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The recently published book, Local Voices/Global Perspectives: Challenges Ahead for U.S. International Media, explores the challenges facing U.S.-funded international broadcasting. Its authors, nationally known broadcasters and scholars, call for urgent action by the Administration and Congress if U.S. public diplomacy is to compete in the ever-changing global marketplace of ideas.
Discussing the anthology recently on VOA's Press Conference USA were its editor, Alan L. Heil Jr., and two contributing authors, Barry Zorthian and Jeffrey Trimble. Mr. Heil and Mr. Zorthian are retired VOA veterans and members of the Board of Directors of the Public Diplomacy Council of Washington, D.C., a non-partisan advocacy group for America's overseas information and cultural programs and publisher of Local Voices/Global Perspectives: Challenges Ahead for U.S. International Media.
Alan Heil is a former Deputy Director of the Voice of America and the author of The Voice of America: A History (published in 2003 by Columbia University Press). Barry Zorthian is a former Program Manager at VOA, a retired Foreign Service Officer, and former Vice President of Time, Inc., the largest magazine publisher in the United States. He also served on the board of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) during the administration of George H. W. Bush. Jeff Trimble is currently Executive Director of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) and a former Acting President at Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent federal agency responsible for all five non-military U.S. broadcasting entities: the Voice of America (VOA), a global network of radio and television reaching an audience of more than 115 million people each week in 45 languages; Alhurra (Arabic for "The Free One"), a commercial-free Arabic-language, satellite television channel for the Middle East devoted primarily to news and information; Radio Sawa, an Arabic-language network, broadcasting a mix of Western and Arabic pop music, along with news and features; Radio Free Asia, shortwave radio to China, Burma, and seven other Asian countries with news and information programs that seek to promote the right of freedom of opinion.
The Office of Cuba Broadcasting uses Radio and TV Marti to reach a Cuban audience with accurate and objective news and information. Also, the BBG oversees Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a private but government-sponsored broadcaster to audiences in Central Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
VOA broadcasts news about the world, the United States, and the countries it reaches, and is, therefore, what Mr. Heil calls "a full service network." The Voice of America's first overseas broadcast – in German, in February 1942, during the Second World War – made the following pledge to its listeners: "Daily at this time, we shall speak to you about America and the war. The news may be good or bad. We shall tell you the truth." Mr. Heil called it a "covenant" with the listener – that VOA would "tell it straight … in a context that reflected our society" as well as major events of the day around the globe. And he says it led in 1976 to the enactment into law of VOA's long established Charter. The Charter requires Voice of America news to be "accurate, objective, and comprehensive." During the Cold War years, VOA was a leading international broadcaster to Russia, and many believe its large audience there was a reflection of the fact that it was seen as trustworthy.
Shortly after the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, the BBG decided a change in U.S. international broadcasting was needed. Mr. Trimble says the BBG decided to move away from the "broader" and "more comprehensive service" of VOA, to services that targeted "younger audiences and news seekers of all ages." It also decided to target Arabic-speaking audiences, especially in the Middle East. Mr. Trimble says that decision has been responsible for much of the audience growth in U.S. international broadcasting in the past five or six years – from 100 million listeners or viewers to 155 million listeners or viewers. He also credits the "spectacular success" of Radio Sawa and Alhurra television.
Mr. Heil disagrees. He calls the decision to eliminate VOA broadcasts in Arabic in favor of so-called "surrogate" broadcasts on Radio Sawa and Alhurra television, "one of the tremendous blows in the history of U.S. international broadcasting." He says, in the view of many of the authors of Local Voices/Global Perspectives, discarding the VOA "brand name" in the Arabic-speaking world, and replacing it with Sawa and Alhurra was a "serious mistake."
Today the Voice of America disseminates its programming not only via radio but also through television and the Internet. That, too, is part of the BBG's stated strategy of using technologies that are becoming more widely available around the world. The VOA website, for example, makes many kinds of delivery systems available – for example, "podcasts," news feeds, mobile phone feeds, webcasts, an e-mail news letter, and even online chats such as "T2A," a new Web version of the former radio call-in show, Talk to America.
Mr. Heil says in order to strengthen its capabilities in television and the Internet, while creating new broadcasts targeted at Muslim audiences as part of the Administration's Global War on Terror, the BBG realized something had to be cut. What has been cut, he says, are shortwave radio broadcasts on VOA. He says the BBG has worked to eliminate or greatly reduce VOA broadcasts in a number of languages, including English, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Uzbek, Serbian, Albanian, Croatian, Cantonese, Greek, and Hindi. Mr. Heil argues that the "core" language services of VOA remain "absolutely essential" in any global broadcast strategy. He says they are also indispensable in times of crisis, noting that VOA increased its shortwave broadcasts during recent unrest in Burma and Tibet. And in future crises, Mr. Heil says, shortwave will continue to be the "backup emergency delivery system because it is difficult and expensive to jam."
Mr. Trimble says it is unfortunate that, given limited resources, "difficult decisions do need to be made about broadcasting." But he counters that shortwave radio remains – and will remain for the foreseeable future – an "absolutely vital and indispensable delivery platform."
He notes as an example that shortwave radio is the only way U.S. international broadcasting can reach into China. He says Iran is "another place where you can't get local signals in," and he adds that, in many areas of Africa, shortwave radio is "crucial." But Mr. Trimble argues that research shows shortwave radio is not a medium that is likely to attract large, new audiences.
Mr. Zorthian says U.S. decision-makers need to take a serious look at why America is losing its friends around the world and how U.S. publicly funded international broadcasts can be reorganized to meet the demands of a new generation of multi-media users. And while Mr. Zorthian agrees that the BBG goal of having a large audience is desirable, he says it is also important to reach those people who form opinion in their societies and who make decisions. To be an effective international communicator, he says, those who produce the programs must understand other cultures.
There's one thing about which all three of our guests on Press Conference USA can agree. The BBG, the Administration, and the U.S. Congress must do the best job possible to project U.S. political and diplomatic objectives and to attract audiences around the world through the delivery of credible, fiscally responsible, and effective broadcast programming. How that should be done is something these three and dozens of other contributors explore in the book Local Voices/Global Perspectives: Challenges Ahead for U.S. International Media, which is now available on the web through email@example.com or on Amazon.com.
For full audio of the program Press Conference USA click here.click here.


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Saturday, January 10, 2015
"I'm Bananas for You"!
14 comments:
- ~Tammy~ said...
This is just super duper cute!!! Love the darling paper and oh my gosh those bananas! Love them! I have not seen them in forever! It's making me want some bc I love them! Awesome job girl!!!
- January 10, 2015 at 9:21 AM
- Georgiana said...
What a great set. I would love it too if you made it for me! : )
- January 10, 2015 at 12:40 PM
- Sukie said...
Such an adorable project, love the sweet little monkey! Everything is awesome, l love the gorgeous papers and colors you used! The fun banana candies are so perfect!
- January 10, 2015 at 12:53 PM
- abusybee - DoubleClick Connections said...
This is super fun! I am looking for a few guest designers for my Skittles and wanted to see if you might be interested... Deets are on my blog! Carri~Abusybee
- January 10, 2015 at 1:22 PM
- Kimberly Jensen said...
Oh my gosh, this is sooo stinkin cute!! Love that sweet monkey and how you decorated everything!! Awesome Job!! :)
- January 10, 2015 at 3:14 PM
- jessica said...
What an adorable project Melissa!! LOVE those bananas!!!!
GREAT job on this AWESOME Valentines Day project!
- January 10, 2015 at 4:31 PM
- Beth F. said...
Adorable, adorable! I love your sweet monkey and the sentiment couldn't be better.
- January 10, 2015 at 7:57 PM
- Helen said...
These are so super cute!!
- January 12, 2015 at 8:46 AM
- Scraphappenswithrhonda said...
so darn cute and adorable thank you for joining the challenge at dtc. hugs
- January 14, 2015 at 9:59 AM
- Stacey's Creative Corner said...
This is so cute!! The bananas were the perfect candy!! Thanks so much for joining us at Scrappy Moms for the Terrific Tuesday Challenge.
Stacey ~ Scrappy Moms DT Member
- January 14, 2015 at 9:41 PM
- Taniaj Scott said...
Super gift love the image , thanks for joining us at Creative Fingers , Hugs Tania (DT) xx
- January 15, 2015 at 12:40 PM
- Norma said...
Super adorable project!Thank you for joining Decorate to Celebrate and hope to see you again:)
- January 15, 2015 at 7:39 PM
- Lilian YF said...
Lovely project! That monkey is adorable!
Thank you for joining us at Decorate to Celebrate!
- January 19, 2015 at 9:43 PM
- Shelly said...
This is so CUTE melissa, I love the idea and the super fun monkey!!
- January 20, 2015 at 1:51 PM

