They do so stating noble reasons, but all infringements of economic freedom amount to a redistribution of wealth from poor consumers to a rich interest group, so they're either hypocrites or delusional. They also tend to favour big government, which means more taxation, and therefore more coercion.
If you believe, as I do, that coercion is wrong, then it won't make a difference whether you look left or right, you'll see coercion everywhere. A classical liberal opposes both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, both Prakash Karat and Mohan Bhagwat. (I would give credit to those guys for at least stating their positions clearly, though. Politicians down the ostensible middle, slaves to special interests as they mostly are, tend to be equally coercive and far more hypocritical.) Looking at the political marketplace, you will find that the options available to you aren't all that different from each other. And why should they be? Even when they cater to different segments of the population, they're still reacting to the same inevitably corrupting incentives at work in the political economy.
Here's the funny thing about India in particular. We have conveniently classified the BJP as a right-wing party and the Congress as a left-wing party—but they're both practically the same party. In terms of economics, both are left-wing, and oppose economic freedom. It might surprise you to hear me say this about the BJP, but forget their campaign rhetoric and consider their actual policies: Modi I is basically UPA III. Modi has the same top-down way of looking at the economy as any Congress leader before him, and he's trigger-happy when it comes to imposing new taxes and cesses.
Equally, on social issues, the Congress was as right-wing as the BJP allegedly is. They have a stellar record when it comes to banning books, and it was a Congress government that effectively banned The Satanic Verses. Censorship flourished under their watch, as did attempts at social engineering, which weren't restricted to the Emergency: odious policies on sterilisation still exist, decades after the emergency was called off. Even in terms of attacking other communities, the Congress set the standards: more people died in the 1984 riots than in the 2002 riots. My friend, the political commentator Nitin Pai, once coined a term that describes this jostling between the parties perfectly: 'Competitive Intolerance'. This is quite the kind of competition that makes the poor ol' free-marketer in me cringe!
To sum it up, India's political parties tend to be left-wing on economics and right-wing on social issues. In other words, they oppose freedom in every sphere. I would be no more disheartened by this than India's freedom fighters were in the first half on the last century, when they gazed up at the monolithic British empire. They gritted their teeth, and hurled themselves into the battle for our political freedom. Likewise, we must keep fighting till we win these other freedoms, and emerge as a free country at last. Not a left country, or a right country, but a free country.
Posted at 2:03 PM by Amit Varma in Economics | Freedom | India | Lighthouse | Politics
So at a party last evening, I quoted Hanlon's Razor to somebody:
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
'Say it in Hindi, say it in Hindi,' my hosts implored. 'Tu angrezi mein bahut bak-bak karta hai!'
So this is what I came up with:
Tum yeh na samjho ki woh chutiya hai. Woh sirf dhakkan hai!
I have to now admit that it sounds much better in Hindi.
Posted at 1:28 PM by Amit Varma in Miscellaneous
A road near Delhi notorious for hours' long traffic jams has finally found the right victim. After stewing in a two-hour jam last night, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has ordered a solution within 24 hours.
"We are studying the traffic of Delhi and the report will come to me in 15 days. We will identify the black spots of Delhi and also inform the Delhi government. We will jointly solve this traffic jam problem," Mr Gadkari told reporters today.
I have two observations to make here. One, you will note that Gadkari has 'ordered a solution within 24 hours,' and to make it happen, has commissioned a report that will be ready 'in 15 days.' This is delicious. If Kafka made this up, you'd wag your finger at him and say, 'Now now Franz, you've gone too far this time.'
The other observation must have struck you as well. So Gadkari, who is the road transport minister, realises there is a traffic problem only when he is personally stuck in traffic? Is that what it takes for a minister to truly realise the problems a country faces. Will Arun Jaitley start worrying about rising prices only when he himself is unable to afford onions? Will Birender Singh, the minister for drinking water and sanitation, wake up to the urgency of the problem in India when he himself gets jaundice? Otherwise it's academic, stuff that written in files, push 'em around, keep pushing, push harder?
You could argue that this question is moot in the case of our education minister, who is herself uneducated. I suppose that's a good start.
Posted at 1:06 PM by Amit Varma in India | News | Politics | WTF
Narendra Modi and Anil Kapoor walk into a bar. The president of France is sitting there, nursing a drink with Barack Obama, who decides to introduce them.
'Hello, Mr Modi,' Obama says, 'meet my friend, Mr Hollande.'
'Hello, Mr Obama,' says Modi. 'Meet my friend, Mr India.'
By and by, I think the French President's name might have caused this little mix-up.
Posted at 4:32 PM by Amit Varma in Miscellaneous
Does it make any sense for a government to apologize for wrongs committed decades, even centuries, earlier? Don Boudreaux thinks not:
Imagine if we conducted our personal affairs as governments conduct their affairs: even the most atrocious and grievous wrongs that we commit would be apologized for, not by those of us who commit the offenses, but only by our grandchildren or great-grandchildren – people who had no hand at all in the commission of the now-formally-apologized-for wrong. Who would take such apologies seriously? "Great-great-grandchildren of armed robber apologizes for their ancestors' wrongful acts." How meaningless can an apology be?
I like that way of thinking, actually. Let's continue down that road of what would happen if you conducted your personal affairs as governments conduct theirs. Say you forcibly took 30% of the earnings of every person in your housing society, offering in return your notional protection. You set down norms of behaviour, including who can visit them and if they themselves are allowed to leave the premises. Maybe you don't allow them to drink alcohol; or eat beef; or speak their mind freely. You regulate what they may or may not buy from the market, and you get a piece of whatever they purchase. If they buy 12 eggs, two come to you. Have an omelette.
I could go on forever, but here's the thing: If you actually behaved the way a government does, you'd be treated as a thug by society, and locked up by the government, which would consider you competition, and would naturally like to have a monopoly on that kind of behaviour. Ah, but you now protest, I am stretching it too far. All of us signed a social contract. And it is legitimate for the government to behave in this way.
Well, I didn't sign any contract. And why is it legitimate?
Posted at 4:06 PM by Amit Varma in India | Politics | Small thoughts
This is class:
Sex workers from Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district dipped into their savings and survived on just one meal a day to collect Rs 1 lakh as a donation towards relief work in rain-ravaged Chennai. [...]
Of the around 3,000 sex workers in the district in western Maharashtra, almost 2,000 contributed to the relief fund, Snehalaya founder Girish Kulkarni said.
"These women were restless when they came to know of the deluge in Chennai. They decided that they should do something to help residents there… We are in touch with Delhi-based NGO Goonj for ensuring further relief to the people of Chennai," he added.
And this is crass:
Pranitha Timothy writes how her team was stopped, banner forcefully tied on ambulance, JJ pics put on all supplies pic.twitter.com/lmqyBgB8o9— T S Sudhir (@Iamtssudhir) December 8, 2015
There is something terribly unfair about this world. That is fine, the dice drops where it does, this is how it is. But if you, reading, this, are a believer, tell me this: where the fuck is your god?
Posted at 2:53 PM by Amit Varma in India | News | Small thoughts
The Monday Poem:
By Eliza Griswold
Was it dissatisfaction or hope
that beckoned some of the monkeys
down from the trees and onto the damp
forbidden musk of the forest floor?
Which one tested his thumbs
against the twig
and awkwardly dug a grub
from the soil?
What did the tribe above think
as it leaned on the slender branches
watching the others
frustrated, embarrassed,
but pinching grubs
with leathery fingers
into their mouths?
The moral is movement
is awkward. The lesson is fumble.
Posted at 8:34 PM by Amit Varma in Arts and entertainment | The Monday Poem
In a funny and bizarre turn of events, farmers in Uttarakhand are using Honey Singh's music to scare away wild boars.
And guess what? It's actually working! As per a report, farmers have now started playing Honey Singh's songs on loudspeakers and not just boars even other wild animals have stopped coming to the field. [...]
Not only this, farmers have said that they often play bhajans and other Punjabi songs in high volumes and it has the same effect on wild animals as Honey Singh's music.
That last line gives it away. It's not Honey Singh's music in particular that the wild boars are objecting to, but loud music in general. Boars, being more cultured than humans in at least this one aspect, like their peace and quiet.
A further data point to buttress my case: I have never come across a wild boar during a rock concert, or during Ganpati in Mumbai.
Now, if only it was as easy to drive away wild bores.
Posted at 11:01 AM by Amit Varma in India | News | WTF
First Post has a headline right now that says: "Kejriwal speaks out against 'Santa-Banta', supports plea to ban jokes on Sikh community."
Kejriwal is doing this, no doubt, because AAP intends to stand for elections in Punjab, and he's taking what he hopes will be a popular line there. This illustrates what I've said all along about the man: he only cares about power, not principle, and will take whatever populist line gets him votes. His opposition to FDI in retail was one example of how he's against economic freedom. (Such opposition amounts to redistributing wealth from poor consumers to a specific rich interest group, as I pointed out here.) And now we find that he doesn't believe in free speech either. He'll do whatever it takes to get votes.
In this, he is no different from any other politician. But he projects himself as being different, which is why pointing out this aspect of his character is important. The politician Kejriwal reminds me of most is the vile Indira Gandhi. And as I wrote recently, Narendra Modi also reminds me of Indira in some ways. Talk about picking a bipartisan role model!
Posted at 4:47 PM by Amit Varma in Freedom | India | Politics
Towards advertising in The Organiser, the RSS magazine.
As India Explained remarked, Achhe Din.
Really, all that a change in government means is that a different set of thugs gets to loot you.
(For more on how our government loots us, click here.)
Posted at 10:49 AM by Amit Varma in India | Old memes | Taxes | Politics
The Monday Poem:
by Robert Bly
Taking the hands of someone you love,
You see they are delicate cages . . .
Tiny birds are singing
In the secluded prairies
And in the deep valleys of the hand.
Posted at 7:35 PM by Amit Varma in Arts and entertainment | The Monday Poem
Anant Rangaswami tweets:
We need an 'Uber' moment in governance, when the govt is instantly more efficient, responsive and proactive and users are delighted.— Anant Rangaswami (@AnantRangaswami) November 30, 2015
I love Uber, as much for what it is as what it represents. But here's the thing: Uber functions because its marketplace is competitive. When it comes to most of the services the government provides, though, the government has a monopoly. The greatest incentive for any organisation to function well comes from competition, and the need to excel in order to survive. In areas that the government has a monopoly, I predict, it will fail—as indeed ours has for 68 years. You cannot change the level of service until you change the incentives.
Posted at 7:02 PM by Amit Varma in Economics | Freedom | India
There's an interesting video that seems to have gone viral on social media showing a bunch of hooligans in a film theatre haranguing (and eventually ejecting) a couple who did not stand when the national anthem was played. Some people on Twitter appear to think that this is an issue of patriotism. Well, no it isn't. It's an issue of individual freedom and coercion.
