text:
Farewell to August 2011
We'll have politics (what else), a cool space photo of the earth and the moon together…and then a photo of a different sort of "moon". :)
Moon one: science
Via Richard Dawkins: a NASA photo from the Jupiter probe showing the earth and our moon.
Barack Obama campaigned on "bringing people together" and working with Republicans. I felt that it was important that we had to try. There were those who said that it wouldn't work:
But she managed to turn a huge lead in the primary campaign into a loss. So while she was right here…could she have won the general? Probably. But I wonder how she would gotten the Republicans out of their stubbornness.
In any event, though she has been classy, she has room to say "I was right and you were wrong". Paul Krugman certainly says so:
Just go read his column today, which is very close to my own thinking. And not just on the economics. Martin is usually cautious on matters political, but this time he lets fly:
Mr Obama wishes to be president of a country that does not exist. In his fantasy US, politicians bury differences in bipartisan harmony. In fact, he faces an opposition that would prefer their country to fail than their president to succeed. […]
Quite. And yes, this was what worried me about Obama from the beginning, way back in 2007-2008, when I got huge grief from progressives for criticizing him.
Of course when you call the Republicans on this, they lie and scream bloody murder:
In Obama's recounting, however, luck is only half the story. His economic recovery was ruined not just by acts of God and (foreign) men, but by Americans who care nothing for their country. These people, who inhabit Congress (guess what party?), refuse to set aside "politics" for the good of the nation. They serve special interests and lobbyists, care only about the next election, place party ahead of country. Indeed, they "would rather see their opponents lose than see America win." The blaggards!
Yes, that
asshole overrated hack Krauthammer actually told the truth for once, though he was intending to be sarcastic.
Darth Vader's New Book
Ms. Condoleezza Rice Rice begs to differ with Mr. Cheney's account of things.
Poor Drunken Ladybug ("drunken ladybug" reference from here)
She has had her troubles…but at least she was re-invited to a tea-bagger event that she was uninvited to:
In the tea party, one day you're in, and the next you're out:
Former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell will not speak at a tea party event featuring former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in Indianola, Iowa, this weekend, an organizer told Washington Wire. "I made a mistake," said Ken Crow, president of Tea Party of America. "I assumed there was an open slot and there wasn't."Monday night, Mr. Crow told Washington Wire that Ms. O'Donnell would appear.
Tea Party of America's cofounder, Charlie Gruschow, said the group withdrew Ms. O'Donnell's after receiving numerous "emails from a lot of tea party folks that were very disappointed that she would be speaking."
And then? You're in again:
Former Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell will speak at a tea party rally Saturday in Iowa after organizers Tuesday night reversed themselves again and re-invited her, CNN has learned.
What do I take from all the drama? […]
Go ahead and read. Frankly, I find this to be more entertaining than anything else. Ms. O'Donnell is, well, dumb, but so are Palin supporters. She is closer to the average Republican primary voter than Jon Huntsman is.
Update The poor Ladybug is out again:
* In case you're confused, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin is planning to speak at a tea party rally in Indianola, Iowa this Saturday after considering pulling out. Former Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell was invited, disinvited, re-invited, and re-disinvited from the event. Tea Party of America President Ken Crow told NBC News that he had to ditch O'Donnell after talking to Palin aides. On Palin's side, staffers say there were also sorts of logistical issues. Crow appears not to really know what he's doing.
Now what about the race?
Nate Silver (politely) calls BS on a model that predicts an Obama victory. Of course, Mr. Silver is right; this "model" is really classic overfitting. He goes on to make a statement that wouldn't make sense to many but is true nonetheless:
These types of problems, which are technically known as overfitting and data dredging, are among the most important things you ought to learn about in a well-taught econometrics class — but many published economists and political scientists seem to ignore them when it comes to elections forecasting.
In short, be suspicious of results that seem too good to be true. I'm probably in the minority here, but if two interns applied to FiveThirtyEight, and one of them claimed to have a formula that predicted 33 of the last 38 elections correctly, and the other one said they had gotten all 38 right, I'd hire the first one without giving it a second thought — it's far more likely that she understood the limitations of empirical and statistical analysis.
AMEN. This lesson can't be stressed too much!!!
I am not saying that President Obama won't be reelected; he still stands a decent chance, especially if Mr. Perry or Ms. Bachmann is the GOP nominee. Mr. Romney or Mr. Huntsman would be trouble. But could either make it past the primary?
I think that the Republicans are worried that Mr. Perry is gaining too much traction. This alarms Dick Morris (who badmouthed Mr. Romney's chances, at first). Mr. Morris writes for the Newsmax crowd (uneducated Republicans) and frequently shills rather than reports. I think he is doing just that right now:
Governor Perry clearly did better than Governor Romney at creating jobs. But it is not two governors who will square off over the issue, it is two men with two lifetimes of experience to look at.
Ever since President Clinton drummed the concept of net job creation into our heads with his mounting claims of the millions of jobs "I created," we have become accustomed to monitoring this figure as evidence of executive economic skill. But, in this case, Romney can point to a lifetime of actually creating jobs while Governor Perry can only cite his role in presiding over their creation as head of state.
It's quite a difference. Perry's Texas has had historically low taxes for decades and is one of only a handful of states without an income tax. In 1970, for example, Texas had 11 million people and Michigan had 10 million. Now Texas has 25 million while Michigan cannot find jobs for its current population of 11 million. The credit for Texas' low taxes belongs not just to Perry, but to Governors George W. Bush and Bill Clements before him. (And even a nod is due Governor Ann Richards in between).
The job creation record is partially due to a surge in oil demand (one quarter of the new Texas jobs are in the energy sector) and some of the new jobs are due to the efforts of former Governor (and client) Mark White in getting the chip research industry to locate in Austin in the 80s.
Romney has actually, personally, financially created tens of thousands of jobs. His record of buying companies, fixing them up, selling off the unprofitable parts, obtaining financing to grow the money-making parts is invaluable in helping us to get out of the current job creation funk.
Just a note: I find the claim that Mr. Romney "created jobs" is a bit disingenuous given that what Mr. Romney did was what current CEO's are doing: merging and laying people off thereby reaping a huge profit…for themselves. No wonder big money loves Mr. Romney.
Mr. Morris goes on in this pre-analysis of the upcoming debate video:
Social Humor
Some isn't really that funny but….
Headline FAIL (via Friendly Atheist)
Yes, I get it. Some well intentioned people of the church decided to start a food bank, and the challenge of running it proved to be more than that group was capable of. No shame there; they tried (which is more than I am doing now…). But still the headline is a classic.
Computers: why your geeky friend who fixed your computer really doesn't like you. :)
Yes, there is some truth there, but this article is written in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
Moon II: volleyball.
Yes, there is more at this link; this is a "what color of spandex do you like" post. ALL of them, of course!!! :)
September 1, 2011 Posted by blueollie | 2012 election, astronomy, Barack Obama, big butts, hillary clinton, humor, Mitt Romney, obama, political humor, political/social, politics, politics/social, Republican, republicans, republicans political/social, republicans politics, rick perry, sarah palin, science, Science Friday teachers, social/political, space, spandex, Spineless Democrats | Leave a comment
8 January 2011 (am)
My back was slightly stiff but not that bad; I'll try a short treadmill run or a short indoor bike ride with some therapy exercises.
Last night my shoulder had a brief "pain" period; I didn't do my PT exercises nor did I ice it.
Update I did my back and piriformis and rotator cuff exercises and 22 minutes on the stationary bike; I tried some running on the home treadmill but the back, while not painful, was still too tight. There is no reason to risk it right now; I'll try again tomorrow but this time on a treadmill that I can set to zero incline.
Reality: this spring will feature no "goal" events though I might attempt, say, the 12 hour walk at FANS just for the heck of it and aim for, say, 40 miles with a LOT of breaks, rest periods, stretch periods, etc.
But I'll have to do a 3-4 times a week PT session on my own which will feature:
1. Smith set for the back (4 exercises)
2. Rotator cuff set (dumbbells or stretch bands)
3. Achilles set (these don't hurt…but given my other injuries)
4. Piriformis stretches plus hip hikes
5. One legged squats for the knee
So I should probably do the above along with some core stuff (sit ups, yoga leg lifts) in the morning prior to my workout. Then my 3 days a week base workout might be a collection of three "30 minute" blocks of activities which will include running, swimming, cardio machines or bike, light to medium weight lifting and perhaps a longer walk and run over the weekend. Tuesday and Thursday would feature something more specific in terms of training and a yoga class.
All of that is a *plan* which is subject to change.
Now what about those job reports? No, these aren't a reason for joy:
Not the kind of job report that has you jumping for joy. Things appear to have stopped getting worse, but that's about all.
Remember that the economy needs to create enough jobs for the currently unemployed AND the new job seekers for us to stay afloat.
Here are the relevant charts:
Private Jobs
In summary (from the second link; The Political Animal at the Washington Monthly)
It's important to emphasize, though, that while December was better than November, the economy adding 103,000 jobs last month isn't good enough. Indeed, it's not even close. To help get us back to where we need to be, we would look for totals more than twice as strong as these.
Still, incremental progress is incremental progress, and most forecasts appear to have relatively high hopes for 2011.
Media Reporting
Scientists have to deal with dumb reporters giving crackpottery "equal time" under the guise of "fairness" and "reporting both sides". Paul Krugman laments that this is the case in economic reporting too. Basically, the Republicans want the cost of the so called "doc fix" added to the cost of the Health Care Reform bill, even though this fix would have occurred whether HCR passed or not (this is to keep medical compensation for doctors participating in medicare up to snuff; it was falling behind):
More than 10 years have passed since I wrote this:
If a presidential candidate were to declare that the earth is flat, you would be sure to see a news analysis under the headline "Shape of the Planet: Both Sides Have a Point." After all, the earth isn't perfectly spherical.
And it's still true. Today we have an article entitled In Battle Over Health Law, Math Cuts Both Ways. So what's the math that cuts in the Republicans' favor? Well, they
complain that the projections omitted $115 billion in spending required to administer the law as well as $208 billion needed to prevent scheduled reductions in Medicare payments to doctors.
Ahem. The great bulk of that administrative spending would happen whether or not the health law goes into effect; and all of the "doc fix" will happen regardless of the health reform. Both of these complaints have been hashed over at length, being thoroughly refuted; these are zombie lies. But you'd never know that from the reporting.
My take: media is a business and dumb Republicans read newspapers and magazines. So, the media has to placate them. :)
Science and technology
This video shows (via a camera that records infrared light) that nylon holds body heat better than cotton. Don't worry about the title; there is nothing lewd here.
Human evolution Many things can affect how societies operate; one of these is…yes, the weight of babies. Human babies are large in terms of percentage of the mother's weight (in comparison to, say, chimp babies). Evidently this trend goes back to our Australopithecus stage.
No comment needed. :)
see more funny videos
(ok, actually, Sarah Palin's Alaska really isn't that bad; she makes for a (mostly) charming show host. I just don't want her to be President).
This reminds me of a time when I was getting used to DVD's: I just finished watching a movie and then was puzzled. My wife asked me what I was looking for. I replied "the rewind button"….as the words left my mouth I caught myself. :)
see more funny videos
Police chases: in the wintertime in the north, they go a bit differently. No, there is no sliding into cars, objects. Really, it is funny. :)
January 8, 2011 Posted by blueollie | Barack Obama, economics, economy, evolution, humor, injury, nature, Navel Staring, obama, political humor, political/social, politics, politics/social, Republican, republican party, republicans, sarah palin, shoulder rehabilitation, technology, training | Leave a comment
17 November 2010 PM
Workout notes I was tired from staying up too late for the game (which I enjoyed).
Still, I lifted weights (upper body) and ran 2 miles on the treadmill.
dumbbell curls: 20 x 15 lb, 10 x 20 lb, 10 x 20 lb.
dumbbell seated military: 30 x 30 lb., 25 x 35 lb.
dumbbell bench press: 30 x 35 lb.
Pull downs: 3 sets of 15 x 120
Rows: 3 sets of 10 x 180 (90 each arm)
incline bench press: 10 x 45, 10 x 95 (wimpy I know; I am getting the arms used to the motion)
Sit ups: 100 (4 x 25)
Run: 2 miles in 19:04 (10:24, 8:40). Started with 5.5 mph and increased the speed by .1 mph every minute starting at 3 minutes.
Incline: minute 1 at 0, then set it at 1.
Shoulder/knee: knee was somewhat achy last night due to sitting with the knees bent at the game. I'll have to stretch.
More Stuff
Health care: yes, end of life decisions can be tough. If one is very old and dying, how much treatment should one take and at what cost?
This is not an easy question.
Science/Frogs If nothing else, check out this adorable little frog.
Evolution yes, even our gut bacteria are influenced by evolution; the conjecture is that evolution determines what sort of bacteria can find a haven in our gut.
Video/Free Speech
Yes, an advertiser can refuse a sign due to complaints. But as to those idiots who claim that religion is persecuted in this country:
And some get upset when you listen and critique what they have to say:
I don't care about reality shows. But Sarah Palin remains a very shallow thinker. Watch the clip:
Wow, those grizzly cubs are taught to be SELF-RELIANT!!! But….what if some other more powerful animal prevented certain grizzly cubs from fishing in the best streams? What if that mean-old-government got out of the way and allowed industry to pollute those streams and lace the waters with harmful chemicals? What if acid rain destroyed the environment and killed the fish? Self-reliance indeed…….
Wingnut crazies
But, just like nearly everything else this President does…trust someone to have a problem with it.
We have feminized the Medal of Honor.
According to Bill McGurn of the Wall Street Journal, every Medal of Honor awarded during these two conflicts has been awarded for saving life. Not one has been awarded for inflicting casualties on the enemy. Not one.
Gen. George Patton once famously said, "The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other guy die for his."
When we think of heroism in battle, we used the think of our boys storming the beaches of Normandy under withering fire, climbing the cliffs of Pointe do Hoc while enemy soldiers fired straight down on them, and tossing grenades into pill boxes to take out gun emplacements.
That kind of heroism has apparently become passe when it comes to awarding the Medal of Honor. We now award it only for preventing casualties, not for inflicting them.
So the question is this: when are we going to start awarding the Medal of Honor once again for soldiers who kill people and break things so our families can sleep safely at night?
Uh…in this day and age, we can kill millions with a push of a button. That is hardly…uh…brave and macho.
These people are idiots.
Liberals At Daily Kos, it almost takes guts to defend the President. This diary author captures how I feel:
First, "left puritans." What do I mean by that? I'll explain in a second, but first and foremost, it does not mean the entire political left or the progressive movement. I am a progressive, and as far as ideology is concerned, a liberal that would like single payer health care, a carbon tax, universally available and fully funded reproductive choice, marriage equality, and so on. I am also a pragmatist. I know that one need not agree with me on everything, or even fully on a single issue for us to work together and make progress. […]
