text:
All citations issued to a permit will be the responsibility of the permit owner regardless of whose vehicle it is displayed on. Displaying a permit that belongs to another student, employee or family member of another student or employee; that has been altered or reported lost or stolen will result in parking privileges being revoked for one calendar year.
Employee and Student Permits (Window Stickers) must be affixed to the driver's side, lower corner of the front windshield. The permit must be right side up; it cannot be displayed upside down or sideways. All backing must be removed and the permit cannot be taped or laminated. All expired permits must be removed. Failure to display your permit will result in a citation.
Motorcycle Permits must be affixed to the motorcycle license plate. If you have a motorcycle permit from a previous year, place the current permit directly over it.
Hang Tags must hang from the rear view mirror while in use. If you do not have a rear view mirror, the hang tag should be taped to the windshield where the mirror would be located. Hang tags should not be displayed on the dash. Doing so may result in a citation.
Apartment Stickers must be affixed to the driver's side, lower corner of the front windshield along with a valid Ball State permit (commuter, general or restricted).
Departmental Permits are to be displayed on the driver's side, lower corner of the front windshield along with a valid Ball State faculty/staff or student permit. It should be placed just above the window sticker.


text:
Pfafftown man drowns at Holden Beach
Pfafftown man drowns at Holden Beach
A fourth person has drowned off a Brunswick County beach, where the risk for rip currents remains high.
Brunswick County coroner Greg White said 57-year-old Randall Joyce of Pfafftown drowned Thursday in the surf off Holden Beach.
Brunswick County Emergency Services Director Anthony Marzano said Joyce was swimming with his wife and two adult children when the group got caught up in a rip current. He said all four were taken to a hospital, where Joyce was pronounced dead.
On Wednesday, one person drowned off Ocean Isle Beach and two off Sunset Beach.
The National Weather Service said a high rip current risk was in effect Friday for the coast of Brunswick County and Horry County, S.C., from North Myrtle Beach northward.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|2011-11-14, 17:49
|Link #641
Clare's #1 fan
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Florida
|2011-11-14, 21:46
|Link #642
Senior Member
|2011-11-15, 14:43
|Link #643
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: The town where Copernicus was born.
Age: 32
What about a "Most interesting posts thread" or "Posts recycle" thread where users could post links and fragments/parts of most interesting ideas/theories/reviews or other forms of written goods and discuss about something again (or for a first time). That way relatively new users would be able to read some insightful, attention grabbing, funny or in other way interesting opinions that were burrowed in tens of thousands of posts. I'm pretty sure that even old users would find such thread worth visiting just to remind themselves what they were discussing about 2, 3 or 4 years ago. I would also expect in this thread a lot of potential "told you so" posts. To be clear, not that people would actually start writing "told you so" but that people would link to posts that turned out to be spot on. The links should be properly named so that people would roughly know what they're clicking at.
Some examples (without naming since I don't even know whether it will pass or not and I don't want to a redundant work):
And last but not least:
There are more but these are the ones I could find in a hurry.
|2011-11-16, 09:44
|Link #645
Join Date: Jun 2009
deleted post rezzed at the request of gooral and shieky:
|2011-12-28, 12:28
|Link #647
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: The town where Copernicus was born.
Age: 32
How about a thread "Requests for new threads" but one where moderators actually read our posts and respond to them?
I was the one who asked moderator to create a thread (again, it's been 4th month in a row). Unless you PM them they won't respond.
|2011-12-28, 18:33
|Link #648
Join Date: Mar 2006
I apologize that there is no "dedicated mod" for the forum. We do the best we can covering all the sections. You can go ahead and think we don't care though.
As for the suggestions, I'll just say it now: no, and maybe (meaning they're being considered).
Games threads: no, against forum rules.
A thread discussing who got a guess right: no, pointless.
A thread for rewatching: has merit, considering.
A thread for manga chapter review: no, chapter threads exist to discuss chapters. That we even allow so much off topic discussion in those threads is something that shouldn't be taken for granted. If people want to actually use the old threads, perhaps the community should examine what discussions actually take place in the thread outside of chapter discussion and migrate those discussions to an appropriate thread.
For example, the recent chapters offer plenty of material for the Biology of Claymore thread. I'm willing to create new threads directly related to Claymore. For example, I have not seen a request for a thread discussing the Organization. A topic like this could have many different opinions on how it is run, who is in it, how it creates warriors, or the greater conflict with the DoD.
A poll thread for characters: lots of new characters, haven't done one in a while, has merit, considering.
My suggestion if you want to try and revive posting outside of the chapter and image threads: spread out, dig up some old threads with new infos, and suggest threads that could fill in new gaps the manga has created.
|2011-12-29, 02:31
|Link #649
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: The town where Copernicus was born.
Age: 32
Saimoe is basically the same thing and it is allowed despite "no game rule", lol. Not to mention "Treasure Hunter game" or "Design your Gundam" game or other games that aren't called "games". Popularity polls could also be considered as the same game as survivor I'm proposing unless users wouldn't have an option to reply and write who they voted on (and optionally - why they voted on that someone). So an argument "it's a bigger waste of bandwidth" is also out of the question.
In short, you don't want to create this thread because it depends solely on your good will (plus there are no moe characters).
And in the first place, I'm not even sure that Claymore survivor would even succeed and wouldn't die in the preparations stage so you could allow for a "probation" period and preparations thread and see whether there would be someone willing to organize all this and people willing to take part in it.
What's funniest in all of this, it was easier for to you to answer everything at once and write a rather long post than answer before a whole list of ideas was created. And all you needed was a little encouragement from me.
|2011-12-29, 04:04
|Link #650
Join Date: Mar 2006
|2011-12-29, 06:08
|Link #651
nani ni tatoemu
Join Date: Sep 2006
Note that I'm not mentioning this to harp, simply to point out the fact. It was, after all, the only thread request I've ever made on AS, so I remember it well.
As for getting (most) non-chapter discussions out of chapter threads, I'm 100% for it. People don't seem too interested in it though, I guess because they've become accustomed to one-stop-shopping in whatever thread is current. At the same time, there hasn't been much visible moderator interest in actively making new threads, and rightly or wrongly, quite a few people seem to feel the mods have no real interest in managing the Claymore section beyond moderating reported posts.
To be honest, I don't fully understand why the mods don't just allow free thread creation in sub-forums such as this. In what way is it better to condone extensive off-topic discussions in unrelated threads than to let people make new threads as needed? You may call that "clutter", but that way we'd at least have thread titles somewhat indicative of what's being discussed in them, instead of useful topics being unaccessible to lay posters who don't wish to chew through loads of completely unrelated posts. It seems like a needless extra burden the mods have taken upon themselves to always go through the song and dance of request->consideration. It doesn't work all that well when perceived mod disinterest and all-too-frequent denials (the reasons for which may be obvious to the mods, but not always to the members) discourage people from requesting.
Just to be clear, I say all this as someone who overall finds AS to be one of the best moderated boards I've been at. There's just something a little off in this section to me. Granted, it is somewhat of an oddity around here - an ongoing but montly manga with no concurrent anime, with ample active posters (but, as you said, no "dedicated" mods) and a lot of "downtime" for them to fill.
|2011-12-29, 07:33
|Link #652
Join Date: Mar 2006
Claymore is the exception to the rule in series subforums. It is one of the few series that has long ended its anime run, and it essentially revolves around two threads: images and new chapters. We don't normally do new chapter threads in other subforums anyway, since a general thread is typically enough to satisfy most discussion purposes. The number of people who discuss in this subforum is small as well, which tends to lead to cyclical and off topic discussion simply because "fresh" members are not as common anymore.
When it comes to thread creation, we restricted it after some of our forums were already established. For example Bleach, One Piece, and Naruto all have user created threads. The reasons why we restricted it to mod only creation are thus:
1. It cuts down on redundancy.
2. It cuts down on clutter.
3. It allows the moderators to step in and prevent problematic topics from being created.
4. It forces people to think about the thread instead of just simply making it; this tends to produce more focused topics.
Trying to box me into some kind of logic paradox isn't going to win me over. That is why I responded to gooral's post with a grumpy tone. I'm fully aware of how easy it is to play semantics with how a topic could be classified, but since this is clearly a problem of communication, I'll be more lengthy about why the requests were denied.
1. The Survivor game. This has two problems. The first is that it is clearly a forum game. The second is that it promotes versus discussion. "I think x is better than x, no I disagree". Is it more "interactive" than a character poll, sure, but character polls are an exception to the rules. They may not always produce intelligent discussion but they serve their purpose well enough.
2. Requests for information threads. I have created a translation thread, and a supplementary thread. That's about as far as I'm willing to go. If you want something more like a wiki, just go make a wiki. I'll be happy to link to it.
3. Requests for threads that discuss meta posting. In particular, the request for a thread where people discuss posts from the past that turned out to be accurate in restrospect. It may (or may not) be interesting to point such things out, but we do not need an entire thread for such purpose.
4. Complaints about how quickly a chapter thread is up. This one in particular irks me. This community knows damn well how fickle chapter releases can be. The time between spoilers, raws, translations, and actual fan releases varies wildly. Sometimes all of them come together quickly and a chapter is out fast, sometimes it can take weeks to show up. To further complicate things, the majority of the spoilers that appear right away tend to be fake, and the community likes to invent spoilers to pass the time.
Ultimately the key problem with the last point is that the community is going to have to ask themselves a question: how much moderator involvement do you want? To be blunt, I can easily make chapter discussion threads just about the chapter. I know many of you wouldn't like that and would think I was killing fun. On the other hand, the lax attitude the mods have toward the forum means threads aren't going to be created asap and thread requests may not be responded to immediately. Pick your poison.
|2011-12-29, 09:27
|Link #653
nani ni tatoemu
Join Date: Sep 2006
At least in the Claymore sub-forum, it simply moves the redundancy and clutter from the thread listing to (typically) the chapter threads themselves; allows the moderators to overlook that unless there are complaints; and more or less forces people to go off topic in established threads because getting a new one created takes too much time and hassle and is quite likely a losing proposition. Unfortunately I don't think I'm exaggerating too much. Also, in the currect system there seems to be quite a bit of "I don't like it so I won't create it" involved, and I'm not sure the mods can always be the best judges of what topics are "pointless", especially if they're not actively engaged in a sub-board. So it just comes down to asserting authority, sometimes in an abrasive way (from both sides).
