text:
Thursday, Jan. 17
6:30 a.m., Jan. 29)
figure skater returns from Canadian championships with
bronze medal
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
figure skater Christian Reekie won a bronze
medal in the junior men's division at the
recent Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
Danielle Earl Photography
year of hard work and dedication has paid off in a bronze
medal at the Canadian Junior Figure Skating Championships
for Christian Reekie.
17-year-old Gloucester Skating Club member improved on
his 9th place performance in the novice division at last
year's championship by placing third in the junior division
this time around.
attributed his rise to the podium to a heightened level
of intensity in training, and a laser beam-like focus
on the details from the choreography of his new short
program to sharpening each and every element of his free
been really about getting the intensity level and being
more focused," Reekie, who's coached by GSC's director
of skating and Navan resident Darlene Joseph.
joined the Gloucester Skating Club when he was five and
started skating competitively when he turned nine.
2011 to 2014, he split his time between men's singles
and ice dance in which he partnered with fellow GSC member
Vanessa Chartrand. The pair finished eighth in the novice
division at the 2014 Canadian Championships.
into this season Reekie had to develop a short program
and extend his long program to compete at junior He trains
two hours a day six times a week on ice and two hours
a day off ice.
role model this past season has been fellow Gloucester
Skating Club member and training partner Ben Guthrie who
retired from competitive skating last year.
pushed each other all season in training. He's just a
really hard worker and he's inspired me to work a lot
harder both on and off the ice," says Reekie.
Canadian Championship brings an end to the competitive
figure skating season which began at the end of July with
the Minto Summer Skate.
plans to take it easy for a couple of weeks before he
starts working on his program for next season and a possible
run at a medal of a different colour.
story was made possible thanks to the generous support
of our local business partners.)
www.orleansonline.ca's main page


text:
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Code Languages: Visual Basic, C, C++.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
My 'epic' command squad. All metal models, and all armed with Storm Shields. Used them twice I think. They took a long time to die. I figured that if they are to follow the commander into the harshest arenas of war, they could use some protection. That and since they are veterans, they get their pick of the armour. They are a very expensive unit (260 or 270 I think, been awhile), but they were great fun to paint, and I really enjoyed making their individual heraldry. Banner of course is from the Grey Knights.
Now, onto the vehicles! All my vehicles make use of either the Forge World Imperial Fist doors where appropriate of the GW Imperial Fists Icon pack. Basically, there was to be no illusion as to what chapter these vehicles belonged to.
My Second Rhino. The mobility was most appreciated at the time.
Let me know what you think.


text:
One of the things I wanted to try with this model is a method for painting a "cool" black and white using turquoise to shade and highlight the colors. I based my recipes from two BoLS tutorials (here's a link to the black and the white). As these call for some P3 colors, I modified them so I only have to use my GW paints.
The Saurus is going to have albino skin with black scales. The turquoise should tie him in with the rest of my army, which is painted with the now OOP Scaly Green. If you know your Lizardmen fluff, this means he's marked for greatness by the Old Ones! Since the bulk of the model is going to be white, I started with a light gray undercoat (another first for me). I then built up the albino skin with the following:
1. Base coat with white mixed with a small amount of Hawk Turquoise and Fortress Gray. You know you're in the ballpark when you look at the color and think "minty fresh toothpaste."
2. Wash the area with Hawk Turquoise.
3. Apply a wash of Hawk Turquoise mixed with black into the deepest recesses.
4. Going back to the base color, start adding highlights. Then mix in white for the next layer and use pure white for the final highlights.
|(Sorry for the poor photo, I'm still learning to use my new camera)
Next, we're onto the the scales. After a black base coast, mix in successively larger amounts of Hawk Turquoise for the highlights. I also mixed in a bit of white for the final highlights to give the sharp edges of the scales a bit of pop.
I think the results are pretty cool, even if this technique has a limited range of applications. At a minimum, this guy should stand out nicely amongst a crowd of his green skinned brethren.
As for my new Winsor Series 7 brushes, they are flippin' amazing! The tips keep a point perfectly and the paint flows smooth as buttah. The bristles hold a good amount of paint, so you spend less time loading and reloading your brush. The most interesting thing I've found about these brushes is that I do not have any issues with paint creeping up into the ferrule, a frustrating problem I've always had with GW brushes.
I've mentioned a few times in the past that I've been focusing on improving my painting technique in terms of brush control, overall neatness and speed. What's so awesome about these brushes is that after painting with them for just a few hours all of these things feel like they're improving. It was my crappy brushes holding me back!
If you're using junk brushes and you take your mini painting even somewhat seriously, I implore you to upgrade your brushes. The Series 7's would be a great investment. Now I just need to pick up some proper brush soap to keep these puppies in tip-top shape (thanks to Master Manipulator for that important reminder).
Now as for the Saurus, it's onto a new technique for painting gold I've been wanting to try.


text:
Inspired by the polished aesthetic of both brands, the partnership will include fully customized SUITS-themed Birchboxes for men and product picks inside Birchboxes for women, including the latest finds in the world of style, along with tips and ideas for how to achieve the signature look of SUITS characters. This marks the first time that Birchbox has deployed a fully integrated campaign partnership across both its men's and women's brands.
The partnership will also incorporate a series of exclusive, behind-the-scenes video interviews from the SUITS cast, live-tweeting events, contests and much more to engage fans throughout season three of SUITS. The videos will live on Birchbox's Women's Magazine and Men's Guide, as well as USANetwork.com. Additionally, USA Network will promote a Birchbox Man sweepstakes on-air and via social channels during SUITS episodes, where fans can enter for a chance to win a year's worth of Birchbox grooming and beauty products inspired by SUITS.
The fully-branded men's box will ship to existing Birchbox Man subscribers on June 25, and the women's box will follow on Wednesday, July 10. All SUITS picks will be available in a dedicated ecommerce shop on Birchbox. New subscribers to Birchbox Man who sign up by July 20 will receive the SUITS Box as their first monthly delivery in July. As an added bonus, SUITS Facebook fans who sign up via the link on the social network will be given an exclusive offer to bypass the Birchbox waitlist, and receive 100 points in the Birchbox Shop, a $10 value.


