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Kenneth McDonald posted the following question about Scala's future in the Scala mailing list:
I thought it would be interesting to find out people's predictions for how much of the Java market Scala will eventually penetrate. It's nice to see Scala doing reasonably well so far, so now's your chance to make a prediction on the future of Scala:
a) Scala will remain a niche language, competing with Groovy, JRuby, etc.
b) Scala will become the dominant "second" language for the JVM.
c) Scala will actually become big enough to compete with Java in many respects.
If none of these fit your outlook, feel free to make up your own answer.
In my opinion, the answer will be A (niche) or B (second language), depending on the community's ability to:
The software development community is embracing dynamically typed languages like Python and Ruby, as well as functional programming. Languages like Python and Ruby simplify the development process for a beginner. They are easy to read, learn and use. Their adoption is therefore growing quickly. They also offer practical solutions to web development needs through frameworks like Rails and Django.
The paradigm shift to functional programming is much slower however. Functional programming done a la Scala, is undoubtedly advantageous for the competent software engineer, but moving from Java to Scala requires significant commitment and a higher degree of understanding about how to program, in my opinion. Are Java developers up to this? Some of them are, but I doubt that a majority of them would be. It should be noted that Scala has the potential to also attract developers who don't program in Java, but rather come from a different background, such as the aforementioned Python and Ruby. These people may look into Scala as a more functional-oriented, robust and faster alternative.
This, coupled with the current, limited popularity of Scala, leads me to believe that option C (let's say ~50% marketshare) is not a realistic option for the foreseeable future. We are entering the long tail period of programming, where many lesser known languages will start gaining some traction. Achieving a "second language" status is still an ambitious and worthy goal. There are many formidable opponents aiming for that, including JRuby, Jython, Groovy, and Clojure, and the rewards for doing so would be substantial for everyone involved.
The real question is not how far Scala is capable of going in terms of adoption, but rather what can be done to ensure that it will achieve widespread acceptance, however that may be defined. Paying close attention to the success stories of Ruby and Python may give the community some insight as to what should be done. To a minor extent, fellow functional programming languages like Erlang and Haskell are doing a fine job marketing-wise and are gaining traction. As of 3.30 pm today, there are 147 members in the irc channel for Scala, and 576 for Haskell. This is not to say that one is better than the other, or even that Haskell is more popular than Scala in general, but rather that there may be something to learn from a "similar" language, that poses compatible challenges for those who intend to approach it.
Being based on the JVM, well integrated with Java, and to a certain extent being Java-like, are all major advantages that may help Scala's ability to gain major popularity. And being ingrained in the Java world, will affect the way Scala's image and the ways it can be promoted as well. Whereas Ruby has a somewhat anti-corporate spirit and image, and is tough to sell to the Enterprise world, Scala doesn't face these challenges. As such it may appeal to a much larger category of developers and companies. However, a lot of work will be required to reach that tipping point. Scala is already an excellent language, as far as I can see, but it will be a combination of technical efforts and marketing to really decide Scala's popularity.
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It would be nice if we just used the right tools for the right jobs, without getting into religious arguments about which tools are awesome and which ones are stupid.
Having said that, who has the time to get their work done AND to learn all the trendy new languages, frameworks, middleware, plug-ins, version control web repositories, project management web apps, and libraries that pop up every month? It can be suffocating and completely kill productivity.
The sad thing is that Java will die this way – because people think that Scala JRruby Groovy etc.. are the future, but noone wants to use Java anymore?
As a language Scala beats Java on almost every single feature. Only exception is the removal of exception specifications which I find to be a big mistake – but I'm aware that I'm in the minority in that regard.
However, the tool support is really poor compared to Java. I find that to be a major hindrance. This is quite disappointing considering that Scala isn't exactly brand new anymore. Maybe some commitment from the core developers of Eclipse and NetBeans is needed.
Another issue is library support. It seems like the people behind Scala is relying too much on the fact that you can use any Java library you wish. While this can certainly help when moving from Java, it is not enough if you are coming from languages like Ruby and Python which both have a huge number of excellent libraries that are written in the same philosophy as the host language.
Killer-apps, killer-libraries, and killer-tools. Those are the things Scala need to become truly successful.
It needs "Killer-apps, killer-libraries, and killer-tools. Those are the things Scala need to become truly successful."
That's a good point
Grails is the killer app for Groovy
Groovy inventor James Strachan: "I can honestly say if someone had shown me the Programming Scala book by Martin Odersky, Lex Spoon & Bill Venners back in 2003 I'd probably have never created Groovy."
"…make Scala a very interesting language, and worth being heralded as the current heir apparent to the Java throne by one of JRuby's creator, Charles Nutter "
would suggest at least B and very possibly C
I am a Ruby/Rails guy and recently got Stu's book on clojure. I am surprised that so far clojure has not featured prominently in the discussion.
I would like to know what people think of clojure compared to Scala.
Note: I know nothing about Scala.
"The sad thing is that Java will die this way – because people think that Scala JRruby Groovy etc.. are the future, but noone wants to use Java anymore?"
Why is that sad? No one wants to program in COBOL anymore and I'm not the least bit sad about this.
No language has the same level of tool support as Java has – scala IDEs are just not there.
IMHO groovy will get one more chance this fall when springsource guys release new version of groovy eclipse ide.
Scala has so many new or obscure features – thik of generics. I don't see many developers using generics to it's full potential. Do you think those same people would understand all of the Scala features?
Another problem that Scala, or Groovy or Jruby confront is the fact that Java developers mostly write business applications for banks, goverments or other conservative institutions. Those clients do not like to mix environments. They do not like excitement unless huge cost savings is involved. They like predictability and support.
So, if you're unable to use your favorite language during 8 (or more) hours of your work day when will you use it? On a pet open source project?
Unfortunately most of the Java developers piggyback on open source projects and they don't contribute back to the community as much as they could (think of it: there is eclipse as IDE, hibernate as ORM tool, grails as alternative to rails, all those apache projects, codehaus). Almost all of the libraries that we use today are open source projects that need care and contributions. And yet, most of us don't give back nearly as much as we take.
Back to the point: majority of Java developers hardly ever write code outside officially supported language on Java platform. That's the primary reason none of the other languages will become new JVM language of choice.
If groovy gets decent and free of charge tool support, this fall I predict it could change the balance. I already see developers looking at grails as a solution for writing dirty cheap apps. With better tool support I bet they would use groovy as much as they use Java today.
What scala really needs is killer-ide support!
I think Scala is the only current language likely to take the throne from Java.
But I also believe that it's going to take a long time to get there. Scala presents an extremely powerful language and type system that's extremely scary for anyone who first looks at it. That barrier to entry can't be understated. It may improve over time, but Scala, at first glance, is terrifyingly complex (even if over time you learn it's not as bad as you though). Presentation matters.
Ultimately I think the Java throne could be taken easily by a language that simply took Java and removed all the ceremony without losing any of the "bare metal" feel and high performance. Duby is one attempt to do that, though it diverges from Java syntax quite a bit. If someone were to take javac and add: local type inference; closure-like syntax for anon classes; more literals for regexp, lists, and maps; extension methods and delegates a la C#; "dynamic" calls using reflection or invokedynamic; and no runtime library "ball and chain"…you'd have a Java killer right there.
I think Scala needs more time until it will be largely adopted by users. I think one of it's disadvantages is that you can, very quickly, produce unreadable code. Also, IDE support is less than average.
Scala runs on the Java platform, so I have no beef against it, unlike the cultists using RoR, and in fact plan on trying Scala out. I wish it all the best and hopefully the JVM continues to provide a home for more JavaPlatform-based languages which can integrate seamlessly with Java language libraries and programs (and which in Scala's case I think actually compiles to Java bytecode). To me Scala IS a component of Java (the platform and maybe even the language)
Saying that, I do not believe it will displace Java anytime soon. In fact, I've always predicted none of the "hyped" languages like Ruby on Rails, etc will ever displace Java. The only real competitor to Java is from the Microsoft technologies.
I mostly agree with what Charles Oliver Nutter describes as the ideal alternate JVM language (the "Java killer"). For me this language would be very much like Groovy but it would be statically typed. Thus, old style Java code would compile but type inference and other such technique would be used to achieve something very close to what is done with a dynamic language (Scala does that).
Why statically typed ? Several reasons:
1) Performance of course. For the kind of application I work on (no DB and not much Network communication but lots of numerical algo) I could accept a 10 to 15% loss of performance. Anything beyond that would hurt and make adoption difficult. Right now, dynamic languages on the JVM are much slower than that.
2) Better error checking at compile time (free unit tests). It is very difficult to do "trial and error" programming in Java. I'm not a bad programmer but it is just amazing the kind of nonsense that the Groovy compiler let me do to then blowup at runtime. I just don't see how we could use a language as permissive as this with all levels of programmers at work (even with good unit tests).
Don't get me wrong. I think that for some type of development (even mainstream deliverables) dynamic languages are great. I might end up using them for some components. But in my case not for the core main application.
For me even a "Java killer" as described above would not be totally satisfactory. That's why I'm seriously looking at Scala.
The bottom line is that maybe in the future there will never be a language on the JVM as dominant as Java is right now. I think we will see different languages used for different type of applications.
i agreed to a comment 'right tool for the right job'. rather than being evangelical about X,Y,X language.. whatever i bought a Programming in Scala book so i am on it.
I think Charles Nutter said it best. I dont think Scala will dethrone Java, because there are a millions of Java developers out there who dont care about "a better language". As sad as it is, they just want to get their job done and "if Java didnt change at all, that would be perfectly fine for these developers" (quote from Neal Gafter from a talk about VB getting closures before Java).
There is a massive amount of people that does not care about any alternatives on the JVM. Unless the tool support is equally great and no implications on build-system and deployment are necessary, there wont be a java-killer for them.
The sad thing is, there is a real business value in control abstractions and higher order functions, because it can lead to more robust code especially when dealing with closeable resources or whenever a deferred execution is desired.
Corporates may not move to Scala (or Clojure) anytime soon, but that'll be their loss. It'll just make it easier for smaller, smarter outfits to compete with them.
I do admit that Scala is a very interesting experiment. However I would suggest "A" without a single chance for B, but I hope Scala will be used by more pragmatic language designers as an inspiration.
To be considered as a true Java competitor Scala looks too flexible in its syntax and the mix of OO and functional style makes the situation even worse.
I cannot imagine a really big enterprise application containing millions lines of code written in Scala. Such an applications use to evolve for years with many developers of very different skills involved. In this situation the excessive flexibility should be considered as a huge disadvantage.
Just my opinion. Will be glad to be wrong.
My biggest worry is binary compatibility. Program compiled with 2.7 does not work on 2.8. In Java I can still work with 10 years old library (log4j for example).
Also to gain significant market share from Java it must be far better than Java. Now it just adds some suggar, it helps but is not 10x better.
I am using Scala for my personal projects, but would not recommend it as Java replacement to my boss.
So how close does Fan (http://www.fandev.org/) come to meeting Charles' goals? My impression is that it comes pretty close…
Have you read all 700+ pages of Odersky, Spoon and Venners "Programming in Scala" and concluded that "this is just some sugar" on top of java ?
That is truly amazing!
Arguing that one should use weaker tools for building large things seems odd. If your developers consistently hurt themselves with java, then sure – they will hurt themselves more with scala. But if they do great things, they will do greater things with scala.
[…] replacement for Java. I've also read some interesting writeups about Scala adoption such as On Scala's Future and A Tipping Point for Scala. While I used to code a lot, my responsibilities today require me to […]
i think it's always misleading when power users/lang designers (who go deep when looking at a language) try to predict what a "normal developer" needs to understand in order to get stuff done in a given language.
If we just take java, how many developers do you know who learned the language like, ok let's study the whole type system first?
my guess is that most developers learn a language differently. They learn how to use simple data structures, how to read from a file, how to iterate through collections, what the standard control structures are, how to handle exceptions, how inheritance and concurrency work on a basic level.
And in these areas scala is in fact simpler than java.
[…] replacement for Java. I've also read some interesting writeups about Scala adoption such as On Scala's Future and A Tipping Point for Scala. While I used to code a lot, my responsibilities today require me to […]
Scala is nicer and "less verbose" than Java but unfortunately this does not translate to fewer keystrokes and mouseclicks. In an IDE like Eclipse, a lot of the time-saving IDE features work only in Java.
I sincerely welcome and appreciate your comments, whether in agreement or dissenting with my article. However, trolling will not be tolerated. Comments are automatically closed 15 days after the publication of each article.


