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Years ago my sister had a friend in New York who would arrive at my house once or twice a year, unannounced -- and always at dinner time. He always stayed until we invited him for dinner but never brought anything to contribute. He had good stories to tell of his times in Africa, so we fed him and excused his unannounced arrivals and large appetite.
I've had other visitors who also arrived without an invitation, some of whom wanted to stay for days and who left wet towels on the bathroom floor. There are similarities in the plant world, too: some plants arrive unannounced and shouldn't be allowed to stay, while others welcomed.
Decades ago a handsome flower arrived in my garden on its own. It was a bellflower, one called, in scientific parlance, Campanula glomerata. This is a nice cut flower with a bright bluish-purple blossom. Never having seen one, I thought I had discovered a new plant, or perhaps a fabulous wildflower had arrived in my garden. I soon learned its name, and that it spread by root, but flopped over, and was, though nice, not as nice as I had first thought. Where did it come from? Who knows? Seeds, I suppose, perhaps in a pot containing other flowers, or carried by a bird.
Not all uninvited visitors are nice. Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria) and bishop's weed (the variegated form of goutweed), is the bane of many a gardener's existence. This invasive was introduced from Japan as a groundcover that could grow in sun or shade, wet or dry. The all-green form, goutweed, will take over a flowerbed in no time, smothering less persistent plants. It is nearly impossible to weed out, as even a small section of root will produce a plant � and more roots. For the organic gardener, the only way to control it is to smother it with plastic and a thick layer of bark mulch.
I got some many years ago with a gift of iris -- their roots were intertwined. Bishops weed, with its green and white leaves, is less invasive, but sometimes it reverts to the all green form and takes over. So beware!
Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) is a fine, upstanding blue-flowered plant that comes and goes in my garden as it pleases. I let it pick its own location, seldom weeding it out, as I know it will never be a problem. It forms small clumps of a dozen plants or less, each spike standing 18-24 inches tall. I've known it to travel over 100 yards from one year to the next, and I don't recall that I ever purchased a plant.
Last winter was virtually snowless, so roots of plants got colder than normal (snow is an excellent insulator). I lost most of my hollyhocks, but I assume that seeds are in the ground and that they will return. Many books list hollyhocks as biennials, but I have had some plants that persisted, growing from the same roots for several years � especially if I cut down the stems right after flowering. Hollyhocks have moved around my gardens at will, seeds traveling downhill on rainy days, as near as I could tell. I had to transplant some as they became very well established in my vegetable garden.
I recently installed a small garden for a client in Wilder, Vermont, who would not let me remove some of her weeds! She had one that stood nearly 3 feet tall and was covered with small white flowers. It looked to be related to flowers in the genus Persicaria. The weed, deemed a wildflower, is on a Brandeis University web site, http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio/leeci_unet/. It's called lady's thumb, with the scientific name Polygonum persicaria. That name indicates that the plant looks like a Persicaria, but is in the buckwheat family. So it continues to thrive in her garden -- as a wildflower. And now that I know it is a wildflower, not a weed, I like it better. Isn't that silly? I guess I fear that weeds will take over a space, but know that most wildflowers will not.
That same client also requested that I leave a creeping weed called purslane (Portulaca oleracea). It has glossy, fat leaves and can lay flat against the soil, or stand up as tall as 6 inches. Hers was a low-growing type, and makes a good groundcover -- and a nice meal. Yes, I've eaten it by saut�ing it in olive oil with a little garlic. If you wish to try some, please be sure to get positive identification of it from a knowledgeable person. Most plants are not poisonous, but I'd hate for you to get sick from trying something you should not eat.
Another client told me that she weeded out rose campion (Lychnis coronaria or Silene coronaria) because it jumped up all over the garden. I love it, and let it choose to grow wherever it chooses. It is a biennial with slightly fuzzy gray leaves that has a 4-petaled magenta flower in its second year. But if you want your garden to be ordered and organized in a specific way, perhaps it is not for you.
We all have different tolerances for uninvited visitors, both flowers and people. I think the important thing for me is to know that, if I choose, I can get rid of them without too much trouble.
Henry's new children's book, a fantasy-adventure about a boy and a cougar, will be out soon: Wobar and the Quest for the Magic Calumet from Bunker Hill Publishing. His Web site is www.Gardening-Guy.com.
Uninvited visitors: the good, bad and ugly
Years ago my sister had a friend in New York who would arrive at my house once or twice a year, unannounced -- and always at dinner time. He always stayed until we invited him for dinner but never brought anything to contribute. He had good stories to tell of his times in Africa, so we fed him and excused his unannounced arrivals and large appetite.


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Whilst the friendly folk at Newspaper Club work their magic on the presses, here's a digital version of Turnaround for your viewing pleasure. Grab a printed copy this weekend at BALTIC, or if you're super keen, from our launch party at Living Room in Newcastle on Friday evening.
Thanks of the memory of things I can't forget .. wise Sinatra.. To everybody I' ve met and worked with at the Baltic..with the power of hindsight, what a priceless experience! One word to sum up my feelings: grateful.Thanks guysM.L.

subset: commoncrawl


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Deadspin and Gelf Magazine bring you the best (or at least the most interesting) foreign-produced journalism about the London Olympics.
1. Is The Olympics Logo Really Just Nazi (And/Or Zionist) Propaganda? | Iran
Last year, there was talk that Iran would boycott the Olympics due to Israel's inclusion in the Games (and the Iranian government's belief that Israel is trying to spread Zionism and take over the world). Then Iran decided it would participate on the condition that its athletes would not compete against any Israeli athletes. Islamic Republic of Iran Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Mohammad Abbasi went so far as to say, "Not competing with the Zionist athletes is one of the values and prides of the Iranian athletes and nation."
After an IOC warning that "any Olympic athlete who deliberately boycotts a competition in which he or she would have faced an Israeli opponent will be punished," the 2012 Iranian delegation promised to play nice. But before the only potential Iran-Israel showdown, Iranian judoka Javad Mahjoob came down with "digestive system infection" and withdrew from the Games.
Iran's complaints about Israeli influence at the Olympics extends to the Games' 2012 London logo, which government officials claim looks like the word "ZION." Iran's Press TV website claims that "it keeps reminding people of the racial imagery of Nazi Germany or of Zionism rather than British culture or history."
One other reason the logo might have those (conflicting) connotations? In a bad Photoshop job, the Press TV folks have altered the 2012 logo so that it clearly spells out "ZION"-with a swastika in the "O".
2. Kiwi Olympians Go For Gold (and $48k) | New Zealand
The New Zealand Herald has the exact figures: New Zealand's gold medalists are awarded (in $NZD) $60,000, while silver and bronze medalists come away with $55,000. That comes out to US $48,618 and $44,566 respectively, better than the $31,000 for gold, $18,000 for silver and $12,000 for bronze that members of Team USA can earn.
Though Olympic athletes were traditionally unpaid amateurs, the distinction between amateur and professional was officially written out of the Olympic rulebook in 1986. After that, it was a small step to economic incentives for medal-winning performances.
New Zealand (which officially calls the cash prizes "Performance-Enhancing Grants") pays well, but, as the New Zealand Herald notes, it isn't even in the top three. In Singapore, a gold medal nets you a (heavily-taxed) million dollars, while Malaysia and the Philippines offer $400,000 and $380,000 each. Worth remembering: those countries never actually win gold—Singapore has two bronze medals (for which they paid $500,000 in prizes), Malaysia has a silver and a bronze, and the Philippines is off the hook entirely, having won no medals in London. Cash incentives tend to drop with the likelihood that a delegation brings home any medals; for all it's generosity, New Zealand has only parted with $457,816. Among traditional sports powers, Russia is most generous, giving out $167,000 for each gold.
If you think there's something distasteful about paying for performance in this way (as opposed to paying athletes with contracts or not at all), you aren't alone: a sports historian quoted by Reuters said, "Cash incentives are just an incentive to cheat." For its part, India wants in: an editorial in the Times of India argues that India ought to be proactive and create cash incentives—though the editorial also notes, "Maybe India is not really interested in Olympics gold because the discs are only gilt anyway. China may think spending $3 billion on training athletes is fine—they did so for the Athens Olympics, which worked out to $50 million per medal won there—but India is smarter."
3. Wild Speculation and Crazy Theories After The 1500m | Kenya
The Kenyans usually comprise one of the strongest distance running teams at the summer Olympics, and this year was supposed to be no different. With three talented runners participating in the men's 1500m on Tuesday, it was assumed by many that Kenya would come away with at least one, and possibly many, medals from the event. Unfortunately, all three participants from Kenya performed miserably, as Silas Kiplagat finished seventh, Nixon Kiplimo Chepseba finished 11th, and Asbel Kiprop finished 12th.
Omulo Okothin of Kenya's Standard Digital smells a rat: "Did the Kenyan 1,500m team throw away the race on Tuesday evening? And are the poor performances we are witnessing here a red herring? Is there something else that is not coming out yet, but is responsible for what we are seeing here? These are the questions that emerged after the three Kenyans made a fool of themselves."
