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When to use multi-threading and when to not
#1 Members - Reputation: 158
Posted 24 August 2012 - 01:45 PM
#2 Crossbones+ - Reputation: 2918
Posted 24 August 2012 - 02:09 PM
Using separate threads for certain game program components such as audio streaming and networking come quite naturally and may be added when the program requires it.
Otherwise separating the workload on multiple threads correctly isn't always that simple. It requires you to make design decisions in the early phase and since you aren't familiar with the subject, I don't see it to be a simple task. Adding multiple threads afterwards may turn out to be quite difficult too.
Answering your question isn't easy. Multiple threads can be used in many applications, but I wouldn't rush into before defining the problem more precisely.
In my personal engine project I'm using multiple threads in audio streaming and networking. I'd like to implement threads elsewhere too such as for physics, but when ever I check the CPU load (which stays at few %) I realize that I don't need it yet.
Of course in order to squeeze all the performance of the current and future CPUs, using multiple threads is necessary.
Edited by kauna, 24 August 2012 - 02:10 PM.
#3 Members - Reputation: 276
Posted 24 August 2012 - 02:15 PM
#4 Crossbones+ - Reputation: 7601
Posted 24 August 2012 - 02:18 PM
- avoiding UI hangs for I/O operations like reading/writing to disk, or networking (even so, asynchronous APIs may hide the underlying multi-threaded nature of these. For instance the networking and audio functionality built in to XNA is multithreaded under the covers, but you access it all from a single thread).
- spread workload over multiple cores to help give an incremental improvement with performance. But it should be a last resort. You have the potential for much greater performance gains with algorithmic improvements than you do with multi-threading (which requires a lot of very careful consideration).
Cascade Quest - IceFall Games - Dev blog - twitter - youtube
#5 Members - Reputation: 398
Posted 24 August 2012 - 04:21 PM
Often the APIs you're using will use multiple threads internally, such as the FMOD sound system. There's no need to do it yourself.
If disk I/O is a problem, it's easier to use the asynchronous I/O provided by the operating system rather than multiple threads. If data processing is the bottleneck, it's probably better to process your data files offline and have the game read simpler binary structures from disk.
Hope that helps.
[Edit] The earlier thread (no pun intended) is here.
Edited by Telios, 24 August 2012 - 04:23 PM.
#6 Members - Reputation: 261
Posted 24 August 2012 - 04:43 PM
#7 Members - Reputation: 158
Posted 24 August 2012 - 05:27 PM
#8 Members - Reputation: 1154
Posted 24 August 2012 - 07:57 PM
If the problem does not involve more than one task, using multiple threads should be avoided.
In the case of the game, you have three tasks (input, processing, and output), and Operating System limitations often require input and [visual] output to be done on the same thread. Processing (ai and physics) and audio output are deserving of their own threads.
Edited by nfries88, 24 August 2012 - 07:58 PM.
#9 Crossbones+ - Reputation: 2551
Posted 24 August 2012 - 10:45 PM
The explicit purpose of multi-threading is to allow simultaneous execution of multiple tasks.
If the problem does not involve more than one task, using multiple threads should be avoided.
In the case of the game, you have three tasks (input, processing, and output), and Operating System limitations often require input and [visual] output to be done on the same thread. Processing (ai and physics) and audio output are deserving of their own threads.
I would have to strongly disagree with your definition of tasks in a game. Trying to put physics, ai and rendering in separate threads is a mess of endless dependencies and I was under the impression this misguided approach has been abandoned by most game developers years ago.
Tasks are way smaller than that. Updating ONE enemy AI (or rather #enemies / #cores) is a task,if those updates are independent of each other. The whole beauty of a task based approach (which is NOT putting the entire ai, physics, etc. in single threads) is that with a bunch of worker threads, you can easily do multithreading without creating a huge mess of dependencies and mutex locking.
If you find that your ai updates take too long, it might be a trivial matter of replacing the for-loop with a parallel_for.
Also pipelines can be good places for multithreading (already nicely supported by TBB, a library I'd consider almost perfect for a task based approach). A process like loading a level might require
-loading the data from disk
-uncompressing the data
-process the data (into vertex buffers or whatever)
-upload geometry/textures to the video card
Each step can be done in parallel and some steps can even be done in multiple threads. TBB usually takes care of assigning threads to these steps (you just define the steps and which can be done in parallel), but one way might be:
-1 thread loads files and unzips the data
-2 threads do the heavy lifting of processing the data
-1 thread (set to always be the main thread) uploads finished data to the video card.
Depending on existing code, this could be added in half a day, if load times turn out to be a problem. It's what I did with my Minecraft clone and the neat things is that it didn't screw with any other part of the code.
Though in general I'd agree that unless you see the need for it, don't burden yourself with the non-deterministic, sometimes almost impossible to track down subtle bugs that can't even be easily reproduced. If Dante would have known about computers, one level of hell would be debugging multithreaded applications for all eternity.
#10 Members - Reputation: 5478
Posted 25 August 2012 - 05:52 AM
I once wrote a distributed program which had multiple networked computers doing a bunch of processing. My first thought was to create LOTS of threads and assign them small tasks. Intuitively, this would seem to be very fast since the work is very small and broken down among multiple machines. Result: I was wrong.
The overhead cost of creating tons of small tasks and sending them through a network was more expensive than the gains made from multiprocessing.
There is a sweet spot for each job. More threads doesn't necessarily equal faster performance since there's always an overhead cost. If you're going to pay the overhead cost, make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck In my case, it meant sending larger chunks of work to each computer. The size of work to send out had to be found through a bit of trial and error. Sending my job out to multiple computers was much faster than having one computer do the processing, but sending out the work in really small chunks was even slower than running on a single machine.
Eric Nevala
Indie Developer | Spellbound | Dev blog | Twitter | Unreal Engine 4
#11 Members - Reputation: 370
Posted 25 August 2012 - 09:05 AM
- When you do a simple application, don't use them.
- When you use heavy input and output operations or do other long tasks. Use predefined threads. Like two threads, first for the main loop and the second for asynchronous operations.
- Or you want an scalable and fast application (mostly engines), then you should use task based threads (like TBB). But they are only useful for computers with more then two cores.
I have a blog: omercan1993.wordpress.com look there for more content
And I also do some art: omercan1993.deviantart.com
And whats about the Pear3DEngine? Never heard of it? Go and look!
Yeah, and currently I do this: SimuWorld
PS: Please look at this poll on my blog about scripting languages: A opinion poll about scripting language
#12 Moderators - Reputation: 49110
Posted 25 August 2012 - 09:56 AM
However, this is not the case with games. Games are realtime applications, which means the execution times of our functions always has to have an upper bound -- i.e. the Update function in our main loop is written in such a way that it only ever takes 33ms, etc... So, we don't need threads for this purpose, and using threads for this purpose is actually harmful, as it increase the unpredictability of our "main" thread(s) (if a non-realtime background thread steals our CPU time, maybe update will take longer than 33ms to run!).
So, the purpose of threads in realtime games is instead only to take advantage of multi-core CPUs. If you have some task that is so computationally expensive that it cannot complete fast enough, then you can optimise that task by splitting it over several CPU cores, which is an advanced optimization topic.
If your game runs at 30Hz on a single CPU core, then you do not need to bother with multi-threading.
Edited by Hodgman, 25 August 2012 - 10:03 AM.