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Bauhaus Lily Reich appointed as head of the interior design department. Mounting political conflicts among the students. A group of Bauhaus students daub communist party slogans on Wassily Kandinsky's house.
Oskar Schlemmer paintings exhibited at the Bauhaus.
Completion and handing over of a refreshment kiosk built for a Dessau owner close to the Masters' Houses (designer: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, site manager: Eduard Ludwig)
Architect Paul Schultze-Naumburg, Prime Minister Freyberg, council leader Hofmann and a Mr. Sommer (NSDAP) visit the Bauhaus in the company of Lord Mayor Fritz Hesse. A few days later the NSDAP in Dessau initiates a motion for the closure of the Bauhaus. The students petition newspapers and the President of the Reich.
Councillors led by Fritz Hesse visit the Bauhaus. Architect Theodor Fischer of Munich publishes an article calling for the preservation of the Bauhaus. The council meeting approves the NSDAP motion for the closure of the Bauhaus and the dismissal of the teaching staff with only four votes against (KPD 3, Lord Mayor Hesse 1) and the SPD abstaining. Mayor Hofmeister forbids the Bauhaus from using lower case lettering. Mies van der Rohe holds talks on the relocation of the Bauhaus to Magdeburg or Berlin.
The Bauhaus moves to Berlin. Its new home is a former telephone factory in Siemensstraße in the borough of Steglitz. In talks with the city of Dessau, Mies van der Rohe manages to secure the rights to the Bauhaus name and license revenues. The Bauhaus in Berlin is now Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's private school.
Politics Reich presidential elections: Hindenburg 18 million votes, Hitler 11 million votes, Thälmann 5 million votes.
Hindenburg dismisses chancellor Brüning.
Franz von Papen administration (centrist) is appointed; Hindenburg dissolves the Reichstag.
Lausanne conference: reparations concluded with a final payment of 3 billion Reichsmark.
Reichstag elections: NSDAP 230, conservative parties 37, national liberals 7, other liberals 4, centrists 97, social democrats 133, communists 89, others 11 seats.
Hindenburg rejects Hitler as chancellor.
Reichstag dissolved.
Reichstag elections: NSDAP 196, conservative parties 52, national liberals 11, other liberals 2, centrists 90, social democrats 121, communists 100, others 12 seats.
Kurt von Schleicher becomes chancellor. Armament restrictions in the Treaty of Versailles abolished.
Science and technology Discovery of the neutron and deuterium; Auguste Piccard ascends to 16,940 m in a hot air balloon; socioeconomic theory of art by Max Raphael.
Literature "Little Man, What Now?" by Hans Fallada; "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley.
Theatre and music "Moses und Aaron" by Arnold Schönberg.
Film "Misère au Borinage" by Joris Ivens and Henri Storck; "Kuhle Wampe/Who Owns the World?" by Slatan Dudow; first Venice film festival.
Arts Surrealist exhibition in New York; major Picasso retrospective in Zurich.
Architecture "The International Style" exhibition in New York; Frank Lloyd Wright sets up the Taliesin fellowship.

subset: commoncrawl


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Not sponsored or perked by the Parker Palm Springs. I paid for my getaway in full. Just thought I'd share.
Last week was my first time to stay at the Parker Palm Springs, even though I had been there before for lunch and the spa. But I discovered that if you go during the week, you can book the spa package, with a $200 spa credit for each night you stay. This is enough to cover a massage or a facial including gratuity. So for three nights, I had $600 worth of spa credits. This was plenty of spa-ing for me. I got two massages and a facial and spent long chunks of time reading in the hot tub. Trust that I know how to "get away."
I booked the most economy room they offered, the estate room, which was just fine for a few days alone. The thing you might should know about some of the coolest Palm Springs hotels is that they're old. They're very stylishly decorated (The Parker is designed by Jonathan Adler), but they're still old. A little worn around the edges in a homey way. It's a different brand of luxury than you might be thinking.
I ate breakfast every day at the little cafe and while pricey, it was delicious and the service was good. I ordered room service three times and only once was it worth the price. (The buffalo chicken pizza was what I loved. For lunch one day I ordered an expensive bowl of french onion soup that arrived with nothing else, no bread, no crackers, nothing. Another time the meal was late and not what I ordered.) So, in most cases I'd recommend the cafe first.
During the week the place was all but empty. I had the pool and spa to myself both days. The main area of the spa is co-ed, so you must wear a swimsuit if you plan to get in the hot tub or pool. One of my massages was great and one was just okay, and my facial was very nice, leaving my skin truly glowing.
There is something very special about The Parker. I just felt good there, and it wasn't just because of the warm California sunshine. Even with a small hiccup the service was good, and I was blissed out for the whole stay. The Parker Palm Springs may well become my new private getaway.


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Beverly L. Lytle, 58, of Brunswick Hills, passed away Monday, February 11, 2013.
Beverly had a passion for her pets and working with her hands in her gardens.
She was the loving daughter of Louise and the late Elbert Allan; granddaughter of the late Mary Toman; cherished wife of Michael; dear mother of Jennifer (Nicholas) Smith and Stefanie (fiance John Buck) Lytle; beloved grandmother of Memphis Michael Smith; sister to Duane (Ann Marie) Allen, Elbert "Junior" (Kendra) Allen; and sisters, Ann (Merrill) Beal and Carol (Gary) Odell; aunt to many nieces and nephews; and special friend to Mary Ann and Anita Toman, Kathy Von Leyser, Kim Perkins, Heidi Siman, Sihaya Phillips and many others.
Beverly was preceded in death by her brother, Tommy Gaskill.
Family will receive friends Friday, February 15, 2013 from 4:30 to 8:30 P.M. at Waite and Son Funeral Home, 3300 Center Road, Brunswick. Service will be held Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 10:30 A.M., in the funeral home. Burial will follow at Hope Memorial Gardens in Hinckley.
Beverly gave the gift of life through organ donation.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in Beverly's memory to her family.
Online condolences may be left at www.waitefuneralhome.com


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Way Off Broadway Showtimes and Tickets
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Release Date: 2001-10-17 (FL Film Festival)
Genre: Drama,
Rating: NR
Duration: 1hr 27min
Five recent college graduates take a crash course in life as they explore the dynamic conflict in friendships involving sex, love and betrayal. The choices they make lead them to sacrifice their dreams, threaten their relationships and define their futures.
Cast and Crew
- Starring
Brad Beyer, Morena Baccarin, Forbes March, Jordan Gelber, Michael Parducci
- Directed by Daniel Kay
- Produced by Richard Perello, Joel Blanco, Andrew Charas, Daniel Kay
- Written by Daniel Kay
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We are a family oriented business dedicated to recording and preserving your special moments. We provide services in a ray areas with in the photography field ( Sports, Portraits, Weddings, Event and Stock).
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Frederick Strider Yearbook 2010 Published June 20, 2011
Sixty Year Wedding Anniversary of Ms. Margaret Blanche Newsome Mr. Cornelius Henry Turner June 16th 1951 Published June 10, 2011
Sherica Lane Published September 03, 2010
Sirrisha "Punkin" Abney Published June 05, 2010
Tysean's Prom 2009 Published July 01, 2009
Frederick Striders 2008 Yearbook Published June 04, 2008


