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Pleasant Sunday
In a fiery crackdown on illegal fishing, officials from the Pacific island nation of Palau burned a cluster of Vietnamese fishing boats off their coast.
With the stench of an overripe dumpster heavy in the air, several of us, still jet-lagged, watch as a freight truck backs toward a loading dock alongside the California Academy of Sciences
The king of the jungle is in trouble. Populations of African lions have declined by 42 percent over the past 21 years, according to data released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
More than 80% of Earth's marine life is migrating to different places and changing their breeding and feeding patterns due to warming waters.
Most people today have little or no connection to rainforests, both tropical and temperate, which makes it easy to forget their importance and their mysterious allure.
The summer season brings many joys, especially for those of us who love the great outdoors, but the warm weather also comes with a few dangers.
We often have a firm belief of what fruits and vegetables we enjoy. Out of these two essential parts of the diet, from a culinary standpoint, fruits often reign over vegetables.
Emmanuel de Merode, director and chief warden of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was driving through the forest last year when three men opened fire.
Sep 8, 2012; 5:00 AM ET With shorter days and colder nights in the fall and winter, some people develop seasonal affective disorder. When shopping for lightbulbs to treat the 'winter blues,'consider energy-efficient bulbs.


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- greg dahlen
- Glendale, CA
- United States
Alumnus, academy of achievement
This conversation is closed.
how to be a good listener?
I often read that it's very important to be a good listener. Any tips you have for how to be one?
If someone were a bad listener, could they still have a good life?
Closing Statement from greg dahlen
well, I believe the most helpful thing I learned is that one of my biggest impediments to listening well is having worries on my mind that I'm trying to solve whilst also trying to listen to another person talk about entirely different subjects. Thus I need to find a way to deal with these worries, and when I have, I am a better listener.
Oct 22 2013: Active Listening: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_listening
Appreciative Listening: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appreciative_listening
Informational Listening: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informational_listening
Reflective listening: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_listening
Workplace listening: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workplace_listeningNov 18 2013: This may be an obscure analogy, but I think being a good listener is rather like being a good seer.
When I go outside with my photographic gear, I sometimes deliberately fix only the macro lens on the camera, which forces me to look at things close-up without getting distracted by general scenes. It always ends up being very rewarding because I am forced to see intimate, interesting things that otherwise would have been missed.
I think being a good listener is a bit like fixing an appropriate auditory 'lens' to the ears. Sometimes we need to listen to detail - other times to get the bigger picture. I guess a really good listener is someone who knows exactly the right time and context to change their auditory 'lenses'.
I would think that bad listeners are easily distracted by their own thoughts and things going on around the person in front of them rather than the person himself, so it's possible that they could have a good life, if that's what genuinely pleases them. But if it does matter to them what other people think and do, then a bad listener can be made into a good one quite easily by forcing themselves to focus in on what is appropriate, decisively and deliberately - possibly by imagining a 'change of lens' :-) Listening well then becomes second nature after a period of practice, because one then realises after a while that other people really are genuinely interesting and will usually hold your attention without the need to force the issue.
Nov 18 2013: Good point about the photography Allan....micro/macro lens being similar to listening. When I traveled a lot, I rarely took a camera, because I felt like it was a distraction from "being" fully present in the moment. It also felt like it immediately tagged me as a tourist!
Lots of times, we want to bring back photos as memories, so with that intent, the present moment is sometimes missed. I bring the memories back in my mind and heart. Most of the time when I traveled, the person I traveled with or people in the groups took photos and sent me copies anyway!!!
There are some FABULOUS "scenes" in our world, and the moments that are the most precious to me are the times spent with people. I DID take a camera to Nepal, and I have hundreds of photos of children.... I seemed to be especially drawn to children at that time. It's funny, because the person I traveled with took hundreds of photos of the mountains, which of course are also magnificent:>)
Back to the idea of micro/macro lens.....
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes..."
(Marcel Proust)
"And ears"
Nov 18 2013: colleen, was your impression that people in prison might be bad listeners, this might account for some of their bad choices?
Nov 18 2013: I perceived them as relatively good listeners Greg. I pretty much had their undivided attention in a locked up room with court ordered programs:>) AND I was offering some ideas without judgment.
This has been mentioned on this thread, and I think/feel it is important to reinforce......
There are several levels, or layers to listening.....paying attention to the other person....being genuinely interested....actually hearing (we can listen to the words, and not hear what the person is expressing on all levels....body language, etc.) assimilating the information and applying the information when applicable......Nov 18 2013: Good quote by Proust - and Colleen! Thanks ;-)
Have you read "Proust Was a Neuroscientist" by Jonah Lehrer? - your quote reminded me of this book. It's theme is about the value of art in understanding the brain - that art habitually gets there first and that science is only now rediscovering.
Lehrer explains this hypothesis through the work of writers, painters and composers. Proust reveaed the fallability of memory, George Eliot understood the brain's malleable plasticity, Cezanne worked out the subtleties of vision, and Virginia Woolf the mysteries of consciousness...
It's a good read.
Nov 18 2013: Not familiar with it Allan.....sounds very interesting:>)Nov 18 2013: for me, colleen, it seems most important to just listen to the words, I don't multi-task well at all, so if I have to choose one aspect of listening I guess it will be the words.
Do you multi-task well? How do you do it?
Nov 18 2013: I can multi-task at times Greg....depends on the situation. I have a policy however, to NOT multi-task when communicating with people. I prefer to be fully present when interacting with others:>)
Being open to ALL possibilities in a communication is not "multi-tasking" to me, because the "task" is simply to be open and receiving in all possible ways.
Fritzie -
Nov 18 2013: Like you, I don't like to bound my experience by letting the camera intervene or frame the scene. What is lost then, potentially, are the things I may not have noticed that I might have seen on viewing the photo later that captured what my eye missed. Often others have been taking photos, so I benefit from theirs afterwards.
- +2
I share your love of photographs of children. You might look online at the photographs of Steve McCurry, my favorite photographer.
Nov 18 2013: Hi Fritzie, Agreed - particularly his photo of the Afghan girl with the dazzling eyes!Nov 18 2013: Steve McCurry's work is exquisite, and the Afghan girl with the dazzling eyes is amazing.....many very haunting images............
Fritzie, the more we connect, the more I think we are like two peas in a pod....maybe Allan is another pea in our pod.....LOL:>)Nov 18 2013: colleen, what I meant by multitasking in this situation is, if I have to listen to a person talk and watch their body language, I can't do it, it feels like two tasks, or "multitasking." Therefore I make a choice that the most important thing is their words, so I just listen to their words and forgo the watching the body language. Apparently, others on this post can do both at the same time?
Nov 18 2013: I think I understood what you meant Greg.....
You perceive listening and observing body language as two separate tasks.
I perceive the "task" to be one task involving listening with all my senses.Nov 18 2013: listening with all your senses, but if you missed their words, that would damage understanding more than if you missed their body language, or am I wrong on that?
Nov 18 2013: Yes Greg....listening with all the senses. Hearing is one of our senses.....is it not?
Sean Brother
Nov 18 2013: Colleen, I agree with Proust and you. I think there are unknown worlds everywhere, if we are ready for discovering them. The fascination of adventure is great, because in this case doesn't matter at all if other people discovered them before us. New and different worlds -all the scales- are here and there, and we need to get new eyes and ears for giving a look into them. And even into ourselves, if we know how to look, we can find susprises. Other people, animals, books, music, even the streets or the country, all of them offer new perspectives to them who are so lucky for seeing. [Wow, sorry for my bad english, it's difficult for me to explain correctly.. :) Sometimes it tooks me a hard task to say just what I want to]
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Nov 18 2013: Well Sean.....it appears that we are ALL in good company:>)
I agree that the fascination of adventure is great, and it is the process of discovery that is intriguing to me. If I do not listen, and pay attention in every moment, I am simply depriving my "self" of opportunity. I agree that if we know how to look, we find surprises. Even if we are simply OPEN to listening, hearing, seeing, we get surprises all the time.....everywhere......with everyone.....in every moment:>)
Sean, you express yourself beautifully, and I appreciate your comments....thank you:>)Nov 18 2013: well, I guess the problem is I can only do one sense at a time, listening is one of the five senses, sight is a second, smell is a third, etc. I suppose watching their body language would fall under the sense of sight, right? Listening to their words under the sense of hearing? Smelling them under the sense of smell, tasting them, well, that would be cannibalism, physically feeling them under the sense of touch. I'm just wondering how people can listen with their ears at the same time as they watch with their eyes, to me that's using two senses and it's pretty hard for me. But it's not a huge issue, colleen, I'm doing okay just listening with my ears and not doing much with my other senses. I'm just curious how other people use more than one sense at one time. When I played basketball the main sense was probably eyesight, didn't employ the other senses too much.
Nov 18 2013: Greg,
Haven't you mentioned, in comments on TED that you walk a lot? Observe scenery? Hearing people? Nature sounds? I think we see and hear things often at the same time.Nov 18 2013: I suppose you're right, colleen, when you walk you might take in more than one thing at once, but each thing is a bit superficial, if for example I try to pay attention to the sound of car motors, I'm not paying as much attention to the look of the trees. But when someone talks to me, I would like to make sure I catch the ideas, and for me the best is to just listen to the words and hardly notice anything else. Which is fine and works out. It's just other people say they can multi-task, and I wonder if they really can and how it works out.
I'm also quite impressed by people who can do two things at once. For example, is it true that Paul McCartney could play the bass and sing at the same time, that would really impress me.
Nov 18 2013: Again Greg, it seems like we are talking about our individual perception of what is "multi-tasking". You apparently perceive seeing and hearing as two tasks, and I perceive them as parts of one task. In my perception, to genuinely listen, has several elements....all one task.
Lots of musicians sing and play an instrument at the same time:>)Nov 18 2013: well, colleen, again, I'm doing okay, but it's nice to talk to you. Yeah, in theory I could see what you're saying, but in my life it doesn't work that way, in fact I'm very careful much of the time to only do one thing, for example, I turn off the radio to get dressed in the morning, or turn off the radio to do even the simplest task like wash dishes. I guess I find I can get dressed better, perhaps choose my colors and which clothes will give me the best comfort and warmth for the day, if my attention is undivided. Similarly, I like to listen to the radio when I can give it my full attention. Where would you stand on these actions?
Well, I could strum a guitar to the rhythm of what I was singing, but if I had to pick some notes that were a different melody than what I was singing, that would be difficult.
Nov 19 2013: Nice to chat with you too Greg:>)
I usually have music in my home....background music which I may change with the mood. It is usually soft, classical instrumental, some of the tapes and CDs have nature sounds....birds, water flowing, etc., and sometimes if I am doing an energetic project, I like to listen to something more "snappy" to encourage extra energy flow. There is a speaker in the gardens too, so when I work/play in the gardens there is usually music:>)Nov 19 2013: well, if people have committed crimes, and yet they are good listeners, how would you account for their crimes?
Well, if you enjoy the classical music, great. If you felt like running an experiment, you could turn it off for a while (at least when you're simultaneously doing other things) and see if you could do things better. For me, I really believe I could, but of course different people are different.
Classical music is something I don't know much about. How did you get into it?
Nov 19 2013: I cannot "account" for anyone's crimes Greg. I believe we can all listen to different information and make a choice to apply the information in many different ways.
I agree...different people are different, and we all make different choices.
I studied piano as a kid and played some classical. I'm not sure if you are "listening", because sometimes you ask the same questions when I may have already given you that information.Nov 19 2013: so basically people who commit crimes are hearing the messages that you shouldn't commit a crime, but they're making the decision to commit one? Seems a bit weird?
It would be nice if I could do several things at once and do them all just as well as if I only did one at a time. I have this funny picture of myself as an octopus, doing something different with each arm.
Yes, now that you mention it, I believe you had told me that you played it as a kid. Well, some things probably get inscribed in the memory more powerfully than others. Sometimes it's just easier for me to ask a question again than try to go back through the melange of past TED conversations and find it. But it's interesting that classical music "took" with you, of course we've all heard it, but it didn't grab me, wonder why it did you?
Nov 20 2013: Basically Greg, I do not know for sure, and I do not speculate regarding what information people hear and apply to the life adventure. Unless a person gives me that information about him/herself, there is no way I can KNOW for sure what is going on in the heart and mind of another person. There are many people who are brought up in a life of crime, and they may not know how to function in a different way.
There are people who have been exposed to one kind of music or another and either like and accept it or not. I like most kinds of music:>)Nov 18 2013: well, when I'm listening well, not all that often, I think I just go "blank," there's no "me," I'm only hearing the person's words. Maybe when it's my turn to speak, I might go macro or micro.
I seem to listen better to people on TV or radio than live people like friends or family. Is this because they're better speakers, or I don't have an obligation to speak, or I don't have as many topics between them and me as with family or friends?
I would think being a bad listener means a bad life, as life is complex and you need much information to get through which you acquire by listening. Could it be that people in prison are bad listeners?
Love your closing statement, must remember others are interesting and want to be heard.Nov 11 2013: It's dizzy to see my comments among the former ones, so please let me move it to here.
" well, let's say he prefers to talk rather than listen, when he listens to someone else sometimes his mind drifts... "