In some jurisdictions in the country, it is compulsory to stand when the national anthem is played. This compulsion by the government is something I object to. People should be free to stand if they feel like; and to not stand if they don't want to. Your patriotism should not be measured by your empty allegiance to a mere symbol; and in fact, it should be nobody's business whether you are patriotic or not.
Also, when you watch the video linked to above, consider that the people being unpatriotic are not the ones who didn't stand for the anthem, but the ones insisting that they should have. The idea of India that I subscribe to is one in which India being a free country means that all its citizens are free from the kind of coercion and goondagardi that we see in that video. The mob in that video pretending to be patriotic—they are traitors in my eyes. Whether they stood for the anthem or not.
In fact, it is a travesty that the theatre management did not intervene on behalf of the two ticket-paying patrons who were forced out of that hall. As for those hooligans, they should have been arrested for creating such a disturbance on someone else's property.
By and by, I was a panelist on We The People, Barkha Dutt's show, at the start of 2008 in which the topic for discussion was exactly this: national symbols, and whether there should be any holy cows. Towards the end of the show, Barkha asked each of her panelists for a response on whether India should have holy cows. My response, about 47:50 into the show:
The only kind of holy cow I believe in is one from which you get a divine steak.
My co-panelist Smriti Irani met me backstage after the show and told me that I'd better be careful about making such jokes about an animal that is the object of reverence for Hindus. I think she was educating me about the dangers of blaspheming publicly, and as such, her post as education minister in a BJP government seems quite apt.
Posted at 1:17 PM by Amit Varma in Freedom | India | Politics
In an excellent feature on Magnus Carlsen in the Telegraph, Nigel Farndale writes:
He [Carlsen] has always been interested in the history of chess and has had the chance to play both Karpov and Kasparov, two legends of the game. But if he could play anyone in history who would it be? 'I think the top ones would be Fischer and Capablanca, maybe Mikhail Tal, but I think I would beat Tal pretty easily. Fischer would be more difficult, but I think I could beat him too.'
Carlsen isn't being arrogant, just honest. And here's the thing: he's unquestionably right. Chess is actually that one sport where the best player of the current generation is likely to be the best ever in objective terms. That is because the body of knowledge expands enormously with every generation, as do the tools of analysis (and therefore preparation). If Fischer at his 1972 peak met the Carlsen of today, he would be bound to lose. Indeed, I believe he would lose to some other top players as well, such as Caruana and Nakamura, simply because they'd be much better prepped. Of course, if Fischer was born in the same year as Carlsen, it could be a different story. But that's a counterfactual, and all we have to go by is the games they actually played. So Carlsen is right.
I think when he doesn't speak of Kasparov, he's just being respectful. Kasparov coached him at one point, and bumps into Carlsen now and then as a grandee in the chess circuit, and Carslen would want to avoid awkwardness. But I have no doubt he believes he can beat Kasparov as well.
We will find out in March which of eight contenders takes on Carlsen for the World Championship later next year. Whoever it is, Carlsen will be favourite to win. But he does, according to me, have one weakness: his tendency, in poker terms, to go on tilt. Here's an old piece I wrote about it, though Anand sadly could not capitalise.
And ah, Farndale also writes in his piece:
For someone who exhibits phenomenal powers of concentration at the chessboard – he is capable of calculating 'lines' that are 30 to 40 moves ahead – Magnus Carlsen is easily bored.
I hate to quibble, but Farndale is wrong here. No human can actually calculate 30 to 40 moves ahead accurately. In fact, as a famous study once demonstrated, experts actually calculate the same number of moves ahead as novices do—but they calculate the right ones. This is not a glib remark: grandmasters have a far wider understanding of recurring patterns on the chess board and motifs than lesser players do, and this knowledge is implicit, their responses to it instinctive. So a top GM would not even consider some lines a lesser IM might, and an IM would instantly see things on the board that would escape me completely. But we'd all see the same number of moves ahead!
Posted at 10:59 AM by Amit Varma in Sport
I was fortunate a few days ago to win the Bastiat Prize for Journalism for the second time. The prize is given annually to a writer whose work serves to "explain, promote and defend the principles of the free society." I had also won it in 2007, and became the first person to win it twice.
Here's the speech I delivered on receiving the award:
These are the pieces I won the award for:
The Kim Kardashian Liberals
The Great Redistribution
An Economic Message From God
Posted at 11:53 AM by Amit Varma in Freedom | Media | Personal
As today is apparently Constitution Day, here's a thought from the great BR Ambedkar, who is considered the chief architect of our constitution:
We built a temple for a God to come in and reside, but before the God could be installed, if the devil had taken possession of it, what else could we do except destroy the temple? We do not intend that it should be occupied by the Asuras. We intended it to be occupied by the Devas. That is the reason why I said I would rather like to burn it.
These words were spoken in parliament in 1953, if I remember correctly.
I'm surprised that so many smart people I know express reverence for our constitution. Our constitution is deeply flawed: it does not protect freedom of speech or the right to property, and is a sprawling, unwieldy cut-paste job that has constantly been amended over the decades to suit the nefarious purposes of politicians. Ambedkar himself felt this way in 1953—things have only gotten worse since then.
Do watch this great lecture by Shruti Rajagopalan to get a sense of the journey our constitution has travelled.
Posted at 11:50 AM by Amit Varma in India | Politics
Munna Kumar Sharma, the national secretary of the Hindu Mahasabha, has said about Aamir Khan:
If not move to Pakistan, he should indulge in 'ghar wapsi' to free himself from the crimes of 'love jihad' that he has committed.
I love that sentence, for the way in which it combines three Hindutva tropes into one sentiment. There is genius there—or should I say, Hindu Mahagenius?
Posted at 12:46 PM by Amit Varma in India | News | Politics
... an essay about a selfie is itself a selfie of sorts. I wonder here, what would be more narcissistic for the author: to be aware of this, or to be oblivious?
Posted at 5:13 PM by Amit Varma in Small thoughts
So how has the government reacted to Aamir Khan's recent comments about the growing intolerance in India? Rediff reports:
The government on Tuesday termed as "misplaced" superstar Aamir Khan's comments on growing intolerance, saying such statements only bring disrepute to the country as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"His comments on intolerance is completely misplaced. Comments like this only bring the image of country and the Prime Minister Modi down," Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told reporters on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi when asked to comment on Aamir Khan's statement on Monday at an award function in the national capital.
The Modi government's obsession with optics is now getting beyond parody. These guys are more concerned with image than substance. This is understandable during a campaign, but they won the damn election and are actually governing now. Why so insecure?
Meanwhile, bhakts on Twitter have made it quite clear that Aamir's claims of intolerance won't be tolerated. What fun.
Posted at 2:43 PM by Amit Varma in India | News | Politics
Surely by now you have read all about Anil Thakraney's interview of Pahlaj Nihalani, the chief of the censor board:
Speaking of Spectre, surely Bond would kiss beautiful women he encounters, he isn't going to say Namaste to them.
So why didn't people object to the earlier Bond films? There was not a single kiss shown in Skyfall. That time no one thought of the sanskaari thing? We have passed the kiss! We only asked them to reduce the duration by 20 seconds.
I don't get this logic. A kiss is a kiss. Ten seconds or one minute.
(Gets angry). This means you want to do sex in your house with your door open. And show to people the way you are doing sex.
Nihalani is a buffoon, but that is not the point. Nor is it the point whether the censor board has been more 'liberal' under the previous government or under this one. The point simply is that the censor board should not exist at all. The existence of the board is a violation of free speech. Period. Protesting against or making fun of Nihalani is besides the point. Even if the most cultured and intelligent and pro-free-speech people on the planet headed the censor board, they would be as deserving of my contempt as Nihalani is.
Forget the man; examine the principle.
And oh, by and by, wtf is 'do sex'?
Update: In an otherwise excellent column, Mitali Saran writes: 'It is time to have an adult at the head of the CBFC.'
No it isn't. It's time to do away with the CBFC. Individuals aren't the problem; systems are.
Posted at 12:17 PM by Amit Varma in Arts and entertainment | India | News | WTF
This is surely the headline of the day:
I have friends who would argue that is Narendra Modi and India.
Posted at 12:11 PM by Amit Varma in India | News | Politics
The Monday Poem:
by Lawrence Raab
Years later they find themselves talking
about chances, moments when their lives
might have swerved off
for the smallest reason.
What if
I hadn't phoned, he says, that morning?
What if you'd been out,
as you were when I tried three times
the night before?
Then she tells him a secret.
She'd been there all evening, and she knew
he was the one calling, which was why
she hadn't answered.
Because she felt-
because she was certain-her life would change
if she picked up the phone, said hello,
said, I was just thinking
of you.
I was afraid,
she tells him. And in the morning
I also knew it was you, but I just
answered the phone
the way anyone
answers a phone when it starts to ring,
not thinking you have a choice.
Posted at 9:44 PM by Amit Varma in Arts and entertainment | The Monday Poem
The Haryana government took Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swacch Bharat campaign to a new height on Tuesday by deciding to recruit only those people for select jobs who don't defecate in the open.
Advertisements issued by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Kurukshetra in prominent dailies on Tuesday said for the post of block coordinators, preference will be given to candidates "not defecating in the open".
I can totally imagine this scene:
A young man walks in to interview for the post. The first question he is asked: 'Do you defecate in the open, young man?'
'No sir,' he says.
Then he climbs up on the desk, lowers his trouser and underpants, squats, and PLOP, out it comes. Then he climbs back down.
'Young man,' says the interviewer, 'congratulations. The job is yours!'
Posted at 3:47 AM by Amit Varma in India | News | WTF
The Monday Poem:
by Michael Blumenthal
Most things won't happen, Larkin said,
But this one will: We will be dead.
The saddest thing, in each context,
Is knowing that we could be next.
Some take the bus, some take the train,
Some die in sleep, the rest in pain
But of one thing we can be sure:
All die imperfect, each impure
Some wishing that they had been better,
Others worse, but no one deader.
Shoes left, like Buddhists, at the door:
Those won't be needed anymore.
Posted at 9:09 PM by Amit Varma in Arts and entertainment | The Monday Poem
Sita Sings the Blues: The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told
Read more...
Dev.D doesn't flinch from depicting the individual's downward spiral
Read more...
Sample clues
9 across: Van Morrison classic from Moondance (7)
6 down: Order beginning with 'A' (12)
Question by Amit Varma
This character's creator described him as "insufferable", and called him a "detestable, bombastic, tiresome, ego-centric little creep". On August 6 1975, the New York Times carried his obituary, the only time it has thus honoured a fictional character. Who?