I'm not trying to box you into some kind of logic paradox or anything, and in fact I can continue to live with the current setup with the occasional grumble. I just don't think the situation is inevitable and I don't like the atmosphere where quite a few people secretly (or even semi-openly) resent the mods because they feel the mods (randomly) enforce but don't engage. I do not share this resentment myself, but in a way I can see why people have developed it. Trust me, I'd rather be lurking and making occasional snarky remarks than trying to be some kind of Claymore board reformer here (especially since I'm much more of an all-AS person and not a hard core Claymore fan, my recent posting record notwithstanding). In fact, had you not mentioned "my" Organization topic by chance, I probably wouldn't have said anything.
Last edited by yononaka; 2011-12-29 at 10:57. Reason: clarified an ambiguity
|2011-12-29, 13:52
|Link #654
Thread Hijacker
Join Date: May 2009
Location: In a hole, I just need to dig myself out
I've been following this discussion for awhile, and their has, in all honesty, been fair points raised by all. You have mentioned Solace however that, if people want to revive posting outside of the usual image/chapter threads that this forum has sadly degenerated into, they could dig up some old threads but with the new material that has been made since then. I'd like to point out, that that has already been tried, and it failed.
The purpose of the game thread is for fun, to bring in some potentially interesting discussion, to bring in new people, and to have fun.....a start to bringing new life and to eventually bring those old threads back....you just can't rebump the old threads first -- Gooral himself have tried that with the japanese thread and several others and that didn't work. We're all partially guilty for not getting involved especially since he posted some interesting debates in hopes of getting people to reply that I, and everyone else, and unfortunately, their were none....
.....which is why the suggestion for the game thread came up in the first place - to bring more people back in and new excitement to be this place first, and then, with said-life, bring those old threads back. Again, just rebumping the old threads won't work - it's been done. Their's alot of factors in why the forum has degenerated the way it has - some natural, like the old-timers eventually moving on from this place, others simpler reasons like lack of attention and laziness. It's a process however if this forum is ever going to recapture it's former glory; merely rebumping the old threads isn't it.
If nothing else, if my theory fails and those old threads never come back to life, at least we have a new game thread to have fun in and have something different aside from the usual chapter/image threads.....the old status quo doesn't have to just be returned too, because that doesn't solve anything in the first place - that just brings us back to square one. You recently however have an idea for something which is an "anime revisit" thread; to be honest, it's a bit strange since I can't recall anybody asking for such an idea -- it's a bit of a waste because something like that is only useful if many, most, if not all users around here are in on it as well...what's the point if only few people actually rewatch the anime? if that many? Something like an anime thread requires communication and everyone in on it at the same time. More likely then not, you are going to see extremely minimal posting done on that, unfortunately.
Last edited by Shiek927; 2011-12-29 at 14:09.
|2011-12-29, 17:07
|Link #655
Join Date: Mar 2006
As for the decisions of what is approved for thread requests and what isn't, yeah it's exactly like that. I look at the requests and decide if it's worth granting. Sometimes it's an obvious no, because it violates forum rules or I know from experience that it is more trouble than it is worth (for example, shipping/romance threads). Sometimes I need convincing: the idea either needs more explanation or the advocates need to better assure me the benefits outweigh the downsides. Sometimes I say yes immediately, because the idea is just good.
In all cases, this isn't a democracy. So yes, it's an assertion of authority, and you're appealing to it. All moderators try to be a fair as we can, but what we say, goes.
Second point: So let me get this straight. Attempts have been made to revive old threads, but people can't be bothered to leave the Chapter threads to support those efforts. However if we create this forum game, because it'll be "fun", that will (hopefully) get people out of that thread and into others? And if that fails, at least people will have something fun to relieve their boredom?
No, sorry. That's even more reason to not allow the thread.
The whole thing boils down to the Chapter threads being the problem, which is that they have become monthly generic discussion threads that also happen to be about the newest Chapter release.
People are going to have to accept that Claymore just isn't as popular as it used to be. Fresh members and discussion aren't as frequent as they used to be. Chapter releases are on a monthly basis, and it is easy to run out of things to discuss.
So yes, I'm going to be ornery when people have an attitude about how "long" it takes to create a new thread, or to review and respond to requests, or why people can't be arsed to migrate discussion to older threads without moderators forcing it to happen.
We could just as easily stop creating new chapter threads and instead relegate all discussion to the generic manga thread; it's not a right that ensures you have a regular discussion thread, it's a privilege.
|2011-12-29, 18:47
|Link #656
nani ni tatoemu
Join Date: Sep 2006
In any case, I think I'm just about done with my part here. My purpose was never to antagonize the sole mod who is at least somewhat visibly present around here, so if you feel I've done that, I haven't done a very good job expressing myself. I leave you with a thought I just had that appointing a "local guy" mod for this sub-forum might work well in increasing the engagement factor.
|2011-12-30, 08:35
|Link #657
Thread Hijacker
Join Date: May 2009
Location: In a hole, I just need to dig myself out
Solace, you don't need to bite my head off......sorry if I'm misinterpretating you, but angry seems to be the way your post is coming across; merely wanted to get my reasoning for the idea out there, and why it could work in more ways then one. I don't understand why you are feeling 'ornary' because I personally have never really been big on requests before nor do I have an attitude, if that's what you think -- I am merely getting my point of view on the subject out there.
As for this thread's popularity, it's because we are aware this thread isn't as active in places beyond the chapter/image threads as it used to be that their are these attempts in the first place; in the end after all, if nothing is done, it all returns to the status quo....whiich doesn't really help with hopefully getting this thread back on it's feet. You say for instance that Claymore isn't as popular as it used to be.....I flat out disagree -- lack of activity lately was just a series of conscious/unconscious things that happened over time with the people; people eventually silently moved on, as is natural in most forums; occasionally, such as Tempest or DragoZERO, they return from the newer series they have recently got into to talk here; others, undoubtedly, are lurkers who view this place often but haven't made an account which is what I commonly see here; my personal story myself. However, all and all, the enthusiastic close-knit group that essentially was this forum, have all largely moved on except for a few.
Not that, of course, many interesting people haven't come in the wake with their own unique views on things. The point is, the story's popularity has nothing to do with the way the forum is nowadays --- as far as I can tell, in terms of numbers, the forum hasn't really changed at all.....it's the people, the enthusasiam, which is my concern and target; I want to recoup the same fun and light-heartedness that their used to be around here, since, so much of the fun that comes from this place, isn't even concerning Claymore at all......Claymore and this forum is so small and niche, that almost everyone who comes here are regulars who all know eachother quite well.
Hopefully I'm getting across my standpoint; it's not that this forum has degenerated into nothing and we're "lucky", in terms of numbers and attention, that we still apparently have it as good as we do; if we're talking numbers, I haven't really seen much difference then it used to be (what's different from a few years back, is that their are many more different faces then just the same few people over and over); It's more so what this place could become again, which I know from memory was bigger and more exciting a few years back - it's something it could easily become again if the right steps were taken to get the loads of new people that show up frequently (which is undeniable; I'm seeing new faces all the time) more involved again and not just leave the status quo with the chapter/image threads.....not that that in itself is bad, but again, I know loads more fun could be had if we did it right; it's just a matter of getting the right push in the right direction.
No, It's silly to say Claymore is losing popularity, material etc....and it's honestly silly to say people are losing interest because, as I said, it's not that we have less people coming to these boards or becoming active.....it just feels that way, because, now, most people just stay in the chapter/image threads - why? - because that's just how it is: Nobody intended it, nobody meant anything by the other threads losing activity....it's wrong to say that it's just a sign that Claymore is losing it's grip and we're lucky we already have it so good -- that's just twisting it all up; The purpose of the game-thread is, as I said - to simply veer all the newcomers and newbies still around to something new which, hopefully, in turn, will introduce the new generation to the old generation of threads we used to have which, hopefully, as you yourself said, will help rebump them with the new info, revitilaze them, bring more oldtimers and newcomers in, and overall, help brighten up this place's sparkle again.
Uh uh, I can say it a million times if I have too - conscious/unconscious inactivity is the true reason this forum feels/seems so down; not because Claymore is losing popularity, or people have simply moved on, etc..... Most of the oldtimers are used to regularly visit are still around; they've merely are now looking at other series, or are busy with real life, or have now started lurking again....that doesn't mean they don't come by often, because seeing a familiar face from the past is a pretty recurring thing, even if they only post something small; they just don't post with the same day-by-day enthusiasm that others, like myself, still possess. Again, it's all about creating some extra incentive for more enthusiasm, to create further excitement to bring even more people in and, overall, spread everybody out more.
If anything, again, it seems like you're trying to do just that in your own way with the anime-rewatch thread; the only difference is I think that the game idea I feel has a greater chance of working and anime-rewatch idea, honestly, probably does not; but in the end, what difference does it make either way?
That seems to be what you tried to do; think about it, you say that my reasoning is wrong and that it's "even more reason" not to allow the game-thread, but what about that anime-rewatch thread? what was the point of creating that in the first place? What if that fails? It's the same basic thing and, more likely then not, it's going to be quicker and faster to potentially fail since it's seemingly a weekly thing (a new episode thread every week). Even though you're arguing against the game thread, in your own way, you also seem to want this forum back up again which is why you bumped up that anime-thread in the first place; their's no guarentee that either one is going to generate more interest or if people even glance at it......really, what it all boils down to is, one is a game thread and one is an anime-rewatch thread.
One at least though at least has the backing and interest of a few people and seems unique, the other is, well, an anime-rewatch thread (and the Claymore anime isn't exactly the most praised thing on earth, especially with regards to the ending >_<)....you said that two people have already wanted it before, which is nice that you, so quickly actually, did what they wanted.....but if we both have the same goals on helping this place, why not work with the idea more people want to work with and has a better chance of actually succeeding in it's intentions?
Last edited by Shiek927; 2011-12-30 at 11:39.
|2011-12-30, 12:40
|Link #658
Join Date: Mar 2006