If this kind of person lacks super talents to be insightful to make people respect them, they'll probably fail in their life becasue they can't get enough firsthand or important information from people and do more necessary thinking. People usually regard these kind of people rude and stupid, which may cause people to stay away from these bad listeners.
Nov 11 2013: Another good point Yoka,
When we are not listening to the best of our ability, we actually deny ourselves the opportunity to get more information. That is one reason I like being fully present and engaged in the moment.....I don't like to deny myself information:>)
Nov 11 2013: and how do you put your worries aside to just listen, colleen? Or what happens if you think of something you want to say to the other person, but you don't want to interrupt while they're talking, but you also don't want to forget what you want to say?
You know, another interesting question is, how does one think on one's feet? For instance I sometimes call in and talk on talk radio shows, but sometimes I get stymied in the conversation, the host says something and I can't think of a snappy reply. Then, after we hang up, I think, "Oh, I should have said that."
Nov 18 2013: Greg,
"How do I put my worries aside...?"
I don't worry, because I have no desire to do that to myself.
Worry..." to subject to persistent or nagging attention or effort; to afflict with mental distress or agitation; anxiety; torment".
Worrying generally takes us round and round in circles (persistent nagging, mental distress, agitation, anxiety, etc.)
I think, feel, ponder, evaluate information, consider, seek resolutions, etc., on many different levels....no worry.
That being said, we can give ourselves the time to think, feel, ponder, etc., when we choose. For example, when I was performing, there were times that something challenging was going on in my personal life, and that evening, I was playing the role on stage of a happy go lucky person. While in the role, I put the challenging thoughts/feelings aside (sometimes I actually said to myself.....self......we will deal with that later), and proceeded to play the happy person. The opposite was true as well. At another time I dealt with the challenge.
"What happens if you think of something you want to say....don't want to interrupt....don't want to forget?"
Sometimes, if a person is going on and on, I might say....excuse me....could I just ask a question? When we are thinking of something we want to say, we are not really listening. I find that most conversations flow, when we give ourselves and the other person that opportunity. If a thought passes through my mind, and I don't have the opportunity to express it, I believe it probably didn't need to be expressed. I prefer to listen well, rather than try to formulate my next comment. I think that is a major challenge with listening/not listening.....people are often already thinking about what they are going to say next.....let it go and listen:>)
"How does one think on one's feet"?
Personally, I just let the conversation flow. Perhaps in your quest to have a "snappy reply", you are not really listening to the other person?Nov 12 2013: Thank you Colleen,again.
I think I always see your great patience in listening and talking to people here.
Nov 12 2013: Thank you so much Yoka, and I see that in you as well my friend. It is much more enjoyable than the alternative:>)Nov 18 2013: thanks for the long set of ideas, very interesting about the theater and dealing with worries.
Yes, I believe I'll try to relax and not worry if I recall the point I had wanted to make.
Colleen, one interesting thing, I decided for me it might be better to express my worries to the other person, and then, having "cleared my mind," I could listen better. It can be hard, because sometimes you think others don't want to hear your worries. But I found I only took five minutes to share one worry with one person, and it has really cleared my mind, I have been listening better for the last two or three weeks to everybody.
Nov 19 2013: You are welcome Greg:>)
Clearing the mind can be beneficial, and it's also important to intuit if the information you are clearing from your mind is something the other person actually wants to hear. Some folks sometimes "vent" (clear their mind), are not aware of the effect it might have on the other person, and I do not perceive that to be beneficial. Does the other person really want to have that information? We can usually sense that by being aware of facial expressions, body language, etc.
When we are listening with all the senses, and are fully engaged in the conversation at the moment, it seems like the conversation flows. I tend to "feel" the conversation rather than "think" about it as it is flowing. Thinking about it, and analyzing it as it is happening interferes with the flow for me.Nov 19 2013: right, colleen, in this case the person did not initially want to hear it, but as I talked on they calmed down and were okay with it. I would say that there are times in life you have to talk about unpleasant things and you have to make a judgement as to what the rewards will be versus the detriments. In this case, by talking about this one unpleasant thing for five minutes, I was able to clear my head, and then I could listen much better to this other person for the next half hour. So I would say it was worth it, the other person got a reward in that I could listen to them better. But yes, there would be times, and people, not to expose your worries. A lot of it might be how you talk about it, if you can talk about it intelligently and crisply, the other person might tolerate it better. If I talk about my worries and the other person starts saying things back to me, I try to ask questions about what they're saying to understand better, that way it's not just me giving a monologue.
Nov 19 2013: I wholeheartedly support talking about challenges Greg, and it is important for me to intuit what information to give to what people. I personally would not feel comfortable if a person was simply "tolerating" me, or the information I was providing.Nov 19 2013: well, not sure how you mean "tolerating" here, Colleen, merely not protesting, or actually listening carefully? I do think there are ways to "sweeten" talking about challenges, listening carefully to the other person's feedback, asking questions about what they're saying, etc. I would still say one has to make a rewards-consequences decision, how much pain in talking about challenges versus how much reward?
Nov 19 2013: You used the word "tolerate" Greg, (" if you can talk about it intelligently and crisply, the other person might tolerate it better"), and I use it based on the accepted definition...
Perhaps one does indeed make a rewards-consequences decision.....based on the feelings and preference of BOTH people in the interaction.Nov 19 2013: well, I think when you listen to someone talk about their challenges, you would have many different feelings, one might be some pain, perhaps you empathize with them and thus feel the pain of their situation yourself, or you imagine yourself being in their situation and it's painful, or other reasons for pain. And I'm thinking the person telling their worries could find some ways to make the conversation more palatable so that in spite of the pain, the conversation is at least somewhat engaging, or seems to be moving forward and helping, or other positive outcomes. But I don't know if person B is going to kick up their heels with joy that person A is telling them his problems, although sometimes that might happen.
Well, the way I approached is is to make a unilateral decision that although it might be painful to the other person to hear my challenges, it might help me listen better to the other person about other topics if I could "clear" the one worry on my mind. And it seems to me it worked out that way. But I suppose I could say to the person, "Look, I would like to have a happy conversation with you about our lives, but I do have this one worry I have to get off my chest, is that okay?"
What attitude would you like someone to have who is listening to your challenges, Colleen?
Nov 20 2013: I agree Greg.....when we are truly listening, we may experience feelings, and I am honored when people share thoughts and feelings with me, because to me, it demonstrates trust. I feel grateful when people are genuinely listening to me, because in my perception and experience it builds trust, and it demonstrates a willingness to open the heart and mind to each other.Nov 21 2013: well, my situation might be a little difficult, colleen, because the person I feel most comfortable sharing my challenges with, my mom, is often not that thrilled to hear about them. I generally feel comfortable talking to my mom (I imagine many people do), and she knows me quite well, knows my history, knows the background of some of my challenges that have lasted a long time, so in that sense it's good. But she's also a person who tends to downplay a person's challenges, or even tell them they're all in their head, so it's difficult in that sense.
I remember when I was a kid, I went through a year where I was very afraid of being kidnapped. We walked close to two miles each way to school, and I was very scared on those walks, very fearful of passing cars that one would stop and the driver would try to kidnap me. I should have told someone, one of my parents, but my dad was always working, and my mom I was afraid would downplay my fears. So I just suffered. Eventually the fear passed.
Nov 21 2013: I am sorry that your situation is difficult Greg, also sorry for your experience as a child, and glad you were able to move through that challenging fear.
That is why I think/feel genuinely listening is SO important. Genuinely hearing people, being open to them, and reaching out to them is as important as being able to trust a person we choose to share information with. The practice of listening is especially important when children are exploring the life experience. Listening, or not listening, has the potential to influence a kids entire life.
greg dahlen
Nov 21 2013: thanks much for your great ideas. Love the idea of listening to children, also, how to help children listen? Convo closes in six minutes.
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Nov 21 2013: Modeling is usually the best teacher:>)Oct 23 2013: Hi Greg :)
I am agree with Joseph Thomas!
A good listener is who don't let his/her mind interfere while listening. Mind is always judgmental. It is full of predetermined/preoccupied decisions you have made in your life, that is why mind continuously relate every coming information to deny or accept in between listening. When a information comes to you, it should be welcomed as a stranger and there is no need to either take the side of a stranger or going against it. Mind should be kept aside in listening.
Have you ever thought Greg, people listening are better when they are alone and they listen music or watch tv, that's why TV commercials are so successful. But why it happens? Because, now listener knows, nobody is there in front of them to whom they can nod to show the acceptance or to nonacceptance, so they becomes good receptors of coming information.
Good Listening is not a guarantee of a good life. Yaa but undoubtedly, it opens some doors in future for your life. It helps to develop a good foresight inside you. :)Oct 22 2013: When you listen let there be zero acceptance and zero denial. Try practicing it and eventually you could be one great listener.
Oct 22 2013: okay, but once it's your turn to speak, Joseph, you do want to take a position on what the person just said, do you not? For instance, if they just said "I think we should go to Carl's Jr. for lunch," and is waiting for a response from you, you can't just practice zero acceptance and zero denial. Oh, maybe you only mean in certain situations practice zero acceptance and zero denial?
Oct 23 2013: Zero acceptance and denial, that is for all situations. When we listen , we gotta llisten completely. It should be simply - absolute beautiful listening !, you should be so alive,completetly alert. Once listening is done then it's your time to speak, there you can accept or deny it.
After all words are the means used by the author to translate his experience. This translation is already so limited. So let us always judge after the listening is done.
Zero acceptance and denial is till the point where the speaker stops speaking.
Oct 23 2013: love it, joe. But do you do this, is it hard to do, can you always do it, do you often fail? How does a person do this more?
Kuldeep negi
Oct 22 2013: I just Try to Shut up Sometime..
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Oct 22 2013: right. Do you ever find your mind drifting away to other topics while you are listening? This is bad, right? Can you prevent it, we should try to prevent it, right?
Oct 23 2013: It happens Greg After all Mind too has its own ability, Sometime it switches ON and OFF after every 1 or 2 hour, that is the reason Why movies are all ways of only 2 hour (most of the time).
Thanks for thums up!
Oct 23 2013: love it, Kuldeep, so we should take a break and relax our mind when we've been listening for a while? But life demands that we stay attentive all day long?
emna BO
Oct 22 2013: first, when you see that something is wrong with someone you ask him if he tells that nothing is wrong you ask if he is sure .
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and you ask questions to show that you re intrested in the story .
to comment and ask him to go on etc..
then you add your opinion and suggest a solution if it is a problem of course .
Oct 22 2013: Just close your mouth.
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Oct 22 2013: haha, Thumb-up( I have been waiting for days to be able to give you thum-ups, but still failed.)
Oct 22 2013: It is so frustrating when we run out of thumbs up isn't it?
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Just wait a few days.....but I much rather have your lovely words, so I can write back.
Yoka....watch Ernesto's talk above.....it is WONDERFUL!!!!!!
Oct 22 2013: THX
I'll watch it. I'll never fail to type words here. How wonderful~!!!!!(๑•ั็ω•็ั๑)Oct 31 2013: You're right~! It's really marvelous~! I like it, too~!
Thx~!Oct 22 2013: it's true, Mary. One problem I have is that while I'm trying to listen I'm also trying to formulate what I'm going to say when my turn to talk comes. Do you experience this? Have you found a solution?
Oct 23 2013: This is natural Greg.
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We all experience this. The problem sometimes is that WHILE we are thinking what to say next, if we meditate too much on it and the other person is still speaking, we might lose precious sound bytes of information that might hamper communication.
I am sometimes amazed at your questions. Mostly because you appear to be thinking about your thinking.................normally people go through all these cognitive dilemmas without even giving it a second thought, and through trial and error they find a happy balance. You come out and ask and delve into explanations.....that is wonderful.
You might enjoy reading information about metacognitive skills.
Your question is a good one Greg. And as Robert links above......there are many types of listeners......and we must not confuse hearing with listening......they are two distinct things.Oct 22 2013: try to imagine yourself in the place of the talker Greg :)Oct 22 2013: Using your body language as a response has done many good to me.
Asking interesting questions to motivate the conversation on the speaker side can show a sign of active listening and makes people more comfortable in sharing.
Fritzie -
Oct 21 2013: Have you listened to this talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better.html ?
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Here is TED's Listening playlist: http://www.ted.com/playlists/92/listen_up.html
Oct 22 2013: thanks, F, I'm sure I'll end up listening to them all.
what are some of the reasons we listen, we listen to get information or knowlege, to learn something; we listen to get someone else's emotions, to feel something; listen for pleasure, such as to music, I guess to some degree that involves the first two purposes, learning and emotion.
Interesting, the comments I've gotten so far seem to have focused on how to listen better to other people. I often listen quite a bit to other sounds around me, like right now my fingers tapping the keyboard keys; other people tapping their keys, as I'm in a public library; people clearing their throats or shifting in their chairs (well, that is listening to people, but not talking.) When walking, I listen quite a bit to the passing cars.
Fritzie -
Oct 23 2013: The first sort of listening that came to my mind was the kind of listening a teacher does to students to pick up cues as to how they are thinking about the ideas in play, which combines with visual observations of them to form the whole observation. The teacher needs to listen carefully to their thinking to sense the opportunities to leverage those thoughts for their greatest learning.
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The second was listening to outdoor sounds of, for example, wind through leaves.