text:
There are some things in this world that I shouldn't have to explain.
Maybe I should rephrase that. There are things in this world that can go without an explanation.
No, that's still not quite right. What about, once a person has made a few mistakes in life, they start to learn from them and can probably make better-informed decisions later on?
Well, I've made enough mistakes with this introduction. I guess all that's left is to explain a few things. It seems counterproductive compared to the intro I was going for. Or, did I do everything as I wanted to do, and it's now exactly what I was thinking?
Plotting and scheming aside, the point I'm trying to make is that I sometimes feel criticized for wanting to go to Japan. While it hasn't been said in so few words, the statements come down to things like, "you should give up on going, I can't understand why you would want to go to Japan, you will be disappointed when you get there." I usually hear, "do you have to go now? Can you wait 10, 15, 20 years?" Why should I wait? I'm not getting any younger, my body isn't becoming any more capable. I already have to wait until I get enough money put aside, and that wait will be long enough. But when I hear people ask why I can't put off the dream of going, I feel like they're really asking why I can't give up on going altogether.
Clearly, I need new friends. Or I'm overthinking things.
The short answer is, Japan makes me happy. I feel like people who care about me should want me to be happy.
Why does Japan make me happy? It just does. I can't really explain it, and I know if I try to explain it, I might lose the magic. But of course, I apparently need to explain the whole thing.
It didn't start with Wakkanai.
My Dad was stationed in Wakkanai while he was in the Air Force. I don't remember if there were slides. For you kiddies out there, slides are basically physical photos that you can shine light through, and you put a tray of them on a special projector to help a room full of people fall asleep quickly. Anyway, that's not important right now. He was in the Air Force as a Russian linguist. For you kiddies, the United States had a grudge against Russia for a number of years, and it was called the Cold War. My Dad basically translated radio transmissions.
When his time had ended over there, he brought home some stereo equipment that probably still works to this day. I was raised with the knowledge that Japanese electronics were superiorly made in comparison to American electronics. I watched the movie Gung Ho, and admired the Japanese work ethic. I think I watched Big Bird Goes To Japan as a child. But, I barely knew anything about Japan, I barely had an interest in Japan.
I had an interest in the Moon.
By the time I became a teenager, I loved looking up at the moon and stars. Astrology interested me, and I learned that my sign, Aries, was a fire sign. And then I was flipping through the channels on TV one afternoon and saw a cartoon with these girls who defended Earth in the name of the name of the moon or one of the planets. I saw a bit of myself in the title character, Sailor Moon, but my favorite character soon became the one who's a fellow Aries, Sailor Mars. When they weren't saving the day, they were living their lives in and around Tokyo.
I started watching Tenchi Muyo as well, and even a bit of Yu Yu Hakusho. Eventually I watched Fullmetal Alchemist.
One time, I was near the comic and gaming store and decided to drop in. I found manga, and bought one book as that was all I could afford at the time. But after I started working and driving, one volume of manga turned into over one hundred. I was a bit addicted.
When I was still in college, though, I started getting into L'arc en Ciel. I remember looking up song lyrics and translations in the computer rooms while I was between classes or after I had finished up whatever I was working on. After I graduated, I bought an iPod while working at my first job, and I had some Sowelu and Utada Hikaru songs along with some L'arc on there.
It wasn't an interest in Japan, just in Japanese media, but I was happy. Life seemed to be going well for me, I had both of my parents, I had started working and had a car to get around.
And then I met a guy.
When I first met him, he kind of had a significant other. She didn't really want him, and had ended things with him by the time I saw him again. They were both at a party that one of my friends was hosting, and I was there as well for no reason other than I was invited to a party. He was there because his now-ex was going to be there, but he felt a need to heal his wounds by getting drunk and crying on the sofa. I had knelt down next to the sofa, the armrest being all that separated me from his feet. I wanted to help, I wanted to be supportive. He ended up calling one of his friends who drove over and picked him up to bring him home.
This guy's life was a bit of a wreck. Someone broke into his station wagon and stole things from him. He was driving a station wagon because that's all he could afford at the time, and it was already falling apart. He was also living with his brother, who looked Korean. He actually looked Japanese to me, but was apparently half Irish and half Korean. His brother had a different father and was full Korean, if memory serves me correctly.
Not that it mattered what he was, because to me he looked pretty good. I really didn't feel worthy of being around him. Oh, I should mention that after checking up on him the next day, one thing led to another and I started going over to his place nearly every day. I thought things were going somewhere, but I had never had a boyfriend before and I had nothing to base my experiences on.
One day, he started talking about looking at newer cars, and had his heart set on one at a local dealership. Knowing his struggles, I did what any foolish girl would do. Well, because I felt a bit guilty for enjoying Japanese stuff while I had an interest in an Asian guy, I sold the manga and gave him the money to put towards the car.
After about a month, he didn't want to see me anymore. I learned a lot in that one month, more than I really care to explain. But I lost my interest in manga, and my interest in everything else waned as well.
The second time wasn't as good.
Eventually, I bought more manga, though my collection wasn't as impressive as it originally had been. I didn't read the volumes as often or as quickly. But I met a guy at work who became a bit of a friend, nothing more. To some degree, he got me back into anime, but I wasn't as interested as before.
I went to an anime convention with him, my second ever anime convention. I remember feeling like I had outgrown anime. I was surrounded by people cosplaying characters that I didn't recognize. There were anime titles I had never heard of. The finest moment was meeting Vic Mignogna, voice actor extraordinaire (seriously, look him up on IMDB or something, he's in nearly every English-dubbed anime you can think of). Aside from that, the day was a bit of a waste.
Eventually, I was rescued… by food.
While working at a well-known grocery store, I bought The Manga Cookbook. Unfortunately my ingredients were limited, and I could barely make anything in the book despite the grocery store having an Asian food section with imported goods. I did try my hand at making udon noodles, though, which turned out alright.
While working that job, I lost my Mom, which caused me to move to New Jersey. Okay, a lot of things caused me to move to New Jersey, most of which were bad decisions. While I was living in New Jersey, my boyfriend at the time introduced me to Mitsuwa Marketplace. At first I was interested in going, but after going I was in ecstasy! All the ingredients I couldn't find before, I could find at Mitsuwa! And there was a bookstore nearby where I could buy manga in the original Japanese! And I spent more money than I should have, but it was necessary.
I returned a few more times after that. I always made sure that I ate something from the food court, because there was no way I'd be able to make anything that tasted quite like it should. I loved the feeling I had while I was there. I came home after my first visit, and realized that I didn't have any L'arc songs in iTunes, just a couple of Hyde's songs. I started tracking down all of L'arc's albums on Amazon and eBay, which gave me a bit of an endorphin rush when I bought another album and when it finally arrived.
I had forgotten how happy I once was to listen to Japanese rock and pop music. I listened to Horizon, and it reminded me of a dream I once had. But the food also made me happy, because everything was new, and everything I tried was amazing.
Japan was where I needed to be.
The search for a job can make anyone go a bit insane. The thought eventually popped into my head that I could move to and work in Japan, so that became the plan before I even knew what I was getting myself into. But a plan like that is good to have when you think of all the angles, and in my case I realized that my then-fiance and I were two entirely different people. Ignoring what I had to consider for myself, I realized I couldn't have my fiancé travel with me to Japan because the flight would be too lengthy for him to deal with his disability, and then he probably wouldn't want to go out and do anything with me once we were there. Not only that, but leaving him behind meant that we were back to having a long-distance relationship.
I like to think that the entirety of that discussion was one of the many factors why we broke up. Our relationship left me broke, but it also left me with the freedom to go and do what I want to do once I'm not poor. Since I put more thought into going to Japan, I know what I need to do to go, and I don't see a reason why I shouldn't go.
So what else?
I'd like to think I'll eventually meet someone while I'm in Japan, and maybe I'll give in and have children, thereby helping out their birth rate and keep it from declining further.
If I'm in Japan before the Olympics, maybe I can get into hospitality and be of some use when the place is mobbed by tourists who speak more English than Japanese. Otherwise, I could always just assist in teaching the language.
My interest in Japan isn't anime and manga. I might go to a concert, if time and finances allow. I might do some video gaming-related things. Or I might decide to be boring and check out as many temples and shrines as I can. If I lose interest in Japan, I could go elsewhere.
I'll have to go over on a student visa and go to a language school, then work part time to make a living. I can't get on a work visa because I don't have the right credentials, and it would be cheaper to get my bachelors degree in Japan. But it is possible for me to go to Japan, I just need to get my finances in order before I can go.
Tomorrow, I think I'm going to make a PowerPoint presentation of this entry, then save it onto my phone so I can make the argument at a moment's notice. Basically, the Japanese stuff makes me happy, and so I'd like to go to Japan and live there for a while. I know what I need to do to get there, and unless you've travelled abroad, you can't say that I don't know what I'm doing. But there are things I can't plan for just yet, because airline tickets change prices, tuition costs increase, rent goes up, so those things will have to wait until I'm at a point where I have to consider such things.
This is what I want. This makes me happy.
I've spent enough time trying to make others happy. Now I want to do something for myself.


text:
Transmission Test Department,
Hyundai-Motor Company,
Kyunggi-Do, 445-706 South Korea
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Michigan-Dearborn,
Dearborn, MI 48128
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Dynamic Systems Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS, MEASUREMENT, AND CONTROL. Manuscript received May 28, 2013; final manuscript received March 4, 2014; published online June 12, 2014. Assoc. Editor: Shankar Coimbatore Subramanian.
In this study, a dynamic model of a vehicle with eight or more speed automatic transmission (A/T) has been developed for the analysis of shift quality and dynamic behavior of the vehicle during shift events. Subsystem models for engine, torque converter, automatic transmission, drivetrain, transmission control unit (TCU), and vehicle are developed and integrated with signal information interface. The subsystems included in the model were carefully selected to improve the accuracy of the model by comparing the simulation results with the test data. The systematic modeling approach based on matrix operation proposed in the study enables calibrating and fine-tuning the transmission control unit for shift quality in a virtual vehicle environment. The model presented in the study is validated with the vehicle test data and the comparison shows very good agreement. This paper presents a generalized modeling methodology for multiratio automatic transmissions that require both direct and indirect shifts. The model developed in the study provides a valuable analytical tool for the calibration and tuning of the transmission control unit by allowing quantitative analysis on the dynamic behavior and the performance metrics of an automatic transmission.
Matlab Simulink model for A/T equipped vehicle
Dynamic model for A/T equipped vehicle
Eight-speed automatic transmission layout
Coefficient matrix of governing equations
Three states during gear shift
Shift progress using case definition
Input shaft element in dynamic model
Comparison between control duty and measured pressure
Clutch stroke-torque model calculation result
Engine torque model interface
Engine torque reduction in simulation
PID effect on power-on up 2 to 3 shift events
Boundary conditions
State variable matrix
Selection of spring-damper system
Coefficient matrix modification for the second gear
Output result of shift decision model
Output result comparison between model and vehicle
Input duty comparison between model and vehicle (1–2 shift)
Output result comparison between model and vehicle (8→3)
Input duty comparison between model and vehicle (8–3 shift)
Input duty comparison between model and vehicle (2–3 shift)
Output result comparison between model and vehicle (8→5)
Input duty comparison between model and vehicle (8–5 shift)
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text:
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young). He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time. Stills was ranked #28 in Rolling Stone Magazine's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Stills became the first person to be inducted twice on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with CSN and the Buffalo Springfield.
Sursă: Wikipedia engleză
Zonga logo


text:
Health Debate Isn't About Health
The health debate, which now has moved beyond the Beltway and into raucous town halls across the land, is so intense in part because it's not really about health care at all.
On a deeper level, it's about the role of government in America's economy. And that is a raw and unresolved topic, only made more so by months of exceptional government intervention amid a deep recession.


