text: DSpace Community: http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/13 2016-09-16T20:52:02Z Application of transformer tap changer controller to mitigate steady state and transient over voltages in a modelled electrical distribution network with embedded generation http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/8488 Title: Application of transformer tap changer controller to mitigate steady state and transient over voltages in a modelled electrical distribution network with embedded generation Authors: Azni Wati Azizan Abstract: In the last century, electric power delivery was in one direction which is from the transmission line towards the loads. During the era, a power system consisted of a battery-operated generator, electric motors, and incandescent lights. Generation of electricity increased in capacity by steam turbine generator and mini-hydro generator in 1880s. Long distance power transmission was made possible after an AC transformer was introduced in 1886 to step-up /step-down voltage of 4kV and 54V for 13-mile-power transmission from Oregon to Portland. In 1891. the United States introduces 60 cycle AC system which enable a transmission line to extend further and carrying larger voltage. Initially power distribution system was designed only for lighting and driving motors. As the power transmission line expanded, power distribution was observing various electrical appliances and equipment emerging between 1900-1950. Electric vacuum, electric washing machine, refrigerator, and electrical appliances based on diode rectifier and vacuum tube made up the pow'er system loads. Microprocessors and transistor-based equipment emerged in 1960s and until now one cannot do away without computers and mobile devices. While household loads appear various and complex, industrial loads also increases in types and complexity. Heavy machinery, robots, computers, precision devices, motors, furnaces and lightings are the possible types of loads used by industries. Manufacturing industries are also operating at longer hours than before and in shifts to keep abreast with the advancement in consumer demands. Description: A Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, College of Graduate Studies Universiti Tenaga Nasional 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z Aplikasi algoritma genetik bagi pengurusan sumber antenna pintar sistem komunikasi tanpa wayar generasi ketiga http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/8487 Title: Aplikasi algoritma genetik bagi pengurusan sumber antenna pintar sistem komunikasi tanpa wayar generasi ketiga Authors: Tiong Sieh Kiong Abstract: Sistem telefon bergerak yang merupakan salah satu daripada hasil ciptaan zaman teknologi telah kian digemari oleh orang ramai kerana ia dapat memberikan kemudahan yang tinggi dalam perhubungan antara satu sama lain. Dalam sejarah perkembangan sistem radio selular, tokoh yang paling penting dan hams dikenali oleh setiap penyelidik sistem radio selular ialah Heinrich Hertz (Macario 1993). Beliau ialah pelopor dan merupakan orang pertama yang berjaya menghasilkan gelombang radio buatan manusia pada tahun 1887. Pada tahun 1897 pula, seorang penyelidik yang bemama Marconi telah mengemukakan konsep tanpa wayar yang menjadikan komunikasi tanpa wayar suatu realiti. Kejayaan tokoh-tokoh ini telah memulakan era sistem telefon bergerak, iaitu satu telefon tanpa wayar yang menggunakan gelombang radio sebagai medium perantaraan. Kini, sistem radio bergerak telah meliputi hampir semua tempat di dunia. Melalui rangkaian sistem telefon selular, manusia dapat berhubung antara satu sama lain di merata tempat di dunia ini pada bila-bila masa sahaja. Description: FAKULTIKEJURUTERAAN UNIVERSITIKEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA BANGI 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z Analysis of water quality using a hybrid combination of self-organizing maps and fuzzy intelligent system http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/8486 Title: Analysis of water quality using a hybrid combination of self-organizing maps and fuzzy intelligent system Authors: Mohammed Balkit Turki; Sharifah Mumtazah Syed Ahmad Dr; Asma Shakil; Sorayya Malek Abstract: [6, 17, 18, and 36], The quality of water is one of the most important environmental, social and political issues at global level [1]. This dissertation described several methods that have been applied in water quality (bacteria) and several external factors that could help bacteria to grow in water. By understanding and analyzing these factors that particular bacteria needs to grow, then it is possible to predict the bacteria growth by artificial intelligent system such as fuzzy system, Neural Network, Support Vector Machine. Coliform bacteria exist in intestines of human and animal, it can transport to water by feces, it is also may present in soil, surface water, and plants. [11]. The presence of a group of fecal Coliform in water which is known as E. coli (Escherichia coli) may cause diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery etc. Thus, it is highly desirable to model the water quality by studying the growth of Coliform and E. Coli in water content. Though much research work is carried out in emphasizing the modeling the quality of water resources [11, 12 and 13], there are also increasing research efforts in modeling the water quality of natural water resources such as lakes and rivers [14 and 15], The existences of harmful E.coli bacteria in lake or river water can be danger to swim or drink form it. It is Also difficult to treat the water to remove the bacteria form the water in addition the bacteria able to re-growth elsewhere, for example (in pipe network or in drinking water systems [10, 9]). However, with increasingly stringent water quality standards, the problem of re-growth of E.coli bacteria has become of paramount importance. Description: A Dissertation Submitted in Fulfillment of The Requirement for the Degree of Master of Information Technology, College of Graduate Studies, Universiti Tenaga Nasional 2009-12-01T00:00:00Z Analysis of grounding practices in uniform layer soil http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/8485 Title: Analysis of grounding practices in uniform layer soil Authors: Mohamed Shahrtman Bin Mohamed Yunus Abstract: Grounding of an electrical system is a task that is faced by most engineers who look into planning, designing or modifying electrical distribution system. The quality and the performance of grounding systems are a major concern in today4 s power system design. Grounding is important in our effort to increase the reliability of the supply service, as it helps to prevent excessive voltage peaks during disturbances and also provides a measure of protection against lightning. Description: A Dissertation Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Electrical Engineering, College of Graduate Studies Universiti Tenaga Nasional 2008-12-01T00:00:00Z


text:
Created in this Craftsy class
Learn wire-wrapping methods to make seven sophisticated jewelry projects! Create beautiful earrings, necklaces and pendants to complement your wardrobe.
Other projects made as part of this class:
Offer some kudos...
Join the conversation...
Ask a question...
Add your comment...
|Here are some details about my project:
|Earrings, Accessory
|Traditional, Funky, Casual, Mod, Holiday, Retro / Vintage, Whimsical, Classic, Romantic
What materials did you use? I used 26-gauge non-tarnish antique brass wire, 3mm round faceted Jablonex Czech fire-polished glass beads in evergreen and clear crystal briolletes. For the ear wires I used 20-gauge non-tarnish antique brass wire.
What advice would you give someone starting this project? It's very easy to wrap the wire using 26-gauge because it is very soft. However, making the "circle" is harder than it looks because I only have a ring mandrel and I had to use that. The wire kept moving around as I wrapped around the mandrel. I would recommend to use a thick marker or anything which has a fixed shape (unlike the mandrel which is cone shaped) for beginners who do not own a mandrel or any tool.
Nicely done! I just shared them with my Facebook friends http://www.facebook.com/AgaJewelryDesigns
Very cute. Lots of nice wire work.
These are such fun! Nice.

subset: commoncrawl


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Adoro Wines is not an estate, but rather a collection of wines made up from grapes all over the Western Cape.
The winemaker has crafted several wines from numerous regions, including Stellenbosch and Elgin. Wines include a red (mainly Merlot and Shiraz), a Sauvignon Blanc and a white blend (including chenin, sauvignon blanc and semillon).
Contact them on their site, but don't include them in your tasting tour.