subset: commoncrawl


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Chapel Hill: Opinion
What you're saying: Allison Mahaley, Katy Lang, R.L. Juliano, Fred Lampe, Julie McClintock, Yvonne Mendenhall and Ken Larsen
A moral litmus test for school leaders
In August 2015, the Rev. William Barber brought historian and author Timothy Tyson to Hillsborough to speak about the Confederate flag rally being held in Northern Orange County. The removal of the word "Confederate" from the Orange County Historical Museum had prompted a pro-flag waving response. Hillsborough got some international attention as a backwards place.
The irony of that moment was the motivation of the liberal white transplants who call Hillsborough home wanting to have a counter-protest, even though the NAACP asked that it be ignored. Leave those in favor of honoring a false symbol of Southern heritage alone to do so without an audience or fanfare. It sparked a debate and a small movement to address racism in northern Orange County. Northern Orange Conversation on race sought to move the needle toward a more just and racially equitable community – in other words, one less segregated and more welcoming for people of color.
The painful history of segregation and desegregation and re-segregation in Hillsborough is convoluted and complicated. There is no denying that institutional racism exists in all our institutions, but where we can't find consensus is exactly what to do about it.
The recent request of Latarndra Strong to have the Confederate flag banned from Orange County Schools has exposed a festering wound. This wound has been festering for the Orange County African-American community since Orange High School was integrated and race relations were forced to "quiet down." Quelling the anger and frustration of the marginalized can sometimes look like peace-keeping and can sometimes look like survival.
To most of the world, there is no doubt that the Confederate flag is the symbol of choice for the Dylan Roofs of the world. For most people looking in, a ban is obvious. For us here, it is overdue.
Allison Mahaley,
The writer is founder of Orange County Strong, a local community organization to support public education
Grateful for transit
I am a car-free resident of Orange County and have lived without a car since 2010. I walk and take the bus (GoTriangle routes 400, 405, 800, and CHTransit routes J, D, NU/NS) almost everywhere I need to go: work, social activities, community meetings, exercise classes, and errands. I support the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit project.
I am grateful that Orange County voted yes for transit in 2011 and that we are already seeing the bus service improvements provided for in the Bus and Rail Investment Plans – especially nighttime and Sunday service. One of the misunderstandings I hear about the DOLRT project is that it will "take all the transit money" away from bus to light rail, and that is not only untrue but misconstrues the benefits residents are already experiencing and will continue to experience as bus improvements are made.
An integrated mass transit system must incorporate multiple modes – including bus and light rail – for the greatest connectivity and mobility. Doing nothing/the status quo is not a viable solution for our growing region. Right now, our bus systems are adequate but not sustainable for our future growth. Moreover, a fixed-route transit line like the light rail has the unique opportunity to position and direct development investment along its length, mitigating sprawl and providing denser land uses where they are most needed: job centers, schools, hospitals, and denser residential. This enables transit riders like myself to get around more efficiently.
Katy Lang
Transit plan must benefit all
I have been following articles on light-rail plans in The Chapel Hill News. I appreciate the perspective of Carrboro Alderwoman Randee Haven-O'Donnell and the county commissioners' need for more financial details. I wonder how the light rail will benefit citizens throughout Orange County.
As a gerontologist, I am especially aware of the increasing transportation needs of our county's aging residents. As a resident of Meadowmont, I have long benefited from a diverse "transit-oriented" development.
I strongly support Orange County developing, building and completing a transit plan to serve our community and connect regions. I recognize that light rail has popular appeal, however, the high (and growing) costs of light rail for Orange County appears to require a disproportionate percentage of the plan resources. It seems the current narrow focus on light rail may delay implementation of immediate and growing needs for transit service that would serve the broader county and residents.
All of Orange County is paying (already for several years and continuing) for this transportation plan. We deserve an appropriate distribution of the current and future services needed and available to all of Orange County with a balance of costs versus benefit for citizens.
A livable community needs good access to transportation across the community for most of its citizens. Our County transit plan, should not be a "Light Rail Plan," it should be a diverse Transit Plan for our diverse citizenry. If light rail can fit into such a diverse plan including benefit, access, efficiency and economy, that will be a positive Transit Plan.
Learn about, be alert to, and be involved in this and other local government decisions. Share your opinions, whatever they are!
Yvonne Mendenhall
The writer is a Project EngAGE senior resource leader for the Orange County Department on Aging.
DOLRT predictions
If DOLRT continues, then I predict the following:
▪ DOLRT will become a campaign issue for the next 50 years.
▪ DOLRT will siphon vast amounts of money away from other projects while the debt for DOLRT is being paid off (which won't be until the year 2062 ... 45 years from now!)
▪ Property taxes will rise to pay off the debt.
▪ Low-income people will move out of Orange County to escape the rising taxes.
▪ Property values along the route will rise. This will result in gentrification along it.
▪ The people most in need of public transportation won't be able to live near the route.
▪ People will be frustrated by inadequate station parking and the cost to park.
▪ Many people dependent on public transportation won't be able to find adequate amounts of it because many bus routes will be sacrificed to pay for the DOLRT.
▪ Public transportation ridership will plummet.
▪ Traffic and car accidents will rise due to the over 40 at-grade sections of the DOLRT.
▪ By the late 2020s, people will be more connected than ever to their cars, because by that time many cars will be self-driving.
▪ The DOLRT will be obsolete/dead-on-arrival/DOA when it is finished in 2029.
▪ People will demand that the tracks be ripped out.
▪ In 2063 (after the loans are finally paid off) the tracks will be ripped out, and the route will become a walking/biking trail. That's how the American Tobacco Trail came about. It was a "rails to trails"project.
▪ In 2065 walkers and bikers will cheer, because the DOLRT will have become what they wanted all along ... a trail with pedestrian bridges over many busy roadways.
Ken Larsen
Chapel Hill
High tech begins to bud in Chapel Hill
Some time ago (Oct 2, 2016) we co-wrote a Chapel Hill News column that was somewhat critical of town and UNC leadership for not doing more to promote high technology businesses in Chapel Hill. Happily, with the coming of spring, high tech is beginning to bud in our town! The Chapel Hill Town Council is on the road to approval of a new light industrial district on Millhouse Road that will be attractive to many types of businesses that support the research and health-care missions of UNC and Duke.
Perhaps even more significant is the recent Innovation Summit hosted by Mayor Pam Hemminger that brought together a variety of innovators and entrepreneurs, including UNC scientists, a number of young entrepreneurs who had successfully "graduated" from the LAUNCH incubator facility, real estate people, and a number of town and university staff. The goal was to create an Innovation Council to help shape plans for the future evolution of Chapel Hill as a dynamic center of high technology.
As interested citizens, we applaud these actions by the town's leaders. Further development of sophisticated technology businesses in Chapel Hill will have many benefits to the town including adding high- quality jobs and helping the town budget by bringing more revenue than the cost of services needed to support these businesses.
R.L. Juliano
Fred Lampe
Julie McClintock
Chapel Hill
Letters policy
Please send up to 300 words to firstname.lastname@example.com. All submissions, online comments and posts to editor Mark Schultz's Facebook page may be edited for space and clarity. Thank you.


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An expert engineer and inventor, Mr. Garshelis has several decades' experience as a designer, researcher, and senior engineering consultant across many industries. Prior to his association with MagCanica, he consulted for a number of Fortune 500 companies including General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Daimler-Chrysler, and Honeywell. Mr. Garshelis, an expert mechanical engineer and physicist, is recognized as the world's top expert in torque sensing and magnetoelastics and has authored the seminal patents and technical papers in the area of magnetoelastic torque measurement. As such, at the request of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), he authored the chapter on torque measurement in The Measurement, Instrumentation and Sensors Handbook and The Mechatronics Handbook .
President and co-founder of MagCanica, Sami holds a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Brown University and a Master's degree in mechatronics from Stanford University. Following his university studies, he gained valuable experience at the Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, MI, USA) leading the development of a series of magnetoelastic torque sensors for Formula 1 racecars and production automotive steering applications. Through his experience developing torque sensors at Ford, Sami developed a strong understanding of the issues involved in developing practical torque sensing devices for industry as well as an in-depth appreciation for what infrastructure and skill base is needed to guide a successful R&D program for this technology.
As President of MagCanica since its founding in early 2000, Sami has successfully managed the inception and growth of MagCanica from a business concept to a credible and financially sound enterprise. He has carried out both technical and business roles in a dedicated effort to continuously improve and further propagate MagCanica's technology platform. In particular, Sami has been able to raise funding, recruit a world-class technical and business team, and secure numerous contracts to fuel the company's growth.
Shane is an experienced aircraft and aerospace technician with over 15 years of experience in the aviation and aerospace industries. Shane received a scholarship to Davis Technologies earning certificates in manual machining, CNC machining, layout skills, and CAD/CAM. After working for several machine shops, he moved into the aerospace industry, building and testing Auxilliary Power Units for Pratt and Whitney Aeropower, a division of United Technologies. His prior background as a machinist and turbine engine technician provides MagCanica with a unique skillset that Shane applies to assembling, testing, and calibrating MagCanica torque sensor systems to the most exacting quality standards.