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Cloud flexibility, enterprise transparencyYou can be sure that your Cloud solution will be today's most comprehensive, with a platform for your size of business. After all, we have 20 years of experience helping enterprises to build and manage their IT infrastructures. With Xerox Cloud, you gain excellent security management and simple provisioning in an exclusive ITIL, V3-compliant service delivery platform. So you can track your work with the same transparency of a traditional enterprise solution.
Many call it the business cloud. We call it Xerox.Why should you choose Xerox? Xerox has been a trusted source for cloud services for over 20 years. Our solutions scale from the very small to the very large. We offer complete pay-as-you-go services, a secure worry-free environment, with back up and disaster recovery services so your business never stops. It's your cloud. It's your Xerox. Watch the video (3:42)›
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Mr. James Elton Long died Monday, Nov. 28, 2011, at the State Veterans Home in Kosciusko.
Mr. Long was a self-employed logger and heavy equipment operator. He also served in the U.S. Navy. Mr. Long was a member of the Sturgis Baptist Church, was a mason and a member of the Sturgis Lodge No. 365.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, at Sturgis Baptist Church, with Rev. Russell Mord and Rev. Steve Lammons officiating.
Burial will follow at Sturgis Cemetery.
Visitation is scheduled for 9:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, at Sturgis Baptist Church.
Coleman Funeral Home of Ackerman is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Long is survived by his wife, Sarah Jackson Long; a son, John Long, and his wife, LeAnne, of Starkville; a daughter, Laura Smith, of Sturgis; a sister, Frances Murphy, of Greenwood; and a granddaughter, Mary Audrey Long.
Memorials may be sent to State Veterans Hospital in Kosciusko or Sturgis Baptist Church.