text:
Sprouting is a great way to enjoy eating more seeds, legume or grains. By sprouting we make the nutrients more available to our bodies and easier for our stomachs to digest. Buying sprouts at the supermarket can be really expensive and they don't last long and don't really taste that good. On the other hand making your own sprouts is a fun project that is cheap and really easy. It is a great family project, it is exciting for kids to be involved in and they can learn all about seeds and how plants grow. Before you start, don't get sucked into buying expensive kits and special seeds because you most likely have all you need in your kitchen already.
What you will need:
small amount of seeds, grains or legumes.
glass jar
clean thin cloth e.g. cheese cloth, a clean dish cloth
rubber band
Choose a small selection of seeds, grains or legumes. I used Mung Beans, Quinoa and Sunflower seeds. Different seeds or grains will take different amounts of time to sprout, a general guide is the smaller the seed, grain or legume the quicker it will sprout. Experiment and see what you like. To have a regular sprout supply start a new batch of every second day or so depending on how long the seeds will take to sprout.
Some other ideas:
Sunflower seeds
Alfalfa seeds
Mung Beans
Flax seeds
Chia Seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Place your chosen seed, legume or grain in the glass jar and cover with water. Soak over night. In the morning rinse the seeds and place back in the glass jar. Wet the cloth and secure over the top of the jar with the rubber band. Leave on the kitchen bench or somewhere sunny. In the evening repeat rinsing the legumes and try to keep the cloth damp. Keep repeating this process until the seeds have sprouted and then transfer to the fridge. Add the sprouts to salads and sandwiches for some tasty crunch.
Find out more about sprouting here.
Find out more about sprouting here.


text:
Current Newswire:
A new version of GNU Screen has been releasedApr 30, 2014, 07:00 (0 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Jostein Berntsen)
A new version of the venerable and incredibly useful GNU Screen has now been released. A first update 4.2.0 was released some days ago, and now version 4.2.1 is available. This is the first major release since some years, and it has a lot of new features, like layouts and vertical spli, as well as bug fxes.
Related Stories:
0 Talkback[s] (click to add your comment)


text: SOUTH BEND - Corinne M. Wroblewski, 86, died Friday in St. Paul's Retirement Community. Survivors include two daughters, Judy Kobb and Shirley Davidson, both of South Bend; and a son, William of Bluffton, S.C. Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Cathedral of Saint Matthew. Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday in Kaniewski Funeral Home, where a rosary will be said at 3 p.m.


text:
Chelsea bank waiting on bomb squad for suspicious package: NYPD
Police report that a bank robber left a suspicious package at a Capital One bank in Chelsea.
Police reported Wednesday afternoon that a bank robber had left a suspicious package at a Capital One bank in Chelsea about 2:45 p.m.
According to police sources, a man thought to be in his 50s walked into Capital One at 401 W. 23rd St. and passed a note demanding cash.
Before fleeing without any money, he left the suspicious package in the bank, which witnesses told police he "turned on."
Police describe the package as a box with wires protruding from it.
Cops said the Emergency Services Unit was at the scene awaiting the Bomb Squad, which arrived shortly thereafter and determined the package was not an explosive device. An investigation into the attempted robbery is continuing.
Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat


text:
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a leading supporter of transcendentalism and believed that the most sacred aspect of a person was his soul. A human, he believed, could only find redemption in his own soul.
Transcendentalism was a literary and philosophical movement in New England from 1836 to 1860. Emerson was the most eloquent supporter of the movement, most notably in his essays "Nature," Self-Reliance," and the "Over-Soul."
Transcendentalism proposed the ideas that individual intuition is the highest form of knowledge and that God is immanent in each person, and in nature.This led to an emphasis on individualism, self-reliance and a rejection of authority.


text:
Will impressed everyone with his suicidal double attempts (he really was determined to get high or die!) and came away with 1st prize with Victor in 2nd and big Pieter in 3rd. Really, though, I could have awarded trophies to absolutely everyone as there were so many who sailed better than I have ever seen before.
After the heats, I held two expression sessions, with 15 in each heat, resulting in a jumping frenzy with all the local island hillbillies trying their utmost to kill or maim themselves, haha. Check the video and you'll see exactly what I mean!
After all the organisation I did, you'd have thought the gods would have been smiling down on me but, oh no, 1 minute into my quarter final heat, my mast foot broke and I spent the whole heat swimming back to the beach as my fellow competitors jeered me good-naturedly from the water. With friends like these, haha...............oh, well, next year, I'll fix it so I win.............
After the expression session it was back to the UTurn in Lajares for the prizegiving, filled to the rafters, and it was there where it was evident just how successful the weekend had been. Everyone was super-stoked to have been a part of it, and not one person whinged or whined about anything, which must be a first in the history of competition!!!
All in all, a greater success than I ever dreamed possible, already planning next year's..............
Greetings from the sunshine,
Get High Or Die!!!!!!!! from Stephen Gibson on Vimeo.


text:
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- adv. In a pervasive manner, such that a thing is present in all parts.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adv. in a pervasive manner
Sorry, no etymologies found.
"Sadly, people use the word pervasively even if they don't realise it," Kirsten Seckler, spokeswoman for the Special Olympics added.
"Sadly, people use the word pervasively even if they don't realize it," "People with intellectual disabilities have fought their whole lives for understanding and recognition.
For example, across the country criminal defendants are increasingly being placed in drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs that are operated by religious institutions and that are pervasively religious.
Alcoholics Anonymous, of course, does wonderful work, but ordering a person to participate or face jail raises serious constitutional problems because its treatment program and its message are pervasively religious.
Once there, he discovered that the program, run by a pastor of the Pentecostal faith, was pervasively religious.
The problem is this: When we're afraid in that way chronically, pervasively and pointlessly, we're needy.
One of the worst is that the "computer age" has generated a host of illusions that have, in general, had pervasively negative effects.
The African-American community has been pervasively victimized by predatory lenders who sell high-cost, high-interest financial products like subprime mortgages, rent-to-own schemes and tax-refund lending.
Rep. Hank Johnson: Regaining Prosperity... and Protecting It: Job Creation and Financial Literacy in Black America
To my mind, The Pale King isn't really a novel about the Reagan-era tax cuts, as some have claimed, but rather about another more abstract yet pervasively significant political trend that came into its own during that era.
But the latest trend I spotted is as far away from crime as I can imagine -- and since it is so positively pervasively Christmas-y in its effect -- I think it earns a mention.


text:
Graff bibleReview by Neil / (Posted on 3/6/2017)Fill your brain with knowledge. This book has so much information in it. Tons of styles, will improve your skills.
a must for any nerdReview by Jake / (Posted on 12/22/2016)heard christian acker's interview on coupe's legends thursday podcast, bought the book. utterly perfect. reminds me of the first copy of subway art i ever had back in the day- any fan of tagging, typography, or graffiti history NEEDS to own this book.


text:
Hello, Entertainment hubbers! I first want to apologize, because I am aware that I've already published this in the Art forum...but to be frank, this forum is much more active, so I'm re-posting this here.
"Some of you guys who peruse around the Art fanclub often enough may have seen my webcomic reviews of "Blank It" and "We The Robots." After these, two, I think I've really gotten into the groove of providing concise reviews of cyber sequential art, and I plan on continuing that trend for a ton of hubs.
Problem is, I find myself often wanting to only review the comics that I already like. This is a fundamental dilemma, because if I keep going down this track, I'm only going to provide clear-cut-positive reviews, struggling to be objective.
So, here's the request I have for you guys: If you have a webcomic that you frequent that I haven't already covered in my hubs that you think deserves a little acknowledgment (or criticism), please drop me a request to review the webcomic! All I need is a name, a link, and a few (optional) words about the comic.
By doing this, you are both helping a fellow Hubber who strives to stay away from complacent writing, as well as a webcomic you think is unappreciated!
Thanks to all of you guys, and I hope to hear some requests soon!"
by crstemple 10 years ago
What's up, art hubbers? This is my first post on the HubPages forums (not, of course, my first forum post period - I'm WAY too big of a dork), so I hope this works out. Some of you guys who peruse around the Art fanclub often enough may have seen my webcomic reviews of "Blank It" and...
by Christy Kirwan 2 years ago
Hi Hubbers,Check out the HubPages Blog when you get a chance to read about our two new features. Feel free to post here if you have any questions or if anything isn't clear.
by glassvisage 10 years ago
Sometimes I stumble upon a HubPages request that could be answered by a Hub I've already written... but of course I couldn't submit another such Hub. There should be a way to use a Hub already made in order to answer a request.
by WeddingConsultant 9 years ago
I know that hubpages really pushes for new hubs to be created, and rightfully so. However, I'm thinking it would be nice to be able to "answer a hub request" with an existing hub.So if someone does a hub request for something I've written on (revver videos, for example), I can simply...
by Eric Dierker 4 years ago
So there are many reviews floating around during this pre-release. And they are all over the place.We know at least one mega church is going to be featuring it and will be using it for a study series. That makes good sense to me. Personally I wish more would do that with the movies considered...
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Ignition Capital
Location: Downtown Seattle
RCD provided interior design services for the 6500 square foot headquarters of this prestigious global venture capital firm, which has close ties to Asia. The guiding concept was to create an inspiring and productive workplace that encouraged interaction among employees and that welcomed visitors with pleasant common areas. Workspaces, offices and conference areas were designed to maximize light and transparency. Color, texture and materials were designed to incorporate the client's extensive collection of Asian prints, and a variety of Asian antiques were procured and incorporated into the space.
Multiple artisans and local craftspeople were used to design sustainable, customized furnishings for this office. Among the unique pieces were a reception desk and coffee table made from 1000-year old Chinese stone stair treads. A 14-foot conference table, crafted locally by Meyer/Wells, was made from reclaimed wood from the Pacific Northwest.
Photos by Daniel Sheehan Photography