text:
Fred Phelps Adorable Grandson Jacob Insists He's 'Not a Fag'
Like the not-gay son Sally Kern ignores, Fred Phelps' grandson Jacob is also not a homosexual!
The offspring of the Westboro Baptist Church founder can often be seen holding the group's trademark signs, like "God Hates Fags" and "Jews Killed Jesus," showing off Jacob's heightened sense of world history. But what of these rumors that he's a giant homosexual? Wouldn't that mean — shudder — God hates him?
Asked if any love interests tempt him toward marriage, Phelps said he "never kissed a girl," or "hugged a girl."
"No love interest," he said. "Never have."
Asked if that may suggest that he's a homosexual, Phelps laughed, a laugh that seemed to stop above his mouth.
"I can guarantee I'm not a fag," he said.
Presented with the possibility that he may be unaware of his sexual orientation and that he may indeed be gay, Phelps conceded, saying, "I could be," before doubling back and saying "there's no question" that he is straight.
"It disgusts me," Phelps said, of homosexuality.
So too is this reporter's wink-wink men never bring Jacob, 25, to his knees.
Spending an estimated one-third of his income on church activities and activism, Phelps has little time or money for R&R. But considering "our generation is a bunch of perverts," there's no need for that anyway.
His co-workers often invite Phelps to a local topless bar, Phelps said, but he has never taken them up on the offer.
Impure thoughts, though only occasional and always not involving men, get Phelps on his knees.
"I get down on my knees and ask my Lord to get those filthy thoughts out of my head," he said.
But it isn't easy to avoid the cheap and lascivious. Sometimes, and without his prior knowledge, a sultry sex scene pops up in a movie he may be watching.
"Oh, God," Phelps said. "I cover my eyes."
Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. – Mark Twain
See, there is a God!
*just kidding, boys*
I can't remember where, but I saw Fred Phelps on a Nflix movie (small town Gay bar?) he actually was quite lucid in this interview – the interesting part was that he said being Gay can't be changed, there's nothing that can be done etc. God will prevail and so on. Very similar to that if I don't have it exactly right.
So then I'm thinking, well, if God is going to ultimately prevail and Gay's can't be changed, what are YOU, FRED PHELPS, doing wasting everyone's time protesting and being hateful?
I wish someone would ask him that. He's right there on video, make him answer!
"God hates fags", "God hates Jews"…They have become a trademark for the Hate Movement, and the good news is they are verging on the utterly ridiculous. How much foaming at the mouth can ordinary people stand?
"Adorable grandson"? Um, that's quite a stretch.
Don't call him adorable. Call him what he is. Douche bag.
@Jaroslaw: I have actually seen him answer that. He is just giving fair warning. It is too late he believes but heck we should at least know.
What an asshole.
God hates Shellfish.
List of the questions that should have been asked:
Have you ever ejaculated?
Or, When did you last masturbate?
Do you get wood while you sleep at night?
How big does it get when it's angry?
They're in Kansas aren't they? Can't a good witch please, please, drop a house on the whole scumbag family????????
guarantee that fucking little queen looks at gay porn "just to see how disgusting those fags are"………..
A self loathing gay person in denial? Gee…..never heard of THAT before. It's hard to love and or help someone with that mindset.
A gay person carrying out the discrimination and bigotry of the heterosexuals that surround him. Sad. Get a brain, some courage, a car and leave the family behind.
I could hate-fuck him.
But then again, being a self hating fag………. this little scumbag fucking queen has a great future as a consertive republican politician!!!
So the Phelps meisters believe that America is a modern Sodom & Gomorrah.
Shouldn't they be leaving then? I mean, or else (according to their mythology) they'll get rained on by brimstone or turned into a pillar of salt or something
I think we should be merciful and support them in their cause.
Let's all buy them a one way ticket to the country of their choice…anywhere on the planet.
Then they won't have to deal with that icky brimstone stuff. It's so tough to get out of polyester.
Oh, and the added bonus: I'm sure we could all spring for First Class!
oh, we should send the young Phelps to LeviticusInternational
I guarantee he'll be a Republican Senator within 20 years. (Tap Tap!)
I'm sure we could all spring for First Class!
Count me in! LOL
God Hates Jews.
Jesus was a Jew.
Ergo, God Hates Jesus.
These people aren't just bigots, they're morons. (Granted, "Bigot" ALWAYS overlaps with "moron".)
This boy DOES remind me of the Chad Donella character in the movie "Hate Crime", but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a closet case.
Oh, he's a Moe alright!
Gay or not, it's a good thing he doesn't have any love interests. Hopefully it will prevent them from reproducing and spreading their plague.
So the Phelps meisters believe that America is a modern Sodom & Gomorrah.
Shouldn't they be leaving then? I mean, or else (according to their mythology) they'll get rained on by brimstone or turned into a pillar of salt or something Other countries won't take them. Really.
To digress, isn't it amazing that the majority of these right wing psycho religious talkers vote republican, the party of no, obstructionism, regressiveness, hate and resistance to anything good, inequality for LGBT people and now claiming to be a party of inclusiveness.
He's not a fag?
Could have fooled me…
Madness and insanity have become endemic in America, unfortunately.
92% of Americans believe in God.
Could it be else wise in such an environment?
Same here. LOL
If it looks like a duck….
Here, folks,in those 2 signs, is the philosophy of Duttybarb and YouCanTHandleTheTruth – This is the end result of their beliefs, hate begetting hate (sorry for the biblical word there). So how about a moratorium on responding to them, because you know these are 2 minds that are closed and will never be open to anything other than their beliefs.
It's only when people believe that their beliefs are above questioning, that their beliefs alone are beyond all doubt, that they can be as truly horrible as we all know they can be. Belief is the force behind every evil mankind has ever done. You can't find one truly evil act in human history that was not based on belief- and the stronger their belief, the more evil human beings can be.
To 'know' that what you believe is absolutely 100 percent now-and-forever utterly and completely True is the sickest, most vile, and most foul perversion in everything worthwhile in humanity,of all that is right in the world. Truth can never be found in mere belief. Belief is restricted. Truth is boundless.
But I'll hazard a guess and say Dutty and YCHTT will not go near this post with a ten foot pole. The shame would be overwhelming.
But I'll hazard a guess and say Dutty and YCHTT will not go near this post with a ten foot pole.
It's a sure bet that they WON'T.
What they WILL do, is circumnavigate around your words and change the subject, which is their devious M.O.
The shame would be overwhelming.
Get serious. ;o)
These people have NO shame! If they did, how could they have posted all the horrible comments that they already have?
You are making the assumption that these are sane, rational, logical, well-read and well-educated human beings.
Good point, and I agree.
Unfortunately there are people on both sides of that argument who are just as closed-minded. It's just as ugly when it is coming from people who agree with us.
This is what people like strumpet mean by "closed-minded"
Why so cranky, TANKY?
Are you taking my comment personally for some reason?
@schlukitz: I think YCHTT is well read, he/she seems to be able to argue a point but it's a point based on his/her belief. Beliefs are subjective.
To be fair, there's nothing wrong with a belief in a higher power. What IS wrong is when you take that belief (Or lack of belief, in the case of some fundamentalist atheists) and turn it into a weapon.
There is no proof that there is a God. There is no proof that there isn't. NEITHER side is right on the "Does God exist, or not?" question, and if people would treat spiritual (and non-spiritual, for that matter) belief as it should be treated – a private, personal system used to make sense of existence – we would be in a much better place in this world.
To sum up, belief in a higher power does not preclude higher reasoning skills, critical thinking, logic, compassion, or any other positive aspect of the human condition. So stop blindly hating on people who DO believe in something, because you sound NO different than the Religious nuts who can't believe that Atheists and Agnostics exist and think they should be destroyed.
PS, for the record –
I am an agnostic.
I was raised Baptist, left the church at 16, but remained a Christian until I came out of the closet at 20. Since then, I've tried just about every faith in the book, and even tried not believing in anything at all.
As an adult, though, I realized that – like everyone else on the planet no matter what they claim – I have NO idea what happens when I die, no idea if there's a God or not, no clue if there are alien overlords beyond the stars, no idea WHAT – beyond what my senses tell me – may or may not exist.
I came to the conclusion that I just can't believe this all just accidentally happened and that my entire existence is a pointless aberration of biology, so I choose to believe in something greater than myself, some purpose to human existence beyond birth-sleep-wake-eat-shit-fuck-death.
Guess I'm just crazy, huh?
I do know what happens when you die, josh. You rot.
And no biologist is saying that this is all a pointless aberration. COnsider yourself extremely fortunate that of all of the millions of combinations of your DNA that could have resulted in a different person than you–you were the one who beat the odds and is alive to experience everything. There is a lot to be thankful for without need of god or any supernatural explanation.
@TANK: True enough as far as it goes, but you cannot *possibly* know for certain that that's all there is to it.
I think wittgenstein said it best.
"The real question of life after death isn't whether or not it exists, but even if it does what problem this really solves."
You have no reason to believe it exists, and reason to believe it doesn't, though–that the naturalist explanation (which doesn't assert or rely on a soul to live on) is false, that souls exist in spite of this explanation…that the entire natural order is suspended for the existence of your soul, so it can live on.
Tank –
And see, THAT attitude right there is why Atheists will always be on the sideline. That hubris and pride that you know all the answers.
Your faith in nothing is as strong as Fred Phelps faith in a hateful God.
You deserve each other.
That hubris? LOL! No, we just don't believe that the entire universe was created for us. That there's a bunch of unsubstantiatable prescientific rubbish about what we are as people that's magically true for no good reason (and that's inconsistent with the laws of physics)…and that there's a beneficient skydaddy who loves us. But it's OUR HUBRIS. Our lack of belief in these things is hubris…
My faith in nothing…so what you mean instead is my absence of faith is just as strong as fred phelp's faith…how can my lack of faith be strong? LOL!
And the difference is my lack of faith in god can't justify anything…really…whereas fred phelps's faith in god justifies his homophobia and hatred.
There is a lot to be thankful for without need of god or any supernatural explanation.
Though I am not a religious person, to that, I will say "Amen".
Why is it so hard for purpose driven people (Hey, another acronym…PDPs) to see that?
Why must there always be a purpose…for everything? Can't something exist for the sheer joy of being?
Does a beautiful butterfly give a good shit "Why" it is here?
Does a rose give a damn "why" it exists?
And, if God does exist, does she need to explain it…or have a reason for being? For all we know, the whole thing could be a fucking joke.
Give it a rest!
That last sentence was not intended for you, Tank.
It was intended for all of the PDPs. LOL
That hubris and pride that you know all the answers.
While we give a pass to Christianity, Judaism and Islam…who ALSO know all the answers.
The port calling the kettle black?
schlukitz –
Please. Not ONCE did I say we give them a pass. What you and Tank are deliberately missing is that I believe faith (or lack of faith) used as a weapon is wrong.
Again, to make my point, there is NOTHING wrong with believing in some greater purpose to life than basic biological functions until cessation of said functions.