text:
Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge (Windows)
Published by
Developed by
Also For
ESRB Rating
Critic Score
100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
User Score
5 point score based on user ratings.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpfulwrite a review of this game
read more reviews by Arejarn
SummaryA pretty decent Disney license
The GoodThere is one thing that stands out in this game and that's the voice acting. It sounds nearly identical compared to the movie. Another thing is the gameplay, in my opinion it's quite smooth and easy to understand, any kid can get used to this game in a matter of minutes. And also the music is pretty good and i even remember humming it aloud to myself a few years ago.
The BadThe plot is not great, I mean it just involves Jafar's sister, Nasira wanting to resurrect him from the dead and she disguises herself as an oracle(spoiler alert). She then tricks Aladdin into getting pieces of artifact in order to use them to resurrect Jafar. But i'll let that slip. We only have 2 more problems. Firstly, the camera can be quite a nuisance. And lastly the graphics (which are outdated of course).

subset: commoncrawl


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Invasive Plant Species in New England
Of course, no one's arguing for the eradication of the edible plant species that feed America. That would be a very bad idea. There's clearly a distinction to be drawn between plants that have been introduced as beneficial cultivars and those that have been introduced for aesthetic purposes (many of the species that Markus Bradley spends his days executing were introduced for strictly ornamental purposes) and have since proliferated in the wild, where they're rapidly altering the region's forested landscape for what is likely to be generations to come.
Back in Charlotte, Vermont, I followed Markus and Redstart employee Courtney Haynes on a circuitous loop around the perimeter of the client's property. The previous autumn, the Reaper and Courtney, along with a pack of students from the nearby University of Vermont, had invested nearly 500 hours spraying, cutting, and hand-pulling invasives throughout the 30-acre parcel.
"Oh, we cut some monsters in here," Markus told me, pointing to a buckthorn stump that measured a good five inches across. Everywhere I looked, the ground was littered with dead and decaying plant tissue; withered specimens hung from branches, where they'd been marooned so that their roots would never again find succor. There was honeysuckle, mostly, but also buckthorn and bittersweet and … well, pretty much every introduced species common to the region.
"It's like someone scattered the invasive-species seed mix," Markus said. "It's a s– show in here." One of the things I was beginning to appreciate about Markus was his plainspoken manner, reflected in his speech, as well as his physical bearing and general countenance. If there were a single word to describe the way he presented himself and even how he moved through the woods, I thought it might be "unfussy."
After a few minutes of strolling through the treated area, we arrived at the property's edge and, concurrently, one of the greatest conundrums facing Markus Bradley and anyone engaged in the process of invasive-species control: Mere inches from where we stood, across the invisible line demarcating one piece of property from another, the forest understory was a dense mass of greenery, punctuated by slender masts of vine and branch, overwhelmingly of the very same species that lay in purposeful ruin behind us. It would be an exaggeration to say that it was impenetrable; it would not be an exaggeration to say that it didn't look anything like the Vermont forest landscape in which I'd been raised. It didn't look like the sort of place where I'd want to go for a walk.
Plants, of course, don't respect property boundaries; they don't discriminate between one piece of land and another. Across the line at our feet lay thousands of acres, apportioned into private ownership according to innumerable deals made over hundreds of years. In Markus's own words, the efforts to eradicate the invasive species on the piece of land on which we now stood amounted to little more than a "doughnut hole"; beyond the hole, as evidenced by the thriving crop of honeysuckle, buckthorn, and barberry before us, the invading plants grew and flowered. They dropped seeds and released them to the wind. Birds fed on their berries and then flew away, to distribute the seeds as the urge struck.
"Does it ever feel futile," I asked Markus and Courtney, "to know that no matter how many hours you work, how many plants you rip from the ground, or douse with glyphosate, or otherwise destroy, no matter how many doughnut holes you make, these species are all but certain to continue to spread and even prosper?"
Markus sighed, and gave the closest thing to a non-answer I believe he's capable of: "Every time I come up here, I have more incentive to be serious." Then he turned his back to the living vegetation at the periphery, and started walking.
Markus had taken me to the "doughnut hole" for what I assumed to be two reasons: to show me what a treated piece of property looks like, and to demonstrate what might happen to our property if we let it go. It's no exaggeration to suggest that he views his work as something of a mission; when we parted ways on that bright October day, my ears rang with his parting warning: "Almost 100 percent of the properties we look at have invasives. From what you've seen today, I hope that's troubling."
And it was. But I was also troubled by something else, though I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Still, I knew it had little to do with Markus, beyond his being the person responsible for exposing my ignorance. But I couldn't blame him for that, and besides, I was glad for the information. No, what bothered me was something less tangible but no less affecting, something that was rooted in my emotional response to the issue.
I suppose it's easiest to explain it like this: The day before Markus's visit to our property, I had embarked on a short walk in our woods. I do this frequently, often visiting the tumbledown stone foundation of an old sugarhouse, where I like to sit atop a particularly commodious slab of basalt and consider the lives of those who'd stoked the ever-hungry arch, now collapsed and half-buried by a century's worth of autumnal leaf-shedding. On this walk, I'd passed directly by a handful of the very plants to which Markus had alerted me; heck, I'd probably brushed up against one or two.
The day before, I hadn't known that there was anything wrong with these plants; I was blissful in my ignorance, viewing them only as part of our forest's ecology, an ecosystem that never fails to offer me comfort and inspiration. The day after was very, very different. I'd tuned into what the offending plants looked like, and as Markus had promised, I was horrified. Suddenly, it seemed as though ruin lay around every fir and spruce, as though every stately sugar maple were merely a distraction from the despots of our woodlot. Even the red oaks, which Markus had so admired, seemed somehow diminished by the knowledge that an infestation of invasive plant matter flourished in their shadows. If I did nothing, soon I wouldn't recognize the wooded landscape in which my children now romp and play. And when they grew to adulthood, would they even be able to remember the forest of their childhood? Or would it be rendered a nearly impenetrable mass, like the one I'd seen that morning in Charlotte, across the line dividing the doughnut hole from its perimeter?
This is all sounding a bit dramatic, I know. Still, it's nonetheless the truth, and for a period of about three weeks, I fretted almost continuously over the pending ruination of our forest, to the point of opening a rift between my wife, Penny, and myself, with me advocating for chemical control, per Markus's recommendation, and Penny, who's spent her entire adult life managing organic farming operations, insisting that no chemicals would be sprayed on our land.
But in my more lucid moments, I had to ask myself what, really, had changed? Not the plants; two days prior, they'd been the exact same specimens I'd fondly regarded as constituent pieces of my beloved forest. They certainly weren't inherently ugly. And bush honeysuckle, the most prolific of the invasives on our property, even smells nice, like a spoonful of its namesake sweetener left in the sun. Indeed, the only thing that had changed was that I now had a name for them; the only thing that had changed was my perception of these plants. I realized that it wasn't the Green Reaper who had ruined my walks in the woods; I had done it to myself.
Penny could see my struggle (hell, anybody could). So she did the sanest thing she knew how to do: She pushed me out of the house. "At least do some research," she implored, all but slamming the door behind me. "Maybe there's another perspective out there."
Media Attachments
Invasive Plants in New England