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Wednesday, May 7, 2008
and so it begins...
Just quietly, I am a little excited about the fact that I am finally blogging! Hopefully this will be some kind of record of the things I create for myself and others. I am not really sure what else I will write about, as I never really was a writer, but I am looking forward to it all evolving and taking shape.
Posted by naomi at 8:12 PM
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Alterations in Phosphorylated CREB Expression in Different Brain Regions following Short- and Long-Term Morphine Exposure: Relationship to Food Intake
Alterations in Phosphorylated CREB Expression in Different Brain Regions following Short- and Long-Term Morphine Exposure: Relationship to Food Intake - Descarga este documento en PDF. Documentación en PDF para descargar gratis. Disponible también para leer online.
Journal of ObesityVolume 2013 2013, Article ID 764742, 11 pages
Research Article
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and UCLA School of Medicine, 1731 E. 120th. Street, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
Department of Pediatrics, Children-s Hospital of Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
Received 20 June 2013; Accepted 19 July 2013
Academic Editor: Yvon Chagnon
Copyright © 2013 Xiuhai Ren et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Background. Activation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate cAMP-phosphorylated CREB P-CREB system in different brain regions has been implicated in mediating opioid tolerance and dependence, while alteration of this system in the lateral hypothalamus LH has been suggested to have a role in food intake and body weight. Methods. Given that opioids regulate food intake, we measured P-CREB in different brain regions in mice exposed to morphine treatments designed to induce different degrees of tolerance and dependence. Results. We found that a single morphine injection or daily morphine injections for 8 days did not influence P-CREB levels, while the escalating dose of morphine regimen raised P-CREB levels only in the ventral tegmental area VTA. Chronic morphine pellet implantation for 7 days raised P-CREB levels in the LH, VTA, and dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus DM but not in the nucleus accumbens and amygdala. Increased P-CREB levels in LH, VTA, and DM following 7-day treatment with morphine pellets and increased P-CREB levels in the VTA following escalating doses of morphine were associated with decreased food intake and body weight. Conclusion. The morphine regulation of P-CREB may explain some of the physiological sequelae of opioid exposure including altered food intake and body weight.
Autor: Xiuhai Ren, Kabirullah Lutfy, Michael Mangubat, Monica G. Ferrini, Martin L. Lee, Yanjun Liu, and Theodore C. Friedman
Fuente: https://www.hindawi.com/


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'Followers will be able to peek behind the curtain of church life and see behind the scenes as they get a feel for daily life in parishes. In addition to daily life there will be a glimpse of the inevitable unusual and unexpected events that come with being part of the Church of England. Through it all the account will seek to show through thousands of tweets how God is at work in His Church each day.'
Have to say I may have been inadvertently slightly more controversial than intended. On the first morning, after innocently mentioning the book of Job, a whole Twitter discussion opened up about suffering and whether God deliberately allows stuff to happen. I so wasn't ready for that! Then there was the debate about whether one should refer to Theological College as #VicarSchool - don't even get me started on that one… That said one of the things I love about Twitter is the chance to chat and debate things with others, and it was no different on the @OurCofE account, except just slightly more frenetic!
"The incredible engagement levels we see on religious tweets the world over prove the power of 140 characters to convey hope, motivation, and inspiration. The @OurCofE Twitter account will build on this by telling the story of the Church of England through the eyes of its people, providing a fascinating insight into modern faith in action. Spanning great cathedrals to tiny parishes, it will provide real-time glimpses into the workings of the church for followers across the world, 140 characters at a time."
I love that line: '...the power of 140 characters to convey hope, motivation, and inspiration'. Imagine if we all used Twitter for that alone, how much more powerful would it be as a medium for change…?
If you are interested and want to find out more you can check out the info here, and my own tweets from the account are here (although not the replies to individual tweets so you can't see whole conversations, but you can always read back through the tweets on the account if you are that keen!)
Also If I have included one of your tweets in these images and you would rather I didn't please do let me know.


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Question: Will my insurance pay for repairs (less deductible) for my fully covered, financed vehicle if it were reported stolen and then hit a tree, but no one has been charged with the theft? Or does the thief have to be found? I'm in Texas, in case it varies by state.
Continue Reading Below
Answer: Yes, your insurance should pay for the repairs. But expect to be grilled about the claim -- and don't take it personally.
Auto insurance companies will pay for the repairs of a recovered stolen vehicle, minus your deductible, if you have comprehensive coverage on your policy -- no matter if the thief is found or not. But, as the Texas Department of Insurance stresses, you do need to report the auto theft to the police to get your claim accepted. In your situation, your insurer's investigator will do an intense examination of your claim to make sure you didn't crash your own car and then report it as stolen (because you were drunk, didn't want to make a collision claim, owed too much on the car, etc.). Also, he will check for any unauthorized use, such as if you have a child who may have gone on a joyride, crashed into the tree and then left the car (this happens more than you think).
Your claim for your stolen vehicle will be scrutinized by your auto insurance company because fraud is widespread with both theft and fire claims. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) says fraudulent claims are especially common in hard economic times, so auto insurance claims investigators are meticulous in their inquiry to determine if a vehicle has really taken by a thief or if something else occurred.
Once your insurer has thoroughly investigated your claim and determines it's legitimate, then your repairs should be covered (less your comprehensive deductible). If repair costs for your financed vehicle are high, compared to the worth of your car, your insurer may decide to total out the vehicle instead of repair it. If that is the case, then actual cash value (ACV) would be paid out for the vehicle, but to your lienholder and not you (unless you owe less than the value of the vehicle, in which case your lienholder would be paid off first and you'd received any remaining settlement money). If you're upside-down on your loan, owe more than the vehicle is worth, then after the ACV was paid out, you'd be responsible to pay the remaining balance due on the loan unless you have gap insurance to cover this amount. While many issues with car insurance vary by state, how stolen cars are handled typically does not. No one has to be charged with theft in order for you to make a claim or for you to get your claim paid out by your auto insurer. State laws do, however, vary on how long an insurer can take to pay out a claim. In some states auto insurance companies are allowed to settle within a very subjective "reasonable time," but Texas has laws that set deadlines for car insurance carriers to take action after you've filed a claim. Insurance companies must:
- Respond within 15 days of the date they received your claim (in writing). Part of this will be you documenting your loss.
- Accept or reject your claim within 15 days after you submit any requested documentation.
- Send your payment (check or draft) within five business days after it agrees to pay your claim.
However, Texas laws also allow for extenuating circumstances. If an insurance company cannot meet the above deadlines, it must send you a notice explaining why. The insurer then has 45 days to either approve or reject your claim. If a claim is ultimately rejected, your insurer must explain why in writing. If after your claim is paid the car thief is found, your insurer has the right to pursue that individual to recover whatever they paid out on your claim.
The original article can be found at CarInsurance.com:Is a stolen car covered if the thief isn't caught?


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North Cook County Chapter for Thrivent North Cook County Chapter for Thrivent
Here's a sample of our volunteer opportunities:VIEW AS
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Mission Statement
The organization seeks to give Lutherans within North Cook County with Thrivent financial products financial support and opportunities to volunteer.
Help is given to non-profits for a variety of humanitarian needs, especially in an urban setting. Local community service teams apply for grants from the North Cook County-Chicago Board.
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Fighting cancer
I have once again signed up for the Relay for Life to support those fighting cancer and am currently fundraising for the Cancer Society. Please support me by following the link below and making a donation. Even $10 can help those suffering from this vicious disease!
Leave a comment or email me if you have any questions regarding the event or what will happen with your donation.
Thank you very much for your support!