If it gives people comfort and encourages them to act more selflessly, where's the harm? There is only harm in using your faith (or lack of faith) as a bludgeon to beat people with differing opinions down.
Please, folks, keep digging a hole for yourselves by doing just that.
How can the lack of something be used as a weapon? That's like shooting a gun that doesn't exist at your imaginary friends…ROTFLMAO!
You're right that there's nothing wrong with believing that supernatural non scientific stories are the case…well, there is epistemically (and there's a war right now about "creationism" being taught in SCIENCE CLASSES in the united states, and has been for decades….humiliating) because it's highly irrational. But if it weren't for the harm it DOES CAUSE to believe in these highly irrational fictions, then have at it. I have said before on countless occasions that i Have no problem with the jains…they're quite literally the most harmless people on the planet because of their religion. Of course, the content of their faith (Their beliefs) are all fairytale nonsense…but they should believe whatever they want so long as it doesn't cause harm…
but religion does cause harm…christianity is harmful, and so is islam and judaism.
And ask yourself why christianity and islam are harmful. Well, read their documents. Those are not pacifist tomes…they explicitly command death and annihilation for the nonbeliever–inventing hell and damnation for those who aren't in lockstep…there's a reason why christianity and islam cause people to do bad things…
There is only harm in using your faith (or lack of faith) as a bludgeon to beat people with differing opinions down.
Ah…so it was we "faithless" atheists who collected all those millions to get Prop8 on the ballot then and voted to take the civil-rights of our brothers and sisters away from them.
Please, folks, keep digging a hole for yourselves by doing just that.
Yep. The Mormons and the Christians simply stood at the doors of the polling places and cheered us on as they watched us do that.
This cartoon was brought to you by "Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies".
That's all, folks!
And again, you entirely miss my point. What a shock. I should have known better than to try to engage you in anything, Tank, given that every single post I've ever seen you make is full of the same self-inflated sense of superiority and self righteousness.
Keep talking, keep mocking. It's not me who looks like a tool, Tank.
And Schlukitz? Again, where did I mention RELIGION? Not once. I said faith. The two are not mutually reliant. I have faith in a bigger picture, but I'm not part of any religion. SO, please, bring up Christianity and all that again. It's as pointless as your attempts at humor.
I'm done discussing this with you both. If anyone with an iota of consideration and a modicum of respect for their fellow man – whether they agree with everything I stated or not – wishes to comment, feel free.
Actually, it is. You don't have a point. Now shut the fuck up! Science is interesting, and if you disagree, fuck you.
I think when you give your (church, faith, priest,rabbi, imam, government etc.) so much authority, then they take that power and wield it in so many terrible ways. No one's belief is the truth. Question everything and every one's beliefs. Don't give anyone the power.
Faith is bullshit.
Hoping for something to happen with no evidence that it ever will.
Believing in something that doesn't exist.
Praying to someone/something you cannot see.
Basing one's whole life on smoke and mirrors and diaphanous theories and belief systems that have no substance.
Try running a profitable business on the faith that you will make money even if the product you are selling is totally worthless and no one wants it?
Or maybe, you could send a rocket to Mars navigating on faith alone?
Try re-growing a missing arm or leg using faith?
Swim across the Atlantic ocean because you have faith that God will get you across it safely.
Have faith that we will one day again, see 25 cent per gallon gasoline and a five cent cup of coffee.
Have faith that you will never get cancer, arthritis or any other debilitating disease. That only happens to other people who havew no faith.
LOL. I love it. I say that I think faith is good, and the ass-hat brigade comes in saying I don't believe in science.
God, I love America.
Everything has to be one or the other, no nuance, no layers. I either believe in science, and therefore, am damned to hell by one side of the argument, or I believe in faith, and therefore, am a rube to the other side.
Fuck both sides. I happen to take the more nuanced view of the world than either the hard-core religionists or hard-core atheists can seem to comprehend. The view that science handles the physical side of human existence, and faith handles the spiritual side and neither needs to be in conflict. A view which the majority of the world agrees with, by the way, fuck-you-very-much.
More's the pity for you guys. Enjoy spreading misery in Science's name or Jesus' name. Either way, you come out a huge tool.
@Josh: Amen! (now to find the 'unsubscribe' button; an hour and a half deleting messages is quite enough)
And, as a final clarification?
Belief in God does not automatically mean belief in the CHRISTIAN God, or the Muslim Allah, or any specific God. It means God. Period. Something higher than us.
Trust in Science does not – as the large number of scientists and doctors who believe in God proves – preclude belief in a higher power.
The only people claiming that either case is true are the insane mullahs of the desert faiths on one side and the pridefully self-righteous atheists on the other side.
Grow from love.
Edgyguy1426: You're EXACTLY right. Any time we let ANYONE think for us, we give up our species' greatest gift. I feel sorry for people caught up in religious fervor because they've given up an essential part of what makes them human.
HYHYBT: Thank you. Good to know I'm not alone out there. *Grin*
Belief in God does not automatically mean belief in the CHRISTIAN God, or the Muslim Allah, or any specific God. It means God. Period. Something higher than us.
Who said otherwise? Define this thing you believe in, then. Do that, and see if you any reason for believing in it. It's as epistemically vacuous, once you put definition and meaning to what you're saying as believing in pasta monster. But hey, go ahead. Be irrational.
Trust in Science does not – as the large number of scientists and doctors who believe in God proves – preclude belief in a higher power.
No, it doesn't. It's just a fair amount of them don't believe in god or are religious. But many religious claims are inconsistent with scientific ones.
The only people claiming that either case is true are the insane mullahs of the desert faiths on one side and the pridefully self-righteous atheists on the other side.
LOL! No, there's no comparison between atheists and mullahs, as atheism is not a religion or a view about the world. It's not atheists who are fueling the flames of dischord between science and faith, keep that in mind–memorize it. Atheists don't do that because there's nothing inconsistent with their views and science. Not so with religion. Supernaturalism and naturalism are not compatible once supernaturalism makes claims about what is the case without any means of verifying it.
What is this nuanced view? Do you have a falsifiable religious claim you're making? Of course not. Do you have a single reason to recommend faith in any of the supernaturalist claims you could make or belief in any of the god or gods you believe in? Is there a single question that is not already answered or could be answered that has any meaning at all, by science or the scientific method?
and something higher than us? That's not very meaningful. The sky's higher than us…LOL! What do you mean by "higher than"? More powerful? Energy? Like, the sun? Get specific about what you mean, or else it's just gibberish.
and I believe in faith, too. I believe that faith exists–faith afflicts a lot of people. It's belief in something for which you've no good reason to believe in it–no evidence, or argument for the truth of it, nada. But it exists just like christianity does, and scientology.
Hey, Tank? Though I already said that I wasn't going to respond to you any further, here's one more try to talk to you like a rational human being.
NO ONE KNOWS ALL THE ANSWERS. NO ONE. Not you, Not Science, not the Pope, not Barney. NO ONE. You cannot answer the most central question to human existence. WHY are we here? Science can answer the HOW, eventually. I have no doubt of that because I understand the scientific method and respect it. Though we still have no proof of abiogenesis or any explanation of how it could have occurred, we'll eventually know the how. That said, Science has nothing to explain the WHY.
Nor does it explain what, if anything, happens to US when we die. We know about what happens to the body. It rots, decomposes, is consumed and goes back to the earth providing we don't use ridiculous means to preserve the body past death. But what about what makes us US? Call it a soul, call it a mind, call it pneuma, call it whatever you like. We are self aware in a way that no other species on the planet is. Why?
You're content with not bothering with that kind of questioning. Fine. Others are not. That does not make them less than you. That does not make THEM better than you.
We get it. You think you have ALL the answers and anyone who doesn't kiss your ass is an idiot to be pitied. We get it. It's nothing new. It's the attitude all Mullahs have, and it's the attitude all Zealous Atheists have as well. That is the ONLY point of similarity between mullahs, priests and atheists…the SURETY that they alone are right, and everyone else is to be pitied, mocked and/or killed for their opposing views.
So, Tank? Please, take your little point-by-point asshattery and go blow Richard Dawkins, kay? I'm done with you. I've said my piece. I've explained myself in terms a child can understand. If you wish to continue mocking people because it makes your ego feel better, do so.
I'm done.
No one's claiming to know "all of the answers," but in light of that, faith in the supernatural doesn't automatically get support–faith in the extremely unlikely and for which no definitive answer can be established. That's faith.
This how vs. why distinction is entirely vacuous, too. Questions for which there are no answers–if they're meaningful–are just pseudo questions. For example, why is there nothing rather than something–well, there's no way to even conceive of answering this question without either incurring an infinite regress (none of which need to rely on any supernatural cause), or saying something that's meaningless for there's no conceivable way of answering it. What would you need to understand and figure out to answer the question?
In fact, the beauty of science is that having all of the answers is impossible, for it's a constant process of questioning the answers we have and asking new questions for which we don't hae answers.
Certainly the supernatural dogmas based on nothing more than the fanciful creations of an author are less likely to be explanations for the way things are than careful investigation and testing of our environment.
What most religious people seem to be struggling with is not "meaning" but "purpose". And they like to think of purpose in existence as being somehow designed by a creator or some such fiction. Well, we come to find out that in life, our purpose is largely of our own making, and what's important to us and makes our lives meaningful are the product of living our lives, not having fairytales or delusions live our lives for us.
He doesn't look that large to me… certainly not a giant…
Odd isn't it for a country that has no state religion? Odder but extraordinary is that a country sucn as Spain with a powerful state Roman cult gets marriage quality passed, Belgium too and Holland (the first) that is almost 50% catholic. I just don't understand why we're so behind the rest of the more progessive nations and claiming to be number one. That myth has thankfully been put to rest by seven countries thus far. I predict Denmark will be next, maybe Iceland.
@schlukitz: well I guess we were right
Phelps Junior looks as gay as a picnic basket.
I just don't understand why we're so behind the rest of the more progessive nations and claiming to be number one.
That makes two of us, my friend. I keep asking myself that same question daily.
It appears that way.
Who's blaming straights? We're blaming mind-controlled religious straights. HUGE ddifference.
Another member of the intelligentsia shouts his moribund opinion into the room, as if we are all deaf.
Lame attempt to attack WBC heroes…very very lame, overused and predicatable.