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Downloaded from: http://primarynotes29.blogspot.com/2013/03/rainy-umbrella.html
image source
Hang paper raindrops from an umbrella. Put song names on the rain drops. When a child picks a raindrop put in on the board in a circular motion and it will become petals of a flower (on a stem already taped on the board). Bring a spray bottle filled with water and if the children are singing well make it rain on them!
Fun Spring songs:
- Rain Is Falling All Round 241
- Birds in the Tree 241
- Little Seeds Lie Fast Asleep 243
- Popcorn Popping 242
- In The Leafy Treetops 240
- Little Purple Pansies 244
- My Heavenly Father Loves Me 228
- Wise Man and The Foolish Man
My raindrops turned in to ….….a flower!
*umbrella idea from Beehive Messages
*flower idea… all mine! Please credit Ashlie Johansen at Primary Notes 29


text:
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text:
Research & Development can seem a daunting area to many companies. Men in white coats and laboratories are the first thoughts that most people have when the topic is raised, but nothing could be further from the truth.
What Exactly is R&D?
How do I know what Qualifies?
News > News Archive > 2014 >


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#322 Robert William Galvin
© AP Photo/Ron Edmonds
Father, Paul Galvin (d. 1959), founded Galvin Manufacturing Corp. 1928, renamed Motorola 1947. Made car radios and 5-pound Handie-Talkie 2-way crystal radio for WWII. Robert started in stockroom 1940, CEO 1959. Focused on chips and wireless 1970s. Sold off television manufacturing business to concentrate on semiconductors, wireless technology. Introduced one of the first cell phones with DynaTAC in 1983. Son Chris took over in 1997; rode tech run-up, subsequent crash; stepped down 2003. New chief, Edward Zander, now in charge; stock up 50% since early 2005. Driving the surge: Motorola Razr, more than 50 million sleek cell phones sold worldwide.
Distribution of the Forbes 400 by U.S. StateDiameter of disc reflects size of fortune. The red disc indicates Robert William Galvin
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I haven't been writing much. At least, not here. It's hard to pin down exactly why. It could be a lack of time. It could be a lack of interest. It could be that I haven't paid my WordPress bill. In truth it is none of those things.
There is never a lack of time for that which we love. If you love it, you MAKE time for it. It's not a lack of interest then either. I've also paid my bill. So what could it be? Perhaps it is merely this: it's become difficult to put together a cohesive thought lately.
So much is going on that I don't feel lost at all, but rather swept up in my life. The dam has broken and the flood waters are ripping through my figurative town. I'm in the moment, and sometimes it's really difficult to reflect and come to terms with things here in this blog, as I so often like to do, when I'm struggling to stay afloat and wondering where this path will lead. I don't even really know why I like to reflect. I have a need for clarity for some reason. The more I search, the less clear some things become. Each door opens to a new door.
I like that. It makes my past easier to understand and invigorates me when it comes to exploring my future.
Not all my discoveries are universal. Some are just for me. And as I try to make sense of things I also try to find my path in life that will keep my family secure and keep my soul intact. I have learned this though as of late: on the journey to one's purpose there is much you must give up and there is much you can gain. The trick is figuring out what to discard and what to pursue. That answer is different for each one of us.
There is no one right way, and anyone who has the audacity to believe there is should be either ignored or outright shunned. No one speaks for me, but me. It is the same for you. You cannot be bullied into anything in this life. Whether you go or don't go, do or don't do, believe or don't believe is your choice and your's alone.
Fate makes us choose, choice determines our fate. It's simple, in a complicated sort of way.


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Here is a true incident of a girl who went to an ER and found out that she was pregnant. Dr. Kathleen Clem could see the baby head and she instantly knew that she had a task on her hands. The girl couldn't believe that she was pregnant. The pregnant girl wouldn't believe that this could happen. The doctor cut her pants off and started the procedure to deliver the baby. The father of the girl was stunned to find out that his daughter gave birth to a baby girl. The unaware girl kept on insisting that she wasn't pregnant. After delivering the baby, the doctor went straight to the father of the baby. What she heard next stunned her. Check out the video to know exactly he said.
Share this shocking video on ever social media websites you are currently using.


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I've taken note of a series of mistakes made by author Vincent
Bugliosi (VB) in the Endnotes section of his 2007 book "Reclaiming
History" regarding the Warren Commission testimony of Dr. Charles F.
Gregory of Parkland Hospital (as his testimony relates to the various
bullet fragments associated with injured Texas Governor John B.
I've already talked about one of VB's Gregory-related mistakes in my
book review for "Reclaiming History". (At least I'm nearly certain I can
label it a mistake on Mr. Bugliosi's part.)
And in addition to the "CE690/CE691" X-ray snafu talked about in my
review, I've found a couple of other related errors that appear in the
"RH" Endnotes (on the CD that comes with the book).
These discrepancies are quite small overall, and don't really affect
the bottom-line "Oswald Killed JFK And Acted Alone" conclusion reached
by Mr. Bugliosi in his stellar book in any way at all.
But, just for the record, I thought I'd point out these discrepancies
anyway, because they do deal with the fairly-important matter of the
bullet fragments that were found inside Governor Connally in 1963.
Also: These mistakes, when corrected, certainly tend to buttress the
overall "lone assassin" scenario even more, in my opinion (vs. these
topics remaining unaddressed and left "as is" in VB's book). .....
On Pages 439 and 440 of "Reclaiming History's" Endnotes, Mr. Bugliosi
says this.....
"How many fragments were removed from Connally's wrist? Dr.
Gregory, who performed the surgery on Connally's wrist, is dead, and
the record he left behind to answer this question is contradictory.
"In his Parkland Memorial Hospital "Operative Record," prepared
on the afternoon of November 22, 1963, he writes in fractured and
confusing syntax: "Small bits of metal were encountered at various
levels throughout the wound [to the right wrist] and these were
wherever they were identified and could be picked up were picked up
and have been submitted to the Pathology department for identification
and examination" (CE 392, 17 H 18).
"So no specific number of fragments is mentioned. In his Warren
Commission testimony on April 21, 1964, Gregory said that "there were
two fragments retrieved in the course of dealing with this wound
[right wrist] surgically...I thought I had retrieved two of them" (4 H
123). There's no other reference in his testimony, or that of Dr.
Robert Shaw (who operated on Connally's chest), or of Dr. Tom Shires
(who operated on Connally's thigh), that any other bullet fragments
were removed.
"Dr. Gregory's recollection of removing only two fragments
conflicts, of course, with Dr. Vincent Guinn's testimony that he
subjected THREE bullet fragments from Connally's wrist to NAA.
"The likelihood is that Gregory removed three fragments on
November 22, 1963, and five months later in his testimony he forgot
the exact number." -- VB; "RH"; Pages 439-440 of Endnotes
Now, Vince is definitely mistaken when he says this in the above "RH"
excerpt: "There's no other reference in his [Gregory's]
testimony...that any other bullet fragments [above and beyond a total
of two] were removed."
Because I've found a reference in Gregory's first Warren Commission
session of March 23, 1964 (a session that VB has apparently overlooked
entirely, since Vince only cites Gregory's April 21, 1964, testimony,
which was Gregory's second WC session), which has Gregory saying that
he retrieved "two or three" metal fragments from Connally's wrist
during surgery. .....
ARLEN SPECTER -- "Did you observe any foreign objects identifiable as
bits of fragments or portions of a bullet missile?"
DR. CHARLES F. GREGORY -- "A preliminary X-ray had indicated that
there were metallic fragments or at least metallic fragments which
cast metallic shadows in the soft tissues around the wounded forearm.
Two or three of these were identified and were recovered and were
observed to be metallic in consistency. These were turned over to
appropriate authorities for further disposition."
MR. SPECTER -- "Approximately how large were those fragments, Dr.
DR. GREGORY -- "I would judge that they were first--flat, rather thin,
and that their greatest dimension would probably not exceed one-eighth
of an inch. They were very small."
The above 03/23/64 testimony can be found on Page 98 of WC Volume #6.
[DVP Edit (December 12, 2011) -- Regardless of how many metal fragments Dr. Charles Gregory thought he removed, we can be certain that Gregory removed at least four metal fragments from John Connally's right wrist, because this photo of CE842 (the Connally wrist fragments) exists at the National Archives. And that picture clearly shows four pieces of metal.]
And there's another error that also appears on the "RH" Endnotes CD,
dealing with "fragments" that were visible on two of Governor
Connally's pre-operative X-rays (CE690 and CE691). .....
"If 2.4 grains was lost from the stretcher bullet, and the three
fragments that were reportedly removed from Connally's wrist
collectively weighed 0.5 grain, did the seven or eight (4 H 119-120,
WCT Dr. Charles F. Gregory) fragments REMAINING in Connally's body
weigh more than 1.9 grains? Since they were never removed, we cannot
be categorical in our answer, but the available evidence strongly
suggests they did not." -- VB; "RH"; Page 443 of Endnotes
The above VB quote could probably be categorized as more of an
understandable "misinterpretation" of Dr. Gregory's testimony on Mr.
Bugliosi's part, because Vince obviously thinks Gregory is talking
about "bullet" fragments in the WC passage referred to by Bugliosi. But
Gregory is definitely NOT talking about "seven or eight" BULLET
fragments being visible on Connally's pre-operative X-rays in his
testimony on page 120 of WC Volume 4.
Instead, Gregory was actually referring to "seven or eight" BONE
fragments in that portion of his testimony, which (to me) is quite
obvious, because his "seven or eight" remark comes right on the heels
of talking about the "comminuted" fracture of Connally's wrist, and
not about any "metal" fragments at that point.
Plus, it's further obvious that Gregory is not talking about
"bullet" (or "metal") fragments there when he said "seven or eight",
because in Arlen Specter's VERY NEXT question, he switches gears and
asks "Will you continue to describe what that X-ray shows with respect
to metallic fragments, if any?", which must mean that Gregory's
previous remarks a couple of seconds earlier were not referring to
anything relating to "metallic" fragments seen on the Governor's X-rays.
Here are the pertinent portions of Dr. Gregory's testimony (via Pages
119 and 120 of WC Volume #4):
DR. CHARLES F. GREGORY -- "Let the record show that "A" stands for the
anteroposterior view, Exhibit No. 691, and "B" stands for the lateral
view, Exhibit No. 690, of the right wrist and forearm. "A" then
demonstrates a comminuted fracture of the wrist with three fragments."
ARLEN SPECTER -- "What do you mean by comminuted?"
DR. GREGORY -- "Comminuted refers to shattering, to break into more
than two pieces, specifically many pieces, and if I may, I can point
out there is a fragment here, a fragment here, a fragment here, a
fragment here, and there are several smaller fragments lying in the
center of these three larger ones.
MR. SPECTER -- "How many fragments are there in total, sir, in your
DR. GREGORY -- "I would judge from this view that counting each
isolated fragment there are fully seven or eight, and experience has
taught that when these things are dismantled directly under direct
vision that there very obviously may be more than that."
MR. SPECTER -- "Will you continue to describe what that X-ray shows
with respect to metallic fragments, if any?"
DR. GREGORY -- "Three shadows are identified as representing metallic
fragments. There are other light shadows in this film which are
identified or interpreted as being artifacts."
Well, nobody's perfect. And I guess nobody should really expect any
book the size of Vincent Bugliosi's "Reclaiming History" to be
completely error-free. But the very few mistakes that crop up within
VB's exemplary JFK book (and CD) are not nearly significant enough in
nature, in my view, to warrant the dismissal of Mr. Bugliosi's
ultimate "Lone Assassin" determination.
A conspiracy theorist's mileage with respect to my last remark will,
of course, vary.
David Von Pein
December 2007