Okothin goes on to speculate that a rift between Kiprop and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya may have brought a lack of unity and discord to the team, and floats a few other conspiracy theories before demanding an investigation into the performance. It's hard to imagine that an inquiry into Kenya's flop in the 1500m would reveal anything more than, "These guys ran poorly," but it is also nice to see that the American media aren't the only ones who turn reactionary and illogical in the face of an unexpected defeat.
4. American-Israeli Could Win Partial Medal For Israel Via Russia | Israel
One Israeli with a shot at a medal isn't competing for Israel, but he's willing to give the team advice. David Blatt is the American-Israeli coach of the Russian men's basketball team, which is still in the running for a medal. (Israel's only hopes for a medal of its own lie in tomorrow's rhythmic gymnastics event.)
Blatt's success has him thinking he knows what Israel needs to do to win more medals. "Coaches and the systems standing behind the athletes are no less important than the athletes themselves," he told Haaretz.
Having played and coached professionally in Israel for more than 20 years, Blatt says he considers himself a product of the country's athletic system. But since he was born in the US, and has coached in Russia for a while, he has plenty of knowledge of the way other nations train their athletes.
Blatt's advice to Israel boils down to two main points: find good coaches, and find good parents. "(Blatt) says [good parenting] is connected both to learning various branches of sport as well as education," Merav Michaeli wrote for Haaretz. "He says children should learn to grow up both in their home and in their sport the way athletes should be."
But Blatt also realizes that no matter how well-trained Israeli athletes are, there are certain sports that just won't bring them Olympic glory. "Let's be honest," he said. "There are sports that are appropriate for our people and there are other things that aren't."
5. Games Lanes Enforcers Won't Be Topping Any Podiums | United Kingdom
Transport for London (TfL), the Olympic host's massive transportation agency, took a lot of flack for supposedly confusing motorists with its "Games Lanes"—30 miles of roads designated for use solely by athletes, judges, sponsors and members of the media while the Olympics are in session (or as The Telegraph termed it, "members of the 'Olympic family'"). Some locals have, less than affectionately, nicknamed them 'Zil' lanes, in homage to lanes reserved for political leaders in Soviet-era Moscow.
While congestion in London has, by most accounts, barely budged (or even declined) during the Games, TfL is apprently serious about getting motorists to comply. The agency has ticketed almost 2,500 drivers for Olympic lanes violations, the Independent reports—though it also claims a 98% compliance rate. A TfL spokesman told the Indpendent that the agency "has no interest in unnecessarily penalizing drivers."
What the Daily Mail termed a "huge haul of tickets" has netted TfL just £312,000 ($488,000), a pittance in public-expenditure terms. If TfL was, somehow, looking to net some gold from the Games Lanes, it hasn't done a very good job.
Kate Bennert, Isaac Rauch, Dan Gartland, Vincent Valk and Tom Ley contributed to this article.
Gelf Magazine, the purveyor of fine NYC-based events including the Varsity Letters speaking series, has been looking over the overlooked since 2005.
For a handy master schedule of every Olympic event, click here.


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Dog Chapman Hospitalized in Los Angeles
Duane "Dog" Chapman was taken to a hospital in Los Angeles last night after he was injured while on a bounty hunt, this according to his wife Beth.
Dog was taken to UCLA Medical Center where he was treated for internal bleeding. His wife posted a statement on Dog's official website, saying, "He was admitted for tests for a possible blood clot following an injury he suffered on a bounty hunt. Duane is in very capable hands and and we thank everyone for their prayers."
He was released and is expected to make a scheduled appearance at at the Cathedral of Faith Church in San Jose, CA.
UPDATE: This morning, Beth tweeted: "Yes dog is injured it is an occupational hazard that we deal with he is very strong and in excellent condition he will 4 sure survive."
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By Dr. Daniel Clerc
For The Courier-Herald
Anyone who's been on a diet has experienced the frustration of trying to maintain a weight-loss program during the holidays. Because food is the focus of many holiday celebrations, it can be a real challenge to a dieter's willpower.
A stable weight depends on a balance between the energy you get from food and the energy you use. We use energy during the day in three ways:
• Energy expended during rest (basal metabolism).
• Energy used to break down food (thermogenesis).
• Energy used during physical activity.
Basal metabolism accounts for about two-thirds of spent energy. The body generally uses this energy to keep your temperature steady and the muscles of your heart and intestine working. Thermogenesis accounts for about 10 percent of spent energy.
Our bodies are set to maintain weight within a certain range. That weight range is at least partly determined by our genetic makeup. Genetic makeup refers to certain traits that we inherit from our parents. If a person has the genetic makeup for obesity, eats a lot of high-calorie foods and does not exercise, it is almost certain they will become obese. It will likely be harder for such a person to stay at a healthy weight than someone who does not have the genes for obesity.
Still, there's a way to approach holiday eating without sabotaging a weight-loss or weight-maintenance program. First, plan plenty of activities for which food is not the primary focus. And when food is an important part of the celebration, it helps to: change some traditional holiday habits; seek support from family and friends; and reduce the holiday stress that often leads to compulsive eating.
Changing some habits can keep your diet going without having to give up holiday treats altogether. For example, make a list of your favorite holiday foods and then pick two or three to enjoy this year. Another technique is to prepare holiday treats in smaller quantities, like baking a small cake that the family will finish at one sitting with no tempting leftovers. Also, use low-calorie, low-fat substitutes for rich ingredients like sugar, butter or cream. Whatever changes you make, it is important to ask your family members and friends to respect your choices and to refrain from tempting you with other holiday goodies.
Sometimes the stress of the holidays causes people to eat more than usual. If that's the case, it helps to ask family and friends for support and, importantly, to engage in activities that produce feelings of contentment or happiness.
For additional tips for controlling or reducing calories during the holidays, or if you have specific medical concerns about your diet and body weight, talk with your primary care physician or other professional health care provider.
About the writer: Dr. Daniel Clerc specializes in family medicine and sleep medicine at Franciscan Medical Clinic-Enumclaw and is a member of the St. Elizabeth Hospital medical staff. Need a doctor? Call the Franciscan Physician Referral Line 1-888-825-3227 toll-free.
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O'Brien: Considering congressional run, poll indicates Kuster vulnerable for re-election
State Rep., and former N.H. House Speaker Bill O'Brien continues to eye a possible run for Congress in 2014, he tells WMUR's Josh McElveen.
The Mont Vernon Republican would run in the 2nd Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster just won her first term in November.
On a taping of WMUR's CloseUP Friday morning, O'Brien said he's already done some sample polling to see how he might do in a potential matchup.
"She's someone we should look at in terms of whether we can replace her with a fiscally responsible member. So we went out with a poll and looked at what her favorabilities were, what her unfavorabables looked like, and what a matchup would look like."
O'Brien noted that the internal poll showed him that Kuster could be vulnerable in a re-election bid. But he also pointed out that because of her strong fundraising efforts in the past, any challenger will have to decide quickly.
"We know whoever is going to oppose her is going to have to get out there early, talk to contributors early and put together a long conversation with voters. So if we are going to do something, it's going to be sooner rather than later," said O'Brien.
Ray Buckley, chairman of the N.H. Democratic party, responded by saying, "I doubt very much the Republicans would nominate someone as extreme as Bill O'Brien in the 2nd Congressional District."
"Bill O'Brien's Tea Party agenda is wildly out of touch with the values of middle-class N.H. families," Buckley said. "O'Brien's failed speakership resulted in a $40 million budget deficit and a laundry list of reckless policies."
You can watch O'Brien's full interview on Sunday at 10 a.m. on CloseUP on WMUR.


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Born: 1927, Izbica, Poland
Describes Sobibor uprising [Interview: 1990]
Tomasz was born to a Jewish family in Izbica. After the war began in September 1939, the Germans established a ghetto in Izbica. Tomasz's work in a garage initially protected him from roundups in the ghetto. In 1942 he tried to escape to Hungary, using false papers. He was caught but managed to return to Izbica. In April 1943 he and his family were deported to the Sobibor killing center. Tomasz escaped during the Sobibor uprising. He went into hiding and worked as a courier in the Polish underground.
Copyright © United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC


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Midgets unable to hold on in overtime
LEMARS – Estherville Lincoln Central had its chances for a second win this season against LeMars, but the Bulldogs rallied to tie the game in regulation and went on to win 42-41 in overtime on Tuesday.
"The girls are disappointed, but I'm happy with how they played," said ELC coach Tony Klein.
The Midgets held a 28-19 late in the third quarter when LeMars hit a 3-pointer followed by a steal and layup that cut the deficit to four, 28-24 to start the final frame.
The hosts then scored the first seven points of the final frame to briefly take the lead, but an ELC basket and two free throws by Caitlyn Clayton had ELC leading by three, 34-31 with 3:40 left in the contest.