subset: commoncrawl


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A business trip to Orlando gave us an excellent opportunity to visit the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Less than an hour from the Orlando Airport, the Center is an easy day trip into scientific reality so close to a city full of theme parks selling a world of fantasy. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong instead of Mickey Mouse and Goofy. We stayed at one of the many hotels in nearby Cocoa Beach and planned to spend a full Sunday at the Space Center.
For a government facility, it doesn't come cheaply; adult tickets are $43 apiece. What you get, on the other hand, is to stand in the place where the greatest explorers of our time launched into Space. This is our modern equivalent of where Columbus departed the Old World, Shackleton stepped off for the South Pole, and Hillary departed for the summit of Mt Everest. Going into the unknown is something only a select few humans have ever done, and not all have returned to talk about it. It is the sort of adventure that is quite different from anything we do on our typical trails and peaks. We needed a visit to the Kennedy Space Center to get an idea of how these things are attempted.
Kennedy Space Center
The first thing to learn at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC, locally) is the enormity of the property itself. It takes a few miles of driving through Florida scrubland to reach the Visitors Center, which is still a few miles from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), one of the largest buildings in the world. It is large enough that there are coach buses as part of the tour.
We started with the IMAX Theatre and a surprisingly good film about the history of the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. From there we walked the Rocket Garden with its outdoor display of the various rockets used for space missions from the program's start in the 50′s.
Launch Center – 39
Leaving the Visitor's Center on NASA's white buses, we made our way to LC-
39, home of the Observation Gantry, where 30 years of Shuttle launches were watched from a safe distance. It was a brief stop with a movie about the dedicated ground crews that made the Space Program so successful despite the difficulty and setbacks.
From there we boarded a different tour bus with a talkative and distracted driver who crossed the center line and nearly went off the shoulder as we careened toward our next stop. He managed to avoid an oncoming bus on the narrow road, and we were relieved to make it to the Apollo/Saturn V Center.
Apollo/Saturn V Center
The best film of all was the one we saw upon entering the Apollo/Saturn V Center, our third stop. It was a short but a very inspirational film about the Space Race and Kennedy's commitment to land a man on the moon (and get him back safely–the part many forget). It covered the triumphs and the terrible tragedies the program experienced on the way to the Moon. There were several clips of rockets blowing up on launch, turning toward the earth just after lift off, and rockets off course needing to be remotely destroyed. They covered Apollo 1's tragic fire during a test and Apollo 13's "successful failure" when the crew was able to figure out how to survive multiple system failures and make their way back to Earth safely after Lovell's famous, "Houston, I think we have a problem." By film's end, the viewer had a very good idea of just how heroic the engineer's, mission planners, controllers and the astronauts really were.
Leaving the small theater gave us a big surprise as we looked up and realized we were at the bottom end of an enormous Saturn V rocket lying on it side…all 111 m (363 ft). Each of its 5 engine nozzles were 6 m (19 ft) across and the nose cone of the rocket was far, far across the building. Walking the length of the rocket and reading the information about each stage and how it fit together as a single spacecraft took around an hour. This was truly the most fascinating part of the day and also the most crowded with tourists.
Besides the rocket, there were also examples of the Moon Buggy, the Lunar Landing Module, Apollo 14′s command module and various versions of spacesuits, including early models looking like they came from Buck Rodgers' wardrobe. There were moon rocks in glass cases around the facility, including one that visitors could actually touch. These displays, unlike the Space Shuttle, were a part of a glorious past that seemed more from another time than the more recent Space Shuttle missions.
Far more than a touristy place, the Kennedy Space Center is a very well-documented display of the greatest achievement in exploration. The best time to visit is Sunday morning when the whole story can be digested without distraction and fully appreciated. Save plenty of time for the Apollo/Saturn V Center, too, as it has the most to take in. This is an inspiring place and you will leave with a different perspective on what was truly achieved. Don't be surprised, however, when you are asked to exit through the gift shop.


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Currently browsing "Symbols"
Illuminating Cognitive Development
In her research on early cognitive development, Judy Deloache examines how young children come to understand the various types of symbolic representations around them. Her research on infants and young […]... More>
Clean hands, but a foul mouth!
Lady Macbeth is history's most famous washer, hands down. Plagued by guilt for plotting her king's murder, she scrubs and scours her palms and knuckles to get rid of imagined […]... More>


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Maybe it's a slow news day or maybe it's not. Angelina Jolie reportedly HASN'T had her twins yet (People Magazine in response to Entertainment Tonight's announcement that she HAD given birth in France). Some French media have reported she gave birth Sunday. Clint Eastwood has gotten in on the game with the cloudy "she's doing fine". I'm sure it is a complete ZOO outside the Catholic clinic in Aix-En-Provence she's reportedly birthing in.
OK magazine helpfully repeats the denial from Jolie's rep, along with a link to see 15 pictures of her bump. That's to kill time while the press gets the straight story! Angelina probably doesn't want to share media space with Clay Aiken and his turkey baster. THAT'S a pretty big story around the net today too, and we've got a poll up for you to vote in! Just to kill time.
Posted on: Friday, May 30, 2008


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BELDING, MI — A large, multi-agency search continues in Belding for missing Devon Morrison, who was last seen near his home on Saturday with a fishing pole headed toward the Flat River.
Authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Michigan State Police, have searched the river near downtown with boats and helicopters for the 10-year-old boy, whom police say is well known in this small town community.
The disappearance is considered suspicious, said Belding Police Chief Dale Nelson.
"Because he has not been located and we don't have a firm direction as to where he's at, were treating it as a possible criminal activity," said Nelson.
• FBI joins search for 10-year-old in Belding; chief calls disappearance 'suspicious'
Catch up on other stories you might have missed over the weekend:
• What you need to know to enjoy ArtPrize 2013 in downtown Grand Rapids
• Kent County Sheriff's Department rules death of 33-year-old man a homicide; suspect in custody, details scarce
• Healing or dealing? Grand Rapids medical marijuana dispensary owner heads to trial
• Videos: Watch parts of slain Michigan State Police Trooper Paul Butterfield's funeral
• Sneak peek: Founders taproom expansion includes a sizable piece of company history
• Mounds of trash collected Saturday in annual Grand River cleanup


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Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry was a keynote speaker at the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation's annual luncheon attended by Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio in Manhattan Friday.
Perry apparently didn't have any memory lapses akin to the monumental flub in a recent televised national debate, when he couldn't remember one of the three federal agencies he would eliminate if he's elected president.
Perry congratulated law enforcement on the work its members do and one of his key points was the importance of security on the border with Mexico and the need for more border patrols and air surveillance, said DeFazio who attended the event at the Waldorf-Astoria with five members of his office.
U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McCraven, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, which includes the Navy Seals, also spoke at the luncheon.
"It was an inspiring speech on the overall mission and how the Armed Forces and law enforcement are working together to make sure our country is safe," DeFazio said.
The foundation benefits a number of charities and at Friday's event $25,000 was pledged to benefit the families of the Navy Seals who died in helicopter crash in Afghanistan in August.
Also at the event was Michael Ward, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Office, and Juan Mattos Jr., U.S. Marshal for the District of New Jersey.
DeFazio and the other members of his office that attended the luncheon were invited guests and they attended at no cost to taxpayers, the prosecutor said.


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FOXBOROUGH – It was another slow start and fantastic finish for the New England Patriots.
They failed together a full 60-minute effort at any point this season but proved once again that they can be the most dominant team in the NFL in stretches during Sunday's 49-21 win over the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.
It was a familiar feeling as all appeared lost after New England got behind 21-0 before the end of the first quarter, but the porous defense, much like it did last week against the Miami Dolphins, took advantage of opportunities, kept putting the ball in Tom Brady's hands until he got it going, and watched as the offense reeled of 49 unanswered points.
It's a formula that may not work in the playoffs, where turnovers seem to evaporate, but for now it was good enough to clinch them the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Brady didn't play his best game, but he finished with 338 yards to move past Dan Marino and into second place on the single-season passing chart.
Several other marks were achieved. Rob Gronkowski set an NFL record for yards by a tight end, and was in position to become the first tight end to hold the outright lead the NFL in touchdowns receptions depending on what Calvin Johnson did for the Lions.
We'll sort through all of that after locker room access.


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Who will be Star-Lord's movie daddy in 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2'? Here are 5 ideas
Next gallery »Exclusive: Chapter 21 of 'Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 2'
« Previous galleryExclusive: Sneak a peek inside 'Batman '66 Meets The Green Hornet' Chapter 7
Major Victory
The sequel could use this opportunity to introduce another character from the original Guardians lineup, and Major Victory's easily the highest profile member of that team. Originally born Vance Astrovik, this young man from the 20th Century found himself flung far into the future where he encountered the ragtag team that would go on to form the first Guardians team. Vance eventually found his way back to the modern day Marvel U and joined up with Quill's newly formed team. Honestly, most of his comic book backstory doesn't easily map onto what we know of Daddy Quill, but that doesn't mean he should be ruled out. The MCU has been known to play fast and loose with select characters -- just look at Michael Rooker's Yondu. By making Quill's father a time-traveling Major Victory, they could also explain how Yondu -- a character originally from the 31st Century -- exists in the modern day MCU. Perhaps all of the Ravagers are from the far future and traveled back in time to abduct Peter, and then got stuck.


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WISE TOWNSHIP, MI — A 53-year-old Coleman woman was killed during a two-car crash at the intersection of Leaton and Pere Marquette in Isabella County Monday about 9:18 a.m.
Donna Marie Townsend, 53, of Coleman was northbound on North Leaton in a 2007 Ford Focus and ran a stop sign at the intersection, striking a 2008 Buick LaCrosse, the Isabella County Sheriff's Office reported.
Townsend was taken to Mid-Michigan Medical Center-Clare where she was pronounced dead.
The driver of the LaCrosse, Geraldine Lea Coon, 67, of Coleman, was taken to Mid-Michigan Medical Center-Clare for treatment of lacerations and possible broken bones and internal injuries.
Both drivers were wearing safety belts, the sheriff's office said.
Clare Fire Department, Clare Police Department, Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Mobile Medical Response assisted the sheriff's office at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation.