text:
Wash. police to get in-car video to record public encounters
By Jonathan Brunt
Spokesman Review
SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane police patrol cars may soon be equipped with cameras to record encounters with the public.
The Spokane City Council last week agreed to spend $1.1 million from reserves to implement recommendations made by the Use of Force Commission earlier this year.
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James Paul Kansler
January 8, 1947 – February 9, 2012
Kansler, James P. Age 65, on Thursday, February 9, 2012 of Baldwin Boro. Husband of Marilyn Schneider Kansler; loving daddy of his Yorkie – Angel; brother of Pauline Kansler, Anthony Kansler (Elaine), Martin Kansler, all of Baldwin, and Mary Ann Campbell of Finleyville; son of the late Anthony and Angela Vennare Kansler. Also survived by one niece and one nephew. Jim was a mechanic at Ruffing Automotive on West Liberty Avenue for 35 years. He belonged to St. Gabriel of The Sorrowful Virgin Church and was a member of their Men's Club. Friends will be received at the John F. Slater Funeral Home, Inc., 412-881-4100, 4201 Brownsville Road, Brentwood 15227 on Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral prayer on Monday morning at 9:15. Mass of Christian Burial in St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Church at 10:00 a.m. If desired, family suggests contributions to Center for Compassionate Care, 50 Moffett Street, Pittsburgh PA 15243.


text:
Dodgeland Of Columbia
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190 Greystone Blvd
Columbia, SC 29210 USA
Columbia, SC 29210 USA
(877) 331-9243
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text:
Gronkowski wasn't limping during a light practice Friday, according to a pool reporter.
"He practiced yesterday, he didn't do anything today," Patriots coach Belichick said. "We'll see where he's at on Sunday, but hopefully (he'll play). I saw no setbacks. He's still making progress."
The Patriots don't have practice Saturday, just a team photograph at Lucas Oil Stadium.
"We'll have meetings and we'll do some reminders and things like that in our hotel, but we're not going to actually practice," Belichick said.
There is a curfew Friday night.
"This will be what we normally do if we were on the road Friday night," Belichick said. "We would have curfew."
Besides Gronkowski, 10 other players are questionable, including offensive tackle Marcus Cannon (ankle), safety Patrick Chung (knee), linebacker Dane Fletcher (thumb), defensive lineman Kyle Love (ankle), Pro Bowl offensive guard Logan Mankins (knee), linebacker Rob Ninkovich (hip), linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee), offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer (flu/back/foot), wide receiver Wes Welker (knee) and linebacker Tracy White (abdomen).
The following players are probable: wide receiver Deion Branch (knee), center Dan Connolly (groin), safety James Ihedigbo (shoulder), offensive tackle Matt Light (flu) and wide receiver Matthew Slater (shoulder).
Vollmer has been out for the entire postseason.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants listed all of their injured players as probable.
That includes running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who didn't practice Friday after being limited the previous two days with a foot injury.
Also listed as probable: wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), safety Tyler Sash (foot), defensive end Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee), linebacker Jacquian Williams and cornerback Corey Webster (hamstring).
For more covrerage of the NFL, go to profootball.scout.com.
Follow me on Twitter: @RavensInsider
Gronkowski listed as questionable
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text:
Infographics / illustrations
Some schematic graphics made not so long ago.
"Football as a business" is the only magazine writing about the off-stage events in the beloved sport of the whole country. For the first issue I designed the cover and drew the illustrations for the main article. Art-director — Yuri Godes.
Restaurant chain "Dwe palochki" is known for its environment-consciousness. I have drawn some representatives of endangered and extinct species and created a set of icons for their magazine. Art-director — Tema Koleganov
In connection with the temporary moving to Moscow I've designed a poster which turned to be of a great help while searching a new dwelling place.


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News By Tag
* Restaurant
* More Tags...
Industry News
News By Location
Industry News
Public House Announces Their Grand Opening In Las Vegas At The Luxor Hotel
Public House announces their grand opening in Las Vegas, at the Luxor Hotel.
Situated on the main casino floor adjacent to the lobby and next to LAX, the 7,000-square-
As expected from a high-end Vegas sports bar, Public House has an amazing array of food items to choose from on their menu. Perfect for private party events and dinners, guests will enjoy every dish and the personal attention each staff member will give during a guest's time there. Sample menu selections from Public House Las Vegas include an array of starters such as the Cheesesteak Spring Rolls, Mac N' Cheese Squares, Kettle Chip Nachos and their unbeatable wings. Sandwiches include the Public House Burger, Turkey and Brie, Beer Braised Short Rib, and Grilled Pesto Chicken Salad.
"Casual cocktails, comfortable food, spectacular sports" is the mantra that has made Public House a success in various East Coast markets since the opening of its first location in 2005. Public House is dedicated to bringing that success to its new Las Vegas establishment.
Public House Las Vegas will open at 11 a.m. daily, serving lunch, dinner and late-night menus, as well as a "Happy Hangover Brunch" in the months following its opening. Public House Las Vegas is the newest restaurant attraction to go to for a fun-filled night in Vegas.
For more information, visit http://www.publichouselasvegas.com/
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"Forget Milk, Got Scanner?"
Welcome to PoliceScannerInfo.us, formally known as "Police-Scanner.info", or "PSI".
Online since March 2003, PSI been one of the top destinations on the Internet for anything and everything about police scanners including police scanner information for beginners, scanner frequencies, live and recorded scanner audio, police scanner-related websites, & more police scanner stuff!
After a two year hiatus, I am back and have completed an entire site re-design to update information and bring you even more content for your to enjoy including police and fire videos including dangerous police pursuits, firefighters battling fire and saving lives, other wild videos and more!
So buckle up and enjoy the ride! And as always, whether you are new to police scanners, or a long-time "Scannerhead", we have the info for you!
Digitally yours,
Ruben Flores – Site Admin (admin "at" PoliceScannerInfo.us)
Main Site Content Overview
Latest Posts – This page features all the latest posts and site updates as they are added. You can also view post by category using the category listing on the left sidebar menu. Post categories include Breaking News, Site Announcements, Site Updates, Scanners in the News, Featured Police Scanners & Accessories, Scanning Tips & Tricks, Police & Fire Videos, Police & Fire news, and more!
Police Scanner Info-Depot – Everything you ever wanted to know about police scanners and then some can be found in our Police Scanner Info-Depot page. You can also use the left sidebar "About Police Scanners" menu to jump right to selected topic pages. All information is organize by topic section with page descriptions for easy access. Enjoy.
Live Police Scanner Audio – Our live police scanner audio feeds page is where you will find links to live police and fire scanner audio feeds from across the America. New police and fire feeds are added every week.
Police Scanner Recordings – Our scanner audio recording page features our collection of recorded scanner audio files from past events ranging from dangerous high-speed pursuits to live-saving rescues to major national events. New police and fire audio recording are added every week.
Police & Fire Videos – Features videos collected from around the web including high-speed pursuits, police shootouts, dash cam videos, working structure fires, traffic accident rescues and other fire-ems related videos.
Police & Fire News – Features news from around the web including police shootings,line of duty deaths, police misconduct, police K9 news, fire-EMS news, and more.
Police & Fire Photos – Police and fire photos page features a collection of photos.