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David Levine Returns to New York with HABIT at PS122, Now thru 9/30
Performance Space 122 (PS122) and the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, present the New York premiere of Habit, from David Levine, as part of the 2012 Crossing the Line festival. Habit is a durational performance installation that features three actors performing a 90-minute drama on a continuous loop for eight hours a day. Using a commissioned script by playwright Jason Grote, Habit takes place within a four-walled, fully-furnished and functional American ranch house designed by Marsha Ginsberg and built inside a raw, unused space in the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side.
Casting information and press dates will be announced at a later date.
Performances of Habit will take place tonight, September 21-30, daily from 1–9pm at the Essex Street Market: Building B. Essex Street Market: Building B (130 Essex St btwn Rivington St and Stanton St, Lower East Side, NYC). Habit is free and open to the public. For more information, visit fiaf.org/ctl or call 212.355.6160.
Habit not only opens PS122's fall season, but also marks the return of theatrical provocateur David Levine, last presented by PS122 in January 2012 with Anger at the Movies and in 2009 with Venice Saved: A Seminar. With Habit, Levine balances the rituals of theater and the grind of an actor's eight-hour workday against a display of pure virtuosity and endurance. Two casts perform Grote's 90-minute drama verbatim on alternating days. In the four-walled ranch house, complete with stocked refrigerator, working stove, running water, and plumbing, the three performers improvise their staging and physical actions to suit their needs-when they're hungry, they cook; when they're dirty, they wash. Although the dialogue stays the same, each 90-minute sequence is radically different depending on the performers' actions, and more importantly, the emotional import they give the words.
Spectators will circulate around the outside of the house, observing the action through the Open Windows. Viewers are free to come and go as they please, but are not allowed to enter the house. In this way, Habit reinforces the fourth wall of theater while freeing the performance from other conventions of the form. A play within a sculpture, Habit fuses conventional theater, reality TV, and visual arts performance, short-circuiting our assumptions about spectatorship, performance, routine, and realism.
Dividing his time between Berlin and New York, David Levine has successfully bridged the worlds of contemporary theater and performance-based visual art with a body of work that examines the conditions of spectacle and spectatorship across a range of media including performance, theater, installation, photography and video. His work has been performed and/or exhibited internationally at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), MASS MoCA, Documenta XII, Gavin Brown's Enterprise (NYC), the Townhouse Gallery (Cairo), HAU 2 (Berlin), Matadero Madrid, and Blum & Poe (Los Angeles). He has directed theatrical premieres at the Vineyard Theatre, Primary Stages, and the Atlantic Theater, alongside workshops at The Public Theater and The Sundance Institute Theatre Lab.
Crossing the Line is the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF)'s annual fall festival presenting interdisciplinary works and performances created by artists from around the world in New York. The festival provides opportunities for New Yorkers to explore the dialogue between artist and participant, examine how artists help re-imagine the world, and engage in the vital role artists play as critical thinkers and catalysts for social evolution. Curated by Lili Chopra, Artistic Director of FIAF, Simon Dove, Director of the Herberger Institute School of Dance at Arizona State University, and Gideon Lester, Director of Theater Programs at Bard College, Crossing the Line is initiated and produced by FIAF in partnership with leading cultural institutions and takes place this year from September 14–October 14, 2012.
Inaugurated in 2007, Crossing the Line has enjoyed increasingly strong audience response from diverse segments of the New York City area, as well as critical acclaim. The festival was voted "Best of 2009" and "Best of 2010" by Time Out New York, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. The New York Times has said, "The French Institute Alliance Française's annual Crossing the Line has carved out a particular identity as an invigorating, unpredictable, occasionally provocative mix of genres and disciplines…It's the artistic equivalent of a splash of water on the face."
FIAF's mission is to create and offer New Yorkers innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that explore the evolving diversity and richness of French cultures. FIAF seeks to generate new ideas and promote cross cultural dialogue through partnerships and new platforms of expression.
Performance Space 122 (PS122) provides incomparable experiences for audiences by presenting and commissioning artists whose work challenges boundaries of live performance. PS122 is dedicated to supporting the creative risks taken by artists from diverse genres, cultures and perspectives. We are an innovative local, national and international leader in contemporary performance.
Beginning in 2011, PS122 embarked on one of the most unusual and potentially radical shifts in its history, including a re-structuring of artist support, a business model overhaul, and the renovation of our building. As PS122's East Village home undergoes a much-needed interior renovation supported primarily by the City of New York, DCA and DDC, PS122's core activity continues to be providing audiences with contemporary live performance.
For over 3 decades, Performance Space 122 has been a hub for contemporary performance and an active member of the cultural community in N.Y.C. and across the globe. In 1980, the organization was founded by Charles Moulton, Charles Dennis, Tim Miller and Peter Rose to offer artists rehearsal and performance opportunities in the revamped cafeteria of a former New York City public school (PS 122) at the corner of First Avenue and Ninth Street in New York's East Village. In 1986, under the artistic direction of Mark Russell, the organization doubled its programming by converting the gymnasium on the first floor of the school building into a second performance space. Over the past 30 years, PS122 has brought forward not only artists, like John Leguizamo, Jonathan Ames, Eric Bogosian, the Blue Man Group or Annie Dorsen who have gone on to make waves in commercial arenas on Broadway or at HBO, but also artists who have triggered national debate about political and ethical issues, like the original "NEA four," Ethyl Eichelberger (HIV/AIDS activist), or more recently Young Jean Lee and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (contemporary social critiques), as well as artists who have radicalized aesthetic form like Meredith Monk, Spalding Gray, Ron Athey, Richard Maxwell, Elevator Repair Service, Radiohole, Adrienne Truscott, Verdensteatret (Norway), Rabih Mroué (Lebanon), Philippe Quesne (France), and Maria Hassabi (Cyprus).
Under the curatorial vision of Vallejo Gantner (Artistic Director 2005 – present) PS122 has developed a set of programs designed to re-establish the value of live performance, provide singular experiences for audiences that inspire critical thinking, and sustain the creative process for artists throughout their career. In addition to the commissioning and presenting of artists from NYC, across the US, and around the globe, PS122 has increased our activity off the stage to provide audiences with a variety of access points and context for the work. These activities include both talkbacks with the artists as well as conversations that bring together luminaries from non-arts disciplines. Topics have included everything from religion, to migration, to queer real estate. PS122 encourages the asking of questions and debate of contemporary society's issues in both artistic practice and audience experience. www.ps122.org.


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Flower NUMBERS & Special Characters #03 Clipart & Vector – Flora 23
By Michelle Alzola in Graphics / Illustrations$1
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You will receive 1 ZIP File containing the following:
- 26 PNG images (transparent background) of NUMBERS & Special Characters Floral Arrangements, 3600 x 3600 pixels (approx. 12in x 12in), 300 dpi High Resolution
- 1 .ai file for Adobe Illustrator CS6 and up
- 1 .eps file
*** ZIP FILE: Extract the file first before use. If you are new to this process, please do a search on google about how to extract or unzip a zip file. ***
Keywords: Ampersand, Numbers Flower Vector, Numbers Floral Clipart, Numbers Flowers Clipart, Numbers Flowers Vector, Numbers Flower Graphics, Numbers Flowers Graphics, Numbers Floral Graphics, Numbers Flower Illustration, Numbers Flower Illustrations, Numbers Flowers Illustration, Numbers Floral Illustration, Numbers Floral Illustrations, Numbers Flower Bouquet, Numbers Flowers Bouquet, Numbers Floral Bouquet, Numbers Flower Bouquets, Numbers Flowers Bouquets, Numbers Floral Bouquets, Numbers Floral Arrangements, Numbers Flower, Numbers Floral, Numbers Bouquets, Flower Vector, Floral Clipart, Flowers Clipart, Flowers Vector, Flower Graphics, Flowers Graphics, Floral Graphics, Flower Illustration, Flower Illustrations, Flowers Illustration, Floral Illustration, Floral Illustrations, Flower Bouquet, Flowers Bouquet, Floral Bouquet, Flower Bouquets, Flowers Bouquets, Floral Bouquets, Floral Arrangements, Flower, Floral, Bouquets, Purple, Violet
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"*BAMF*! A Nightcrawler Challenge" by SakuraiDesu
Categories: X-Men
Characters: Other, Reader, You, Nightcrawler
Description: He is my favorite character in all of X-Men. Wolverine gets way too much screen time in my opinion, and worse, Nightcrawler was cut out of the third movie JUST because the new director didn't want to waste time putting make-up on the guy who played him! But Azazel was in First Class (that red guy was Nightcrawler's dad!) and helped remind me how cool our blue buddy is! Hope someone takes up this challenge!
"...who did you say you were?"
"I am Kurt Wagner! But in the Munich Circus, I was known as The Incredible Nightcrawler!"
Challenge: Write a series of reader-insert Nightcrawler drabbles (at least ten, one for every prompt, but feel free to do more).
Theme: Though there are many difference between Kurt and the Reader, they still have much to teach each other--a disagreement is not a call for the end of a relationship, but a chance to learn, grow, and change.
1. This can be any continuity from any of the X-Men media, be it the cartoon, movies, or comics.
2. Sexual content is fine (at any level of explicitness the writer feels comfortable with) but shouldn't be the main focus of the story. It is not by any means a requirement, but is allowed if so the writer chooses.
3. Each prompt is a line of dialogue that either the Reader or Kurt say, and while it is not necessary to use it in the chapter, the theme of the line should dictate the content of the chapter. For example, if the prompt was "I never planned on eating snails, but I find myself pleasantly surprised!", the corresponding chapter should have to do with trying new things, leaving one's comfort zone, or literally eating snails.
4. The Reader can be a normal person, a mutant with any kind of power you choose, a member of the X-Men, one of Magneto's followers... or the chapters could be stand alone, and the Reader could be different in all of them. Your choice.
5. There is no deadline.
1-Kurt: "...but in the Munich Circus, I was known as The Incredible Nightcrawler!"
2-Reader: "If I didn't know you, I'd think you look kind of badass. Your personality ruins it."
3-Kurt: "Pacifism isn't a weakness. Even I know that justice can call for desperate actions."
4-Reader: "My relationship with god? Angry. Sometimes a lot. But always a little."
5-Kurt: "You're too cynical. I believe that there is at least a little good inside of everyone."
6-Reader: "...you know, if were in your shoes, I would've just killed everyone."
7-Kurt: "Saying such a thing is blasphemous. I fear for you, sometimes. And pray."
8-Reader: "Sometimes you're so good it makes me sick. It's like I have to be twice as hateful just to make up for it."
9-Kurt: "I trust my faith absolutely, but even I waver. Your most admirable quality is that you never doubt yourself."
10-Reader: "I've got a nihilistic bent. I don't know about god or ideals... but I do believe in you."
Crack-Reader: "...I didn't hear half of what you just said, but you've got the sexiest distracting accent."
Crack-Kurt: "ACK! Was machst du--?!"
Posted: 08/12/11 | Deadline: None
All fan fiction represented in this archive are © their respective owners and/or authors. All original works are © their respective authors. No reproduction of the written works in this archive is permitted without prior consent of their respective authors. All Rights Reserved. Icons used on this site are from famfamfam.com. Protected by Spam Poison Bleach, Ichigo are © Studio Pierrot, TV Tokyo, Dentsu, and Tite Kubo.