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|Salmon and Whitefish Bites with Cucumber Sauce
by Eileen Goltz, Kosher Food Writer, Lecturer and Author, Perfectly Pareve Cookbook
Modified from Bon Appétit April 2008. The combination of salmon and whitefish is delicious (and pretty). A few tablespoons of horseradish give a real kick to the sauce.
Fish cakes:
For sauce: In a bowl combine the cucumber, mayonnaise, horseradish, parsley, and green onions. Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper. Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
For fish cakes: Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap and set it aside. Place the fish pieces in a food processor and pulse until they are almost a paste but there is still some piece left. Set the mixture aside. In a skillet sauté the carrots and onions in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil until they are just soft but not browned. Let them cool in the skillet. In a bowl beat the eggs to combine and then add the matzo meal, salt, and pepper and mix to combine. Add the cooked vegetable mixture to the egg mixture and mix to combine. Add the fish mixture and mix to combine. Stir fish into matzo meal mixture and mix to combine. Using wet hands and about 1/3 cup for each cake/ patty, shape fish mixture into sixteen 1/2-inch-thick cake/patty. Arrange on prepared baking sheet. This can be done 2 days ahead of when you want to serve it. Cover with plastic and refrigerate.
Add enough oil to a large skillet to coat bottom. Heat oil and cook in batches. Cook over a medium heat until both side are golden and the patty is cooked through about 3 minutes per side. You can make these ahead of time and rewarm in the oven or serve cold. Garnish with lemons and parsley and serve the sauce on the side.
Yield: Makes 16.
Recipes: Passover, Appetizers, Fish, Parve, Kosher


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T NATION | How to Build Pure Strength
half way down the page there's a diagram of the weeks and weights and sets...very easy to follow.
once you measure your 1RM (rep max) you plug in the weight and viola...Jim's books usually come with the PDF (if you get the ebook, or you know...the "Free" version) where you plug in your numbers and it saves you using your brain to calculate it hehe
OK, Crisco, do you have time to eat in the morning? or PREPARE something to eat in the morning?


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Prepare for the Unexpected
Thanks for your interest in getting a quote for individual disability income insurance. If you're like most Americans, you need your income to live day-to-day. There may be little or no money left for unexpected emergencies like an injury or illness.
By coming to this site, you've taken the first step in protecting one of your most valuable assets – your income – if you become too sick or hurt to work. After all, every second a disabling injury happens in the United States.*
When you click below you'll leave the Principal Financial Group® website and enter the EZDIquote® site. Simply enter three basic pieces of information about yourself to get a quick disability insurance quote. If you want to further explore purchasing individual disability insurance, you can request a full quote by providing additional information.
If you'd rather talk or meet with a local financial representative, you can find one near you. If you do not wish to leave the Principal Financial Group website return to www.principal.com.
EZDIquote is not an affiliate of any company of the Principal Financial Group. The Principal Financial Group is not responsible for the content, services, links or information EZDIquote.com provides.