ELC still led by three, 36-33 when Megan Jensen putback an ELC miss. But the Midgets failed to convert chances in the closing seconds. LeMars tied the game at 37-37 when Kassidy Rieken grabbed the offensive rebound and laid it back in to tie the game at 37-37.
ELC had time left, but Clayton's shot with 2 seconds left missed.
In overtime, Kacey Hovden hit a 3-pointer with 1:40 left to give LeMars the lead, which they never relinquished. ELC trailed 42-41 on a Carson Gjerde drive and layup with 10 seconds left. LeMars turned the ball over after taking a timeout to give the Midgets one more chance.
But Jensen's shot was off the mark as the Bulldogs prevailed.
In the first half, ELC led 11-9 after one quarter and extended the lead to 20-11 by halftime. Jensen had 10 of her team-high 12 points in the opening half. The Bulldogs went on a 6-0 run to start the third quarter, but a steal and layup by Gjerde got ELC going. Hallie Jensen put back an offensive rebound and Cydnie Anderson hit a shot to give ELC its nine-point lead back at 28-19.
Gjerde finished with 11 points while Clayton had eight, Hallie Jensen and Anderson each had four and Colleen Humble had two.
Unofficially, ELC had 25 turnovers while the Bulldogs had 29.


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ANNAPOLIS — Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown is making his run for governor official.
Brown, a Democrat, is scheduled to file his candidacy at the Maryland State Board of Elections in Annapolis on Friday. His running mate, Ken Ulman, is scheduled to join him at the board.
Del. Heather Mizeur also is running for the Democratic nomination for governor.
Attorney General Doug Gansler announced on Thursday he is launching a kick-off campaign for the nomination in a statewide tour beginning Sept. 24 in Rockville, Ellicott City and Baltimore.


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MIDWEST CITY – When customers step into Midwest City's new Schlotzsky's at 2400 S. Air Depot in Midwest City, they will experience a design and plan unlike any of the chain's other restaurants in the U.S.
Restaurant owner and Midwest City native David Jones also owns DLJ Holdings. DLJ Holdings owns the land and building that Schlotzsky's inhabits.
However, his design is unique. The restaurant is part of a revitalization plan introduced by Midwest City to bring new life into an old neighborhood. The chain restaurant façade fits with Midwest City's Original Mile plan, occupying the bottom of the two-story building. Four 800-square-foot, one-bedroom apartments are on the second floor.
The two-story concept is unusual for a modern chain sandwich shop. Jones said by participating in the Original Mile plan, he not only has the most beautiful Schlotzsky's in America, but also is contributing to an area he feels will be the next big thing in central Oklahoma.
"The redevelopment is a very big undertaking on the city's part," Jones said. "It's a massive plan. They are looking at all aspects to make Midwest City a 'Model City' again. I think we are the first one to do a commercial development part of the plan."
The vision of the Original Mile plan is to revive the area by building on the original concepts that earned Midwest City recognition as "America's Model City" by the National Association of Home Builders in 1951 while creating a distinctive, desirable and quality neighborhood of the future, said Billy Harless, the city's community development director for Midwest City.
"New and improved commercial and retail areas will complement the existing town center and provide for innovative mixed-use development," Harless said.
To put the plan into place, the Midwest City officials conducted site visits, interviews and meetings with city staff members, community members and residents of the Original Mile.
Building back
Established in 1942, Midwest City was a one-square-mile area that consisted of homes, a school, a park and a retail district. The Original Mile is between Air Depot and Midwest Boulevard and SE 15th and SE 29th streets. The neighborhood was developed as housing for the Midwest Air Depot, later renamed Tinker Air Force Base. Both the city and Tinker have grown substantially and the old neighborhood needs a redo, officials said.
City planners have developed a long-range plan for the blighted neighborhood. Besides new mixed-use developments that include urban apartments, the plan also includes new streets, new façade and even a neighborhood amphitheater and plaza gathering area.
"What we did with the Original Mile study was come up with as many ideas as we could that the city could pick and choose from," Harless said. "One of the things that came out of the study was that the Original Mile had a lot of odd-shaped property with limited parking and small parcels from the old houses, which gave us the flexibility with zoning for things we were unable to do before, like mixed-use commercial."
Additional commercial development is already under way at Air Depot Boulevard within the Town Centre Plaza complex. The mixed-use concept is new to Midwest City and includes upscale first-floor commercial space for office or retail and upscale apartments on the second floor.
"It's very appealing for business owners to be able to build a business and live over their business, too," Harless said. "Mr. Jones' development is the first to do that in Midwest City, but we have other developers who have that option in their permits. We knew when we built the Town Centre (on SE 29th Street between Air Depot and Midwest Boulevard) that we would have to do something with the property surrounding it."
Jones said the new Schlotzsky's, which opened on Dec. 30 at 2400 S. Air Depot, fits the concept and is unlike any other in the nation.
"It has an indoor-outdoor fireplace and we are working to complete a mosaic fountain," Jones said. "We also chose private booths for seating. Although booths do not lend themselves for maximum occupancy, it's more comfortable for the customers."
The building also has a grand balcony, a cobblestone drive and a drive-thru with private screening elements. Landscaping and finishing touches are under way.
"Inside the upstairs apartments, we have higher ceilings than normal, over-and-under washer and dryers, balconies and 50-inch flat screens in every apartment," Jones said. "We decided to go with one-bedroom because we wanted the apartments to be more spacious."
The apartments, which are currently unnamed, are expected to open for residency at the end of February.
The design of the entire structure includes 33-foot walls on one side of the development, vibrant colors and up-and-down lighting to enhance the design.
"This is really an amazing development," Jones said. "Residents of the apartments can just walk out their door, step onto the sidewalk and go shopping at the Town Centre. This plan is going to bring a different perspective to Midwest City."
Harless said many of the concepts are to make the area as a whole more appealing.
"We have other aspects of that Original Mile study that the city is working on right now," he said. "We have a decorative fence planned along Midwest Boulevard that the city is ready to start on, some monuments planned and the new Eastside Elementary School. We are looking at other elements in the study, like housing and façade work on existing housing."
Midwest City has an advantage in that it has a general lack of dilapidated structures, but still has good neighborhood design. The city currently plans to remove the water tower at the site of the former City Hall and install a new cell tower that will be built decoratively to make more aesthetically pleasing.
Though the neighborhood currently has three public parks, the addition of small pocket parks is also a part of the plan.
The Original Mile
The Original Mile plan includes the following:
• Introducing a new streetscape throughout the Original Mile with new curbs, gutters, sidewalks, traffic-calming methods and trees.
Source: The Journal Record
• A Capital Improvement Plan to provide a guide to systematically improving infrastructure in the Original Mile.
• Promotion of home revitalization design options for façades, remodels and infill for existing homes in the area.
• A community civic space for a major public outdoor venue that links Town Center Plaza to the neighborhood and draws city and regional audiences, using the new camouflaged cell tower as a focal point.
• Keeping single-family homes and duplexes as the predominant housing choice, add innovative housing through mixed-use developments and consider row homes around the community civic space.
• A phased funding and priority plan.
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Beyonce Sings Stirring National Anthem at Barack Obama Inauguration
The star-studded inauguration ceremony kicked off Obama's second term
After being sworn into office during a private ceremony on Sunday, President Barack Obama publicly began his second term during Monday's presidential Inauguration on the Capitol Steps.
With the crowd – which was estimated at roughly 800,000 people – chanting "O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!" the President began his address.
"My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment," he said, "and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together."
Beyoncé closed out the 57th inaugural ceremony with an a powerful rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" – while wearing a chiffon-and-velvet Emilio Pucci gown with a pair of 80-carat emerald earrings and a 50-carat emerald ring by Lorraine Schwartz.
And Kelly Clarkson performed a stirring "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" accompanied by the United States Marine Band.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer kicked off the ceremony with an inspiring speech. "It is a good moment to rejoice today," he told the crowd. "It is the perfect moment to renew our collective faith in the future of America."
Myrlie Evers-Williams, an activist who is the widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, then delivered the Invocation. The 79-year-old made history as the first lay person and woman to do so.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor swore in Vice President Joe Biden – making her the first Hispanic person to administer an inaugural oath of office.
James Taylor – who has performed for the President in the past – performed an acoustic version of "America the Beautiful."
With Michelle Obama holding the Bible, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts delivered Obama his oath of office, as the 44th President swore to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Richard Blanco – who at 44-years-old is the youngest Inaugural Poet – recited a poem that invoked images of Americana.


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Adobe has published a security bulletin for Adobe Acrobat and Reader (APSB20-67). The updates referenced in the bulletin address critical, important and moderate vulnerabilities and Adobe recommends users update their product installations to the latest versions using the instructions referenced in the bulletin.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.