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Caroline Trentini
This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (August 2009)
|Caroline Trentini
|Caroline Aparecida Trentini
July 6, 1987
Panambi, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
|Years active
|Modeling information
|1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
|Hair color
|Eye color
|32-23-34 (83-58-86)[1]
|Dress size
|Shoe size
|The Society Management (New York)
NEXT Model Management (London)
Qui Management (Paris)
Why Not Model Agency (Milan)
Uno Management (Barcelona)
Way Model Management (Sao Paulo)
Caroline Aparecida Trentini (born July 6, 1987), also known as Carol Trentini, is a Brazilian fashion model.
Early life
Trentini was born on July 6, 1987 in Panambi, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.[2] Trentini is the youngest daughter of Lourdes and Jacó Trentini, who died when she was one year old.[2] Her older sisters are Franciele and Élen.[3] Although having never worked before, Lourdes got a job as a public employee when Jacó died and raised her daughters single-handedly.
Discovery and breakthrough
In 2000, Trentini was discovered walking down a street in her hometown by an agent, the same one who scouted Gisele Bündchen,[2] and soon afterward she moved to São Paulo, a common destination for young Brazilian models. Her modeling career immediately took off, and after a year, Trentini moved again, this time to New York City. She did not speak English but quickly learned the new language. Trentini's breakthrough came when designer Marc Jacobs cast her in his Marc by Marc Jacobs ad campaign, photographed by Juergen Teller.
She has appeared on the covers of magazines ELLE, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, among others.
In 2007, she was the face of Gucci Cruise, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana Animelier, DSquared² and Mulberry. Currently, she is the face on DKNY and Carlos Miele.
In the May 2007 issue of American Vogue she was featured on the cover with fellow models: Doutzen Kroes, Jessica Stam, Raquel Zimmermann, Sasha Pivovarova, Agyness Deyn, Coco Rocha, Hilary Rhoda, Chanel Iman, and Lily Donaldson as the "World's Next Top Models."[4][5] In 2008 casting agent James Scully, who is responsible to pick which model is to score a spot on top runways, says in regards to Trentini:
|Perfect body. Always full of energy, always happy, and I have not met a better walker since Carmen Kass. She can model anything.[6]
Trentini made her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut in 2005 and also walked the show in 2006 and 2009.[2]In early 2015 Carol Trentini was hired to be the top model of CARRANO, high end top fashion women footwear manufacturer from Brazil (http://www.carrano.com.br & http://www.carranousa.com), for the 2016 Spring Summer and Fall Winter seasons.
Personal life
Trentini dated photographer Victor Demarchelier, son of legendary French photographer Patrick Demarchelier for about three years. Immediately after breaking up with Demarchelier, in early 2010, she got back together with Brazilian photographer Fabio Bartelt, who was her first boyfriend. In October 29, 2011, both Trentini and Bartelt announced they were engaged. In March 3, 2012, Bartelt and Trentini were married on a church in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil.[7] On February 23, 2013, the couple announced on Twitter that they were expecting a baby. Trentini gave birth to a boy named Bento Jacob Trentini Bartelt on August 9, 2013.[8]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Caroline Trentini's profile at Women Management
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Caroline Trentini". nymag.com. Retrieved April 14, 2011.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ model of the week. models.com
- ↑ Lee, Helen (11 April 2007). "Vogue's 'World's Next Top Models' cover". SassyBella.com. Retrieved 18 April 2011.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Hit Girls". style.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Herbst, Kendall (9 May 2008). "Casting Agent James Scully's All-Time Favorite Models". New York Magazine. Retrieved 20 February 2011.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "It Girl: Caroline Trentini on her wedding day". vogue.com. Retrieved August 8, 2012.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ http://caras.uol.com.br/especial/bebe/post/carol-trentini-modelo-apresenta-primeiro-filho-bento-marido-fabio-bertelt
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Category:{{#property:P373}}|Caroline Trentini]].
- Caroline Trentini at the Fashion Model Directory
- Caroline Trentini at the Internet Movie Database
- Caroline Trentini profile at NYmag.com
- Caroline Trentini photos at Style.com (archived at the Wayback Machine)