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Don't let it get away!
Keep track of the stocks that matter to you.
Help yourself with the Fool's FREE and easy new watchlist service today.
As an investor, it pays to follow the cash. If you figure out how a company moves its money, you might eventually find some of that cash flowing into your pockets.
In this series, we'll highlight four companies in an industry, and compare their "cash king margins" over time, trying to determine which has the greatest likelihood of putting cash back in your pocket. After all, a company can pay dividends and buy back stock only after it's actually received cash -- not just when it books those accounting figments known as "profits."
Today, let's look at Merck (NYSE: MRK ) and three of its peers.
The cash king margin
Looking at a company's cash flow statement can help you determine whether its free cash flow actually backs up its reported profit. Companies that can create 10% or more free cash flow from their revenue can be powerful compounding machines for your portfolio. A sustained high cash king margin can be a good predictor of long-term stock returns.
To find the cash king margin, divide the free cash flow from the cash flow statement by sales:
Cash king margin = Free cash flow / sales
Let's take McDonald's as an example. In the four quarters ending in December, the restaurateur generated $6.97 billion in operating cash flow. It invested about $3.05 billion in property, plant, and equipment. To calculate free cash flow, subtract McDonald's investment from its operating cash flow. That leaves us with $3.92 billion in free cash flow, which the company can save for future expenditures or distribute to shareholders.
Taking McDonald's sales of $25.5 billion over the same period, we can figure that the company has a cash king margin of about 14% -- a nice high number. In other words, for every dollar of sales, McDonald's produces $0.14 in free cash.
Ideally, we'd like to see the cash king margin top 10%. The best blue chips can notch numbers greater than 20%, making them true cash dynamos. But some businesses, including many types of retailing, just can't sustain such margins.
We're also looking for companies that can consistently increase their margins over time, which indicates that their competitive position is improving. Erratic swings in margins could signal a deteriorating business, or perhaps some financial skullduggery; you'll have to dig deeper to discover the reason.
Four companies
Here are the cash king margins for four industry peers over a few periods.
Cash King Margin (TTM)
1 Year Ago
3 Years Ago
5 Years Ago
Novartis (NYSE: NVS )
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TEVA )
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN )
All four companies far exceed or 10% threshold for attractiveness. However, Merck's margins are lower than they were five years ago, and Teva has seen fluctuations in its margins over the five-year period. Novartis doubles our 10% threshold for attractiveness, but its current cash king margins are the lowest they've been in five years, and Amgen puts up the highest numbers pretty consistently.
Merck has seen its revenues decline now that the patent has expired for its Singulair asthma drug. However, it has a promising pipeline that may be able to bring in drugs that can replace those lost revenues. Some promising candidates include a cholesterol treatment called Vytorin and two diabetes treatments, Januvia and Janumet.
Novartis is involved in both the proprietary and the generic drugs markets, which provides it some advantages. Its involvement in the high-profit, high-growth proprietary drug market gives it a good deal of upside. On the other hand, its involvement in the generic drug market offers a more stable revenue stream and puts it in a position to profit from regulatory changes that may lead consumers to lower-cost options.
Amgen has faced some fierce competition from Teva Pharmaceutical as the latter has developed biosimilar drugs competing with Amgen's Neulasta/Neupogen drugs. However, its recent acquisition of deCODE genetics may help it build a strong niche as it works to use patients' genetic codes to develop personalized medicine options.
The cash king margin can help you find highly profitable businesses, but it should only be the start of your search. The ratio does have its limits, especially for fast-growing small businesses. Many such companies reinvest all of their cash flow into growing the business, leaving them little or no free cash -- but that doesn't necessarily make them poor investments. Conversely, the formula works better for slower-growing blue chips. You'll need to look closer to determine exactly how a company is using its cash.
Still, if you can cut through the earnings headlines to follow the cash instead, you might be on the path toward seriously great investments.
While you can certainly make huge gains in biotech and pharmaceuticals, the best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of. Click here now to keep reading.


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Campbellsville gained its fifth win of the season with a 34-28 home-court victory over Bethlehem on Thursday night.
Elena Del Pedro and Brenna Wethington paced coach Chris Huff's team with nine points apiece while Caylie Blair and Catlyn Clausen had five each.
The next Lady Eagles' encounters will be girl/boy twinbills at home vs. Washington County tonight, Adair County on Friday and Metcalfe County on Saturday.
Copyright © 2016
The Central Kentucky News-Journal is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Campbellsville, KY and the surrounding area.


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Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light PC/PSN Review
Lara Croft's single-player is competent but incomparable to the sheer joy of raiding tombs with a couch-side friend.
Lara Croft tends to have some of the most predictable adventures in gaming, but Guardian of Light adds some much-needed innovation to the series without changing its fundamental mechanics. Just like in any Tomb Raider title, you'll play around with a number of powerful weapons and a grappling hook while leaping over dangerous pitfalls, though this time around the game is viewed from an isometric perspective zoomed atypically far from Lara herself. And while Guardian of Light doesn't make multiplayer mandatory, the levels are specifically designed to take advantage of Lara and co-star Totec's unique array of abilities. The single-player mode simply gives your chosen character all of the skills necessary to complete the game (and tailors some levels to make single-player success possible), but it lacks the fun of piecing together the solutions to puzzles with a friend.
Discounting the fact that the game still doesn't include online co-op -- a huge flaw, but one that should eventually be corrected -- Guardian of Light still stands as one of the best multiplayer games available for download. Though I was familiar with this downloadable title's new approach to the franchise, I honestly didn't expect to find so many clever and rewarding puzzles cribbed straight from the School of Zelda. Guardian of Light provides both Lara and Totec with an impressive collection of moves, and then presents players with a series of seemingly-straightforward puzzles that can be traversed by using the correct combination of their specific skills.
Though the game would still be fantastic with its co-op dungeon puzzles alone, Guardian of Light contains a surprising amount of substance; each of its many levels offer a series of achievements that add interesting weapons and items to your inventory. There's a definite focus on loot in Guardian of Light, and while it's nothing as substantial as what's found in games like Torchlight, the game offers a respectable amount of equippable goodies for both Lara and Totec to discover -- which also gives you a good reason to dip back into previously-played levels.
If you don't have a friend within driving distance, you may want to wait until Guardian of Light's online multiplayer is switched on; the game's single-player mode is competent but incomparable to the sheer joy of raiding tombs with a friend. Just be prepared for the inevitable arguments and subsequent passive-aggression when you grab a power-up your pal's already called dibs on.
See all Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light Reviews >
Comments (7)
this game sucksPosted: Nov 20, 2011 12:00AM PST by eots
I absolutely hate the arcade format and uninstalled the game after playing it for 30 minutes. I prefer the original Tomb Raider action adventure format where you get a first person view of the scenery, much more realistic than this arcade crap. This game gets two thumbs down from me.
Good Score, and Great Game!Posted: Oct 04, 2010 12:00AM PST by gamernerdtg2
I am playing this now, and I like that the levels have replayability in the single player mode. The story is fun, and I like that it literally is Tomb Raider in the 3rd person, combined with Ikari Warriors type shooting. Combat is a real selling point for me and the enemies are JUST difficult enough.
The puzzles are really fun! You feel like you've accomplished something when you solve a puzzle, and the game rewards you for it (power-ups, weapons etc).
I really hope that they build from this point and make something solid. I really like all the modern Tomb Raider games (Legend, Anniversary, Underworld, etc), but this one adds something that those other ones don't seem to have. There is more of a leaning towards fantasy and less emphasis on reality/physics of what Lara can actually do if she were real. It makes the game more interesting IMO. Square/ Enix usually doesn't dissapoint!
The only thing I dissagree with in this review is the online component - the fact that there is none takes absolutley nothing away from this game. In fact, you take a risk with online multiplayer - the game prob wouldn't play like it does locally. Why do all the best games have to have an online component?
Anyway, for the price, it's a steal, and I hope they keep these games comming. What happened to Lara's doppleganger after she freed it? I hope we find out.
LovelyPosted: Sep 28, 2010 12:00AM PST by larales9
i knew square enix wasnt going to disapoint me, they are doing exactly was core desing will do with the series, thanks God its taking its root again, i loved the game, i had an early beta acces key, with the full game, for the ps3 a week ago and i loved the game, i pretty recomended and the score 1up give to the game its deserved, really it is. just at least download the demo and youll see
whoaPosted: Sep 28, 2010 12:00AM PST by smile_kill
an A so gonna download this one now n give it a shot
Whew!Posted: Sep 28, 2010 12:00AM PST by Oversimplified_Complication
Glad to see this iteration of Tomb Raider doesn't come with the dreadful cistern/underwater level that plagues me (and gives me the heeby jeebies) every time I play!
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1UP Editor Score: A-
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I try to incorporate at least one sensory building activity each week. This week we used items from the kitchen to have so messy outdoor fun! This is an easy experiment for kids at home! This is a fizzy experiment that is a joy to watch, smell and feel.
Items needed:
- White Vinegar
- Baking Soda (not powder)
- cups and dish
- food Coloring if desired
- dropper or spoon (medicine dropper works best)
- Pour the baking soda in a shallow dish or plate.
- Pour the vinegar into several small cups or containers.
- Add food coloring if desired to the vinegar.
- Take the dropper or spoon and let your child fill it up with the colored vinegar.
- Drop the vinegar in the baking soda.
- Watch the fizzy magic!
- Play with the textures!
Once you have completely covered the baking soda you will start to see a liquid substance form. Let the child run this through his or her fingers. It is a fun sensation and they will love it!


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"Sturm und Drang" [Storm and Stress] is the name of a fairly brief (approximately 1767-1786) but highly productive period in German literature situated between the literary manifestations of the Enlightenment and Weimar Classicism. This period is also called Geniezeit [the era of "universal", "original" or "powerful" genius]. The established English translation "Storm and Stress" is not entirely felicitous: "passion and energy" or "energy and rebellion" would be more appropriate. Sturm und Drang derives its name from a drama by Friedrich Maximilian Klinger (1752-1831) originally titled Wirrwarr [Chaos] and re-named Sturm und Drang (1776) on the suggestion of …
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Knapp, Gerhard P.. "Sturm und Drang [Storm and Stress]". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 February 2003
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1266, accessed 30 September 2016.]


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ORLANDO, FLA. - The first time I went to Walt Disney World, I was 9 and only remember Space Mountain and Figment, the dragon from EPCOT.
A few years ago, I begrudgingly went with my wife after repeatedly asking her, "What adults without kids go to Disney World?"
Turns out the answer was a lot of people, and it was a great trip.
Last week we took our 18-month-old daughter Piper to "the happiest place on earth" (and I thought that was the Daily News) to experience the New Fantasyland, the largest expansion of the Magic Kingdom in the Florida park's 41-year history.