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Brazos Valley High School Football Playoff Pairings and Scores
Posted: 01/16/2015 - A look at playoff football scores and pairings from across the Brazos Valley
Posted: 01/16/2015 - A look at playoff football scores and pairings from across the Brazos Valley
Updated: 11/29/2014 - Allen Academy rolled past Greenville Phoenix Charter 62-8 to win the T-CAL 6-Man Division I state football title Saturday.
Updated: 11/28/2014 - Crockett Bulldogs weren't able to match Rogers' fire power Friday night in the Class Class 3A Division II playoffs and lost 51-28 at Cougar Stadium.
Updated: 11/28/2014 - The Bryan Vikings lost to George Ranch 48-13 Friday night in a Class 5A Division 1 Regional playoff game at Waller ISD Stadium.
Updated: 11/28/2014 - Rockdale took and early lead and held off Kirbyville Friday night 27-20 to advance to the 3A Division I regional finals against Milam County rival Cameron Yoe.
Updated: 11/28/2014 - Junior wide receiver Tren'Davian Dickson set a new Texas High School football single-season touchown receptions record as top ranked Navasota beat El Campo 54-36 in the 4A Division I regional playoffs.
Updated: 11/27/2014 - The top ranked Navasota Rattlers look to continue their unbeaten season tomorrow night when they meet El Campo in Conroe.
Updated: 11/27/2014 - The Bryan Viking football team will face George Ranch Friday night in a Class 5A Division 1 regional playoff game at Waller ISD Stadium.
Updated: 11/24/2014 - Top seeded Allen Academy will face 2nd seed Greenville Phoenix Charter on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the TCAL Division I Six Man State Championship game at Incarnate Word University following the Rams 68-22 win over BVCHEA Monday night at Baker Field.
Updated: 11/21/2014 - The Bryan Vikings beat Magnolia West 49-34 Friday night in a Class 5A Division 1 playoff game at Waller ISD Stadium.
Updated: 11/20/2014 - The Franklin football team beat Maypearl 51-13 Thursday night in a Class 3A Division 2 two area round playoff game at Waco ISD Stadium.
Updated: 11/20/2014 - Top ranked Navasota will make a return trip to Moorhead Stadium in Conroe Friday night for a Class 4A Division 1 area round playoff game against Chapel Hill.
Updated: 11/21/2014 - The Bryan Viking football team will face Magnolia West Friday night in a Class 5A Division 1 area round playoff game
Updated: 11/14/2014 - The Huntsville Hornets had to rally late last week over Willis to punch their ticket to the playoffs, and were rewarded with home game in the first round of the playoffs. The friendly confines of Bowers Stadium was not magical for the second week in a row as Huntsville came up short 24-20.
Updated: 11/14/2014 - Brenham took advantage of the home-field advantage in the playoffs and eliminated Yates 61-12.
Updated: 11/14/2014 - Allen Academy rolled past Houston Mt. Carmel Academy 58-8 in in the first round of the TCAL Six-Man football playoffs.
Updated: 11/14/2014 - Shelton Eppler and Tren'Davian Dickson connected on four first half touchdowns as number one Navasota rolled past Needville 55-15 in a 4A Division I bi-district playoff game.
Updated: 11/14/2014 - A&M Consolidated Head Football Coach David Raffield said Thursday that he knew the road to State would run through Temple, he just didn't think the Tigers would have to play 3rd ranked Temple in the bi-district round. Friday night at Bobcat Stadium the Wildcats jumped out to a 13 to nothing lead and never looked back as beat the Tigers 58-14.
Updated: 11/14/2014 - College Station could not hold on to a 21-point second half lead and dropped their first playoff football game in a 56-52 shootout to Hutto on the Hippos home field.
Updated: 11/14/2014 - Bryan scored the first two touchdowns of the game and never looked back on their way to a 48-27 bi-district playoff win over Manor.
Updated: 11/13/2014 - A&M Consolidated, Bryan, and College Station will open up the bi-district playoffs on the road Friday night.
Updated: 11/10/2014 - See how accurate KBTX Friday Football Fever Forecast preseason predictions were now that the regular season is over.
Updated: 11/10/2014 - Here is The Associated Press high school poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records, points based on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, and the team's ranking in last week's poll:
Posted: 11/07/2014 - Friday night high school football scores from across the great state of Texas
Updated: 11/07/2014 - Iola pulled away in the second quarter to beat rival Normangee 57-12 and claim the 12-2A Division II championship.


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Colombo Airport Guide
In this section you will find traveller airport reviews as well as our Colombo Airport Guide with info on WiFi, lounges, facilities and services....and yes, even the names of some airport hotels in case you decide that sleeping in the airport is not for you!
I concur with the other reviewers--turn left and walk to the end of the terminal--there is a small 24-hour convenience store with regular (not airport!) prices AND that's where the chairs without armrests are. - Herodotus
Featured Review
May 2015 - My friend and I were initially worried about staying over in the airport as this was our first time and we were both females. However, the stay turned out great! We stayed from 9pm to around 6am the next day. There were lots of people sleeping at the landside area, in addition there were toilets, water filling facilities nearby. Occasionally there were announcements made over the PA system but the background sounds can be ignored pretty easily :) There is also a supermarket nearby where you can get snacks to tide over the night
Have you been to Colombo Airport recently? Write a Review!
» Read All Colombo Airport Reviews Write a Review Rate Airport
Colombo Airport Information
In this guide we may refer to locations as "landside" and "airside". Landside is the public area of the terminal located in the non-secure zone, before security. Airside is the secure area of the terminal that you must reach by going through security.
Airport Lounges
If you are an economy class traveller, you can enter these lounges at Colombo airport either by purchasing a lounge pass or through a membership program. Visit the individual lounge page for more details (ie. facilities, hours, pass and membership information):
- Lotus Lounge - Location: Departures Terminal, Airside, 1st Floor, adjacent to Gates 6 and 7. Hours: Open 24 Hours. Lounge Access: tba.
- Silk Route Lounge - Location: Airside. Lounge Access: economy class travellers can pay to use the lounge. Rate: unknown.
- Executive Lounge - Location: Airside. Lounge Access: economy class travellers can pay to use this lounge. Rate: US$ 15/10 rupees for a 3 hour stay
Airport WiFi / Internet
Internet kiosks are available at the Colombo Airport for a fee.
Airport Hotels
If sleeping in Colombo Airport does not appeal to you, there are hotels near the airport:
- Serendiva Transit Hotel - located on the 2nd level, above the main pier of the Arrival / Departure area.
- Airport City Hotel Katunayaka - (9 min walk from the airport) Airport shuttle available for a fee.
- Airport City Hub Hotel - (6 min from the airport) Free airport shuttle available
- Empyrean Hotel - (3 min from the airport) Free airport transportation available
To find a cheap room, there is a list of hotels near Colombo Airport on Tripadvisor that can be sorted by price.
More Services, Facilities & Things To Do On A Layover At The Airport
- ATMs / Cash Machines - Cash machines are available in the arrivals and departures halls.
- Child Care Rooms - Lcocations: Airside.
- Currency Exchange -There are 7 banks (landside) and 1 bank (airside) that offer foreign exchange services.
- Food & Drinks - At the time of this update it was not known if there are any 24 hour food concessions.
- Medical Services - Location: Arrivals Hall, Baggage Area. Hours: open 24 hours.
- Post Office - Location: Arrivals Hall. Hours: open 24 hours.
- Shopping & Duty Free - Locations: Arrivals, Departures and Transit Areas.
- Showers - not available
Airport Hours
The airport is open 24 hours.
Airport Transportation: Getting To/From The Airport
Public bus 187-E3 is operated by Sri Lanka Transport Board, and runs from the airport's car park to Colombo bus station (total trip time: 1 hour). At the time of this update, the bus fare is LKR 110. Beware of scammers attempting to charge baggage fees for the bus. There are no additional baggage fees for this bus service.
Inter-Terminal Airport Shuttle
A shuttle bus departs every 15 minutes from the airport terminal to the airport bus station located 500m from the terminal. From there, passengers can board inter-city buses. See above.
Mini Van Taxi
These multi-seater taxis are not cheaper than air-conditioned taxis, but they are useful to those who are traveling in small groups. The minivan taxi counter can be found in the Arrivals Hall. This service is primarily used by locals, so foreign passport holders may be denied service.
The Airport Taxi Service operates a fleet of over 600 vehicles. The taxi counter is located in the Arrivals Hall of the airport. Passengers can opt for non air-conditioned taxi service or pay a higher fare for a ride in an air-conditioned taxi.
Last Updated: 07 January 2016
The information in this Airport Guide is based on information collected and/or received from the airport's and their web sites. The information above is subject to change without notice. Use it for informational purposes only to help you during your stay. To report errors, or to add/change any items mentioned in the guide, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Have you been to this airport?