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Top 15 for the first 7 divisions; Top 10 for flyweight and women's p4p
Please note that the MMANews FORUMS rankings are separate from the MMANews website rankings.
Committee members: Dr. MMA, Rivethead, KevoOnTheRadio, TBEAR, SWIFTboy
Alternate members: Mac ( Mac will fill in as an alternate member if one of the members of the committee is unavailable.)
Appointed to combine and matrix rankings from the committee members: CatSmasher**
**CatSmasher is also responsible for breaking any ties.
The following criteria were taken into account while generating the rankings:
A) Rankings are not based on opinion of fighter's skillset and potential but are based on evidence, i.e. fighter's opposition, track record, how dominant the wins were (dependent on opposition), and how dominant the losses were (dependent on opposition).
B) Recent victories hold more weight than historical, however, it doesn't negate it.
C) A fighter is ranked in the division where they have had their two most recent consecutive fights. This could be two actual fights or one actual fight and a scheduled/planned fight. For example, Frankie Edgar is a FW since he had one actual FW fight and plans to continue in the division.
D) If a fighter hasn't fought in 18 months or hasn't won a fight in 24 months, he will be removed from the top 10. If a fighter has not fought in 30 months or hasn't won a fight in 36 months, he will be removed from the top 15. If he announces retirement, he will be removed from the rankings altogether.
E) If Fighter A wins a recent head-to-head matchup against Fighter B, it does not necessarily mean Fighter A moves ahead of fighter B. Head-to-head matchups are primarily considered when rankings are tied, similar to other sports like hockey or soccer.
e.g. If half of us thought that Overeem was #3 and the other half thought Werdum was #3, then we look to their most recent fight. Overeem won, so he would move up and Werdum would move down.
F) With regards to the holy trinities (e.g. Machida beat Rashad who beat Rampage who beat Machida), we evaluate the individual's rank and their opposition's at the time of the fight. More recent victories are weighed heavier as are more dominating victories.
__________________________________________________ ______________________
The MMANews Forums rankings as of May 12, 2013 are:
1 Cain Valasquez
2 Junior Dos Santos
3 Daniel Cormier
4 Fabricio Werdum
5 Antonio Silva
6 Alistair Overeem
7 Josh Barnett
8 Roy Nelson
9 Frank Mir
10 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
11 Mark Hunt
12 Travis Browne
13 Stefen Struve
14 Brendan Schaub
15 Cheick Kongo
Light Heavyweight
1 Jon Jones
2 Lyoto Machida
3 Dan Henderson
4 Alexander Gustafsson
5 Mauricio Rua
6 Glover Teixeira
7 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
8 Rashad Evans
9 Ryan Bader
10 Phil Davis
11 Gegard Mousasi
12 Quinton Jackson
13 Forrest Griffin
14 Rafael Cavalcante
15 James Te Huna
1 Anderson Silva
2 Chris Weidman
3 Vitor Belfort
4 Yushin Okami
5 Mark Munoz
6 Michael Bisping
7 Luke Rockhold
8 Constantios Philippou
9 Tim Boetsch
10 Ronaldo Souza
11 Hector Lombard
12 Alan Belcher
13 Brian Stann
14 Tim Kennedy
15 Alexander Shlemenko
1 Georges St. Pierre
2 Johnny Hendricks
3 Carlos Condit
4 Jake Ellenberger
5 Martin Kampmann
6 Damian Maia
7 Nick Diaz
8 Jon Fitch
9 Rory MacDonald
10 Tarec Saffiedine
11 Josh Koscheck
12 Dong Hyun Kim
13 Ben Askren
14 Robbie Lawler
15 Mike Pierce
1 Ben Henderson
2 Gilbert Melendez
3 Gray Maynard
4 Anthony Pettis
5 Michael Chandler
6 Eddie Alvarez
7 Josh Thompson
8 Nate Diaz
9 Jim Miller
10 Donald Cerrone
11 Pat Healy
12 Joe Lauzon
13 TJ Grant
14 Shinya Aoki
15 Khabib Nurmagomedov
1 Jose Aldo
2 Chad Mendes
3 Frankie Edgar
4 Ricardo Lamas
5 Pat Curran
6 Cub Swanson
7 Chan Sung Jung
8 Hatsu Hioki
9 Clay Guida
10 Denis Siver
11 Dustin Poirier
12 Marlon Sandro
13 Nik Lentz
14 Patricio Freire
15 Frodo Khasbulaev
1 Dominic Cruz
2 Renan Barao
3 Urijah Faber
4 Michael MacDonald
5 Bibiano Fernandes
6 Eddie Wineland
7 Brian Bowles
8 Brad Pickett
9 Scott Jorgensen
10 Raphael Assuncao
11 Eduardo Dantas
12 Tyson Nam
13 Marcos Galavo
14 Hacras Dias
15 Marlon Moraes
1 Demetrious Johnson
2 Joseph Benavidez
3 Ian McCall
4 John Dodson
5 Jussier da Silva
6 John Moraga
7 John Linker
8 Darrell Montague
9 Yahuhiro Urushitani
10 Louis Gaudinot
Women's p4p
1 Ronda Rousey
2 Cristiane Santos
3 Jessica Aguilar
4 Cat Zingano
5 Miesha Tate
6 Megumi Fujii
7 Sarah Kaufman
8 Marloes Coenen
9 Jessica Eye
10 Michelle Waterson


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Steven J. Brams uses the Cuban missile crisis to illustrate the Theory of Moves, which is not just an abstract mathematical model but one that mirrors the real-life choices, and underlying thinking, of flesh-and-blood decision makers.
The idea is this. To start with, you will choose an envelope at random, say by tossing a coin, and look at its contents, which is a cheque for some number - say n. (By randomising like this, you can be sure I haven't subconsciously induced you to prefer one envelope or the other.) You want to make sure that the bigger the number is, the more likely you are to keep it, in other words, the less likely you are to swap.
Why can't human beings walk as fast as they run? And why do we prefer to break into a run rather than walk above a certain speed? Using mathematical modelling, R. McNeill Alexander finds some answers.
Arguably, the exponential function crops up more than any other when using mathematics to describe the physical world. In the first of two articles on physical phenomena which obey exponential laws, Ian Garbett discusses light attenuation - the way in which light decreases in intensity as it passes through a medium.
Last October, two mathematicians won £1m when it was revealed that they were the first to solve the Eternity jigsaw puzzle. It had taken them six months and a generous helping of mathematical analysis. Mark Wainwright meets the pair and finds out how they did it.
There are many sorts of games played in a "bunco booth", where a trickster or sleight-of-hand expert tries to relieve you of your money by getting you to place bets - on which cup the ball is under, for instance, or where the queen of spades is. Lots of these games can be analysed using probability theory, and it soon becomes obvious that the games are tipped heavily in favour of the trickster!


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Concord, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - A group of nine multi-car teams competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series announced on Monday they have formed a collaborative business association called the Race Team Alliance.
Those teams currently included in the RTA are: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske.
According to a news release from the RTA, "the purpose of the organization is to create an open forum for the teams to explore areas of common interest and to work collaboratively on initiatives to help preserve, promote, and grow the sport of stock car racing."
The RTA said it intends to open up its membership to all full-time teams in NASCAR's premier series in the near future.
Furthermore, the RTA noted it "plans to explore innovative ways to harness the combined purchasing power and scale of the teams' operations to drive efficiencies in costs."
Rob Kauffman, the co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, has been elected chairman of the RTA.
"With the encouragement of NASCAR and the manufacturers, the teams have met in various forms and forums over the years to explore areas of common interest," Kauffman said in a statement. "This simply formalizes what was an informal group. The key word is 'collaboration.' We all have vested interests in the success and popularity of stock car racing.
"By working together and speaking with a single voice, it should be a simpler and smoother process to work with current and potential groups involved with the sport. Whether it be looking for industry-wide travel partners or collaborating on technical issues - the idea is to work together to increase revenue, spend more efficiently and deliver more value to our partners."
NASCAR issued a statement in response to the RTA.
"We are aware of the alliance concept the team owners have announced, but have very few specifics on its structure or purpose," NASCAR vice president and chief communications officer Brett Jewkes said in the statement. "It is apparently still in development, and we're still learning about the details, so it would be inappropriate to comment right now.
"NASCAR's mission, as it has always been, is to create a fair playing field where anyone can come and compete. Our job is to support and strengthen all of the teams, large and small, across all of our series, and we'll continue to do that. NASCAR is a unique community with hundreds of stakeholders. They all have a voice and always will."