The public option debate was a perfect example. We can have another whole conversation disintegrate into whether or not it could have passed if the President did this or did that. The health reform bill represented a paradigm shift in both the government's responsibility for health insurance for individuals, as well as in holding insurance companies accountable, with or without the public option (at least as it was constructed in the House passed version or subsequent versions). But simply pushing for a public option did not make that action a left puritan action. In fact, I'd say it was courageous. But the action became left puritan as soon as one started opposing the passage of health reform without a public option. The action became left puritan when Jane Hamsher went on Fox News, breaking her own vow, to try to stop this law. The thought process behind it: damned be the 32 million Americans who would get insurance, damned be the community health center expansion, damned be the Medicaid expansion, damned be the closing of the donut hole in Medicare Part D, damn it all; we didn't get a public option, so tear down the whole thing. That's left puritanism.
When we lose perspective of how something could affect the lives of people, and say it's not good enough on items A, B, or C, so reject it, that is not sound public policy. Public policy is not about what "you gave" or what "they took" in the writing of a bill. It's about whether progress is made at the end of the day. If it is, progressive pragmatists will support it. That is our way of showing our commitment to our values and principles: by making some progress, and continuing to push for more at the same time.
Yes, I get frustrated with President Obama; at times it appears that he caves into every Republican whim and tantrum….but in the end we got stuff done though we paid a political price. But isn't that what we want our politicians to do?
November 17, 2010 Posted by blueollie | 2012 election, Barack Obama, biology, evolution, knee rehabilitation, obama, politics, politics/social, religion, Republican, republicans, republicans political/social, republicans politics, running, science, shoulder rehabilitation, training, weight training | Leave a comment
16 November 2010 pm: parting shots
Rep. Charles Rangel: it is a pity as he has represented Harlem for almost my entire life. But evidently he got too full of himself and started blowing off the rules:
A House panel on Tuesday found Representative Charles B. Rangel guilty of 11 counts of ethical violations, ruling that his failure to pay taxes, improper solicitation of fund-raising donations and failure to accurately report his personal income had brought dishonor on the House.
After a public hearing on Monday that was truncated by Mr. Rangel's walking out in protest, an adjudicatory subcommittee of the House ethics committee deliberated for four hours before finding him guilty of all but one of the 13 counts against him. (Two other counts, involving Mr. Rangel's misuse of House franking privileges, were merged into one.)
In a somber tone, Representative Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California and the chairwoman of the panel, announced its findings just before noon. Ms. Lofgren described the contentious process as "difficult and time consuming" and said the committee hoped to decide on a punishment within days.
If a Republican had done these things, I'd scream bloody murder and think "see, that is how they are". It is time for him to leave; in fact, past time.
News Media I like Keith Olbermann, but evidently he isn't that easy to get along with.
Politics No: a candidate having lots of facebook friends really doesn't mean that much. Here is the statistical evidence.
I am going to use this with my statistics class.
Republicans: No government spending, earmarks and pork…unless it is for me.
Republicans: betting that the Democrats will cave in on the tax cuts and "bundle" them (for the rich and non rich in one vote). I am sorry to say that I'll bet on the Republicans; we are a bunch of wimps.
November 16, 2010 Posted by blueollie | Democrats, economics, economy, obama, political/social, politics, politics/social, republicans, Spineless Democrats, statistics | Leave a comment
Opinion: Negative Political Ads
People frequently complain about negative political ads. (example):
Like most of us, I am sick and tired of these ridiculous, hateful, vicious, slanderous, mud-slinging, mean, nasty, juvenile, big expensive load of crap, negative campaign advertisements.
In addition to the fact that these ads are disgusting, just think about the MILLIONS of dollars these people are spending so fling this $hit crap around.
How about you asshats tells us what you're going to do for us.
That question has an easy answer: politicians will lie and over promise.
For example, were I to run for political office, I'd say: "hey, I am going to reduce your taxes, cut waste, balance the budget but maintain your favorite services!" :)
See? That was easy, wasn't it? Of course, it would be a damned lie too, and my political opponent would be negligent if he/she didn't point that out.
In all honesty, a political opponent of mine SHOULD point out my lack of qualifications: I haven't served on many boards or committees; I generally hate such things and my volunteerism tends to be stuff I can do alone or with 2-3 others. And, to be blunt, I don't like most people and my views ARE out of the mainstream (except for places like, say, Austin, Texas or Berkeley, California).
And, if my opponent had done bad things or done a bad job at their previous offices or has sought (or accepted) the support of bad groups, I should point that out.
So, my problem isn't with negative ads; it is with FALSE or MISLEADING negative ads, such as this one:
Here is what was going on:
October 22, 2010 Posted by blueollie | 2008 Election, 2010 election, obama, Political Ad, political/social, politics, politics/social | Leave a comment
20 October 2010 (pm)
Friendly Atheist: posts this humorous "free market-ish" attack on woo:
Politics: do people vote against their own economic interests? (hat tip: Mano Singham)
Probably not; the poor tend to vote Democratic and the rich tend to vote Republican:
2008 Election
From here
There are more "demographics/state maps" here.
My point: I don't think that most of the tea party push-back is from the poor; in fact a New York Times/CBS survey said that they were more affluent than average.
Some Science Links
Do you want to see how scientific positions are challenged? Here is an article on a paper that talks about the "fine structure" constant and claims that it might vary by position in the universe:
A few weeks ago there was a bit of media excitement about a somewhat surprising experimental result. Observations of quasar spectra indicated that the fine structure constant, the parameter in physics that describes the strength of electromagnetism, seems to be slightly different on one side of the universe than on the other. The preprint is here.
Remarkable, if true. The fine structure constant, usually denoted α, is one of the most basic parameters in all of physics, and it's a big deal if it's not really constant. But how likely is it to be true? This is the right place to trot out the old "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" chestnut. It's certainly an extraordinary claim, but the evidence doesn't really live up to that standard. Maybe further observations will reveal truly extraordinary evidence, but there's no reason to get excited quite yet.
Chad Orzel does a great job of explaining why an experimentalist should be skeptical of this result. […]
Surf to the link to read more.
More: here is a spectacular display in a pinwheel galaxy; the false color shows where star formation is going on.
Space Travel: will human travel to Mars be one way (e. g., in the same way Europeans came to the "New" World)
Why did leopards evolve spots? Why didn't all big cats? Why do some big cats come in different patterns? Note: it has to do with the following: leopards live in different kinds of areas; cheetahs not so much.
How do some snakes eat eggs (those who don't have teeth; what do they do with the shells?) Surf here to find out.
Here is a newly discovered species of snailfish (cool photo)
How did morality evolve? Here is a NY Times article that I am about to read. :)
October 21, 2010 Posted by blueollie | 2008 Election, 2010 election, cosmology, Democrats, economics, economy, evolution, nature, obama, physics, political humor, political/social, politics, politics/social, rebulican party, Republican, republican party, republicans, science, space | Leave a comment
9 September 2010 posts
Strangely enough, a CONSERVATIVE sent me this article. I suppose that I don't disagree with all conservatives on everything. Here is a snippet:
[…]If I may sally briefly into unloved seriousness: What puzzles me, as one who has lived extensively abroad, is how little Americans are able to see things through the eyes of others, how little empathy they have (this latter defect being characteristic of both psychopaths and narcissists).
Consider a headline from Anti-War.com of a sort appearing almost daily: "US Drone Strike Destroys House Full of Children in Pakistan."
Apparently no one in the Great Rubber Room north of Mexico has an inkling why this might arouse hatred in Pakistanis. Can you imagine the fury that would ensue if a Moslem blew up a house full of American kids in, say, Queens? But when we kill their kids, no one cares. "Yeah, well. Tough. Giv'em a few dollars." Buncha dirty raghead larvae. No better than cock roaches, right?.
Now, we're going to have a pop quiz. Take out a sheet of paper. Question: Can you think of any reason why Moslems might be unhappy with America?
Right! They hate our freedoms.
In which case they daily have less to hate us for. […]
I find it strange that a conservative would approve of the above sentiment but I am glad that a few do.
John Boehner: judge for yourself; here are some of his false statements.
Economy: Republican policies are geared toward helping the wealthiest. Of course, Republicans are ok with that.
Barack Obama: most respected leader in the world. Of course, Republicans see this as a negative.
Economy Republicans argue for more tax cuts for the rich. Democrats want more stimulus. But the long term: we need to get people ready for jobs that will be there and that means being more competitive with the world's economic powers. That is one reason I favor the equipment and R and D tax cuts. But it will be harder than we think.
Republicans: are even turning on Andy Griffith. Why? He supported Obama and health care reform.
September 9, 2010 Posted by blueollie | 2010 election, Barack Obama, Blogroll, civil liberties, economy, Middle East, obama, political/social, politics, politics/social, religion, Republican, republicans, republicans politics, world events | Leave a comment
4 September 2010 midday
I've got the Illinois-Missouri football game on; the Illini are leading 13-10 in the middle of the 3'rd. This might be a mild surprise to some, but remember this Missouri squad got blown out by Navy last year in their bowl game.
But right now, Illinois is out hitting Missouri.
Update: by the time I finished the post, Missouri took the lead 17-13.
Billy Dennis cracked me up:
It's true! District 150 has stolen Christmas. Well, actually, all they did was call it "National Children's Day" on the school calender. Naturally, the wackadoodles and chronic District 150 haters are screaming in protest.
Five bucks says the story gets picked by one of the right-wing assholes on 1470 WMBD.
I'd bet with Billy here.
Letters to the Editor (Peoria Journal Star)
Well, there are at least a couple of people who reject the Fox News propaganda. Both letters are about the Ground Zero Mosque
Letter one by Bill Rowen
I and many other non-Catholics have enjoyed events at the Knights of Columbus Hall. I have received excellent treatment at St. Francis Medical Center. Both have dedicated space for practicing the Catholic religion. To call the Muslims' community center a "mosque" is akin to calling the K of C Hall a church and the hospital a cathedral.
There are 1.5 billion Muslims on this Earth with whom we might try to live peacefully. To shred our Constitution, to revoke habeas corpus, to violate the Geneva Conventions and to be in the state of hysteria we are now witnessing, all because of 9-11, is to be humiliated by the actions of just 19 of their extremists. And to lose all.
Ms. Jackson complains that President Obama didn't "look at the big picture." I disagree. This is what he said at the White House: "I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship in a community center on private property, in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances."
This is the big picture. This is what the U.S. Constitution guarantees in the First Amendment. Those who object to the mosque location need to step back and remember that this is a nation of many religions, with citizens free to worship as they choose. No individual or group has the right to take that freedom away.
The people who vehemently oppose the site of the proposed mosque/community center do so because the terrorists who committed the atrocities of 9-11 were Muslims, and they believe, against all rules of logic, that all Muslims are terrorists. The protesters do not see the big picture. Their focus is very small and based on bigotry and fear.
Ms. Jackson says the president's statement is "a very tough stance for Obama to take with elections coming up." President Obama took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Apparently he felt some people needed a reminder of what the Constitution stands for. If that is seen as a "tough stance," so be it. […]
It is nice to see that not everyone writes their letter to the editor in crayon!
Science and Religion
Sean Carroll explains what the Hawing result means:
In other words, the laws of nature are sufficient to explain the existence of our universe. No "woo" is required.
More on Religion
The US is an outlier when it comes to "wealth vs. religion". Here is my poorly thought out conjecture: the US tended to attract those who were interested in religious freedom. But there is hope; formerly religious countries are now no longer religious.
Politics and Economics
Paul Krugman explains the Obama administration's timidity on economic matters:
Look: early on the administration had a political theory: it would win bipartisan legislative victories, and each success would make Republicans who voted no feel left out, so that they would vote for the next initiative, and so on. (By the way, read that article and weep: "The massive resistance Republicans posed to Clinton in 1993 is impossible to imagine today." They really believed that.)
This theory led to a strategy of playing it safe: never put forward proposals that might fail to pass, avoid highlighting the philosophical differences between the parties. There was never an appreciation of the risks of having policies too weak to do the job. […]
This is crazy: when you're well down in the polls, minimal steps that won't move the economy and won't grab voters' imagination are just a way of guaranteeing a devastating defeat.
I can understand why the people who persuaded Obama to go for the capillaries might still be claiming that they have the right strategy; bu I don't understand why Obama is still listening to them.
I have to agree. But I could be wrong.
September 4, 2010 Posted by blueollie | 2010 election, atheism, Barack Obama, college football, cosmology, economy, education, football, Illinois, obama, Peoria, Peoria/local, political/social, politics, politics/social, religion, science | Leave a comment
Hello September 2010!
Credit where credit is due: Senator Hatch gets it right about the mosque.
Francis Collins stands up for science and its benefits (though this doesn't surprise me).
Humor: I never get invited to picnics like this one. :)
Social Here is one reason we need a federal standard for marriage. Gay people who get married in one state are prevented from divorcing in another state.
Politics How did Democrats get into their current position? Nate Silver discusses the various conjectures.
I still say: "it couldn't be helped.":
Yes, I am distressed at the high likelihood that we will lose at least one house of Congress; right now Intrade has the Republicans winning the House at just over 70 (Senate is in the mid 20's).
Yes, President Obama's approval ratings are falling, though that is par for the course for most recent "no new war" Presidents; more below the fold.
(from The Gallup Presidential Job Approval Center)
So, my questions are
1. Why?
2. What could we have done better and
3. What are we going to do about it NOW?
1. Easy: the economy still stinks. Yes, without President Obama's leadership it would have been a great deal worse but, as Robert Reich writes:
Obama and the Democrats respond by defending their specific policies. The stimulus worked, they say, as did the bailout of Wall Street, because the economy is better today than it would be without them. If anything, we need more stimulus. And healthcare reform will protect tens of millions.
A large and growing segment of the public believes none of this. The public doesn't think in terms of specific policies. All it knows is the economy has stalled and there's only one story that explains why and points the way forward – and that's the Republican's.
2. What is problematic. I've heard all sorts of stuff ranging from many people; some are crowing that this is a "refudiation" of the "liberal agenda" by the American public. We hear that a lot. But on the other hand, we hear from our friends that our agenda wasn't nearly aggressive enough; too much compromise for its own sake. Many said that at the time that the legislation was passed.
I still say: where were the votes going to come from?
3. What are we going to do about it? The Reich article that I first quoted gives some ideas:
If Obama and the Democrats would connect these dots they'd have a story that would make Americans' hair stand on end. We're in this mess because of big business and Wall Street. Government is needed to get us out of it.
It's not that big business and Wall Street are evil. It's that they're out to make as much money as possible – which is what they're set up to do. That's why we need an activist government to stimulate the economy, create jobs, and protect the public from their excesses.
So why haven't Obama and the Dems succeeded yet? Big business and Wall Street have used their money and political clout to stop government from doing as much as needs to be done.
The story is clear, and it has the virtue of being the truth. Why won't Obama and the Democrats tell it? Is it because big business and Wall Street have the money and political clout even to prevent the story from being told?
I'm afraid that the answer is "yes".
Nevertheless we ARE winning the war. Health care reform has been passed and, as watered down as it is:
Imperfect as it is, the Senate bill would save tens of thousands of lives, save many Americans from financial catastrophe, and partially redeem us from the shame of being the only advanced nation without some kind of universal care.
And remember that these sorts of things almost never get repealed; instead they usually get improved on (think of social security when it was first passed).
We also are winning some of the social issues; think of the progress that has been made on gay rights (now we need to get the President on board with gay marriage and on DADT!). Some states now allow gay marriage and the public support for it is growing.
Unfortunately, much of the public lags behind us on these issues; progress will always be agonizingly slow and incremental, and we'll continue to have backlashes such as these.
In short, though the Democrats and the President have made mistakes, I have a hard time envisioning anyone as President having done any better or a program (which had a realistic chance of passing) having produced better results.
I am not at all sure that this current political situation could have been avoided.
September 1, 2010 Posted by blueollie | 2010 election, Barack Obama, Democrats, Middle East, obama, political/social, politics, politics/social, religion, Republican, republicans, Spineless Democrats, world events | Leave a comment
msnbc video: Obama: Its time to turn the page
September 1, 2010 Posted by blueollie | Barack Obama, Middle East, obama, world events | Leave a comment
About Blueollie
Welcome Message
(click to go to whitehouse.gov)
President Obama's address to the National Academy of Science.
President Obama takes on Republican questions.
(Yes, that is part of President O too….grumble…)
How well is President Obama doing at keeping his campaign promises? Here is an even handed running assessment.
This is my online diary. My facebook stuff is here.
I use this blog for the following purposes:
- To keep track of my training. I train for ultramarathons (I usually walk these) and sometimes do running races, bicycle rides and open water swims for variety. My best ultra accomplishment was walking 101 miles in 24 hours in 2004. These days, I walk a marathon every once in a while (5:30 to 7 hours) There was a time when I could run a sub 40 minute 10K (did that once), but that was another lifetime ago; these a days
24 27-2825 minutes for a 5K would be more like it. I also have an off and on interest in yoga and in weight training. My lifetime PB in the bench is 310; currently I do sets of 4 with 175.
- From time to time, I post what I am thinking about mathematically
- I often post links to science articles, especially articles about cosmology and evolution.
- I am very sympathetic to the "new atheist" movement, though some might consider me to be an agnostic. I reject any notion of a deity that interferes with physical events, but remain agnostic to the idea that there might be something "grand and wonderful" (Dawkins' phrase) outside of our current spacetime continuum.
- I am a liberal Democrat who thinks that the current social atmosphere is tilted way too far toward the interests of big business, and I reject the idea that a "free market" cures all ills, though pure socialism doesn't work either. I am also a believer in the freedom of speech, including speech that I might not like. Also, I've been involved (to a moderate degree) with political campaigns, ranging from City Council races up to Presidential races.
- Since being targeted by neo-nazis, I've started to identify with the anti-racist and the anti-fa movements.
- I like to post photos of trips and vacations.
- I sometimes blog about boxing matches and football games.
- I like women in spandex. :)
Recent Comments
4'th of July F… on River Run 2015: tough competit… 4'th of July F… on Race for the Cure 2015: stoppi… 4'th of July F… on 2015 Run to Remember: nothing… 4'th of July F… on Kidney 5K (and more about raci… 4'th of July F… on Run with Reagan…not my 1…
sidebarThis is where the old blog blueollie migrated to. My old posts can be found here.
Who links to me?
Ollie is a Reality-Based Intellectualist, also known as the liberal elite. You are a proud member of what's known as the reality-based community, where science, reason, and non-Jesus-based thought reign supreme.
Take the quiz at www.FightConservatives.com
The above refers to me; the below refers to Barbara (my wife)
Barbara is a Peace Patroller, also known as an anti-war liberal or neo-hippie. She believes in putting an end to American imperial conquest, stopping wars that have already been lost, and supporting our troops by bringing them home.
Take the quiz at www.FightConservatives.com
Note about my blogroll: there are many types of blogs here; they range from humor, science, religion, politcs and endurance sports.
Blog Stats
- 1,691,900 hits
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- 2008 Election
- 2010
- 2010 election
- 2012 election
- 2014 midterm
- 2016
- Aaron Schock
- Ad
- affirmative action
- Agricultural Commisioner
- aircraft
- Alabama
- alternative energy
- america
- April 1
- arizona
- astronomy
- atheism
- Barack Obama
- barback obama
- Barbara Boxer
- basketball
- bicycling
- Biden
- big butts
- bikinis
- bill maher on mosque
- bill richardson
- biology
- blog humor
- Blogroll
- blogs
- blood donation
- Bobby Jindal
- books
- boxing
- brain
- bush-era
- business & economy
- butt
- Cheri Bustos
- civil liberties
- Claire McCaskill
- climate change
- college football
- comedy
- cop
- cosmology
- creationism
- d k hirner
- dark energy
- dave koehler
- deadline
- Democrats
- Dick Durbin
- Dick Morris
- disease
- dk hirner
- draw Mohammad day
- draw Muhammad day
- economics
- economy
- education
- edwards
- energy
- entertainment
- environment
- evolution
- extension
- family
- flu
- football
- Fox News Lies Again
- free speech
- Friends
- frogs
- geese
- glenn beck
- glenn hubbard
- green news
- ground zero mosque
- gwen ifill
- haunting songs
- health
- health care
- Herman Cain
- High Speed Rail
- hiking
- hillary clinton
- history
- hsr
- huckabee
- human sexuality
- humor
- if rich people have to pay taxes
- Illinois
- illness
- immigration. racial profiling
- injury
- internet issues
- interviews
- Intrade Prediction
- islamophobia
- jan brewer
- jim lehrer
- job
- Joe Biden
- John McCain
- jon stewart
- Judicial nominations
- knee rehabilitation
- lahood
- laughing at myself
- liars
- marathons
- mathematics
- matter
- mccain
- media
- michelle bachmann
- Mid Life Crisis
- Middle East
- Mike Huckabee
- mike's blog round up
- mind
- Mitt Romney
- money
- moron
- morons
- movies
- music
- nanotechnology
- national disgrace
- nature
- Navel Staring
- neuroscience
- newshour
- Newt Gingrich
- north america
- north carolina
- NSFW humor
- obama
- obesity
- Olympic Spandex
- Olympics
- Peoria
- Peoria/local
- Personal Issues
- photos
- physics
- Political Ad
- political humor
- political/social
- politics
- politics/social
- poll
- poor
- poverty
- public policy and discussion from NPR public radio program Science Friday with host Ira Flatow. Science Videos
- pwnd
- quackery
- racewalking
- racism
- ranting
- rebulican party
- recession
- relationships
- religion
- Republican
- republican party
- republican senate minority leader
- republicans
- republicans political/social
- republicans politics
- restaurants
- resume
- rich
- rick perry
- rick santorum
- running
- Rush Limbaugh
- sarah palin
- sb1070
- science
- Science Friday teachers
- Science Friday teens.
- shinkansen
- shoulder rehabilitation
- sickness
- social/political
- space
- spandex
- Spineless Democrats
- sports
- statistics
- stem cells
- stephen colbert
- story
- summer
- superstition
- swimming
- tax cuts
- taxes
- technology
- the colbert report
- Tim Pawlenty
- time trial/ race
- training
- trains
- Transportation
- travel
- ultra
- Uncategorized
- walking
- war on drugs
- wealth
- weight training
- whining
- wise cracks
- workouts
- world events
- yoga
Created by OnePlusYou Blog Roll Notes
As of March 20, 2010, I went through my longer blogroll and deleted links that no longer work. Be advised that some blogs have not been updated and others have been moved, but you can get to the new address via the old one. I've read and visited all of these sites at one time or another. However, I've decided to post a separate list of those blogs which I read regularly (some daily, others periodically).
My list of my regular reads Humor
Not Always Right Funny customer service stories.
Link Dump
3 Quarks Daily Links to Interesting Articles.
538.com Politics Analysis via Statistcs
Robert Reich Mostly economic policy issues
Paul Krugman Mostly economic policy issues
Democratic Convention Watch Democratic Politics
Dick Morris Conservative Republican (populist) politics
Sagacity: personal blog (Democratic)
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub Social issues, general interest
Brother Peacemaker Social issues; often African American issues
Peoria Pundit Peoria issues mostly.
Trends by Mindbridge Current events; detailed entries.
Edge of the American WestHistory, some politcs, some social issues
Civil Liberties and Security
Legal Satyricon First Amendment Issues and Law
Schneier Securty Blog Security issues, some codes/ciphers
Miranda Celest Hale's blog Rationalism; literature also
Science Avenger Pro-rationalism
Science (some of these deal with religious issues as well)
Richard Dawkins Science and Reason
Recursivity Mathematics and Rationalism
SandwalkEvolution, science and rationalism
Conservation Report Nature, environment, some politics
Cosmic Variance Physics and Cosmology
Mano Singham Science (physicis), science/rationalism
PharyngulaEvolution, atheism, rationalism
AnthropologyAnthropology, human evolution
Why Evolution is True science, rationalism
Doctor Andy Science and medicine; some social issues, some endurance sports
Nikkie's Nest Anti Racism
College Misery Where professors blow off steam
Personal (endurance athletes)
Tammy Racewalker, up to 50K
Damon Ultrarunner
Wild Celtic Rose Artist and triathlete (photos)
Ray Racewalker, ultra walker
Poe (satire)
Note: very rough language; not for the sensitive or for the easily offended:
Top Clicks
Top Posts
- Olympic Contest: beach volleyball vs. track and field
- Oh noes! Transparent Yoga Pants!!!!
- Why would someone tag me with this photo?
- I'm tired and I don't care therefore....
- Internet PTSD/trigger meme
- Perspectives: politics, nature, polls and life
- I don't believe this for one second...
- Are you ready for some volleyball???
- 25 November 2010: Workout and Gym Spandex....
- Yowza!
- 2008 Democratic Convention Watch
- 3 quarks daily
- 538.com
- A Knight in Dragonland
- Alex Constantine's Anti-Fascist Research Bin
- All That is Necessary
- Anthropology.net
- Bad Idea Blog
- Bad Science
- Ballers, Gamers and Scoundrels
- Barack Obama
- Billy Jack Blog
- Biosingularity
- BlackInformant.com
- blueollie
- BobGeiger.com
- Brother Peacemaker
- Chef Kevin
- Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
- Citizens Against Hate
- Clark Zealand (ultra athlete)
- Come Speak To Me 2
- Concount
- Cosmic Variance
- Crooks and Liars
- Daily Kos
- Daily Kos-Rep. Brad Miller
- Darksyde-Daily Kos
- de-conversion
- Democratic Convention Watch
- Dependable Renegade
- Dick Durbin
- Dick Morris
- Different River
- Disbelief.net
- Dr. Andy
- Edge of the American West
- Election Inspection
- Evanescent
- Everything Blog (mathematics)
- Evolved and Rational
- Eye Candy 1
- Eye Candy 3 (Marita Trento)
- Eye Candy 4 (Beach Volleyball Photos)
- Eye Candy 6 (bikinis on a beach)
- Eye on Hate
- F. Cochran Eye On Hate
- Fail Blog
- Fat Charlie's Diary – Page2RSS
- Forward March
- Freerange Athlete
- Friendly Atheist
- Girls in Yoga Pants
- God is for Suckers!
- Good Math, Bad Math
- Good Tithings
- Good Year For The Outlaw
- Halliburton Watch
- Happy Trails
- Hillary Clinton
- History Mike
- Illinois Valley Striders
- Inner Athlete Yoga
- Inpolite Conversation
- John Edwards
- John Kerry-Daily Kos
- Julie Berg: Run On
- Keep Moving Forward
- Keep Passing the Open Windows
- Legel Report
- Low Dimensional Topology
- Mano Singham's blog
- Media Matters
- Mick Arran
- Millard Fillmore's Bathtub
- Mr. Schwartz Blog
- My Third Eye Itches – A Yoga Guide
- My Unfettered Universe
- Nikki's Nest
- Nite Swimming
- North American Racewalking Calculator (age group)
- Obama Headquarters (Blog)
- Obama Letdown Watch (holding BHO accountable)
- Ollie's Photo Album
- On Evolution
- One People's Project
- Open Mind
- Overdetermined
- Peoria Pundit
- PLF-15, Daily Kos
- Pop Science Book Reviews
- PrairieStateBlue – Front Page
- Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog
- Racewalker Tammy (and Scientist)
- Rate Your Students
- Recursivity
- Rep Louise Slaughter-Daily Kos
- Richard Dawkins Website (articles)
- Robert Reich Blog
- Rude Clerk
- Running With Passion
- Russ Feingold-Daily Kos
- Sam Harris: Author, Philosopher, Essayist, Atheist
- Sandwalk
- Seattle For Barack Obama Blog
- Set the Coffee Pot to..
- Sexy Whispers
- Smirking Chimp
- Southern Poverty Law Center
- Southern Poverty Law Center Hatewatch blog
- Spellings Consulting
- Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science
- Stupid Evil Bastard (not my blog!)
- Tennessee Guerilla Women.
- The Skip Jenkins Show
- The Stubborn Curmudgeon
- The Usual Suspects
- The Worse Blog
- There is no path; the path is made as you go.
- Tit For Tat
- Trail Conditions by Trailrunner Courage (McNaughton Trail blog)
- Trends by Mindbridge
- Ultarunning, Skiing, Babbling
- Walking Distance
- Whore Church
- Wiscmass-Daily Kos
- Workaholic Runner
- yogabeans!
- ZombieRunner Blog
- July 2015 (9)
- June 2015 (51)
- May 2015 (53)
- April 2015 (48)
- March 2015 (56)
- February 2015 (50)
- January 2015 (66)
- December 2014 (66)
- November 2014 (71)
- October 2014 (86)
- September 2014 (77)
- August 2014 (79)
- 2008 Election
- 2010
- 2010 election
- 2012 election
- 2014 midterm
- 2016
- Aaron Schock
- Ad
- affirmative action
- Agricultural Commisioner
- aircraft
- Alabama
- alternative energy
- america
- April 1
- arizona
- astronomy
- atheism
- Barack Obama
- barback obama
- Barbara Boxer
- basketball
- bicycling
- Biden
- big butts
- bikinis
- bill maher on mosque
- bill richardson
- biology
- blog humor
- Blogroll
- blogs
- blood donation
- Bobby Jindal
- books
- boxing
- brain
- bush-era
- business & economy
- butt
- Cheri Bustos
- civil liberties
- Claire McCaskill
- climate change
- college football
- comedy
- cop
- cosmology
- creationism
- d k hirner
- dark energy
- dave koehler
- deadline
- Democrats
- Dick Durbin
- Dick Morris
- disease
- dk hirner
- draw Mohammad day
- draw Muhammad day
- economics
- economy
- education
- edwards
- energy
- entertainment
- environment
- evolution
- extension
- family
- flu
- football
- Fox News Lies Again
- free speech
- Friends
- frogs
- geese
- glenn beck
- glenn hubbard
- green news
- ground zero mosque
- gwen ifill
- haunting songs
- health
- health care
- Herman Cain
- High Speed Rail
- hiking
- hillary clinton
- history
- hsr
- huckabee
- human sexuality
- humor
- if rich people have to pay taxes
- Illinois
- illness
- immigration. racial profiling
- injury
- internet issues
- interviews
- Intrade Prediction
- islamophobia
- jan brewer
- jim lehrer
- job
- Joe Biden
- John McCain
- jon stewart
- Judicial nominations
- knee rehabilitation
- lahood
- laughing at myself
- liars
- marathons
- mathematics
- matter
- mccain
- media
- michelle bachmann
- Mid Life Crisis
- Middle East
- Mike Huckabee
- mike's blog round up
- mind
- Mitt Romney
- money
- moron
- morons
- movies
- music
- nanotechnology
- national disgrace
- nature
- Navel Staring
- neuroscience
- newshour
- Newt Gingrich
- north america
- north carolina
- NSFW humor
- obama
- obesity
- Olympic Spandex
- Olympics
- Peoria
- Peoria/local
- Personal Issues
- photos
- physics
- Political Ad
- political humor
- political/social
- politics
- politics/social
- poll
- poor
- poverty
- public policy and discussion from NPR public radio program Science Friday with host Ira Flatow. Science Videos
- pwnd
- quackery
- racewalking
- racism
- ranting
- rebulican party
- recession
- relationships
- religion
- Republican
- republican party
- republican senate minority leader
- republicans
- republicans political/social
- republicans politics
- restaurants
- resume
- rich
- rick perry
- rick santorum
- running
- Rush Limbaugh
- sarah palin
- sb1070
- science
- Science Friday teachers
- Science Friday teens.
- shinkansen
- shoulder rehabilitation
- sickness
- social/political
- space
- spandex
- Spineless Democrats
- sports
- statistics
- stem cells
- stephen colbert
- story
- summer
- superstition
- swimming
- tax cuts
- taxes
- technology
- the colbert report
- Tim Pawlenty
- time trial/ race
- training
- trains
- Transportation
- travel
- ultra
- Uncategorized
- walking
- war on drugs
- wealth
- weight training
- whining
- wise cracks
- workouts
- world events
- yoga
RSSEntries RSS
Comments RSS
Site infoblueollie
The Andreas04 Theme. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.