Anger? Somewhat. I'm just not sugarcoating my responses like I normally do. My sole irritant lies in the perception that the moderators "don't care", which is completely false. I've gone over this before, and I guess I have to reiterate it.
The simple fact of the matter is that yes, Claymore, on these forums at least, is no longer as popular as it used to be. Yes, there is a dedicated group of fans who have stuck around, and occasionally others come and go. I won't deny that. However, we are first and foremost an anime discussion board, and the anime is over. What is left is a dusty collection of old threads and a few people hardcore enough to wait month to month to talk about the manga chapter releases.
I've been through this cycle many times before....unless you haven't noticed, we have a lot of old and retired series that people have mostly moved on from.
We ensure that the threads are civil, that the monthly chapters are created in a reasonable time frame, and that requests are looked at. When it comes to requests, we have full discretion over what we will and will not allow, and the timeframe in which we choose to review/respond is ours to decide as well. No answer does not mean we haven't seen it. Assuming won't do you any favors.
The survivor thread, whatever its intended purpose, would not garner an exception. It is a suggestion for a game that happens to be about Claymore, instead of a Claymore topic that could be a game. It's analogous to having a Claymore character instead of Mario in a SMB game, versus a game being all about Claymore.
The rewatch thread is all about Claymore. It offers the opportunity to revisit your favorite scenes, to see if your views on any particular episode or the series in general has changed, to see old characters/events in new ways now that you know more about them, etc. Plus, you get to pull old comments out and muse how right/wrong they were....I believe there was a thread request for that, no? Well now there's a way to do it and be on topic.
Yes, the ending to the anime sucked compared to the manga. Maybe with the rewatch, I'll have a different opinion on it. Or not.
I approved the rewatch thread quickly because the idea has been done before on other forums and has been quite successful. Reading this:
Ultimately my point is that if you want me to be more involved, simply ask. There's no need for sarcastic comments or assumptions that we're only interested in leaving the community to die. If you want me to direct more traffic to other threads, I can do that. If you want me to clamp down on off topic discussion, I can do that.
What I won't do is bow to every request or be second guessed because I'm not immediately responding with detailed answers about why something was approved or not. This is volunteer work, and we're only human. We do the best we can with the time we have. Most importantly, if you want moderators to be more active, you have to be work with us too. Engagement is a two way street. Send PM's/VM's, use reports. That's why we have them. Expecting us to be omnipresent will only lead to bad feelings.
|2011-12-30, 13:06
|Link #659
Thread Hijacker
Join Date: May 2009
Location: In a hole, I just need to dig myself out
Thanks for the rapid and detailed response; actually the best post you've made with this entire discussion, particularly in that you went into why those other 'exceptional' games are, well, exceptional -- after all, their are only so many that can be considered such before it feels like favoritism is playing a part somewhere, but your words at least explain a different story for each of them.
It's fine if you're upset because people have had perceptions about you, but their's no need to vent it out in public unless your speaking to someone individually - other people don't necessarily feel the same or are even aware of these perceptions. It's the same with "sarcastic responses or assumptions"...unless I'm mistaken, I don't think I've given you that kind of treatment - no need to assume people have negative attitudes and fire-back in response; I wasn't even aware you sugarcoat your words in the first place - up till now, at least with this discussion, you seem to have been the opposite .
Lack of communication on both sides seems to be what's seemingly building up all this negative attention and perception -- lack of response and/or attention from moderators for the users, and annoyed users, whether justified or not, annoys the mods who are not as invisible as people think, yet not as "omnipresent" as you said. When you get down a think about it - everybody's seemingly angry simply because nobody is talking ; kind of silly actually.
Emotions aside, and barring Claymore's popularity or possible lack-their-of which I already went into (at least on this forum mind you), It's interesting that you say that the anime-rewatch threads have been successful in other threads for other series - who knows, maybe it succeeds in the original goal in the first place. I personally don't think it will work because, as I said, something like that I feel needs bigger communication between everybody....no point in it if nobody is actually rewatching it in the first place, but who knows....anything is possible I suppose. It doesn't feel like much, but, in a way, what's most important actually is that everyone at least seems to share the same sentiment that this place could use a little rivigorating - everyone just seems to have a different idea about going about it.
At any rate, thanks for the clarifying response
Last edited by Shiek927; 2011-12-30 at 16:00.
|2011-12-30, 15:21
|Link #660
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: The town where Copernicus was born.
Age: 32
So survivor is a "no" but you're considering another poll? That would still be great but IMO that won't generate as much discussion as survivor would. I would still vote for Clare, Teresa, Galatea and Jean (or only on Teresa if it was 1-choice only poll) as I did in the previous one. New characters that were introduced since then changed nothing. But in a Galatea vs. Jean match I would have a dilemma since I like both of them and would have to shoot the one I would want less to advance further. This would create many interesting posts since I would have to convince myself which character I like more or which one is better written using analysis and arguments. That's the best thing in this game - that almost every match is exciting and you're facing a dilemma who to choose. Sometimes you notice something new that way. Of course there would be people who wouldn't be so thorough and just shoot the uglier one but that's another thing that makes this game fun. A poll is much more straightforward and gives less room for any kind of discussions.
The truth is, Claymore is the most popular "old series" on this forum maybe except for Code Geass. So it shouldn't be strange that fans would ask for threads like we asked to gather even more fans. More fans triggers more responses which triggers more fans appearing. Claymore manga has many characters and quite a big, well designed world which gives a broad field to discuss. And survivor would by default trigger discussions and revitalize this forum. Personally, I don't get why moderators here are so restrictive about creating a thread. A thread that isn't necessary or doesn't interest people will die on it's own. The same goes for even most heated discussions where sometimes mods intervene and cut it short even though adversaries themselves were losing interest in it. Maybe you should consider "a day without restrictions" or sth like that when an option of creating a thread would be opened (and to avoid a potential chaos not all sub-forums would be opened at the same day). That way some interesting threads that weren't created for some reason could be created and would receive a probation time where moderators would see whether it's serving it's purpose or is it just spam. Yeah, yeah, I know, it's not democracy. But since it isn't forbidden to speak up one's mind (yet) I'm using my prerogative to do so. Worst case scenario it will be deleted or cut (and I'll be banned :P).
Last edited by relentlessflame; 2011-12-30 at 19:58. Reason: Removed reply to flamebait post
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Interview by Dorothee Bürkle
You have just been elected to chair the first Dii Management Committee. What has the latter achieved since its inception?
Müller-Steinhagen: A great deal, though it is not immediately obvious: the Dii offices in Munich have opened, two CEOs - Paul von Son and Rainer Aringhoff – have been appointed, and staff members have been recruited. In addition, numerous meetings have been held with representatives from politics, trade associations and industry in the appropriate countries. The number of companies involved with Dii has increased to 19 full and 16 associate members. The crucial point is that many of these members are from other countries, so Dii will not remain a purely German initiative.
How is it that you are convinced of Desertec's success?
Müller-Steinhagen: I am convinced of Desertec's success because the technology works. It is a concept based on realistic considerations; we have not assumed any technological leaps. I also believe that the financial framework is feasible. Personally, I see political implementation as the larger hurdle: the question is whether we will be able to implement the corresponding contracts. Transmission of electricity through several countries and the construction of new electricity grids have to be negotiated. I am optimistic that we will receive generous support from North African governments, here in Europe and the EU. To sum it up: I am cautiously optimistic.
When will the first power station be built?
Müller-Steinhagen: This is not one of Dii's tasks. The Initiative is here to prepare the way forward and to create the political, regulatory and economic framework conditions for progress to be made at a future date. Nevertheless, solar-thermal power stations are already under construction in Morocco, Egypt and Algeria. Many other sites have also been identified, and these are under discussion between corporations and governments. We have actually progressed further at this point than we had anticipated.
Dii is certainly one of the largest industrial and infrastructure projects ever undertaken. Why are companies taking on such a huge project?
Müller-Steinhagen: There are two things that motivate the companies involved: by 2050, the countries of North Africa and the Middle East are set to effectively quintuple their energy needs. This means that power stations need to be built, irrespective of the technology used to meet this need. Furthermore, crude oil, natural gas and coal are becoming scarce and more expensive – add to this their emissions, which have a negative impact on the climate. Many companies clearly see a market here. Many projects have already been initiated in response to a Spanish energy feed-in law, while several projects are reaching the implementation stage in the USA. This means that this technology has a role to play in the global energy business. In 10 to 15 years, these power stations will become competitive with conventional ones. Corporations such as Siemens, Eon, RWE and Solar Millennium share the opinion that whoever enters this market today, will remain there in 10 years time.
It is unexpected for a Director of one DLR's Institutes to be appointed Chairman of this Management Committee. What is DLR's contribution to Desertec?
Müller-Steinhagen: DLR has been working on solar-thermal power stations for about 30 years now. We are one of the world's leading research organisations. Furthermore, our detailed energy system analysis commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment is the information platform upon which Dii was founded. So it's not really that surprising – we have the technology, the concepts and the contacts in the various countries and companies involved.
What contribution can DLR researchers make?
Our workload looks set to grow enormously. We are already training new staff members. We will be updating our studies and site analyses for new power stations. It is here that DLR's access to satellite data stands us in very good stead. Diligent site analysis is essential to isolate cost-effective solutions. We are also continuing to drive the development of these technologies, thus we stand to improve both individual components as well as a power station's overall system through ever-increasing industrial applications.
The concept behind Desertec has been around for more than 30 years. How do you see this rapid development of the past months?
The Desertec concept has indeed become more realistic in years gone by, but it had always remained a distant prospect. It was treated as a future scenario in initial discussions with industry at the beginning of this year. However, public, political and especially commercial attitudes have changed since Dii's foundation. I am delighted that my colleagues' work is receiving so much attention. At the moment there is a certain wave of optimism to implement our ideas while the opportunity is there.
Note: Publication of this interview in online or print media is encouraged. Please cite DLR as the source as follows: "DLR / www.DLR.de/en ".