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Altoona Regional Health System to discuss takeover by UPMC
Published 12:28 PM EST Nov 21, 2012
The Altoona Regional Health System says it plans to discuss an affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Altoona officials say in a Wednesday statement that no final decisions have been made, but an affiliation could enhance services.
UPMC spokesman Paul Wood says they look forward to further discussions.
Altoona Regional has 380 beds.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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FRIDAY, Day 6 at Oregon State: ... Ducks No. 10, OSU No. 20 in ESPN "College Football Live'' pre-season Top 25. ...Boise State No. 3, TCU is No. 6.
The scrimmage part of Friday afternoon's practice at Reser didn't go well for the Beavers' offensive line, which had trouble containing a ferocious pass rush led by DEs Gabe Miller and Taylor Henry.
"They're going to set a (freaking) record for sacks!'' yelled out offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh at one point.
Cav was on defcon 3 for much of the scrimmage, which started with Ryan Katz taking a snap and immediately being confronted by an onrushing Henry. ... Katz unloaded the ball, and it was nearly picked off and run the other way by Miller.
"You can't blame me for that one!,'' screamed DT Kevin Frahm of Miller's drop of a sure take-it-to-the-house pass.
There were some good passes by the quarterbacks, a few effective running plays and the occasional highlight catch by a WR or TE (Joe the Tank rumbled over several tacklers on a middle screen, Markus Wheaton made two outstanding grabs, etc.) but mostly the Beavers' quick, aggressive defense held sway.
Ryan Katz, who is clearly No. 1 at quarterback, hit 8 of 12 passes. Peter Lalich, who is No. 2 and holding off impressive redshirt freshman Cody Vaz, was 4-for-6, while Vaz went 3-for-5 and Jack Lomax 2-for-6, throwing much better than he did in a disastrous practice Wednesday.
It wasn't a full-blown scrimmage with referees and serious stat-keeping, obviously, but it did give the OSU coaches a glimpse at players in almost real conditions.
Almost, pointed out LB Keo Camat, except for the fact the defense wasn't allowed to touch the quarterbacks. ... Camat had the only INT of the exercise, although in reality it probably shouldn't have counted because Katz was so under fire from the rush he basically stopped.
"It was a pretty typical first scrimmage,'' said Riley. "I thought there were a lot of good plays defensively, a lot of good speed. And the offense, as it got going, I thought Katz settled down and made some good throws.''
There will be questions all spring about Katz vs. Lalich and Riley noted, "we always want more (from them) all the time. ... the thing I liked is that they came back and made some plays.''
Not a shock that the OSU offensive line was out of sorts, with starting LT Michael Philipp out (knee) and starting left guard Grant Johnson (shoulder) sitting out the spring. But it was not a good sign that Miller - coming from the left side - was so fast off the ball he occasionally left starting RT Mike Remmers flat-footed. ... Cav laid into his RT, too, letting him know that allowing Miller to blow in so easily was unacceptable. ... on the left side, Wilder McAndrews and Timi Oshinowo both struggled at times to keep Henry and Co. out of the backfield. The O-line seemed to settle in during the later part of the scrimmage.
Of note: Riley said it was heartening to see the likes ot Henry and John Braun be active at defensive end because that is a question area with the departure of Matt LaGrone. ... the OLBs were all over the field, another good signal with projected starter Keith Pankey sitting out the spring rehabbing from a torn achilles. ... Riley noted that Kevin Frahm, who has switched from DE to DT, has been outstanding in the middle pairing up with Brennan Olander. ... TB Jacquizz Rodgers, of course, didn't take part. ...same goes for DT Stephen Paea. ... S Lance Mitchell, who was hobbling a few hours before the practice with a sore hamstring, dressed and played. "I was surprised,'' said Riley. "He told me the other day he would be ready on Friday, and there he was.''.. Riley said the OSU secondary, which is loaded with good athletes, "looks fast and agressive.'' ... if Wheaton - also valuable as a fly sweeper - is taking his game to another level that is very good news for the offense, which is looking for an impact SE to go opposite flanker James Rodgers. "I loved it,'' was Riley's reaction to Wheaton's impressive catches. "Near the end of the scrimmage, he ran that big in-route. That was a great sign right there. That is a big play in our offense, that backside 'six.' And we need him to make that play. He caught a corner route over there, too. Those two routes together, if a guy can do well with those two routes, he can play the split end for us. So to see those two catches was very good.'' ... Katz had one completion over the middle where TE John Reese was well-covered (and Suaesi Tuimaunei appeared to have a pick) but he got the ball to his receiver anyway. "Sometimes you can make up for a bad decision with a lot of velocity,'' said Riley. ...


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Before there was a whiff of the legal problems that have dogged his administration and harmed Trenton's reputation, Mayor Tony Mack delivered a one-two punch to both with his ill-considered decision to cancel a courthouse construction project.
The plan called for the city to lease a vacant supermarket building in the Westside Plaza while it was reconstructed for $2.7 million as a municipal court building. After two years, Trenton had the option of purchasing the building outright.
The $7.9 million lease deal was negotiated by Mack's predecessor, former Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, as an economical alternative to building a courthouse from scratch for $30 million.
Yet, a month after his election, Mack unilaterally canceled the lease for the property and broke the contract for reconstruction. As various judges in the several lawsuits that have stemmed from that move have ruled, the city remains responsible for monthly lease payments through 2029 as well as legal fees and other costs.
Last week, after two and a half years of litigation, details of a settlement deal show the city could pay up to $8.5 million, officially turning the boondoggle into a money pit.
Still, Mack says he did the right thing.
We strenuously disagree.
First, we can't recall his ever mentioning the courthouse and his plan to abandon it during his campaign. He talked about bringing a skating rink and movie theater to the city, but not divesting it of a much-needed facility.
Adding insult to the injury of his mismanagement, canceling the project appears to have been part of his scorched-earth policy concerning Palmer, his longtime political adversary.
The newly elected Mack swiftly got rid of department heads appointed by Palmer, precluding any chance for a smooth transition and government continuity.
Careful analysis of the costs and legal problems of canceling the courthouse project apparently never took place because those calculations would have arrived at the conclusion that has now come to pass.
Unless another lessee comes along to take over the remaining years of the 20-year agreement that the city now is bound to honor, the city will remain on the hook for payments of up to $37,000 a month.
It adds up to more than Trenton would have paid if Mack had not interrupted the process, as Times Staff Writer Erin Duffy pointed out in her story. The difference is that instead of a new courthouse building, the city will have nothing to show for it except another monument to mismanagement.


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SAGINAW, MI — A trial has begun for a 20-year-old charged in a shooting at a southwest Saginaw hall.
Attorneys were to deliver their opening arguments Wednesday, Feb. 4, regarding the 11 felonies that Demonte M. Anderson faces in an early May 5 incident at the Celebration Hall, 1017 S. Wheeler.
Anderson is charged with three counts of assault with intent to murder, a single count of armed robbery, and seven firearm offenses.
His trial before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Darnell Jackson began Tuesday with jury selection. Attorney James Gust is representing Anderson opposite county Assistant Prosecutor Patrick Duggan.
Police have said Kendrick J. Rogers, then 17, was standing outside the hall with Kyrie Green and Travon McDuffy when a man approached them and said, "Give me everything, now." When the three men questioned the would-be robber, the man fired a 9mm handgun three times, striking Rogers in the upper left thigh, police have said.
Just as when Lonnie White Jr. and Kendrell Stephens were shot March 18, the May 5 shooting occurred as the hall was hosting a "big party" sponsored by a promoter, police have said.
The assault and robbery charges that Anderson faces carry maximum penalties of life in prison. In addition to those charges, Anderson is charged with carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, carrying a concealed weapon, possessing a firearm as a felon, and four counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Anderson last year rejected a plea bargain that called for him to plead guilty to three counts of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder, the robbery charge, and the firearm offenses. In exchange, prosecutors would have dropped the three charges of assault with intent to murder.
By pleading to the lesser assault charges, Anderson's minimum sentence under state sentencing guidelines would have been lowered to a range of 14 years and three months to 29 years and eight months. He first would have had to serve the mandatory, consecutive two years for felony firearm.
Anderson, who last lived at 400 Williamson in Saginaw, remains jailed on a $1.1 million bond.


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HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Thinking about adopting a pet? Huntsville Animal Services will hold a Pet Rally adoption drive on Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at 4950 Triana Boulevard in Huntsville.
Adoption fees run $56-$115, which include rabies vaccination, spay or neuter, ID tag and collar.
Certain pets will have a special adoption fee of $50.
For more information, call (256) 883-3783 or visit the Huntsville Animal Services website or the Friends of Huntsville Animal Services Facebook page.