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Upstate News
Doretta Royer 315 464-4833
Erlebacher named president of Syracuse Medical Alumni Association
Fayetteville resident Mark S. Erlebacher, M.D., has been named president of the Syracuse Medical Alumni Association and Foundation of SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Erlebacher is an internist in private practice with an office in Fayetteville and serves as medical director and staff physician at the Jewish Home of Central New York. He also serves as a clinical associate professor in the College of Medicine at SUNYUpstate Medical University and a member of the medical school admissions committee at SUNY Upstate.
Erlebacher received his bachelor's degree in biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975 and his medical degree from State University of New York Upstate Medical University in 1979.
He completed special studies in hepatology in 1979 at the Royal Free Hospital in London, England, and his residency in internal medicine at the University of Miami Affiliated Hospitals in 1982. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine.
The Syracuse Medical Alumni Association is comprised of 7,500 alumni of Upstate Medical University's medical and residency programs. Its purpose is to support the goals of SUNY Upstate Medical University and its College of Medicine, to enhance excellence of the educational environment and to promote collegiality among alumni.
The Medical Alumni Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the AlumniAssociation. Gifts to the fund provide scholarships and special programs that benefit students in the College of Medicine. This year, more than 43 percent of alumni have made a gift to the Medical Alumni Foundation.
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Sadhana is a term for a means of accomplishing something or more specifically spiritual practice. Yoga means to join/yoke/unite; the union of the individual soul with the universe and spirit. You will experience daily:
For further information, contact Helen (403) 809-1402 or email@example.com
INCLUDED in Retreat Fee: Yoga instruction ONLY.
Yoga Instruction Cancellation Policy – Full refund 2 months before retreat date; 50% refundable 1 month before and no refund after that time.
NOT INCLUDED in Retreat Fee: Shared Accommodation at Grand Isla Navidad Resort (Each attendee pays $869.75 CDN/week). Breakfast is included.
Each attendee MUST BOOK their own accommodation either through www.expedia.ca or with the hotel directly at www.islanavidad.com.mx. Please Note: The resort does offer an all-inclusive package, but instead Harmony selects the "breakfast only" option. We prefer to dine in town as Barra de Navidad has many excellent restaurants to experience.
Attendees are also responsible for their own flights, taxis and any other meals other than breakfast. The taxi ride from the airport takes about 30 minutes and averages about $36 US each way.
I have booked a direct flight with Westjet on Sunday, Feb. 14th ~ WS2272 ~ 10:05 a.m. to arrive in Manzanillo at 4:05 p.m. (I am staying a few extra days in Melaque and will return on Friday, Feb. 26th). But Westjet offers a return flight on Sunday, Feb. 21st ~ WS2273 leaving Manzanillo at 4:55 p.m. and arriving in Calgary at 9:10 p.m. Retreat begins with dinner in town on Sunday, February 14th and ends Sunday, February 21st after the morning yoga practice. You always have the option of arriving earlier or staying longer as suits your schedule. Westjet flies direct on Sundays and Fridays to Manzanillo.
In case four hours of yoga isn't enough for you, the resort offers golf, tennis, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, beach volleyball, bicycling and horseback riding. The resort has an equipped gym under the supervision of qualified instructors. It has a 4 ½/5 star rating.
Grand Isla Navidad Resort offers you a state-of-the-art health spa with skilled personnel that provide facials, massages, and other beauty services.
The resort has a small beach surrounded by a spectacular view of the lagoon and also with an open sea beach.
You may also wish to experience the quiet, clean and secluded golden-sand beaches located within 30 minutes away. Soothing waves can be found in the beaches of Boca de Iguanas, Tenacatita, La Manzanilla, and Careyes, to name a few. Many of the beaches have beach-side restaurants and magnificent landscape and ocean views.
Ahh, relaxation on the beach, sounds so good!
This magnificent Grand Isla Navidad Resort is the centerpiece of a 1,200 acre private island development, bordered by ocean sculpted coves and a tranquil salt water lagoon. Isla Navidad on Mexico's Pacific Gold Coast is one of the country's most exclusive resort communities. Grand Isla Navidad Resort is a luxury provides luxury accommodation.
It overlooks a popular marina and mixes modern convenience and old world charm.
The Deluxe Room is a spacious 516 sq. ft. with either a king-size bed or two double beds, equipped with satellite TV, direct dial telephone and messaging service, electronic safety deposit box, individually controlled A/C, wireless internet service (complimentary), ceiling fan, balcony with screen door, robes, iron and ironing board, coffee maker and in-room mini-bar. The Deluxe rooms offer ground level or mountain views, pool. The luxurious marble bathrooms offer separate shower and tub, over-sized mirrors and vanity. Turn-down service is provided nightly.
"Around the world Cuisine"
Casual family restaurant with relaxing atmosphere and beautiful view to the lagoon, breakfast, dinner buffet and a la carte service with an international variety dishes.
Casual attire is allowed for dinner, no bathing suit or beach sandals.
Open daily from 7:00 to 12:00 and from 18:00 to 23:00.
"Snacks, Fish and Seafood"
This poolside casual restaurant is located on the ground floor and offers Mexican snacks, tropical drinks and seafood specialties.
Proper attire is suggested inside of the restaurant.
Open daily from 12:00 to 18:00.
The 27-hole course is one of the two golf courses in Mexico that have received the "Gold Medal Award" distinction from Golf Magazine and was named Mexico's Leading Golf Resort 2012″ by World Travel Awards. Its spectacular views and the green areas between the sand dunes allow, in addition, a majestic view of the lush mountains and from the five ocean front holes.
This championship course was designed by Robert von Hagge, who utilized the amazing natural landscape, the fresh water lagoons, and the long beach to design one of his masterpieces. No great golf course can be regarded as such anywhere in the world that is not at the same time visually magnificent. The three nines at Grand Isla Navidad Resort: the Ocean 9, the Mountain 9, and the Lagoon 9, while their character remains the same, they are nonetheless very different in every respect and can be enjoyed by golfers of all levels and aptitudes.
Barra de Navidad is located approximately 140 miles south of Puerto Vallarta, Barra De Navidad straddles the border of Mexico's Jalisco and Colima states in the Costalegre region. Surrounded by mountains draped in lush vegetation and with golden sand beaches kissed by the Pacific Ocean. It is a tranquil town on the southern arc of the Bay of Navidad, where you can watch fishermen haul their daily catch of scallops or hop on boat taxis from the lagoon for trips between sleepy coastal villages, before heading to its more bustling neighbor Melaque on the northwest tip of the bay. Most of Barra de Navidad is composed of two streets on a long sandbar.
The resort is located across the salt water lagoon from the quaint village of Barra de Navidad. You cross the lagoon via a water taxi which cost $2 US per person and takes only three minutes to reach this lovely little town situated on a sandbar in a large bay on the coast of Jalisco. A long curving beach extends the full length of the town and continues across to the neighbouring town of Melaque.
The surrounding mountains are great for hiking, bicycling and camping, while the Marabasco River to the south is perfect for swimming.
In 1559, a decree from King Phillip II of Spain arrived in Mexico, ordering another fleet to sail west to the Philippines. All western Mexico was mobilized in support of this fleet. Roads were built to ferry supplies to Barra de Navidad where the ships were to be built. The expedition finally set sail on the 21st of November 1564, under the command of Lopez de Legazpi.
A small monument of Legaspi in Barra de Navidad's plaza commemorates these explorations. Tourists to Barra enjoy the finest fresh seafood in the world, including red snapper, dorado, marlin, sailfish, tuna and lobster. You'll see the fishermen every morning coming in with their catch of the day. Cultured oysters and clams are harvested daily from the lagoon in front of the small village of Colimilla, just a five minute trip by water taxi, from the town center.
In town the streets are paved with cobblestones and bricks and it is a delightful walk along the Melacon. There are numerous restaurants and small shops. Fruits and vegetables grown in the area include chile peppers, squash, mangoes, papayas, tomatoes, bananas, limes and coconuts. One of the largest coconut and banana plantations in the world is located just outside of Barra de Navidad.
The town of Barra de Navidad has a street market on Thursdays. Calle Guanajuato is blocked off from Avenida Veracruz to Avenida Tampico. Streets are taken over with portable stands and tables with tarps tied across the street for shade. Vendors from everywhere gather in the town square where they sell a variety of Mexican goods.
On the very south end of the beach is a great spot for amateur surfers. There are a couple of places that offer classes and rent boards.
Barra de Navidad has spectacular sunsets almost every day.


