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If only my doctor would prescribe soup rather than those hideous pills I can never stomach.
Every country in the world has a soup remedy - that joyous liquid that mums love pouring into us when we're in need of some TLC. That's what I call "a little bowl of mum".
Having become immune to my Italian mum's soup remedies long ago, I decided to adopt an Asian "mum". I travelled to many Asian destinations, but I couldn't actually pinpoint my favourite mum-to-be - so I settled for a few.
At the moment, I'm in love with my Thai mum. She combines salty, spicy, pungent, sweet and sour, all in the same bowl.
Tom Yum - the age-old comforting food, or "heaven in a bowl" - is flavoured with strands of lemongrass, fresh chilli, tamarind, lime juice and fresh ginger with a hint of sweet coconut milk. Not only is she a surprise, but a cheerful delight.
My Japanese love brings me
steaming-hot bowls of buckwheat noodles in a simmering miso broth with
swimming sea vegetables, spring onions and silken bean curd. She is ever
so Zen, offering me complete stillness in a bowl.
Then there's the restorative powers of my Chinese favourite, a richly thick, sweetcorn soup. This is creamy and chowder-like, made from fresh mashed sweetcorn simmered in a vegetable or mushroom stock, thickened with kuzu or arrowroot and topped with fresh spring onions. It's ever so sweet and deeply rich and abundant.
Finally, from my Vietnamese mum comes this hot and sour fish soup that instantly cured my cold last week.
In the bowl there's an explosion of flavours and textures that have you gasping for breath at every mouthful and wiping your eyes after every spoonful. For those in need of a little bowl of mum this winter, try this.
Hot and sour fish soup
Serve over steamed rice or add some rice noodles to make a meal in a bowl.
� In a deep pot, heat the oil. Add the shallots, lemongrass and fish carcass, including the head. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the water or chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes.
� Pass this stock through a fine sieve into a deep pot. Bring to the boil and add the bamboo shoots, baby sweet corn, enoki mushrooms, chilli, sugar and fish sauce. Simmer on a low flame for 5 minutes, then drop in the marinated fish cubes, tomato strips, salt and pepper. Cook for a further
3-5 minutes or until fish is cooked. Pour in the lime juice and stir in bean sprouts.
� Serve in individual bowls with coriander leaves and a wedge of lime.
Serves: 6
* Available from Asian groceries
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After SOS, how to keep up morale? Rescued sailors tell.
by IOL/Sail-World Cruising on 6 Nov 2011
Tholile's misadventure - being towed in; crew glad to be home; Kayleen is welcomed by Mum SW
You're on the high seas with an insurmountable problem. You've called the rescue authorities. Now you're waiting for help. While we all hope that will never happen to us, there's the question: What do you do to keep up morale?
This is just the situation that the yacht crew of Tholile, drifting in the southern ocean in September, found themselves in. Their woes were many.
..The yacht, sailing from Durban to Mauritius, had suffered a rope fouled around one propellor rendering one of her two motors unusable.
..Her sails were torn.
..Her second motor had overheated.
..She had drifted far south as a result of a 25 knot South Easterly wind and caught in the Southward flowing Agulhas currents.
..The swells were an uncomfortable 4 metres.
..The yacht had also sprung a leak which the crew had apparently managed to subsequently stem.
..Three of the crew were suffering from dehydration as a result of prolonged sea sickness (reportedly having been sea sick for approximately 26 hours).
So they should not have been a happy crew. However, the only woman aboard the stricken yacht said she kept cracking jokes to lift the spirits of her five colleagues while they waited for rescue.
Relieved to be back on dry land, Kaylee Featherstone, 20, said she tried to keep the humour flowing to distract her colleagues from the ordeal, despite suffering from sea sickness.
She said: 'I wanted all of us to laugh because there was nothing else we could do while waiting for help. I knew that if one of us panicked, we would all panic, but fortunately that did not happen.
'We are so grateful to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) for all the help. I have sailed many times before and it was the first time that I experienced being towed in,' Featherstone said.
They had planned to sail in the direction of Port Elizabeth, on their way to Mauritius for a three-week stay.
Speaking at the Point Yacht Club later, Challis said they were relieved to get back. He also said they were very grateful to the NSRI for its help, saying the rescue service had done a great job.
Challis said they had been making steady progress until they began experiencing difficulty. 'We were experiencing winds of between 30 and 35 knots and the waves had grown from 1.5m to 4m, big enough to break the boat,' he said.
Challis said a leak had developed and they had decided to return to Durban to get it checked before proceeding further.
That's when the engines had failed, Challis said. The sails were also torn by the strong winds.
Challis who had been sailing for 12 years, said Breet, who was sailing for the first time, had been very brave and had at some point jumped into the water to release ropes that had become snagged.
'He was a hero. Also Kaylee who kept us going with her great sense of humour. All that kept us really calm.'
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/90390
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Another breaching whale lands on boat off South Africa
3 men were injured this week when a breaching whale leaped out of the sea and crashed onto their inflatable boat.
Apart from not sailing during the migration season, an underwater collision with a whale is one of those unavoidable incidents that any sailor dreads; but a whale that breaches on top of your boat is too terrible to imagine. This is the second such incident to occur in South Africa in as many years.
Posted on 7 Nov 2012
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subset: commoncrawl


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The HIS 5450 Silence 512MB includes an HDMI output and a passive cooler.
Originally Posted by Singularity
so, anyone think that this card paired with a 230 atom could pump 1080p nicely?
I have my doubts about the cpu feeding the card and the paltry throughput of the PCI bus :S
Originally Posted by JaredC01
Simon, Windows 7 supports simultaneous running of two different graphics cards and drivers. That's what gives people the ability to run an ATI card as a main with an nVidia card for PhysX.
Vista didn't support it, but 7 does.
The error message would likely of happened in Vista, but not Win 7.Originally Posted by Sim0n
Hi Jared,
Yes, you can install the drivers, but if you actually try to output desktops on both ATI and Nvidia (for example, you can exchange any vendor in there) cards, say 2 ATI and 2 Nvidia, only 2 screen will work. Windows will then give you a snooty message about the incompatibility to mix the drivers and just turn the 2 other screens off.
If your using it as a PyhsX card, you dont need any actual output from the card.
Originally Posted by Fabou
@ Baggpuss
It's using a ATI for main graphic + a Nvidia for physic that is prevented. While you can use two Nvidia one for physic + one for the rest easily
Originally Posted by l3v1ck
It's good that they're filling this gap in the market. No new PC's should have any pci slots, but people still need to upgrade older systems.
Originally Posted by lacuna
how would this card compare with my 7950gt 512mb?
Tesoro Tuned In-Ear Pro Review
26th May 2017
AMD Radeon RX 580 CrossFire in Prey at 3,440 x 1,440
25th May 2017
Fractal Design Focus G Mini Review
24th May 2017


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Interior Decoration, Design & Home Staging
Home Interior Matters is a Melbourne based, interior decorating, styling and home staging consultancy, founded with the philosophy that a well designed space should be available to all budgets, ranging from small to large residential interior projects. We treat each project with the same integrity and dedication, regardless of the size and complexity, which ensures consistency and high quality results are achieved on every project.
Home Interior Matters was established in 2009 by Sandi Garma, with the intention of realising her passion for style and detail and sharing this enthusiasm with others. With the aim being to create and design your dream home – as unique and individual as you are.
Our emphasis is always placed on understanding the needs of our customers, so whether you have been living in the same home for years and feel the need to freshen up the place, are selling your home and want to enhance the sale and maximise your profit, or just need more space in your current home, Home Interior Matters can work alongside you to help achieve your key objectives.
With our expertise, motivation, creative flair and resources we have the passion to present a fabulous home just for you – a space that reflects your individual personality and lifestyle. We always tailor our services around your taste, needs and budget.