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Livermore accepts $41,000 settlement for illegal tree cutting on town-owned land
LIVERMORE, Maine (AP) � The Livermore select board has voted to accept a nearly $41,000 settlement from an insurance company representing a Jay logger who harvested trees on about 10 acres of town land without permission.
The board voted Tuesday to unanimously accept the payment, which represents the value of the trees removed from Memorial Forest last year, the cost of a property line survey and the cost of the timber valuation.
Town Administrative Assistant Kurt Schaub tells the Sun Journal (http://bit.ly/WlzoHA) no decision has been made on what will be done with the money.
Officials say John Korhonen cut down trees on his own land then inadvertently harvested about 1,250 trees on town land. Schaub says it is a logger's responsibility to know where property lines are.
Information from: Sun-Journal, http://www.sunjournal.com


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sample from a recording work about "futsal", kind of indoor version of soccer with specific rules. this sport is a great success in France.
digitally recorded with Soundman stereo microphone which provides a great stereo image.
this sample in stereo has been normalized. no other processing.
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The genetic engineering of humans is not yet a reality. But, with advancements in gene therapy and cloning, it will be. It is critical that Catholics be ahead of the rhetorical curve on this issue, instead of behind. Now is the time to look at the genetic engineering of humans and what the Church says on the issue. Now is the time to understand what Catholics can embrace and what we should reject.
First, under the umbrella of "genetic engineering" Catholics must make a strong distinction between gene therapy and genetic enhancement. These concepts are often confused and lumped together, but there are important moral differences.
For many years scientists have envisioned using gene therapy to cure devastating disease. Gene therapy would deliver a copy of a normal gene into the cells of a patient with defective genes to cure or slow the progress of disease. The added gene would produce a protein that is missing or defective in the diseased patient. A good example would be Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy or DMD. DMD is an inherited disorder where a patient cannot make the protein dystrophin which supports muscle tissue. DMD strikes in early childhood and slowly degrades all muscle tissue, including heart muscle. Average life expectancy is only 30 years.1
Researchers have recently been able to introduce the normal gene for dystrophin in mice with DMD. They achieved this by inserting the dystrophin gene into the DNA of the mice. The genetically modified mice were then able to produce eight times more dystrophin than DMD-mice without the modification.2
More dystrophin means more muscle which, in the case of a devastating muscle-wasting disease, is good. But apply this technology to a normal man who wants more muscle to improve his athletic ability, and you have entered the world of genetic enhancement. Genetic enhancement would take a otherwise normal individual and genetically modify them to be more than human in intelligence, strength or beauty.
Both are technically genetic engineering, but they have different intent and very different outcomes. Gene therapy seeks to cure disease. Genetic enhancement seeks to change the very nature of man: to make him "super-human." Those that that look forward to an age of human genetic enhancement are transhumanists. Humanity Plus is a transhumanist organization that wants everyone to "enjoy better minds, better bodies and better lives" and be "better than well."3
It is with this distinction between genetic engineering as therapy and genetic engineering as enhancement that we must approach the advent of this technology. Confusion on this issue is common. For example, in his piece "The Vanishing Republican" in the New York Times, David Frum writes:
It is probable that the trend to inequality will grow even stronger in the years ahead, if new genetic techniques offer those with sufficient resources the possibility of enhancing the intelligence, health, beauty and strength of children in the womb. How should conservatives respond to such new technologies? The anti-abortion instincts of many conservatives naturally incline them to look at such techniques with suspicion � and indeed it is certainly easy to imagine how they might be abused. Yet in an important address delivered as long ago as 1983, Pope John Paul II argued that genetic enhancement was permissible � indeed, laudable � even from a Catholic point of view, as long as it met certain basic moral rules. Among those rules: that these therapies be available to all. Ensuring equality of care may become inseparable from ensuring equality of opportunity.4
Frum believes that the Catholic Church would find genetic enhancement "laudable" as long as it was available to everyone. Unfortunately, that is not exactly what the Church says regarding genetic engineering.
Let us take a closer look. From Donum Vitae:
A strictly therapeutic intervention whose explicit objective is the healing of various maladies such as those stemming from chromosomal defects will, in principle, be considered desirable, provided it is directed to the true promotion of the personal well-being of the individual without doing harm to his integrity or worsening his conditions of life. Such an intervention would indeed fall within the logic of the Christian moral tradition.5
This passage clearly says that genetic engineering as a "strictly therapeutic intervention" is moral. So gene therapy is acceptable. But is genetic enhancement? This passage from the Charter for Health Care Workers sheds some light on genetic enhancement:
"In moral evaluation a distinction must be made between strictly manipulation, which aims to cure illnesses caused by genetic or chromosome anomalies (genetic therapy), from manipulation the human genetic patrimony. A curative intervention, which is also called "genetic surgery," "will be considered desirable in principle. provided its purpose is the real promotion of the personal well-being of the individual, without damaging his integrity or worsening his condition of life.
On the other hand, interventions which are not directly curative, the purpose of which is 'the production of human beings selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities,' which change the genotype of the individual and of the human species, 'are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being, to his integrity and to his identity. Therefore they can be in no way justified on the pretext that they will produce some beneficial results for humanity in the future,' 'no social or scientific usefulness and no ideological purpose could ever justify an intervention on the human genome unless it be therapeutic, that is its finality must be the natural development of the human being."6
Once again this passage states that gene therapy is morally acceptable, but it distinguishes between therapeutic manipulation and manipulation that simply alters the human genome for purposes other than curing genetic disease. Gene therapy is a moral good, while genetic enhancement is morally troubled.
Also, this passage gives guidance when it comes to germ-line modification. A germ-line modification is a modification to the genetic material of an organism in such a way that the modification is inheritable. This can be done by modifying sperm or egg before in vitro fertilization or by altering or adding genes while cloning a human embryo. Adding an extra muscle building or intelligence enhancing chromosomes to the normal genome, and then creating a human embryo with the extra chromosome, would produce a genetically enhanced child.
This is genetic engineering at its worst. Not only would the child have no choice in being genetically modified, but also the modification would extend to his or her eggs or sperm. The modification would be "permanent." A genetically modified human being would have no choice but to pass the modification on to their offspring. This is exactly what the Church is referring to when it talks about manipulating the "the human genetic patrimony."
A germ-line genetic enhancement would result in a modification of an entire human organism, including its sperm or egg cells. Gene therapy would only genetically modify the diseased tissue and therefore would not be an inheritable alteration.
Some would argue there is only a hair's difference between gene therapy and genetic enhancement and with one will come the other. Catholics must fight this thinking for two reasons. One, because genetic engineering will no doubt have unintended consequences and unforeseen side effects. It should only be under taken in cases where the benefits will outweigh the risks, as in the treatment of life-threatening illness. Genetic engineering should never be used on an otherwise healthy person because the risk is not worth the so-called "reward."
Secondly, because it is important to embrace ethical technology whenever possible. Catholics often knee-jerk against any biotechnology painting it all as unethical. This not only ignorant, but it allows others to label us as uncompassionate Luddites. Catholics must make a distinction between gene therapy and genetic enhancement so we can reap the rewards of genetic research while rejecting the push to fundamentally change humanity.
1 http://www.mda.org/disease/DMD.html
2 http://www.mda.org/research/051229dystrophin_therapy.html
3 http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/index/
4 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/magazine/07Inequality-t.html?_r=2&pagewanted=4&ref=magazine
5 http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19870222_respect-for-human-life_en.html
6 http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/hlthwork/documents/rc_pc_hlthwork_doc_19950101_charter_en.html
� 2008 MaryMeetsDolly.com. All rights are reserved.


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You don't trust the Wi-Fi access points of your location?
However, you have a trusted Linux Ubuntu box with a somehow trusted Ethernet (cable-based) connection to the Internet (and a Wi-Fi card)?
Then this is the summary of the steps you need to follow to be able to use the Linux Ubuntu box as wireless Access Point.
The command lines to implement it are the following:
1. Installing hostapd:
# apt-get install hostapd
# nano /etc/hostapd/hostapd-minimal.conf
Dan Bishop's provides an example of hostapd config file.
2. Installing bridge-utils:
# apt-get install bridge-utils
Dan Bishop's provides an example of config file.
Edit your /etc/network/interfaces config file according to Dan Bishop's reference. It will probably look similar to this:
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
auto br0
iface br0 inet static
address yourlanaddress
netmask yourlannetmask
network yourlannetwork.0
broadcast yourbroadcast.255
gateway yourlangateway
bridge-ports eth0 wlan0
3. Disable the NetworkManager app by editing the config file and changing managed=true to =false
#gedit /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
4. Stop the NetworkManager service
#service network-manager stop
5. Re-start networking (although it is an outdated way):
# /etc/init.d/networking restart
6. Enabling Internet from the bridging box:
# ip route add default via ipaddressofyourcablerouter
# dhclient br0
More info on this on the Ubuntu documentation.
If you would like to configure the way the dhclient works, make the corresponding changes in the /etc/dhcp/dhcient.conf config file.