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An opinionated look at current events, culture and faith, since 2005 telling you what to think and why to think it about everything that really matters.
Monday, April 30, 2007
VT Campus Minister Gives Another Update
Sorry it's been so long since I've gotten an update out. Still don't have time for a thorough one, but prayer is needed, so here are some requests:
1. Monday night we spent some of the gifts we've been receiving to buy pizza for all the CCVTers for supper. Of course, this was their first day back in classes and our first opportunity to get everyone back together so we planned this to let everybody get back in touch. Turn out was good, but more bad news was in store because there I found out that another one of the girls who just started coming several weeks ago had lost two friends in the shooting also. Her name is Kara. Kara knew Ryan Clark and Rachael Hill. Kara lives in the dorm where the first set of shootings took place (AJ), so of course that's one thing that makes this all hit close to home for her. She had talked to Ryan many times, and Rachael was on Kara's floor. Ryan is the Resident Assistant that was shot during the first shooting. Rachael had heard about the shooting in AJ but, as you know, no one was told not to go to class so she went and was shot there. Bitter irony.
2. Next prayer request is for Paula. Paula had a pace maker put in yesterday. I just got off the phone with her uncle who I know well and he said that he was at the hospital yesterday during the procedure and that it went well and she is doing well. Pray that she heals rapidly and that the pace maker does exactly what it is supposed to do and solves her health problems. She is expected to be discharged from the hospital today. Then she'll go to her parents' house. I don't know how long she plans to spend there.
There are a lot of reasons to feel a lot of sympathy for Paula in this situation. First of all, how many 22 year olds have to get a pace maker? Second, Paula is graduating and also getting married in May. It has got to be stressful to deal with this right before your graduation and wedding. Third, because of the tragedy at VT, a lot of the sympathy and support she would otherwise have gotten is not really there because people's attention and energy is focused elsewhere. Paula has been an important part of CCVT for a whole 5 years! (She already got her Bachelors degree and is now getting her Masters.) Please pray for this long time member of CCVT.
3. Tonight CCVT is gathering for our weekly worship meeting called "Oasis." We don't usually eat together before the meeting but one of the home groups of a local church, Belmont Christian Church, offered to make a homemade meal for the students. We decided to have this tonight before Oasis and have the students invite all their friends to a free homemade dinner and then hopefully to stay for Oasis. Pray that God will bless this time including giving me wisdom what to say and what not to say during the lesson about this tragedy. This will be my biggest opportunity yet to proclaim the gospel with reference to this tragedy. Pray that I will proclaim it clearly and boldly as I should. But this truth must be spoken with love and gentleness.
I have heard many, many Christians these last several days say that they "don't have any answers, but...." I think the Bible does teach answers to all the questions people are asking in the wake of this tragedy. Maybe the Christians who say they don't have any answers are just being modest, or maybe they need to study more, or maybe they are just expressing the difficulty of expressing the answers the Bible offers in a way that people in agony will accept. I believe the answers are intellectually satisfying, but that doesn't mean they take all the pain away. I think the inability to take all the pain away is often what Christians are really referring to when they say they don't have any answers. But I think we would do better to state that more carefully lest we leave people with the impression that our faith is not well founded and we are merely Existentialists rebelling against meaninglessness through the vehicle of an ancient religious tradition.
If you have said something like this to me, don't worry about it. I know what you meant. But please pray for me that I will say what needs to be said to the particular audience that gathers tonight, the composition of which I cannot possibly know in advance as I write this to you. Some will be CCVTers who were not greatly affected and are already recovering. Some will be CCVTers who are still hurting deeply. Some will be Christians from outside CCVT. Some will be non-Christians. Some will be drawing closer to God because of this tragedy. Some may be angry at God for allowing this to happen. I have ideas what I would say to any one of those groups. But how do you speak to them all at the same time and say what needs to be said, without alienating at least some of them? God will provide, through your prayers.
4. Thursday is the International Bible Study Stacey leads. Pray for them again.
5. Thursday night Stacey leads the Girls' Gel Group (small group Bible study, basically). So that's two groups to lead in one day. This is a challenge every week, but especially now. Pray for Stacey, especially.
6. Pray for our camping trip this weekend. This was in the works months ago, and I thought when this happened it would be canceled, but the students still want to go. Well, if they want to go, I think it will be good for them. They will get away from campus and spend lots of good quality time with each other, talking and taking care of each other. Plus, some of the newest students in our group are coming, so this will help integrate them into the group.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and gifts. They are really helping.
Steve Wilkin
Gray Lady Settles Debts with Southeast CC
We applaud the Gray Lady for her intrepid foray out of the usual corridors of power and out of the usual antireligious stereotypes.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Boston Legal Masterpiece of the Moment
Aye, aye, Captain Kirk!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
VT Campus Minister Gives Update
It is difficult even to minister to my own flock, let alone those students who have no hope because they don't know Christ, or who have lost loved ones, because my flock and everyone else has been scattered since they have canceled classes for the week. Ministry in this situation is a moving target. The situation is fluid. Things seem to be developing at a blinding speed from our perspective.
We thank the good folks at Christian Standard for making this available in so timely a manner.
Enquirer Quotes Best Sources on Christian Music
To more traditional churches, if you don't have easy answers then you don't have answers at all. And if you don't have answers, then you don't have the Gospel. And if you don't have the Gospel, you're in danger of hell. But this music doesn't have all the answers. And the traditional churches don't know what to do with this. It doesn't fit their model.
The article could easily be titled, "CCU Leads Local Christian Music Scene," as it refers to more than one who has graced our halls.
We do ask, however, that the reporter not align Jesus Christ Superstar with the development of Christian music, as that was decidedly not a Christian production in any respect.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Holocaust Survivor Dies to Save VA Tech Students
The great irony--or perhaps the great explanation--of this is that Librescu was a Holocaust survivor. And yesterday was Holocaust Remembrance Day.
VA Tech Massacre: Time for More Second-Guessing
We observe briefly that this awful event has already become the object of what has become a favorite American preoccupation: second-guessing the decisions of people with executive power.
By the afternoon of the day of the shooting, Fox News was reporting that some parents were calling for the ouster of VA Tech's president and the police chief of Blacksburg. One parent is quoted as follows:
My God, if someone shoots somebody there should be an immediate lockdown of the campus. They totally blew it. The president blew it, campus police blew it. . . .
I hold this president completely accountable. They are cowards. They can't come out and say they made a mistake.
Today's WaPo contains similar sentiments, more tastefully muted:
More particularly, what more, if anything, could the authorities at Virginia Tech have done to prevent yesterday's carnage? Were possible warning signs, such as bomb threats in the weeks before the incident, adequately investigated? And between the first shootings around 7 a.m., when two people were killed in a dormitory, and the second ones two hours later, when 31 died at a classroom building, did the city and campus police take all possible steps to lock down the university and scour it for the shooter? On a sprawling campus of 2,600 acres and almost 22,000 students, given imperfect communications, is it even feasible to lock every door and bolt every window on short notice?
The good editorialists at the capital's paper seem to answer their own question by the end of the paragraph.
SWNID says (a) humans are bad at predicting the future; (b) evil is ubiquitous and adaptive; (c) the world can't be perfected, even by smart people. We are therefore tired of indignant armchair quarterbacks who rant about "holding people accountable," a phrase we nominate for most irresponsibly and self-righteously employed cliche in current usage, when bad things happen to good people.
People who have to make decisions aren't omniscient. There isn't a "best practices" manual on how to identify and deal with a crazed killer on a major university campus. All who call for a "lockdown" with every incident that might presage some act of violence should recognize the potential that such a policy has for enticing people to act simply to induce a dramatic, expensive, disruptive lockdown on a campus bigger than many towns.
The world is unsafe. More college students will die this year from alcohol abuse than in this incident. College administrators can only do so much about either problem.
Update: St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas seems to be the first to experience the impact of a hoax threat in the wake of Virginia Tech. There will be others as administrators rightly exercise concern about copycats and sadly accede to the pressure to act as if they are omniscient of all threats and omnipotent against them.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Important New Personality Test: Which Church Father Are You?
For those who wonder, we are proud to report that we are St. Jerome, whose portrait adorns our SWNIDish workspace.
Jesus Tomb Now Officially Dead
In sum, several scholars who were presented as experts supporting the documentary's claim are now denying or recanting any conclusions that the tomb is that of Jesus and his family.
For those who would like to read our previous SWNIDish posts on this topic, you'll find them here (note that the last post that will appear is an interesting but unrelated entry).
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
SWNID Promotes and Improves New Religious Classification
But we didn't realize until today that we had actually improved the term.
The Enquirer reports the term as "cheaster," defined, per above, as one who goes to church only on Christmas and Easter. SWNID reported the term as "chreaster." We reported from memory, and did not remember what the article actually said.
Our pronounciation is obviously superior. After all, the holiday is Christmas--with a hard, aspirated palatal consonant followed by a palatal liquid, not Chistmas--with a soft aspirated palatal consonant alone. On said holiday, Christians celebrate the birth of Christ, not Chistians Chist. The latter would be pronounced in a way more reminiscent of a mineral than a messiah.
Gentle readers should not that this was not a mistake on SWNID's part, by definition something in our world possible but rare, but an unconscious improvement of an otherwise useful but etymologically inconsistent expression.
We acknowledge in advance the thanks of the religious and irreligious communities for this important service that we accidentally but helpfully rendered.
SWNID Inspires Cohen; Hence, SWNID Agrees with Cohen
Specifically, he argues that Monica Goodling, an assistant to AG Gonzales, has taken the fifth regarding testimony before a Senate committee precisely because the atmosphere of suspicion created by the specter of special prosecutors means that anyone in Washington who makes any statement under oath is asking for a perjury trial. That's a brilliant point.
But where have we heard it before?
Oh, yes. SWNID said it about two weeks ago.
We congratulate Cohen on his discovery of a source for improved ideas for his column. Mr. Cohen, we are honored to be your muse.
Fred Thompson: I Have Cancer
Of course, Rudy has been successfully treated for prostate cancer, and McCain is just old. But the perception of ill health will certainly damage Mr. Thompson's bid to become the alternative to the favorites. He looks more and more like the guys to whom he is supposed to be the alternative.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Imus Listeners Agree to Two Weeks of Listening to NPR
In place of Imus's misogynistic and racist remarks, washed down with inappropriately loud laughter from sidekicks, his audience will be treated to news and public affairs shows, jazz, classical and folk music, and, in smaller markets, college students as local announcers.
"I hear that Mara Liason and Carl Castle can really get rude on 'Morning Edition,'" said one Imus fan.
Monday, April 09, 2007
What Bugs Us About Pelosi
Babbin's column is full of good stuff, but here's a pemmican passage:
On March 30, Pelosi's spokesman issued a statement that said, "As recommended by the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan delegation led by Speaker Pelosi intends to discuss a wide range of security issues affecting the United States and the Middle East with representatives of governments in the region, including Syria." Which is a curious statement given that the ISG recommended that the United States conduct such discussions and Pelosi has no authority to decide whether those talks would occur or represent the United States in them. (Pelosi should read, or have someone read to her, Article 2 Section 2 of the Constitution which empowers the president to make treaties, appoint ambassadors and otherwise conduct foreign policy.)
Meanwhile, we rejoice that the (saner-than-Pelosi?) chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin (D-United Auto Workers), has announced that his party, contrary to its titular leaders Pelosi and Harry Reid, will not seek to restrict funds for the successful completion of the campaign in Iraq. Ms. Pelosi, it seems, needs to do some diplomacy among her own party members on Capitol Hill.
Another Sign of Impending Apocalypse: Bedbugs
Residents of Rine Hall, you are not alone.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Shine Is Off Giuliani's Apple
We agree with Philip Klein at the American Spectator. This isn't just a revelation that will anger conservatives (as a patient conservative, we aren't angry . . . yet). It's a revelation of an undisciplined approach to campaigning.
Rudy, you are still our man. But it's time to get serious. There are two guys named Thompson whom we like, another named Romney who looks OK, and that McCain fellow whom we can tolerate. And last we checked, Dr. Rice doesn't have anything on her calendar for 2008 yet either. So don't take us for granted, and don't act like your presidency is inevitable, even if we have SWNIDishly said that it is.
Where You'd Least Expect to Find It: Instone-Brewer on Divorce in NT
Today he can be found on the Wall Street Journal's "OpinionJournal" web site, explaining how it is that American evangelicals are able to support divorced presidential candidates. But it's as good a summary of his first-rate work on the biblical material as one can find. Here's an apt quotation that summarizes most of what we expect gentle readers to care about:
We wholeheartedly commend Dr. Instone-Brewer and WSJ for giving him a platform.
As it happens, new scholarship supports a slightly less strict biblical understanding of divorce than the traditional one. Scrolls found near the Dead Sea, which confirm indications found in ancient Jewish authors like Philo and Josephus, show that the key phrase "any cause" was actually the formal name of a type of divorce. That is, Jesus did not reject divorce for any cause but rather, he rejected the "Any Cause" divorce.
Rabbis at the time disagreed on the validity of "Any Cause" divorce, but thanks to marriage contracts found near the Dead Sea, we know that most allowed divorce based on Exodus 21:10-11. That is, they allowed men and women to divorce partners for physical or emotional neglect, including abuse and abandonment. Jesus said nothing against this, and in First Corinthians 7:15, Paul tells those who are abandoned by their partners that they are "no longer bound."
There is now a growing scholarly consensus among evangelicals on this issue. Even evangelical professors like Craig Keener of Duke University and William Heth at Taylor University, who have each previously published books with more traditional interpretations, now teach differently. Drawing on my own work, "Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible" (Eerdmans, 2002), they conclude that Jesus and Paul would have rejected no-fault divorce and that they would have permitted a wronged partner to initiate a divorce based on the Old Testament grounds of adultery or neglect.
"Omar" Gives Worm's-Eye View of the Surge
We commend Omar, who responded to the difficult situation with grace and understanding, and the American soldiers, who carried out their difficult duty with grace and understanding.
Shopping for the Perfect Church
Many will say "amen" to Graham's plaintive call for more discipline, focus and respect from participants in worship services. We will join in the amen, but we will also offer a sanctified "hmm" as well.
We SWNIDishly assert that church shoppers will never find what they are shopping for. We church-shoppers fancy ourselves looking for a church with members whose devotion to Christ will mirror our own exceptional devotion, not to mention our own impeccable tastes. But we forget that churches are full of sinners, of whom we are chief.
We recommend that Ms. Graham and her family stay put for awhile, go out of their way to establish some meaningful relationships with the jeans-wearing, Gameboy-playing, genuflection-impaired parishioners in the next pew, and begin in mutual confession to walk together in cross-bearing, by-fits-and-starts growing discipleship. And don't blame the priest, bishop, archbishop, cardinal, college of cardinals or pope for what you see. And don't blame the Bible college, if you happen to be a Campbellite. Logs and specks, you know.
There's more wrong with any church than what people wear or how much they sing. No amount of returning to a Latin mass or an old hymnal or a longer pastoral prayer will change all that. If you want to deal with the problem, start with yourself and really get to know those other people for whom Christ died while you're at it.
SD Union Tribune: Open Windows, Toss McCain-Feingold
On the negative, they note that the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act has done nothing to limit the influence of big money on politics. If there's one thing to be learned from the fact that about $150 million has been raised so far by candidates for the 2008 presidential election, that's it. The fact that the Union-Tribune originally supported McCain-Feingold makes this admission all the more powerful.
On the positive, they conclude what we've concluded for a long time: the only way to address the issue of money in politics is to make it transparent. Let individuals, families, unions and corporations (which are, after all, merely people differently aggregated) give what they please, but require the candidates to publish the information quickly, accurately and thoroughly, and put lots of auditors in place to check compliance. Then let the voters decide if they want to vote for Hillary if her funding comes mostly from Stan Chesley, Glaxo-Smith-Kline, the Gambini Family, and Lesbian Yogis for US Disarmament and a Hydrogen-Based Economy.*
Now that's democracy!
*Notice we said if.
On Bearing Crosses
This bizarre spectacle, an annual event in the Philippines, reminds us of what matters in the crucifixion that inspires it. What made Jesus' death exceptional is not that he suffered but that he suffered for others. He didn't deserve the death, and they didn't deserve the gift.
We SWNIDishly assert that Christian ascetics suffer for themselves, for the attention they gain by their spectacle, not for others. Let's not talk about the marvelous example that ascetics provide. Real examples of take-up-your-cross-and-follow-me suffering emerge when people give their lives in service to others, even when those others don't deserve it.
Few will serve with reckless abandon because of these ascetics. Many others will because of the humble servants who have walked with them in the name of Jesus.
Queen Nancy to Saudis: The Best Man for the Job Is a Woman
We remind Ms. Pelosi that Saudi Arabia is among the most repressive places on earth for humans of the female persuasion, and so we wonder why she chose this moment to address an outcome that would be nearer the end of a process of liberation than the beginning. Let's skip all that stuff about not going to universities, wearing giant, black robes and veils, never leaving the house without a man, polygamy, and other quaint expressions of culture. The real issue is that Saudi Arabia doesn't have a female Speaker of the House.
But it seems that in Queen Nancy's narcissistic world, what's happening in the room occupied by Queen Nancy ("Wait a minute! Where are all the bright, stylishly dressed women like me who should be running things in this country?") is more important than anything outside her serene gaze ("You mean that in this country women are virtual prisoners in their own homes?").
We note that some gentle readers take our pique at Ms. Pelosi to be related to her gender. It is not. We approve of powerful women in politics. Many of our most favorite qualify, namely Baroness Thatcher and Dr. Rice. We castigate Speaker Pelosi specifically for her unconstitutional operation of a foreign policy separate from the executive branch's and broadly for her naive isolationist philosophy that at once both condescends to other nations and overestimates human goodness.
Waters Muddied: Did Blair Wimp Out Too?
SWNID thinks that if Blair didn't issue a letter, his own denial should be as ringing as Bill Clinton's denial of his involvement with Monica Lewinsky. If he did, we take back all the nice things we've said about Tony Blair.
Certain gentle readers, suddenly transformed into zealous commenters, have suggested that negotiations with heads of state who sponsor terrorism bestows on said leaders the legitimacy that they covet, thereby ameliorating their alienation, lessening tensions and reducing the potential and need for conflict. We confess our puzzlement that a thoughtful person would hold such a view when we lack examples in history that demonstrate its plausibility. Of course, it's been tried--remember Jimmy Carter? But it's been found wanting--remember Jimmy Carter?
It would be a shame if Tony Blair retires with the label "the English Jimmy Carter."
Thursday, April 05, 2007
On Anti-Insurgency in Anbar, Go West
The Wests say that Anbar is the Wild West, and Gary Cooper is just starting to clean up the town. We recommend a careful reading of the article to capture some of the details. A quotation:
But to put the state of the province in perspective, six months ago the head of Central Command, Gen. John Abizaid, told the Congress that "Anbar was not under control." Last week the U.S. commander in Anbar, Maj. Gen. Walt Gaskin, said he was "very, very optimistic."
Still, American efforts are doomed, per most of what one reads these days. Might as well quit trying, go home, seal the borders and listen to emo until they come to kill us all.
Cato Institute Gremlins: Universal Health Insurance Doesn't Equal Universal Health Care
Why that paradoxical conclusion should be utterly and undeniably true even for those who haven't experienced both is made clear in a delightful piece by Cato Institute scholars Michael Tanner and Michael Cannon (who apparently prove that all young Americans of a certain age are named Michael) in the LA Times of all places.
As usual, we tantalize with a quotation, one that speaks volumes of economic, medical and political sense:
Simply saying that people have health insurance is meaningless. Many countries provide universal insurance but deny critical procedures to patients who need them. Britain's Department of Health reported in 2006 that at any given time, nearly 900,000 Britons are waiting for admission to National Health Service hospitals, and shortages force the cancellation of more than 50,000 operations each year. In Sweden, the wait for heart surgery can be as long as 25 weeks, and the average wait for hip replacement surgery is more than a year. Many of these individuals suffer chronic pain, and judging by the numbers, some will probably die awaiting treatment. In a 2005 ruling of the Canadian Supreme Court, Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin wrote that "access to a waiting list is not access to healthcare."
Supporters of universal coverage fear that people without health insurance will be denied the healthcare they need. Of course, all Americans already have access to at least emergency care. Hospitals are legally obligated to provide care regardless of ability to pay, and although physicians do not face the same legal requirements, we do not hear of many who are willing to deny treatment because a patient lacks insurance.
We offer a brief and vague personal testimony: had our SWNIDish self persisted under universal health coverage, what was treated quickly and simply outside that "universal" system would perhaps, thanks to an outrageous waiting list for such a simple procedure, literally have turned deadly (and we use "literally" in its literal sense). This argument is not an abstraction.
Ahmadinejad Wimps Out
Mrs. Mallory, Can Mark Come Out and Play Catch?
That, we'd guess, is the answer that the charming and friendly Fanny Mallory would give if SWNID were to knock on our esteemed neighbors' door and ask this question.
With last night's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, during which Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory again managed to throw a baseball hopelessly awry before getting a weak toss approximately on trajectory when given a Mulligan by the show's affable host, the Mayor of Our Fair City proved that it's been a long time since he had any leisure time to play catch. The way he handles the glove and ball indicates that he surely played the game as a boy, but it's clear that the only things he's thrown recently are wadded-up memos from Leslie Ghiz, tossed into the wastebasket.
Still, it's nice to see Mr. Mallory on national TV in his signature white, French-cuffed shirts and gray, worsted-wool slacks, the same clothes he wears to rake leaves in his front yard.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Fitzgerald's Own Coverup
Fitzgerald jailed a reporter for the Gray Lady for 85 days so that she would reveal her sources for the so-called "leak" of the nearly-public knowledge that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA. It seems, however, that when he did, he already knew the source of the leak. So he used contempt proceedings to compel testimony from a reporter, whose first-amendment rights were at least debatable, whose testimony he already knew would be inaccurate and, as no crime was actually committed, pointless.
So the coverup is this: Fitzgerald has sealed his records on this point, making it impossible for other members of the Fourth Estate, let alone the Congress that is considering legislation on reporters' protection of their sources. The purpose of his doing so can be nothing other than protecting his own reputation, as far as we can see.
Power corrupts. Our federal government's generation-long flirtation with special prosecutors who work without restraint has proved as much, even with a high-minded idealist--so called--like Fitzgerald.
Queen Nancy's State Visit to a Terrorist State
It produces plenty for Assad, of course, namely, plenty of legitimacy for his oppressed domestic constituency, not unlike the effect for Ahmadinejad of seizing his British hostages.
And it does the same for Queen Nancy. She can now be hailed by her left-wing netroots base as the Alt-President they believe her to be.
Such are the schemes of those whose claim to power lacks legal and constitutional legitimacy.
UPDATE: On 04/07 the WaPo's editorial board pastes Queen Nancy without mercy for her faux shuttle diplomacy. It seems she "carried a message" from Israeli PM Olmert that he immediately denied having given. Even the MSM must now admit that its hopes for a New Day with the Dems have been dashed. Wake up, Madam Speaker. You're not in the Bay Area any more.
Word on the Surge: Baghdad Better Off Than Many Christian Campuses
Living among a people who see any curfew as the epitome of repression, we are sure that this represents a step in the right direction.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Christians Getting Matthew 5:10-12 Treatment in India
We hesitate to quote reports that come to us from personal sources, as these might compromise work in some areas. However, here's a link to a recent report posted by International Christian Concern.
It says something, we think, about the growth of Christianity in the changing social and economic environment of the subcontinent, that all this is going on now. It should say something about Christians if they respond with grace and forgiveness, undergirded by prayer, in these trials.
So, gentle readers, we know what to do, don't we?
USA Today: 24 on Life Support
We agree, but want to sharpen the complaint. The problem is not that the plot is outlandish (Wayne Palmer from flatline to frontline in the time it takes to advertise Fords). We've had outlandish plots before (Jack is twice resurrected, after all). It's that these are the same outlandish plots.
Characters have been wasted, namely disgraced ex-president Logan and his nutty ex-wife. But that doubtless is a consequence of the show's success: the superb duo of Itzin and Smart could likely only be contracted for an episode or two, given what their agents demanded and star/executive producer Kiefer Sutherland is probably dragging away from the show.
The fun is gone because of the first two phenomena. Writers are out of ideas and resources, so humor, they fear, will look like self-parody.
Bianca says that viewers are watching out of a sense of duty. We wouldn't call it duty, per se. We'd call it hope. I now watch 24 for the same reason that I watch baseball. I've seen it all before, but every once in awhile I see something that I've never seen before. Maybe just once more this season we'll see something that will remind us of Dennis Hopper and Kiefer Sutherland, nostrils mutually flared, staring each other down, a moment of such dangerous intensity that it makes the pulse race and the palms sweat.
Atheist Denominations: The Beast Battles the False Prophet
Belonging to the former camp are folks like Harvard University's Humanist Chaplain (a position endowed by the well-endowed university for a generation) Greg Epstein (don't you wonder who goes to his "services"?). On the other side, predictably, are atheist firebrands Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, who with their acolytes are already challenging the world's record for overuse of vitriolic rhetoric.
We will make three SWNIDish observations:
- First, the expectations of the "New Atheists" that they are on the threshold of a major expansion of religious unbelief is very likely not true. If history demonstrates anything, it is the persistence of religious belief, which has been challenged in every generation. Dawkins, Harris and company simply exaggerate their own personal importance to think otherwise.
- Second, religious people--or more specifically Christians who read and believe the Bible--have a tidy explanation for the events chronicled by the AP's intrepid reporter. Namely, they know that human hubris that says, "Let us build a tower and make a name for ourselves" ends in fractious tribalism. It is to the church's shame that she has experienced such atheistic hubris within her own boundaries. But it is not to the church's surprise that she sees the same--faster and harder--among the unbelievers.
- Thirdly, the principals in this affair have a significant stake in its outcome. Old atheists like Epstein have made a comfortable living with the stance that they offer a distinct but equal alternative to religion that should be socially and fiscally enshrined in much the same way as religion. New Atheists like Dawkins and Harris are making a lot of scratch from their shrill denunciations of all things religious, especially things Christian. "Follow the money" remains good advice on all human affairs, including the affairs of those who claim to be sober, high-minded rationalists on a crusade to save the world from salvation.