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HR Advisor
- Recruiter
- Trinity Hospice
- Location
- Clapham Common, London (Greater)
- Salary
- £27,500
- Posted
- 21 Mar 2014
- Closes
- 18 Apr 2014
- Job Type
- HR Advisor
- Sector
- Healthcare
- Job Level
- Advisor
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Job Title: Human Resources Advisor (Trinity Hospice Shops Ltd)
Responsible to: Director of Human Resources & Development
Group: Human Resources & Development
Purpose of the Post:
To provide an efficient HR advisor service to Trinity Hospice Shops Ltd. To be the "first point of contact" in all areas of Human Resources Management.
Key Responsibilities:
- To be responsible in delivering a full recruitment service to the retail division. To include:
- Identifying vacancies, deciding on the appropriate method of recruitment. (Internal, external, Trinity website, agencies etc.)
- Ensuring that the short listing process is carried out in line with organisational policy and procedure.
- Overseeing the interview process with the relevant recruitment manager
- Ensuring appropriate pre-employment checks are carried out in line with Trinity's recruitment and selection policy.
- Drafting offer letters and contracts ready for HR Director's signature
- To be responsible for scheduling the induction process for all new members of Shops staff, to include:
- Confirming the start date with relevant managers
- Arranging all elements of mandatory training
- Ensuring that new members of staff are shadowed during their first weeks in the role
- To be responsible for the ensuring the computerised personal system and any manual systems are maintained effectively and that the required information is recorded and the relevant periodic reports are generated accurately and on time. This includes annual leave, sickness and all other types of absence.
- To be the first point of contact to advise on operational personnel issues, e.g.: aspects of disciplinary, grievance, maternity leave and other family friendly requests.
- To monitor all areas of mandatory training requirements and organise and deliver relevant training programmes to staff and retail managers.
- To support retail managers during the appraisal process, and make recommendations on training requirements, based on the training needs analysis.
- Assisting the Director of HR & Development in sourcing relevant and cost effective methods of additional staff and management training.
- Ensure that all relevant payroll changes are correctly authorised and submitted on time to the payroll office
- Be responsible for the occupational health referral of any member of staff whose absence triggers a referral in line with the sickness absence policy.
- To ensure that all leavers are provided with an exit interview, and that their feedback is input into the exit interview database.
- To carry out any other reasonable ad hoc duties as required by the Director of Human Resources & Development.
- To ensure own skills and knowledge are up to date and reflect good practice.
Data Protection
To be aware of the confidential nature of the work undertaken and of the requirements of the Data Protection Act; to follow local codes of practice to ensure appropriate action to safeguard confidential information.
Equal Opportunities
To ensure that Trinity Hospice acknowledges and welcomes diversity in all parts of the organisation and in all in patient services;
To actively seek to develop, deliver and monitor policies and procedures which promote equality of opportunity.
Please press the "Apply Now" button to Apply


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An amazing group of talented musicians and vocalists perform at the Center from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m. on the last Wednesday of each month. Lunch is available at a cost of $3.50 and is served at noon.
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Acer DX900 – rebranded E-Ten handset
Acer is still probably keeping most of it's newly developed "…exciting range of easy to use devices Smart Handheld devices…" under wraps, in the hope that nothing will leak and ruin the surprise on Feb 16th.
But some things are starting to leak out already, even if it's only E-Ten Glofiish handsets, only with some color tweaks and under the Acer brand.
Yep, Mobile Tech Addicts found the old good E-Ten Glofiish DX900 rebranded as Acer DX900 smartphone already available for pre-order on UK retailer's Clove Technology site.
All other things remain unchanged in Acer DX900, including dual SIM capability, 2.8" VGA touchscreen, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3 mpx camera and Windows Mobile 6.1 OS.
This move by Acer, who acquired E-Ten last year, is pretty easy to understand. Contrary to the Acer brand, E-Ten and Glofiish brands are virtually unknown in most parts of the world. So just slapping a new Acer label on it and putting DX900 into Acer's distribution channels might spur some sales of this pretty well specc'ed out smartphone.
Let's just hope that this is not the device that Acer is planning to awe us with on Feb. 16th in Barcelona.


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For over 50 years, Chemir's laboratory scientists have used investigative chemical testing to solve tough problems.
Companies seek chemical analysis for a wide variety of reasons. Many require routine chemical tests for quality control or quality assurance purposes. Unlike other labs, Chemir's chemical testing services are customized according to each individual project's needs. We use multiple methods of analytical techniques to test chemicals and raw materials.
Chemical manufacturers provide the raw materials that create and enhance formulated products. Our scientists provide analytical and technical support for chemical companies and their industrial clients in such markets as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, coatings, personal care, adhesives, packaging and food/beverage.
Chemir has analyzed chemicals such as:
Chemir Analytical Services' chemical testing capabilities include deformulation, materials identification, contaminant identification and more.
Our analytical techniques for evaluating chemicals include:
Our scientists test chemicals for competitive product analysis, deformulation (reverse engineering), contaminant identification, and comparing "good" vs. "bad" samples.


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Skydiving.com now has a network skydiving location serving Lexington and Cleveland County in Oklahoma. Call Skydiving.com at 1-800-617-7948 for details, free information and specials on skydiving in Lexington, OK today!
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June 6, 2006
Sophomore-to-be Tiffany Joh (San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo HS) of the UCLA Women's Golf team was selected as the UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week (June 19-25).
Joh won the U.S. Women's Amateur Publinks Championship, a USGA "major", becoming the first UCLA player since Mary Enright in 1981 to win the USWAPL. Joh placed third in the stroke play portion of the tournament with rounds of 70-68--138 (-6) and then won five match play competitions, including a 36-hole final 6 and 5. She sealed the victory with an eagle on the 11th hole. Joh played her final two rounds in the equivalent of 11-under par in 31 holes, with the usual match play concessions.
This is Joh's first UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week honor of the season and of her career.
Also nominated: Nicole Leach, W. Track & Field
Visit the UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week Archive.


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University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry will offer free dental check-ups and oral health screenings for children as part of a Give Kids A Smile event. The screenings will take place at the Dugoni School of Dentistry's Pediatric Clinic on the San Francisco campus on Saturday, February 1 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Free screenings will include a dental exam and cleaning, orthodontic evaluations, fluoride treatment and an opportunity to have oral health questions answered. There will also be educational games with fun prizes and entertainment, such as the Little Explorers Petting Zoo.
No appointments necessary. Children will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Open to children up to age 17 (must be accompanied by a parent). To RSVP for a group, call 415.929.6550.
Limited parking available. Nearby Muni lines: #1, #2, #3, #10, #22 and #24.
Celebrate good health and support smiles in our community! Click here to view flyer.


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We are experiencing high volume of PageIOLatch_SH waits on our database (row counts in the Billions). However it seems that our drive Idle time Percentage hovers around 50-60 percent. CPU usage is nill. The Database Tuning Advisor gives no suggestions for optimization. The query plan (actual) from the single stored procedure used on the database puts the majority of the expense on index seek (yeah I know these should be optimial) operations.
Anyone have suggestions of how to increase throughput?