text:
News 1 - 3 of 3
Video Premiere: Bright Eyes' 'Jejune Stars'June 10, 2011 01:06:44
The music video made for the band's latest song from 'The People's Key' album is directed by 'Where the Wild Things Are' cinematographer Lance Acord and filled with pyrotechnics and fiery signs.
Video Premiere: Bright Eyes' 'Shell Games'February 17, 2011 11:02:58
The band captured the true spirit of indie by performing the song inside a room before taking it outside for a bonfire gathering.
Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes Defends Decision to Support Arizona BoycottJuly 06, 2010 01:07:08
Responding to local gig promoter who concerns about the economic affects of the touring acts ban, the singer states he and other artists enforce the boycott to show legislators they are serious.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Interview with Literary Agent Elisabeth Weed, Part 1
Therese Walsh on Sep 03 2010 | Filed under: Interviews
Full disclosure: Elisabeth Weed is my agent. And she is a gem.
Though it's a definite plus that she's always available and helpful–not just to me, but to her other authors–it's not exactly fair to keep her all to myself. If you have a manuscript you feel might be right for Elisabeth (read on to learn more about that), you should query her. If you're so lucky as to be represented by her, you'll learn how fab she is for yourself.
Please enjoy part 1 of my interview with the woman who pulled me out of the ranks of the unpublished and landed me a two-book deal with Random House.
Interview with Elisabeth Weed, Part 1
TW: How did you become owner of your own agency, Weed Literary? What was your journey?
EW: I started Weed Literary a little over three years ago, having worked as an agent at Kneerim & Williams and Trident Media Group. It's truly been such an exciting experience to build my own business.
TW: What does a typical day look like for you?
EW: A really good day involves calling an author and telling them about an exciting offer from a publisher. Honestly, there is nothing better than hearing the happiness in their voice. Another great part of my job is meeting new authors after I've fallen in love with their work. I am fascinated by a writer's process and how they find their ideas and inspiration and put them to paper.
A typical day includes a lot of email correspondence with authors and editors, having lunch or breakfast with an editor, negotiating of contracts and a lot of time on the phone. Sadly, reading is never done during the day because there's just so much other busy work. (I only mention this because I still have people ask me how I can get paid to read all day. If only I were so lucky!)
TW: What are you looking for, primarily? Is there anything you'd like to represent more of, or anything you've represented in the past that you'd like to discontinue?
EW: I am looking for quality fiction with a commercial appeal. It has to be plot driven, it can't be all about the prose, but it's very important that the prose is strong. Tinkers, for example, is a beautifully crafted novel but its focus is more on the writing and less on the plot, and that doesn't work for me. For a good example of the sort of book I love, see Jennifer Egan's work (The Keep).
I'm less interested in doing commercial nonfiction, like advice books. I'd like to move my list in a more literary direction on the fiction side. It's really all about the writing.
TW: How can a writer query you?
EW: We prefer queries to be emailed to my assistant at email@example.com. Please keep letters to one page and do not send attachments unless they are requested. If you prefer snail mail, please send, along with an SASE for our reply, to: Weed Literary, LLC, 27 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011
TW: Say I've just emailed a query letter to your agency, per the guidelines on your website. Who reads it? What happens next? And how often will that query lead to a request for a partial or a full manuscript read?
EW: The first line of defense is usually my assistant, Stephanie, who knows what I am looking for and forwards about 70% of the queries to me. Anything that starts with "Dear Sir", "Dear Agent" or is sent to every other agent in the business is deleted. And anything that she knows I don't represent (genre fiction, picture books etc) is also removed. I read everything else. I am actually a little obsessed with the slush pile. I usually request full proposals or partials (first three chapters) for novels for about 20% of what comes through.
TW: You said you don't represent genre fiction, but can you be more specific? Are "women's fiction" and "chick lit" genre? How is genre distinguished from commercial?
EW: I think of genre fiction as "mysteries" and "romance" or more niche categories like "military fiction," and wouldn't categorize women's fiction as such as it is much more general. Chick lit as it was published ten years ago would probably be considered genre now as it fit a pretty strict formula, but since it's not really published anymore (with the exception of the big names that broke out at the time) it's hard to say.
TW: A lot has been said about the importance of the first five pages of an author's work. Is too much stock placed in the first five pages, or are they as important as writers are led to believe?
EW: You can never place too much stock in the first 5 pages of a book. Think about it as a consumer: you go to the bookstore (or click online) and read the first page. Are you interested? Do you want to read more? Are you willing to plunk down $25 for what you are reading? It is similar as an agent. My first thought is can this person write? I can usually sum that up in the first page. If the writing is good but the novel or proposal feels like it's starting in the wrong place, of course I'll read more—I love being able to come up with a stronger way into a book–but if the writing isn't top notch, then I move on. With that much to read (both consumer and agent) there just isn't enough time to spend reading something that I don't think is spectacular.
TW: What are some of the most common errors you see that lead to a manuscript's rejection? Conversely, what propels you past the author's first five pages and beyond?
EW: Bad dialog– lot of manuscripts begin in the middle of a conversation, and if the dialog isn't engaging then I have a really hard time moving forward. Also, overly-descriptive settings. I can get a sense of place in a sentence or two, but then I want to know more about the story. You can flesh out the surroundings as you go along.
TW: Have you ever read a story, fallen for it, and felt you weren't the right agent for it?
EW: This happens a lot. I can tell that something is saleable, but still know I am not the right person to champion it. In one recent case, I declined representation, even though the author had two other offers and advised her on how to go about making a decision—I really wanted to see her find a great fit even though it wasn't with me.
Come back next Friday for part 2 of my interview with agent Elisabeth Weed, when we'll discuss how to write a good query, what Elisabeth would like to find in her inbox and more!
About Therese Walsh
Therese Walsh co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006. Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, was named a Best Book of 2014 by Library Journal and BookRiot. Her debut, The Last Will of Moira Leahy, sold to Random House in a two-book deal in 2008, was named one of January Magazine's Best Books, and was a Target Breakout Book. She's never been published with a lit magazine, but LOST's Carlton Cuse liked her Twitter haiku best and that made her pretty happy.
17 Responses to "Interview with Literary Agent Elisabeth Weed, Part 1"
Great interview! :)
A question for Elisabeth…
I write contemp women's fic and YA. I don't see anything on your site that specifically mentions that you rep YA, but some of your titles seem like YA crossover. If someone who also writes adult fiction queried you for a YA project, would you consider it? Also wondering if you would consider LGBT themes. (If yes to both of those, you'll likely be hearing from me.)
Looking forward to part 2! Have a great weekend. :)
"In one recent case, I declined representation, even though the author had two other offers and advised her on how to go about making a decision—I really wanted to see her find a great fit even though it wasn't with me."
My day job is in sales, I see myself as a salesperson before a writer, even if writing is my passion. Helping someone find a point of sale (Or in this case, another agent.) that can help them when you can't helps immensely in making customers loyal and help spread word of mouth. Sometimes your business isn't the right one, but it might be for someone in their network or it may become the right one in the future.
Hi Scott, The digital changes are all we seem to be talking about these days. It's a continuing conversation (or battle if you followed the Macmillan/Amazon fiasco) and one that will continue to evolve as the digital reading market grows. We absolutely have to protect authors rights–I worry a lot about piracy–but should also remember that these new devices are actually a good thing for authors. More people, according to WSJ are reading now.