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You learn something new every day. I recently wrote a magazine article about National S'mores Day. That's right, that yummy combination of roasted marshmallows and a melted chocolate bar sandwiched between two graham crackers that leaves folks wanting "some more" has its own day, sponsored by the National Confec-tioners Association.
On Aug. 10, people across the country will pay tribute to that time-honored favorite that first gained attention when published in "Tramping and Trailing With The Girl Scouts" in 1927. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
While researching National S'mores Day, I began getting curious about other unusual "days" that have been incorporated into the calendar. Upon further investigation, I discovered an amazing assortment, but in the interest of space, I'd like to share one for each month of the year. Here goes:
Jan. 4: National Humiliation Day. I'm guessing this can go one of two ways; either all the poor, beleaguered folks who've been the butt of jokes for years gather together to commiserate with one another, or they gather together to "pants" their collective enemies.
Feb. 9: National Toothache Day. I didn't get all the details, but I have a feeling the only people celebrating this one are dentists.
March 6: National Frozen Food Day. Or, as my family likes to think of it, Sunday through Monday.
April 7: National No Housework Day. Or, as I like to think of it, Sunday through Monday.
May 6: National Beverage Day. People celebrate the consuming of beverages of all kinds by, uh, drinking beverages. I'm not sure how this differs from any other day, but maybe you have to be there.
June 14: National Pop Goes the Weasel Day. This one's a little tricky. First, you have to locate a weasel, second you have to find a way to make it go "pop," whatever that means, and third you have to dodge the inevitable PETA folks who'll be picketing on your doorstep.
July 24: National Amelia Earhart Day. On the one hand, it honors the famous missing aviatrix; on the other hand, it's the perfect day to tell folks you find annoying to "get lost."
Aug. 18: National Bad Poetry Day. "Roses are red, violets are blue. If you're a terrible poet, this day's for yourself." (Get it?)
Sept. 6: National Fight Procrastination Day. This was originally supposed to be held in July, but the organizers kept putting it off.
Oct. 29: National Hermit Day. This will probably be wildly popular, if the hermits ever find out about it, that is.
Nov. 24: National Use Even If Seal Is Broken Day. (This is held in conjunction with National Rush To Your Nearest Poison Control Center Day).
Dec. 26: National Whiners Day. You know, this would be a whole lot better if they held it in the summer. December is cold and icy and the days are way too short and then there's the post-holiday let-down
Yep, it looks like there's a "day" to celebrate almost everything, but those of us who follow Jesus know that every day is one the Lord has made.
Praise God!


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Issues to consider when starting a construction project
Agreements early on will mitigate headaches at the end.
August 2, 2013
| By James J. Rabaut
The commercial real estate market is finally recovering in West Michigan. Read More


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I don't know of a specific yoga dvd, but "restorative" or "yin" yoga is what you're looking for
The "Qigong for Cleansing" dvd really helped me with my own adrenal fatigue- if there's a kidney movement in your qigong routine, do it 36 times a few times a day if possible. This makes healing occur a lot faster. Also, daily consistency is key, even if you only do five minutes. It's much better than doing a longer session only once or twice a week. My qigong teacher couldn't stress this enough!


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There's a story about a botanist who spent his whole life in search of a rare plant. He dedicated his life to finding it. His vacations were spent only in places where this plant might be found. His days were spent writing about this plant and his nights were spent reading about it. In his dreams, he found himself in open fields covered by his target plant.
Then, when he was an old man and his was eyesight failing, he stood at the fence talking with his neighbor only to look down and see the rare plant growing on his friend's side of the fence. To be sure, he asked his friend if that plant by the fence-post had tiny blue flowers shaped like little bells.
"Who cares?" his friend said as he ground his heel into the plant. "It's just a stupid weed."
This is simply to say that Shakespeare might be right - a rose by any other name actually would smell the same, but no one wants to receive a big bouquet of rose-weed as a symbol of undying love. And civil unions - even when guaranteed the same status as marriage by law - is not the same thing as marriage.
I've been on the record for quite a while as supporting same-sex marriage equality. I believe it can best be achieved by separating the legal aspect of marriage from the spiritual aspects of marriage. There is, very simply, no reason to co-mingle these aspects of marriage. But even as evidence mounts that civil unions are not, in fact, marriages and even as grassroots advocacy continues to build support for marriage equality, I believe it will be years, not months, before it becomes a reality in New Jersey.
The reason lies in the political reality of New Jersey. Governor Corzine has shown that he is more interested in trying to reach-out to Republicans that will never vote for him than he is in working with Democrats that support him. He has long said that he favors marriage equality personally - and would sign it if given the chance - but he obviously isn't going to push it when an important election lies just around the corner.
And when is there any time in New Jersey when that isn't true? It isn't going to come up this year because it would overshadow the federal elections. Next year, the Governor and the Legislature faces re-election, so it isn't going to come up then. Perhaps in 2010, just after the mid-term federal elections, it might sneak through. Or maybe it will wait until 2012, when reapportionment of state legislative districts creates a new class of lame-ducks.
This issue deserves leadership, no matter which side of it you are on. If those who oppose marriage equality are so sure of themselves, then they should push the sort of Constitutional amendment that has passed elsewhere that would define marriage as being between one woman and one man. I must admit that I don't closely follow such things, but there is no widespread cry for it in Jersey - so either it is DOA or it lacks leadership. Those who have said, for years, that they support marriage equality need to put their money where their mouth is. It is time to stop looking for a time when the price for leadership might be evaded. It is time to make a stand and be counted.
This was the type of leadership favored by Abraham Lincoln. His moral arguments against slavery in the Lincoln-Douglas debates are immortal. Yet it was Douglas that was appointed by the State legislature to serve in DC, not Lincoln. But Douglas has been all-but forgotten for his defense of slavery and his inauspicious political career. Lincoln led. Lincoln paid the price. That is why he is remembered as great.
Or, as Lincoln himself put it:
That is the issue that will continue in this country when these poor tongues of Judge Douglas and myself shall be silent. It is the eternal struggle between these two principles-right and wrong-throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time; and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity and the other the divine right of kings.
That is the issue as we face today. If gay citizens are human, then they deserve full equality in all respects. Unless and until our political leadership truly believes this - and begins to articulate it in no uncertain terms - then it will always be an inopportune time to push for equality. There will always be a legislative seat or the next election that must be saved. Political leaders are not elected to win elections, however, but to lead.
There is a price for leadership, and if those who aspire to the offices of leadership will not pay it, then it will be paid by those who suffer without it. We cannot continue to allow our politicians to lead with words and to shrink back from responsibility in deeds; to say they believe then fail to act. They cannot continue to uphold a second-class civil union as the equal of marriage. They cannot continue to hand us weeds and call them roses. They cannot pretend to join us on our journey only to grind the goal of our efforts under their heel.
That, too, is political reality.


text:
ABOVE: Rick Steves, Europe Through the Back
Door guidebook author and TV travel host.
By Durant Imboden
Steves is the American author of the Europe Through the Back Door travel
guides and a TV program, Travels With Rick Steves, that appears on PBS
and The Travel Channel in the United States. He also has been a tour guide and
organizer for two decades, first as a group escort for Cosmos Tours and later
with his own Europe Through the Back Door travel company in Edmonds, Washington.
(ETBD started off in 1978 with a handful of minibus tours, and today the company
offers more than 140 escorted European tours each year.)
In one of his books, Rick
Steves' Postcards from Europe, Steves described the scams that are
rampant in the the European tour industry. Intrigued by his frankness, I suggested a telephone interview on two related
topics: "independent vs. escorted travel" and "choosing a tour
company." The following article is an edited transcript of our phone
Why should a traveler take a group
tour instead of using your guidebook?
Our guidebooks are designed for people who want to do our tours without
us--who want someone else to do the legwork but would rather travel alone. Our
tours follow the same basic itineraries as the guidebooks, but they help travelers get more out of
their time. We've already made reservations for the Alhambra, the Uffizi
Gallery, and so on. There's no need to stand in line--we march you right up to
the front and take you in. With our 20-day tours, you accomplish what it would
take you 30 days to accomplish on your own from a sightseeing and travel
Next Page > Introverts
and extroverts > Page 1, 2,
3, 4
Photos: © Europe Through the Back Door. Used by permission.
"Best of the Web"-
Forbes and The Washington Post
Need a car in Europe?
Tourist car leases (21+ days)
If you live outside the
EU, a tax-free Renault
or Peugeot
tourist car lease can be cheaper than renting for visits of three
weeks or longer. Minimum driver age is 18, there' s no upper age
limit, and rates include insurance.
Car Rentals
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makes it easy to find the best car and motorhome rental rates in
more than 20,000 locations.
Europe for Visitors - Home
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and contact information |
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Copyright © 1996-2016 Durant Imboden and
Cheryl Imboden. All rights reserved.