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|Berkeley Parents Network
|Post a Msg
|What's New
Health Insurance after Job Loss
My spouse is about to start out on his own career track, leaving his job & our health insurance behind. We need to find a new insurance plan for 2 adults and 2 kids. There may be a pregnancy in my future, so I'd like to find a plan with excellent prenatal coverage. I don't want to change doctors, so I think I want a PPO. Does anyone know where I should look to find a new plan? I checked the website but didn't find any recommendations. Anon.
My husband recently left his job. The COBRA option is ridiculously expensive for our family of 5. Does anyone have any recommendations of how to go about researching private health insurance carriers or which ones are worth checking out - which ones to avoid? We are open to HMO or PPO. Thank you. N
My recommendation is that you look for a PPO plan which allows you freedom of choice of your providers and hospitals (although your copay may change for our of plan providers)and has a high family annual deductable. A healthy family is hard pressed to spend even the highest deductible of $4500 per year on medical care, and your premiums can be low because you are not asking the plan to 'pay for your lightbulbs'. However, in the circumstance that there is surgery required or some other serious illness, you have coverage for this catastrophic event.
Some of these plans also allow you to save money in a tax deferred account called a medical savings account. It earns interest tax deferred, and can be used to pay medical bills. With many of these plans, if your saved money is not used for medical bills by the time you reach retirement age, it can be used for retirement also.
A good plan which has both of these options is the Blue Shield MSA plan. I purchased mine through a broker called Jim Fleming. You by no means need to contact him, but he is constantly reviewing insurance plans, and has the most up to date information, so he does the shopping around for you. His phone # is 925 891-3000
I highly recommend putting the majority of what you would pay for premiums for a low co-pay plan into an MSA. Why pay premiums for what you hopefully will never use anyway? Good Luck elizabeth lee
A broker that I would strongly recommend is Carman Insurance Services. They are located in North Berkeley and it is a husband and wife team, Andy and his wife Dawn. I have briefly worked with them, both as an employee and also years later when they helped the small business that I worked for. They are very involved with all of the companies they help, and they specialize in small businesses and personal insurance. Their number is 528 4781. Feel free to say mention you got their info from me.
Good luck figuring out all the confusing health insurance stuff! ~Nicole
I am coming from a country where everybody is covered by health insurance and I am very shocked that a rich country like the U.S doesn't see it as important to cover everybody. Right know my husband has a pretty secure job and me and my daughter are covered under his insurance. I am just wondering what would happen if he would get very sick to the point that he couldn't work anymore. How does health insurance at your work help you in this case ? Do they still cover you for years if you would have cancer for example ? If he would buy private insurance how would he come up with the money if he doesn't make any. I made only 250000 Dollars a year before I stayed home with our daughter so I couldn't pay for it either. I did have health insurance at my old job but I just went with my husbands health insurance. When I start working again should I sign my husband and daughter also under my health insurance just in case something horrible happens to him. I am very confused about this whole issue. I would be very thankful for any advise.
Many people switch to high deductible or catastrophic coverage, or try something like Kaiser, a lower-cost HMO that people seem to either love or hate. If you have any sort of pre-exisiting condition (such as asthma, a disease you have recovered from, or the insurance company just doesn't want to cover you) then you might run into trouble. The state of California has some very weak coverage for people like this, but it also has a very long wait list.
My recommendation to you is to hope that you can keep coverage through your husband's work. If for some reason that falls through, you can always get a part-time job at a place like Starbucks and get great coverage for your family (lots of moms do this!), or find a full-time job that covers you all.
Also...State Senator Perata is trying to pass two bills (I believe one is SB921) to help with this very situation. You can find out more about them and ***voice your support*** via
Capitol Office State Capitol Room 4061 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone (916) 445-6577 District Offices 1515 Clay Street, #2202 Oakland, CA 94612 Ph (510) 286-1333 e-mail email@example.com http//democrats.sen.ca.gov/senator/perata/ Another site that covers this issue is http//votehealth.net/articles/sb921.html--advocate for affordable, quality health care for all
My husband's just lost his job and with it our benefits, and so we're looking into various options for paying for our own health care. COBRA is hugely expensive, so that's not an option. One thing we're considering is buying catastrophic health coverage for the family and paying for our routine care out-of-pocket. I'm wondering if other families have done this, and how it's worked for them. What are the pros and cons? Who did you buy catastrophic from? Did you use a Medical Savings Account? And, if we do decide to buy our own health insurance, what health plans -- in addition to Kaiser -- have affordable options for people buying their own insurance? nelly
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text: so i was leaving a friends house and noticed a headlight was out, sure enough as soon as i hit the highway a Sheriffs deputy lights me up, i pull over, roll the window down, turn the dome light on, hands on the wheel, the whole nine yards, he approaches the car and asks for my DL, i hand it to him with my CCW and he asked where it was, it was on the passenger seat next to me in a "notebook" holster, he requested i hand it to him and i did, he then sets it on top of my car and walks back to his cruiser and comes back with two warnings, expired tag and the headlight. he was super nice and thanked me for informing him about the CCW. I thought it was odd the he just set my pistol on my roof and left it there out in the open while he was doing his thing back at his car.


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Cave Aged
Cave Aged
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Uplands Cheese Company
Pleasant Ridge Reserve Extra AgedA firm raw cow milk cheese with intense fruit and olive flavors.
2014 American Cheese Society Winner Read More
Cave Aged
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Cellars at Jasper Hill
Alpha TolmanAlpha Tolman is made using the traditional Alpine methods of cooking and pressing the curds during cheesemaking to chieve a tight, elastic texture and robust, complex flavors. The wheels are then washed with brine to infuse them with a funky edge. Read More


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BlackBerry 9800 Slider may be a Rogers exclusive in Canada
Expected to be introduced in the US via AT&T, the unannounced BlackBerry 9800 (RIM's first slider) will surely hit Canada, too.
Theoretically, all three major Canadian carriers can launch it, but MobileSyrup has it that the 9800 might be a Rogers excusive.
There's still no word on the launch date or price of the slider, though no one should be surprised if the smartphone will hit the shelves in the next couple of months.
The BlackBerry 9800 will be one of RIM's first devices to come with the new BlackBerry OS 6. Its features include a 360 x 480 touchscreen display, full QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, 5MP camera, 4GB of on-board storage space, and MicroSD card support (for up to 16GB).
If Telus and Bell don't get the 9800, they'll probably try to snag the other new BlackBerry 6 smartphone – the 9670.


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A tip of the cap to a couple of innovative car show ideas: The annual Food Lion AutoFair this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway will feature a "Beauties and Beasts" display in its showcase garage.
What comprises beauties and beasts? How about these pairings:
From AMC: an AMX (beauty) and Pacer (beast)
From Cadillac a CTS-V (beauty) and Cimarron (beast)
From Chevrolet: Corvette (beauty) and Chevette (beast)
From Dodge: Viper (beauty) and all K-cars (beast)
From Ford: Ford GT (beauty) and Pinto (beast)
From Pontiac: Trans Am (beauty) and Aztek (beast).
"No automaker from any country has a perfect history," collector car consultant Brad Bowling told Old Cars Weekly. "There will always be hits and misses, sweet and sour, cheers and jeers. A poor-selling car might make it to a 'best of' list based on its styling, innovations, performance, reliability or value for the dollar. A company's cash cow can appear on a 'worst of' compilation because it lacks any driving appeal. We assembled the 'Beauties and Beast' based on our past driving experiences and ignored objective facts."
Here's another interesting car show innovation: At the inaugural Santa Fe Concorso last fall, the displays included a "Now and Then" section, named in honor of Santa Fe resident and long-time AutoWeek columnist column, which is titled "Now and Then."
Thus an original Mini was parked next to a brand new one, an ancient Rolls next to the newest model, etc.
And yet one more: The concours that for a few years was held in downtown Carmel during the Monterey weekend included a class exclusively for classic cars that had been owned since new by the same family.
Let us know if your local car show has similarly innovative display groups or concours classes, and we'll share them so others can join in the fun.
North American Mille Miglia tribute
A new event during this year's Monterey weekend will be the Mille Miglia North American Tribute, which will take the form of a 1000-mile drive August 15-17 on a route that starts in Carmel, follows the coastline down to Santa Barbara, then goes inland to Napa Valley and returns to Monterey through San Francisco. The event is open to cars from 1927-57 and is run under license from the Automobile Club of Brescia, operator of Italy's famed Mille Miglia. For information, visit www.millemiglianorthamerica.com.
Another Arizona auction, and this one's in April
Speaking of vintage rallies, the 21st annual Copperstate 1000 tours Arizona in early April. Sandwiched around the Copperstate contingent's Sunday morning roll out from the "Field of Dreams" car show at Tempe Diablo Stadium, the second Scottsdale International Classic Car Auction of the year will be held April 8 and 9 at the new Scottsdale International car museum. See www.grgauction.com for details. GRG staged its first collector car auction in conjunction with the museum's opening in January.
La Jolla Motor Car Classic is this weekend
Speaking of concours d'elegance (which we were a few items ago), the seventh annual La Jolla Motor Car Classic at the Cove is this Sunday, April 3, at Ellen Scripps Browning Park just north of San Diego. Feature marque is "German Automobiles."
There's (another) app for that
A few weeks ago, we shared news of an iPhone app for classic car enthusiasts. Now there's another. Classic Car Guide is a free mobile app from Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and Keith Martin's Sports Car Market magazine and its database, as well as information mined from Craigslist and eBay. Information ranges from sales histories and pricing to an insurance quote after you buy that classic car. For details, see the Classic Car Guide at iTunes.
Museum shares secrets
The Walter P. Chrysler Museum has set a Lecture/Workshop Series on topics ranging from the art of the auction to non-destructive paint repair.
The series begins April 16 with The Art of the Auction featuring RM and Auctions America and an overview of car collecting, behind-the-scenes glimpses of auctions held at major concours and other locations, and information about collector cars as investments.
The rest of the schedule includes:
May 21, Non-Destructive Paint Repair Techniques
July 16, 70 Years of Jeep Heritage
September 24, Maintaining Today's Cars
October 26, From Chrysler's Vintage Master Tech Files
December 3, Model Train Clinic
For more information, visit www.wpchryslermuseum.org.
Famed Ferrari on loan to the Simeone
One of only 32 Ferrari 250 LMs is on loan to the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia. The car, chassis 5149, was the prototype unveiled at the Paris auto show in 1963 and made its racing debut in 1964. The car was rebuilt after catching fire at Sebring in 1964 and resumed racing. It is on loan from Luigi Chinetti Jr., son of the long-time Ferrari importer for North America and head of the famed NART (North American Racing Team).
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The core faculty of the Surgical Fellowship for Advanced Training in Breast Disease have outstanding academic credentials, extensive experience in caring for patients with breast cancer, and a commitment to medical education. All faculty members are involved in the training of residents and fellows in their own disciplines and are dedicated to providing an excellent, challenging experience for the surgical fellow in breast disease.
Jennifer Ivanovich, MS, MBA
Research Instructor, Department of Surgery
Manager of Hereditary Cancer Core
Alison J. Whelan, MD
Professor, Department of Medicine and Pediatrics
Director, Adult Genetics Clinic and Hereditary Cancer Program
Matthew J. Ellis, BSc, MB, B Chir, PhD, FRCP
Professor, Medicine
Anheuser-Busch Chair in Medical Oncology
Head, Section of Medical Oncology
Director, Breast Cancer Program
Michael J. Naughton, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Cynthia X. Ma, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Henry D. Royal, MD
Professor of Radiology
Associate Director, Division of Nuclear Medicine
Barry A. Siegel, MD
Professor of Radiology and Medicine
Chief, Division of Nuclear Medicine
Keith E. Brandt, MD
William G. Hamm Professor of Surgery
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
D. Craig Allred, MD
Professor of Pathology and Immunology
Jon Ritter, MD
Associate Professor of Pathology and Immunology
Teresa L. Deshields, PhD
Manager, Psycho-Oncology Service
Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center
Marie E. Taylor, MD
Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
Imran Zoberi, MD
Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology
Premsri T. Barton, MD
Associate Professor of Radiology
Dione M. Farria, MD
Associate Professor of Radiology
Barbara Monsees, MD
Professor of Radiology
Chief, Breast Imaging Section
Kimberly N. Wiele, MD
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Timothy P. Fleming, PhD
Research Professor of Surgery
Peter Goedegeburre, PhD
Research Associate Professor of Surgery
Mark A. Watson, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Pathology and Immunology
Director, Siteman Cancer Center Multiplexed Gene Analysis Core Facility
660 South Euclid Ave. | St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 362-4533
© 2011 Washington University Department of Surgery