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As a special gift this weekend, we are streaming Jello Biafra's classic spoken word performance THE BIG KA-BOOM, PART ONE on our bandcamp right now! You can listen to the entire 34 minute performance for FREE!
While you are there be sure to listen to ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES FOR BEGINNERS! Our 2014 sampler that you can stream for free or download for $5!
Listen to "Jello Biafra - The Big Ka-Boom, Part One" here: https://alternativetentacles.bandcamp.com/
Alternative Tentacles is beyond excited to announce the most recent addition to our one of a kind corral of bands that truly break the mold, the international Brooklyn-based WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY! WIFS will be releasing their anticipated new album THIS PACKED FUNERAL on NOVEMBER 11, 2014!
In the band's unique punk rock cabaret style, the ten tracks on the LP feature their signature critically acclaimed romantic tangoing/violent break up inducing mayhem while expanding previously unexplored territory combining contrapuntal fugue, the rhythmic percussion of a New Orleans Funeral March and the classic hardcore punk sounds of Code Of Honor, TSOL and The Damned.
At their annual always-anticipated Hallowmas bacchanal, the famously incestuous collective will celebrate the release on October 31st in their hometown where fans will be able to purchase an advance copy of the record or you can pre-order the album NOW on Alternative Tentacles! An extensive tour of our great United States is to follow, the next fucking day! Two of the new songs, "The Packed Funeral" and "American Mercurial," are streaming on the band's website.
For AT fans who haven't heard them before, the style is punk, soul, klezmer and jazz, featuring horns, piano, guitar and a lot of boys and girls with very sharp teeth with a must-see stage charisma rivaling Slim Cessna's Auto Club. The ensemble has over 40 members, including a guy from Dexys Midnight Runners who's in Black 47 now. Crazy right? Only about 7 to 13 show up at any given time due to parole restrictions, but laws change from state to state and country-to-country so you never can tell how crowded the dressing room is going to be. The group is forced to continue with singer, Jack Terricloth, a prison baby who was placed in foster care after being born in the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women in Union Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
After being branded and taken away from his mother he was placed in the NYC foster care system where he met most of his future bandmates. Co-founding member of this bizarre gang of dangerous loonies, Scott Hollingsworth, is back and in the producer's/piano stool after a 15-year hiatus, and will be touring with the band on keys this fall. Veteran member Peter Hess is also back in the fold, and is responsible for the stellar brass arrangement on the "Don't get me started, Don't get me wrong", World / Inferno's take on a New Orleans Funeral March.
08/21/14: Alternative Tentacles For Beginners: 51 songs for only $5!
Are you new to Alternative Tentacles? A long time fan, but not sure what the label has done lately? Perhaps your feeling like your music collection has become a bit boring lately?
Seriously, we hope you enjoy it...
Check it out here: ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES FOR BEGINNERS: 2014 DIGITAL SAMPLER
08/14/14: Man walks on Mars
Please delete this story.
07/24/14: bATcast #114 - Interview with DISASTER STRIKES!
Check out the latest bATcast featuring Disaster Strikes!
They stopped in to talk to Alternative Tentacles Records about their tour, the political and financial status of the US, signing to AT, the Boston scene, and their upcoming album!
Find the latest episode on iTunes or listen to ANY of our podcasts here: http://www.alternativetentacles.com/batcast.php
07/09/14: ArnoCorps "TWO MORE!" EP OUT NOW!
ArnoCorps "TWO MORE!" EP is finally OUT NOW! Pick up a copy of this most epic of 7" records by picking up one of the limited edition "Perspiration Clear" vinyls in our store now:
ArnoCorps "TWO MORE!" v465 (2014) Colored 7" +download - $5.00 | 7"+download - $5.00
You can also pick up/order the vinyl from your local record store or find the digital at your favorite online music site.
Look for "THE GREATEST BAND OF ALL TIME" LP to drop on August 5th!
Need to know more about these last action heroes before you pick up these new releases?
Check out the latest bATcast featuring ARNOCORPS!
Covering the albums, touring, their mission, and what it's like to be the greatest band of all time! Find it on iTunes or listen to our podcasts here:
06/11/14: bATcast #112 - Jello Biafra on the new AT releases, the passing of Dave Brockie of GWAR, and what's next for JBGSM!
In our latest bATcast, host Rafer Rawb guides us through Jesse Luscious' interview with the man himself, Jello Biafra as he discusses the latest Alternative Tentacles releases by Death Hymn Number 9, Ani Kyd, Peace Creep, Frantix, and upcoming releases by ArnoCorps, Itchy-O, Really Red, and Cheetah Crome Motherfuckers! He also talks about the passing of his good friend Dave Brockie of Gwar, and what's next for Jello Biafra and The Guantanamo School of Medicine!
Don't miss it! Check out the latest bATcast along with all the others on our bATcast page: ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES BATCASTS
We are excited to announce the return of the Alternative Tentacles Records POP-UP RECORD STORE!! This time we are coming to San Francisco! Look for us Friday, June 27th at the Body of the Sheep clothing store at 1780 Haight Street, San Francisco, California 94117! We will be there from 5-8pm with a ton of stuff from our vaults and Jello Biafra's classic record store!
More details to come! Don't miss this!
Collecting 23 tracks together for the first time on one album, this reissue includes both 1982's "Face Reality" 7" and the original 1983 "My Dad's A Fuckin' Alcoholic" 7", along with 7 previously unreleased demo tracks and 8 previously unreleased live tracks! They later became THE FLUID on Sub Pop, but THIS is the original KBD classic!
On LP (with digital download), CD, and DIGITIAL DOWNLOAD is in stores everywhere! Including ours: FRANTIX "MY DAD'S A FUCKIN' ALCOHOLIC"
AT STAFF PICK OF THE WEEK: AT KID TENTACLE Gloria picks Slim Cessna's Auto Club 2010's double live album "Jesus Let Me Down"
Gloria says: "Tales of luv, Satan, whiskey, drivin', Jesus, smokin', .44's, God, wine, The Lord, feelin' blue, gin... AT gone "roots" - shit ya!" This double LP, an epic live recording from 2004 in their hometown Denver, CO, provides an excellent overview of Slim's career with all the energy of their classic live performances. But as beautiful and rich as their songs are on vinyl, they really need to be experienced LIVE live. Which, if you haven't, you soon can. Slim Cessna's Auto Club is going on tour in Europe this summer."
Check out their upcoming European tour dates: http://www.alternativetentacles.com/tours.php
Available on 2xLP & Digital Download. For more info check out: http://www.alternativetentacles.com/product.php?product=1824&sd=cJ7i8tiiEHB8xIW3O9z
Enjoy. Be ready, ArnoCorps is coming for you United Kingdom!
05/14/14: bATcast #111 - Jello Biafra on H.R. Giger
AT GM Jesse sits down with Jello Biafra sit down and discuss the recent passing of visionary artist H.R. Giger and the controversy that arose from the Giger poster in The Dead Kennedy's album, "Frankenchrist".
Take a listen: bATcast #111: Jello Biafra on H.R. Giger
05/08/14: SOPA and PIPA- Through the Back Door?
As you may have heard, the open internet as we know it may soon become a thing of the past.
Obama has long been a proclaimed supporter of net neutrality. During his 2007 presidential campaign he gave a speech at Google headquarters stating, "I will take a backseat to no one in my commitment to network neutrality, because once providers start to privilege some applications or websites over others, then the smaller voices get squeezed out and we all lose. The Internet is perhaps the most open network in history and we have to keep it that way." A admirable stance, but just seven years later we find that the FCC is planning to abandon the "net neutrality" regulations, and under the new proposed system internet providers will be able to create a "tiered internet". Where websites and consumers will have to pay more money for faster loading times. Last year President Obama appointed Tom Wheeler as FCC chairman. Tom Wheeler was a major contributor to Obama's campaign, raising half a million dollars for the president's re-election in 2012 alone.
Wheeler was also previously a lobbyist for the cable and wireless industries, involved with both NCTA (National Cable and Telecommunications Association and CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association). Daniel Alverez was hired on to the FCC by Wheeler and he was a long time member of a law firm that advised Comcast and has argued against net neutrality rules. Wheeler's senior counselor is Phillip Verveer, who has worked for Comcast and the wireless and cable trade associations, BOTH whom have opposed net neutrality.
The FCC meets this very month on May 15th. Before that happens, we at Alternative Tentacles urge you to send an email to email@example.com, or direct a tweet to Wheeler himself at @TomWheelerFCC. After that meeting there will be a "public comment" period of 30 to 40 days before they finalize any rules. We urge you to make your voice heard now and don't let the internet be taken away from us.
For more information on this subject check out these articles:
05/07/14: Alternative Tentacles signs Itchy-O!
Alternative Tentacles is proud to announce the signing of the amazing Itchy-O Marching Band!
Hailing from Denver, Colorado, Itchy-O is a 32-piece percussion-centered electronic marching band. They are a driving drum corp complemented by an arsenal of special surround sound effects units including synthesizers, theremin, vocoders, and several other hand held electronic devices, the IOMB completely engulfs and immerses an audience from every angle in an electric bog of music, ephemera and spectacle.
They wage an ongoing war on predictable mediocrity with their guerrilla-style performances which feature an artfully hazardous Chinese lion, sensuous dancing twin apparitions, fog, strobes, sequins, sweat and fury.
They are incredible, and we are beyond excited to be releasing their upcoming album in September in time for their Fall tour of the U.S.
You can however catch them in Denver, Colorado at the Cannibis Carnival on June 24th at the Cervante Masterpiece Ballroom. Tickets Available HERE
Learn more about the amazing Itchy-O at http://itchyo.com/
05/01/14: Disaster Strikes announce 2014 summer tour dates with Opposition Rising
Disaster Strikes (Alternative Tentacles) and fellow Boston punks Opposition Rising (Profane Existence) have announced their joint summer tour schedule.
In addition to sharing the same hometown, both bands deliver songs that are unapologetically political - promoting messages of labor solidarity and environmental justice in opposition to corporate greed. The tour dates were announced on May 1st in recognition of International Workers Day / May Day - a date globally associated with protest movements for labor and immigrant rights.
"Our first goal as a band is inspiring people towards collective action and to resist the corporate power-grab that is killing our generation's hope for decent jobs and a livable planet. Period. May Day is a global celebration of resistance and that's the spirit of the joint tour we are announcing today," explained Disaster Strikes in a statement released today along with the new tour dates.
The July tour will span the Midwestern and Western United States and will include select dates with punk legends Naked Aggression, D.I., and MDC, amongst others to be announced.
Prior to the July tour, Disaster Strikes is also scheduled to play at Montreal's Pouzza Fest (May 16 - May 18), along with Dillinger Four, Reagan Youth, and more. On June 22, Disaster Strikes will join Negative Approach in opening for Jello Biafra & the Guantanamo School of Medicine at Brighton Music Hall in Boston, MA.
Meanwhile, Disaster Strikes is finishing the tracking of their new full length release "In the Age of Corporate Personhood" at Galaxy Park Studios in Watertown, MA, and are expected to announced a Fall pre-order date prior to the joint tour with Opposition Rising.
Check out the full list of tour dates at the ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES TOUR PAGE