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text:
This Monster Eagle Almost Flew Away With A Little Kid [UPDATE]
Has anyone tried to warn us of the impending giant fucking eagle menace? Is this merely the first warning shot? We must be vigilant, or else the giant fucking eagles of the world will make off with all of our children. BUT ONLY IF WE LET THEM.


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At The Corner, there is an extremely interesting dialogue between Charles Krauthammer and Andy McCarthy (who is becoming, on what seems like a daily basis, an ever more indispensable voice on the right). Krauthammer's current column is on Judge Sotomayor; he concludes:
Make the case for individual vs. group rights, for justice vs. empathy. Then vote to confirm Sotomayor solely on the grounds — consistently violated by the Democrats, including Sen. Obama — that a president is entitled to deference on his Supreme Court nominees, particularly one who so thoroughly reflects the mainstream views of the winning party. Elections have consequences.
McCarthy takes Krauthammer to task for overstating the deference that Congress owes the President on judicial nominations:
Presidents are certainly entitled to deference on executive branch nominees. After all, they will be part of his team and the power they exercise is exclusively his. If they seem resistant to corruption, competent, and have performed reasonably well in other positions, they should be confirmed. But the same lax standard does not apply to judicial nominees. They are chosen to be members of a different branch of government, and they wield great power for the rest of their lives (unless they choose to retire) — the consequences of their appointment to the bench are often felt for decades after the president who nominated them is gone.
McCarthy's distinction is a sensible one, but it has no clear basis in the Constitution. Article II, Section 2 does not distinguish between executive and judicial appointments:
He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law….
The Constitution gives no guidance as to what standard should guide the Senate in consenting to appointments. The fact that it does not distinguish between executive and judicial appointments does not necessarily mean that different standards shouldn't apply, but again, the document itself suggests no such standards. It is also worth remembering that the assumption that the President is entitled to his own executive "team" is a modern one–in the 1860s the Tenure of Office Act and the impeachment of Andrew Johnson arose of out Congress' attempt to control the Cabinet.
Intuitively, I agree with McCarthy that the Senate should give the President more latitude on executive than judicial appointments. I suspect that a survey of modern history would find some such trend. It would also show that Democrats and Republicans have not shared a common view of the Senate's role, especially with regard to judicial nominations. Republicans have been much more of Krauthammer's opinion–a President is entitled to the judges he appoints unless some disqualifying factor appears. Democrats have been much more willing to oppose judges simply because they disagree with them politically. Possibly this is because through most of our recent history, Republicans have controlled the Presidency.
Conservatives and Republicans should work toward a coherent, principled standard for consenting to judicial appointments. It makes no sense for the parties to apply different criteria to the Senate's "advise and consent" role, and it is by no means clear that Constitutionally, the Democrats' willingness to scrutinize nominees for judicial philosophy and political bent is wrong. It strikes me that a principled statement of the Senate's role would have to fall somewhere between "we disagree with the nominee's politics" and "the nominee is grotesquely unqualified."
No doubt others have investigated this subject deeply. Readers who are aware of such scholarly efforts are invited to direct our attention to them via comments. Remember that all comment submittals must include the first and last name of the commenter.
UPDATE: Andy McCarthy responded to this post at The Corner, here. Andy suggests that we don't need to be so "legalistic" as to have a standard. In effect, as I read him–he doesn't put it this way–Andy thinks Republicans should adopt the Democrats' practice of supporting or opposing nominees on whatever basis Senators consider reasonable, including, I take it, mere political disagreement. The constraint, Andy argues, is that the Senator must answer to his constituents at the polls. That describes the Democrats' practice quite well, I think. It explains why Democratic Senators from liberal states like New York and Illinois feel free to oppose pretty much any Republican nominee, while Senators from states like Nebraska and Louisiana tend to vote for such nominees.
Still, I don't think it's merely legalistic to think that it would be good for conservatives to coalesce around a principled basis on which Democratic judicial nominees can be evaluated. It seems to me that the happy medium–somewhere between abject surrender to the President's prerogative and opposition based simply on political disagreement–lies somewhere in the zone of judicial philosophy. (This assumes, obviously, that the nominee is qualified in terms of experience and competence, as Sonia Sotomayor, for example, clearly is, and is not disqualified by any purported scandal that might emerge.) I will have more to say about this in due course.