text: Today in the industry of music there is quite a wide variety of artists and music to choose from. As a matter of fact it seems that names for different genres keep growing and growing. However, one can find themselves emerged for weeks trying to find good music within the pool of sound. Once you've plowed through the weeds, so to speak, every now and then you come across something that not only sounds very interesting, but is also very interesting in the way that it reads via title and lyrically. Juan Atkins, "Godfather" of Detroit's coined techno music explosion, is one of those artist who makes music with brains. And for the lay person, that means music that makes absolute sense. More established artist such as Stevie Wonder, Niko Marks, Eddie Fowlkes, Auxx 88, Larry Heard and Amp Fiddler also fit into this line up of artist who create music and lyrics that make perfect since and can engage listeners from young to old. Of course there are others, but this week we will shine the spotlight on an album by Niko Marks entitled, "No $ For Love" which is full of great lyrics, a dose of funk, chill out and high energy dance music. Very engaging from start to finish and is sure to motivate the listener into a positive vibration both mentally and physically! Get a free preview of the songs on: http://www.reverbnation.com/nikomarks You can also visit: http://www.myspace.com/nikomarks


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Art and crafting are not hobbies but a way of life in my family, in many forms,: drawing, painting, photography, sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, beading, ceramics, dancing, singing, musical instruments, acting, writing, and more besides.
I grew up surrounded by all these, so I can't remember when I didn't join in with at least some of those activities.
Take Craftsy with you!
Craftsy Apps for iOS and Android. Read more »


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The effects of Lepeophtheirus salmonis infections on ...
|The effects of Lepeophtheirus salmonis infections on the stress response and immunological status of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
|M. D. Fast, D. M. Muise, R. E. Easy, N. W. Ross, S. C. Johnson
|Fish & Shellfish Immunology
|Start page
|End page
|This study was conducted to determine the effects of a high level of infection of the parasitic copepod L. salmonis on the stress response and immunological status of Atlantic salmon. An initial low-level initial infection was carried out 14 d prior to a second infection in which twice as many parasites were introduced. Plasma cortisol and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels were monitored concurrent to the expression of six immune-related genes over five sample times (9, 21, 26, 33 and 40 days post initial infection, dpii). The mean lice counts on the infected fish increased significantly from the first infection (16.3±1.89 at 9 dpii) to the second (142.8±12.8 at 26 dpii). Plasma cortisol levels increased significantly at 26, 33 and 40 dpii in infected fish compared to controls. Plasma PGE2 levels were significantly higher in infected fish at 9, 33 and 40 dpii, when compared to controls. At 9 dpii, expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-like cytokine, major histocompatibility class II (MH II), transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ)-like cytokine and cyclooxygenase-2 genes were increased in infected fish compared to controls. The expression of most of these genes returned to control levels at 21 dpii when the highest expression of the MH class I gene was observed in infected fish (significantly higher than controls). Major histocompatibility class I gene expression remained higher in infected fish at 26 and 33 dpii compared to controls and this was observed for the TNFα-like gene. By 33 dpii, MH class II and TGFβ-like genes had higher expression in infected fish compared to controls. Interleukin-1β and TNFα-like gene were the only genes that showed significantly higher expression in infected fish compared to controls at 40 dpii, while MH class I gene expression was significantly depressed in infected fish at this time. The expression of nearly all immune-related genes studied here increased following initial infection with L. salmonis, however, immunological stimulation did not reduce parasite numbers or protect against re-infection.
Using APA 6th Edition citation style.
Times viewed: 559


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One of the very best things about strawberries is the plethora of ways in which they can be used in recipes.
You could literally eat strawberries every day during strawberry-picking season and never have them the same way twice. You can eat them at any meal or for a snack. You can eat them as soon as you pick them or wait until you have prepared them with other ingredients. You can even make delicious drinks out of them.
Besides strawberry shortcake, one of my favorite strawberry desserts is strawberry angel food. It is easy to make and great to eat. You will find the recipe below.
- 1 (10 inch) angel food cake
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1 (18 ounce) jar strawberry glaze
- Crumble the cake into a 9x13 inch dish.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy.
- Fold in whipped topping.
- Mash the cake down with your hands and spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake.
- In a bowl, combine strawberries and glaze until strawberries are evenly coated.
- Spread over cream cheese layer.
- Chill until serving.


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iPhone Nano is real
Few weeks ago we told you about Apple's patent application that describes possible iPhone Nano.
This patent application caused a lot of hoopla and speculation around the net, with JP Morgan analyst Kevin Chang confirming it's existence through his sources in supply channel and predicting the launch of iPhone Nano before Christmas. And don't forget Apple's patent for iPhone Nano with a touchscreen on the back.
Later JP Morgan said that they were unable to confirm the report through other sources and many news outlets considered it a retraction, deciding that there's no such thing as iPhone Nano. But it is premature to call second JP Morgan report a retraction. They never said that there's no iPhone Nano.
And in the latest patent application, filed on January 04, 2007 (just a couple of weeks before the official launch of first iPhone) Apple talks about exactly this kind of cheap and simple device. And clearly states that it is about a new cellphone in the patent application name – "Telephone interface for a Portable Communication Device" (download patent .pdf here, 3MB).
It looks like Apple decided that it does not even need any fancy touchpads or touchscreen at the back. Simple click wheel that you can find on any iPod and some clever software implementation will do.
As you can see from the drawings, the iPhone Nano would look very similar to your current iPod Nano. Probably just a bit longer, will have a bigger screen and a few additional text menu items for phone operation.
Everything else stays the same. Just when you select a phone mode, a rotary dial with numbers and letters appears on the screen. When you place a finger on a click wheel, the relevant number or letter is selected. As you move your finger around, highlight on a dial follows it. Press a finger and it enters the number or character for the names in address book. You can also switch between character entry and edit modes and give other commands by pressing menu, play, fast forward buttons.
With touch sensitive click wheel and some clever software tricks to differentiate between simple click and movement, overall operation of iPhone Nano can be made as intuitive as for any iPod.
And the same goes for SMS text messages:
Just scroll through the relevant letters with the movement of the finger on a clickwheel, use command keys to jump between different trays on the screen, ad some clever predictive text entry algorithms and sending SMS is even easier then on your current cellphone.
There you have it. Cheap and simple iPhone Nano.
Is it real? Yes. I think so.
Apple research department might just be exploring various avenues of phone design. But the whole idea revealed in this patent application looks too good and practical to pass up. The application itself too direct and complete for something to be put into the drawer and forgotten. And the whole trickle of the patent applications pointing in the same direction is too similar to the pattern we've seen last year with the original iPhone patents.
Will we see iPhone Nano this year? Probably not. Will it even be called iPhone Nano? I have no idea. What I am sure about now is, that we will see relatively cheap and simple phone/music player designed along the lines described here in 2008, latest.


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HTML, PDF General Contracting Requirements
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eLearning programs require adult learners to interact with an online platform and understand new information that is essential to their jobs. At times, it can be challenging to motivate these employees during an online learning experience. You may feel as if the learners are only participating because they have to, not because they want to. And learners may approach the learning as rote and compulsory. Because human behavior is complex and people are naturally curious it is important to design instruction assisted by motivation.
Knowing what motivates people, what satisfies humans in terms of design and how it impacts the learning process, allows the crafting of an effective eLearning design. Motivation itself is a broad subject, but that doesn't mean you need a PhD to use it in your design. There are three distinct motivation theories that have been developed by scientists and psychologists that try to explain ways to motivate learners. All three seek to explain motivation and how it impacts the learning process. Look at the key ideas behind each theory and use them to improve the effectiveness of your courses.
1) Flow Theory
This theory, developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, seeks to describe a state in which intrinsic motivation occurs. Csikszentmihaly coined the term "flow" to explain the optimal experiences that occur when a learner is in a mental state of complete engagement with an activity. Creating flow experiences in eLearning is beneficial to promote a sense of control, satisfaction and fulfillment.
True "flow" requires a dynamic process in which online learners meet individual challenges while learning new skills. As more skills are mastered the challenges must become more difficult to keep motivation levels high. To use the flow theory when improving motivation in eLearning courses make sure to:
- State clear objectives: Clear and focused goals are essential to the learner's understanding and ensure clarity in objectives, tasks, and understanding.
- Provide consistency: Consistent formatting and a "look and feel" that feels cohesive all throughout allows learners to quickly understand the course format, assignments, and requirements.
- Address appropriate skill levels: Clearly state upfront the prerequisite knowledge for the course and ensure that skills and materials match the typical skill level of students.
- Reduce distractions: Reducing distractions allows your students to focus on essential understanding and eliminates confusion and anxiety.
2) Path-Goal Theory
The path-goal theory, developed by Robert House, asserts that a learner's performance and motivation is directly influenced by the behavior of the instructor or leader. Online instructors and course developers must implement meaningful tasks, provide support, and utilize behaviors that match the learners needs and expectations. Essentially, if a learner thinks he can succeed in a course then he will be more motivated to perform.
Utilizing the Path-Goal theory in eLearning requires you to encourage learners to meet specific goals. You must provide incremental information to guide learning. There are four essential behaviors related to the Path-Goal theory:
- Directive: The course provides clear instructions, sets norms, and establish measurable learning objectives. Letting learners know what to expect is key. We already have talked about the problem of failing to deliver what's promised.
- Supportive: The course provides different levels of support from instructors, it is approachable and user-friendly.
- Participative: Design a course so that there are different types of interactions (instructor to student, student to student and student to content).
- Achievement-oriented: It challenges learners to do their best and provides confidence that learners can achieve end goals.
3) Self-Determination Theory
This general theory of human motivation, developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, emphasizes self-determined behaviors of the learner. The focus on self-determination allows the learner to perform out of interest and clearly established goals. Internal motivation comes from within the learner and is connected to the understanding that the learning is beneficial and meaningful.
The main element of the theory concerns the extent to which learners fulfill their basic psychological needs; the more they achieve these basic needs, the more their behavior is self-determined. Some learners may struggle with establishing internal motivation during eLearning courses because they view it as a job requirement instead of a meaningful experience. In these instances, course developers can positively influence students' motivation to learn by maximizing their autonomy, competence and relatedness:
- Competence: A learner's competency reflects the sense of being able to do something well. Therefore, give the learners opportunities to develop their competence as they complete the course, for example they must be able to make decisions that have consequences, feel confident in doing something well, and have the opportunity to complete challenging tasks.
- Autonomy: Provide learners a level of individual control as they complete course. For example, provide them the possibility to choose the order of topics or areas that they can explore. Multiple channels for success provide learners with more than one way to reach the goal.
- Relatedness: Plan for learner interaction and discussion, such as forums and discussion groups. Online learners benefit from peer interaction just as learners in traditional settings do.
Image Source: GoStrengths
Remember: ''There are three things to remember about education. The first is motivation. The second one is motivation. The third one is motivation.'' Terrel Bell
Further Readings:
- Design for Motivation – Free Sample Chapter
- Designing eLearning for Maximum Motvation Kit
- Motivation: Top 12 Terms eLearning Professionals Need to Know