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Yea,I've heard of that...Like ,"Blogs,Columns,&Rants.",just like a general thing.
"For the Druids' legends are true..."
When the Devil is to busy
And Death's a bit to much
They call on me by name you see, for my special touch
To the gentleman I'm Ms. Forture
To the ladies I'm Sir Prize
But call me by any name, any way it's all the same
E-fed: Jackson "The Boss" Smith- IWA & former ICW superstar
DJ "The Ladies Man" Williams w/ Rosita-EWNCW
Devon "Just Damn Good" Jones
Hey.. I'm not telling you anything that you don't already know.


text:
Gear-Up Classic Lunch Bag
No longer available
- Overview
Our Classic lunch bag is built to last, so you can count on it every day. Designed with an ultradurable exterior and insulated interior, it keeps food fresh in new prints and patterns that pop.
- 8" wide x 5" deep x 8.75" high
- Shell is made of rugged, water-resistant, 600-denier polyester.
- Interior lining is made of PEVA, a food-safe, environmentally friendly vinyl that's made without chlorine, plasticizers or phthalates.
- Features a molded interior that is sized to hold our food storage containers.
- Includes a heavy-duty nylon zipper.
- Personalization is available for an additional $8.50.
- Click here to Preview Font Colors.
- Dimensions + Care
- Wipe with a soft, damp cloth.
- Shipping Info
Please allow approximately 5-7 business days for delivery. Delivery estimate includes monogrammed and gift-wrapped items.
Monogrammed and personalized items cannot be canceled or returned except when due to defect.


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Every winter like clockwork, they fly in to
For the first time this year, the CVB has partnered with
"We've been interested in providing, particularly with our winter guests, educational opportunities here at the college," said GCSC continued education coordinator
The first of 10 three-hour classes of the year, "
GCSC has worked with the CVB before in providing Learning Adventures at the Beach (LAB) classes in the spring, but this year marks the first series of winter enrichment classes.
"The basic difference is we're putting more emphasis on offering classes that have a direct relation to the beach," Barr said. "And, of course, these classes are free."
The classes are being funded by the
"We're really excited about partnering with
Library officials are working to finalize the full snowbird calendar for the season, something
"We're serving over 400 people per day, and we're glad to have them,"
CVB visitor service manager
Ainslie said the CVB is trying to focus on growing its "signature snowbird event" the Winter Resident Senior Prom, to be held Feb. 7 at
The event will feature a Mardi Gras theme with live music, food and the crowning of prom king and queen. With the event one
The CVB will continue with its second Winter Resident Appreciation Day of the season Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the
The first Winter Resident Appreciation Day was held Dec. 21, with about 300 snowbirds in attendance. Ainslie said the events in January and February are bigger and typically see crowds of 500 or more. In addition to Friday's event, the CVB will also host Winter Resident Appreciation Days on Jan. 25 and Feb. 15.
"We have more people here and we do have a lot more of our fundraising activities going on now," said membership coordinator Ramona Sewell. "(Traffic) probably doubles up in the winter time; anywhere from October through March we have twice as many people here."
2013 Snowbird Calendar
Ongoing- Winter Resident Dances every Sunday and Wednesday from 3- 6 p.m. at the
Jan. 8- Lunch and Learn at the PCB Library at noon, Beekeeping
Jan. 11- Winter Resident Appreciation Days, 9-11 a.m. at the
Jan. 12- Welcome Snowbirds Dance at the
Jan. 15- Winter Enrichment, drawing seashells, PCB Chamber of Commerce, 9 a.m. - noon
Jan. 17- Winter Enrichment, creating and using a Facebook page, PCB Library, 9 a.m. - noon
Jan. 22- Winter Enrichment, fishing local waters,
Jan. 25- Winter Resident Appreciation Days, 9-11 a.m. at the
Jan. 24- Winter Enrichment, email & Internet, PCB Library, 9 a.m. - noon
Jan. 26- Lunch and Learn at the PCB Library noon, Starchild skull
Jan. 29- Winter Enrichment, writing your vacation story, PCB Chamber of Commerce, 9 a.m. - noon
Jan. 31- Winter Enrichment, computer & new technology, PCB Library 9 a.m. - noon
Jan. 31- Winter Enrichment, gourmet cooking, Boatyard Restaurant 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Ongoing- Winter Resident Dances every Sunday and Wednesday from 3- 6 p.m. at the
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Feb. 5- Winter Enrichment, location photography, PCB Chamber of Commerce, 9 a.m. - noon
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Feb. 12- Winter Enrichment, acrylic painting,
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Feb. 16- Clothesline Art Show and
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If I could have a sit down/intervention with Shogun, here's what I'd say:"My normal weight is 228, 231 pounds. Maybe I can, and maintain my performance. I would need to think about it, but thats something that can happen."
-Mauricio, your status as an MMA legend was carved in stone a long, long time ago.
-Based on your physique, and the fact that you have to lose 25 lbs to look as pudgy as you do at 205 lbs, I'm convinced that you are one of the few fighters not receiving testosterone supplementation.
-If it's this hard for you to be motivated to stay lean, then please consider hanging up the gloves, for your own personal safety. Out of shape fighters who only compete for the money are likely to suffer permanent brain damage at the hands (knees, feet, and elbows) of hungry contenders with tons more motivation than you bring to the gym/cage.
-Your fight with Hendo should have been a draw.
Shogun needs TRT to become a war-god again!
shogun should retire. his refusal to adapt to modern day mma is catcing up to him. the fact hes still relevant with his wild leading with an uppercut style is a testament to what a true beast he really is but the days where that can win you a title are gone.
While I agree with most saying this cut probably won't happen I wan't it too sooo bad. Middleweight is getting exciting again and this would only add to it. Next on the list is Rashad. Come on down! Your the next contestant on I can't win a belt in my current weight class so now I am going where i've belonged the whole time!
I had to rep Ashy Larry that last line cracked me up for it's so true.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Considering a Move to Middleweight Following UFC Fight Night 33
"It might happen, but for now I have a fight scheduled," Rua said at a recent fan Q&A in Brazil. "I would have to do some medical exams to check if it's possible."
The former light heavyweight champion normally walks around at about 228 pounds and cuts 23 pounds for his fights, but would have to lose an additional 20 pounds if he were to drop down another weight class.
"Maybe I can (drop to 185) and maintain my performance. I would need to think about it, but that's something that can happen."
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|Amount Per Serving
|% Daily Value
|Turmeric Extract (Curcuma longa)
(standardized to 95% curcuminoids)(rhizome) Curcumin C3 Complex®
|1160 mg
|1100 mg
|Black Pepper Extract (piper nigrum)
(standardized to 95% peperine)(fruit) Bioperine®
|5 mg
|Bioperine® is a patented product of Sabinsa Corporation. U.S. Patent Nos. 5,536,506; 5,744,161; 5,972,382; 6,054,585 ("use of piperine to increase the bioavailability of nutritional compounds")