7. Start hostapd (-dd is the verbose switch):
# hostapd -dd /etc/hostapd-minimal.conf
Finally, if you need to revert back to the previous state:
Option 1 (clear-cut one):
Retrieve the old /etc/network/interfaces config file and uninstall hostapd and bridge-utils.
#apt-get install purge hostapd
#apt-get install purge bridge-utils
Use purge if you would like to delete also the config files. Otherwise simply use apt-get remove.
These are the 2 references used to write this post:
- Dan Bishop's using hostapd to add wireless access point capabilities in Ubuntu
covers hostapd.
- Ubuntu documentation on NetworkConnectionBridge covers the installation of bridge-utils and how to enable Internet on the bridging box.
This last reference from Ubuntu manpages on bridge-utils provides background information on bridge-utils.
Option 2 (keeping hostapd and bridge-utils):
Retrieve the old /etc/network/interfaces config file or comment out the lines related to the bridge (normally br0) and add (or uncomment) the loopback section (actually, the only one required in that file as you are going to resume using NetworkManager).
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
The first two lines above are required so that NetworkManager starts at boot time (as mentioned here).
And edit back the NetworkManager app by editing the config file and changing managed=true (it was = false for hostapd and briedge-utils to work)
#gedit /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
Finally, restart the network and the NetworkManager service (to avoid a reboot this time)
#/etc/init.d/networking restart
#service network-manager restart
... and double-check that /etc/rc.local is OK for this scenario in terms of services started or not started
(in this case, the little app bum, boot-up manager, could come in handy)
By the way, if you get the message "unable to resolve host: your host name", make sure that your host name appears in the files /etc/hostname and also in /etc/hosts.
Finally, if you would like to check that both machines, your computer and your mobile, are now part of the same lan, a very easy way to do it is:
#nmap -sP ip.address.of.your.lan.0/24
Happy browsing!
|Surfing the sky!


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US Report: China gifted nuclear bomb and Pakistan Acquired the technology
A new US Congressional report has challenged the Pakistani story that India's first nuclear test in 1974 was the trigger for its nuclear weapons quest. The Congressional Research Service's May 15 report to US lawmaker said that Pakistan's nuclear energy program dates back to the 1950s "but it was the loss of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in a bloody war with India that probably triggered a political decision in January 1972 (just one month later) to begin a secret nuclear weapons program." It further added that Pakistan's argument was falsely represented to the international community, that it was forced to take the nuclear weapons path because it was provoked by India's first nuclear test in 1974.
One such expert, White House insider Bruce Riedel, who recently co-authored the Obama administration's Af-Pak policy, offered the following sequence in a recent op-ed, broadly concurring with the CRS report:
"The origins of the Pakistani nuclear program lies in the deep national humiliation of the 1971 war with India that led to the partition of the country, the independence of Bangladesh and the destruction of the dream of a single Muslim state for all of south Asia's Muslim population." The military dictator at the time, Yahya Khan, presided over the loss of half the nation, the surrender of 90,000 Pakistani soldiers in Dacca. The Pakistani establishment determined it must develop a nuclear weapon to counter India's conventional superiority.
The new prime minister of those times, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, secretly convened the country's top 50 scientists in January 1972 and challenged them to build a bomb. He famously said that Pakistanis would sacrifice everything and "eat grass" to get a nuclear deterrent. The 1974 Indian nuclear test helped Pakistan to tell the world that this is the cause of their nuclear bomb. Starting in 1972, Pakistan came up with its own nuclear bomb in 1998 with the slight help of China, just a few days after India's second nuclear test
The Report further added, "Mr. Bhutto received an unsolicited letter from a Pakistani scientist who had studied in Louvain, Belgium, Abdul Qadeer Khan, offering to help by illegally acquiring sensitive centrifuge technology from his new employers at a nuclear facility in the Netherlands. Over the next few years—with the assistance of the Pakistani intelligence service, the Inter Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI)—Mr. Khan would acquire the key technology to help Pakistan produce fissionable material to make a bomb."
Both the CRS report and Riedel pointed out to the help which China gave to Pakistan in its nuclear weapons quest, a subject successive US administrations are leery of broaching for fear of angering Beijing. "Islamabad gained technology from many illegal sources," says the CRS report, adding, "This extensive assistance is reported to have included, among other things, uranium enrichment technology from Europe (stolen by Khan, according to Riedel), blueprints for a small nuclear weapon from China, and missile technology from China and North Korea."
Riedel concurs, writing, "China also helped the nascent Pakistani program overcome technical challenges." According to some accounts by proliferation experts, it allowed Pakistani scientists to participate in Chinese tests to help them learn more about the bomb.
Pakistan not only acquired the bomb and technology but some unconfirmed sources reports Pakistan to help other countries like Iran, Libya and North Korea to make a nuclear bomb, even though this transfer of technology is considered highly illegal. "An angry, humiliated, and wounded A.Q.Khan (father of Pakistan Nuclear Bomb) has finally made public what has long been suspected: his nuclear proliferation activities that included exchanging and passing blue-prints, technology and equipment to China, Iran, North Korea, and Libya was done at the behest of the Pakistani government and military, and he was forced to take the rap for it." (Source: AQ Khan nails Pakistan's nuke lies: Times Group)
After acquiring the bomb, Pakistan gave main attention to its conventional power building. At a press conference held during an international exhibition of defense equipment in Turkey last summer, a Russian military delegation harshly criticized the Pakistan Ordnance Factories Company for copying Russian weapons systems. The Russians claimed that the POF's RPG-7P anti-tank rockets, 122-mm D-30 howitzer ammunition and PK-10 assault guns were 100-percent imitations of Russian systems. The PK-10 assault gun is a Pakistani version of the Russian Kalashnikov, or AK-47, the Russians pointed out. As for the other two weapons, even the names remain the same. (Source: Russia confronts Pakistan, China over copied weapons)
The Brookings said in one of its article, Pakistan and the Bomb: Pakistan is a unique nuclear weapons state. It has been both the recipient of technology transfers from other states and a supplier of technology to still other states. It has been a state sponsor of proliferation and has tolerated private sector proliferation as well. Pakistan has engaged in highly provocative behavior against India, even initiating a limited war, and sponsored terrorist groups that have engaged in mass casualty terrorism inside India's cities, most recently last November in Mumbai. No other nuclear weapons state has done all of these provocative actions.
What a Rising Xi Jinping Means for China and the World
"Watch this man." These were the three words used by the founding father of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew to describe a relatively unknown Xi Jinping while he was yet to become the President of the People's Republic of China. Today, in addition to being China's "paramount leader", Xi is arguably the most powerful man in the world, and even if leaders across the world were doubtful about it till now, the developments in the previous week were sure to make them think again.
19th Party Congress: How it unfolded
Xi today, Xi forever?
The Communist Party of China assembled the previous week for its 19th Party Congress, a political summit that takes place every five years to decide upon the country's future and the future is precisely what Xi has fixated his eyes upon. According to the current rules, Mr Xi must step down as the leader when his term ends in 2022 and as tradition dictates, a successor must be appointed. While only time will reveal whether Mr Xi steps down from the presidency at the end of his term, it increasingly looks that he is not keen to do so, having failed to hint towards any successor for the time being. His apparent intentions to stay put were further solidified with the appointment of the new members to the Politburo Standing Committee, the highest decision making authority in the country after the president. Each of the members appointed to the body is over 60 years of age, which means that they are highly likely to retire when their term comes to an end with the next meeting five years later. Interestingly, two-thirds of them are also known to be Mr Xi's loyalists.
Xi Jinping Thought: A force to be reckoned with
"Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" or the "Xi Jinping Thought" for short was written into the party's constitution at the end of the Congress. The thought consists of 14 principles calling for deep reforms, conserving the environment, the party's complete control over the army, and the importance of the unification of the country. The development was highly publicised and with good reason. With the "Xi Jinping Thought" embedded in the constitution while still being in power, Xi Jinping has drawn comparisons from all over the world to Mao Zedong himself. Moreover, he has ensured that anyone that opposes him will do so at the cost of their removal from the party. When Xi asked the delegates at the end of his address for any objections, shouts of "meiyou" which means "none" rang through the Great Hall of the People.
Mr Xi has declared the start of a "new era" for China, and undoubtedly for the entire world. It is therefore important to ask what significance these developments hold for the country and for the world at large.
What this means for China
The inclusion of Xi's thought in the constitution means that the same will be taught in schools, colleges, and other institutions throughout the country, infusing his ideology among the Chinese on a cultural level. Abraham Denmark, director of the Asia program at the Wilson Center puts it aptly when he says that the move "greatly increases, … broadens, and deepens Xi Jinping's personal power within the Chinese system".