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Animal Species:Blue-ringed Angelfish, Pomacanthus annularis (Bloch, 1787)
The Blue-ringed Angelfish is a stunning looking fish. Adults can easily be recognised by the pattern of blue lines on the body and the blue ring above the gill cover.
Standard Common Name
Blue-ringed Angelfish
Adult Blue-ringed Angelfish are yellow with distinct curved blue lines on the body and a blue ring above the gill cover. The tip of the dorsal fin is often elongate and the caudal fin is white with a yellow margin.
Juvenile Blue-ringed Angelfish are blueish-black with narrow white to blue curved bars on the body.
Size range
The species grows to 45 cm in length.
It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific, from East Africa, north to Japan, south to Indonesia and east to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
It is not currently known from Australian waters, but may be present.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
Distribution by collection data
Ozcam map of Blue-ringed Angelfish specimens in the Australian Museum.
Blue-ringed Angelfish inhabit coral reefs. They are commonly seen around caves, wrecks or jetties, and often in murky water. It is found in depths from 1 m to 60 m.
Feeding and Diet
The Blue-ringed Angelfish feeds on sponges, sea squirts, salps and zooplankton.
Other behaviours and adaptations
The species is usually seen in pairs or as solitary individuals.
- Species:
- annularis
- Genus:
- Pomacanthus
- Family:
- Pomacanthidae
- Order:
- Perciformes
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum:
- Vertebrata
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 220.
- Allen, G.R., Steene, R. & M. Allen. 1998. A Guide to Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research. Pp. 250.
Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:
Tags new tag..., Fishes, Ichthyology, Blue-ringed Angelfish, Pomacanthus annularis, Pomacanthidae, yellow, blue, 'normal fish', 30 cm - 1 m, stripes, tropical, pelagic, marine, adult,


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Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved. This website is funded from Parliamentary allowances.
Commons photos: www.parliamentlive.tv
Download the report by the Bangladesh All Party Parliamentary Group: 'After Rana Plaza': A report into the readymade garment industry in Bangladesh.


text:
| WMU News
KALAMAZOO—The humanistic dimensions of medicine and health will come into sharper focus later this month when the second Medical Humanities Conference unfolds at Western Michigan University.
The conference runs Thursday to Friday, Sept. 27-28, in the Fetzer Center. Speakers and presenters from institutions across the country will delve into several interdisciplinary topics, including medical ethics, medicine and its ancient roots, medical anthropology, public health, imagining and managing the body, health care and emerging technologies, revolutions in medical history, health care and aging, medical education, and health care and women's studies. The conference begins at 8 a.m. and concludes with dinner both days.
"This conference builds on last year's success, and we're excited to develop WMU into a national leader for the medical humanities," says Dr. Fritz Allhoff, associate professor of philosophy and conference co-director. "The interest has really been wonderful and we couldn't be more grateful for it."
Both days are filled with presentations addressing key human issues related to health and medicine. Eleven concurrent sessions will let attendees pick and choose subjects to suit their individual interests.
Thursday's concurrent sessions include:
- "Ancient Philosophy and Medicine: Mental Health and Its Relation to Physical Health through the Thought of Ancients"
- "'Recite Two Incantations and Contact Me in the Morning:' Medicine as Magic in Ancient Egypt"
- "Praying for Yellow Fever: The Fall of the National Board of Health"
- "'Will My Baby Be Normal?' Parents, Caregivers and the History of Genetic Counseling in the United States."
Friday's concurrent sessions include:
- "John Harvey Kellogg and the National Eugenics Movement"
- "Caring for the Dying Adolescent: Challenges and Conundrums"
- "The Affordable Care Act and Popular Constitutionalism."
The concurrent offerings are interspersed with plenary sessions both days that will tackle such diverse issues as:
- "Cultural Consonance: Linking Culture, the Individual and Health" with Dr. William W. Dressler, a medical anthropologist at the University of Alabama
- "The Legacy of Eugenics in the Era of Human Genomics" with Dr. Alexandra Minn Stern, professor in the Center for the History of Medicine, University of Michigan
- "The Death of Brain Death and What to Do About It" with Dr. John Robinson, associate professor of law, the Notre Dame Law School, University of Notre Dame
- "Cinemeducation: What Is It and How Can We Use It to Teach Medical Ethics?" with Dr. Gary Fromm, medical doctor, Memorial Hospital of South Bend, Ind., and assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Indiana School of Medicine.
The conference's keynote address is at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and will feature Dr. Tod Chambers, associate professor in the medical humanities and bioethics program in the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. Chambers' presentation is titled "The Humanities as Medical Equipment."
Cost of the conference is $50 for students, $100 for non-students and $150 for physicians.
For more information, visit wmich.edu/medicalhumanities/conference2012.


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text:
Social Media at its core is all about giving to, learning from, and sharing with one another.
So this story starts just that way, with Steph Benedict telling me about this CBS.com show Around the World For Free. It had a large social media component so she thought I would like it. Parvati Shallow (a former Survivor contestant) is on a journey around the world, and she's looking for anyone real-time to help her on her journey.
Friday morning, Steph sends an IM saying that Parvati tweeted she was in Austin looking for a way to get to Haiti. From working with LifeStyle Homes on Extreme Makeover Home Edition: Space Coast, I had come to know the Hurston Family who run the NPO Air Mobile Ministries, have two adopted Haitian children, and make regular flights to Haiti delivering custom water purification devices and other supplies.
I sent a few tweets to Parvati, and sure enough about 30 minutes later she and I were talking on the phone from Honkfish World HQ.
She wanted to help out however she could with charity work, so we hung up and I called my friend Melanie who is a close friend of the Hurstons to have them get in touch with Parvati. Three hours later Parvati texts me saying she and Joe Hurston spoke and she was on her way to Florida to head to Haiti with AMM.
I was thrilled at that point alone, knowing that the Hurstons would be able to showcase their organization again. The work they do is amazing and they are so generous in their giving.
Fast forward to Sunday night, I'm walking home when I get a call from an unknown number. Sure enough it's Joe Hurston calling from Haiti. He wanted to thank me and told me what he and Parvati had done. Apparently his plane, the Ti Burik, had been getting serviced, so he reached out to another friend who flew the four of them down there.
Here's where the story gets interesting.
Joe and Parvati were delivering supplies and they came across a Pastor Joe knew from previous trips. The Pastor had become quite sick, and wasn't able to see the best Doctors to really get an idea about what was the problem. Joe was able to bring him to one of Haiti's top hospitals where they were going to get another opinion.
Joe told me that he was getting the urge to go back to Haiti, he felt he had a reason, but his plane being painted, and their organization's financial situation had not allowed him to get back down as soon as he'd liked. Had he not been down there because of Parvati, and because of the generosity of his partners, that Pastor may not have received the appropriate medical attention. And we can't forget the many people in Haiti right now who are feeling the effects of Joe Hurston, Air Mobile Ministries and their friends, and Parvati Shallow.
I really love what I get to do to help clients, but it's stories like these that are for the love of helping others that make me want to keep connecting and growing my relationships through Social Media. There are many stories like this one that have shown the power of people in numbers, and I'm glad to have been able to experience and be able to share it with you. If you have any compelling stories feel free to share them in the comments below.
The Hurston Family and Air Mobile Ministries are in need of funds to continue to bring their message and aid to the people (especially the children) of Haiti. If you can donate anything, please click the link below.
If you can't donate any money, spread this article on, so others can learn about the work they're doing! Thank you.