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Date of Stay: July, 2016
This is a brand new park and they are still making improvements. The spaces were gravel but adequate. The lady who owns the park is working hard to make a go of it and is very accommodating and pleasant. The restrooms/showers are new and sparkling. There is a laundry with new washers/dryers. There is a small playground and a rope swing for the kids. If you are one of those who needs a pool, a spa, and rec room, you won't be happy. But we were delighted. We are traveling with our 7 year old grandson and he loves to fish. This place has a trout pond where we spent hours fishing and throwing them back. That alone was worth the price to us. We could have walked down to the river to fish but didn't want to buy a Wyoming fishing license. We would definitely stay here again.
Date of Stay: July, 2011
Arrived without reservations early in the day and had no problem getting a spot. Great park. Full hook-ups. 50 amp did not lose voltage when all RV's were running air conditioning. Clean facilities. Nice folks running office. Had no problems putting out slides. Pool was small but very clean and nice. Convenient to just about everything. There is a Flying-J station just up the street. The sites are somewhat close together but it wasn't a problem. Price quoted ($38) included all taxes less Good Sam discount. We would stay here again.
Date of Stay: March, 2011
I concur with the previous reviews. This is a nice little campground across a parking lot from the Salton Sea. No playground. No pool. I don't know if they had showers as we used the one in our motorhome. You park on asphalt between small trees but, although they provide nice shade, they are not tall enough to block satellite reception. Heavily used RR track across the street - one train every 20 or 30 minutes. The lake smell referred to in other posts was not bad during our stay - reminded me of the smell at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Great bird watching. This is a nice park if you don't need anything other than a parking pad, hook ups and a great view of the lake. One other thing: They do take reservations if you do it more than 2 days in advance. Otherwise spots are on a space available basis and you have to renew every day. By the way - about 4 miles south on Hwy 111 is another State Park where you can dry camp right on the edge of the lake for $8 a night. No trees, no shade, no services - nothing. It's perfect. We would have stayed there had we known about it before we got settled in. We would stay here again or maybe dry camp. Either way is pleasant.
Date of Stay: March, 2011
A beautiful spacious park with great camping facilities. The camping spots have lots of room around them so you aren't stacked in like so much cord wood. Friendly camp hosts. No sewer hookup but they do have a dump station. If spots aren't available you dry camp in overflow and await your turn. Max stay in the park is 14 days so spots turn over every day. It is up on a hill with a view of the lights of Phoenix. TV reception is excellent. We will definitely come back here again.
Date of Stay: June, 2009
Campground is about a mile from tourist central, which makes those facilities convenient, but not right on top of you. CG is dirt and gravel so there are small puddles when it rains. Electricity is from a relatively quiet generator which runs 24/7. Showers cost 75 cents for 5 minutes. No sewer - only a dump station. Work campers run the office - very friendly and nice. You can park on a bluff overlooking the river (which has rafts of tourists floating by)and the Alaska RR on other side of canyon (3 or 4 trains per day). Very scenic and convenient to Denali NP. About TV - they have a satellite dish and they rebroadcast about 6 channels over the air on cable frequencies. Hook your TV to your antenna but configure it as if you were watching cable and you can receive the channels. This is a good place to stay to visit the park. It has the basics you need for comfortable camping. If you are the kind that needs to be entertained while camping you won't like it.
Date of Stay: January, 2009
A nice, basic campground. Level gravel sites and roads with small concrete patios for each site. Small trees scattered around the campground but too small to be considered "shade." Cable TV was not working on our visit but we were able to pick up one analog TV channel from Tucson. Satellite TV would work well here. The web site says they have Wi-Fi but during our visit they had antenna problems and Wi-Fi was only available at the laundry and baths. We were able to connect to the Internet via our Verizon cell phone without problem. Very soft and good tasting water which they make themselves using reverse osmosis. Clean park, rest rooms and showers. Not much to do here for kids - no swings, no pool, no kid toys - if they need those things they will be bored. Open on east to the Sonoran desert which provided a great place to walk the dog; but, it also allows things to wander in the other way. We had wild burros wander through - they were fun to watch and were not a problem. We saw wild horses and heard coyotes. Great place to stay when going to visit Organ Pipe Cactus National Park. We were going to stay in Ajo as this park was hard to find on the web and we weren't certain what we would find when we got here. Glad we didn't stay in Ajo as this was much more convenient to the Park. This park is great if you just want a nice, clean place to park. If you must be entertained you won't like it. But for the lack of things for the kids to do, I would have given this park a 9 even with the broken Wi-Fi and non-working cable TV system.
Date of Stay: August, 2008
This park is a hidden gem; right on the river with beautiful views. We were going to only stay one night; ended up staying a week. 50amp/water/sewer. No cable TV but we found plenty of local stations (both analog and digital). Lots of shade trees - well maintained park. You can swim in the river or walk on the path. A major railroad track runs nearby, but the noise didn't bother us. Park host was very nice. Wi-Fi was great; they have several transmitters throughout the park so coverage is solid everywhere. No pool but you have the river. There are some swings for the kids. Be sure to bring all your supplies as this is out in the middle of nowhere, and local services are limited. We stopped here based on previous reviews, and they were right. This is a fantastic park. Staff told us that they recommend reservations on week-ends. During the week there are usually plenty of sites available. Our observation confirms this. We would not only stay here again, we would go out of our way to visit this park again.
Date of Stay: August, 2008
I second the previous comments. Excellent park; nothing fancy but all the necessities. Great staff. They gave us zucchini bread on check in and free access to their garden (great tomatoes). Newspaper on doorstep in the morning. Not much for kids to do but great for adults who want to relax and spend the night. Apparently the price went up; we had to pay $23.76. Still a good deal for what we got. We would definitely stay here again.
Date of Stay: August, 2008
We second all the previous comments. Wonderful campground. Sites are close to level - one block under front wheel took care of it. Not all sites had 50 amp. The office was closed for a "siesta" when we arrived so we had to walk around and find one. Cleanest and nicest bath facilities I have ever seen in a RV park. Free breakfast (except on Sunday). The cafe at the front serves incredible home cooked meals. I had chicken (inc. salad, baked/smoked Idaho potato and corn) for $10. My wife's steak cost the same. It was delicious. If I'm ever in this area again I would stay here.
Date of Stay: August, 2008
We found this campground to be very nice. Yes - the sites are gravel but, if not perfectly level, are pretty close to level. We had no problems getting level. Staff was friendly and helpful. Laundry had industrial sized machines to accommodate sleeping bags of people who camp here in tents. Lounge is very nice. WiFi worked great with surprisingly high speeds. TV reception was poor but if you have satellite you will have no problems. Beautiful views of the Tetons. Sorry - no cable TV, no pool, no spa, no golf course. Just a very nice place to stay. We would definitely stay here again.
Date of Stay: July, 2008
This campground is primarily for families who are on vacation and using the lake. It is a destination resort. Can't add much to previous comments except the staff told me this year (2008) is the last year for the park. They had survey stakes with flags all over the place. Apparently they are taking out the park and going to subdivide into condos. So check before heading to this campground to make sure they are still open.
Date of Stay: July, 2008
This is a wonderful little park just outside the main entrance to Glacier National Park. Heavily wooded. Sites are paved and level. 20/30/50, water, sewer. No cable TV although we were able to pick up a few local stations with our bat wing antenna. Campground hosts are wonderful. They have a campfire every evening. They have a small restaurant where you can purchase home made pies all day and breakfast in the morning. Only drawback is the campground's proximity to Hwy 2 which has heavy traffic during the day which creates some noise; but, as another reviewer commented, the traffic reduces substantially at night. We didn't notice the noise. Restrooms were clean with plenty of hot water in the small telephone booth sized shower. Recently improved their wifi. It worked great at our spot but we were in one of the spots closest to the office. The further back you go the more difficult will be reception. Good laundry facilities. They even had pet sitting services for our dogs. The Google earth coordinates are: Latitude: 48?27'46.42"N Longitude: 114? 0'10.97"W. We arrived here intending to stay just a couple of days. Ended up staying over a week. Beautiful national park and great place to stay. Would definitely stay here again.
Date of Stay: July, 2008
This is a very nice park. Yes, spots are somewhat close but there is plenty of room for slideouts plus the picnic table they provide for each spot. Clean restrooms with good water pressure. Wifi worked excellent and was free. We had a pull through spot and it was long enough for motorhome and toad. Cable tv worked super. Pendleton is an interesting town if you go into town and look around. We would definitely stay here again.
Date of Stay: July, 2008
Nice clean park with wonderful hosts. Small park with some long term residents. Spaces were nicely shaded and adequate for big rigs. No bathrooms, no pool, no game room, no laundry, no Wi-Fi. Just a nice, quiet place with full hook-ups to spend a night or two. If you need more - go someplace else. Cost was $20 per night when we were there. Payment by cash or check only. About 12 miles south of The Dalles, Oregon on SR 197. Coordinates: 45d 27'04.66" N and 121d 07' 44.85" W Address: 10 NE Aiken St., Dufur, OR
Date of Stay: September, 2007
We second the previous review about this being a basic campground. We had a nice, shaded, level, gravel spot, which we backed into, with 50 amp, water and sewer. That's all. Other than a laundry and card room there isn't much here. The campground was full. Manger tells me that people from "the valley", meaning Phoenix, park their RV's here all summer and commute up to get out of the heat as the elevation here is almost 7000 feet. The sign in front says it is an "adult oriented" park - meaning no kids. If you just want a place to hook up for the night, this park is just fine. The park is not well marked so look closely - it is just south of a Shell station. GPS Info: 7101 N. Hwy 89, Flagstaff. Lat/Lon N 35d 14.479m, W 111d 34.225m. Google Earth shows N 35d 14m 28.48s, W 111d 34m 10.90s


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The barren mountain in the south of France provided a valuable foretaste of the conditions Sébastien Loeb and his Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak will face in Colorado, USA, on June 30. True, the road, which climbs to the peak of Mont Ventoux, does not reach the same sort of altitudes as Pikes Peak, but its characteristics make it an ideal venue for the continuing development and fine-tuning of the powerful 875hp beast.
Since its first outing in the hands of the nine-time world rally champion, the car has covered a high number of kilometres pounding round a circuit driven by Sébastien Loeb's understudy, test driver Grégory Guilvert. After his recent victory on the World Rally Championship's Rally Argentina and a race last weekend in Barcelona, Spain, Loeb himself was delighted to be reacquainted with the 208 T16 Pikes Peak. His first observation was to note that the machine's striking new livery has in no way detracted from its grunt. "It's the same beast of a car," he beamed after his first run. "Driving it on a real road is a very useful pointer because that is what awaits us at Pikes Peak. Its handling is extremely responsive but I'm still not quite able to place it as precisely as I would like. That's something we will need to work on a little more..."
The taming process will now continue in the United States and the 208 T16 Pikes Peak is due to be flown out to Colorado at the end of the month. Once there, Peugeot Sport will continue the countdown to its exciting adventure.
#208T16 #PeugeotPikesPeak