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Only you (along with neighbors, experts and others) can prevent wildfire destruction of homes
As human population in the high-hazard 'red zone' skyrockets, researchers strive to understand when these homeowners perceive wildfire risk and act to mitigate it
By Clint Talbott
The fight against fires begins before the first spark—when homeowners in the wildland-urban interface choose whether to remove trees and bushes near their homes. What causes landowners to perceive risk and, further, to try to reduce the risk is not fully understood.
But Hannah Brenkert-Smith, a research associate at the University of Colorado Boulder's Institute of Behavioral Science, is working to change that. She and her colleagues are studying the beliefs and behavior of homeowners in the forested "red zone"—the so-called wildland-urban interface where wildfires can destroy homes and other private property.
Understanding when and why mountain residents work to make their homes "firewise" is increasingly important. A Colorado State University study predicts that the number of homes in the red zone will increase from 300,000 in 2000 to 720,000 by 2030. Also during that time, the number of acres in the red zone is projected to rise from 715,000 to 2.6 million.
Brenkert-Smith is collaborating with Nicholas Flores, CU-Boulder professor and chair of economics; and Patricia A. Champ, an economist with the U.S. Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Research Station in Fort Collins.
Some things are becoming clear. The team has found that while there is a wide variety of information about wildfire available, information shared by experts and non-experts correlate with higher perceived risk. Residents whose neighbors' vegetation looks dense perceive themselves to be at higher risk.
Importantly, WUI homeowners are not a cohesive group that can be expected to make the same kinds of decisions. For example, older-residents and women are more likely than others to undertake fire-mitigation work on their property.
As a doctoral student at CU-Boulder in 2003, Brenkert-Smith began interviewing and surveying red-zone residents after the devastating fire season of 2002.
In the decade since, researchers have focused more attention on wildfire's social-science component, which has not been studied as extensively as that of natural hazards like earthquakes and floods. Prior to the early 2000s, the population at risk of major wildfire losses simply wasn't as extensive as it is now.
Besides the population increase in the red zone, generally drier and warmer climate increases wildfire risk; fire seasons are longer, and both fire frequency and severity have risen, especially in the West.
Land-management experts understand the dynamics of the natural world—accumulating fuel and changing climate. As Brenkert-Smith observes:
"The fire-science people have that all mapped out very neatly, but there was little understanding of what the people who were living in these areas were doing about the risk: if they recognized the risk, if they were concerned about it, what actions they would be more willing to take than others, what factors they were grappling with when they were making decisions."
As the red-zone population and at-risk property increase, homeowners in fire-prone areas represent an increasingly important group whose actions affect the likelihood of major fire losses.
So Brenkert-Smith and her colleagues surveyed a random sample of households in the red zone in Boulder and Larimer Counties.
The team drew upon its own qualitative research results and major findings from natural-hazards research. "We wanted to understand the whole field of decision-making," she says.
One aspect of the research involved asking homeowners to specify which, if any, efforts they'd made mitigate the danger of fire to their homes.
The team's survey also asked about a range of demographic information, plus about each homeowner's perception of risk, and sources of wildfire risk.
The team found a correlation between fire-mitigation efforts with those who had received fire-mitigation information from local experts such as local fire departments and county wildfire specialists.
Non-experts also seem to make a positive difference, Brenkert-Smith's team found. "Talking with your neighbor about wildfire risk was really important in terms of mitigation outcomes."
These findings mirrored the results of research into the role of social interactions in mitigating danger from other natural hazards.
Natural-hazards research has found that the specific risk people face is less important than social factors in predicting how people will respond to the risk.
Social scientists hypothesized that the same patterns seen with earthquakes or flooding would be seen with wildfire. "But here, we're beginning to fill in that picture and confirm, yes, we're finding some of the same patterns."
Expert information sources and receiving information in formal social gatherings were important for the perceived probability of experiencing a wildfire. "Talking about fire, whether it's with an expert or with your neighbor, increased the perceived probability of a fire occurring."
This is important, Brenkert-Smith notes, because the federal government emphasizes community-level fire-mitigation programs. Such programs are based on the assumption that the social interactions galvanize increased risk perception and mitigation, but the mechanisms of how the interactions achieve these ends are largely undocumented, she adds.
While the assumption might prove to be true, researchers like Brenkert-Smith want to find the evidence so that the social mechanisms at work, how they work, and the varied outcomes are better understood.
After the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire, Brenkert-Smith's team sent a follow-up survey to Boulder and Larimer County residents who had previously participated in the survey.
Though the researchers are still studying the results, some things are clear: Risk perception has risen. However when perceived probability and consequences are examined separately it appears that homeowners' expectations regarding wildfire consequences (e.g. trees burning, damage to home) have increased while expected probability of a fire occurring does not change between the two surveys.
Homeowners are doing more mitigation on their properties. Additionally, homeowners are more likely to identify vegetation on their own land as a source of risk for them. That is significant, because homeowners who understand the risk are more likely to try to reduce that risk.
Brenkert-Smith, Flores and collaborators at the National Center for Atmospheric Research recently won a $298,000- research grant from the National Science Foundation.
The project, called "Assessing the effects of risk interdependency, social norms, and costs on homeowners' wildfire mitigation decisions using choice experiments," is a first of a multi-phased project on Colorado's Western Slope examining homeowners' social norms, costs of mitigation and "risk interdependency."
In the red zone, risk interdependency is the extent to which a landowner's fire-mitigation action or inaction affects not only her or his own parcel but also adjacent land, and vice versa.
The researchers will provide scenarios with varied conditions and ask residents hypothetical questions about whether they would undertake fire mitigation if they perceived danger on neighbors' land, if most neighbors were clearing trees and brush, or if they had enough money to do fire mitigation.
Sen. Mark Udall, the Colorado Democrat, recently heralded the new study:
"Wildfires are an unfortunate part of life for many of us living in Colorado. However, there is much homeowners can do to prepare their properties and reduce the risk that they or their neighbors will lose a home or loved one in a fire," Udall said.
"This competitive grant is welcome news for the millions of Coloradans who live in and around our fire-prone areas. I look forward to seeing this study's conclusions and how we can better encourage homeowners to create defensible space around their homes."
By introducing varied scenarios and hypotheticals, the researchers can pull questions "out of the messiness of real life" in order to better understand how some fundamental aspects of decision-making interact , Brenkert-Smith said. "Ultimately, the goal is to put it right back into the messiness of real life."
Similar Posts:
- High-risk homeowners less likely to mitigate wildfires
- Climate-change views not linked to fire-mitigation effort
- Citizen 'sparkplugs' can reduce red-zone fire danger
- Wildfire-mitigation efforts misplaced, CU study finds
- Residents in wildfire-prone areas underestimate risk
- As forests die, questionable anxieties thrive
- 'Words to Stir the Soul and Reckon with Reality'
- Fight wildfires, but also prepare, study suggests
- South American wildfires expected to increase
- Universities team up to study wildfires, climate change


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UPPER FREEHOLD – "Running time" was guaranteed early Friday night at Allentown High School. Great offense and great defense ensured that the Redbirds' football team would take a big lead and roll to a quick victory.
Passing was more than effective for the Redbirds as Nick Palladino threw for five first-half touchdowns as Allentown defeated Trenton, 48-6, last night.
Allentown was bolstered by Palladino's remarkable first half that included going 10-for-15 for 261 yards and five TDs as the Redbirds kept the clock and their team efficiency running at a pretty good clip.
It was a great night for Allentown football in general as the Redbirds improved to 5-0.
Part of the AHS success story can be traced back to the defense that has allowed only 21 points in five games. However, seven of those points-allowed came last week against Hopewell Valley.
"We put up points quick," Palladino said. "We had a game plan of picking up the tempo."
"We wanted to come out faster than we did last week," Allentown coach Jay Graber said referring to 19-7 win over HV in a game they trailed 7-0 at halftime. "We started slow against Hopewell."
The Redbirds had a quick start against Trenton, capped by a 4-yard TD pass to Matthew Wilkins from Palladino that completed a 55-yard opening drive
"We had a game plan all week, but you've got to take things when they're given to you," Palladino said.
"Some things you can't explain, but when they happen you have to take advantage of them.
"The kickoff team forced a fumble and we were back out there."
Allentown (5-0) took a 20-0 first-quarter lead as Palladino hit Tyler Morales with a 23-yard TD pass, and Norman Williams took a screen pass from Palladino 63 yards for another score.
"That's a great team, obviously they're 5-0," said Trenton interim coach Joe Misnick. "We thought we were prepared but they took it to us."
"Our team came out and executed tonight," Graber said.
Graber had plenty of praise to spread around as his team tuned up for a tough run with road games against Holy Cross, Nottingham and Notre Dame.
"We were happy with the way we played tonight," Graber said.
"It's a big night for our team. We got a win against a tough Trenton team."
In addition to Palladino's heroics on a night when he was named Homecoming King, there was plenty of AHS football royalty in the house.
"We fly hard to the ball," said senior linebacker Chi Oriji. "We play to the fullest of our abilities."
"We're very happy," said Garrett Martin, a senior defensive end. "They have a bunch of good players and they're very athletic but we wanted to prove that we're a good football team especially since last year we went into Trenton and we lost."
Allentown was in control from start to finish, scoring on its opening drive and also converting a turnover on the final play of the game as it kept things running smoothly last night.


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Kristen Stewart poses for a beautiful photo shoot under the Santa Monica Pier. She is beautiful in these shots. I have no idea what magazine they are for. But enjoy then in HQ and unwatermarked!
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The Republican Party has a weird empty chair fetish. I recall primary candidates arguing with an empty podium at a town hall that Romney refused to participate in. The audience joined in, asking ludicrous pointed questions to the area where his head would be.
I'm wondering if Clint Punk'd the RNC?
Google video search . . Simpsons, tied an onion to my belt
It will make this rambling old man's speech make a lot more sense.
It's what Sophia Petrillo used to call an "arterial flow problem".
It is very apt that he would be talking to an imaginary Obama. The republicans have been yelling at an imaginary version of Obama for 4 years.
I found his speech to be entertaining and funny even if I don't agree with his views. I guess some people just don't get it. Not to mention that it's pretty amazing for an 82 year old iconic actor to be doing impromptu humor at a national convention on politics. It is much better than canned speeches that just spew forth the same talking points that we've been hearing from the candidate for the past X number of months. Not that Clint's speech had a lot of substance… but I thought it was funny.
I do agree, by the way, that Obama has broken a lot of campaign promises. Gitmo, 1 to 2 ongoing wars + 1 other unconstitutional war upon Libya, being a "fierce" advocate for gays, that his healthcare law wasn't a tax and wouldn't be a mandate, keeping unemployment under 8%, shovel-ready jobs, being a "uniter" and changing Washington politics, etc.
Our candidate options this year are pretty bad in my opinion, not that they've been great in the past.
@John Doe: some people just don't get it because there's nothing to get. It was lame and sad. Getting old sucks. Even Ann Romney couldn't bring herself to praise the performance this morning.
Sorry, Clint; You should stick to memorizing scripts. Off the cuff is not for you.
The Republican Party is just one giant Bucket of Crazy.
I think you have to be crazy to be that deluded and to lie that much.
Politics Schmolitics. Eastwood wasn't campaigning for Romney—he was auditioning for the starring role in the remake of "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?"
How sad… An angry version of Dick Clark
Clint is an icon and a legend. Glad he's a Republican and isn't for Obama.
A possibly senile movie great propped up to spout reactionary babble….. looks like they finally found a replacement for Charlton Heston.
So, basically, what you have is a senile old man talking to his stool.
…well after visiting my inlaws in B'ham, Al…. I now understand that MOST republicans are misinformed and just plain ignorant!!!! They kept repeating that Obama wasn't an American, blah blah blah and how he wants to take away from the elderly.And just kept saying" Aside from the " gay thing what do you like about him?.Really? Like "the gay thing is so unimportant ? I believe THEY ALL just RAMBLE!!! They just repeat what " Joe Shmoe says down at the local redneck gas station and run with it!!! I finally had enough and fired back and said " if ALL your basic rights to your partner was taken from you, would you just lie down and say, oh well aside from all my rights being stripped away, I think Mitt Witt is a fine choice."?????
They absolutely could not debate! They ALL just mimick and ramble!!!
@NormdePlume: Bernice Clifton (Designing Women) had the "arterial flow problem." Great line! :-)
Clint Eastwood was hilarious, ad libbed and pretend all you want he just "rambled" he got off some great lines. No Teleprompter-In-Chief in sight. It's pathetic that people can't appreciate what a person does professionally just because they disagree with his opinions.
Even Bill Maher tweeted "he killed it" FFS.
If you claim he was incoherent try reading the transcript:
BTW, try and remember his closing words:
"We – we own it. It is not you owning it, and not politicians owning it. Politicians are employees of ours.
And – so – they are just going to come around and beg for votes every few years. It is the same old deal. But I just think it is important that you realize , that you're the best in the world. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or whether you're libertarian or whatever, you are the best. And we should not ever forget that."
Dinner with The President
Mr. Eastwood's brain has become slower and a tad out of touch with reality. It's evident in the movies he's made in the past decade. "Gran Torino" was almost a good movie. He directed and starred in it. He used young actors who, in some scenes, were good and in other scenes acted like rank amateurs. Mr. Eastwood isn't making good decisions these days.