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New artefact brings history to life at MuseumPublished Tuesday, 4th March 2014
A historic object is set to bring Rotherham's history into sharp focus this month as an important piece of our town's past goes on display at Clifton Park Museum.
The Friends of Clifton Park Museum recently purchased a small Roman Pendant for the popular town centre museum.
This new, and historically important, artefact is of significant historical value and is now on display in the Roman Gallery at the Museum.
This is a significant piece as it is Roman in origin, of a style that is relatively uncommon. Only a few pieces of similar shape and style have been found in this country although none are identical to this item.
The pendant shows the type of aspirations of the relatively well-to-do people who were living or passing through Roman Rotherham.
It is not of the highest quality of workmanship, but it shows that people were trying to match items of higher quality. This contrasts with the usual finds and jewellery the museum currently have in their collections, which is more functional and used by the soldiers and local population of Rotherham at the time.
The pendant has been described as a "small gem-set gold pendant comprising a translucent purple oval glass gem, of plano-convex cross-section, set in an oval gold frame encircled by a beaded gold wire".
The workmanship is good and the gold of very high purity. The pendant is only the second piece of Roman gold jewellery in the collection, alongside the Roman gold ring which is currently on display in the Roman Gallery.
Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Cllr Amy Rushforth, said: "This is another fantastic, and fascinating, artefact for the museum which will no doubt bring a further dimension of Rotherham's history to life.
"I'd like to thank the Friends of Clifton Park Museum for their kind donation. Even though the pendant isn't worth much from a financial point of view, its historical value is phenomenal.
"To actually be able to see an item which was part of Roman Rotherham really brings our history into context.
"Hopefully, this will encourage even more people to visit our wonderful museum."
The Friends of Clifton Park Museum was formed in 1998 to support the museum and encourage interest in heritage and the Museum. The Friends group meets once a month and would welcome anyone wishing to join.
For further details please telephone the group secretary on 01709 548122.


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St. Francis is blessed with a very gifted group of parishioners that make up the St. Francis de Sales Brass.
This ensemble is by audition only and usually performs once a month at 10:30 mass. To see when the St. Francis de Sales Brass is playing, check the music department calendar under the music menu.
Some of the past liturgies that the brass group have played at were recorded, below is a playlist of some of those live recordings.
Check back on this page, more information will be added later.
- Log in to post comments