The president has already found a wide support of the Chinese population with his push for modernisation and his crackdown on corruption has been hugely popular among the masses. Since his election in 2012, Mr Xi's anti-corruption drive, famously known within the country as the "tiger and flies campaign" has either disciplined or expelled nearly a million party members. As his stance on corruption remains as stern as ever, many have come to view it as a political tool used by him time and again to get rid of political rivals. However, the corruption drive has undoubtedly proved to be effective and fruitful for the country's business climate.
While Mr Xi's crackdown on corruption has garnered immense coverage, the crackdown on humans rights activists and NGOs has not received its fair share. China has struggled for decades in its battle for free speech. In 2015, many human rights lawyers were detained and many international NGOs faced stricter curbs to keep them from functioning. As the president has left little room for any opposition within the party, the authoritarianism and censorship are by no means expected to be relaxed, ensuring that there is no opposition from outside the party as well.
Powerplay: China's standing on the global stage
Donald Trump was among the world leaders who wished the Chinese president when he congratulated him on his "extraordinary elevation". The reverence he holds for Mr Xi was quite apparent when he said: "some people might call him the king of China." The surprise, however, came when North Korea's Kim Jong Un congratulated the president on his "great success" since the two leaders are not known to be fond of each other. The intent here is clear. Both sides need a China that is continuously growing in power on their side in their stand against each other, and that means a closer association with Mr Xi. Chinese influence in the world is unlikely to stop there.
While speaking to CNN, James McGregor, author of "No Ancient Wisdom, No Followers: The Challenges of Chinese Authoritarian Capitalism", mentioned that "given the chaos in Washington and also the dysfunction in Europe, the world is looking for leadership." Mr Xi enjoys a great level of stability and largely unquestioned authority in a time where the leaders of Western democracies face intense competition at home. As such, his message to his party and to the world is clear: in the coming decades, China will "stand proudly among the nations of the world" and "become a leading global power. " However, it will do so on its own terms, emphatically rejecting the Western political models.
These intentions are perhaps best evidenced by The Belt and Road initiative, China's attempt at connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa with each other through a modern take on the Silk Route, into which it has already pumped hundreds of billions as loans and aid to countries across all three continents. While the project has been met with opposition from Japan, India, and the USA, many of China's neighbours have expressed their support for it, which speaks of its influence on the global stage.
With the people's army under the control of the party, Mr Xi also looks to achieve the twin goals of increasing the military might and the protection of China's sovereignty. "We will not tolerate anyone, using any means, at any time to separate one inch of land from China", he said in his address which is seen as a warning to both Hong Kong and Taiwan. Enhancing combat capability is also linked to the Chinese interests in the South China Sea, where its activities of building and militarisation of islands have received backlash from the international community.
"If one is big", Mr Xi said on the final day of the Congress, "one must act big." There's no doubt that Mr Xi intends to put these words into action at the global level. Lee Kuan Yew once rightly pointed out about China that the world would do well to remember: "The size of China's displacement of the world balance is such that the world must find a new balance. It is not possible to pretend that this is just another big player. This is the biggest player in the history of the world."
A Lovers' Quarrel: What Now for India and China?
When China's Consul General to India Zheng Xiyuan addressed a gathering in the city of Mumbai earlier in the week he made an interesting comparison on the relationship between the two Asian giants. "Relation between China and India is just like the monsoon season," he said. "There are different levels of rainfall in different years. And sometimes you have clouds as well." It is not surprising how apt the statement is especially with regard to the past three years which have seen the tiger and the dragon compete for geopolitical influence in Asia and beyond and tussle over longstanding territorial issues. The latter of the two culminated in the 70-day long military standoff in Doklam/Donglang, which has since then deescalated. However, the monsoon sometimes surprises with a few delayed showers, and so has Beijing with a sudden change in its rhetoric towards New Delhi, from one of visible aggression to one which is seemingly cooperative.
Clashes between the two kept analysts across the globe busy, with the possibility of a full-scale military conflict a favourite topic of discussion for the political enthusiasts among the uninitiated. The Doklam episode was the final among a series of recurring conflicts. The most prominent among them included India snubbing China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) summit in May flagging sovereignty issues due to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC); a key portion of the OBOR which runs through a region of Kashmir controlled by Pakistan and claimed by India, and China's repeated blocking of India's move to get the chief of Pakistan based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed listed as a global terrorist with the UN. The relations had already taken a downturn with India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers' Group being blocked by China on a consistent basis. Added to that, tensions reached a high with India's decision to allow the Dalai Lama, seen as a separatist by China to visit the Tawang region which is claimed by China as Southern Tibet and by India as a part of its state Arunachal Pradesh. This happened despite repeated warnings from the Chinese that the visit would cause serious damage to diplomatic ties between the two countries. Did it?
The action-packed episodes are in the past now and recent developments on the world stage are worth a second look. With no new conflicts brewing for the time being and a precarious lid on the existing ones, it has been nothing short of intriguing to see the evident tone of cooperation between the two frenemies since the Doklam issue has been resolved. China seems to have made good, even if ever so slightly, on blocking the move to designate the JeM chief as a globally designated terrorist by condemning the Pakistan based terror group along with the Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Taiba at the recent BRICS summit held in Xiamen. While the move has likely and arguably been made to protect its own investments in the country and doesn't have any visible bearing on India's repeated efforts as yet, the step is significant in projecting Beijing's new viewpoint on the fight against terror based outfits on a global level which previously was limited to vague statements sighting requirement of solid evidence and further communication and coordination between the involved countries. Beijing has also snubbed Pakistan in its effort to internationalise the issue of Kashmir, maintaining its position that the matter is for them and India to resolve on their own. While there has been no change of position on the issue from before and there is no strain of ties between the two 'all-weather allies', the tone of the statement is a change to be welcomed by New Delhi in its prominent stand against terrorism on both the national and international level.
Speaking of change, India along with Japan remained relatively quiet in the South China Sea conflict, making no explicit mention of it in their joint statement when the Prime Ministers of both the countries met earlier this September. Improvements in ties aside, another likely reason could be that the issue has taken a backseat with the focus of China, Japan as well as that of the United States on the heightening tension in the Korean Peninsula.
However, with Trump's undiverted attention on Kim, the South East Asian countries involved in the conflict may find it difficult to stand up to the Chinese on their own, should Beijing choose to push even further with its activities in the contested waters. Therein lies an important lesson for India. "The Chinese have demonstrated a pattern of creeping encroachment", India's former Ambassador to Beijing Ashok K. Kantha has said, and India would do well to remember that. Indians may see the disengagement from both the sides in Doklam as a diplomatic victory over the Chinese but the conflict is not yet resolved. China's perceived soft behaviour may merely be an understanding on their part that perhaps the time to act is not now, more so that cooperation is the way ahead; something which has continuously and explicitly been implied by both the sides over and over considering what else is at stake.
As two large and quickly growing economies, India and China's relationship with each other has been heavy enough invested in by both the countries for them to know different. This is not just evident from the business end, but also from the mixing of the two cultures as well. Bollywood movies are enjoying huge popularity among the Chinese audience. At the same time across the border, Mandarin as a language has acquired more importance over the years, with schools offering the same as an optional language growing in number. Opinions of the people on each other may change every now and then from favourable to not as much in polls, yet there is no denying their mingling.
In this lovers' quarrel, as is with any other, while the occasional bickering is unlikely to give way (at least in the foreseeable future), reconciliation is perhaps always the key and a quick one for that matter. This is known by both, even if they may forget from time to time.
Can 'Made In China 2025' Turn The Innovation Wheel Towards China?
With the 'Made in China 2025' proposal, China is hoping to generate an innovative boost in its manufacturing industry with the aim to promote quality home-built products to the world. Originally introduced in 2015, Made in China 2025 is giving China 10 years to redress its IT and technology industry and implement innovative programs to develop its knowledge and industry accordingly. The goals are to increase the domestic and international content of core materials in high-tech to 40% by 2020 and then a whopping 70% by 2025. Opinions are still divided as to the feasibility of Made in China 2025, especially as foreign content represents more than half of all high-tech goods. At the moment, it doesn't seem that China will be able to meet its goals. But the Chinese government is creating innovation centers to support its industrial development and approach the production of high-end equipment. Smart manufacturing, cloud computing, smart equipment that works almost without human interactions and the pursuit of innovative technologies are being encouraged throughout the country as a way to tackle the domestic deficit in high-tech production. Could China become a leader in the innovative and skilled industries?
China, formerly known as the kingdom of cheap unskilled labor
It's difficult not to associate China with cheap products, and consequently inexpensive and unskilled labor. In the fashion industry, made in China may not always be synonymous with quality, but it certainly means that you get a damn cheap frock and sometimes that's just what you want. The only way that bigger brands have found to tackle the competitive challenge of cheap labor is to promote quality, fair wages and innovative fashion technology to justify the price of their products. However, customers who research a bargain still turn to Chinese products. With its reputation for being the largest cheap labor factory in the world, China's cheap products from unskilled labor are hard to beat if you're price-conscious. With low wages and high productivity, China holds the place of an advanced capitalist – if not despotic – economy in the world market.