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So I've decided to start some discussion posts as well as my normal blog posts to see what people think. I'm hoping people will find these as a useful forum to discuss ideas and beliefs, and just to provide an open forum for debate.
The questions that I ask by no means reflect my personal beliefs, but they do reflect conversations that I've had with people and questions that have been raised in those conversations. So the first question is this:
The assumption when thinking about atheism is that atheists want to learn and progress. Therefore, is it illogical to be an atheist seen as no one has disproved God and there is a possibility that he exists? Surely any logical human who didn't have religious belief would be an agnostic?
Dean is a Minister in the Anglican Church. Currently he is Curate in the parishes of Bedwas, Machen, Michaelston-y-Fedw and Rudry in South Wales. He was born and bred in Wales, is married to Megan, and has two dogs called Taliesin and Melyn, and two cats named Sinsir and Hâf. He graduated from Cardiff University with a BA Hons. in Theology & Religious Studies, and has studied for an MA in Theology, Ministry & Mission at Trinity College Bristol. He also holds a Cert.RSCM from the Royal School of Church Music. He loves playing music, walking, reading, blogging and horse riding as well as going to the cinema and theatre.
Read More @ http://deanroberts.net/about
That's because the (ahem) people asking the question don't understand atheism. Or agnosticism.
I am an agnostic atheist, meaning that I don't believe(atheist) God exists but I don't know(agnostic) for sure. That would be silly; I don't know the entirety of the universe. Before anybody gets ideas about "wouldn't it be better to believe in case you're wrong", Pascal's Wager has been discredited for a very long time now.
Thanks for the reply 🙂 Why would you say that it's been discredited, and why would you say that 'lack of evidence' for God is a valid reason to be an agnostic atheist, when you could be the other way and be a theist due to lack of evidence against God?
Because it doesn't work like that. Atheism doesn't exist in a vacuum. If there weren't any theists around, atheism wouldn't exist. Atheists don't go around screaming "There is no God! There is no God!" to an uncaring universe, you know. Theists, on the other hand, proclaim, "There is a God! There is a God!" with absolutely nothing to back such an extraordinary claim than a few dusty old books written either in languages that have been dead for thousands of years or by cultures that, today, we simply don't understand.
I am an atheist, but I am also an agnostic, also. See other discussion for a description of what that means. Provide me with perfect, verifiable proof that God exists and I will believe that said God exists. Why wouldn't I? I am an atheist, not an idiot. I may not find said God worthy of my worship, however, but that's a different discussion.
So there you have it. A challenge. Be warned, however, that I do not accept holy books, personal revelation or reports of miracles of any sort as any kind of proof. Nor do I accept holes in our and my own current understanding of the universe as proof of God's existence. Techniques used on primitive people from the jungle or the desert are not acceptable today.
I get where you're coming from, but aren't we just losing any notion of faith in the whole thing?
I mean, if people can be innocent until proven guilty, then surely God can exist until proven otherwise?
But what about if people disprove God. How could that possibly accurate if people have tried to outsmart God, when it was God who created them as mere mortal beings, how could we get our mind around God?
I'll never be able to give you a formula to prove God, because some things you just have to accept by faith. Of course, I could point to lots of 'evidence' for God, but you'd discredit that as being part of the big bang and all sorts of things.
I mean, I know you don't accept the Bible as any proof, but Jesus' claims as being God. Surely they must count for something seen as these texts have survived and outlived every other human who's ever lived. If people didn't think he was God, then why would they be willing to die for him? – I'm not using this as proof of God, but you do have to think about these things.
It just seems illogical to me that you would demand proof of God before believing in him. It's a futile argument I think, the one you're putting on the table, because we both want things that neither of us can give eachother, if you see what I mean?
Christian faith isn't what we'd call blind faith, but nonetheless, it is a faith, and that means believing in some things without solid facts, such as A + B x C /43 = God if you understand…
Hi "The Other Wierdo"
You said:
You also said:
Provide me with perfect, verifiable proof that God exists and I will believe that said God exists.
I have a few starter questions.
a) My understanding of "The scientific method" is that it does not reply on perfect, verifiable proof. Instead theorems are put forward that appear to fit the evidence and are then tested/challenged. You seem to be requiring a much higher level of "proof" in this field. Have I misunderstood?
b) In what sense do you not accept "holy books"? As ancient literature the Bible (particularly the New Testament) is unique in terms of the number, consistency and age (as in close in time to the original manuscripts) of the manuscripts. Do you accept the reliability of the transmission of the manuscripts through the ages? Do you accept the reliability of the translations? As one example it would provide a clearer base for discussion if I knew what it is you do not accept about "Holy Books"?
c) I am left wondering whether you are simply determined to not believe and not be challenged. You have ruled out so many different ways of being convinced that I wonder what you think is left.
You haven't misunderstood. Then again, this isn't about the scientific method. Scientists use the "scientific method" because they are people and are therefore totally fallible. Though not always successful, it is the best way we have of learning about the world that results in real, verifiable knowledge.
What we're discussing here, however, is not science. It is God, the supposedly first-cause of the Universe itself, the main(some would say the only) driver in the seat of our lives. Something like that should be knowable without double-blind taste tests and performing experiments. Apparently, it is not, and that's what I'm looking for here.
Holy books are "holy" only because they rely on the uncritical assumption that they were indeed written(or at least inspired by) the very being that is discussed within their pages. Since that assumption hasn't been proven yet, holy books are not useful as anything other than ancient literature.
The ways I ruled out rely on emotional manipulation and uncritical acceptance of the printed word. They are also some of the most common ways that Christians use to convert unbelievers and non-believers.
Hi "The Oher Wierdo",
Thanks for your reply.
Something like that should be knowable without double-blind taste tests and performing experiments. Apparently, it is not, and that's what I'm looking for here
H'mm, you have left me confused. You appear to be rejecting the scientific method as being unnecessary while also rejecting anything else as being emotional manipulation.
I think there are other options and it seems to me that you end up missing both the support that the scientific method gives to Christian Faith (particularly the analysis of manuscripts) while rejecting as emotional manipulation the evidence of historical research and literary criticism (as two examples).
I do not believe that Christian faith can be fully proved purely logically/scientifically (obviously then it would not be a matter of faith). However, I do find there is a weight of supporting evidence (that to use someone else's comparison is entirely lacking for tooth fairies).
Holy books are "holy" only because they rely on the uncritical assumption that they were indeed written(or at least inspired by) the very being that is discussed within their pages. Since that assumption hasn't been proven yet, holy books are not useful as anything other than ancient literature
Unsurprisingly enough I disagree. I am very happy to discuss the Bible without assumptions about it being written by or inspired by God. When looked at without that assumption it is still powerful and challenging. As historical literature it is incredibly well attested to in many ways (far more so that say Julius Ceasers Gallic Wars).
The Bible is incredibly useful beyond a label as "ancient literature". For example this year being the 400th since the publication of the King James Bible it has been a time when the immense cultural significance of the Bible in understanding much literature & art as well as many newer forms of art such as films has been highlighted .
I am afraid that to claim that the Bible is just another piece of ancient literature is to put your head in the sand. In terms of the text itself as well as the impact it has had that is obviously not true.
As I said above. I disagree, you have ruled out way more than just ways that "rely on emotional manipulation and uncritical acceptance of the written word". I am happy to engage with critical (in the technical literature sense) readings of the Bible, they do not worry or frighten me.
While I recognise that Christians are far from perfect and we frequently get things wrong my own experiences do not support your claim that these are common ways of conversion.
You are always welcome to come and meet the people in the Churches I serve and ask them about their conversions and whether they have been manipulated or forced to accept things uncritically.
I wish you could have been at the ladies meeting I was at this evening. Mostly pretty elderly (I guess average age over 70) we had a great discussion about Holy Communion with freedom to criticise & challenge. They would laugh at your claims of conversion methods.
is it illogical to be an atheist seen as no one has disproved God
Why is it that you feel the burden of proof should be on atheists to prove the non existence of god? Experience has taught me that it is impossible to prove something doesn't exist. So, I would think rather than ask an atheist to disprove god, would it not be more logical to present evidence for one?
There is a fine distinction between what atheists believe about god and what you think we believe. We do not believe "there is no god", what we believe is that we have not seen sufficient evidence to confirm the existence of god, therefore no reason to assume there is one. It is simply a default position to say there is no god.
What atheist get from someone who pursues this approach to the conversation is that they are avoiding the elephant in the room. It's not that we can't prove there is no god, we know that, we will all admit it, that's not the issue, the issue is, can you provide any verifiable evidence that there is one, that's the issue.
Why is your default position "there is no God"? Shouldn't it be I don't know?
Also, please see above for my further questions leading on from your rather similar points…
What would be the point. I don't say, I don't know if there are unicorns. Why? Because there is no evidence for them. Why should a non provable god be provided special status just because people have labeled some mythical being god?
Do you say you don't know if the tooth fairy exists?
But we're not talking about unicorns and tooth fairies are we? We're talking about God. And if God does exist, then that has a damn sight more bearing on your life than a unicorn or tooth fairy doesn't it?
Also, and on a side note, Christians would suggest that there is evidence, and then give you it; but the problem is that the evidence isn't acceptable to you.
if God does exist, then that has a damn sight more bearing on your life than a unicorn or tooth fairy doesn't it?
That's correct. However If the same amount of evidence is available for each one, which is none, then each is equal. irrelevant. If there is no god then you have devoted yourself to a life of slavery to an idea. One that robbed you of the only thing of real value you have, time. When all along you could have dedicated yourself to things of real importance, like the betterment of mankind. Instead you chose to focus your life on a wing and a prayer, In hopes that something for which there is no evidence for, is true.
Suggesting evidence and producing it are two different things. I spent many years as a christian, I am very familiar with the evidence. I know the only way you can settle for the evidence is to accept it with out question. It just seems strange to me that if a god existed he would hide himself within inconsistencies and confusion. So your right it isn't acceptable to me.
Well I don't think the life would be wasted, actually. I love that you think that we are enslaved. That's not at all right.
And, to be honest, a lot of the Christian life is trying to help out humanity.
As far as the evidence goes, what evidence do you mean? What would be acceptable evidence to you? It doesn't seem like there is any sort of evidence that would be.
And inconsistencies – the atheists who have commented on my blog so far have banded this word around like there's no tomorrow, yet fail to produce even one inconsistency that they have come across themselves. And, if God had made it too confusing, then none of us would be Christians, would we. We're talking about an all knowing mind over the mere mortal here. And I actually think the gospel message is the simplest thing in the world.
Yet, ironically, the hardest thing in the world for someone who doesn't want to believe…
There are people for whom unicorns have more bearing on their lives than your god. If you don't believe in God, then he has no bearing whatsoever. Just because he might exist and other think that he does is not a reason to be concerned. If I believe that unicorns possess the key to heaven and salvation, that still doesn't mean anything to you just because it's possibly true and I believe that it is.
I'm not any more concerned that unicorns hold the key to heaven than I am concerned about God. Both are possibilities, but I don't believe either one is true. To you, it's a situation with tremendous bearing on my life, and that's fine. But to those who aren't believers, it's just another fictional story – like unicorns and tooth fairies. I think that's what Renshia was trying to get across. At least I hope it is 🙂
The gnostic\agnostic question is one of knowledge. Do you know that gods exist? We do not, or at least anyone with an ounce of intellectual honesty would not claim knowledge of gods' existence.
The theist\atheist question is one of belief. Do you believe in one or more gods. I do not.
I am an agnostic atheist. The term agnostic isn't some middle ground between atheism and theism. It is an entirely different question. I am agnostic because I claim no knowledge of gods and I am atheist because I lack belief in gods. It really is as simple as that.
The way that you use atheist as someone who believes that your god does not exist is one small part of the spectrum of atheism. It is equivalent to dumping all Christians into the same definition as Fred Phelps or Mike Stahl. That would be a fallacy of composition and nobody wants to be accused of that.
Also I think it is worth turning this question around to see how it plays out: "Is it illogical to be a theist given that no one has proven the existence of a god there is a possibility that no gods exist? Surely any logical human who agnostic."
Do you see how this same question works when applied to your beliefs? Do you now see the flaw in the question and how it is stated in such a loaded manner?
But I don't think you can assume that someone isn't intellectual just because they believe that they know that there is a God, whether that's because of the creation they see around them, a miracle that they may have experienced, or near death experience, or just a gut feeling.
Because God can't, like I've commented up there ^ be proven by formulas and other things. There has to be an element of faith. That's why it's called the Christian faith.
But I mean, I study theology and the Bible and I just can't help but notice all the fulfilled prophecies, and hear the stories of missionaries who I've met who see people being raised from the dead daily, and all these things.
To me, those are just some things that point towards there being a God. Like, just even the universe, how big it is. We believe that the universe is eternal… but so many find it hard to believe in an eternal God. Even if you reached the end of the universe, one would want to know what was the other side. What if the other side was God?