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So I actually thought about what Brain said to me a post or two ago. When I say actually I mean that he had a point and I needed to really look at it, so I did. Then later that week I was asked if I would be interested in doing some teaching for a ballroom dance studio. My immediate thought was no, but I checked myself and said that I would be interested. A meeting with the dance school owners was arranged – I had a chat over the phone with them they sounded great and keen and I thought it was certainly worth a try. They offered to train me up and then I would be out there doing some lessons, having fun and earning three times more than at the bottle shop.
I went to the meeting the other day, we sat around the tableand had a chat. The first thing they said was " so you dont want to act anymore and you want to teach dancing!?"
The meeting was good but (to cut a long and boring story short) they were looking for a full time commitment over a period of time that started at the one year mark and went on for a fair while. And to be fair that is what their students expect from their teacher. That their teacher is there to guide them over an extensive training partnership over an extensive period of time.
Meeting finished. They were looking for some one who is wanting a full time career out of teaching ballroom dancing. I was looking for some casual work while I am between acting gigs (read as full time – ha that is an oxymoran if ever there was one – career)
So I can say I honestly gave it a go. But I also realised that it is not me. I as a person am not a ballroom dance teacher and never could be. I dont have the x factor nor the passion needed to do that sort of work. To try and do it would wilt my spirit and I realised it that day at the meeting and looking in at the studio. I hate to say it but I would rather work at the bottle shop…..ACTUALLY I would rather work in Film, Television, Theatre and do what I am good at by way of nurturing the human spirit through my words, my movement, my actions and most of all by being honest to who I am.
So thank you Brian for making me think about. And I thank my fellow judges on Dancing with the Stars who helped set the opportunity up. In fact I may be doing a one off type coaching class on performance at Mark's Dance school – that is something that excites me.
I wonder what will happen next?
Archive for November, 2004
Leaf out of Brian's BookMonday, November 29th, 2004
So I actually thought about what Brain said to me a post or two ago. When I say actually I mean that he had a point and I needed to really look at it, so I did. Then later that week I was asked if I would be interested in doing some teaching for a ballroom dance studio. My immediate thought was no, but I checked myself and said that I would be interested. A meeting with the dance school owners was arranged – I had a chat over the phone with them they sounded great and keen and I thought it was certainly worth a try. They offered to train me up and then I would be out there doing some lessons, having fun and earning three times more than at the bottle shop.
Merc's Rising He has givenMonday, November 22nd, 2004
Merc's Rising
He has given stunning performances in the mini-series The Day of the Roses and the new Lindy Chamberlain drama Through My Eyes and has shone as a dancer, stage performer (The Full Monty) and choreographer.
Along with the career highs have been disappointments including Exit to Eden and Welcome to Woop Woop.
Talented though he may be, Mercurio has dug trenches and sold computers to make a buck. At one point he had only $200 in the bank.
Real tragedy, however, struck in 2000, when brother Michael committed suicide. I ask about the legacy of Michael's passing.
"It's a determination to enjoy the moment, to make the most of every day," a pensive Mercurio says.
He sought solace in writing poetry on life's ups and downs. Some of the poems have been put on a website and prompted heart-felt replies from people affected by his work.
"I had a letter from a woman whose son had committed suicide and she just hadn't been able to deal with it.
"She felt what I'd written allowed her to move ahead in her life. I have had letters from people who were going to kill themselves, but decided not to.
"Personally, I've gained so much from being honest about my experiences."
There was a time in the 1990s when Mercurio was under pressure to move to the United States to further his career, but he refused because of the likely effect on his wife, Andrea, and their three daughters. The cost: extended periods of unemployment.
"It almost does your head in sometimes, but you just have to go out and do whatever you can to support your family. I'm not alone. A lot of actors here are in the same boat.
"There have been times I've wanted to give it all away, but the fact is you can't give up something you're not doing.
"There are the issues involving career and ego that make you think you should have gone (to the US). But in the end I made my decision based on what my family means to me."
–Nov 17, Darren Devlyn, Herald Sun
Beer Mania Bears Fruit PAULMonday, November 22nd, 2004
Beer Mania Bears Fruit
PAUL Mercurio has long had a love affair with beer.
On December 2, the passionate brewer will host a dinner at the Half Moon (Church St, Brighton) to launch his beer, Merc's Own, a peach ale.
Apart from hosting the dinner, Mercurio will do some of the cooking.
"Making beer is a real creative outlet for me; a whole lot of fun," Mercurio says.
–Nov 17, Herald Sun
18/11/04Thursday, November 18th, 2004
if you could talk what would you say now? I am sorry, I miss you, I wish things had been different. but you cant say anything because you are gone. and we are left behind to remember. we are witness constantly to the space that you once filled. what if's and maybe's fill that space now and are poor cousins to the truth of of you.
the candle I light for your birth day burns as I type. and memories of you burn bright within my minds eye – and my heart. laughter as boys playing in the back yard, the shared smirks at sea scouts, the saddness at the fights we had, the good and the bad burn down like the wick and I hope I dont lose any of those memeories, that I dont lose any more of you than i already have.
already my childrens memory of you is dimmed. sometimes that hurts the most because I want to say look kids here is your uncle isnt he great! he is my brother. Proudness burns in me as deeply as loss. and yet again I shed a tear because I dont have you to share me with, or my life with or my achievements, i just dont have you. it is not my pain that hurts but the aloneness of the shadow that follows me – especially today – on your birth day.
I often think that you could have been so much more but then it hits me again, i could have been so much more with you. i am not alone in that thought. the world, your friends, your family all could have been so much more thanks to your light, your love, your smile.
if only
happy birthday Michael
Right to a lifeSaturday, November 13th, 2004
For some reason the government here in Australia has decided to make abortion a big issue – again!! Now I don
right pathMonday, November 8th, 2004
My wife asked me tonight if I thought we were on the right path. I said yes.
I thought about it for a while and it occured to me that I wouldnt really know what the right path was supposed to be, what it looked like or which direction it travelled. To me the right path is the one you are on right now. It twists and turns and meets up with myriad junctions going in all metaphysical and physical directions. The journey consists of many paths and when the one your on doesnt seem right you take a left or a right when you can and when it feels right.
I also thought about how you can travel many paths but still experience the same unanswered questions, still face the same challenges. Perhaps I am walking in a circle or perhaps I just havent got it yet. Buggered if I know what the "it" is, if it exsists and if indeed "it" is important.
My wife asked the question, as many people do because if you are on the right path then everything should be well in your world. Life is good, you are happy, you have no problems, no concerns, no fears, no struggles etc. And when you have those fears and concerns and problems you must be on the wrong path. You must be doing something wrong. So the question really is are we doing something wrong in our lives, are we indeed on the wrong path? Hey if we are I dont actually know that either, I dont really know what the wrong path would look like.
There is only the path you are on. The way to "know" that path is in seeing the gifts it brings as you traverse it. Accepting those gifts, being open to them, embracing them and growing from them is what the journey is about. You dont have to actually like the gifts, nor enjoy them – we prefer to only get gifts we like but how often have you been given something and your fisrt thought was Yuk but some time later, a day, a week, a month a year did you actually realise you used the gift and it had become part of your heart and life in some way, some how?
When the path gets scary you want to jump off and find an easier route but you know deep inside that you will find yourself back at this very spot again.
Am I on the right path? I believe so. If the wrong path can never feel right then the right path can never feel wrong. And there we have the ying and the yang of it….
And so I am reminded of the last words of the Desiderata…
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful.
Strive to be happy.
Sounds about right to me.
Just for the record I dont hate "Love is in the Air"Sunday, November 7th, 2004
When I hear it I have so many memories all with their own little piece of baggage. I remember shooting that final scene at the end of a long day or night. Tara and I had to dance a little and then kiss and then hold the kiss for ages whilst people danced around us and the camera pulled back revealing the whole party. I think we both felt a little silly kissinglike that in front of every one. It was a little bit of a dorky moment I think – but works for the film. I remember shooting the film clip and how at that time everything was on such a high with the film and my own stardom rising. I remember going in to pubs to have a quiet drink and when the band saw me walk in they would play their rendition of Love is in the Air. I cant tell you how many pubs I walked out of before I got a drink. I remember goin to 100's of radio stations over the last 12 years to talk about this or that and as I sat there before I was introduced on air what song did they ALL play? Yep you know which one. In some ways the song represents every thing good and bad about my Strictly Ballroom experience. People hear the song and connect me with the movie – usually me the dancer not the actor, me the rich movie star, me who was so lucky to have the opportunity of staring in such a great film.
Let me state right now that yes I was lucky to star in that film and it has bought me many great things – this site and the people here, more film and TV work, the opportunity through more work to be able to buy a house for my family. I am grateful for that and the many other experiences that I have had thanks to my being in that film.
I dont resent the movie or every thing Strictly Ballroom. What I find really really difficult is the image that most people hold on to and the differecne between that and the reality that is my life. That is one reason Paul's Corner came about. Cat gave me an opportunity to express who I am. I do resent that people seem to define me by that film and my role in it. You people (friends I should say) here know me a lot better than that but many people do not and still they cant be bothered – and perhaps they dont need to be – to understand that I am who I am and not who they think they know me to be as defined by their viewing of Strictly Ballroom. Or by any of my films for that matter. If people wish to define me by by my role in Joseph they are doing me the same disservice as those that define me by SB or Exit to Eden or Joseph or any of my performances. Yes there are real chunks of me in those people I have played and chunks of me in them but that is only the tip of iceburg of who I am and what I am capable of.
When on Dancing with the Stars I said that I hated the song I immediately regreted it. It is a great song and John Paul Young had a deserved and great hit. I am certainly tired of hearing it played in conjuction with me. The song does not belong to me it belongs to JPY and possibly to a lesser extent to the film. It would seem sometimes that people think the song is me. That all things Strictly are me. I guess to be really honest I resent that I have had to live with a lot of the burden of that idea with out having the benefit of enjoying the financial success that others have had through the movie. Certainly being rewarded finacially would have helped me along the way to carry the baggage of the film. It has not helped that at times I am constantly identified with the film and at the same time facing fairly severe financial hardship. Yes that is the life of an actor and yes that is my choice and yes there are plenty of other actors I know in Australia that face similar difficulties to me but that doesnt make it any easier or help in any way.
And sadly and frustratingly I find myself yet again at this precipice. I have three more Dancing with the Stars shows left and then it will be back to scraping the barrel again. Work here is non exsistent. I am lucky to have had this gig, although the pay doesnt actually cover my family living costs per week – like the proverbial smell of an oily rag it has kept us going. Sadly there is no other work out there so it looks like I will be going back to the bottle shop (liquor store) and also applying for a job at the pub I hold the beer dinners at. I try to stay positive but I am a bit scared Xmas is going to be fairly tough this year but I guess that is just part of the journey, the journey of being a house hold name in Australia and an internationally recognised actor.
I guess that is what I resent.


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Title: His Wounded Heart
Author: R. L. Syme
Pages: 218
Year: 2013
Publisher: White Rose
Note: I received a complimentary copy for an honest review of this book from www.bookfun.org
His Wounded Heart is a novel to enjoy in an afternoon, filled with romance and more. A young man disillusioned about God, faith and church is seriously injured. He is so angry no one person stays to help with the long term care. Of course, Sean wasn't helping matters any the way he would treat the help even when his friend took time off to help him with learning; Sean wasn't willing to bend. One thing he kept holding onto was his pride….until.
The doctor has been working with him, and since her past heartache, she made a vow to keep a distance from any man who showed her affection. Jaclyn had a dream shattered too, so she was trying to still fill that longing through obtaining a job to be near her love of sports.
While Jaclyn and Sean are the main human characters, the novel really speaks to the readers about God being the One who loves us. In the pages, is a reminder of how people view God as watching others whether life is good or hard. I loved how the truth that the people, the church, can be an instrument of mirroring Him and are also faulty humans. When Jaclyn shows Sean an example he has never witnessed before, something stirs deep within Sean.
Jaclyn needs God to do a work in her heart too, and she submits to His loving hand. Here is an example of choosing to let God do work in us, for us and through us. While pain on the earth won't last forever, our relationship with Him through Jesus will and it anchors us through the tempests. During times when we are overwhelmed by our emotions or life experiences even what we see others going through, God speaks still.
His Wounded Heart contained pages that were filled more with God's romance and love for us than mankind can ever really understand. He reaches out to us, shows us the way to come to Him, speaks through the Holy Spirit to our hearts or minds; this is what makes God so amazing! Read and share this wonderful tale with anyone God leads you to, perhaps it will stir their hearts too!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. Other reviews can be read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/ . Also follow me on Twitter @lcjohnson1988, FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.johnson.75457


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A SCOTS politician last night told of the agony of losing a daughter to the eating disorder anorexia nervosa.
MSP Dennis Robertson, the first blind member at Holyrood, kept quiet about Caroline's death until his election.
Now, a year on, the Aberdeenshire West MSP led his debut members' debate on eating disorders in a bid to raise awareness.
After winning his seat for the SNP last May, Dennis told of his family's agony and dedicated his win to Caroline, 18, in his victory speech.
He said: "Two days before she died, I promised her I would stand. At the time, we thought she was on the road to recovery."
Yesterday, the MSP revealed why he's now fighting for thousands of families who face the same heartache.
He said: "I'm focusing on anorexia because of my personal circumstances. This is Eating Disorder Week and Saturday will be the first anniversary of Caroline's death."
The ex-social worker and wife Ann live in Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, with daughter Fiona, Caroline's twin.
They believe much can be done to help children with eating disorders.
Dennis said: "I want people to be aware of the symptoms and get help as soon as they can. I'm trying to ensure GPs and other medics become more aware of the dangers."