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Apr 7, 2010
Guest Blog - Behavior-Based Programming
I was asked one day, "How do you make a robot do two things at once"? It sounds like something that should be simple, but it really isn't. Even if you can get two or three things to work together in your program, trying to add more typically breaks your code and is a nightmare to debug.
In 1986, roboticists at MIT were having the same problem, and they came up with a technique that is sometimes called behaviour-based robotics. It allows you to create a bunch of simple behaviours for your robot to exhibit, and to determine when a given behaviour has control of the robot. For example, a robot may have a basic behaviour of wandering around a room, and a higher-priority behaviour of backing up and turning when it bumps into something. The beauty of the system is that each individual behaviour is fairly simple, can be debugged, and you can build up your program, in a modular fashion, from something simple to something complex and nuanced.
I have created a 45-minute-long video tutorial that discusses what behaviour-based programming is, how to use these techniques in NXT-G, and how to test and debug the robot as the program iteratively becomes more complex.
6 comments:
- Matthias Paul Scholz said...
Actually, leJOS NXJ, the Java platform for the NXT, has a quite powerful and easy-to-use behavior-based API since long for implementing behavior in NXT robots (see the according trail in the leJOS tutorial).
- Apr 8, 2010, 1:54:00 AM
- Clinton said...
Yes, leJOS NXJ does indeed have a nice behaviour-based API. (You guys have done excellent work on it, by the way). That was where I got the idea to simplify the control and have a behaviour not just drive one end effector -- the screen, the drive motors, or the speaker -- but to have complete control over the robot.
[I'm afraid your link to the according trail doesn't work. Did you mean this leJOS NXT behaviour programming tutorial page?].
- Apr 8, 2010, 2:20:00 AM
- Damien Kee said...
This is great video, not only for Behaviour Based robotic, but as a good overall intro to things like data hubs and wiring and what they can achieve.
- Apr 8, 2010, 8:16:00 AM
- Dave Parker said...
Very nice video tutorial Clinton. Although it is long by robot video standards, I really like how you included all the steps along the way, including the typical mistakes and gotchas that happen all the time in NXT programming, so that makes it worth it for people looking to learn. This is very educational.
BTW, as an alternative to putting each Behavior Trigger in its own NXT-G sequence, you could also put them all together in one sequence (since each sensor test is very fast), for 2 sequences total, which would make the program somewhat easier to edit and deal with, and I don't think any less modular really, given the way your Arbiter works. This way you could also skip the logic variables, put the sensor tests in priority order in their sequence and have them just set the text variable directly (this puts the Arbiter functionality in with the triggers rather than the actions).
As a further option, you could do the whole program in one sequence by just joining the two sequences above (action switch after triggers). Then if there is one particular sensor test or other action that is performance-critical (such as light sensor test when line following), you can split that one off into its own sequence with an intermediate variable (like your Logic variables), which will give it about 50% of the CPU cycles all to itself, for fastest response. Just a fun little FYI for anyone there.
- Apr 8, 2010, 9:10:00 AM
- Clinton said...
glad to hear you liked the video.
I did consider using fewer sequence beams, and it is indeed a very good way to do it, especially as there would be less coding and the performance would be better.
The chief reason I separated everything is to make it clear that each bit of code is a logically separate unit that can be manipulated independently. (Minor reasons are to allow for the possibility of a test that wasn't nearly instantaneous, such as "Wait for the bumper to be pushed" followed by "set the bumper_triggered variable to true", and, also, to avoid endlessly scrolling horizontally.)
- Apr 8, 2010, 10:49:00 AM
- bazmati/bazmarc said...
Hello just an FYI to let you know that the WALL-e3 posted above (in the FIRST FLL LEGO BOOTH PICTURE) was programmed in NXT-G 2.0 using Clinton's behavioral programming technic. Thanks again for this great tutorial
ps im at the ATL airport waiting to get on the plane with wall-3 to return home from FIRST
- Apr 19, 2010, 12:43:00 AM


text: Second Berlin date added on the 24th of March A second Berlin date has now been added to the New Blood shows. In a Star Wars like move the show is a prequel to that previously announced. We have 200 special access tickets available for this date. info on New Blood dates Share : Tweet ‹ Scratch My Back updates Win tickets to the New Blood tour ›


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The Institute for Advanced Materials at Case Western Reserve University has been named an Ohio Center of Excellence by Gov. Ted Strickland, joining a group of nationally recognized academic programs that generate cutting-edge research in today's growth industries. Fostering collaboration between multiple disciplines—engineering, arts and sciences, medicine and dental medicine—the institute focuses its energies and resources on seeding research programs in materials science and securing large center grants. In June, the institute reached out to more than 100 faculty members across campus seeking ideas for large center grant proposals.
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- Review: 'Tough Love' on PBS Examines Custody Battles With the State
- Television: Discovery Channel Begins Its Annual Shark Week
- Denis Leary Finds His Inner Washed-Up Singer in 'Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll'
- ArtsBeat: Sonia Manzano, Maria on 'Sesame Street,' to Retire After 44 Years
- ArtsBeat: Stephen Colbert Interviews Eminem on Michigan Public Access
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A white-water rafting trip by a group of leading advertising executives results in tragedy and a legal controversy. Based on a true story.
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Jacques Denis
Its in the heart of the Grande Champagne area, near Saint Preuil, that this family vineyard is situated. Several generations have been working this chalky soil to produce, distill and raise the Jacques Denis cognacs.
Jacques Denis - XOExcl. Tax: €46.67 Incl. Tax: €56.00
Jacques Denis - Vieille RéserveExcl. Tax: €132.50 Incl. Tax: €159.00
Jacques Denis - ExtraExcl. Tax: €68.33 Incl. Tax: €82.00


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Sailors sue Japanese company over Fukushima radiation
SAN DIEGO — Eight U.S. sailors who were aboard the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan off the Japanese coast during the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year have sued the company that owns the power plant, claiming they were harmed by radiation exposure.
The lawsuit , filed last week in San Diego federal court, accuses Tokyo Electric Power Co., or Tepco, with covering up how much radiation was being released during and after the March 11, 2011, disaster.
The U.S. government unwittingly sent the San Diego-based Ronald Reagan into dangerous levels of radiation as a result, states the lawsuit, filed Dec. 21 by Encinitas attorney Paul C. Garner.
The ship assisted with American humanitarian operations in the region after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, killing thousands. The Fukushima nuclear power plant failed after the tsunami knocked out power to reactor pumps, causing a meltdown and release of radiation.
In addition to the Reagan, the United States sent the San Diego-based destroyer Preble and the cruiser Chancellorsville to help with relief operations off Honshu, Japan.
The lawsuit seeks $40 million from Tepco for each of the eight sailors, and the same amount for a baby of one of them born seven months after the disaster. That amount includes $10 million in damages and $30 million in punitive damages per person. In addition, the suit seeks $100 million to provide medical care for all nine.
Six of the eight sailors were stationed on the Reagan's flight deck, and one served as an air decontamination specialist, the lawsuit states. The eighth worked in the air department, which handles aircraft launches, landings and maintenance.
The sailors experienced "great physical pain and mental anguish," require therapies such as chelation and bone marrow transplants, and have had their lives shortened, the lawsuit states. It accuses Tepco of negligence, fraud, and deceptive business practices, and other legal violations.
More specifically, symptoms include "unremitting migraine headaches," difficulty in concentrating, weight loss, ulcers and rectal bleeding, Garner said.
Tepco's Washington, D.C., office did not respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.
Two days after the disaster, the Navy said it had repositioned the Reagan after detecting low levels of contamination in the air and on 17 aircrew members who flew earthquake relief missions near the Fukushina plant.
"The low-level radioactivity was easily removed from affected personnel by washing with soap and water," the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement about that incident. "They were subsequently surveyed, and no further contamination was detected."
The statement said the maximum potential radiation dose personnel were exposed to was "less than the radiation exposure received from about one month of exposure to natural background radiation from sources such as rocks, soil, and the sun."
Calls to the Navy on Friday afternoon and evening were not returned.
Garner said the U.S. government relied on information from Tepco and the Japanese government that it was safe to enter the area. That makes them liable for the damage.
"They bring it upon themselves, basically, with the misinformation that they give out," Garner said.