text:
For Cam Tessari (No. 1 @ 140) Upset by Evan Henderson (No. 5 @ 140) for Second Time This Season and many other topics visit HSWrestling.net
Evan Henderson (No. 5 @ 140) loves to think of himself as the underdog. He might not have been in that role on Sunday night at the 37th annual Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic at Pitt?s Fitzgerald Fieldhouse, but his team certainly was.
It worked out well for the high school senior from New Florence and the Pennsylvania team, as the team of all-stars from the Keystone State beat the best seniors from the rest of the United States 27-18.
In a night filled with upsets, Henderson managed to beat Monroeville, Ohio?s Cam Tessari (No. 1 @ 140) for the second time this season. Tessari, who won four state titles and went 189-3 in high school, scored the opening takedown 23 seconds into their 140-pound match.
?I wasn?t expecting him to shoot there,? said Henderson, who wrestled at United High School before transferring to The Kiski School, where he won two prep national titles. ?I wrestled him once already and he wasn?t a shooting guy; he was an underhook guy. Then he comes out there and (ankle) picks me. Picks me a couple times, actually.? Henderson escaped to cut the lead in half, then countered another Tessari shot with a defensive takedown for a 3-2 lead.
For Complete Article by Eric Knopsnyder, Tribune-Democrat


text:
CANNABIS is a double-edged sword: by dampening the immune system, it provides relief from inflammatory diseases, but this also increase the risk of infections. Now we know how it does this: its active ingredient targets a newly discovered type of cell that lowers the immune response.
Prakash Nagarkatti at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and colleagues injected the main active ingredient of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), into mice. THC activated two types of cannabinoid receptor on immune cells, called CB1 and CB2. Activation of these receptors led to a "massive mobilisation" of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which play a crucial role in lowering the immune system response back down to normal levels (European Journal of Immunology, DOI: 10.1002/eji.201040667).
The discovery offers a possible explanation of why cannabis smokers have a higher risk of getting infections, says Nagarkatti. It may also mean THC could be used when there is a need to suppress the immune system - after an organ transplant, for example.
- Subscribe to New Scientist and you'll get:
- New Scientist magazine delivered every week
- Unlimited access to all New Scientist online content -
a benefit only available to subscribers
- Great savings from the normal price
- Subscribe now!
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.