text:
Students from all walks of life across the country are able to learn and get educated in more than 50 Institutions run by the Trust across its 5 centers in India.
Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College seeks to be the engineering college of choice in Maharashtra can provide the best learning experience, most productive learning community and will be recognized as one of the best engg. colleges in India.Continue Reading »
Dear Student,
I, on behalf of J.N.E.C, take great pride in welcoming you to our campus. We believe in fostering a climate that encourages learning and personal growth. We...
JNEC Gallary
Kamal Kishore Kadam, Chairman is milestone for MGM Trust. Dr Pandurang M Jadhav,Vice Chairman of MGM Trust.Shri Ankushrao N. Kadam ,Secretary of Mahatma Gandhi Mission Trust.Click Here »
Urgent - Grab the Golden Opportunity for Employability skill development program
As a part of CSR initiative Barclays has decided to skill unemployed youths as per the industry requirement. Barclays has decided to partner with GTT & NASSCOM Foundation in this initiative. GTT would be executing the training program to develop E.....
Posted at Jan 05,2016 12:07PM
73 hired by TCS in Campus Recruitment Drive 2015.
TATA Consultancy Services conducted Campus Recruitment Drive at JNEC on 10th and 11th Sept.2015. Total seventy three students were placed from Computer Science & Engineering, Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering, Information Technology and Me.....
Posted at Sep 18,2015 03:33PM
"Anubandh" - Alumni meet CSE/IT April 2015.
An alumni get together of CSE/IT department was arranged by college on 18th April 2015. Around 50 alumni travel from various parts of country , to participate in this event. During the event Shri. A.N.Kadam, secretary MGM, Shri. Pratap Borade, Techni.....
Posted at Jun 13,2015 10:59AM
Copyright © 2012 - All Rights Reserved - JNEC.ORG
Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, Aurangabad


text:
Milk demand in North results in price increases
Published 14/11/2012 | 06:00
Town of Monaghan has increased its milk price by 2c/l for October supplies in response to growing demand for milk from Northern Ireland.
The move sees its milk price rise from 31c/l to 33c/l for milk suppliers in the Republic of Ireland.
It follows an increase of 2p/l for its suppliers in the North, from 25p/l to 27p/l.
Glanbia has also increased its October milk price by 1c/l to 31.5c/l including VAT.
A spokesperson from the co-op said the increase was due to improved markets and the board would keep the situation under review.
Commenting on its 2c/l boost to milk price, a Town of Monaghan spokesperson said there had been a "massive increase" in Northern Ireland milk prices, due to rising demand for liquid milk in Britain.
"In the interest of equity, it would not have been fair to leave our southern producers behind," he added.
"This increase has nothing to do with the dairy market in general."
It is understood that Northern Ireland co-op Fane Valley is attempting to woo dairy farmers from other co-ops in the market with attractive 'introductory offers' on milk price.
Down south, October milk price decisions are expected from Connacht Gold, Lakeland, Dairygold and other co-ops later this week.
ICMSA dairy chairman Pat McCormack said that based on market returns, farmers were fully justified in demanding further milk price increases and a milk price in excess of 33c/l was now due.
"All the market indicators are positive, including the Irish Dairy Board milk price index- which increased again in October-, Dutch dairy quotations, Northern Ireland Milk Auction and the Global Dairy Trade Auction," he maintained.
"These and other indicators all point to a strong dairy market and in the context of a tight global supply situation, dairy farmers are optimistic of further milk price increases and expect their board members to deliver for them."
He added that high culling rates and falling heifer numbers in the US should add to an already tight supply.
Indo Farming


text:
Old electrical wiring is being blamed for a fire on Saturday evening that destroyed the attic of a small central Greeley home.
Battalion Chief Dave Einspahr said the family living in the small home was in the process of moving to the main house on the property, and no one was living in the space at the time. There were no injuries.
Einspahr said investigators determined that the electrical system, which was the original, likely overheated while the family was using space heaters. He said the wiring ignited the insulation, which could have been smoldering for days before catching fire.
Many older homes in Greeley have similar exposed wiring, Einspahr said. He said it's safe if it's left uncovered.