Like I've also said – we're looking for things off of eachother that we can't give. But I personally feel that it's more logical to believe.
And may I just add that the job of the Christian isn't to try and prove to people with facts that God exists, even though many try, it's simply to preach what Jesus (who we believe is God) told us. And the message that Jesus told us to preach is just simply amazing. And I know it sounds silly to you, even foolishness, but I just love Jesus. I can't help it! Like, people go crazy over celebrities and worship them. I do the same, but to Jesus. And that's all I can tell you. But the Bible says that to those who don't have the desire to know God, then they won't listen, and this will all seem like foolishness.
I don't know whether you want to believe or not. But I think if you think long and hard about the question, I don't think you want to believe enough. Because surely, if you wanted to believe enough then you would?
I know my arguments may be flawed, but I've tried to be as honest and as personal as I can. I'm not here on a mission. My blog is simply to blog about Christian things, theology, current affairs and to just open up for discussion, which I think this is achieving. I hope you understand 🙂
Dean, I respect your posts and your thoughts. But, your arguments are extremely self-centered. To you, everyone is either right (a Christian) or they have some problem that's preventing them from being right like you (like not wanting it bad enough).
So I feel compelled to ask – why is it that you don't "want it bad enough" to believe what I do? Why haven't you accepted that you're performing the ultimate sin by shirking responsibility for your own sins and placing them on Jesus' shoulders? What is preventing you from coming to the correct conclusion?
I guess if you wanted to believe enough then you would.
Or maybe you've just gotten used to being able to make self-righteous accusations to people who are humble enough not to counter with equally arrogant remarks.
You're just some guy with some beliefs, just like everyone else. The difference is, not everyone feels compelled to make sweeping, arrogant assumptions about complete strangers. Please try to understand that.
Well I don't believe your first statement. Because the sentence immediately after it knocks that 'compliment' right on it's face.
To you, everyone is either right (a Christian) or they have some problem that's preventing them from being right like you (like not wanting it bad enough).
Have I said that? No. By being right, what do you mean? Morally? Or about God? Well of course I'm going to think I'm right about God. Just like you think you're right about atheism. Do I think they who don't believe have a problem? Kind of. I would say it's sin – but we all have sin (thinking from a Christian point of view).
Or maybe you've just gotten used to being able to make self-righteous accusations to people who are humble enough not to counter with equally arrogant remarks.You're just some guy with some beliefs, just like everyone else. The difference is, not everyone feels compelled to make sweeping, arrogant assumptions about complete strangers. Please try to understand that.
In what way are they self righteous? I don't think they are. You don't want to believe, I do. I see evidence to help me with the faith that I have. You don't accept that evidence and don't believe.
This whole comment is completely childish. You've taken one little line that I've said, and twisted it into a huge vice which amounts to nothing, I'm afraid. You've completely ignored the rest of my comment, and focussed on this one thing. Which, if we're honest is a perfectly true thing to say. I mean, it's not me who's saying it at the end of the day. It just says it in the Bible. I'm merely quoting what I believe God has given me to get to know him more.
I was completely honest in my comment up there. There was no self righteousness at all. But I do have to say that any atheist who challenges me on an issue and doesn't like my reply gives me the self righteous chestnut. I'm sure you'd hate it if I did the same to you every time you replied to a question that I posed to you.
If you're going to reply on here, then please don't just start lashing out and making deeply personal remarks. To say that you don't want to believe enough is a completely valid statement to make. Because if I asked you, you would answer, "No, I don't want to believe enough".
I never said you weren't honest. I said you were self-righteous. I believe that you're honest.
You're self-righteous, and that's okay. I'm being confrontational, but that's okay too.
I can be open and honest without being disrespectful. I'm sure you're called self-righteous all the time, when you're just saying what you feel. When I say what I feel, Christians tell me I lash out and I don't respect them.
So it goes.
I'm not sure why you think I'd answer "No, I don't want to believe enough". And I'm not sure what the question was. Was that my answer to your question "Why don't I believe in God" or my question to you?
If I'm honest, I don't know! I get what you're saying…
But I wasn't being self righteous in my argument. I was simply stating what the Bible says about people who don't want to believe.
Anyway, I've said all there is to say for this part of the discussion. I'm glad that we can get along, and whilst I don't agree with your comments, I do enjoy reading them and interacting with you 🙂
Your approach Dean, seems very christian centric. I recommend readin up on John Loftus' outsider test.
You ask why we atheists don't believe, is it because we don't want to? This assumes that we have a choice between Christianity or atheism, but its far bigger than that. We are presented with a vast array of faiths, and a vast array of denominations within those faiths and none of them seems to have any really solid evidence behind them.
You state in some of your posts the long legacy of the church but you must realise this has far more to do with historical causes than the contents. What if Constantine hadn't adopted it as state religion. Do you think it would still be the biggest faith on earth? Sure you can say it was faith that motivated him and maybe it was, but it was his secular power as emperor that made christianity powerful, not his believe in its contents. You've also mentioned in posts that people are willing to die for christianity, people are willing to die for all kinds of causes. Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism all have their heroic martyrs. Even democracy, homosexuality and communism have their heroic martyrs. People have always been willing to die for their ideals and christianity is not proved any different by its own. Not to mention of course that throughout history there have been no oppressors of christianity as vicious and thorough as other christians. The albigensian crusade, inquisition and Europes protestant vs catholic religious wars to name just a few.
The fact of it is that currently lacking faith, an atheist can find no really solid reason to believe in any faith. Nor do we feel any particular need to suspend our critical faculties to ignore that need for evidence when formulating our world view. Christianity offers us nothing we desperately need, it offers no evidence that it is real or that it is more real than other faiths and indeed its history reads exactly as if there was no god.
When you realise that the evidence Christ existed at all is so extremely thin, that messianic jewish prophets were common back then and that the bible itself is a cobbled together book written by unknown authors, well after the event and put together by committee, then you lose all respect for the authority it claims. The bible you read did not exist for hundreds of years after Christs death and the faith you follow did not exist for over a millenia.
The majority of atheists are agnostic atheists. We can't be sure of gods existence (as it is impossible to prove a negative) but we given the quality of the evidence we see no reason to believe.
If you are honest about it, this is exactly why you don't believe in Hinduism, or Islam. You can't be sure they are wrong, but there is no evidence that you find convincing to make you follow their faiths. We just treat your god the same as we treat theirs.
Hi Dean! Thank you for sparking these interesting debates here!
I just want to pick on the fact you think it's illogical to assume there is no God when God can neither be proved or disproved. By that same logic, it is illogical to assume there is a God when God can neither be proved or disproved. So using that logic, neither atheism nor Christianity has anything above the other. However, as a child is born without religion, it is surely a more logical stance to not believe in God, since religion must be either indoctrined or learned – religion is not the natural stance to take; atheism is.
I also saw you had a problem with atheism talking about inconsistencies. As it happens, there is a reason you hear this word a lot – because the fact of the matter is that there are a lot of inconsistencies within the Bible. I could give you so many examples but you will probably just tell me I either don't understand or have taken it out of context,so there doesn't seem to be a lot of point. I have read the Bible and know that I haven't misunderstood the contradictions I found in it, or taken them out of context.
And lastly, you say that you present atheists with evidence, which gets rejected. I daresay that if the only 'evidence' for evolution was a 2000 year old scripture you would laugh evolutionists down – let alone the scientific, paleontological and geological errors in it. I have seen no evidence at all for Christianity – in fact the converse, I have seen far more compelling evidence for evolution. You say that the evidence you give would not be accepted as evidence by atheists, and the reason for that is that the evidence you give isn't really evidence. If we define evidence as 'the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid' – I think you will agree that the Bible, personal experience, and 'the world around us' is quite blatantly not evidence.
And since we're talking about evidence, Christians reject the wealth of evidence there is regarding evolution. I'm sorry but I completely fail to understand how you want atheists to accept the Bible as proof for a God, yet won't accept radioactive dating, fossil evidence and genealogical evidence as true. No wonder you have different ideas of evidence, Dean, because if you had the same ideas of evidence as atheists you wouldn't be a Christian. I would say you know that by your comment earlier up the page where you say Christianity is based on faith. And that is true, it is based on faith alone. Not facts.
Re: Dean: I'm glad that we can get along, and whilst I don't agree with your comments, I do enjoy reading them and interacting with you
Do you believe in Zeus, Ra, Thor, Uranus, Shu, Bochica, Boraro, Inti, Danu, Tlaloc, or any of the other 3,700+ gods other humans have believed in or do believe in? If not, why? Can you disprove their existence? How can you be so illogical?
Atheists don't believe in your god or any of the other 3,700+ gods dreamed up by humanity for the same reason. There's no evidence for them. When you figure out why you don't believe in all of the gods you don't believe in, along with the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and Bigfoot, you'll understand why we don't believe in your chosen god. You might also want to look up "Burden of Proof". You have it. We don't.
But the God I believe in became a man.
Yes, But can he become a woman with the head of an elephant! Many gods and goddesses supposedly have manifested in more impressive physical forms at some point or another than your "man". Many a man has professed to be a god too. So what's your point?
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'Raanjhanaa' Tweet Review: First day, first show
Will Anand Rai be able to instill the audiences faith in love? Will Dhanush be able to prove his mettle again?
New Delhi: Bollywood has experimented with romance innumerable times and in innumerable ways. But, director Anand L Rai is set to give love a new definition in his latest offering 'Raanjhanaa'. When youth are more enthusiatic to throw break-up parties, Anand L Rai is set to inspire youth to hold onto the last thread of love and hope.
Apart from the interesting promos and witty dialogues, the star cast also makes the film interesting. Only known as superstar Rajinikanth's son-in-law back in Bollywood, Dhanush will be seen making his Bollywood debut in 'Raanjhanaa'.
From the director of 'Tanu Weds Manu', 'Raanjhanaa' is a romantic story between a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl. The film also stars Abhay Deol and Swara Bhaskar in pivotal roles.
Will Anand L Rai be able to instill the audiences faith in love? Will Dhanush be able to prove his mettle in Bollywood as well?
Charu Thakur of IBNLive was inside the theatre to find that out.
9:45 AM: Directed by Aanand L Rai, #Raanjhanaa stars Sonam Kapoor, Dhanush, Abhay Deol and Swara Bhaskar.
9:47 AM: Dhanush makes his Bollywood debut with #Raanjhanaa.
10:08 AM: Ladki aur rocket aapko kahi bhi leja sakte hain. #Raanjhanaa begins.
10:10 AM: Namaaz mein vo thi par aisa laga ki dua hamari qabool ho gai. #Raanjhanaa
10:13 AM: AR Rahman mesmerises with his 'Tum Tak' song. #Raanjhanaa
10:25 AM: Lanka dahan hona baaki tha kyunki hamara jawaan hona baaki tha. Shout it out for Dhanush. #Raanjhanaa
10:38 AM: Aanand L Rai beautifully captures Benaras in #Raanjhanaa.
10:49 AM: Girlfriend na sahi feel hi dede. #Raanjhanaa
10:53 AM: And, here comes Abhay Deol in #Raanjhanaa.
11:01 AM: Tumahara pyaar na ho gaya..UPSC ka exam ho gaya..10 saal se paas hi nai ho raha. #Raanjhanaa
11:20 AM: Dhanush surely proves his mettle as a superb actor till first half of #Raanjhanaa.
11:47 AM: #Raanjhanaa gets gripping in the second half.
11:58 AM: #Raanjhanaa is not just about love but also student politics.
12:05 PM: #Raanjhanaa gets over the top and filmy in few scenes. But still it calls for a few claps and whistles.
12:28 PM: #Raanjhanaa instills your faith in true love.
12:29 PM: Dhanush is the show stealer in #Raanjhanaa.
12:32 PM: Watch #Raanjhanaa for its romance, stellar performance by Dhanush, dialogues and its music.
12:34 PM: Thank you for staying with us through the live tweet review of #Raanjhanaa.
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Modern Finnish aid policy, others will follow
Finland now has an aid policy that focuses heavily on ecological sustainability. Paavo Väyrynen, Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, says it is only a matter of time before other donors follow suit.
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Boxing Toward the Olympics
Men have boxed in the Olympic games since the ancient Greeks adopted the sport more than two thousand years ago. Women, never. That changes this year, when women enter the Olympic boxing ring for the first time.
The Women Box series follows female Olympic boxing contenders on their journey to the London games. The stories explore aggression and desire in the lives of girls; what turns a woman into a fighter; and what it takes to make a female champion.
The Long Road
It has taken decades of activism and lawsuits for women to break into the amateur boxing world. This summer women's boxing will make its debut at the Games in London. For the women who are aiming to make history, there is still a long road ahead. Twenty four Olympic hopefuls will compete in February outside of Spokane, WA, for a berth on the US team. Three will make it.
And that's not all. To make it all the way to the Olympics, those three women will have to compete with contenders from around the world at the 2012 Women's World Championship in Qinhuangdao, China. Only the top eight women in each weight class will have a chance to showcase their talent, skill and determination in the 2012 Olympic games.
Follow The Fighters
Follow along as we continue to update their stories here and at nytimes.com, npr.org and through Twitter, Facebook and podcasts during the month of February. Join us at The Greene Space on February 10 for a conversation about women boxers with Rosie Perez, a 16 year old Olympic hopeful and a four-time world champion.
Photo by Sue Jaye Johnson
WOMEN BOX: Fighting to Make History is a collaboration of WNYC, NPR, The New York Times, and The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space.
Sue Jaye Johnson: Producer and Photojournalist
Marianne McCune: Producer and Radio Reporter
Ann Heppermann: Audio Editing
Emily Botein: Audio Editing
Joe Richman and Samara Freemark/Radio Diaries: Audio Editing
Lisa Polen: Web Production
Karen Frillmann: Editor
Indira Etwaroo: Executive Producer, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space
Kathleen Ehrlich: Director of Digital Content, WNYC
Elizabeth Zagroba: Quality Assurance Manager, New York Public Radio