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A blonde spy in Ankara
Zsa Zsa Gabor's first husband (1936-1941) was Burhan Belge (1899-1967), at that time the press director for the Ministry of the Interior of Turkey, and later a writer and politician. They lived in Ankara for 5 years. After their divorce, Gabor went to the U.S. and married Conrad Hilton in 1942.
The December issue of the Turkish history magazine Toplumsal Tarih reproduces 3 pages from a once-confidential 4-page report by the U.S. Military Intelligence Division dated 1 January 1944. The report summarizes an interview of sorts conducted with Mrs. Conrad Hilton during which she appears to have provided ("vouchsafed") information on "current events" in Turkey.
There is nothing earth-shattering in the document. In fact, it is rather dull, as exemplified by this statement from the section on the Turkish Army: "The Turkish Army is first, and above all, pro-Turkish". Duh!
At the end of the report it is stated that Mrs. Hilton was "compiling a Who's Who of the personalities whom she knew intimately during her five years stay in Ankara" and that this would be "forwarded as soon as she has finished it". Now, that would perhaps be more interesting to read. I wonder if Mrs. Hilton ever finished it.


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Skydiving.com now has a network skydiving location serving Englewood and Bergen County in New Jersey. Call Skydiving.com at 1-800-617-7948 for details, free information and specials on skydiving in Englewood, NJ today!
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Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI
(Japan 1839 – 1892)
On the coast at Kiyomi even the sky bars the way/ The moon is blocked by the Miho pine groves, from the series One hundred aspects of the moon
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
Yoshitoshi's career straddled two eras – the last years of the Edo period and the first few decades of modern Japan following the Meiji Restoration in 1867. Initially enthusiastic and opened to Western influxes, he became increasingly sceptical about the loss of numerous aspects of traditional Japanese art and culture due to rapid industrialisation and Westernisation. In a time when modern reproductive technologies such as photography and lithography were introduced to Japan and enjoyed high popularity, Yoshitoshi concentrated his efforts in introducing new themes and techniques to the stagnant art of ukiyo-e colour woodblock prints, taking it thus to a new height, before it definitely declined after his death. His highly imaginative, often flamboyant and even disturbing depictions of historical events, warriors, beautiful women and the supernatural has led him to be recognised as the last great master of traditional Japanese woodblock print.
Asian Art Department, AGNSW, August 2012.
- Place of origin
- Period
- Japan: Meiji period 1868–1912
- Year
- 1886
- Media
- Medium
- colour woodblock; ôban
- Dimensions
- 39.0 x 26.0 cm
- Signature & date
Signed and dated.
- Credit
- Yasuko Myer Bequest Fund 2012
- Accession number
- 258.2012.41


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Sunday Funday lovers you're old friend FIVE/TEN is back! Side Bar's uber-popular event returns this Sunday, April 27th, and will continue to offer partygoers the best late afternoon-to-night time experience in San Diego.
Last year we featured San Diego's unofficial Sunday Funday 'intermission' FIVE/TEN, which has become the toast of the Gaslamp District between the usually mundane hours of 5-10 PM. The weekly event, gives day partiers the perfect segue to their nighttime hijinx, while bridging the gap between the day drinking to those nightlife hours.
This year's FIVE/TEN comes packaged with the same good time, but with a few new additions that will make the meddlesome hours between 5-10 PM during your Sunday Funday that much more enjoyable.
Jaws anyone? That's right, Side Bar is rolling out a new "Jaws" theme by having their delectable Side Bar girls dawn red bikinis equipped with fanny packs. These fanny packs are loaded with refreshments which include mints, body spray, Evian mist spray and a few other surprises; ensuring all partygoers are fresh breathed and cool during those warm San Diego late afternoon/evening hours.
The layout itself has also received an upgrade, now featuring a see-through hot tub tank as the room's unofficial centerpiece. Drink specials as well as bottle and champagne specials are also available between the hours of 5-7 PM.
DJ Loczi will keep Side Bar's atmosphere magnetized, while all of the Sunday Funday enthusiast flock to this increasingly popular event. FIVE/TEN's new additions and available drink specials are just a few highlights answering your question as to where to enjoy the hours of 5-10 PM beginning this Sunday.


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I have a question regarding a kernel installation. I downloaded a new version of net-next kernel source and I performed the following steps:
make allyesconfig
make -j16
make modules_install
make install
The problem is that when I try to execute
make install, I get a "modules not found" error. I am confused here since someone else was able to make the kernel with the same procedure and I am unable to do the same (We both have root permission). Is there something extra I need to do to make sure those modules are visible/available?


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Articles → Complainers
When you hear someone complaining, here's what it means:
- They know what's wrong, but don't realize they can change it. (They think they're powerless.)
- They know what's wrong, but are too lazy to change it. (They'd rather sit and complain.)
On the personal side, being a friend, I hate this. Because it's a lot of work to make complainers realize they can change things. They always push back with all the reasons they can't, which just reinforces the two points above.
On the business side, being an entrepreneur, I love this. Because I know I'm powerful and can change anything. Because every complaint is an opportunity. It's fun to invent solutions to problems, turn ideas to reality, and watch my creations make the world a little better.
Then afterwards, on a personal note, I can say, "There! See? Told you it could change."


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There is nothing like a good controversy to make life a little more exciting. If you fancy getting yourself into a heated debate, be sure to mention any of these topics in an essay, a conversation, or even a blog post.
10) Jews and anti-Semitism.
For some reason, the topic of anti-Semitism is still quite a controversial issue today. Anti-Semitism has had its roots even in ancient history. During the 3rd century, an Egyptian historian and priest called Manetho sardonically wrote about the Jews in Alexandria. Due to the nature of the Sabbath, Alexandria was successfully invaded by Ptolemy Lagides, a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great.
9) Israel
After the declaration of Israel as an independent nation state. This preceded the UN Partition Plan in 1947. The core of the ongoing Palestine-Israeli conflict lies in the city of Jerusalem. While Israel recognizes Jerusalem to be its capital state, this idea is not recognized by the international sphere, rendering it to be a rather touchy topic.
8 ) Scientology
A religion that is often referred to as a cult. The exclusive nature of the religion has sparked curiosity among the general public. The curiosity later evolved to controversies when strange deaths, such as the death of Lisa McPherson got linked to the Church of Scientology Apart from that, stories about the mysterious Lord Xenu made it more convenient for outsiders to poke fun at the religion.
7) White Supremacy
It is the collective belief that White people are more superior to the people of different ethnicity. The most popular white supremacist movement we're all familiar with is the Ku Klux Klan.
6) New Age Religions
Most of us are not prepared for the evolved versions of traditional religions. New age religions took precedence during the late 20th century and have made quite an impact on the world. Most of these religions encompass an amalgamation of scientific ideas to promote spirituality. This includes motivational psychology and self help methods. Even today, the idea seems foreign to the majority and is often associated with cults.
5) Homosexual agenda
Homosexual agenda is a term used to describe the propagation of an acceptance for homosexual relationships. This includes proposing government policies to legalize same sex marriage, same sex marriage adoption as well as an individual's sexual orientation being recognized as a civil rights minority classification.
4) Human evolution
The age old question, is Man a descendant of the apes?
3) Law enforcement
Do we live in a world where every person is given a right to a fair trial before deciding on the apprehension of the same person? I don't think so. Apparent or not, travesties of justice have been known to occur. Most of the time, race and religion act as a factor which impacts the outcome of the situation.
2) The Holocaust
A painful and sensitive issue to be brought up. Lives were lost in astronomical proportions and have left many scarred even today. Many Israelis today have not forgiven Germany for the Holocaust.
1) Poverty
It is a state of being where a person simply cannot afford basic necessities such as clean water, food, healthcare, education and shelter. While we mindlessly complain about frivolous issues, some people worry about whether or not they have enough resources to feed their children the next week.