text:
Development of Competition in Local Telephone Markets
RCED-00-38: Published: Jan 25, 2000. Publicly Released: Feb 8, 2000.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
(202) 512-6520
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the development of competition in telecommunications markets, focusing on the: (1) development of competition in local telephone markets and the market strategies employed by new carriers in five states under the 1996 Telecommunications Act; and (2) key issues affecting that development and the enforcement activities of federal and state regulators to address those issues.
GAO noted that: (1) little competition has emerged in local telephone markets, but new competing carriers are pursuing several different market strategies; (2) according to Federal Communications Commission data, incumbent local telephone service providers controlled all but about 3 percent of the traditional wireline local telephone service market as of December 1998; (3) while competing companies have concentrated on serving relatively profitable urban business communities, some of the competing companies were serving residential customers and customers outside of the largest cities; (4) the number of lines competing carriers serve has, however, approximately tripled in 1998 alone; (5) the competing carriers were delivering services through all of the methods envisioned by the 1996 act: reselling incumbents' services, leasing parts of incumbents' networks, or constructing their own facilities; (6) an important competitive strategy being undertaken by both types of carriers is the simultaneous marketing and sale of a package of varied telecommunications services; (7) the act requires incumbent carriers to provide competing carriers with access to elements of their telephone networks to enable those carriers to order and provide service to their customers; (8) this has been difficult because the incumbents' systems were not originally designed to be accessible to users external to the incumbent carrier; (9) negotiating the necessary agreements between an incumbent and competing carriers can take a significant amount of time and delay their market entry, as can negotiating the placement of competing carriers' equipment in an incumbent's facilities; (10) incumbent carriers invested money and other resources to make elements of their telephone network accessible to competing carriers, had signed interconnection agreements, and had allowed competing carriers to place their equipment inside their own facilities; (11) competing carriers said the act and accompanying rules needed better enforcement; (12) state and federal regulators recognize their role is changing to focus more on mediating disputes among carriers and enforcing laws and regulations; and (13) further competition seems likely to develop in local telephone markets because competing carriers continue to expand their market share using all entry modes envisioned by the act, legal and regulatory issues are becoming clarified, and the packaging of varied telecommunications services may enable firms providing other communications services to effectively compete for local telephone customers.
May 4, 2016
Statutory Copyright Licenses:Stakeholders' Views on a Phaseout of Licenses for Broadcast ProgrammingGAO-16-496: Published: May 4, 2016. Publicly Released: May 4, 2016.
Apr 27, 2016
Tribal Internet Access:Increased Federal Coordination and Performance Measurement NeededGAO-16-504T: Published: Apr 27, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 27, 2016.
Feb 3, 2016
Telecommunications:Additional Coordination and Performance Measurement Needed for High-Speed Internet Access Programs on Tribal LandsGAO-16-222: Published: Jan 29, 2016. Publicly Released: Feb 3, 2016.
Sep 18, 2015
Internet Management:Structured Evaluation Could Help Assess Proposed Transition of Key Domain Name and Other Technical FunctionsGAO-15-642: Published: Aug 19, 2015. Publicly Released: Sep 18, 2015.
Jun 2, 2015
Broadband:Intended Outcomes and Effectiveness of Efforts to Address Adoption Barriers Are UnclearGAO-15-473: Published: Jun 2, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 2, 2015.
Telecommunications:FCC Should Evaluate the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Lifeline ProgramGAO-15-638T: Published: Jun 2, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 2, 2015.
May 21, 2015
Telecommunications:Agencies Need Better Controls to Achieve Significant Savings on Mobile Devices and ServicesGAO-15-431: Published: May 21, 2015. Publicly Released: May 21, 2015.
May 15, 2015
Broadband Performance:Additional Actions Could Help FCC Evaluate Its Efforts to Inform ConsumersGAO-15-363: Published: Apr 17, 2015. Publicly Released: May 15, 2015.
May 8, 2015
Telecommunications Relay Service:FCC Should Strengthen Its Management of Program to Assist Persons with Hearing or Speech DisabilitiesGAO-15-409: Published: Apr 29, 2015. Publicly Released: May 8, 2015.
Apr 28, 2015
Public-Safety Broadband Network:FirstNet Should Strengthen Internal Controls and Evaluate Lessons LearnedGAO-15-407: Published: Apr 28, 2015. Publicly Released: Apr 28, 2015.
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text:
Friday, May 12, 2006
Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
In The Algebraist, Banks juxtaposes the hyper-organized yet cruelly authoritarian Mercatoria with the E-5 Disconnect, a religious cult ruled by a hedonistic madman. The opponents in Consider Phlebas are quite a bit more subtle. In one corner, the Culture--a technologically advanced society of plenty, a Communist utopia, a society made up of morally conscious hedonists, powered and largely governed by artificial intelligences orders of magnitude more advanced and complicated than humans could ever become. The Culture has picked a fight with the Idirans, a race of aliens in the midst of a religious Jihad, who view humans and other alien species as weak and unworthy. Banks never for a moment allows us to entertain a black and white interpretation of this conflict--the Idirans aren't the violent alien menace; the Culture isn't being taken over by machines for humanity's own good. The novel's protagonist is Horza, a human in the employ of the Idirans who nurses a burning hatred of the Culture. Horza's thesis is that by eliminating hunger, scarcity, and injustice, the Culture is doing away with the necessities of human evolution, that its machine masters are either ignorantly or deliberately directing their biological citizens towards stagnation. The Idirans may be murderous invaders, but according to Horza they are still 'on the side of life', messy and violent as it is.
Consider Phlebas is essentially a protracted debate between the pro- and anti-Culture points of view (the Idirans exist mainly as a catalyst for this debate. Their argument for galactic domination is not seriously considered). In Banks' hands, the Culture is an intriguing mix of simple-mindedness and sophistication. It is at the same time as virtuous as its propaganda claims, and quite a bit more messily human than its detractors would have us believe. According to the novel's coda, the Culture goes to war because "The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines they had ... brought into being: the urge not to feel useless. The Culture's sole justification for the relatively unworried, hedonistic life its population enjoyed was its good works". The Idirans, and with them a sizable portion of the galaxy, believe that the Culture is incapable of sustaining a prolonged military effort, that its pampered citizenry will rebel at the first suggestion of sacrifice or discomfort, as opposed to the Idirans who view sacrifice and service as a way of life (and yes, the real-world comparisons come in hot and heavy throughout the novel). What they, and we, discover, is that life in every form must always find reasons to struggle, and having found them, will pursue that struggle relentlessly.
The terms in which Banks couches this debate--the question of whether human society can thrive, and maintain its humanity, in conditions of plenty, or whether scarcity and conflict are necessary for human advancement--are quite a bit more sophisticated and nuanced than I am used to seeing, but the substance of the discussion remains unchanged, as does its conclusion. Life, in the end, is life. Messiness and violence can't be bred out of it, nor can repurposing or retitling them alter their fundamental nature. The Culture-Idiran war claims a fantastic toll in lives (the number is purposefully absurd, and its off-hand mention is clearly meant to shock the readers), and yet it is ultimately a minor, insignificant conflict, an exercise in vanity and self-justification on both sides. That is, ultimately, what the novel boils down to--war is bad and wasteful, but ultimately a human endeavor, and death awaits us all no matter the rightness of our cause or the purity of our ideals (a quotation from Eliot's "The Waste Land", 'consider Phlebas' is apparently the phrase one turns to after 'memento mori' throughly percolates into the cultural consciousness and becomes unusable as a title). 471 packed pages is quite a bit of effort to go to in order to say something that most human beings work out by their late teens, especially if the novel doesn't do much beyond expressing this philosophy.
And indeed, some of you may have noticed that although by now I've gone on about this book for four paragraphs, they've all dealt with topic and theme, with the plot nowhere in sight and the characters only briefly mentioned. This is, frankly, in keeping with Banks' approach. The novel's beginning sees Horza tasked with the retrieval of the AI core of a Culture vessel, which made a daring escape from an Idiran attack and hid itself on Schar's World, a neutral and heavily protected planet. Before he can go about completing this task, however, Horza is dumped into space in the middle of a space battle, captured by pirates, captured again by cannibals, caught in the crush to escape a soon-to-be-destroyed orbital platform, and forced to punch his way through a gigantic spaceship in order to escape the Culture's clutches. Will he survive all of these ordeals? Yes, of course he will, as the plot obviously requires that Horza make it to Schar's World, and yet nearly 300 pages are spent in this bouncing from peril to peril. Their purpose is obviously to showcase both Banks' ability to invent bizarre races, exotics customs, and magnificent technological edifices, and more importantly, to act as a backdrop to the ongoing discussion of the Culture. By showing us how the galaxy perceives the Culture, and how Horza reacts to this perception, Banks complicates our understanding of that society. Unfortunately, with no inherent tension to hold our interest, and with Banks pausing frequently for yet more info-dumps or yet more social philosophy, the novel's first 2/3 drag.
As I've already said, Banks' prose isn't up to the level I had come to expect from The Algebraist. In that later novel, he had learned the invaluable skill of making the info-dump interesting and unobtrusive, and much more importantly, he had learned the importance of humor. The frequent use of humor is one of The Algebraist's most compelling qualities--we can trust an author who won't take himself too seriously, and who recognizes the absurdities inherent to his premise and chosen style. Consider Phlebas' topic is, admittedly, a more serious and sombre one than The Algebraist's, but that difference doesn't excuse the earlier novel's humorlessness. Even in the most difficult, most hopeless situations, people make jokes--it is a fundamental human fact. There are almost no jokes in Consider Phlebas (actually, there are four. And none of them are particularly funny) and the novel's tone is unrelentingly tragic. Without humor to leaven it, that tragedy soon comes to seem ponderous and self-important. The characters, never particularly rounded, are further flattened by Banks' choice to deprive them of an important aspect of their personalities.
Unskilled, humorless prose, indifferent characterization, preachy and obvious philosophy--by almost every criteria Consider Phlebas is a flawed, perhaps even a failed novel. Even taking into consideration my unfairly heightened expectations, is there any point in continuing with Banks' back-catalogue? I think if the problem were only with the prose, I'd be perfectly willing to move on to one of his later and highly-praised novels--Use of Weapons or Look to Windward. As I've said, the talent is clearly there, and I already know that Banks develops it. But looking at summaries of the other Culture novels' plots, I get the distinct impression that ideologically, Banks never moves far away from Consider Phlebas' rather simple point. The Culture is virtuous and simple-minded; no, the Culture is decadent and inhuman; no, the Culture is subtle and bent on shaping the galaxy in its own image; no, the Culture is all of the above, and so entirely human and, in its own way, no different than any other empire. This is the not-too-surprising conclusion that Consider Phlebas reaches, and I don't get the impression that the other Culture novels do more than explore its ramifications in greater detail. Am I wrong, and if not, is there still something to read for in Banks' oeuvre?
27 comments:
I don't think my advice will be very useful to you. I love Banks, but when I read his books I think I'm looking for and getting vastly different things than you are. I read Banks' Culture books for their setting flavor and color, or for certain side incidents or conversational snippets and turns of phrase, or for the bits or what are basically very high tone pulp adventure (Consider Phlebas feels like a pricey boutique version of Star Wars).
It feels to me like Banks sets up a question about the nature of humanity with the Culture, but then immediately...spoofs the question perhaps? Between the Ship names (a good 10 percent of my enjoyment of his books is the ship names alone), the people names (Perosteck Balveda, Bora Horza Gobochul), I dunno, I don't see the books as humorless. I see them as vaguely humorous throughout, comedies really.
All those theoretically heavy questions about the state of humanity really became irrelevant long ago, it's like building a gigantically complex building with the words "What Are We Going To Do About The Mastodon Issue?" affixed to the front, while people play polo on elephantback on the front lawn.
Like with Neal Stephenson, I'm mostly here for the candy, and plot or the overarching obvious philosophical bits, enh.
That being said, I think you've got a much better shot at enjoying Use of Weapons than Look to Windward. If you don't enjoy Use of Weapons either, I'd probably recommend giving up on Banks.
- May 12, 2006 6:16 PM
- Alison said...
I'd probably put 'Player of games' ahead of Use of Weapons, though I like them both. What I don't like about Banks is the juvenile student-culture side to his books (like someone talking at length about all the drugs they did ast night) and some of the humour seems to be in that category. What I like is the imaginative 'setting flavour and colour' as telepresence said. I just like to live in a space world, in my imagination.
- May 12, 2006 6:29 PM
- Abigail Nussbaum said...
Clearly the setting, flavor and color are a large part of Banks' appeal, and I did enjoy the inventive aspects of The Algebraist. As I said, in Consider Phlebas I found the prose so poor that reading the descriptive passages became a chore, and even more so since they were obviously filler - the characters had to get to Schar's World, and I was eager for Banks to stop showboating and get his plot going. Maybe that does mean that he's not my kind of writer. I think I'll give him one more chance before I decide.
It feels to me like Banks sets up a question about the nature of humanity with the Culture, but then immediately...spoofs the question perhaps?
That's an interesting observation, but I don't think it works in the case of Consider Phlebas. The novel is too deliberately dark and tragic, the frequent discussions of the Culture too prominent.
But I agree that the ship names are cool. There aren't too many of them in Consider Phlebas, though.
- May 12, 2006 6:42 PM
For sheer volume of cute/funny Ship names/personalities, Excession is the way to go, half the book is Ships meeting and talking to each other.
You know I really have to reread Consider Phlebas, I just don't remember it being so heavy and self serious as you describe. I haven't read it in years though, and I've read so many Banks books since then, I may have just forgotten.
- May 12, 2006 7:10 PM
- Eldritch00 said...
I've got you on my LJ feed, and I have to say that though our tastes in reading hardly seem to jive, I find your blog entries pretty much fascinating reading.
You've even got me pausing to rethink my impressions of, say, Consider Phlebas, both while I was reading it and after I was done. As you can see though, we virtually had opposite reactions to it!
I'm tempted to tell you to try another of his works, but the only other titles I've read are The State of the Art and Excession; though I loved both of those more than Consider Phlebas, I'm not entirely sure they'll change your views about Banks.
Still, whatever you decide to do, I'll keep reading. Like I said, I do enjoy your posts even when we don't agree. At the very least, your reviews are much better written than my informal ramblings!
- May 12, 2006 8:12 PM
- Andrew Ducker said...
I don't think I can add much to what you've already had in the comments, except to say that I wasn't very sold on Consider Phlebas, but Use of Weapons, Player of Games and Excession are three of my favourite books.
- May 12, 2006 8:48 PM
- Jenny D said...