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Friday's carnage erased early gains, Sensex down 191 points
Friday's mayhem following fall in the rupee value to an all-time low amid concerns over the continuity of US Fed's stimulus programme washed out all initial gains of the benchmark S~~amp;amp;P BSE Sensex.
Friday's mayhem following fall in the rupee value to an all-time low amid concerns over the continuity of US Fed's stimulus programme washed out all initial gains of the benchmark and BSE Sensex.
It witnessed a decline of 191 points, extending losses for the fourth straight week. The market was closed on August 15, 2013 on account of "Independence Day". The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share barometer resumed the week higher on the back of an increase in exports and hopes of additional measures to support the rupee.
On August 10, top finance ministry officials worked to firm up more steps to arrest the sliding rupee and contain the current account deficit (CAD) as they continued discussions initiated by Finance Minister P Chidambaram a day earlier.
Commerce Secretary S R Rao said exports grew 11.64 per cent to USD 25.83 billion in July, while imports declined 6.2 per cent to USD 38.1 billion, leaving a trade deficit of USD 12.2 billion.
It also ignored the data, which showed that inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) shot up to a five-month high of 5.79 per cent from 4.86 per cent in June. Sensex then also rallied further to touch a high of 19,392.56 on Wednesday as the government on Tuesday increased import duty on gold, silver and platinum to 10 per cent to stem the rupee fall.
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Have a bunch of spiders it seems surrounding my house and some inside. Any suggestions on how to get rid? Thank you all in advance!!
Good luck, there really is no way to "prevent" spiders.
About all you can do is spray them as you see them or suck them up in the vacuum cleaner.
There going to come in on your clothes, your pet's, any tiny hole they can find.
Spiders are a good thing, leave em alone:yes:
Agree---why would you worry about spiders outside? They eat bugs---
Any insecticide used outside could kill beneficial insects honey bees--bumble bees and spiders---
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The public aspects of the biggest building do-up in New Zealand will be unveiled just before Christmas.
Lobby and entrance areas at the 38-level ANZ Centre on the corner of Albert, Swanson and Federal Sts will be open mid-December, says AMP NZ Office chief executive Scott Pritchard.
"The pavilion and lobby will open then and the onsite works will be finished by May next year," Pritchard said. "The job is on programme and we're continuing to deliver floors.
"So far, seven floors have been finished out of 20."
Internal floors are being stripped out and done up in a refurbishment programme worth $76 million.
AMP employed architect Warren and Mahoney, and builder Fletcher Construction on the project.