In other words, China has a major labor reorganization to address to become a competitive and innovative economy. Domestic skills don't come for free.
China is changing its stance about skilled labor and innovation
It's because they understand the importance of moving from an economy that relies primarily on unskilled labor to an economy that is built on the innovation of educated labor, that the Chinese government is trying to improve vocational education. It comes as no surprise that China has been struggling with a shortage of skilled labor for several years as a five-year plan for the increase of training and recruitment of highly skilled workers by improving the competitiveness of vocational schools. With the government's support, this five-year plan is also trying to address the Chinese mindset that has been trained to reject education in favor of cheap labor, aka the guarantee of immediate wage as opposed to the prospect of studying first and earning later. With almost 98% of employment rate for skilled workers, it's easy to see the value of educated vs. unskilled labor. However, vocational studies delay the entry to the professional world and make it more difficult for the Chinese population to cope with everyday costs.
Nevertheless, those who are educated, are already driving an innovative spike through the Chinese manufacture industries.
World's largest solar power plant
China's province Anhui holds the world's largest floating solar power plants, built on top of a flooded coal mining area. In fact, the floating solar power plant combined with the Longyangxia Dam Solar Park, a 10-square-mile land-based plant that is said to be the largest on the planet, has generated an increase of 80% of China's solar power output at the beginning of 2017. From January to March 2017, the overall solar power generation reached 21.4 billion kilowatt-hours more than the previous year. For comparison purposes, a town of 1 million inhabitants needs 10 million kWh a year, so the increase only is enough to supply a small country. More surprisingly, the whopping boost in solar power comes as several solar plants have been standing idle because of issues with congested transmission infrastructure. At a time where renewables are becoming hugely precious, it's easy to measure the Chinese competitiveness on the energy market.
Fast and effective 3D printing sector
One 3D printing manufacturer embraced the need for environmentally-friendly structures and policies and decided to perfect a new printing system that will change the Chinese take on poverty. WinSun Decoration Design Engineering Co built in a day a village of 10 houses using a customized 3D printed to print concrete parts out of recycled waste. The test village was built in Shanghai, using a hefty printer – 150 meter long, 10 meter wide and 6 meter deep – to print concrete constituents, and cement reinforced with glass fiber. Naturally, the houses didn't pop out all assembled. The printer was set on creating separate parts that were then transported and assembled by people. This amazing experience could present a new possibility for the Chinese government to bring safe and hygienic houses in poverty-stricken regions of China. As this gigantic project progresses the need for high-quality 3D software and reliable 3D printer motors by domestic manufacturers – Moons is one of those high-end tech manufacturers that provide the relevant motorized parts for 3D printers – will increase. In a challenge at human scale, China has proven that innovation for the people is the best kind of innovation. Market competitiveness and economic power have been rejected for the sake of the less privileged part of the Chinese population.
The infamous transit elevated bus
It's difficult to talk about Chinese innovation without mentioning the elevated bus that has kept the world in suspense. The bus that was designed to drive over the top of cars and that was planned to for testing over a 300 meters track along a roadway was unfortunately ruled out as a scam by the Chinese authorities. At first, it was financial difficulties followed by strange setbacks. But the Beijing police recently announced that they're trying to recover the funds for each investor. While this sounds like an innovative failure, the transit elevated bus suggests a practical and creative solution to traffic problems. It's likely that we'll hear about it again in future, from a serious high-tech firm that wants to make a difference.
Communication with space
The Quantum Experiments at Space Scape is a research project in quantum physic. Based in China, the project is of international importance and has recently proven the ability to communicate from space using quantum photons. In what can only be described as a big leap for science, China's quantum satellite has successfully distributed entangled photons between different base stations on Earth – with as much as 1,200 kilometers between them on the ground. While in theory entangled photons can remain linked across the distance, this has never been possible across such vast distances, and even less between the Earth and space. Whether this will allow us, in longer terms, to communicate more effectively with the space around the Earth or to reach so far unknown extraterrestrial civilizations is unknown. But it makes no doubt that this small step for the entangled photons is a giant step for science!
Made in China 2025 is a big claim. But the constant innovation that is changing the Chinese industries offers the possibility that maybe in the near future the world could rely on China for our renewable energy, 3D print technology, transport solutions and spatial explorations. Think big, or 不撒大网不得大鱼, as they say in China (bu sa da wang bu de da yu): Without casting a big net, you can't catch a big fish.
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Documented Problem Solving: Calculating Equilibrium Output
The Keynesian model of the economy was presented in class. The difference between equilibrium GDP and potential GDP was discussed. In this exercise, students are provided with data to calculate equilibrium GDP. In addition, students are asked to describe the process they used to calculate the equilibrium and analyze the state of the economy. In the second part of this assignment, students repeat the process using slightly different data.
Learning Goals
- understand the Keynesian model of the macroeconomy;
- describe the difference between equilibrium and potential output;
- apply this model to the concepts of equilibrium output and potential output;
- calculate equilibrium using data provided;
- analyze the state of the economy.
Context for Use
Description and Teaching Materials
For this activity, a question similar to the one below is necessary. The numbers in the formula can be changed to create a new problem.
Mathematical Model of Equilibrium Output
Suppose the following information reflects the closed economy of Casolari Land. The Consumption Function is such that C=300+.75(DI), Investment is fixed at $450 and the Government has a balanced budget, where both purchases and taxes equal $1,000.
These equations describe the economy:
C= 300 + .75(DI) [Consumption is determined by disposable income.)
E=C+I+G+NX [Aggregate demand is the total of consumption, investment, government purchases, and net exports.]
E=Y* [In equilibrium, total spending matches total income or total output.]
Calculate the equilibrium level of GDP for this economy (Y*).
Mathematical Model of Equilbrium Output (Microsoft Word 29kB Apr13 10)
Teaching Notes and Tips
Students must recognize that equilibrium GDP is not necessarily the same as potential GDP. They tend to believe that any equilibrium, per se, is good. In addition, they struggle with translating their understanding of the concepts of disposable income and a closed economy into a mathematical equation. Lastly, some students encounter problems solving simultaneous equations. Faculty should emphasize these concepts in class; having students work together or think-pair-share tends to alleviate these issues.
Students should be able to use the formulas given to find the equilibrium level of GDP and explain the thought process they used to do so, including any reference to notes, graphs, and definitions.
References and Resources
Flavell (1970)


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Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Amadeus & CalicoBeatz Produce A Wonder Woman For Tyga And Chris Brown
8:35 PM | Posted by Platinum Boy Music | Edit Post
Platinum Boy Music CEO Amadeus teams up with Platinum Boy Music producer CalicoBeatz to provide the backdrop for Tyga and Chris Brown to find them a Wonder Woman. Listen to the smash below off of Tyga's "Well Done" mixtape hosted by DJ Drama.
Labels: CalicoBeatz , Chris Brown , DJ Drama , Platinum Boy Music , Producer Amadeus , Tyga , Young Money Cash Money
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About Us
Platinum Boy Music was founded in the year 2000 by musician and multi platinum record producer Antwan 'Amadeus' Thompson. The production company has since been able to expand to include the Music 101 College Tour Seminar. Platinum Boy Music is a tightly knit family not only comprised of talented individuals, but a brand focused on providing the world with quality music.
PBM Profile: Amadeus
Antwan 'Amadeus' Thompson is the CEO of Platinum Boy Music. His music catalog includes production credits for over 50 artists, the theme song to ESPN's First Take, Keyshia Cole's BET Reality Show "Family First", ESPN's Sportscenter, Diddy's MTV and VH1 reality shows, EA Sports Fight Night, and Burger King. Amadeus recently served as a panelist on Making His Band and is currently the Music Director/Tour Drummer for Trey Songz.
www.platinumboymusic.com e:email@example.com www.twitter.com/produceramadeus www.blazetrak.com/amadeus www.youtube.com/amadeustv www.myspace.com/produceramadeus
PBM Profile: Ro Garcia
President, Platinum Boy Music, Inc
www.platinumboymusic.com e:firstname.lastname@example.com www.twitter.com/ro_gar www.instagram.com/Ro_Gar
Amadeus On Blazetrak
Platinum Boy Music CEO Amadeus is seeking for Songwriters, Producers, and Web Designers to join his musical imprint Platinum Boy Music, Inc. Please note that ALL considerations will ONLY be reviewed through Blazetrak, with a GUARANTEED video response to all of your submissions.
You can submit to Amadeus by clicking on this Blazetrak link.
AKAI Pro & Amadeus
Be on the lookout for AKAI Pro and Amadeus as they will be collaborating on a couple of projects soon. Details to follow shortly.
You can check out the Akai's artist page for Amadeus by clicking HERE
Sites We Follow
Platinum Boy Posts Archive
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- Lil Cease & The Outlawz "Bury The Hatchet"
- Tyga Feat. Chris Brown "Wonder Woman" Produced By ...