text:
Additional Categories:
Mfg.: Lakeside
Model: Lakeside 346
This item is brand new and ships directly from the supplier. Please note the image above is for reference only.
Item: Lakeside Manufacturing Mobile Can Rack w/ Stainless Steel Worktop & 54 - #10 Can or 72 - #5 Can Capacity
There are currently no reviews for this item. Be the first to write one.


text:
JOHNSBURG-Gore beat the Two Twins of Warrensburg 20-5 Monday, May 2.
Leading the way with the bat was Dalton Stevens going 4-for-4 with a double, and three RBIs. Will Davis added a single and a double. Dawson West had two hits and scored four runs with four RBIs. Sebastian Wood had a double. Lewkus Lorensen added a single. Stevens and Trevor McKinney pitched for Gore combining to give up only one hit with 10 strike outs.
Gore went on to lose a tight game 11-10 against Oscar's of Warrensburg Friday, May 6.
Dawson West was 3-for-4 with a double and triple. Two ten-year-olds had their first hits playing for Gore. Kurt Fuller had a single, double and scored two runs, while Logan McKinney also had his first hit. Sebastian Wood was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Trevor McKinney had a single and double. Dalton Stevens added three hits and Will Davis had two. Lewkus Lorensen added a single. Lorensen, Stevens, Davis and Wood pitched for Gore combining for 16 strike outs.
Gore's record for the season is 2 - 2.
More like this story
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


text:
383ci Stump Puller
There's nothing like being put on the spot to make a guy define his priorities. Case in point: getting two weeks to spec out and create a $5,500 small-block. Actually, it didn't take much more than a few minutes for a list of desirable qualities to crystallize in my sleep-deprived brain. Right off the bat, I wanted an engine I could actually put to use: street, strip, autocross, open-road racing. A dyno bullet would not do. Second, I've been enamored of the Gen III LS6's powerband since my first drive in a Z06, so I was looking for a Kansas-flat torque curve with a horsepower peak to match. Getting into the 450-plus range for each would be good--higher than that would be better.
Third--and this was the curveball--I wanted this engine to be capable of passing at the pipe if I decided to slip it under the induction system of an '80s smog car. Not that I endorse that kind of thing, mind you. But it's an interesting exercise...
The recipe, as I saw it, called for a stout but not over-the-top bottom end, a heavy-breathing top end, and as much cam as we could get away with. The cam and heads combination proved to be key. Dart's 215cc Iron Eagle Platinum Series heads are relatively inexpensive, but the flow numbers they generate make them an outright bargain. We chose a Comp hydraulic-roller cam for long-term reliability, but the chosen 'stick would have to make the most of the heads' efficiency. Our duration figures are fairly stout for a street cam, and the lift numbers are up there, but keeping the lobe separation at 113 degrees allows for adequate vacuum and a livable idle, and makes the engine relatively emissions friendly.
Relying heavily on the knowledge and experience of Speed-O-Motive's George Ullrich, my LS6-style traditional small-block became a reality. The peak numbers of 470 lb-ft and 458 hp are about as close to equal as you can get--more importantly, this baby is making more than 400 lb-ft from 2,500 rpm all the way to six grand. Acceleration on demand throughout the powerband, but plenty of horsepower for top-end haulin'--this engine would make a good-handling car an utter riot to drive. And isn't that the whole purpose of building a hot engine?


text:
Original recipe yields 4 servings
Amount per serving ({{servings}} total)
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Ready In
Yes, this was an easy dinner. However, it lacked in flavor. I even added more garlic. Not sure that we will eat this again. But thank you for the quick meal.
This was super easy and fast to prepare, and the taste was good. Nothing great, just average but will make again the a QUICK weeknight dinner.
Its not messy at all and its ok i think its alot better if you add pork n beans in with it.


text:
Celebrities who have gone broke
POSTED: 11:35 AM May 08 2014 UPDATED: 1:30 PM May 31 2014
Text Size:
Mekhi Phifer is only the latest celebrity to go broke following money troubles.
The views expressed are not those of WCTI12.com, WCTI NewsChannel 12 or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments, you agree to accept our terms of use.