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Stansport Apex Deluxe Arm Chair :: Our Stansport Apex Deluxe Arm Chair features a deluxe high padded back and arms for extreme comfort. The back rest is mesh for ventilation. It has a steel powder coated frame and the cross woven polyester is UV treated. The arm rests are adjustable with a positive stop, cup holder and accessory bag. Weight capacity 225 lbs. Also includes a polyester carry bag. Great for sporting events, camping and backyard use.
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A device used to elevate a vehicle off the ground for various purposes.
5k views
Leaving vehicle on 4 jack stands several days
I was wondering if it is bad (for the frame or the drive train) to leave my 4WD V6 Tacoma on 4 jack stands for several days while I work on the transmission. I could certainly lower it down after ...


text: Student Projects and Recruitment In 'Consultancy and CPD' Consultancy and CPDServices: Rock SectioningStudent Projects and RecruitmentTraining and Continued Professional Development Back to 'School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences' Many of our students undertake short projects or graduate into sectors such as water, mining and minerals, engineering, environmental and oil & gas industries. There are therefore many opportunities for companies to get involved with our highest quality students before they graduate. Every summer we have up to 20 students undertaking projects as part of the MSc in Hydrogeology. These normally last 3 - 4 months. Contact John Tellam for more details on 0121 414 6138. Between October and Easter a number of students undertake short projects as part of the final year of their MSci degrees in Environmental Geoscience, Geology or Resource and Applied Geology. Each year, a number of our students on BSc Environmental Science and BSc Environmental Management courses undertake a year out in industry to gain valuable practical experience relevant to their studies. For further information, contact Dan van der Horst on 0121 414 5525.


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Can you use it to buy smokes? You should try.
This is a discussion on Election Day: I showed valid CHL card to verify my ID before voting within the Off Topic & Humor Discussion forums, part of the The Back Porch category; Originally Posted by deafdave3 Why would a cop stop you if you don't drive? I walk, ride bicycle, or ride transit rail and bus. Or ...
If I witness a crime or accident, I would be obliged to provide a report to a cop. If a cop stops me for a reason and I know I'm innocent (for example, rail transit cops walk the rail cars to check valid ticket carried by passengers; if a passenger do not produce valid ticket, he gets a citation. I've seen transit cops arrest a few punks on transit rail platforms), then I show my ID and hope that problem is solved without further hassle.
For now, owning a vehicle while unemployed (a college student in the meantime) is neither feasible nor affordable due to evident effect of recession. Fuel, insurance, car wash and maintenance cost. My bicycle is less than $500 and it's reliable, provided the tubes inside the tires don't hit thorns, tacks and broken glasses on the sidewalk and right-curb side road.
I've had to use my CCW once as "secondary id", which was when we were doing the paperwork to finance my wifes car; It was all I had on me that they would accept, and they would have closed by the time we would make it all the way home and back.
"To blame a gun for a mans decision is to foolishly attribute free will to an inanimate object"- Colion Noir.
I used my DL for ID today, they couldn't find my first name on it, even though first middle and last names are printed in a larger font than the rest of the info.
Glock Certified Armorer
Because I have a well-trimmed beard and moustache that indicate I'm late 20's/early 30's, they don't require ID, unless there is a policy to ensure. Same with alcohol. I don't enter bars anymore, unless bar also have delicious menu -- bars are pretty rigorous on checking ID before admittance per state law.
The difference is, the election poll volunteers might know I carry (we are unfamiliar strangers on election day after all; I voted on middle school ground under cover of state law), but the businesses like smoke shop, bar, and gentlemen's club (aka strip club) have NO right to know I carry unless the businesses have explicit signs of "no concealed weapon/firearm allowed."
I never go to a night club; one wouldn't dare to flash perfectly legitimate CHL card prior to admittance in the night club, because bouncers might react negatively and use forceful words to disallow "100% legit CCW" visitor -- VIP, invited, or waiting line patron.
what i find interesting is that you chose to carry your cfl with you but not your license as a valid form of id...why seperate the 2?...i am guessing your state does not require id along with your concealed license if thats the case...in florida you are required to cary your cwfl along with valid id even though your picture is on your cwfl....
I was pulled over by a crown vic while rollerblading onceTrue on that one. However, I've never seen a cop pull over a bike. I'm sure it has happened before, I've just never seen it.
Glock 19
Kahr PM9
Mossberg 590
Shodan, Jujutsu
My buddy got a speeding ticket on his road bike (yes, bicycle) in Austin, TX a couple of weeks ago. It happens....he ranted about it on FB for a week.
Don't they offer a State I.D. card(picture I.D.) for those who don't drive?
I'm with mkh, I don't want people knowing I carry. All I can think of showing my CHL to vote would be the Elections Judge motioning the Police Officer over to make sure I'm not carrying in a polling place.
On a side note, since I voted in the AM at a school I got to stop my voting to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the US and to the Texas Flag and then I got to have a moment of silence. I love the Bible belt!
"Don't hit a man if you can possibly avoid it; but if you do hit him, put him to sleep." - Theodore Roosevelt
It's perfectly legal to carry in a polling place in Utah, we're actually a "free" state.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Thomas Jefferson
Utah has a state picture ID other than a DL, it says "Identification Card" at the top instead of "Driver License". They look very similar to each other.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Thomas Jefferson
Member:USCCA, NRA, GOA, WVCDL
U.S. Navy vet 1955-1959, USS Dashiell DD 659. Glock 19, Ruger LCP, Ruger .357 Mag.
When you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
Sorry for the hijack, back to the original topic. I try to avoid showing my permit unless its required.
Does UT allow you to carry while voting?
Don't do things you don't want to explain to the Paramedics!
Stupidity should be painful.


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Terrific Trough
Featuring a distinctive square shape, Kohler's Undertone trough sink can be seamlessly integrated into any workspace or countertop. For bar-or island-use, the sinks come in four sizes ranging from 22-inches to 60-inches. Ideal for prep and cleanup when entertaining, wire drying racks and storage baskets are included.
Ask TOH users about Kitchen Sinks


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Single Article Purchase:
Physician Performance Measurement: The Importance of Understanding Physician Behavior
Drozda JP, Jr.
JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173(15):1444-1446.
Published online August 12, 2013
Choose criteria for pricing info
Want online access for an institution? Learn More/Request Quote >
Obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ by reading an article and completing an online quiz. Quizzes are available to AMA Members, subscribers, and those who have purchased tokens.