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It's Not About the Hamburger/
So, how's the fasting going? You are not alone if you're finding that it is a struggle to give up what you gave up. It's not just a corporal struggle — at least, it's not supposed to be. Our purpose in fasting is spiritual. In our daily lives, the world can overwhelm us. We are bombarded by all those things that fill our senses and demand our attention. Both the desires and the genuine needs of our flesh distract from our spiritual growth. Our daily goal — every day — is to grow more perfect in Christ.
So many things get in the way. Fasting isn't an end in itself. It's not a good deed by which we merit a reward. Fasting is a means to a spiritual goal. It is a way to make us aware of all the obstacles between us and living like Christ did. Hopefully, our Lenten fast brings spiritual renewal, true repentance and genuine reconciliation. Why, though, do fasts often fail to achieve their intended spiritual ends?
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic rite, Lent begins with Forgiveness Sunday. After the vespers service, the first Lenten act is to ask and offer forgiveness to everyone present in the church and then to expand the act out into the world. This isn't a vague, general gesture, but individual pleas for forgiveness from one person to another and another, throughout the congregation. Each person bows and asks the other, "Forgive me, a sinner." And each parishioner responds by also asking for forgiveness and assuring, "God forgives." Then, in both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic rite, a very strict dietary fast is undertaken for all of Lent.
I have to think that such a fast is made more possible because it begins with Forgiveness Sunday. Fasting is fruitful when the Lenten garden is sown with the seeds of forgiveness. Reconciliation is at the core of Christianity. In those final moments in the Upper Room, knowing well the sins that would be committed against Him by His friends, Jesus knelt before each and every one and washed feet. He humbled Himself in a gesture of service and sacrifice. He knew what those disciples would do to hurt or betray Him. He knows what we will do to hurt or betray Him. And still He knelt.
Jesus died to forgive us. He showed us how to love; through His forgiveness we can forgive. After He finished washing their feet, Jesus gave to His apostles a new commandment: "Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples" (Jn 13:34-35).
God love us, and He forgives us. He sent us His Son, who kneels and washes our feet, so that by sharing in His humanity, we are truly reconciled and forgiven. When we watch the Teacher in the Upper Room, we learn that the act of forgiveness is an act of pure love. It is living a whole life of pure love that is really the aim of our Lenten fasting.
To fast better, we must forgive better. We have to recognize that what stands between us and the ability to love well is any impediment we hold out against reconciliation — with God and neighbor. If we are struggling with our fasting, let's begin our Lent anew. This time, let's start by asking forgiveness of our neighbor. Our selfishness, our envy, our impatience, our indifference are all sins against love. When we ask for forgiveness and we grant forgiveness to one another, we open the floodgates of grace.
Having forgiven one another, we are better able to ask God for forgiveness. That brings us to a fruitful confession. God doesn't need our confession; we do. Because we have known both repentance and forgiveness in our community, we are able to move closer to loving as Jesus did. Softer, more humbly we approach mercy Himself, where our wounds are bound and our souls are healed. Grace rushes in and then our fasting is more fruitful. Ultimately, it's not about giving up a hamburger or a Coke. It's about dying to our passions in order to humble ourselves in front of one another and letting love live.