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Joe Bonamassa Performs to Sold Out Crowd at The Pearl inside Palms Casino Resort
April 23, 2013 by VegasNews.com
The house was rockin' Saturday night as Joe Bonamassa performed an amazing show to a sold out crowd at The Pearl inside Palms Casino Resort. The show was in support of his #1 Billboard charted album Driving Towards the Daylight and the bluesman didn't disappoint (Photo credit: David Becker/WireImage).
Photo credit: David Becker/WireImage.
Fans were treated to an opening acoustic set including "Athens to Athens" and "Woke Up Dreaming" before plugging in and performing songs including "Dislocated Boy," "Who's Been Talking" and "Young Man's Blues." Bonamassa is no stranger to the Palms, having recorded two studio albums at the resort's Studio at the Palms recording facility. The journey of making the album was documented in a video series Bonamassa released last year.
Photo credit: David Becker/WireImage.
Photo credit: David Becker/WireImage.
© 2013, VegasNews.com. All rights reserved.


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Canadian court says file sharing is legal
The Canadian Federal Court has ruled that computer users who made music available on the Internet could not be sued. The recording industry said it would appeal the decision.
Justice Konrad von Finckenstein ruled yesterday that the Canadian Recording Industry Association did not prove there was copyright infringement by 29 so-called "music uploaders."
He said downloading a song or making files available in shared directories, like those on the popular web site Kazaa, do not constitute copyright infringement under Canadian law.
"No evidence was presented that the alleged infringers either distributed or authorised the reproduction of sound recordings," Justice von Finckenstein wrote in his 28-page ruling. "They merely placed personal copies into their shared directories which were accessible by other computer users via a P2P," or person-to-person, service.
He compared the action to a photocopy machine in a library.
"I cannot see a real difference between a library that places a photocopy machine in a room full of copyrighted material and a computer user that places a personal copy on a shared directory linked to a P2P service," he said.
A lawyer for the industry group said it would appeal. He called Canada's copyright law an "urgent matter that needs to be settled."
"In our view, the copyright law in Canada does not allow people to put hundreds or thousands of music files on the Internet for copying, transmission and distribution to millions of strangers," lawyer Richard Pfohl said.
Last month, the Canadian recording industry group took five internet service providers, including Bell Canada, Rogers Cable and Shaw Communications, to Federal Court, trying to force the companies to hand over the names and addresses of 29 people who allegedly shared hundreds of songs with others using programs such as Kazaa last November and December.
The judge denied the recording industry's request, which means high-speed Internet providers won't have to divulge their client list.
The association can't begin civil litigation against the file swappers until Internet service providers name the alleged offenders. The users currently are identifiable only through a numeric Internet protocol address and user handles.
Ronald Dimock, a lawyer for the recording industry, had argued in court that the file sharers shouldn't be allowed to hide behind privacy laws because those laws don't cover protecting illegal activity.
The London-based International Federation of the Phonographic Industry yesterday cited the same 29 filesharers in Canada among a group of uploaders in Germany, Denmark, Italy and Canada that the group said were the focus of lawsuits, criminal charges or threatening letters.
The federation is an umbrella group that includes the Canadian Recording Industry Association, Pfohl said.
Worldwide, the recording industry says it has been losing billions of dollars in revenue for the past several years because people are sharing songs through the Internet instead of purchasing the music themselves.
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America has filed nearly 2,000 such lawsuits against file swappers since last autumn, and has settled some 400 cases, generally for a few thousands US dollars each.
An internet and e-commerce law expert said he expected the Canadian decision to spur the music industry to lobby for copyright reform in Canada. He called the ruling "stunning."
"It raises questions of the viability of suing individual users in Canada under current Canadian copyright law," said Michael Geist, a professor at the University of Ottawa.


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text:
Today we're running our picks for the Top 50 News Stories of 2011 in gaming. Clearly, there is value in contemplating what have been the most important events of the past year. But ranking 'events' is inherently problematic, especially when they are wildly differing in their nature. Many IGN readers will be interested to learn how such a list is decided upon.
So look, it's not scientific. We, the news team, sat down and looked at a big list of stories that we'd run through the year, and picked 50 that were obviously important to games, or that stuck in our memory as being interesting or emotionally valuable. We decided to leave out announcements about individual games, excepting those that were so big that they clearly had to be included (e.g. GTA V), but we did pick stories that introduced the biggest games of the year.
We ranked according to our own sense of how big a deal something was at the time, how important it is for gaming going forward, how much traffic it gained, how many comments it attracted and just how much he story made us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Also, we wanted to create a Top 50 that shows the variety of gaming and the games industry.
We passed it around internally and engaged in a long debate which resulted in the final list you see. Is it perfect in every way? No. Because ultimately, there really isn't much value in ranking such-and-such at number 24 and thingamajig at number 51, other than to re-appraise the year and try to form some perspective. But taken as a whole, we think it' a good representation of where gaming is right now, one that's more compelling than a flat list devoid of the context of value.
There is one story missing from the list. The death of Steve Jobs was clearly "a big story". One could argue how, taken dispassionately as a mere media event, it ranks higher or lower than other events in the somewhat secluded word of gaming. But we feel this would be in poor taste. Steve's contribution to gaming has been enormous, but his contribution to the world we live in, and how we interact with one another, is much larger. More than that, all people deserve dignity and placing him in a list of stories about video games is undignified.
If you would like to discuss any of the issues further, the best way to get in touch with me is via Twitter. My Twitter name is @colincampbellx.


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The Russian government is looking to ditch processors made by Intel and AMD and replace them with a local flavor of ARM, according to numerous reports.
Kommersant says a group of three state-owned Russian companies is working to develop a home-grown ARM processor known as Baikal that will use ARM's 64-bit Cortex A-57 as a design base, will be built using a 28nm process, come with up to eight cores and run at speeds of 2GHz or more in servers and PCs. "It is assumed that Baikal will be delivered to the authorities and state-owned companies," notes Kommersant.
The report was picked up by ITR-TASS, Russia's central state information agency, which added that Baikal will be used to power servers and computers used by both government agencies and state-owned companies. That's a big deal, considering that those entities together purchase some 300,000 servers and 700,000 PCs each year at a total cost of some $1.3 billion. Neither report mentioned security as a motive, but recent revelations about U.S. technology vendors cooperating with the National Security Agency can't have contributed to peace of mind at the Kremlin.
The news site Phoronix speculated that security and the NSA drive the Russian government's decision, adding that for those who believe Intel and AMD have been compromised by the NSA, "it's time to celebrate".
The move could be a huge boost to adherents of servers and PCs based on ARM processors, which are currently use mostly for mobile and embedded devices. Google, Facebook and Amazon Web Services are all reportedly interested in building their own ARM-based machinery as a way of reducing operating costs. There's also a lot of interest in the idea from startups, such as Cavium, which is developing 48-core ARM chips for use in servers.


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Jana A.
Nanny in Atchison, KS 66002.
Looking for full-time work as a nanny.
Enhanced Background Check not run.
Enhanced Background Check(Not Run)
Basic Background Check not run.
Basic Background Check(Not Run)
Motor Vehicle Records Check not run.
Motor Vehicle Records Check(Not Run)
Atchison, KS
- Age 42
- 1 year paid experience
- Female
Last signed in: More than 6 months
Preferred Rate $150-$250 per week
Jana's Bio
I am a single mother of two grown children, I am seeking a meaningful career change and am free to "roam about the country ! " I am the oldest of 4 sisters and have a rather large family, which naturally , is very dear to my heart. I have a very strong work ethic, and Integrity is a very important quality I apply to all aspects of my life. I was raised as a Lutheran and attend that same church currently, and I will respect your choice of religion etc. I have a strong love of the outdoors and I enjoy camping, fishing, walking, swimming, grilling, boating, mowing, gardening. I believe that any day I wake up is already a GREAT DAY and have another chance to enjoy my life! I have 2 young nieces' and one coming in November as well as several close friends with young children, all of whom love " Aunt Jan" . If elected to be part of your family, I will be willing and flexible to work with the style of your home and life. I look forward to meeting with you and your little dears!
Age Specific Experience
1 year of paid child care experience with:
- First year
- Toddlers (1 to 3 years)
- Preschooler (3 to 5 years)
- Grade School (6 to 11 years)
- Pre-teen/Teenagers (12 years and over)
Availability & Job Preferences
Availability Duration
Willing to consider working as a live in care provider
Job Duration
- Will consider a full time position
My availability is valid through 8/12/13
- Open availability on weekdays (M-F)
Skills & Abilities
Additional Services:
- Potty Training
- Meal Preparation
- Laundry
- Light Housekeeping
- Willing to drive children to events, school, appointments, or carpooling
- Homework Help


text: Are you sure it didn't smell when you bought it, since you bought it second hand. I can't imagine a tailor smoking while working. +1 You can't blame the tailor outrightly. It was probably the previous owner of the jacket who smoked in it. But I agree, have it steam cleaned.