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—The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) published the Smoking Cessation: Clinical Practice Guideline in 1996. Based on the results of meta-analyses and expert opinion, the guideline identifies efficacious interventions for primary care clinicians and smoking cessation specialty providers.
—To determine the cost-effectiveness of clinical recommendations in AHCPR's guideline.
—The guideline's 15 recommended smoking cessation interventions were analyzed to determine their relative cost-effectiveness. Then, using decision probabilities, the interventions were combined into a global model of the guideline's overall cost-effectiveness.
—The analysis assumes that primary care clinicians screen all presenting adults for smoking status and advise and motivate all smokers to quit during the course of a routine office visit or hospitalization. Smoking cessation interventions are provided to 75% of US smokers 18 years and older who are assumed to be willing to make a quit attempt during a year's time.
—Three counseling interventions for primary care clinicians and 2 counseling interventions for smoking cessation specialists were modeled with and without transdermal nicotine and nicotine gum.
Main Outcome Measure.
—Cost (1995 dollars) per life-year or quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) saved, at a discount of 3%.
—The guideline would cost $6.3 billion to implement in its first year. As a result, society could expect to gain 1.7 million new quitters at an average cost of $3779 per quitter, $2587 per life-year saved, and $1915 for every QALY saved. Costs per QALY saved ranged from $1108 to $4542, with more intensive interventions being more cost-effective. Group intensive cessation counseling exhibited the lowest cost per QALY saved, but only 5% of smokers appear willing to undertake this type of intervention.
—Compared with other preventive interventions, smoking cessation is extremely cost-effective. The more intensive the intervention, the lower the cost per QALY saved, which suggests that greater spending on interventions yields more net benefit. While all these clinically delivered interventions seem a reasonable societal investment, those involving more intensive counseling and the nicotine patch as adjuvant therapy are particularly meritorious.
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Questions About Libya Troubling
President Barack Obama has scheduled a televised speech for tonight, to discuss U.S. military intervention in Libya with the American people. It's about time. Obama sent U.S. servicemen and women into harm's way and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the war in Libya without bothering to explain his reasoning and his goals.
Frankly, we don't know how he can justify his decisions on Libya.
Though that nation's dictator, Moammar Gadhafi, is a vicious tyrant, there are a dozen or more regimes like his elsewhere. Obama has no plans to attack them.
While Gadhafi has been guilty of terrorist attacks against Americans, there is no evidence he was contemplating new ones.
Thus far Obama has played the humanitarian card to justify intervention in Libya. Again, other regimes are guilty of crimes against their own people but have not been targeted by U.S. cruise missiles. Think about Obama's strategy in Afghanistan, where U.S. troops will be withdrawn beginning this summer – even if that means giving the Taliban a chance to retake the country.
Also disturbing is Obama's lack of realism. Did he really believe Gadhafi would step down – perhaps to the same fate that met deceased Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein – after a few days of limited air attacks? Now, U.S. military leaders say they may step up the pace of assaults, perhaps using helicopters that can spot and destroy Libyan troops easier. At the same time, of course, helicopters are more vulnerable than jets to anti-aircraft fire.
Obama has a lot of explaining to do tonight. We can't for the life of us understand how he expects to pull it off.


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Raul Rekow 1954-2015
Raul Rekow, Santana conguero for more three decades, died of cancer today.
UK Drummers To Get DTX Clinics
Drummers in the UK have a chance to see Yamaha Music Europe (UK demonstrate its electronic drum range and showcase new products for 2015 at a series of events throughout the UK in November and December.
Abe Cunningham Puts His Sig On A Snare
Abe Cunningham of the Deftones is a hard-htting metal powerhouse. And, now he's got his name on a powerful, durable Signature snare drum.
The Physics Of Rush: Your Chance To Drum For ScienceSend in a play through clip of "Tom Sawyer" and be featured in a paper authored by Elsa Rasanen.
The Piano Of The FutureThe Seaboard RISE – a universally accessible, expressive MIDI controller that empowers musicians to do more with a keyboard than ever before.
Tiger Bill's Speed Lesson: 6 Steps to 1,000 bpm Part 3The goal of these drills is to allow you to develop equal speed, power, endurance, and precision with both hands.
Live Streaming: Vintage TroubleVintage Trouble play an Austin City Limits concert October 6 which can be streamed beginning at 6PM Pacific time!
Exclusive Mike Portnoy Playthrough "Ghost Town"Check out Portnoy's new band!
Summer Namm 2015: Yamaha DTXWe check out Yamaha's new DTX hybrid kit system which features an App you can download for IOS and syncs to the DTX console making it much simpler to customize sounds or upload Wav files via Dropbox.
Gil Sharone's Skull Is RedGil Sharone drums for Marilyn Manson and Team Sleep!


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Is there a way to change the side backgrounds (not the side bars).
my ver. is 2.5.1
Is there a way to change the side backgrounds (not the side bars).
my ver. is 2.5.1
no one knows?
You can either do this in CSS, add a color or a background to the page container. Then you can change the background of the whole body, and it will be covered up by the style of the content sections
If you want the sides to have a different texture or other graphic, you'd want to put a background image in the body section of your CSS.
Take a look at this example, you could make a background image like this, but leave the main column and side bar plain, so that when you add your colors or graphics, they will only show up in the sides.
Firebug is a big help when you are trying to make everything fit together.
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super hero character illustration
This project was successfully completed by pwvectorarts for $105 USD in 5 days.Get free quotes for a project like this
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Skills Required
Project Budget$30 - $250 USD
Completed In5 days
Total Bids28
Project Description
I need you to sketch 3 different super heros.
Each character should have a front , side and back view, and perspective.
Each hero will have a specials powers.
Each Sketch Should be fully colored (markers, pencil, photoshop or whatever you like to use).
It could be hand sketches, as long as it is a good quality scan later.
This must be completed within 3 days from the moment you were picked for the job.
Show me prior super heros you sketched. show me samples.
Providers must have a prior Elance feedback 4+ stars.
Once I choose you I will give you more details, but prior to it, I will have you sign an NDA and Non Compete.
Many Thanks,
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Browse Repository
About Digital Grinnell
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Early College History
Documents that record the history of Iowa College until 1909, when it officially changed its name to Grinnell College. Included are photographs, articles, and the College's articles of incorporation.
Faculty Scholarship
Publications, working papers, performance programs, and other materials that document that scholarly and creative accomplishments of Grinnell College faculty and staff.
Faulconer Art
The Faulconer Gallery, Grinnell College Art Collection includes over 4000 works of art, featuring works on paper (prints, drawings, and photographs), many in portfolios. The collection spans Medieval to contemporary art, with a strength in 20th and 21st-century European and American art. The collection also includes paintings, sculptures, and ceramics, along with small holdings of African, Pueblo, Seri, and Near Eastern material. Faulconer Gallery in the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts serves as the College's art museum, presenting changing exhibitions and providing a separate print room in Burling Library for study of the collection.
George Washington Cook Correspondence, 1857-1860
Correspondence between a Grinnell citizen, George Washington Cook, and family and acquaintances between 1857 and 1860.
Grinnell College Buildings
Images and documents that record Grinnell College's current and previous buildings.
Grinnell College Campus Collections
Primary source materials from collections across campus, including the Grinnell College Physics Museum, the former Parker Natural History Museum, the Classics Department Roman coin collection, and the Libraries' Historic Iowa Postcard Collection.
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James "Jimmy" J. Ley attended Grinnell College for two years before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1942. Ley's papers include an extensive series of correspondence written by Ley during his time at Grinnell and in the army air force, as well as personal items, photographs, and military documents.
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John Kleinschmidt was a professor of French at Grinnell College with a passion for local history. This collection features many of the documents and photographs that he compiled about the history of both the Grinnell College campus and the greater Grinnell community.
Life at Grinnell College
Event programs, photographs, and other records that document student life on and around the Grinnell College campus.
Poweshiek History Preservation Project
PHPP is a digital archive of the Poweshiek County area that includes materials contributed by individuals and items from the Drake Community Library, Grinnell College and area historical museums. PHPP volunteers can help scan items contributed by individuals by appointment. Items can also be submitted in digital form by individuals. The project is also collecting oral histories which are conducted by volunteers.
Social Justice at Grinnell
Since its very earliest days, the faculty, students and staff of Grinnell College have been committed to the cause of social justice, a tradition that can be traced backed to the abolitionist views of the College's founders. Grinnell College has been a stop on Underground Railroad, a center of the Social Gospel Movement and a key contributor of leaders to Roosevelt's New Deal. Today, this spirit of service is alive and well, with organizations like the Voicebox working to coordinate the wide variety of student groups struggling for social equality.
Student Scholarship
Selected academic work created by students at Grinnell College, including research papers, research posters, creative work, and related materials. Mentored Advanced Projects provide students opportunity to work closely with a faculty member on scholarly research or the creation of a work of art. The Frederick Baumann Prize was established in 1993 and funded by David "51 and Audrey Lowe "52 Hammer. It honors Frederick Baumann, professor of history at Grinnell from 1927 to 1954, and is awarded each spring to the student who writes the best interdisciplinary and historical essay on the general topic of "Ideas and Society."
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