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Link: http://ipatent.co.il


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As more and more Indian women have jobs that require them to travel or keep late hours in the office, safety has become a no.1 concern of working women in India today. A recent survey shows that 94% of Indian women feel unsafe living or travelling alone, or staying alone in hotels in India. Of those who have travelled outside India, most say they feel safe travelling or living alone in hotels in western countries! Street sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking are seen as a normal part of day-to-day existence that all women are expected to put up with.
Top Safety Measures for Single Women travelling or living in India
And even though most rapes are never reported in India, or of those reported most are not filed by the police, rape still is the fastest growing crime in India today. There has also been an alarming increase in the number of reports of rape of women tourists in India.
Here are top 11 safety tips from The 50 Million Missing Campaign for all women living or travelling alone in India.
1. Though there is no reason one can't live or travel alone, the fact is that it is might be safer for single women in India to live or travel with at least 1 or 2 other people. Often if you have a male companion, you are usually also less likely to be sexually harassed and/or molested. (We are not saying this is how it should be! It curbs women's rights to freedom of movement and is fundamentally sexist. But it is a safety precaution that works to some degree in India.)
2. If you are traveling on assignment, or have moved to a new town or city for work , ask your company or organization to ensure your safety by making the arrangements for your stay through their local contacts. Or ask them forknown and reliable contacts through whom you can make your arrangements. In the hotel, make sure your door has a latch or chain on the INSIDE, and once you are in your room always keep the door locked and chained. Always carry a portable door-stop and use it at night irrespective, or use some object like a door stopper. If it is a room on the ground level or 1st floor, make sure thewindows have grills. Do not leave your balcony door open while sleeping at night. When ordering food etc. do not leave the door open, and yell for the service person to walk in. Have them knock and take your items from the door.
3. In budgeting your travel or rent expenses make safety your no.1 priority. The lower the cost the bigger the risk with safety. Hence it may seem like a good, cheap deal on a rented house, apartment, hotel/guide/transportation/tour package, BUT the more obscure it is – the bigger the risk with safety. You are better off with a known place. Also something that other SINGLE WOMEN you personally know have used and recommended. (Remember it is not the same for a men!)
4. Never accept food and drinks from complete strangers (especially on buses, trains and in hotels), even if they seem friendly or are very insistent . There have been cases where food and drinks were laced with drugs, and the unwary travelers then robbed and/or sexually assaulted. Visit bars and restaurants which have more customers (that way your food is also fresher :)) and whatever you drink, insist on a sealed bottle (check the seal carefully).
5. This is particularly for western female tourists : Avoid all body contact with men you have just met or even if you have known them over a few days. Do not give hugs and don't shake hands. Use the conventional 'namaste' instead.
6. Your eye contact with strange men should be brief and never intimate. Don't make direct eye contact and smile simultaneously. These can often be misinterpreted. Be casual with your words; but be aloof and alert with your body language.
7. If you are living in low budget hotels, or are in public areas, the market, villages etc., wear baggy clothing and try to ensure your arms and legs are covered. This may (or may no!) help prevent male stares and harassment!
8. Avoid all travels at night. Never get into a cab or auto that has more than one man sitting in there. Sit near the door and if other men get in at any point, get out immediately. However, we have also got reports of women who've been attacked by lone cab drivers. Therefore, if you are traveling in the evenings or if you are journeying to unfamiliar places, it might be best to use public transport like buses. Do not use unmarked 'share' cars or vans. Never ever hitch a ride or accept a ride with a stranger no matter how friendly he seems. During train journeys mindfully gauge the people who are with you in your cubicle, and if you feel uncomfortable stay on your guard; don't go to sleep. If you need to find your way somewhere, ask for directions. But never follow someone who says, "Follow me, I will show you." Follow the directions and keep checking with others you meet en route to see if you are on the right path. Never agree to meet people you barely know at a house or hotel they invite you to. If you must meet and talk, ask them to meet you in some café of your choosing. Go and leave alone.
9. Set your boundaries with your body language. Usually men who are looking for an opportunity for an apparently 'careless' brush or uninvited physical contact, will test your boundaries first, for e.g. sitting too close. Or touching your hand. Indian women often get frightened and flustered and are unable to speak up. While foreign women are often concerned about seeming unfriendly, racist or snooty. But the rule of safety is the same for women no matter where they are in the world: IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE, IT IS NOT O.K. In crowded areas, set your boundaries assertively. Move away or remove your hand. If they persist, tell them loudly and firmly using very straight language, "Do not touch me." Never appear hesitant or apologetic. But if the place is isolated and there aren't too many people around, do not try to get assertive or aggressive. Just try to get away as quickly as possible.
10. Avoid intensely crowded places – like buses and festivals. That is where men take the opportunity to molest women. Also, be very careful about a direct, angry confrontation in these kinds of situations, for mobs in India are notoriously unpredictable. Indian women often don't complain because the crowd begins to blame them. In a festival try to stay on the edges of the crowds. In a bus or market place, loudly but firmly and politely say "What are you doing?" And remember guilt works better than anger.
11. The Golden Rule of Safety for Women where ever you are:
Be alert to your environment and the people around you at all times. Listen to your gut instinct and don't second guess it. (It is better to be wrong and safe than wrong and sorry!) And act on your observations and instincts intelligently.


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This morning I thought how easy it could have been to sleep in and miss my running workout. What would have made it even easier is if I hadn't laid out my gear the night before. What I am talking about is getting organized about your training. It's a great habit to form and you can actually shave off time from your day.
Most people, at least if you're like me, are a little groggy in the morning. It takes a few minutes for those brain cells to activate. Even when at full capacity, I find that I am always running around looking for this or that. If the goal is to be organized, you need a game plan.
So how do you go about getting Organized for your workouts?
1. Check the weather conditions the night before. Even though forecasters can absolutely blow a weather report, they usually are pretty good at getting it close. It's good to know how cold is it going to be? Is it going to rain or snow? Is it going to be windy? Stuff like that.
Knowing the weather report will allow you to organize the perfect outfit or at least get prepared for the coming workout. Having an idea of what you wore in previous workouts is ideal. This sets you up for success. Learning what works and what doesn't at different temperatures allows you to adjust your workout gear accordingly.
2. Find a good place to set out your gear. Finding the right spot to lay things out makes things super easy the next morning. I find that having a nice chair to sit in when putting on your shoes and such makes things a lot more comfy.
Below is a typical checklist I go through the night before. I like to start from the feet and work my way up.
- Shoes (Right now my favorites are Under Armour's minimal neutral shoes)
- Socks (Darn Tough, Farm To Feet or Smartwool)
- Underwear (I wear SAXX underwear for most of my workouts now)
- Shorts (If it's above 40 degrees I wear shorts, otherwise I go for tights) My preference is either SAXXBlacksheep Long John Fly or Smartwool Phd Run Tights.
- Base – Love Rapha's Base Layer or some type of sports tank. (If it's 55 degrees or above, usually I just need a base layer)
- Mid Layer – Normally I like Ice Breakers line of gear.
- Outer Layer – Rapha makes a killer cycling vest called a gilet that I use for running. Actually I have 2 that are different thicknesses.
- Hands – I have various gloves/mittens
- Head – I opt for a hat or cap. My favorite is a wool cap from Rapha. It just seems to feel the best.
So give it a go an let us know if becoming more organized helps your workouts.


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Don't tell anyone! (It's only good news)
When you hear or read the news, do you feel sometimes like you are only getting one side of the story? …not getting the whole picture? I know I frequently do.
Take the North Pole for example. Over recent months I have read numerous articles about ice melting at the North Pole, and the impact that that could have on polar bears. In fact, just this morning, Google News had a series of 216 news articles with the main headline: 'Northwest Passage Ice Shrinks to New Low'.
So, where is the good news? Well, I find it amazing that, before today, I had never heard that the exact opposite to what is happening at the North Pole is happening at the South Pole. Apparently the ice cap there is expanding! Yes, that's right, expanding, getting bigger, increasing in size! In fact, it has reached its largest extent since measurements began in 1979. Isn't it remarkable that it was only through an obscure blog that this information has become available to the public? But, so far, only to internet users. No one in the media seems to be interested.
This kind of fits in with another news item that was quickly buried this week. According to the 2007 State of the Future report published by the American Council for the Tokyo-based United Nations University, the world faces a brighter future with fewer wars, higher life expectancy and improved literacy.
Thousands of policy-makers, academics, futurists and creative thinkers from around the world contribute to these State of the Future reports.
Other positive or encouraging facts and figures were:
* African conflicts fell from a peak of 16 in 2002 to five in 2005
* the number of refugees around the world is falling
* HIV/AIDS in Africa has begun to level off and could begin to actually decrease
* there is higher life expectancy worldwide
* there is lower infant mortality worldwide
* increased literacy
* increases in gross domestic products per capita
* vast majority of the world living in peace, conflicts decreased over the past decade
So, getting back to the melting ice, maybe there is nothing to worry about concerning polar bears after all. If need be, we can ship them all down south if the going gets too tough in the north. Somehow, I don't think it will be necessary.


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The recent EU ruling concerning gender discrimination will mean that, from next year, insurance companies will no longer be able to differentiate between the premiums they charge on the basis of whether the policyholder is male or female. It remains to be seen how the industry responds to this but it is widely thought that the result will be higher premiums all round.
Of course it is important to remember that the reason why, for example, young lady drivers paid less than their male counterparts, is not because there was conscious discrimination applied but because actuarial statistics proved that the risk of an accident (and with it an expensive claim for the insurer to pay) was in fact less if the driver was female. Statistics also suggest differences in risk according to gender in a variety of other scenarios. Logic dictates that this would always be the case since men and women behave differently and their attitude to risk-taking, health and many other areas of activity will not be the same.
Continue Reading


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Spielberg by Haskell
January 14 to January 18
Molly Haskell is a shoo-in for the Mount Rushmore of American film criticism, if they ever get around to making it. She has fought the good fight for auteurism and feminism at The Village Voice, authored the canonical From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies (1974, soon to be released in a new edition). Today Haskell remains an absolutely vital and active voice, having recently completed the new volume Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films, in celebration of which Metrograph is happy to let one master pay tribute to another.
Molly Haskell will introduce Empire of the Sun on Saturday, January 14, with a book signing to follow.
Previously Screened
Catch Me If You CanDIRECTOR: STEVEN SPIELBERG
2002 / 141min / 35mm
Empire of the SunDIRECTOR: STEVEN SPIELBERG
1987 / 153min / 35mm
The Lost World: Jurassic ParkDIRECTOR: STEVEN SPIELBERG
1997 / 129min / 35mm
Minority ReportDIRECTOR: STEVEN SPIELBERG
2002 / 145min / 35mm