text:
Goddard goes to the dogs
Goddard Park was taken over by pooches on Sunday for the East Greenwich Animal Protection League's 16th Annual Hound Hike. Despite gray skies and a bit of rain, the event was still well attended and raised more than $14,000 for the non-profit, no-kill animal shelter in EG. The shelter has adoption hours every Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Greenwich Bay Animal Hospital, 5732 Post Road, East Greenwich.
(Warwic Beacon photos by Kim Kalunian)
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text:
Teenage Atheists
Teenage Atheists
Hi there!
My name is Steven and I thought, because of the most recent TTA podcast, I should start this thread. ( Sorry if there is another thread like this!)
My reason for doing so is because I am currently fifteen and am an Atheist. I wanted to know, and to find out how many other teenagers on this site had been or still are teenage atheists and what they went, or still go through because of it. This isn't particularly aimed at teenagers, just people who can relate to the subject and provide something to the discussion.
My story: I was about thriteen years old when one time I was on the internet, searching up documentaries, when I found " The God That Wasn't There". Being adopted, and raised a fudementalist, I raised an eyebrow at the title. It made me get a bit bothered at what the documentary was about, but nevertheless curious. It was that curiousity that got me to watch it, and start questioning.
As soon as I was done watching, l decided to read the bible. I was an avid reader,but I only managed to finish it within three months. When Atheists say that the sure fire way to take your first steps to become one is to read your "Holy" books, I realized they were right. In that book, I read about many horrible things, from slavary, child abuse, genocide, etc to Take no thought for the morrow. It made me think in a.... Newer direction.
By the time I was done with it, I was an atheist. I was still thirteen when my Seventh Grade teacher ( I went to a catholic private school.) had a lesson about Atheists and non belivers. She said, " Atheists are God Deniers and are going to Hell. I can't respect people like : Stephen Hawking." Hell was a sticky situation with me, I was very indoctrinated to the point of fearing Hell immensly. In a seething rage, I stood up and told her " Then I am going to Hell, I am an atheist. Don't bother saying we are God Deniers because we don't believe in nonsense like that!"
And I was outed.
My teacher looked at me, wide eyes and mouth gaping. She asked me to see her in the hall way, to which I reluctantly went. She wanted to tell my parents about what had happened, but I dissuaded her.
Fastforward a year. At the day of the reason rally I decided that if many Atheists were making their stand and grouping together for something they stand united on, I wanted to be counted as an true atheist. I told my mother and father of my lack of belief, and my mother looked at me with the a blank face.... And said.
" Thank God you're not my real son."
I was adopted from Russia at a young age, and when I heard this.... Well I wasn't happy.
Now my parents barely look at me anymore. I am a giant embaressment to them and their religion.
I am very happy to be on the side of reason and I am now more convinced that ever that
Coming out as an atheist is not only needed, but also very brave.
I want to hear other's story and their thoughts on this issue.
P.S : Writing on my IPad, sorry if I made any spelling mistakes.
Credit goes to UndercoverAtheist.
The following 12 users Like Atothetheist's post:12 users Like Atothetheist's post
lightninlives (17-05-2012), Dom (18-05-2012), Malleus (18-05-2012), Luminon (18-05-2012), Thomas (19-05-2012), shiranl (21-05-2012), Vosur (25-05-2012), Leerob (27-05-2012), Thecreativelynamed (27-05-2012), Kinger (04-06-2012), Rahn127 (21-06-2012), Adenosis (31-01-2013)
RE: Teenage Atheists
Oh my gosh, seriously? I want to adopt you! This makes me sad . Discrimination hurts, but from your mom? Sorry you had to go through this and are still in this. Sometimes, though, people say things that they don't actually mean or maybe need to come to terms with in situations they don't expect. You never know where this will lead or how your parents will relate in the future. Sometimes people say things hoping to get certain results, not realizing the true impact of what they say.
I sometimes wonder what would happen if my kids decided to be much different than I would choose, like maybe be religious or a hobby I am not a fan of or something. I would like to think I'd always just encourage them to be safe and happy, but to always keep communication open and to always love them. It doesn't mean I have to agree or support their decisions. Funny how something like religion can twist someone to not be open to their kids.
I hope you find support in ways you need it close by- or here on this forum A supportive community is important, it can be its own kind of family.
The following 4 users Like LadyJane's post:4 users Like LadyJane's post
Atothetheist (17-05-2012), Erxomai (18-05-2012), Thomas (19-05-2012), Logisch (20-05-2012)
17-05-2012, 10:04 PM (This post was last modified: 17-05-2012 10:12 PM by Bucky Ball.)
RE: Teenage Atheists
(17-05-2012 08:58 PM)Atothetheist Wrote: " Thank God you're not my real son."
I think if I were in your position, I would pick the moment, sit them down, and very quietly, respectfully, and nicely, say something like :
"mom, and dad, when you decided to adopt me, the deal was, unconditional love, cuz that's what a family is. You picked me, and we started this journey togerther. Now, I don't need an answer today, but I need to know, if you're changing the rules, in the middle of the game ? Would you rather I be dishonest, and lie to you about my non-belief ?" It may have them think about things a bit differently. You obviously still love each other, or it wouldn't matter.
Maybe, give one of them a copy of something...like one of Dawkin's books, and say, "I don't think you're going to agree with this, but you might want to understand where I'm coming from".
Insufferable know-it-all. It is objectively immoral to kill innocent babies. Please stick to the guilty babies.
The following 1 user Likes Bucky Ball's post:1 user Likes Bucky Ball's post
Luminon (18-05-2012)
RE: Teenage Atheists
(17-05-2012 10:04 PM)Bucky Ball Wrote:(17-05-2012 08:58 PM)Atothetheist Wrote: " Thank God you're not my real son."
Clearly, giving them " The Ultimate Liar's" book wouldn't really solve anything. My parents are some of the most religious people I know. It would be better off if I let them keep doing what they do. I don't need any unessassary things distracting me from my goal of an academic future and a good life of reason.
RE: Teenage Atheists
Thank you for sharing. Hopefully, in another generation or so, this type of story will be a bitter relic of the past.
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Mark Fulton (25-05-2012)
RE: Teenage Atheists
As a teenager growing up in New Zealand, the theists were the freaks.
At least until I got to university where I was out of public school and merged with all the private religious schools people...
Still, Atheism is considered the norm here. 40% identify themselves as Atheist, but something like 15-20% say they go to church. In my experience with all sorts of people from different backgrounds and social level I would say the majority of New Zealanders simply just don't give it any thought. You might get people saying "yeah I believe in God" but that's all the thought they've ever given it.
Nobody really gives a flying shit around in this country.
As for your mother, just say "well you raised me". That will be sure to piss her off.
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lightninlives (18-05-2012), Mark Fulton (25-05-2012), Thecreativelynamed (28-05-2012)
RE: Teenage Atheists
I'm Thirteen and I am an Atheist as well. I first began to doubt when I was 10 or 11 in the Sixth Grade. We were first learning about Evolution in History Class(Which tells you I definately wasn't in a Christian school). About a week or so later, another student in my class began to make fun of me. This was before I had made the decision, and I forget what he was saying it for, but he was saying "You're gonna go to Hell". It was very playfully and I knew he didn't mean it, but in an effort to get him to shut up I blurted out "I don't believe in God". At the time, I didn't believe it myself, but everyone else around me did. Decent people that I had known and grown up with had suddenly turned on me and turned into the most vile and ruthless bullies in the school simply because of those words. As the year progressed, I began to look upon what I had supposedly "Believed". What I realized were several things. The first is that I had, put simply, never liked going to Church. In fact, I loathed it. The second is that the Bible made absolutely no sense to me.....And finally, the third was that despite the fact that other students were claiming it to be rediculous, I realized that Evolution made sense, something that religion had never done for me before. These realizations set off a chain reaction that got me examining every detail about my own life, and the world around me. The more I learned from the internet, or class alone, the more Religion seemed to be pointless and simply rediculous. At this time, my mother was getting baptized into Catholicism and preparing for communion, and so I was afraid to tell them anything, and I probably would have kept this secret for a long while until the realization was forced into the open.
One of the mothers of the supposed "Decent Kids" had known me since I was in Kindergarten. As soon as her son told her about my beliefs, she instantly went into savior mode and contacted my mother about it. Essentially, I had lost all choice in the matter. To my surprise, however, my parents took the news fairly well. They were incredibly curious, but overall they accepted my decision. At the time, I think they believed it to be a phase. They started sending me to church three times as much, and R.E.(Religious Ed, an outside school program) became a part of my life. After a while, however, they finally realized that I was serious in my beliefs and the only time I was made to go to church was when a sibling was taking a sacrament, or occasionally on Easter. R.E. was dropped entirely. Though my parents learned to accept me, -EVERYONE- that I had known since the age of five years old had -COMPLETELY- turned against me. People that I had thought would never go about insulting or abusing me, were doing it on a regular basis. Most people have co-workers and friends entering savior mode. My friends entered torment mode. Out of everyone whom bothered me for my beliefs, I only remember one that was actually in savior mode.
Though eventually I made friends with a group of atheists slightly younger than me, and a westernized Muslim child and his family, I was eventually forced out of school for the stream of torment that I received. Bullying and hatred about my beliefs eventually evolved into hatred by everyone in the school, regardless as to whether or not they knew my beliefs, for -ANY- reason they could find. That's how much these people were affected by their friends. I feel I was forced into an early and somewhat distorted adulthood by the experience. It seemed as if everywhere I looked, I was hated. Before I made the decision to leave the school, I was eventually forced into my own little bubble. Any social skills I had before had completely dissolved. I became depressed and I began to hate myself for everything but my own beliefs, which I stood by.
It's amazing what a single decision can do to somebody.
As for your story, I am appalled at how your family treated you. As your mother, regardless of whether or not you were adopted, you should have received unconditional love, despite your beliefs. I live with my step mother and father and I'm still very close with my family. The only member of my family that has reacted in an angered way was my mother of birth whom called me Satanic and said I am not old enough to think for myself, and must continue to fall victim to the indoctrination. I personally don't consider her close family. She lives in another state, and the only time we ever spoke was once every 2-3 months, and only briefly. My parents separated when I was 5. She didn't know me as a person, and thus I don't care too much about her opinion. My step mom is my true mom.
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lightninlives (18-05-2012), Dom (18-05-2012)
18-05-2012, 04:41 AM (This post was last modified: 18-05-2012 04:48 AM by ahoy.)
RE: Teenage Atheists
Stand up on what you believe is right, that is good.
But for the meantime that a kid cannot food, shelter, clothing, school himself….
I think the most "rational" , "reasonable" thing to do (for a teenager) .... to avoid conflict in the house…is... to be...aaahhhh..... silent, obedient. study hard...wash the dishes ? : )
RE: Teenage Atheists
Mate, I'm glad to hear you've joined the rest of us, the fight for reason
But man I felt sick when I heard how you're adoptive parents began to treat you after you told them. Salute to you for holding strong, I'm sure you by now know that there are plenty of us who respect you for who you are, you'll never be alone.
Aha come to Australia, we go one of two directions, either we're mostly secular or even the religious over here are happy with everyone. There are very little to no stories like this that come out of Australia (I'm sure there might be a few), but on the whole religion doesn't dictate our lives, we tend to focus more on politics and how long till the weekend
RE: Teenage Atheists
shameful parenting. There is nothing wrong with having different opinions. That's what makes each of us unique and compelling in our own ways. To judge and to shun is petty and immature coming from a peer. Coming from a parent, adoptive or natural, is disgusting.
Be the bigger person. Show that you are more mature and accepting of others than your parent. I don't care what you believe in, as long as you believe in it as your own decision not at someoneelse's compulsion.
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Jim LeylandDetroit Tigers
Team Official | Ht: | Wt:
|Tigers | Jim Leyland stepping down
Mon, 21 Oct 2013 06:51:16 -0700
Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland is stepping down as manager of the team. He informed the team after they were eliminated in the American League Championship Series.
Fantasy Tip: If this is the end, we tip our caps to an illustrious career.
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|| Source: FOXSports.com - Ken Rosenthal
|Tigers | Jim Leyland to meet with Dave Dombrowski
Sun, 20 Oct 2013 11:29:11 -0700
Detroit Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski intends to sit down with manager Jim Leyland in the next few days regarding his future. "Now's not the time," Dombrowski said after the team's loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. "We'll sit down in the next day or two."
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|| Source: CBSSports.com - Jon Heyman
|Tigers | Miguel Cabrera ejected
Mon, 09 Sep 2013 19:25:25 -0700
Detroit Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera (abdomen) was in the lineup Monday, Sept. 9, against the Chicago White Sox, but he was ejected in the first inning for arguing a checked-swing strike. Manager Jim Leyland also got the gate.
Fantasy Tip: The good news is that he did not leave the game due to injury. The bad news is that his one at-bat was almost like having the day off. He'll be back in there Tuesday.
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|| Source: The Detroit News - Tom Gage
|Tigers | Anibal Sanchez to start Saturday
Tue, 02 Jul 2013 13:22:00 -0700
Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland said SP Anibal Sanchez (leg, shoulder) is on his way back to Detroit and is expected to start Saturday, July 6.
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|| Source: Twitter
|Tigers | Jim Leyland advocates universal DH
Thu, 02 May 2013 08:03:27 -0700
Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland has become an advocate of the DH rule in both leagues. "It doesn't make much sense to me that the two leagues have different rules," Leyland said.
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|| Source: USA Today - Bob Nightengale
|Tigers | Brayan Villarreal has vote of confidence
Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:18:25 -0700
Even though Detroit Tigers RP Brayan Villarreal struggled in the seventh inning of the team's game Wednesday, April 10, against the Toronto Blue Jays, manager Jim Leyland gave Villareal a vote of confidence. "His numbers are pretty good up here, so we know he's a lot better than that," Leyland said. "He had a tough day. He had a bad time. Those things happen."
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|| Source: MLB.com - Jason Beck
|Tigers | No clarification on closer
Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:05:24 -0700
Updating previous reports, Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland is not saying who he will use as his closer this season, and it's possible that he could go with some sort of closer-by-committee. "We'll have somebody to get the last three outs," Leyland said. "It might be two different guys on a night. It might be a lefty to get the second out of the inning and a righty to get the third out. But what people don't realize is that when you have to do it that way, the effect it has on you in the seventh inning, because you can't use that guy to get the biggest out in the seventh inning. (But) if you can't get the out in the seventh inning, the ninth don't mean spit. That's where it gets tricky."
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|| Source: MLB.com - Richard Justice
|Tigers | Jim Leyland has no retirement plans
Fri, 08 Mar 2013 08:31:33 -0800
Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he has no plans to retire after this season.
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|| Source: Local 4 WDIV Detroit - Rob Parker
|Tigers | More on closer situation
Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:19:33 -0800
Because of the spring struggles of Detroit Tigers RP Bruce Rondon, manager Jim Leyland is not anointing him or any other reliever as the primary closer right now. Leyland said there will be a point this spring when the team decides if Rondon can be that guy or not. Leyland's preference is to have a closer anointed, but he indicated that he'll mix and match in the ninth if he needs to. Rondon is still a very realistic candidate to become the closer, and his struggles haven't lost him a chance at the job. "First of all, Bruce Rondon has not pitched his way off anything. It's way too early for that. Way too early. I emphasize that. We looked at some film today. Will that help? Is that the answer? I don't know that. It's probably not the answer, to be honest with you. It might have been a little thing. But you know what? You look for something to build on or something. Who knows? It might be the thing. I don't know," Leyland said.
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|| Source: MLive.com - Chris Iott
|Tigers | Bruce Rondon benched to work on issues
Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:33:46 -0800
The Detroit Tigers have benched RP Bruce Rondon so he can work on mechanics and improve his control before his next exhibition assignment. Rondon was groomed by management to close games this spring but appears to be out of that role. No firm replacement was named, although manager Jim Leyland ruled out a return of CL Jose Valverde to the role.
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|| Source: Detroit Free Press - John Lowe