text:
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Hunting boosts lizard numbers in Australian desert
Reptiles prefer to live in places aboriginal people have burned
By Jessica Shugart, 15:11 PM October 27, 2013
The presence of humans rarely improves the lives of neighboring species. Yet a study shows that indigenous Australian hunters create prime habitat for a desert-dwelling lizard.
"It's simply not the case that human activity always has a negative impact on ecological circumstances," says ecological anthropologist Doug Bird of Stanford University.
The Martu, an aboriginal people in Western Australia, wield fire to hunt the lizard Varanus gouldii, known as sand goannas. In winter and spring, the Ma...
Source URL: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/hunting-boosts-lizard-numbers-australian-desert?mode=magazine&context=187621


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I've decided to make a shawl using Crystal Palace "Party" ribbon. ("Tulip Petals" - i think it'll be lovely!)
The pattern i have is simple:
size 13 needles
cast on 7 stichesknit, inc 1 on both sides repeat until garment is desired size
Basically, it's going to be a large triangle. Sounds kinda boring.
I was wondering if there was a way to kinda jazz it up? (I'm a novice and a scientist - creativity isn't my strong suit!)
Beads? (i'm game) Elongated stitches? (sounds interesting but i didn't know if that was possible when you're increasing each row)Fringe? (yes, was planning on that).
Any ideas??
I'm making this for my sister because she has a fancy-schmancy luncheon to go to and i think she's feeling kinda frumpy and unhappy about having to attend. I want her to be the belle of the place and have something gorgeous that no one else has!
I appreciate the help greatly!
p.s. as a book-taught :study: newbie, i LOVE this site!!
I just did a sweater with an elongated stitch using a tape yarn and liked it a lot. It really shows off the fiber, and makes the knitting go quickly, too.
So, there's my vote!
There was this episode of Knitty Gritty where they took an otherwise average shawl & fancied it up by hooking coordinating silk ribbon strips into it every once in a while...
I liked it, it ended up reminding me of the costumes from Cats! If you were making a shawl more delicate than the one in the show, I bet you could still incorporate the same idea with either thinner ribbon or bobbles of some other sort?
Thank you MrsBear and Kelly!
I think i'm going to try the elongated stich route and just increase on the non-elongated rows. Hopefully it won't look to wonky. I suppose it's just one of those "try it and see" kind of things. I only have a week to get it done and i have loads of end-of-semester grading to do! ICK!
Oh, the anxiety the stress...


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The one thing that could be expected to disturb the peace of life at Blandings is the incursion of imposters. Blandings has imposters like other houses have mice. On this occasion there are two of them--both intent on a dangerous enterprise.
©2011 Copyright © by the Trustees of the Wodehouse Estate. All rights reserved.; 2011 AudioGo
"Great Story. Well Read. but. . ."
The only thing wrong with this is that the quality of the recording is poor. The reader does a fantastic job, but the sound is as if this were copied from a worn tape.
"So That's Where "Upstairs, Downstairs" Came From!"
Having either read or listened to a number of the Blandings Castle stories, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Lord Emsworth and his looney family. I guess this book was probably written early in the series, before Freddie's marriage and the introduction of "The Empress". Although it contains many of the same plot elements of other Blandings sagas, there is a lot more action "below stairs" in this one which really does make it SOMETHING FRESH.
Rating scale: 5=Loved it, 4=Liked it, 3=Ok, 2=Disappointed, 1=Hated it. I look for well developed characters, compelling stories.
"Cheeky Fun"
Lighthearted fun filled with quirky characters in zany situations of misunderstandings, false identities, romantic entanglements and theft of a valuable object. This all plays out in the perfect setting of an English country manor. Reminiscent of the sparkling old '30s movies, I can imagine Robert Montgomery as the smart and cheeky Ashe Marson, and the rest of the cast filled with the best character actors of the day. Though the plot is feather-light, the writing is crisp and witty and completely entertaining. The mastery of language puts many contemporary writers to shame. I thoroughly enjoyed this selection.
"I Love P.G. Wodehouse and some of Blandings Castle"
This is not on the list of my favorite Wodehouse. Some of the series is fantastic, this one just didn't capture me at all. I particularly love Jonathan Cecil reading Wodehouse, I have most of his recordings of Wodehouse and also others reading Wodehouse and I think Cecil is the best by far. I love all of the Jeeves- particularly Thank you Jeeves, Carry On Jeeves and The Mating Season. Loved Damsel in Distress and Luck of the Bodkins. But Something Fresh just doesn't have "it."
Business Physicist and Astronomer
"Fun Fun Fun"
I can't say much about this book except that it's not to be missed. It's great fun built around a sweet story of comical characters.
Take a break from self-improvement, vampires, how [name here] beat drugs with Jesus and the latest anti-Obama conspiracy and give yourself a real light-hearted treat.
This book is just fun and a vacation from the real world.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Chris Reich, BizPhyZ
"A great Wodehouse!"
Wodehouse is a great pleasure, and a generally underrated author. too often, when lists of great authors are made, the comic ones are disregarded, as if the art of writing humorously is a second-rate art. However, the command of language and turn-of-phrase that Wodehouse enjoyed is first rate. It is damned difficult to be consistently funny. And this, one of his greatest works, exemplifies this skill.
Jonathan Cecil does justice to Wodehouse, although not quite reaching the art that Simon Callow did - the latter's performances unfortunately not being available anywhere anymore.
"Classic, wonderful Wodehouse!"
Yes, I definitely would. It's a light, refreshing story with enough characters and twists to keep the intellect moving without being overbearing. It's perfect for lightening up -- a drive to work, doing chores. In a world full of seriousness -- this is what my heart needs to keep it in perspective.
I love the narrator. Each voice is different and has a believable character all its own. This, in addition to Wodehouse's story, just comes together perfectly to create an incredibly funny and entertaining listen.
Book Lover
"Bad narration further weakens a middling Wodehouse"
I am a big Wodehouse fan but this is not one of his best novels. Still, it's an enjoyable story. It could have been lifted to be even better had the narrator been any good. Inexplicably, the producers went ahead with a narrator who can ONLY do funny old men voices. Thus, the young men sounded like old men, the young women sounded like old men, the Americans sounded like old British men, as did the servants, you get the idea. This was such a problem that I literally could not figure out which character was speaking during many of the scenes. I really cannot understand why the audiobook was allowed to be released in this condition.
"A fun, silly story!"
It's kind of crazy but it all hangs together. Excellent narration. Good for when you need some light distraction.
"Another witty tale of entangled schemes"
I just love listening to Cecil read the rich language used by Wodehouse. The narrator is a master of voices and characters who can make the dullest butler come alive before your minds' eye, while the author himself has an uncanny knack of describing people, situations and places in a manner that would make the most magnificent painting by Michelangelo himself pale by comparison, and fellow authors like Oscar Wilde green with envy, had he been alive.
I won't give away the plot, but if you like unpredictable fictional tales with intrigue and humor all wrapped into one, while learning the rich use of the English language, then by all means, have a go at this one. I do recommend you do. Why, I practically insist you do. You'll soon hear yourself speaking like one of the upper classes, and thinking like a true aristocrat. Simple thoughts, complicated utterances.
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text:
A Guide to Women's Health: Fifty and forward
Midlife can be a woman's halftime celebration. Not only can it be an opportunity to reflect on and rejoice in the life you've lived, but it is also a good time to plan your strategy for the future. This report will help you determine the conditions for which you are at greatest risk and do your best to avoid them. It will also help you to better manage chronic conditions that may erode your quality of life, and to deal with physical…Learn More »


text:
Thanks all for the nice wishes. It's my birthday too today so I will just take those wishes as my birthday well wishes as well.
And James, you missed the point of all the Santa Fe and interior gag, and why I said I am not buying another Porsche for awhile. This is the Porsche that I brought to RC.


text:
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says the thoughts of his quake-stricken city are with Japan following Friday's magnitude 9.0 earthquake which devastated much of the country and left thousands dead.
"Nobody knows more than the people of this city at this moment what it must be like and we can't even begin to comprehend the scale of the tragedy in Japan," Mr Parker said at a press conference today.
Meanwhile police this afternoon confirmed the identities of a further six people killed in February 22's quake, bringing the total number of those named to 123. Authorities believe 180 people were killed following the February 22 quake.
One of those named today was from Christchurch, three were from Japan, one was from Australia and one was from the Philippines.
Civil Defence controller John Hamilton announced today that part of the cordoned zone north of Cathedral Square would be opened to residents and business owners on Thursday. Announcements for other parts of the cordon would be made later in the week.
Mr Hamilton said the national state of emergency had been extended by the Government for a further week until March 21.
"Our focus in this response phase has been about making the environment safe, first for those people who are doing the rescue and recovery operations... and then in the longer run to make sure that we have made safe so access can be opened into the cordoned area."
He said more than 64,000 buildings had now been assessed, with 1516 residential and 711 commercial receiving red stickers indicating they were unfit for people to move back in.
Of the 837 heritage buildings that had been inspected, 338 had received red stickers.
Of the city's schools, 110 were now open and it was hoped 143 - or 88 per cent - would be open by the end of the week.
Parents of children whose schools remained closed could send them to one of nine learning hubs spread across the city, Mr Hamilton said.
Nine learning hubs have been set up for students whose school remains closed - parents should take them to the hub.
Superintendent Dave Cliff said the vehicle recovery process within the CBD was progressing well with over 400 vehicles now returned to their owners.
"That progress is continuing to gain momentum and tomorrow we will also begin the process of clearing vehicles from parking buildings," he said.
Mr Parker finished the press conference by offering his condolences to Japanese media, many of whom would be wanting to return home to loved ones after Friday's quake and tsunami.
He said that while the scale of the disaster in Japan was "massively" bigger than in Christchurch, on an individual level many people in Christchurch had experienced the same emotions.
"The one thing that the people of Christchurch will understand is the terror of powerlessness in the face of a massive natural disaster," he said.
He also thanked the members of the Japanese Urban Search and Rescue team who returned home on Friday.