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To delete the Internet cache & Cookies, one normally uses the Disk Cleanup Utility, some 3rd-party junk cleaner or one can even do it via the Internet Explorer 10 menu, as follows. Settings> Safety Delete browsing history. Clicking on Delete Browsing History deletes temporary Internet files, Cookies, saved passwords and web form information.
Delete Temporary Internet Files & Cookies for particular domain
But what if you want to delete the Temporary Internet Files Cache and Cookies for a particular website only, natively without using any 3rd-party tool which may include this functionality? The easy answer to this question is to use the Developer Tools in Internet Explorer 10.
First visit the website whose Cache you want to delete. Next, press F12 to open the Developer Tools in Internet Explorer 10. Having done that, you will see a panel open in the bottom of Internet Explorer 10. These are the Developer Tools. The Developer Tools enables Web site developers to quickly debug Microsoft JScript, investigate a behavior specific to Windows Internet Explorer, or iterate rapidly to prototype a new design or try solutions to a problem on-the-fly.
Click on Cache to open its sub-menu. Here you can:
- Clear the complete browser cache
- Clear browser cache for this domain
- Disable Cookies
- Clear session Cookies
- Clear Cookies for this domain
- View Cookie information.
Using this sub-menu, you will be able to delete browser cache or Cookies for a particular domain. Clicking on Clear browser cache for this domain (Hotkey Ctrl+D) deletes only the browser cache and all temporary files that belong to the current domain. Selecting Clear cookies for domain, deletes all cookies from this particular domain.
Incidentally, you can also view information about cookies for that domain like Name, value, sub-domain if any, Path and expiry date of the Cookie.
vinsin mentions in the comments that to do it in Internet Explorer 11, open IE11. Start Developer Tools by pressing F12.
Press Ctrl 4 or select Network Tab from the left navigation. You have these options on the Developer Tools horizontal menu bar. Hover your mouse over them and pick the right one.
Expired Cookies Cleaner will help you remove Expired Cookies in Internet Explorer.


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All I have to do is look at her photograph placed in every corner of my house, and I regain momentum in my lifeboat. When I am particularly insolvent with life's measures, I recall the years she spent fighting cancer so she could continue to hold my hand. How can I disappoint such a woman? I cannot, and I know that with more certainty than I know anything.
We all have a basement strength that rises up and balances us when we need it. Each time we cross that unpleasant road, and say good-bye to our friends, our pets, our parents, or our siblings, we have to find our basement strength. You can read poetry and essays, listen to opera or rap and find 5,000 ways of expressing the same painful stab of separation. If the comfort comes in just knowing — we all have that in common — then all you have to do is tap the shoulder of the man in front of you, and ask, "How did you handle it?"
Or as Henry Miller said, "All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience."


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Menopause and PTSD. What a nightmare. lol
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I realize this is a specialized question, but I really want to connect with women who have been diagnosed with PTSD, and who are either experiencing perimenopause or menopause.
I'd like to know if going through the change of life exasperated their PTSD. A lot of my perimenopausal symptoms are identical to my PTSD symptoms: Mood swings, depression, concentration and memory issues, generalized anxiety, panic attacks, etc. I can't tell what's causing what...and therefore don't know how to treat the symptoms I'm experiencing. Further, I believe the hormonal surges and/or depletions are exasperating my PTSD and depression.
My doctor wants to treat my perimenopause as a mental illness, which it's not. This just annoys me. Grrr. It's a natural process. I don't want to be on another anti-depressant when what I need is to be treated with hormones or supplements. Every time you take a new medication, you put yourself at risk for long term, serious side-effects.
Any suggestions on how to make the transition easier would be helpful. I could have five or ten more years of this ahead. Gah. My PTSD is hard enough to keep stable without throwing perimenopause and its raging hormones into the mix.
If you're too shy to write about it here, please message me. I think it's important that we talk about this. I haven't found any information about this topic yet. Yet again, women's health issues get overlooked by the medical community. Gah.
Posted on 10/21/07, 06:42 pm
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I just bought some expensive HLA which is an antii-aging premium oil and good for eyes which I need, which is why I bought it. Plus journalling, exercise, stretching, massage, and lots of self care. Pile it on.
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Time to get spoiled.
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I've heard that flax seed oil that is high in lignuns. omega 369, black current seed oil, and progesterone cream will help stabilize mood and level out those hormones. It helps with skin and hair, coincidentally. Of course, some of these supplements are damn expensive, and it's hard to know which ones to buy. I use a premium multivitamin and add B-6 100mg daily, a fatty acid supplement made for women, and a calcium/magnesium combo. I've heard you can take all the calcium that you want, but if you don't have enough magnesium, your body won't be able to absorb it and you can actually OD on calcium which is bad. lol I've heard Zinc is important for mental health, too.
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And yup...spoil yourself. lol Of course, that just makes good sense for anyone. Quite often when we are struggling with mental health or physical issues in a busy life, we forget to engage in self care. We need to in order to be healthy and happy, I believe.
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Oh yeah, it has to be natural progesterone cream. No synthetic crap. That's so hard for the body to metabolize.
This hormone cream apparently really does stabilize mood swings and sex drive, too. Let's face it, a healthy sex drive is indicative of a healthy mind and body. We don't have to lose that in middle age.
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I am so glad you asked this question. I've been worrying about menopausal issues too. I'm perimenopausal. I hit the big 50 with a bang 3 weeks ago. What I'm mainly noticed is short term memory problems and some moodiness. My sister pokes fun at me which is ironic she does the same thing, she's a year older than me. Her memory isn't worth a flip either, I just get caught more in forgetting things. I'm anxious to see what posts come about this. Thank you again.
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It's my belief that if sexual abuse is part of your trauma, that 'the change', or even our normal menstrual cycle affects our PTSD. For instance, my PTSD is always horrid in the week leading up to my period. That's when all women in their reproductive years experience hormone surges.
Unfortunately, when we are perimenopausal, the hormone surges are more severe sometimes and erratic in when they occur. I'm starting to feel hormonal throughout the month now. It's funny, because I can see a connection between my mood and my skin when I peak hormonally. Odd.
Since menopause is tied into our sexuality, it has a powerful impact on how we see ourselves which does affect our PTSD on a psychological level, I believe. And of course, the hormonal surges affect us physically/mentally.
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Glad you brought this up. I'm 50 but haven't started having any menopausal symptoms yet. I've read a lot about it and menopause does sounds a lot like PTSD and depression.
I plan to go the natural route when the time comes. I don't want to take estrogen or other hormones.
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I'm not sure how far into the process I am because my menstrual cycle is still regular. The changes to my skin are not too severe yet, but my PMS does seem more severe. Tat could be more PTSD related than perimenopause, however. I wish my doctor would do a hormone panel so that I could know for sure how far into the process I am. He refuses to do one.
I read a book called "Before the change" which talks about preparing your body for it so that you can lessen the severity of the symptoms when it's time. The doctor who authored the book said that women should start preventative treatments in their late 30's. (That shocked me.) So, I'm trying to take natural supplements now, to help with the hormone depletion that I believe is occuring just based on my age (47).
Some lucky women experience no symptoms. You could be one of these, DD. Or, maybe you're a late bloomer. ;-) I've heard some women don't go through menopause until their late 50's.
I just wondered if perhaps women with PTSD experienced more severe transition symptoms as a rule. My gut tells me this is so, but I could be totally wrong.
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Game Over for Textbooks! Easily Find, Make and Share Lessons Online
What YouTube is to videos, Schoolfy is to lessons. Schoolfy knowledge capsules help teachers defeat budget and time constraints.
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- What if ordinary classrooms could access extraordinary learning material – for free? Teachers would save time, students would be more engaged, and education would be more effective. This vision is now reality with Schoolfy's unique knowledge-sharing technology. The Internet company released its beta version last week at Schoolfy.com. Crowdfunding is already underway at Indiegogo to help Schoolfy reach more teachers and learners.
Textbooks Struggle to Keep Up with Wealth of Digital Knowledge
What inspired Schoolfy? "Textbooks and e-books are static and confining media," explains the company's co-founder and CEO Oscar Civantos. "A teacher can't easily customize a book for different learners. They can't revise it with updated knowledge. Teachers worldwide spend countless hours – and their own funds – adapting and supplementing materials to meet learners' needs."
Teachers in the US, where Schoolfy is based, are in a bind as they prepare for autumn classes. New Common Core learning standards must be met, but not all textbook publishers have adjusted their lessons accordingly. Furthermore, textbooks aren't affordable to all districts.
Civantos also points out that paper-based learning can be demanding of Mother Nature and a stress on kids' backs.
Schoolfy Makes It Easy to Move beyond Textbooks
What YouTube is to videos, Schoolfy is to lessons, to knowledge capsules. Schoolfy capsules are easy to create or to simply re-use. They can hold not only personal lesson files, but also Internet content: breaking news videos and articles, expert lectures, tutorials, assessments and more.
Schoolfy's integration with the Internet means that teachers can easily enhance textbook chapters – or create lessons from scratch -- with pertinent online material.
They can also use Schoolfy's capsule publisher to create online tests that are scored automatically.
"Millions of Micro-Social Networks"
Launching excellent educational technology in 2013 was the original plan – but as Schoolfy developed, the possibility of creating revolutionary edtech became apparent. Civantos says, "We saw the opportunity to be highly disruptive, to shake up the education industry. We stopped our machinery and let ourselves think way outside the box. The result frees teachers to move beyond textbooks, to present relevant material that is as engaging as it is accessible, and to build lesson portfolios they can later re-use, alter or share."
Sharing is key to Schoolfy's revolutionary potential. Teachers can email private capsules, share lessons beautifully via social media, and embed capsules within their own webpages or commercial learning platforms. They can reach students where they already are; you don't need to be at Schoolfy.com to see its content. Civantos explains, "Each SLIC (Schoolfy Lesson Interactive Capsule) is a portable micro-social-network. It's identified by the knowledge it contains, and it can be shared with others. Schoolfy is equipped to host millions of micro-social networks simultaneously."
The capsule technology isn't just revolutionary for formal teachers and tutors. "Schoolfy Beta was originally conceived as a tool for teachers, but it's an ideal way for anyone to share information in a good-looking, organized and comprehensive way."
Schoolfy Crowdfunding at Indiegogo.com
Schoolfy's web application was released last week at Schoolfy.com. The founders bootstrapped its development and secured support from angel investors who share their respect for education and for educators. To continue evolving in this way, Schoolfy has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Says Civantos, "Crowdfunding helps keep the spirit that Schoolfy is for the world community."
More Information
Find knowledge capsules and become a contributor at www.schoolfy.com. Learn more about crowdfunding for Schoolfy's free education technology at http://igg.me/at/schoolfy.
To view this video on YouTube, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOqJ8cu5-Jw