text:
Posted: December 11, 2012 at 1:56 a.m.
The Rogers Heritage Lady War Eagles won the Stephanie Phillips Classic at Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo High School on Saturday.
This story is only available from our archives.
« Previous Story
Rogers Runs Past Hot Springs
Rogers picked up the pace Saturday afternoon and grabbed a much-needed victory to close play in the Arvest Hoopfest. Read »
Next Story »
FOR THE RECORD: Springdale Bowling Center
High Scores through Dec. 8 SUNDAY OUR GANG Misfits: Jon Robinson 205-201; Alley Cats: Debbie Tisdale 177 (502); X Factor: Charlotte Fontenot 179, Joe Karlos 202-242 (628)... Read »


text:
A video of a cow walking through the streets of Kewanee, Illinois has gone viral, with 10,000 shares on the original Facebook post and counting.
The video was posted on Cheryl Payne Pudil's Facebook page and shows cops trying to chase down a loose cow.
"First thing I thought was 'T-bone' but it wasn't my cow," said Bill Imes, whose dog chased the cow, "All of a sudden the German Shepard went crazy and a big white milk cow started running crazy through the timber there and the dog was chasing it at its heels," he said.
"This is Kewanee for you," said Jesus Mota, as he watched the video.
Part of the reason so many people find the video so entertaining is the commentary from those filming the scene.
"We just thought that was the funniest thing in the world," said Pudil.
Pudil and her sister, who live in California, were visiting Family in Kewanee when the saw a cow walk out, followed by two squad cars.
"We couldn't catch our breath we were laughing so hard," said Pudil.
"Ya, it is funny, the lady that was laughing is hilarious," said Mota.
"That was priceless, them laughing and giggling the whole time," said another man in Kewanee who had watched the video.
For Pudil all the laughter she's spreading is more than she could have imagined.
"I'm so glad cause every time I look past the street, I just sit there and laugh," she said.


text:
Book Search
Religion and Social Problems
Series: Routledge Advances in Sociology
Although students and scholars of social problems have often acknowledged the role of religion, no thorough examinations of the relation between the two have emerged. This volume fills this gap by providing a definitive work on the role of religion in assessing, constructing, and solving social...
Published December 11th 2013 by Routledge
Studying Religion and Society
Sociological Self-Portraits
How do you study religion and society? In this fascinating book, some of the most famous names in the field explain how they go about their everyday work of studying religions in the field. They explain how the ideas for their projects and books have come together, how their understanding of...
Published November 8th 2012 by Routledge


text:
Nokia N-Gage QD
Info Photos Reviews 18 News Forum
cure for thmb blisters?
I just got my dope new NGAGE and I have been going crazy with it. I have been on a strict diet of coffee and marshmellos for the last three day kickin' internation booty with my NGAGE skillz, but now my thumbs are all blistered and raw, I can barely use my remote to TiVo Dragonballz. Does anyone know whate I can use to heal my thumb blisters.
- Re: cure for thmb blisters? by dreadedknight
- Re: cure for thmb blisters? by lowdowndirtyworm


text:
More than 30 firefighters were sent to the fire after it took hold shortly after 5pm this evening
Cabinet approve move, which will now go out to public consultation
Hill tells the division's big spenders they could live to regret splashing out on new players this summer
Coach Scott Naylor saw his Oldham side rally in the second half against Keighley but just miss out. Meanwhile, Leigh, Swinton and Rochdale Hornets all won well
The changes - that will now go out to public consultation - have been brought in as Rochdale has the worst recycling record in Great Manchester
Parts of the £30 complex are due to open in late August
Is there something happening in your area you would like us to report on?
M.E.N. Media is one of the north west's largest media providers and reaches 7 out of 10 people
in Greater Manchester every week.
Online, manchestereveningnews.co.uk welcomes 2.4million unique users who experience12.4million page views every month.
Our newspapers include the flagship Manchester Evening News - Britain's largest circulating
regional daily with up to 130,485 copies - as well as 20 local weekly titles across Greater
Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire.
Free morning newspaper, The Metro, published every weekday, is also part of our portfolio,
delivering more than 200,000 readers in Greater Manchester.
Greater Manchester Business Week is the region's number one provider of business news andfeatures, targeting a bespoke business audience with 12,687 copies every Thursday.
Every month, M.E.N. Media's print products reach 2.2 million adults, spanning from Accrington
in the north to Macclesfield in the south.
To benefit from this unique, unrivalled audience, call M.E.N Media on 0161 832 7200 or click here to fill in our contact form.
For more advertising contacts click here.
Editor, Manchester Evening News editor-in-chief MEN Media and Trinity Mirror Huddersfield
Rob Irvine was appointed editor-in-chief of MEN Media and Trinity Mirror Huddersfield in April 2012.
Rob joined Trinity Mirror in 2001 and was editor of the Daily Post North Wales for seven years. He was also publishing director for Trinity Mirror North Wales and Cheshire.
He grew up in Stockport, Greater Manchester and has worked in the local newspaper industry for 27 years.


text:
Mendefera — Reports indicated that 200 cataract patients in the Southern region have been cured through voluntary and joint surgical campaign by the Ministry of Health and a surgical crew from Al-Beser, an international medical institution.
Among the beneficiaries, Mr. Menqerios Ogbasilasie, Ms. Jim'a Ahmed Ali and Ms. Lemlem Meharena expressed appreciation for the free medical service that was rendered at the regional Referral Hospital in Mendefera town.
Dr. Alem Zecarias, coordinator of the campaign, explained that more than 600 other nationals have also become beneficiaries of free diagnosis and prescribed remedies such as medications and eye glasses.
The Coordinator of the medical crew from Al-Beser, Dr. Muhaned Khemaleddin, told Erina that this is their 5th visit to Eritrea, and commended the collaborative manner of fellow Eritrean professionals and the people's hospitality.
He further pointed out that they have also conducted similar campaign in Asmara, thus curing 270 citizens, 20 of whom are children below 7.


text:
First things first, I do not intend to breed this horse. I couldn't even if I wanted to - he is a gelding!
OK so now that that's said and done. I know absolutely nothing about Arabian bloodlines, but would like to know if my boy has anything notable in his pedigree, so I thought I would turn to the HF experts.
Link to his pedigree.
AHSA: Horse Pedigree
Anything good in there? Or is he pretty much mediocre? His conformation is pretty mediocre. His sire is a TB, hence the lack of detail as this is through the AHSA and they deal in Arabians and partbred Arabians.


text:
Copy this Code

'Outlander': Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe tease sex and adventure
The stars of "Outlander" have some hot scenes coming up, but there's a lot more for them to tease before they get there. Zap2it speaks to Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe about Jamie and Claire's first kiss, steamy sex scenes and more. « Less ... Show More »
© 2015 Tribune Media Services, LLC


text:
But it had to be special...
Step 1: The Paper.
The thinnest, lightest paper I know is cigarette paper.
You need one paper for one aeroplane.
Disclaimer: I do not smoke. I do not recommend you smoke. Really. It's bad. And expensive.
However, for only 23p (about half a dollar) you can buy a packet of fifty cigarette papers - that's a lot of 'planes.
Step 2: The first fold.
Crease sharply.
You can slightly dampen the glue to hold the paper in place. Not too damp, or it goes wrinkly and sticks to your lip. That's not pleasant.
Step 3: Down the middle
This edge will become the front of the 'plane.
Sharply crease the 'plane down the centre and then open it up again.
Step 4: Shaping the front.
You should see a crease that was already in the paper when you got it. It forms a V, with the point at the front of the plane.
Fold the two front corners up to meet the pre-existing crease. The crease that was at the front edge should line up along the crease that makes the V.
You now have a point at the front of the 'plane.
Fold this point up to approximately the centre of the 'plane.
Step 5: The body and wings.
About 3mm from the centre crease, fold both sides down to make the wings.
The 'plane should start to look just like a 'plane now.
Fold the tips of the wings upwards for stability.
The larger the wing-tips you fold up, the straighter the plane will fly, but the smaller they are the longer it stays in the air. It's up to you.
I bet rolling paper could make extra teeny tiny versions.
In any case, check out OAE's stuff and the Spirit...
In any case, check out my post-it note Spirit paper airplane.
Take care,
Since my design can actually gain height from heat updrafts I'd assume yours could fly contentedly around the right places...
conspiratorial whispers
At the moment the carpets very glittery because I am filing metal for a project, it's a nuisance but it's kind of interesting...
(Thanks for the Rizla info.)
Don't worry not justifying behaviour, just giving uses for things, that and though smoke is not everyone's favourite smell it has a few helpful uses... Febreeze isn't effective on organic odours but the particles of smoke seem to be, then you febreeze them...
Ps: don't go on holiday before finishing the bread.
I know...


text:
Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens
I came across this on the Internet today, and it has me thinking. We need a standard method of describing heat in a wood-fired oven, ranging from warm to very hot. Now that we have finished V1.0 of the Cooking e-Book, I can see that this will help.
Can we come up with a wood-fired version of this?
Their "very hot" isn't very hot.
Gas Mark 1 = 140C = 275F = Very cool
Gas Mark 2 = 150C = 300F = Cool
Gas Mark 3 = 160C = 325F = Warm
Gas Mark 4 = 180C = 350F = Moderate
Gas Mark 5 = 190C = 375F = Fairly Hot
Gas Mark 6 = 200C = 400F = Fairly Hot
Gas Mark 7 = 210C = 425F = Hot
Gas Mark 8 = 220C = 450F = Very Hot
Gas Mark 9 = 240C = 475F = Very Hot
Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens
almost laughable when one is talking about dome temps in the 800's and floor temps between 700 and 750 for cooking pizza.
Maybe a flat factor (1.71) can be applied to the 425 number to equal 725F
Mark 1 = 243C = 470F = Very cool
Mark 2 = 266C = 510F = Cool
Mark 3 = 293C = 560F = Warm
Mark 4 = 316C = 600F = Moderate
Mark 5 = 338C = 640F = Fairly Hot
Mark 6 = 360C = 680F = Fairly Hot
Mark 7 = 385C = 725F = Hot - throw the pizza in!
Mark 8 = 410C = 770F = Very Hot
Mark 9 = 432C = 810F = Very Hot
nah looking back at those numbers you should come up with your own scale
Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens
1 Attachment(s)
Here is a shot at a wood-fire temperature scale. I would appreciate comments on this -- it's a first cut.
Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens
Not too shabby for a first cut. I think you have it knocked. Breaking it down further would not add a lot of useful information. Under the "some bread" temp, you might add pan breads, enriched bread, sweet breads or some such.
Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens
add in how Mississippi is to be used
hopefully they won't have a high threshold for pain
Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens
Why do we have to cook at such extreme temperatures, compared to a conventional oven? how is it possible to slow cook.....say a Morrocan tangine at such elevated temps?
remember i'm learning.
Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens
I love the Mississippi's. Kinda says it all like the white dome and how the first couple turn out.
Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens
Hi James!
Nice idea! I agree, Mississippi's need to be defined. The other useful scale would be flour blackening which is probably useful for 500 to 800 degrees or so. A little experimentation with an IR thermometer should provide a useful column for judging hearth temp.
Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens
Lower temperature dishes are cooked with retained heat cooking, the fire is shoveled out, the temperatures drop to normal oven temperature, and in go your breads, cakes, roasts, that sort of thing. Later you cook your merangues, your slow simmered dishes.
You get the idea. It's a declining temperature curve.
Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens
And a "Mississippi" is...? I remember it as a counting method, only barely reliable from one person to another depending on their concept of time, especially when someone pronounced it "missippi".
|All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:24 PM.
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2015, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
© 2006/10 Forno Bravo, LLC


text:
Cabinda — The governor of the northern Cabinda province, Aldina Matilde da Lomba has announced the regular holding of Municipal and Communal Fairs for the sale of agricultural and livestock products from this year, similar to the provincial fair held regularly in the region.
The governor announced so Wednesday during celebrations of the 23rd anniversary of creation of the Confederation of Peasants Associations of Agricultural Cooperatives of Angola (UNACA) held on February 6.
Aldina da Lomba noted that some municipalities are busy building market places to enable the holding of municipal and communal fairs.
According to her, the mechanism for trading of products is under study.
The governor also stressed that the programme for combat hunger and poverty covers the trading in the field already identified.