- Amadeus & CalicoBeatz Produce A Wonder Woman For T...
- Tiffany Mynon Seeks Back-Up Dancers
- SoulTrain.com Interviews Amadeus
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text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - The most enjoyable Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in The most enjoyable Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message dmbJoined: 12 Feb 2003Posts: 8397 Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2003 8:50 am Post subject: The most enjoyable My last posting asked where are the laziest students. How about the best. Where in the world do you find the best teaching environment. I have to admit I'm a turkophile and I think the best classes are at private language schools in Turkey. Anyone care to disagree? Back to top Kent F. KruhoefferJoined: 22 Jan 2003Posts: 2129Location: 中国 Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2003 11:15 am Post subject: la dolce vita Hello again dmb: This might sound 'cute', but in my 14 years in EFL, I'd have to say that 'enjoyable' is a relative term in the sense that every nationality has its own unique and endearing traits. In plain English, I've enjoyed ALL of the students I've taught, but for different reasons. A few examples to illustrate my point: Filipinos were the most 'down-to-earth-friendly' and fun-loving people I've ever met or taught. Japanese were the most playful and polite, whereas Turks were the most hospitable and respectful of their teachers. Romanians, although poor as farm mice, seemed to have the most genuine 'inner' spirits, while Koreans were just plain 'nice' to teach in a general sense. (excluding the Korean kids, who were, for the most part, little demons from Hell. Russians, on the other hand, are the most analytical of the bunch, which is one of the reasons that Russia produces some of the world's finest chess players. Teaching Russians has also been a blessing in disguise for me professionally, since their analytical nature means they often ask the most difficult questions of their teachers, and you very quickly realize that you've become a better teacher because of it. If I had to choose just one country or nationality as 'most enjoyable', it would be nearly impossible. So I won't even try. I luv 'em all. I really do. Regards, keNT DISCLAIMER: The above generalizations apply only to the author's personal experiences. Any reference to real persons, either living or dead, is purely coincidental. Back to top laggerJoined: 08 Apr 2003Posts: 40Location: Australia Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2003 11:34 am Post subject: I teach in an English speaking country so my answer might be a little different from some. I love students who actually want to be in class and are interested in learning English. When they are being 'forced' by someone to be there, it's not fun. I sometimes have to teach English classes to the unemployed and they have to be there or their benefit will be cut. They are usually sullen, uncooperative and occasionally hostile. As far as nationality, South/Central Americans are always a pleasure to teach. Although some are a little rowdy, they usually have great personalities. Back to top Guest Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2003 12:26 pm Post subject: I would say the same of Spaniards. Although they may not have the serious study ethic to the same extent as you'd find in Asia, the classes, though a little rowdy, can be a lot of fun. I found it really refreshing to teach students who not only have an opinion, they're not afraid to express it. Back to top johnslatJoined: 21 Jan 2003Posts: 13859Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2003 1:55 pm Post subject: Upsides and downsides The " best " students I've ever has were Indonesians. But, every time you have an upside, it seems there has to be a downside. The one in this case was that the main reason the students were so motivated was this was a government sponsored program. Those who passed it, and got satisfactory TOEFL scores were going to be sent to the States to get their degrees. So, this was their one big chance to " grab the gold ring ", to change ther lives. Now, can you imagine how it must have felt to have to fail one of them? Regards, John Back to top D.O.S.Joined: 02 Apr 2003Posts: 108Location: TOKYO (now)/ LONDON Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2003 2:08 pm Post subject: Best students? Anywhere the students actually pay their own earned monies and not their weekly allowance from Mommy and Daddy! Back to top richard ameJoined: 16 Jan 2003Posts: 319Location: Republic of Turkey Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2003 6:45 am Post subject: The best students Hi Dmb Your posting aroused my interest, I wondered how long have you being in Turkey? The picture you paint is not one I have witnessed ,true you do have good and bad but after almost 10 years I think I have seen most of the best and a lot of the other .Private language schools tend to have pretty small classes and generally the "environment" is conducive to learning ,god help you if you ever had to stand in front of 35 plus out of control spoilt rich kids at a REAL private school ,go tell me I'm wrong sad bitter and twisted . Back to top richard ameJoined: 16 Jan 2003Posts: 319Location: Republic of Turkey Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2003 6:46 am Post subject: The best students Hi Dmb Your posting aroused my interest, I wondered how long have you being in Turkey? The picture you paint is not one I have witnessed ,true you do have good and bad but after almost 10 years I think I have seen most of the best and a lot of the other .Private language schools tend to have pretty small classes and generally the "environment" is conducive to learning ,god help you if you ever had to stand in front of 35 plus out of control spoilt rich kids at a REAL private school ,go tell me I'm wrong sad bitter and twisted . Back to top dmbJoined: 12 Feb 2003Posts: 8397 Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2003 9:36 am Post subject: Hi Richard I was in Turkey for about ten years and yes I did most of my teaching at private language schools, mostly in Istanbul. I had great classes. Also most of the time I was DOS, ADOS or teacher trainer so maybe students gave more respect. On the other hand I"m now in the Gulf and maybe looking at my time in Turkey through rose tinted glasses. I can't wait to get back though Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. 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kristof in sudan
Where in the world is Nick Kristof? Late last week, he posted a series of secretive tweets alluding to his trip to an unsafe destination:
On Saturday, Kristof revealed that he's been reporting from Sudan's Nuba Mountains, a point confirmed by his Sunday, February 19 column:
"The Sudanese armed forces try to keep aid workers and journalists out, so the story of suffering has not received much international attention. I'm going to try to slip into the Nuba Mountains and report back. Stay tuned. "
- There's an obvious bias in the story. While I'm not one to defend the murderous Bashir regime, the Sudanese government does have a legitimate concern that aid coming into the region along that route will fall into the hands of the rebels rather than the people it is meant to help. Kristof needs to be more clearly focused on the fact that just because Khartoum is bad does not mean that everything that the rebels and their South Sudanese compatriots do is perfect. (As Louisa Lombard aptly notes, South Sudan is guilty of discrimination against minority ethnic groups as well). The point here is not that humanitarian aid is not urgently needed to help the Nuba; it obviously is. Rather, the point is that the kind of journalism that takes sides does not help in the goal of getting Khartoum to allow aid through or to give them assurances that the rebels won't take control of that aid for their own purposes. Biased reporting reinforces Khartoum's belief that agencies like Samaritan's Purse (which Kristof names in his story) are politicized, biased, and out to destroy their rule, which makes it harder for all aid agencies and the UN to help.
- Other reporters now can't get access. Kristof is on a short reporting trip to the region, but there is a strong cadre of experienced reporters in Sudan who have covered the region for a long time and will be there for years after Kristof is gone. Because Kristof has announced to the world that he's sneaking around in the Nuba Mountains, their jobs are now more difficult. Already, several journalists have had to cancel planned trips to South Kordofan due to concerns about the safety of Westerners. Many journalists working in the region are under the impression that a manhunt for Kristof is happening, a perception reinforced by an apparent uptick in bombings along the road from the Nuba Mountains to the nearest refugee camp in South Sudan over the last couple of days. There's no way to prove that this rise in violence is linked to Kristof's announcement, of course, and I don't think there's solid evidence to support that claim, although we do know that there have been a lot more ambushes of buses along the route and rocket attacks by the SAF over the weekend. More importantly, though, is that people are behaving as though it were true. Why does this matter? Because if reporters who are in this for the long haul can't get in, the story won't be told as it unfolds. There is no question that the attention brought by Kristof will make it more difficult for reporters to get legitimate access to the area. If the famine many are predicting does break out in South Kordofan in the months to come, those same reporters won't be able to tell the story without risking their lives to do so. That will be tragic for those who will need that reporting to draw attention to their plight.
- NGO's are on edge. Most of Kristof's trips to places like the Nuba Mountains are done in conjunction with an international NGO that wants to get publicity for its efforts. The NGO provides logistical assistance and, in return, the reporter mentions the NGO's good work in his or her column. The NGO gets good press, the reporter gets the story, and everyone is generally happy. The problem now is that because of Kristof's shenanigans, NGO's in the region are very reluctant to help reporters get the story. Moreover, as it's pretty clear from Kristof's column that Samaritan's Purse is likely helping him, that puts aid workers - especially those working for SP - on the ground in danger, especially if the SAF really is out trying to find Kristof. Rather than being perceived by those on the ground as a neutral humanitarian agency, Samaritan's Purse is now seen as an ally of South Sudan. That's an incredibly dangerous situation for those who are trying to carry out neutral humanitarian work.
- There's no Sudanese agency. As is his modus operandi, all the Sudanese quoted by Kristof in the story are victims: a rape survivor, people who've been shot at, refugees. This reinforces stereotypes of Sudanese passivity and a lack of agency. It's not surprising; Africans are almost always victims in Kristof's reporting, but it's an utterly incomplete picture of what's actually going on.
Labels: the kristof strikes again