I totally stalled on CONSIDER PHLEBAS, never finished it; have only read a handful of the Banks SF titles. Yet the non-M., non-SF Banks is one of my absolute favorite writers; have you read any of those books? Lots of them have minor appealing SF-type elements, and they are all wonderfully good: CROW ROAD and CANAL DREAMS perhaps my favorites among the early ones, but amazing recent ones include COMPLICITY, THE BUSINESS and (especially--if you only read one, try this one first--based on my sense of your tastes, I think you'll really like it) WHIT. But you pretty much can't go wrong--I'm sure I'm forgetting some other favorites.
- May 12, 2006 10:07 PM
- Matt Ruff said...
My experience with the Culture novels was similar to yours. I started out of sequence, with The Player of Games, which was a fun read (but fun in spite of, rather than because of, the political/philosophical soapboxing). Then I went back to Consider Phlebas, which disappointed me for the same reasons it disappointed you. I tried one more -- Use of Weapons -- got bored and gave up.
I dunno, maybe he writes too fast. I think there's also an inherent dramatic problem in writing about a Utopian social system that actually works.
- May 12, 2006 11:29 PM
- riemannia said...
Well, I'm a Banks fan and I've even reread Consider Phlebus when I'm not much of a rereader.
My favorite Banks may be the non-Culture Feersum Endjinn, with Inversions coming a close second. I thought Look to Windward one of his most powerful books though it may be a bit of a slog to get to that ending.
Whoever talked about juvenile student-culture is right. It's a Banks tic, I guess, although not so present in the three books above, iirc.
All that said, you and Banks may not be a match. Btw, The Algebraist is my least favorite Banks.
- May 13, 2006 12:15 AM
Sadly, I almost entirely agree with the esteemed Mr Ducker above (ie read the non sf novels, abandon the sf ones, except OHMIGOD Whit is where he started going downhil, read The Bridge, which Mr IMB himself I think has ackowleged is way his best.
I'm fond of Banksie but I think it's fair to say he's been churning em out way too frequently for a good long while now (tho I think he's now taking a bit of a breather) - the early non sf ones show no lack of skill and loads of fermenting imagination.
But Consider Phlebas bored me, and Player of Games, I think it was, made me feel physically sick. If I want gratuitous torture scenes with no interest in characterisation or humour then well.. well, I don't.
- May 13, 2006 2:39 AM
Arg, I got my attributions wrong. I meant, I agreed entirely with Ms Jenny D.
- May 13, 2006 2:41 AM
- Abigail Nussbaum said...
Lots and lots of helpful (and, naturally enough, conflicting) advice, thank you guys. I think I will give Banks' SF one more chance, probably Use of Weapons, but now Jenny and Lilian have got me interested in his mainstream fiction. I'll keep a lookout for that too.
- May 13, 2006 9:23 AM
- niall said...
Right. Well, we already know we disagree about the merits of the humour in The Algebraist, and I read Consider Phlebas sufficiently long ago that I can't remember much detail about it (other than that it didn't suck, and it's the one with the giant underground train, right? Or something). I also am not the hugest Banks fan in the room; the other books of his I've read have been fun, but they're not (for example) the sort of thing I'd give to someone to convince them of the virtues of modern sf. (I do plan to give Use of Weapons a go at some piint, though.)
That said, I'm a bit confused by your conclusion:
The Culture is virtuous and simple-minded; no, the Culture is decadent and inhuman; no, the Culture is subtle and bent on shaping the galaxy in its own image; no, the Culture is all of the above, and so entirely human and, in its own way, no different than any other empire. This is the not-too-surprising conclusion that Consider Phlebas reaches, and I don't get the impression that the other Culture novels do more than explore its ramifications in greater detail.
In particular I'm confused by the idea that exploring the nature of the Culture in greater detail (which, you're right, is what the later books, at least the ones I've read, tend to do) is somehow a waste of time. They are like us in that they face the same challenges that we do (politically, if not socially), but (a) there is value in examining those sorts of questions anyway, and (b) there is value in examining the responses that are generated by a culture (small-c) with a different dominant sociopolitical mindset.
Whether or not Banks's exmainations of those sorts of questions is to a certain extent a separate issue--I think he's been quite good at times. I'm just not convinced that knowing that the Culture is not as radically different to us as it first appears makes any further stories set in the Culture wasted time.
(P.S. Best Culture ship name = GSV Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality.)
- May 14, 2006 1:03 PM
- Abigail Nussbaum said...
Yup, underground train.
Is exploring the Culture in great and grim detail necessarily a bad thing? I suppose I'm being a little harsh and judgmental here, but the impression I get from Consider Phlebas and from the summaries of the later Culture novels is that Banks has said everything he wants to say about the Culture, and that the later books in the series are merely variations on that theme. I could very easily be wrong - it was one of my reasons for asking more experienced Banks readers for their input.
(a) there is value in examining those sorts of questions anyway, and (b) there is value in examining the responses that are generated by a culture (small-c) with a different dominant sociopolitical mindset.
True on both counts, but if the later books in the Culture series sublimate plot for the sake of these explorations in the same way that Consider Phlebas did, and if these explorations are as unsurprising as the one in Consider Phlebas (really, the moment Horza starts ranting about the evils of the Culture you pretty much know how the debate is going to turn out), then I don't know if I want to bother with them.
- May 14, 2006 2:42 PM
- Dr. Vector said...
I've read all of Banks's SF books (except the Algebraist, which I just haven't gotten around to yet) and several of his others, and I think he has grown tremendously over the years. Consider Phlebas is far and away his least complicated and least interesting book. Don't give up on Banks on the basis of that book alone!
Since the technological and cultural milieu doesn't change noticeably from one book to the next, there is no point in reading his books in publication order. Especially if you want to see if he has anything interesting to say, but found CP unpalatable. Use of Weapons is basically CP refought, this time with the murderous bastard protagonist being pro-Culture instead of anti- (and also a bit of a shape-shifter). Jump to Excession or Inversions--which make a nice little set once you've read them both--or especially Look to Windward.
You're thoughtful and perceptive and you write well. I'd hate to see you give up on Banks on the basis of what is probably his weakest book. Partly out of sheer selfishness, because I'm curious to see what you'll think of Look to Windward, whenever you get around to it.
One more thing. Although I haven't read it, I'm not surprised that you were underwhelmed by the Algebraist. I haven't been blown away by any of Banks's non-Culture books, SF or not. My favorite is Feersum Enjin, but even that was pretty flat compared to, say, Excession.
Hope this helps.
- May 15, 2006 2:18 PM
- niall said...
Just came across Clute's original reviews of Banks in Look at the Evidence. He doesn't spend much time on what the Culture is or is not; he does think that the book is a mess: "If only Iain M had turned the volume down, if only someone had the gumption to excise the odd half acre of fallow Vance, a phoenix of art might have burned into our vision our of the chaos and the splat. Maybe next time." He is rather kinder to The Player of Games, and seems to like Use of Weapons a great deal.
For what that's worth.
- May 16, 2006 12:58 AM
- Fernando Hugo Rodrigo said...
Finally, a review which is closer to my impressions on this book.
I has just finished Look to Windward, and it is much better, though not extraordinary either. Of course, I am Spanish, and I have read both of them in my language, so on the prose matter, I don´t know for sure if it is a problem of the author or his translators (poor translation, I feel, for the number of ortographic errors).
To me, Consider Plhebas is a failure for many different reasons, but one is this: does the autor really have a clear view on what The Culture is, and, is he really able to convey it to the reader?
And then, characters. Horza gets himself in an adventure (a macguffin, really; that Mind is is after is not so important after all) which may put him in real danger (as we will see) but for no clear motivations. Even that one which is supposed to function as such does not work: he hates the Culture, ok, but why so much interest in recovering that Mind? Loyalty to the idirians? And how come he suddenly, when they are in the planet, he seems so comprehensive with the Culture agents, and sensitive and emotional with his companion (another horrible female character; is it a tendency in science fiction? Haven´t we learn anything with Heinlein´s failures on that aspect?)?
And the lenght... Most of the action scenes are so detailed... when they are not neccesary, and do not lead to the supposed goal of the character.
Anyway, it is just my opinion. Good blog; I am happy to have discovered.
- February 05, 2012 1:37 AM
- baeraad said...
I am not sure I agree with your description of what the book is really about (though I admit that it's very much something you can have different opinions on - I'm getting the impression that Banks put an honour in being subtle with his messages). I didn't really get the feeling that the main question was "is the Culture a good thing or a bad thing?" The morals of what the Culture does gets questioned once or twice, but the main question seems to me to be, "is the Culture viable - or will it inevitably collapse under the weight of its own denial of what human nature really is?" And the answer there turns out to be yes, it is viable, and its philosophy is no less human than the Idirans'. I didn't feel it really went much further than that.
I may be reading my own stuff into it, but to me it seemed to be like this: the Idirans are conservatives, all brutality and dogma and racism and all that nasty stuff. The Culture is hippie-dippie progressive and want everything to be as nice and fun as possible. And Horza is the kind of smirking libertarian douchebag who sides with the former even though he disagrees with them about everything, because there is just something about the latter that makes his skin crawl. To me, the novel felt very much like Banks' earnest attempt to understand that mindset - to try to imagine why someone would look at one enormity after another committed by the reactionaries and still stubbornly insist that wanting to make the world a better place is still worse, somehow. (when Horza finds all his Changer friends slaughtered by the Idirans and still, a few chapters later, insists that he works for them because he "disagrees" with the Culture, I felt that I was definitely supposed to think there was something badly wrong with him)
So one of my impressions is that the message is that the Culture could plausibly exist, saying nothing of whether it would be good or bad if it did. Another impression, which quite possibly contradicts the first, is that it's not about the Culture at all but is rather a study of how one particular personality type would feel about the Culture.
As for the novel itself... well, I can't complain that nothing happened in it or that there were no stakes, like I did about The Player of Games (here). But if anything I liked it less, mostly because Horza is such a loathsome piece of smug macho-manhood that I kept reading only because someone told me he dies in the end. I realise that he's probably not supposed to be especially sympathetic - he is, in a sense, the villain protagonist - but over five hundred pages was just too long to read about a character I despised.
- June 20, 2013 6:25 AM
- Abigail Nussbaum said...
It has (obviously) been a long time since I read this book, baeraad, so I'm not sure I can offer a very coherent response to your observation - it makes sense, but I think I'd have to read the book again to say anything in response one way or another. Which I probably will end up doing, along with the rest of the Culture sequence, in the next few years. But I'm not sure when that will be, since I find myself strangely reluctant to pick up the Culture books I haven't read yet (Against a Dark Background, Inversions, The Hydrogen Sonata) knowing that once I've finished them, there won't be any more.
- June 20, 2013 11:57 PM
- Pestaa said...
this was my first banks novel of any kind. i thought it was going to be part of a series with teh charracters developing and making further apprences, but clearly not. it did take me a few months to read as i am not a fast or consistent reader. i liked the scale and granduer of the setting. the names of ships and characters. to begin with it had a feeling of being more adult and gritty, but didn't expect it to stay quite so downbeat.
some of the action scenes were to drawn out and that final build up nearly killed me. and to just wipe characters out the way he does, certainly a different approach. i think i need to read another one to make up my mind if anyone can suggest
- December 05, 2013 1:19 PM
- Rachel Pierson said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- December 17, 2013 10:32 PM
- Rachel Pierson said...
I started to read Consider Phlebas recently, and gave up after two chapters. I found it to be tedious, boring and poorly-written. In between chapters 1 & 2, I sought out and watched the BBC's 1996 adaptation of Banks' The Crow Road, to see if a different genre might let me see what others seemed to appreciate in his works. However, I found that to be equally rambling, irrelevant, and plodding. Ultimately, it's a story without a surprising conclusion, and with more than a few gaping plot holes and long-winded digressions. E.g., there's one particular sub-plot in The Crow Road (and I don't think I'm giving away too much of a plot point here) that involves one of the main characters accidentally burning down one of the other main character's father's barns when they were children. It's presented as if it were a meaningful part of the plot, the full relevance of which will presumably be revealed later. A Chekhov's Gun. However, ultimately it could have been completely left out for all the difference it made to the final outcome.
When I read or watch a story, I expect the author to focus in sharply on relevant and interesting details that actually develop the plot. Instead, with Banks' work I constantly find myself asking the question "is this aside actually going to be worth absorbing this time, or is it just going to be another one of those long, rambling and ultimately fruitless shaggy dog story digressions that I've been suckered into reading previously by the same author", and a part of my brain that's necessary for enjoying literature goes to sleep as a consequence. The last novel I read that made me feel that way was Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, at school more than 20 years ago.
All-in-all, I don't think I'll be delving into any more of the Banks back-catalogue. All those irrelevant, narcissistic digressions are just too brain tumour -inducingly dull to wade through, and ultimately fail to disguise the fact that there's no meaningful underlying plot to speak of.
- December 17, 2013 10:36 PM
- Marco Faustinelli said...
Well, last month I stumbled by chance on the PDF of the book while doing some surfing about Elliot. I read it with keen interest and ended up buying it in paperback along with the following two of the series, which I completely ignored until that moment. The parcel should arrive with the mail in a couple of days, then I'll keep reading further.
Discount me as simple-minded so much as it pleases you, but do you REALLY believe there's more to be learned by living on this planet than "memento mori?". I don't. And I do accept that the sophistication by which an author is capable to decline this simple truth has to increase along with his/her professional and age growth. From my point of view, this book seems to be a remarkably good start. But I shall see...
I believe your review hasn't got the quality to deserve place 2 on google searches, but the world seems to reward perseverance.
- January 06, 2016 10:02 AM
- Mon Tindale said...
I think that the irony of Consider Phlebas as he himself looks to windward has been lost to many here. Its not a great book - but it is a good book. The series gets very good once belief is suspended and you saddle up for the ride. My view is that his was a life cut too short as the next culture novel that will no longer get written would had ben his best.
- January 11, 2016 12:00 AM
- Unknown said...
Listen to yourselves. Banks is a SF writer who can write, and that should be enough considering the current state of affairs. I can't recall an author who writes as large since Azimov, and I'd hate to hear your reviews on his work. CP is fantastic. Nuff saud.
- July 02, 2016 7:14 AM
- John Smith said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- July 22, 2016 4:32 AM
- John Smith said...
Did it really take you to your late teens to work that out?
I've liked the few of Banks' science fiction novels I've read, but Consider Phlebas is a bit clunkier - I felt like I was being beaten over the head with something. There's definitely, humor, although not of the setup-punchline type you're maybe used to. Not a lot of humor, though, from up on that soap box.
- July 22, 2016 4:33 AM