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Link: Giants and Dwarves TD
Developed by Labu Games
Sponsored by Kongregate
Genre: Tower Defense
FlashMush Reviews Rating: 7.5/10
In this day of age in flash gaming I feel that the tower defense genre is pretty oversaturated and some may say stale. I kind of attribute this stagnance to the Tower Defense modern day pioneer, Kingdom Rush. Since that has come out it seems all the new tower defense flash games are copying the style both gameplay and graphics (see the Incursion series). So when I saw Labu Games' new tower defense game Giants and Dwarves TD I was sure I'd see more of the same.
Fortunately I was wrong. Giants and Dwarves TD brings a very interesting idea to the otherwise stagnant tower defense genre and does that part well. The idea is kind of hard to coin a phrase to but I like vertical tower defense. Basically the paths that enemies can take are oriented vertically going up and down hills instead of in a top down view. This verticalness also allows for an integral part of Giants and Dwarves TD...the giants! These giants are kind of like bosses with huge amounts of health points and tower above all your units (the dwarves). It is quite funny to watch your dwarves and hero actually climb up the giants to attack them and then fall off to their demise.
Aside from the interesting perspective change and the crazy giant boss units, Giants and Dwarves TD plays pretty regularly. You have four types of units; soldiers, archers, mages and cannons which can be upgraded. Although their upgrades just add more units and the towers grow in height. Enemies are pretty standard yet adequately varied. However, Giants and Dwarves TD has some fatal flaws. For all my talk above about how all new tower defense games have copied Kingdom Rush and turned the market stagnant...well turns out you need these features to really be a good tower defense game nowadays. While I enjoyed Giants and Dwarves TD and the interesting changes it felt like a lot was lacking due to the lack of tower upgrade variety/split offs and having no real control over what enemies your units attack. Hopefully though Labu Games will recognize that they are onto something new which is a rarity and make some of these more standard tower defense features for the next Giants and Dwarves TD.


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Despite previous reports suggesting that "The Bachelor" Juan Pablo Galavis would shake his moneymaker during the upcoming premiere of "Dancing with the Stars" 2014 on ABC, a Feb. 27 update by E! claimed a change of heart by show execs.
Quoting several anonymous sources tied to the hit reality dance competition, the report said that though producers had initially wanted Galavis to appear as part of the season 18 cast, his recent behavior and remarks have made him an unattractive option. One source called him "too risky" and said he was surrounded by too much fan "negativity."
Galavis, who first hit the reality TV scene as part of "The Bachelorette" 2013 Desiree Hartsock's cast of potential husbands, first angered fans with critical remarks about whether or not a gay "Bachelor" would be appropriate. More recently, he drew fire for his behavior during and following a disastrous overnight date with attorney Andi Dorfman, during which he implied that she'd barely escaped elimination during a previous episode.
Had he been selected to compete, Galavis would have have been far from the first "Bachelor" franchise alum to dance for the mirror ball trophy. Others who have taken part in the series include Trista Sutter, Jake Pavelka, Melissa Rycroft, and Sean Lowe.
Stars rumored to be taking part in "DWTS" 2014 include "Full House" alum Candace Cameron Bure, "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes, NHL star Sean Avery, actor James Maslow, and Olympic gold medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White.
Season 18 premieres March 17 on ABC.
Suggested Links
- 'DWTS' 2014 spoilers: 2 Olympians, Sean Avery, others are ballroom bound
- 'DWTS' 2014 pro cast list spoilers feature the return of Maksim Chmerkovskiy
- 'DWTS' 2014: Erin Andrews is in as co-host, per ABC press release
- 'DWTS' 2014 cast rumor: Is James Maslow headed to the ballroom?
- 'DWTS' 2014 cast spoiler round-up includes Tim Tebow, Sharon Osbourne


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Once created, we exist forever, according to Dr. Robert Lanza in his new book, Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the Nature of the Universe. Submerging himself into physics, quantum mechanics and astrophysics, Lanza came to the conclusion that consciousness and life are basic to the universe. "The universe doesn't create consciousness; consciousness creates the universe."
Lanza says that some of the fundamentals of the universe, like intelligence, existed prior to matter. "Time and space are merely tools of consciousness." He says that we carry space and time around with us "like turtles with shells," meaning that when the shell comes off (space and time), we still exist.
Lanza posits that there is no such thing as the death of consciousness. In fact, consciousness is separate from time and space. It exists anywhere and everywhere; in the human body and outside of it. In other words, it is non-local in the same sense that quantum objects are non-local.
He talks about multiple universes existing simultaneously. In one universe, the body can be dead, but in another, it continues to exist. This means that dead people traveling through the same tunnel end up, not in hell or in heaven, but in a similar world they once inhabited, but this time they're alive and this goes on infinitely.
Physicists and astrophysicists tend to agree with the existence of parallel worlds and the possibility of multiple universes. Multiverse (multi-universe) is a scientific concept that says that no physical laws exist which would prohibit the existence of parallel worlds.
Physicist Dr. Hugh Everett believes that at any given moment the universe divides into countless similar instances and that in the next moment, these "newborn" universes split in a similar fashion. You could be reading this article in one universe and/or watching TV in another.
"The triggering factor for these multiplying worlds is our actions," says Everett. "If we make some choices, instantly one universe splits into two with different versions of outcomes."
The theory of multiple universes was developed in the 1980s by Andrei Linde, a scientist from the Lebedev's Institute of Physics and presently a professor at Stanford University. Linde says that space consists of many "inflating spheres," which give rise to similar spheres and those in turn, produce spheres in even greater numbers, and so on ad infinitum. In the universe, they are spaced apart. They are unaware of each other's existence, but they represent parts of the same physical universe.
Consequently, there is an abundance of places or other universes where a soul could wind up after death, according to this theory of neo-biocentrism. As to the existence of a soul, our souls are in fact constructed from the very fabric of the universe - and may have existed since the beginning of time and will probably go on forever. We are the immortal beings we've always hoped we'd be but just not the way we thought it would be.
Dr. Hameroff told the Science Channel's Through the Wormhole documentary: "Let's say the heart stops beating, the blood stops flowing, the microtubules lose their quantum state. The quantum information within the microtubules is not destroyed, it can't be destroyed. It just distributes and dissipates to the universe at large". Robert Lanza would add here that not only does it exist in the universe; it exists perhaps in another universe. It may have been what Walt Whitman was talking about when he wrote:
"The smallest sprout shows there is really no death;
And if there was, it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.
All goes onward and outward-nothing collapses:
And to die is different from what anyone supposed, and luckier."
Hameroff adds: "If they're not revived, and the patient dies, it's possible that this quantum information can exist outside the body, perhaps indefinitely, as a soul."
This example of quantum consciousness explains things like near-death experiences, astral projection, out of body experiences, and even reincarnation without involving a religious ideology. The energy of our consciousness potentially gets recycled back into a different body at some point, and in the mean time it exists outside of the physical body on some other level of reality, and possibly in another universe.
Book on Amazon:


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Farrah Abraham may be a lot of things, but is she the best mom among the original "Teen Mom" cast? Believe it or not, she thinks so according to a June 1 report from Wetpaint Entertainment.
Most fans of the hit MTV show already know that the network is considering a reboot of the show which lasted four seasons. The show abruptly ended after Amber Portwood was handed a five-year prison sentence. After serving less than two-years behind bars, Portwood was released and is hoping to encourage other young women who may find themselves in a similar situation that she was once found herself. Amber Portwood, Maci Bookout, and Catelynn Lowell have all reportedly agreed to appear in the new show as long as Farrah Abraham is not involved (only Portwood has spoken out about the rumor and said she has no issue working with Farrah again.)
The main reason that has been cited is the path that Farrah Abraham has taken since her "Teen Mom" days. Unlike Maci Bookout, Amber Portwood, and Catelynn Lowell (who have all taken to public speaking since the end of the show), Farrah has spread her wings in the adult entertainment industry. She has released an adult film as well as her own line of toys so it is understandable that the other three girls may be leery about being associated with her again.
However, Farrah Abraham refused to comment about the situation to the Huffington Post, but that isn't the most surprising thing that she said. Farrah claims that out of the four original cast members, she would win a competition for "best mom."
Farrah stated, "I think it would be awesome to have a "Teen Mom" show where we compete to see who is the best mom. I will say, I think at the end of the day I would be."
This is a pretty bold statement for Farrah Abraham to make. While Amber Portwood has been in trouble in the past, she has since turned her life around and is very involved in her daughter's life. Not only that, but Maci Bookout has always been lauded as perhaps the best mom from "Teen Mom." While Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra chose to place their daughter up for adoption, they are currently expecting a second child and there is no doubt they will be wonderful parents.
On the other hand, Farrah Abraham's choices don't necessarily make her a bad mother, but some question if she really would win "best mom" against Amber Portwood, Maci Bookout, and Catelynn Lowell.