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RUUD GULLIT reckons Fernando Torres' Chelsea career could be finished.
The Spaniard has found the net just four times despite starting every Premier
League game this term.
And former Blues boss Gullit reckons Roman Abramovich may need to replace the
misfiring forward if the club are to challenge for honours this season.
The Dutchman, 50, said: "They wanted to give Torres a chance. Has he taken it?
I don't know.
"What he had done in the past at Liverpool and at Atletico was unbelievable.
And he can't do it for some reason. I don't know why, I have no clue. It's a
"But if he can't do it then Chelsea need to do something else."
Gullit has also written off his former side's chance of retaining the
Champions League.
Roberto Di Matteo's side currently sit second behind Shakhtar Donetsk in Group
E with a tough away tie at Juventus up next.
And asked if Chelsea could win it again, Gullit added: "I don't think so. I
think it was a surprise to win it last year.
"They've tried to change the way they play. But they have to work hard to get
to the last stages.
"They are in a transition. Di Matteo has bought some players that can play a
more attacking way, a more spectacular way, and they do occasionally.
"But it takes some time to adjust so there will be ups and downs."


text:
Stories making headlines around the regions include two teenagers who documented their naughty antics with a special 'selfie' and a new scam aimed at Countdown customers.
Two Featherston teenagers have appeared in court for taking a 'selfie' in a South Wairarapa hemp plantation.
Countdown customers on the North Shore in Auckland have become the target of a new 'hamper' scam.
A long-dormant hot spring has bubbled back into life in Rotorua.
The Hawke's Bay has received a significant economic boost in the form of new jobs, courtesy of Kiwibank and a local hotel development.
Solway College students scored a 100 per cent pass rate in 2013 NCEA Levels 2 and 3 thanks to a successful mentoring scheme introduced to their school last year.
Problem gamblers in Northland are resorting to dangerous financial habits to fuel their addiction.
And finally, despite the decline in the number of worshippers the Western Bay's oldest church celebrates its 145-year-old history.


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Hawke's Bay Today continues its campaign against K2. Sam Hurley talks to Dr Brad Sandleback, of the Emergency Department at Hawke's Bay Hospital, about his daily battle to help those who opt for legal highs.
Violence, pyschosis and kidney failure. These are some of the acute symptoms a local doctor deals with during every shift. The cause - synthetic cannabis and the now-infamous K2.
Hawke's Bay Hospital emergency doctor Brad Sandleback says synthetic cannabis and K2 are causing all sorts of problems in our community and are reaching all age groups.
"It affects people's judgment - people start doing things that aren't so bright.
"We are seeing an increasing amount of 40- and 50-year-olds being admitted, suffering from its effects.
"That creates all kinds of issues because these people are often on other forms of medication, for their heart or diabetes as well."
Local health authorities will continue to target the younger population, as they are seen as most at risk, after reports of children as young as 14 were seen buying the drugs from dairies.
"We are focusing our efforts on teenagers in the community but it is being used by people who you think would know better."
Synthetic cannabis is an unpredictable mixture of shredded plants, sprayed with artificial chemicals that can be either smoked or made into a tea.
Despite being sold as herbal highs or legal cannabis, it does not contain THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. It is sold under a variety of different brand names such as K2, Spice, Northern Lights, Kryptonite, Puff and Kronic.
"It's just too easily accessible.
"It would be much more difficult to get if you could only get it online, then you have to enter credit card details, an address to send it to, which in a lot of cases would be your parents' address."
The nature and inconsistency of the drugs mean people with pre-existing mental health conditions are also at an increased risk of psychosis.
"Each batch is different - we don't know what is going into these synthetic drugs or how much."
Dr Sandleback said the reason these drugs were so dangerous to people's health was because there was no testing on the products.
"They are being made to get around the law. It doesn't go through any testing to see whether it is fit for human consumption, so we don't know the short- or long-term effects.
"Without testing, we don't know how it's affecting brain chemicals, brain cells, cognitive function and the ability to think."
Thankfully, they don't see to many people make repeat or regular visits to the emergency room as a result of synthetic cannabis abuse.
"We don't typically see the same people. Hopefully the message is getting through.
"But there aren't studies to say what addictive properties it has."
Hospital authorities and Dr Sandleback said the legal highs used up a lot of first response units' time, money and resources.
"It uses up our doctors, supervision, security, police, and St John services as well.
"Some chronic users of the drug have longer issues, like withdrawal."
He said the differences between synthetic cannabis and natural cannabis were the variation of the chemicals sprayed on the drug and when compared to other crippling drugs such as P, he said each posed its own problems.
"Each has its own nasty problem and side effects. It's hard to compare the two, but each are very dangerous."
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne recently announced a Temporary Class Drug Notice banning substances found in tested samples of K2 synthetic cannabis. The ban comes into effect on May 9.
Those importing, manufacturing, selling or supplying the substances after that date will breach the Misuse of Drugs Act, and leave themselves open to penalties of up to eight years in prison. The two substances being banned, BB-22 and 5F-AKB48, have been found in K2 products.
The latest ban brings to 35 the number of substances banned under temporary notices and more than 50 products containing those substances were now off the market.
"The problem is accessibility. It's just too accessible to go down to the dairy and buy it," said Dr Sandleback.
"Ban it, and the problem will start going away.
"A simple legislation can help curb this."


text:
English: Duncormick is a rural village and surrounding community located the R736 regional road in County Wexford, Ireland. At the 2002 census, it had a population of 503. The village is 11 miles (18 km) from Wexford Town, close to the fishing village of Kilmore Quay which is one of the largest fishing harbors in Ireland. Duncormick refers not only to a village, but also to the rural area surrounding it.
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- Duncormick church front.jpg 1.25 MB
- Duncormick Church tower.jpg 1.99 MB
- Duncormick village.JPG 1.25 MB
- Road leading to Duncormick.JPG 1.24 MB


text:
The Center for Contemporary Opera offers a full range of programs from libretto readings to full productions.
We strive to present at least one full production each year. These can range from large scale operas like William Mayer's A Death in the Family to chamber works such as our world premiere of Orations by Line Tornhoj.
An important part of our mission is to bring contemporary opera beyond our borders. In recent years, we have toured Latvia, Vienna, Hungary (twice) and Avignon (twice). We are presently exploring collaborations with the Royal Opera House, Lyon Opera, and Festival Euro Mediterraneo in Siracusa, Italy.
Brevard Music Center/Center for Contemporary Opera Project
2015 marks the beginning of a new relationship between the Brevard Music Center and the Center for Contemporary Opera. Brevard will work with CCO to bring new works to Brevard's stages, both as part of the Opera in a Box series, as well as our mainstage productions. BMC and CCO artistic leadership will work together to choose promising operas to workshop and stage. Future opportunities for BMC students and alumni to perform in New York and abroad may materialize throughout the life cycle of each particular project. This year's black box production of J. Mark Scearce's Falling Angel marks the inaugural collaboration of this partnership.
The CCO Development Series
What programs do we offer?
Selected operas/libretti and the creative team behind them are eligible for the following developmental programs, currently in existence, conducted by the Center for Contemporary Opera. For more information on the process and how to submit works, please visit our submissions page.
Prima le Parole
Libretto readings: Our Prima le Parole series assists librettists in the development of their work. Libretti are read and directed by professional actors and directors. The objective is not to see whether the libretto works as a play, but rather to analyze the libretto's structure both from a dramaturgical and musical perspective, since if problems of exist at this level, it is very unlikely they can be fixed in the music; indeed, the addition of music may only make the underlying problems harder to identify.
The opera (or scenes) is presented in an intimate venue such as the cell theatre in Chelsea. The press may be invited, but in a public relations role only, and are asked not to review the process. Ateliers are minimally staged and are performed with piano accompaniment. The singers are "on book". The music director typically conducts from the piano.
Concert Reading:
These allow the composer to hear the work performed with orchestra. As with the ateliers, the performers are on-book and receive minimal stage direction. Typical venues include the Leonard Nimroy Thalia Theater at Symphony Space or The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater.
As stated earlier, all these programs evolved out of CCO's history of staged readings into something that was modeled closely on The Actors Studio's "playwright-directors' workshop, where works (or segments of works) are presented in a "safe" context, followed by a panel of professionals: directors, composers, librettists, conductors, with a moderator who keeps the discussion on track and can solicit questions and comments from the audience. The creative team, after noting these comments, goes back to the drawing board and returns to repeat the process. While the audience may be asked to fill out questionnaires regarding the performance, they are typically not asked to participate in the discussion. Again, critics are sometimes invited, but are asked not to review the results.