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The Exultate Deo chamber choir will perform "Requiem" Op. 9 at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, at historic Trinity Episcopal Church in Bay City.
This ecumenical chamber choir specializes in liturgical music by master composers and sings for various churches around the Saginaw Valley and is made up of some of the finest singers in the Great Lakes Bay region. Robert Sabourin, organist/choir director at Trinity, is the founder and conductor. Singers for this performance include music teachers, clergy, choir directors, organists, and church choir musicians.
The world-class organist for the performance is Carl Angelo, minister of music at First Congregation Church in Saginaw. Mezzo soprano soloist for the concert is Jennifer Breneman, choir director at Midland High School and Youth Honors Choir Program in Midland. She is a member of Camerata and Good Company and is frequently heard as a guest soloist for area music organizations.
"Requiem" by French composer Maurice Durufle is one of the most important choral works of the 20th century and one of the most popular settings of the Latin Requiem Mass.
Trinity Episcopal Church is located at 911 Center Avenue. The service is free and open to the public.


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What on Earth is going on with Adam "Pacman" Jones?
The man who made it rain (before Roger Goodell made it rain on him) is back in the headlines for being involved in a fight at a hotel.
Details have yet to emerge about the troubled cornerback's involvement, but how does he even get himself anywhere close to an incident whilst being watched like a hawk by the league and the press?
That this happened at all, following his series of run-ins with the law and subsequent suspension from the NFL, does not speak well of his good sense. That it happened the night before a special meeting with Goodell, well that's downright comical.
Immediately prior to the meeting (and the incident at the hotel), Goodell had this to say: "Adam knows how much emphasis I put on making sure that he makes good choices going forward, that he avoids situations where he can reflect poorly on himself, the Cowboys or the NFL. So far he seems to have been able to do that very effectively."
Could this situation be any more perfect?
After all, the skirmish is reported to have been nipped in the bud, and right now it sounds like neither party involved will be pressing charges. So basically no laws were broken, and Jones will likely escape any legal attention in this matter.
Does that mean the NFL's hands are tied? Not remotely. They can do whatever the heck they want. They can wash their hands of it, they can engage in "talks" or they can even arbitrarily suspend him. And if they want to maintain any sort of credibility with Pacman or even the general public, they probably need to discipline him in some fashion.
But for what, breaking curfew? This has to be the most severely embarrassing thing the league and Goodell could suffer right now, as they'll have to face criticism any route they choose. And this one man, who they chose to reinstate, again put them in this position.
I wonder if Goodell is secretly wishing this morning whether he could take that decision back.
* The top five teams in the NFL in scoring margin are (in order) the New York Giants, the Tennessee Titans, the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys.
That's right, the Chicago Bears are in some pretty rare company right now.
Obviously strength of schedule should be considered when evaluating teams on scoring margin, and the Bears have benefited from having faced the Detroit Lions just last week. But the Bears' other opponents have been Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Indianapolis. Not exactly chopped liver, and Chicago is 3-2 and leading its division.
The story most will want to focus on is the quarterback situation, where Kyle Orton has taken over for Rex Grossman and seemingly steadied the ship. And certainly the Bears (currently sixth in scoring defense) are playing some great defense. But for my money, the great story in Chicago has been Matt Forte.
Forte is currently eighth in the NFL in rushing, having amassed 383 yards and two touchdowns (and he has another 172 yards with two more scores through the air), and his hard-charging running style has been a real boom to the Bears offense. For comparison's sake, the team's leading rusher in 2007 (Cedric Benson) had 674 yards the entire year.
The Tulane product is making a real case for Rookie of the Year honors.
* The Rams, Lions and Bengals are in complete disarray, so it comes as no surprise the three teams have a combined 0-13 mark. The only other winless team in the NFL is a bit more surprising: 0-4 Houston.
The Texans lost 38-17 to Pittsburgh in their season opener, and it hasn't gotten any better since. Three games against division rivals (Tennessee, Jacksonville and Indianapolis) resulted in three straight losses, and now the team is four-and-a-half games back in the AFC South.
In other words, the Texans are already out of it.
What's next? Evaluation. The front office and coaching staff have to evaluate what's on hand and make some tough calls this offseason. If that means severing the Matt Schaub experiment, so be it. If it means putting more focus/resources into one side of the ball over the other, so be it. More than most other teams, Houston is a squad that really lacks an identity. But with impact players like Mario Williams and Andre Johnson on deck, they have an opportunity to turn things around quickly.
How they choose to complement the talent already on hand is going to be critical in the Texans attempting to do just that.
* The NFL has had a somewhat surprising lack of big-ticket games so far this year, and this weekend doesn't look to change that a whole lot.
The biggest game to keep an eye locally, however, has to be the Panthers-Buccaneers game Sunday at Noon. The Panthers have looked a step ahead of everyone else in the NFC South, but if the Buccaneers can upend them at home this weekend, it does the rest of the division a major solid in keeping Carolina from building too big a divisional lead.
Go Bucs.
Dave's Top Ten
1. New York Giants (4-0) -- Flattened Seattle; still the best.
2. Tennessee Titans (5-0) -- Collins worries me, but the defense dominates.
3. Carolina Panthers (4-1) -- Their balanced offense is tough to defend.
4. Dallas Cowboys (4-1) -- A little off track right now.
5. Washington Redskins (4-1) -- Hard not to give this team credit for hot start.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) -- They're hurt, but still winning the tough ones.
7. Buffalo Bills (4-1) -- Showed chinks in the armor against Arizona.
8. Denver Broncos (4-1) -- A change for Denver: winning with defense.
9. Indianapolis Colts (2-2) -- Colts are dangling by a string.
10. New England Patriots (3-1) -- Need more consistent QB play.


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Shakespeare in the Park
Watch the magnificent works of Shakespeare being performed in New York City's own Garden of Eden. The festival is organized by the Public Theater every summer in Central Park. Tickets are given out for free on the same day of the performance; however, they're on a first-come, first-served basis. A maximum of two tickets is given per person. The plays are performed in The Delacorte Theater, an outdoor amphitheater, where celebrities such as Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington and Natalie Portman have taken to the stage. "Hamlet" will introduce the 2008 season. For more information, visit www.publictheater.org.
Day 38: Shakespeare in the Park
Shakespeare in the Park


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Microsoft would like us to tell you that the less-expensive Xbox 360s are hitting the market on August 8th.
Here's how the prices are going to break down:
- 20 gig HD will cost $349.99
- Core system: $279.99
- 120 gig Elite: $449.99 (wth black finish)
- Halo 3 editions (avail. in September, with Spartan green-and-gold finish) $399.99
Microsoft also wants you to know that it thinks it has the "greatest holiday lineup in video game history." Here's the evidence:
- Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock" (RedOctane/Activision),
- Halo 3 (Bungie Studios),
- Madden NFL 08 (EA)
- Rock Band (MTV Games).
- BioShock (2K Games),
- Lost Odyssey (Mistwalker and Feel Plus), "
- Blue Dragon (Mistwalker and Artoon Co. Ltd.),
- Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action (Screenlife),
- Project Gotham Racing 4 (Bizarre Creations Ltd.),
- Mass Effect (BioWare Corp.),
- Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Ubisoft),
- Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
Here's a quote: "The fact that we have been able to keep our launch price longer than any other console while retaining our leadership position demonstrates that consumers believe in the value of Xbox 360," Mitch Koch, corporate vice president, Global Retail Sales and Marketing Group, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft said in a press release. "On the eve of the best holiday games lineup ever and the launch of 'Madden NFL 08,' there has never been a better time to jump into Xbox 360."


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This deal has ended.
Update: Now get 20% off + Free Shipping via code 209. This new code, due to free shipping, makes your total price lower than receiving 25% off your order. Get 25% off sitewide, including sale, at The Limited via code 351 at checkout.
The 1[Tri-Color OBI Belt]] drops from $34.50 to $14.99 to $11.24. The Dropwaist Peasant Top lowers from $44.50 to $24.99 to $18.74. Originally $49.50, the Outback Red Striped Canvas Bag falls from $29.99 to $22.49 and the Sweetheart Strapless Dress drops from $89.50 to $44.99 to $33.74. Shipping starts at $5.95 and sales tax is charged in states with The Limited retail locations.