text:
Plymouth freshman, Francis Wayland Parker Scholar, tries to do her bestBy RYAN O'CONNOR
Union Leader Correspondent
May 04. 2014 10:21PM
PLYMOUTH — Lilly Friedman has long been lauded by teachers, administrators and peers as a standout student with a bright future. The Plymouth Regional High School freshman is the Francis Wayland Parker Scholar for April.
"Honestly, as long as I can remember, I've had a passion for learning," Friedman said. "Ever since I was a kid, I tried to do my best, always. I mean, I remember worrying about having good handwriting when I was first learning, and then in middle school, when you could be on the honor roll, I wanted to try hard to do my best and be one of the top students."
Friedman's guidance councilor, Paul Ferenc, said she's well beyond her years in academic maturity.
"She's been a high honor roll student since day one," he said. "She's very conscientious and fun-loving. Her teachers love her, her peers love her, and when she puts her mind to something, she gets it done."
With a GPA of 98.24 out of 100, Friedman is currently ranked first among 176 freshmen.
Friedman, in her essay about the Bedford-born educator Parker, said her school provides a positive learning experience.
"As Parker suggested over one hundred years ago, the teachers at PRHS have their own specific methods of teaching. This makes each classroom a unique and enriching experience," she wrote.
Friedman excels outside the classroom as well. In addition to playing high school soccer, basketball and softball, she's involved in school music festivals, choir, theater, student senate, and was a member of the student council from third through eighth grade.
She's also twice been nominated to the People-to-People student ambassador program.
On the volunteer level, she's spent hours participating in food drives and wrapping gifts for victims in areas of the country devastated by natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy.
"For me, I think it's been easier because I have to really manage my time to get everything done when it needs to be done," she said. "There's no more waiting until the last minute to do my homework. If I don't get it done when I plan to, I won't have time to do it."
"She is a very talented, engaging pleasure to have in class," said Janice Prescott, administrative assistant to the principal at Plymouth Regional High School. "She's in all honors-level classes ... and really has a fantastic work ethic. She's just a great all-around student."
The Francis Wayland Parker Scholar program is sponsored by the New Hampshire Association of School Principals, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Union Leader, Lifetouch Studios and the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Northern New England.
Other nominees for April were Jacob George of Monadnock Regional High School in Swanzey; Kathryn Frost of Manchester West High School; Jessica Manning of Campbell High School in Litchfield and Kelsey Mako of Moultonborough Academy.


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in this section
Cornell achieves a new record in deep ultraviolet photonics
Deep-ultraviolet (DUV) light emitting diodes (LEDs), with a wavelength of less than 280 nanometers convert electrical power to photon power. DUV LEDs are useful for germicidal applications like purification and disinfecting water, air, food and beverages. However, the efficiency of current state-of-the-art DUV LEDs is still low compared to LEDs used for ambient lighting. In fact, only as much as two percent of the consumed electrical power is converted to DUV light, which is comparable to the performance of incandescent light bulbs.
A research group led by Cornell Engineering Professors Debdeep Jena and Grace Xing recently achieved 40% internal quantum efficiency (IQE) for DUV emission at 219 nanometer-wavelength from gallium nitride/alumnimum nitride (GaN/AIN) heterostructures.[1]
Internal quantum efficiency (IQE) is one of the three components of the overall electrical efficiency of an LED. The researchers say that the 40% IQE is more than twice the highest-reported value for the conventional AlGaN QW-based heterostructures at comparable short DUV wavelengths. As such, it is considered the new record.
While increasing the electrical current can increase the power emitted by a DUV LED, this also increases the amount of heat the LED produces. In addition, the lifespan of a DUV LED decreases as the level of electrical current is increased.
By improving the efficiency of DUV LEDs, they can be used for more applications and with longer lifespans. More efficient and powerful DUV LEDs also reduce treatment time and the need for cooling and consequently, create a more attractive and cost effective alternative to existing solutions for disinfection purposes, including mercury-based Ultraviolet C (UVC), a subtype of ultraviolet light also used as a germicide.
"We hope our work will lead to rugged, portable, high-efficiency semiconductor light sources for DUV applications such as water/air purification, bio-photonic diagnostics, sterilization, food preservation, security and environment monitoring, and industrial curing," said SM Moududul Islam, Ph.D., a Postdoctoral Associate in electrical and computer engineering with the Jena/Xing group and the lead author of the study.
Jena and Xing both have joint appointments with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Materials Science at Cornell University.
- Research group at Cornell: A smart approach to enhance UVC LED efficiency http://uvclinical.com/2017/09/10/research-group-at-cornell-a-smart-approach-to-enhance-uvc-led-efficiency/
- Deep-ultraviolet gallium nitride quantum dots in aluminium nitride: http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2017/sep/cornell_270917.shtml
[1] SM (Moudud) Islam et al, Appl. Phys. Lett., vol111, p091104, 2017