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Pythagoras (6th century BC)
Realized the earth was a sphere and established the numeral basis of musical harmonics.
Empedocles (c. 490-430 BC)
Held that all matter consisted of four elements.
Democritus (c.460-370 BC) and Leucippus (5th century BC)
Suggested that matter was made up of extremely small, identical, invisible particles called atoms.
Hippocrates (c.460-c.377 BC)
Became known as 'the father of medicine'.
Euclid (fl.c.300 BC)
Set out the principles of geometry.
Aristarchos of Samos (c.310-230 BC)
Realized that the earth rotates about its own axis and orbits the Sun.
Archimedes (c.287-c.212 BC)
Pioneered the field of mechanics and invented many ingenious devices.
Eratosthenes of Cyrene (c.276-c.194 BC)
Calculated the circumference of the Earth with a creditable degree of accuracy.
Source: World History, 50 key milestones by Ian Crofton
Source: Wikipedia


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What Happens When You Pop a Quantum Balloon?
Decoherence may ensue.
I understand decoherence. If you've ever participated in an online forum argument, where people's balloons regularly get popped, you've seen the decoherence that follows. Apparently that decoherence is our fault — for observing the violent deflation.
After reading the article (quotes found below), I feel quite decoherent. I may (or may not) understand what they are saying, but I wish they had explained a bit more what quantum decoherence would be like. What would the particles be doing?
"… Writing in the April 17 edition of Nature, senior author Maxim Olshanii reported that when an observer attempts to measure the energies of particles coming out of a quantum balloon, the interference caused by the attempt throws the system into a final, "relaxed" state analogous to the chaotic scattering of air molecules…."
"… the measurement — which must involve interaction between observer and observed, such as light traveling between the two — disrupts the "coherent" state of the system, Olshanii said…"
"… researchers want to prevent coherent systems from falling into the chaos of thermal equilibrium…."
"… Finding such 'unthermalizable' states of matter and manipulating them is exactly one of those things that quantum information/computation folks like me would love to do," Zanardi wrote. "Such states would be immune from 'decoherence' (loss of quantum coherence induced by the coupling with environment) that's still the most serious, both conceptually and practically, obstacle between us and viable quantum information processing.""
More decoherent bits and pieces from around the net this morning:
Thai theme-park's sinister naked baby bathroom gargoyles
Chopping down trees to make books is good for the environment, provided you then line your walls with bookcases
(I like that one. I would have bought books anyway, but now I can feel encouraged to buy even more.)
Which imaginary animals are kosher?
Top 20 Photographs in the New York Auctions – Spring 2008
And, finally, a nice quote from photographer Larry Fink: "The pictures are taken in the spirit of finding myself in the other, or finding the other in myself. They are taken in the spirit of empathy. Emotional, physical, sensual empathy."
(not an endorsement of Fink's work; I just like the quote)