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A strong winter storm system brought moderate to heavy rain and scattered patches of freezing rain to portions of northeast and east central Kansas the evening of the 16th through early the morning of the 17th. Just before sunrise the 17th, the precipitation type switched over to all snow. Wet, heavy flakes fell through around the noon hour. Slushy, slippery roads made for hazardous driving conditions.
Click on either image for a larger view.


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It is a sobering thought to realize that some people are hungry. I don't mean the feeling you just want a snack, or the times you may stand in front of the refrigerator with the door open asking yourself what you're hungry for. No, this is real hunger, the kind that comes when there simply isn't enough food to eat.
Last weekend I was part of an effort aimed at helping to feed the hungry. The congregations of two small churches in my little town in the middle of Iowa raised $1,875 to pay for the food supplies, and then 44 folks showed up to fill the bags on a beautiful Saturday morning when it would have been easy to stay home to do yard work.
But instead we gathered together, donned hair covers and plastic gloves, and got busy at making a difference in the lives of others. Working at stations, we filled plastic bags with measures of rice, soy protein, dried vegetables, and vitamin powder. Then each bag was weighed, sealed and packed into cardboard cartons ready for shipment to feed hungry people around the world, from local food pantries and Indian reservations in New Mexico all the way to South Africa and Haiti.
Article Photos
The pack was an assembly line approach, and soon the 10 people at my table were cranking out the filled bags smoothly. We chatted, we laughed at our mistakes (it helps if you wait for the empty bag to be in place before you dump in the rice), and the camaraderie was evident all around the room. In about 90 minutes we had packed over 1,800 bags that will feed over 11,000 people.
I can't say that the ingredients that went into the food bags labeled Meals from the Heartland looked especially appetizing, especially the vitamin powder that was my duty, but the packages were formulated by a nutritionist to be accepted by many cultures around the world. The content of each packet, when cooked in boiling water, feeds a family of six for just $1.20. I sampled a cooked packet the next day, and it was much like a rice casserole without any meat-not exactly what my Midwestern palate is accustomed to, but quite palatable all the same. Especially if one was hungry.
Meals from the Heartland is based in Des Moines, where it got started in 2008 when the first mass packaging event was held and 12,000 volunteers packaged more than 4 million meals in a week's time. Mass packaging events are still held annually in Des Moines, and the effort is slowly catching on outside the metro area with mobile packs like where I participated. Just this year, some 265,500 meals have been packed.
I'm so glad we can share some of our blessings. We have so much.


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Tagged with "airport"
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport wayfindingc. 2009
- James R. Harding
- Gresham, Smith and Partners
Contributed by Stephen Coles
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Vilniaus oro uostas (Vilnius International Airport)2010
- Milk
- Aistis Baltušnikas
- Darius Kisielius
Contributed by Florian Hardwig


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By Chuck Roberts (Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Public Affairs)May 31, 2013
LANDSTUHL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, Germany -- In a dual ceremony, Col. Judith Lee assumed command of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center while Command Sgt. Major Timothy Sprunger assumed his role as the new LRMC Command Sergeant Major.
The May 29 change of command and change of responsibility ceremonies also honored the services of outgoing Commander Col. Barbara Holcomb and Command Sgt. Major Michael Gragg.
During her remarks, Holcomb told Lee and Sprunger that she and Gragg were "passing the baton to you a little reluctantly, only because this is the best job in the Army. You are inheriting a fabulous team who will give its best every day. I know you will take care of them. Best wishes to you as you embark on your journey."
Gragg told the hospital staff that it was "truly an honor and a privilege to have stood shoulder to shoulder among them … We are Landstuhl. There is power in that name and there is power in you as an organization." Gragg said the experience has affected like all those who have preceded him at LRMC. "Landstuhl changes people. I have changed and I have changed for the better because of you."
Assuming command of the largest U.S. hospital outside the United States was not something Lee said she foresaw in her future when she joined the Army in 1986. The new commander said it was a "true honor and privilege" to have been selected to command Landstuhl. "I will serve you 110 percent and I will continue with the mission and vision here."
Holcomb moves on to become the Command Surgeon for U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., whose mission is to prepare conventional forces to provide a sustained flow of trained and ready land power to Combatant Commanders in defense of the Nation at home and abroad.
Gragg will be the Command Sergeant Major for the 32nd Medical Brigade at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, whose mission is to provide command, logistical and operational support to safely and effectively train and qualify technically and tactically skilled warrior medics and leaders who embody the warrior ethos and live the army values.
LRMC is the largest American hospital outside of the United States. LRMC provides primary care, tertiary care, hospitalization and treatment for approximately 218,000 U.S. military personnel and their families within European Command. LRMC is also the evacuation and treatment center for all injured U.S. servicemembers and civilians serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.


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FREEPORT - Long Islanders had better bundle up: today's frigid temperatures and bone-chilling winds are expected to stick around.
News 12 Long Island meteorologists say it's the coldest weather the area has seen in two years. Temperatures tonight will dip down as low as 10 degrees, and will feel even lower with the wind chill. Wednesday and Thursday will see highs only in the low 20s.
Parts of the Island saw up to 3 inches of snow last night, creating icy conditions and a messy commute this morning. Meteorologists say more snow could be in store at the end of the week.


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A little, maybe, but mostly not.
Every place has some nuttiness, and the Clackamas River Water board provides at least three counties' worth. But that problem is isolated and in no way representative of the entire county. As for the apparent ballot tampering by an elections worker this month, the investigation is still going on. But criminality and nuttiness are different things entirely.
Besides, when people say "nutty" and "Clackamas County" in the same breath, they're really talking about voters. On Tuesday, they replaced left-leaning county board Chairwoman Charlotte Lehan with John Ludlow, who preaches the evils of "Portland creep." He'll serve with the similarly colorful Tootie Smith, who defeated incumbent Jamie Damon. Throw in the recent countywide vote in opposition to light-rail funding, and Clackamas probably seems a million miles away from Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Such developments do represent a shift, but to suggest that Clackamas voters are nutty is wrong.
Consider county voting on statewide issues and candidates. According to voting numbers available Thursday, Clackamas resembles the rest of the state outside Multnomah County. Non-Multnomah Oregonians supported Barack Obama, labor commissioner candidate Bruce Starr (a Republican legislator), Republican secretary of state candidate Knute Buehler, incumbent Treasurer Ted Wheeler (a Democrat) and incumbent Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum (also a Democrat). Voters' positions on the three statewide money measures echoed the actual results.
Attempts to recalculate votes with and without various areas are perilous, we admit, and results could shift slightly as numbers are updated. By and large, though, Oregon outside Multnomah County appears to be a center-left place in which both Democrats and Republicans have a shot.
That could easily describe Clackamas County, where voters went for Obama, Buehler, Wheeler and Rosenblum. They, like Multnomah voters, supported incumbent Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian over Starr. And they differed by supporting Measure 84, which would have abolished state estate taxes. Still, not what you'd call nutty.
Local elections are where Clackamas voters made a splash, both at the county level and in Lake Oswego, where the top city council vote-getter was Portland creep foe Karen Bowerman. These results indicate a preference for fiscally conservative governance, which is neither nutty nor surprising, given economic conditions. The results are also a referendum on the spreading influence (via light rail and so on) of Portland-style planning and, with it, Portland-style spending. The light-rail vote, remember, focused on the millions Clackamas commissioners agreed to contribute to the Milwaukie light-rail extension.
Clackamas residents, many of whom work in Portland, share the responsibility for making the metro region function. Still, when a center-left county such as Clackamas expresses planning and spending concerns about a city that many county residents presumably like (they chose to live near Portland, after all), dismissing its voters as nutty isn't very productive. In fact, they might even be worth listening to.


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Papers in Portuguese:
O Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento Acelera o Crescimento? (with Julio Mereb). August, 2013.
Book chapters in Portuguese:
Op-Eds in Portuguese:
O que esperar do pacote de crédito do governo (with Carlos Carvalho). Valor Econômico, 19/02/2016.
Socialdemcoracia no século 21 (with Igor Abdalla). Folha de São Paulo, 17/12/2015.
O custo da incerteza. Valor Econômico, 25/03/2015.
Inflação sem rótulo (with Carlos Carvalho and Tiago Berriel). Valor Econômico, 01/03/2013.
Investimento público e o ciclo econômico (with Julio Mereb). Valor Econômico, 27/01/2013.
Some pieces written in Portuguese before my Ph.D. studies:
Comments (written with Márcio Garcia) on Professor Cardim's article on monetary theory and policy. Published at Econômica, December 2004.
Link to my master thesis on the relationship between crime and savings. March 2006.
Link to my senior thesis on the effects of inequality on growth, which was awarded 1st place in the IPEA 40 ANOS prize, 2004.


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The book is fascinating reading: a movie-like entrepreneurial dream realized through stubborn determination and perseverance that ends with a nearly Shakespearean denouement.
The brothers alternate the narrative, beginning with their shared idealism for making the world a better place by developing a nutritious, organic line of food that was safe and healthy for babies.
They are candid about how they started out with next to no skills or connections to draw on to bring their dream to fruition and how they made a series of mistakes that would have derailed nearly anyone else.
The book traces their awkward development into entrepreneurs, the struggle to develop a saleable product that met their ideals and the desperate, never-ending efforts to scrounge up financing. And, how, just when everything seemed poised to pay off for them, it fell apart.
The Kosses' description of the way some of their investors, and subsequently some of the executives, schemed to oust the brothers from control of the company they created, is gut-wrenching and it's obvious the wounds are still raw, more than 20 years after the events.
The Earth's Best brand is now part of a stable of natural-foods controlled by The Hain Celestial Group and the brothers have moved on to other projects. Their memoir is both cautionary and inspirational. Read the original review, "A Cautionary Tale of Idealism vs. Business," by Laura Ramsey, here. Ron and Arnie Koss are the authors of The Earth's Best Story: A Bittersweet Tale of Twin Brothers Who Sparked an Organic Revolution.


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