text:
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The 400-yard freestyle relay team set a new Holy Cross school record on the final night of action at the Patriot League Championship as the men's swimming and diving team concluded the 2014 season. The team was comprised of sophomore Tyler Wright (Waterboro, Maine), sophomore David Mullany (Monroe, Conn.), freshman Alexander Young (Natick, Mass.) and senior Jan Yburan (Livingston, N.J.) and finished five one-hundredths of a second faster than the previous record set in 2002, at 3:11.54.
Mullany also set a new school record in the 1,650-yard freestyle, shattering the previous time by just over 10 seconds and finishing at 16:31.08. In the process, he also became the first Crusader to ever swim the 1,000-yard freestyle in under 10 minutes, posting a split time of 9:54.52, setting another school record.
The 200-yard freestyle relay added a fourth school record on the day after finishing with a time of 1:26.99. Swimmers included Yburan, junior Thomas Horigan (West Hartford, Conn.), senior Patrick Gibbons (Reston, Va.) and Wright.
Freshman Andrew Higgins (New Canaan, Conn.) was the top HC finisher in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:07.86. Yburan was the top Holy Cross finisher in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:58.22. Wright led the Crusaders in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 48.05 and sophomore Matthew Bates (South Easton, Mass.) led the team in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:04.40.
Navy won the team competition with a total of 945.5 points.
The 2014 men's swimming and diving season has come to an end.


text:
PT200 Mendelmax Type 3d Printer Kit
The PT200 kit features the latest in 3d printing technology. We have selected and integrated the highest quality components into the PT200. This effort has resulted in a 3d Printer kit that is easy to assemble and will quickly produce high quality prints. The PT200's platform is also easily upgradable.
Extensive video build guide to ensure successful build and first print.
This kit does not include electronics, stepper motors, extruder, hotend, heated bed, glass print surface.
3D printers are inherently PINCH, BURN AND SHOCK HAZARDS. The X and Y platforms can move VERY FAST.
Please know that these machines aren't mass produced.. These are special machines that require some maintenance.
Since parts are moving very fast and there is always some vibration, you should occasionally check for loose nuts and bolts.
There is no warranty.
The seller will not be responsible for what the winning bidder does with this machine.
This machine should be operated by adults only or under adult supervision at all times
Posted by darkoobot-ba on 13th Jun 2012
Fast shipping, excellent support, fantastic in all ways. Can't recommend enough!


text:
E-Mail Address:
Forgot your password?
Log in
Not a member? Register now!
Common Conditions
Related Tools
Find & Review Drugs
Popular Topics
Advice & Support
As a natural part of aging, bone tissue breaks down. It
is absorbed faster than new bone is made, and bones become thinner. You are
more likely to have
osteoporosis if you did not reach your ideal bone
thickness (bone mineral density) during your childhood and
teenage years.
In women, bone loss increases around menopause,
when ovaries decrease production of
estrogen, a hormone that protects against bone loss.
testosterone protects men from bone loss. Osteoporosis
is typically seen in men older than 65, when production of this hormone
declines. So in both men and women, the older you get, the more likely you are to
have osteoporosis.
Not getting
calcium and
vitamin D contributes to bone thinning. Also, thin bones may run in families.
Last Revised:
May 10, 2012
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine & Carla J. Herman, MD, MPH - Geriatric Medicine
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.
How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2013 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about
your visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of
interest to you. If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make
choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here.


text:
What happens if I fail a G1 or G2 road test?
If your G1 licence is not expired: you can try the road test again.
If your G1 licence is expired: you will need to start all over and pay the test fees again.
If your G2 licence is about to expire: you can take your G1 road test again and get five more years as a G2 to finish the process.
Updated: July 10, 2014


text:
Two Egyptian men ride a motorbike past a tank stationed outside the presidential palace in Cairo on December 12, 2012. AFP PHOTO/MARCO LONGARI
CAIRO: Egypt's referendum on a controversial draft constitution will now take place on two separate dates, state television said on Wednesday.
The electoral commission announced that the vote, initially set only for December 15, will take place both on Saturday and a week later on December 22, Nile TV said.
The respective rounds of the referendum will be divided into two regions, it said.
The draft constitution, approved by an Islamist-dominated council last month, has become the focus of Egypt's worst political crisis since President Mohamed Morsi's election in June.
Rival mass rallies have become an almost daily occurrence in Cairo, and clashes between Islamists and secular-leaning opposition last Wednesday killed seven people and injured hundreds more.
The army has called for talks later on Wednesday between Morsi and opposition leaders.
Troops and tanks were deployed outside the presidential palace on Tuesday to prevent further bloodshed, but exercised restraint when protesters partly destroyed roadblocks to get closer to the complex and demand Morsi's departure.
The expatriate vote -- itself postponed for days -- has already begun with the polling of more than 500,000 Egyptians at embassies and consulates in 150 countries, the official MENA news agency said.
Your feedback is important to us!
We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article.
Disclaimer: Comments submitted by third parties on this site are the sole responsibility of the individual(s) whose content is submitted. The Daily Star accepts no responsibility for the content of comment(s), including, without limitation, any error, omission or inaccuracy therein. Please note that your email address will NOT appear on the site.
Alert: If you are facing problems with posting comments, please note that you must verify your email with Disqus prior to posting a comment. follow this link to make sure your account meets the requirements. (http://bit.ly/vDisqus)


text:
Contact Us
Current Region:
Latin America
Your selections will be saved and used to recommend products based on your interests.
| Online
View PDF
Continuing Education credits are not available for the archived offering. This archived webinar is available for purchase through November 5, 2015.Broadcast time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Series Overview
These core lectures will focus on the essentials of clinical pharmacology in drug development. They will outline basic pharmacological and therapeutic principles that show how drugs get into the body, how they produce their effects, what happens to them in the body, and how evidence of their therapeutic effect as well as unwanted effects are assessed. The information is vital to an understanding of how drugs are to be used safely and effectively. The principles will be illustrated by practical applications offered by examples from real experience.
Five lectures will cover the following topics:
Part 3: Principles of Modeling and Simulation
Clinical scientists are increasingly relying on modeling and simulation (M&S) approaches as a way to understand the underlying biology and sources of variability driving drug response, to describe the relationship between drug exposure and biomarkers or drug effects, and to predict the outcome of potential trial designs. M&S facilitates the integration of data, knowledge and assumptions over the lifespan of a drug, and allows pharmaceutical scientists to make rational, quantitatively-based decisions throughout a drug's development.
This session will focus on the following topics:
The target audience for these webinars includes physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and scientists, as well as their regulatory and commercial colleagues, from industry, academia, medical centers, and health authorities, who are involved in all phases of drug development and safety evaluations throughout the product lifecycle.
At the conclusion of this webinar, participants should be able to:
Series Discount Available*Buy 2 webinars in this seriesand save 10%Buy 3 or 4 webinars in this seriesand save 15%Buy the whole seriesand get one webinar free*Includes Archived Webinars in this series. Order must be placed in one transaction for savings to be applied.
Printable Registration Form
Registration QuestionsToll Free 1.888.257.6457 Phone +1.215.442.6100Fax +1.215.442.6199Monday-Friday 8:30AM-8:00PM firstname.lastname@example.com
Information about Archived WebinarsCarolyn CallahanPhone +1.215.442.6194Fax +firstname.lastname@example.com
Test Your Browser Before ViewingTest your browser before viewing the archive webinar by joining a test meeting. This takes less than 30 seconds and ensures that your entry into the archive will be without incident. Follow this link to enter the test meeting.
Director, Pharmacokinetics, Modeling, & Simulation; Global Clinical PharmacologyAstellas, United States
Scientific Director, Translational Modeling & Simulation Clinical Pharmacology Takeda, United States
United States
Series Discount Available*Buy 2 webinars in this series and save 10%Buy 3 or 4 webinars in this series and save 15%Buy the whole series and get one webinar free*Includes Archived Webinars in this series. Order must be placed in one transaction for savings to be applied.
Participants with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations will be made available to persons with disabilities who attend an educational activity. Contact the DIA office in writing at least 15 days prior to event to indicate your needs.


text:
My Top 3 Priorities
Utilize current PD and Code Enforcement staffing to provide the best coverage possible throughout the city to ensure that Antioch is a great place to Work, Live, Play.
Contain costs while using available funding wisely. Increase city services to the public by bringing back the 40 hour work week.
The transportation improvements (widening Highway 4, E-Bart and Highway 160 improvements) makes Antioch an attractive development opportunity; now is the time for discussions with potential new business entities.
In today's challenging economic climate, we must work smarter and make better use of limited resources. My diverse background has provided me the skills needed to navigate the current local and state economic crises, hire successful district leaders and create an environment of open communications and collaborative relationships.
My business and community service experience and lifetime knowledge of Antioch has served me well during my tenure as an AUSD Board Member. As an elected representative, I have been a voice for financial accountability, increased investment in the classroom and school site safety.
It is important to have an experienced voice on the council as we look towards future development opportunities. It is critical that our city is a safe city, public services are provided in a consistent and effective manner and that everyone, including residents, view Antioch with opportunity, respect and see current advantages and future potential.
I look forward to redirecting my experience and passion to city government as your elected representative and would appreciate your vote for Diane Gibson-Gray for Antioch City Council.