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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Mayor Michael Bloomberg says police used terrible judgment when they showed a film about Muslims during counter-terrorism training seminars.
Bloomberg said Tuesday that police had stopped showing the movie, "The Third Jihad." It discusses extremists and their plans for establishing an Islamic regime.
"It was not done at the police department as reported. It was done some place else and as soon as they found out, they stopped it and took it down. Somebody exercised some terrible judgment, I don't know who. We'll find out," Bloomberg said Tuesday.
Police documents obtained by a think tank at New York University say the movie was shown on a continuous loop while officers were signing in for counter-terrorism training in late 2010. Nearly 1,500 officers may have seen the movie. Police originally said only a few officers had seen it.
Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said Tuesday that the video was never authorized by the NYPD. "It was never used in training sessions. It was never shown at the Police Academy and it was never used in training classes in the Brooklyn location where it had been put on a loop on a TV, in a room which officers used to fill in paperwork during down time. As soon as an officer complained about it, it was removed. A sergeant who obtained it and put it on the TV loop was reprimanded for its unauthorized use."
Brown also issued the following statement in response to a New York Times reporter's inquiry (Sunday) in regard to the story that appeared today:
"In late January last year I received an inquiry whether the film "The Third Jihad" was used in NYPD training. I checked with the Police Academy and determined it was not. But when I heard a police officer had reported seeing at least portions of it at a Brooklyn facility where officers received COBRA training in dealing with chemical, biological and radiological weapons, I double-checked and found that, although unauthorized and not part of the curriculum, the video has been shown on a loop "a couple of times" during down time when officers were filling out paper work or on a break from actual training.
As a result of my inquiry to the Police Academy, the matter was subsequently pursued further, and a couple of months later, it was determined that the film had actually been shown in the loop fashion I described during breaks over a period of three months, and almost 1,500 of the approximately 12,000 who received COBRA training there that year would have had the opportunity to see at least part of it as they filled out paperwork or were on break from training.
It was discontinued in December 2010 after an officer complained about it. It was not shown at the Police Academy in Manhattan where tens of thousands of officers cycle through for training The video was reportedly obtained by an officer from a DHS contractor. Clips of prominent individuals, including Commissioner Kelly, apparently taken from news interviews, were included in the video. There's no plan to contact officers who saw it or add other programming as a result."
Share your thoughts in the comments section below…
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)


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So lets go through his list; I've skipped some of the entries because I do not know Ruby well enough to make an informed comment:
Array.new(size=0, obj=nil)This method creates an array that has size copies of the object. Why? Have you ever needed to create an array/list that begins its life containing more than one copy of the same object? I don't think I have. I can imagine a few uses cases, especially if Ruby doesn't distinguish primitive types from objects like Java does; but I don't think they're nearly common enough to justify explicit support in the API. On the rare occasions when you need this, there's a fill method you can call after constructing the list.
Actually creating a repeated sequence of the same element is very useful in practice. Here are some uses of repetitions in the Factor library:
- Creating mathematical zero vectors. Factor's UI library uses vector math extensively to avoid loops, simplify layout management code, and avoid duplicating code that performs the same logic, except with horizontal or vertical orientation being a parameter (consider split panes, scroll bars, and so on).
- The prettyprinter uses repetitions to indent source code in a natural way.
- The type inference code in the compiler uses repetitions to avoid code duplication.
array.each_index {|index| block } -> array"Same as Array#each, but passes the index of the element instead of the element itself." Am I missing something, or is this just a for loop across the array indexes? Why not just use a for loop, or whatever Ruby's equivalent is?
If you want to argue that any concept is redundant, it is the "for" loop. Higher-order functions can express iteration in a much nicer way. Both iteration over elements and iteration over indices is useful: in Factor, integers are sequences of predecessors, so you can iterate over elements with
[ ... ] each and iterate over indices with
length [ ... ] each
array.at(index) -> obj or nil
As near as I can figure, this is exactly the same as using array brackets except it uses a method call. If there is a difference, it's pretty subtle. DRY, anyone?
My wild guess is that the method exists because of Ruby's superior reflection support. You can get a method object corresponding to 'at' at runtime, pass it somewhere, and invoke it. Try getting a method object for the '[]' or '+' operator in Java for reflective use. You can't. Here is an example where this causes major pain.
array.fetch(index) -> objThis one is mostly the same as array brackets, but there is one difference. It will throw an IndexErr rather than returning nil if you go outside the range. But will anyone remember that difference and which does which when reading code? Sometimes when presented with different possible options, it's best just to pick one. Don't provide every possible option in an API.
Both bounds-checking and silently-failing sequence access is useful. Factor has both in the form of the
nth and
?nth words. Neither word is used very frequently, because Factor encapsulates most collection operations in generic combinators; however having both words make code clearer and shorter than one alone.
array.pop and array.push(obj, ... )Someone pushed a stack into the list. Didn't we learn from that mistake in Java? (OK. push is really just append, but still, pop? And if you have pop why do you need last? Does anyone here remember DRY?)
Why clutter the code with a stack class when you can use an array? Factor has
pop and
pop* words for working with arrays-that-are-stacks (
pop* removes the last element without returning it). If I remove
pop just because
peek already exists, then I'll just have to change all the usages of
pop to duplicate the body of the definition of
pop; and if somebody wants to argue that code duplication is not that bad, they might as well stop reading here.
array.rassoc(key)Is it a list? Is it a stack? Is it a map? It's three, three, three data strcutures in one!
Yes, and there's nothing wrong with that. Association lists, while they suffer from linear lookup time, are occasionally useful where you want to have a mapping together with a certain intrinsic order. For example, Factor's generic word code takes the hashtable of methods defined on a generic, converts this to an association list, then sorts the association list according to the partial ordering of classes. Finally, the sorted association list is used to generate code.
array.transpose --> an_arrayAnd now it's a matrix! What's next? a B-tree?
It might surprise the author to learn that mathematically, a matrix is a two-dimensional array. In Factor, you can perform mathematical operations on vectors, such as vector addition, dot product, and so on. The contributed math library defines even more: vector projection, matrix addition and multiplication, polynomials, quaternions, and so on. And everything uses an arrays of numbers, because mathematically that's what these structures are. Polynomials in one variable form a vector space over the complex numbers; since multiplying a vector by a scalar is the same concept as multiplying a polynomial by a scalar, why implement it twice? Ditto for matrices.
With the math rant over, I can list additional non-mathematical usages of a matrix transpose in the Factor library:
- The
hash>alistword, which converts a hashtable to the oft-lamented association list, works by extracting an array of keys from the hash, then extracting an array of values, then it creates a two-element array from these, and finally, it performs a matrix transpose to get an array of key/value pairs:
: hash>alist ( hash -- assoc )This approach to algorithm design requires some practice, but the rewards include more elegant code, and a clearer mental framework for thinking about bulk operations with collections.
dup hash-keys swap hash-values 2array flip ;
- The inspector uses a similar technique. It builds up a table of strings represented as an array of columns, pads the strings in each column to the same width, transposes the matrix so that now it is an array of rows, and outputs each row.
- I found four usages of
flipin the compiler, all dealing with technical aspects such as value unification and dealing with recursive blocks.
- The layout manager code in Factor's GUI toolkit does something similar to the inspector's padding of text columns; the frame layout uses transposition and reduction to ensure that each gadget is padded with respect to its row and column. I don't even want to think about what this code looks like when written in a procedural style.
array.reverse and array.reverse!Have you ever needed to reverse a list outside of a job interview? Iterate through the list in reverse order, yes; reverse the list, no.
This is just silly. Factor reverses sequences, and not just for iteration, in a number of places:
- In the parser. Syntax tokens are consed onto the head of the current node of the parse tree; when parsing of the node is finished it gets reversed. This is a very, very common idiom in Lisp; Factor only uses it occasionally.
- The C library interface reverses an array of register numbers to handle differing low-level assembly calling conventions.
- The library includes a functional queue with O(1) amortized enqueue/dequeue operations. Of course, the implementation of this involves a reverse.
- The routine to convert an integer to a string repeatedly divides the integer by the numerical base, adding digits to a string; the string is reversed at the end, then returned.
- The routine to convert an integer to a big-endian byte string is simply defined as follows:
: >be ( x n -- string ) >le reverse ;This is an exceptionally elegant implementation: it converts it to little-endian, then reverses it.
Reverse iteration in Factor is implemented by first creating a virtual reversal sequence using
reverse-slice, and then applying one of the standard combinators such as
map, and so on. I'm not sure if Ruby is the same, but in either case, reverse iteration can be elegantly implemented by reversing your sequence first; no need to implement all your combinators twice, with forward and backward direction.
Do you really need any of this getting in your way? Possibly you need one or two of these methods; but how often, and how many? These methods are all way beyond the 80/20 point. I promised today I was going to show you all the methods you could take out of the Array class and still have a humane, indeed a more humane interface. I'm afraid I haven't fulfilled my promise. I got tired before I got halfway through the class and started skipping some cases. Try reading the entire documentation yourself from start to finish, and you'll see what I mean. It's just too damn big. A smaller, simpler API would be more humane.
As you can see, most of the author's complaints stem from a lack of understanding of functional programming style. In a language without higher order functions, the programmer writes loop after loop after loop, taking care to set up indices, always pulling elements out of collections and storing them back one by one. The result is error-prone, and full of duplication of effort. The duplication goes unnoticed because there is so much boilerplate anyway, that attempting good programming practice makes little difference. However, one should not let their past experience with such broken tools cloud their judgement when it comes to evaluating something new they do not fully grasp yet.