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John Derbyshire has written an important piece about the culture war in this country or, more precisely, how conservatives are losing it. The piece was prompted by a Peggy Noonan op-ed in the Opinion Journal in which she took the self-contratulatory position that "we have gone beyond tolerance in America; we have arrived at affection and sympathy and mutual respect. It has been beautiful to see, and I have seen it in my lifetime." Noonan is referring of course to the admirable progress America has made in the area of civil rights. But, as Derbyshire shows, she is ignoring the fact that "only some of us have 'gone beyond tolerance' to 'sympathy and mutual respect.'" In fact, the new "tolerance" runs in only one direction — in favor of designated victim groups and their members. Such tolerance is a zero-sum game, in which the toleration of some means lack of toleration for others. As Derbyshire explains:
"If I were a black American, I could go around calling my white fellow-citizens 'devils' and my Jewish fellow-citizens 'bloodsuckers,' and no-one would give it a moment
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"Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time." Winston Churchill
"Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof." Inscription on the Liberty Bell


text:
Yet more OpenSearch discussion …….
The latest shots in this coming from Lorcan Dempsey & Thom Hickey at OCLC, both referencing their colleague Ralph LeVan .
To caricature the situation:
We in one camp, have the information scientists and librarians extolling the virtues of a powerful flexible search systems allowing the user to describe in the finest detail, down to an individual part of a Marc tag, what they are searching for. Then being able to combine that with other equally detailed search elements, limited by many things such as language, format, dates, and author's inside leg measurement. [I did say it was a caricature]
In the other camp we have the proletariat of users who find putting more than two words in to an Amazoogle prompt a bit of a strain.
The first group delight in a search screen with more prompts than you can shake a stick at, the rest have never clicked an Advanced Search link in their life.
So towards which group do the Library/Information system developers and suppliers concentrate their efforts, and develop protocols to support? I contend that we need to service both these communities, as fully as possible. Without the former there would be far less stuff catalogued for the latter group to reliably search for and find.
Thom questions if there is a middle ground between SRU and OpenSearch. I think the answer is that there is something between these two that is worth discussing. Whether it is in the middle, I'm not so sure. Ralph commented, and I replied in more detail than here, on one of my previous blogs on the subject.
Ralph has offered to help develop guidelines on how to make an SRU & OpenSearch compatible solution to emerge. His experience around Z39.50, SRU/W, and metasearch will be invaluable towards this. I am also happy to get involved in such discussions, maybe coming at it from the other end by wearing a hat bearing the legend "Unadventurous member of the Internet Proletariat"


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Actually, my father's terraces, and there he is at the upper right, at age 77 still taking care of this whole place. Pretty much everything you see here exclusive of the house is his doing. The basic grading had been done by the time my folks bought the place in 1941, but over the years he put in all the pathways, stairs, trees, bushes and other plantings, here as well as the other half of the property. This just most of the back yard, site of the orchard and vegetable gardens. He's preparing one of the three tiers of the latter for planting. I think those are strawberries already sprouting. Later there'd be beans, corn, tomatoes, zucchini and squash. The fruit trees include apples, peaches, plums, prunes, apricots, figs and cherries. The one in the center casting a shadow on the bank of pink-blossoming oxalis is an avocado that grew for decades before finally producing some finger-sized fruit. A row of blackberries follows the stairway, which is lined by amaryllis. When, at the age of 11, I incorporated the yard as the City of Penton, I named those pathways, left to right: Plum Blvd., Compost Rd. (because the compost heaps used to be there) and Garage Ave. (because that's where the stairs went). The square thing above the avocado tree is the platform of my observatory. This Kodachrome slide was at the end of the roll, hence the phantom image of a batch tag or something at the right edge.
Click image for Comments.
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text:
"Bad Annunciation"
—ca. 1500, Jean de Flanes
Click here to listen to Joanie Mackowski read this poem.
She's heard it too often before, waited in too many
rooms and dresses for each moon-
faced angel, each with a different approach.
This is the worst. The walls a botch
of brick, no window, not a thread
of drapery—the beams so low if Mary stood
she'd knock her head. Yet an inch
from her head hangs the dove, outstretched
in a pink and blue bubble: it will land in her hair.
But Mary doesn't care. She stares far
away, toward my knees and the rick-
rack edge of the rug in the gallery. She doesn't look
at the book, open in her lap. Not the usual book: it's a picture-
book, a museum catalog maybe, Four
Centuries of Annunciations—anyway, it's open
to a dime-sized, dim, and inverted replica of this same
painting here. How clever: a mirror in her lap,
like the pinprick infinite hope just plopped
in her womb. The angel enters stage left,
as usual, but he brought no flower, just
a spear. Will he kneel? His knees
haven't yet touched the floor. Perhaps he flies
with them bent, to save time. And he's more bivalve
than angel, his wings too rigid and blue, yet to evolve.


text:
NEW YORK (AP) — CVR Refining LP's units rose about 2 percent in their first hours of trading Thursday.
The company, which was spun off from CVR Energy Inc., sold 24 million units for $25 each, the midpoint of an expected range of $24 to $26, raising gross proceeds of $600 million.
It also granted the offering's underwriters an option to buy up to 3.6 million additional units.
In midday trading, the shares rose 51 cents to $25.51 after peaking at $25.87, while the broader markets also rose.
The Sugar Land, Texas-based limited partnership owns and operates petroleum refining and auxiliary businesses. The company has said it plans to use proceeds from the initial public offering to pay down debt, for maintenance and environmental payments and for expenses of its Wynnewood refinery in the fourth quarter.
After the offering closes, CVR Energy will own nearly 84 percent of CVR Refining's common units, or about 81 percent if the underwriters fully exercise their option.
In addition, billionaire investor Carl Icahn's Icahn Enterprises, which controls CVR Energy, plans to buy 4 million units for stake of about 2.7 percent.
The units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "CVRR."


text:
Posted on January 12, 2011
Not all of the comments in response to "For Starters" were sent via the blog, and had to be tabulated separately. Amazingly, some people still stop and talk, instead of texting. I presume this is a vice which will fade as time goes on and we all develop small tendrils from our wrists to hold electronic devices. So this will give you some idea of response to the question beyond those two brave souls who were willing to put their recommendations into the blog itself. (Check "For Starters" back in November for the original blog and comments.)
The question was "If you meet someone who has never read your favorite author, what book would you recommend as the best starting point?" Do you recommend the BEST book he/she/it ever wrote, or just one that gives a good example of what you like about the author? What's interesting is that not only are the readers of my blog interested in good literature as well, but that so many authors came up more than once. I always said the Newberry seems to draw in the Britophiles.
Three people told me that one should begin reading Jane Austen with Pride and Prejudice. One person claimed that while it is possible for a person to get lost in the other novels and not make their way to P&P, anyone who enjoyed P&P will eventually read all the rest.
We had two Wodehouse fans in the audience, both of whom recommended The Code of the Woosters as the way into Bertie and Jeeves. One, however, favored Leave It to Psmith, and the other Blandings Castle as the entrée into the rest of the work. (Wodehouse kind of spoils a reader. Since he kept at it for so many decades, there's always something else you haven't read yet.)
Two Dorothy L. Sayers readers sent in their two cents' worth, one advising either Clouds of Witness or Strong Poison while the other came down strongly in favor of Murder Must Advertise. Both agreed that you must NOT start with the last two books in the Lord Peter Wimsey saga, but save those for last.
Similarly, a Robert Van Gulik fan suggested that one could start with any book EXCEPT Necklace and Calabash, which he maintained should be read absolutely last. He said he started in on the Chinese series with The Emperor's Pearl.
Back to England for Georgette Heyer: These Old Shades was recommended by one person while another favored The Talisman Ring. Each, when informed of the other person's choice, said, "Well, yes, that would be okay, too." Amiable lot, these Georgetters.
On the other hand, I had two Raymond Chandler readers, and predictably, one picked The Long Goodbye, which comes at the end of the Marlowe series, and the other picked Farewell, My Lovely, which is the second book. Chandler fans will fight to the death about whether he was better at the beginning or the end of his career, and there's no sense my getting involved in it all.
There were also single references to Elmore Leonard (52 Pick-Up), Agatha Christie (Murder on the Orient Express), and Terry Pratchett (Mort). And one delightful soul said you should start Arthur Koestler with Darkness at Noon. "And end there, too. Nothing else he ever wrote is worth your time."
There's one in every crowd.
By all means continue to send in your nominations for "the first book by X someone who's never read X should read". But I'll toss out another one of these idle questions. What book would you wish on your worst enemy if that person were exiled to a desert island with only one book to read? I asked another group this question once and got rather surprising results.