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Ad by pro-Dewhurst super PAC questions Cruz's legal work for figure in Pennsylvania scandal
A pro-David Dewhurst super PAC says Texas Senate hopeful Ted Cruz is a "phony" who has a pattern of taking on questionable clients in his private legal practice.
Cruz "has no principles" and showed in his work for Pennsylvania juvenile-jail builder Robert K. Mericle that he "will take any client for a paycheck," Rob Johnson, executive director of Texas Conservatives Fund, said Tuesday.
In a new 30-second TV spot that began airing Tuesday, the pro-Dewhurst group tries to discourage voters from backing Cruz in the July 31 GOP runoff, which is tantamount to election in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Cruz, who's making his first run for elective office, is a highly paid Houston appellate lawyer. The ad mentions his work for a trademark-infringing Chinese tire maker before showing lots of teenagers behind bars. Since December 2010, as he was pivoting from a short-lived candidacy for state attorney general to the race to succeed Hutchison, Cruz has worked on Mericle's appeal of a federal district court's decision saying Travelers Property Casualty Co., his construction firm's commercial insurer, shouldn't have to pay legal costs from class-action lawsuits being pursued against him for his role in the Pennsylvania "kids for cash" scandal.
Cruz has stressed that he wasn't involved in Mericle's criminal case and that Mericle pleaded guilty to failing to report tax evasion by two corrupt Pennsylvania judges who let him build privately run replacement facilities for Luzerne County's public detention center for juveniles. Mericle may have given the judges huge "finder's fees" to win the construction contract, Cruz has argued, but it was Mericle's co-owner in the deal, lawyer Robert Powell, who influenced the judges to mete out harsh sentences to kids to keep the centers' beds full. Further, Cruz has emphasized that the Travelers-Mericle dispute was a "breach of contract" suit that tested some aspects of state insurance law and didn't get at the heart of the scandal.
Still, as the old adage goes, when you're explaining, you're losing. And Cruz, while he has a loyal following that agrees with him that Dewhurst is desperate and untrustworthy, has shown signs he's very worried about how his connection to Mericle will play out. His campaign put a page about the case on its website and his campaign manager sent supporters an email Monday assuring them it was not a political liability.


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Debbie Burgos sat outside the courtroom Monday, nervously waiting to again see the man charged with killing her son and attacking her daughter.
Osvaldo Rivera, 32, is charged with breaking into Burgos' Camden home Sept. 2, 2012, assaulting her then-12-year-old daughter and fatally slicing her 6-year-old son's throat as he intervened, allowing the girl to escape.
Dominick Andujar was found dead by Tiara, the eldest of his three sisters. He would be known as the city's youngest hero and posthumously given the Camden County Civilian Award for his courage.
In Superior Court, Burgos sat stoically as Rivera, shackled and dressed in a prison uniform, again heard the charges against him.


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MSN Money
Is it an example of corporations practicing responsible, cost-efficient environmental sustainability -- or a public relations exercise meant to help a fan base feel good about their sports team?
Maybe it's a bit of both. But either way, the new, $1.2 billion facility being built for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers is expected to be the "greenest" stadium in the league when it opens for business next year.


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The Jets' newest addition may not be an asset. Safety Ed Reed may be little more than an $800K assistant coach in uniform if some of the opinions on him turn out to be true.
One NFL scout told NJ.com that Reed flat-out can't play anymore. When asked if Reed's done, his response was emphatic.
"Yes. Can't run anymore," the scout said. "Really bad [game] tape. And the hip is a question mark."
The Houston Texans waived Reed earlier this week. He missed the preseason and first two weeks of the season with a hip injury.
The once-dominant Reed, 35, hasn't been the same player he was in the past. Pro Football Focus ranks him 72nd out of 86 safeties this season. They had him at 59th last year after he was 12th in 2011.
Reed did help the Ravens to a Super Bowl title last season. Baltimore was able to use his remaining skills as an asset, and hide the deficiencies.
Some believe his former defensive coordinator in Baltimore, Rex Ryan, can do the same with the Jets. Among them are former Philadelphia Eagles personnel director and current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick.
Easy to see that Ed Reed is not what he used to be physically. BUT, his understanding of the game is very evident on tape, and... (Cont)— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) November 14, 2013
He is an asset in a system allowing him to take chances and "cover" for him not doing exactly what typical 1high/2high coverages call for.— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) November 14, 2013
IF you can live with his tackling issues, there is a lot he can teach young safeties. Can see why Rex and Bill would value him to an extent.— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) November 14, 2013
Clearly there are mixed opinions. Only time will tell if the Jets' opinion is right.


text:
Welcome to the Graul Chair in Arts and Languages
This endowed chair is named for Dr. Thomas C. and Janet M. Graul and it is specifically designed to promote interdisciplinary approaches to the arts and languages with a particular focus on international perspectives. As we ask our students to use their intellectual gifts in the service of others, to adapt to a changing, dynamic global society, and to be just leaders, the importance of arts and languages becomes apparent. These disciplines engage us in questions about difference as well as enable us to celebrate and embrace those differences. The transcendent power of arts and languages is such that the whole person is both engaged and educated.
The study of arts and languages empowers us to engage rather than dismiss that which is different and sometimes uncomfortable. These disciplines give us powerful tools to open our minds and engage our hearts. Through a study of the arts and languages we develop the capacity to transcend that which is different and find the common core of our humanity. Such study is essential to any university that aspires to educate the whole person and produce distinctive graduates who are capable of linking learning to responsible leadership and service.
During the 2014-15 academic year, the University of Dayton is engaged in an important dialogue about the influences of the Arts and Languages on our culture, with a focus on the concept of "Faith and Reason." Learn about the "Rites. Rights. Writes." initiative >>
Past Chairs
Dr. Roger Crum, Department of Visual Arts
Dr. Eric Street, Department of Music
Prof. Sean Wilkinson, Department of Visual Arts


text:
I run this computer 24/7 never turns off and also run allot of apps sandboxie. Windows 7 pro 64bit
current rig is: Q9300 @ 3ghz , Dfi lanparty jr P45 T2RS, 2 HD5770 cf, wd 750blk hdd, 6gb G.Skill ram
So what ssd 120gb+ should i buy with a budget of $350?
Currently looking at:
Note: Not a fan of corsair, not going to raid, only shop on newegg
I would recommend the OCZ. It is pretty dependable and performance is nice. WD would also be ok. Make sure that whatever one you get it can do trim.
Get the OCZ agility 2.
I have the OCZ Agility 120GB and it performs WELL ABOVE spec. I got it on sale about 6 months ago and i would never look back to another drive for an OS.
OCZ also has great customer support and they actually listen to their customers on the forums. Their firmware is very good too.
definitely Crucial C300, 128GB, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148348&cm_re=Crucial_SSD-_-20-148-348-_-Product
Hope This Helps, http://img718.imageshack.us/f/specsheetdjneta.png/
After a lot of thought i have decided to go with the G skill phoenix pro ssd.
well the low egg rating on the vertex 2 makes wonder if the agility 2 is reliable. Then again no one did a review on the g skill one.
will see how it goes. I already placed in my order for a phoenix pro ssd because of the 50,000 iops. Would have gotten the vertex 2 but with only a 2 egg rating it seem to be not living up to spec.
well goodluck with that. I know in the past G.skill didnt have very good firmware. Hopefully thats changed now.
Let us know how it performs. Use programs like AS SSD and ATTO and post some pics :)
Phoenix pro benchmarks
I got this ssd for $319 on newegg which was $30 cheaper than a ocz ssd.ATTO Disk
HD tune
Performance test 6.1
Windows 7 index score
Ya that is good but OCZ vertex should outperform it with Trim easily enough.
I have the OCZ Vertex2 120Gig since 3 mouth and I dont have probleme with it. My PC is on 24/24 7/7 and my SSd have the OS on it. I got it 300$ from NICX.com special deal saved 100$. Great thing from OCZ is Wiper(trim) and now you have Sanitary erase that restard your SSD like when you take it off the box (brand new) and this dont change the firmeware 1.5. But you have to save your files on a other Hard drive. OCZ forum help me alot and easy also in many language. RMA is most of the time pretty quick like I can read. Overall OCZ is good compagnie for me. I talk about OCZ because I use it but maybe Corsair,Kingston have good to give I dont know.
Good luck
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After seeing Airplane! on its initial "flight" to Portland, I found myself buying a return ticket (PEOPLE, Sept. 8). My thanks to Zucker, Zucker & Abrahams Travel Agency for the best trip during my summer vacation.
Jim Kahn
Portland, Oreg.
Book Bonus
Thanks to your compact edition of The Fifth Horseman, it cost $2.85 to read a timely and gripping thriller that would otherwise have cost $17.65 here. And I commend your choice. No matter what fictional elements The Horseman contains, it was a realistic warning to all Westerners, who should recognize the strength of the Third World before international instability threatens our co-existence.
Andrew Currie
Nepean, Ont.
George Miller
Well, statistician Miller missed his guess on who would be the next Miss America, but only by a state line. Sorry to see there's someone with a Ph.D. and nothing better to do than compare women's measurements. By the way, did anyone else happen to notice that the Miss America Orchestra was playing Send in the Clowns while the contestants were introducing themselves?
Kay Lyons
Los Angeles
I am sure I speak for many other Oklahomans when I say thank you, Dr. Miller, for not including Susan Powell in your selection of probable winners. Susan is now, of course, Miss America 1981.
Holly S. Hudson
Coalgate, Okla.
Miss Oklahoma came out on top in George Miller's final analysis, which, like last year's, included information on the swimsuit and talent competitions (Susan Powell was a talent winner). Although Miller sent his revised prediction to UPI the night before the judging, it received almost no national attention. "Everyone still thinks I'm a loser," he moans.—ED.
You say that New Jersey has never won, and I beg to differ. Miss America 1937 was Bette Cooper, Miss Bertrand Island, New Jersey.
Nancy Moran
Bette, 17, was crowned and early the next morning "abdicated" to her home in Hackettstown. Neither she nor her parents were happy with the result of what had started out as a lark.—ED.
Ron Ely
Ron Ely has personality-plus. For the first time in many years, I didn't fall asleep before the new Miss America was announced.
Millie Yarick
Ron Ely should go back to the trees. What a jerk. My husband also wants, as Ron says, "a home compatible with his interests." There's one major difference. A big part of my husband's interests is in seeing that my interests receive the same attention as his. It's called respect, obviously something Ely knows nothing about.
Pamela Byrd-Mauldin
Canton, N.C.
Tadeusz Walendowski
Your sympathetic story on dissent in Poland focused on myself for the simple reason that I happened to be here. But, overwhelmed perhaps by the magnitude of recent Polish events, you made me a couple of sizes too big. I would never presume to be counted among the dissident movement's real leaders, whose friendship I cherished and whose stamina and dedication I admired.
Tadeusz Walendowski
Arlington, Va.
Helga Wagner
So Helga, pal to Teddy and the Prince, gets her kicks buzzing 'gators in the Everglades. Are there no regulations to ban such sadistic fun and games, or are her influential friends too full of admiration while treading her leopard and zebra rugs? As a member of API (Animal Protection Institute of America), I wish to register my disgust.
Mrs. J.M. Blanchard
Hartland, Wis.
Earl Campbell
Texans take great pride in Oiler Earl Campbell. He's an extremely talented football player but above all a great man. If my 11-year-old son grows up to be half the man Earl is, I'll feel I have fulfilled my responsibility as a mother.
Phyllis Schilling
San Antonio
Dr. Leland Carmichael
How could this veterinarian say that universal inoculation for parvovirus is unnecessary when in another breath he says, "one gram of stool tracked in on a shoe has enough virus to infect a million dogs"! I have two dogs and they have been inoculated. It's a small price to pay to insure that when you walk into the house you won't be tracking in death.
Renae Wilier
New York City
Rachel Sweet
Those who saw Rachel Sweet at Bookie's Club 870 in Detroit were completely won over. It was not her youth that earned the admiration of the audience, but her genuine enthusiasm and talent. Other singers may get more publicity, but anyone who fails to check out "sweet" Rachel will miss some great rock 'n' roll.
John Dennis
Traverse City, Mich.
updated 09/29/1980 AT 01:00 AM EDT
•originally published 09/29/1980 AT 01:00 AM EDT


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The Heating and Ventilating Contractors in Pocahontas are the professionals who install, repair or remove the heating & ventilation systems of a building. Their functions involve designing, installation, commission and maintenance of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and related engineering projects. Providing quality services, promoting excellence and craving to shape the commercial environment in which the members operate through representation and leadership are the major roles of the heating & ventilation contractors in Pocahontas. Ductwork, heating and plumbing services, refrigeration and air conditioning, and service & facilities are the four particular industrial specialties that the technical support services provided by the contractors have been tailored to.
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Governor Cuomo Launches $5 Billion Clean Energy Fund To Grow New York's Clean Energy Economy
Clean Energy Fund will advance solar, wind, energy efficiency and other clean tech industries to spur economic development and reduce harmful emissions (New York, NY) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the New York State Public Service Commission's approval of a 10-year, $5 billion Clean Energy Fund to accelerate the growth of New York's clean energy economy, address climate..


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Source: U.S. Department of Transportation
quote: While the original intent of Speed limits may not have been for safety, are you going to tell me that people driving 90 mixed with people driving 50 would be a good thing? What about residential streets with people doing 65 down them? While some may be arbitrarily low, I don't see how speed limits in general do not help increase safety.