How to salvage a cookie dough that is too sweet?

Question: I just baked the first batch of cookies and I found them to be too sweet to my liking.  The remaining dough is sitting in the fridge right now and I was wondering if there is anything I could do to it to reduce its sweetness.  These are the simple sugar cookies,  btw.
Answer: It is almost impossible to reduce the sweetness of cookie dough once made, without further reducing the quality.
The closest you could come would be to create a second batch of cookie dough ingredients with reduced sugar, and combine it with your existing dough.  However, it will be difficult to achieve good integration of the two batches, and even if you do, the extra working of the first batch from the mixing will create additional gluten, making tougher cookies.
In this case, you might want to try some sort of tart lemon glaze or perhaps a very bittersweet chocolate icing to compliment your cookies and reduce the impression of sweetness.  On the other hand, except for butter, sugar cookies contain no expensive ingredients.  It may not be worth trying to salvage this batch.
In the end, this is probably a lesson learned that your particular recipe is not to your liking as is.  Next time, you will want to either reduce the sugar, or use another recipe.
Comment: I was actually considering your suggestion of making another batch of dough with reduced sugar but now I think I'm gonna ditch the idea. I guess it wouldn't hurt to just forget about this and start anew. Luckily, my mom seems to have taken a liking to the cookies so I'm gonna go ahead and make them for her.
Comment: @UdayKanth : that would've been my suggestion -- give them to someone with a sweet tooth, and make a new batch for yourself.
Answer: A (too) sweet cookie dough can easily be disguised or complemented by adding heat like cayenne pepper. In my experience I added it to the dough and mixed it in. (Second batch of cookies.) Since you've already got your dough mixed working your dough is just going to end up with a tough dough.
I've found the combinations of chocolate, heat, and sweet or lemon, heat and sweet work very well. Make a glaze or frosting. Add the heat to disguise or complement the sweet. I don't think it's a good idea to bite directly into the heat, particularly, when one is expecting something sweet.
I'd experiment with a few of the cookies. First test - Use a very very light sprinkle of the cayenne on the raw cookie dough, press it in so it doesn't just burn on the surface, bake the cookie, frost, taste. Second test - separate some of the glaze or frosting from the main source, add a very very light sprinkle of cayenne to the glaze or frosting, mix thoroughly, frost a baked and cooled cookie, taste. Adjust to your preference.
You should end up with heat but that is an after effect. Sweet with chocolate or sweet with lemon are the first impressions, a few chews and one becomes aware of the heat.
Answer: A little suggestion, if I may.
Mix your remaining dough with no flour, some soft butter and corn flakes. Work the dough gently and form your biscuits as usual (try using a spoon to put them on the baking tray, since the high content of butter makes the dough very soft) and finally cook them - though a bit less than usual.
You'll get biscuits with a pleasant, sweet taste, but slightly salty and in proportion to the other ingredients there will be less sugar.
I often use this trick to save dishes with an excess of a certain ingredient.
Answer: My attempt to bake chocolate chip cookies from a store bought log came out too sweet.  I added a small amount of lemon zest and a few drops of peppermint flavouring to the next dough log.  The cookies are much better.
Answer: When my chocolate cookie dough was too sweet, I put crushed walnuts and hazelnuts on top of the dough before I baked them, and when they came out of the oven I sprinkled a tiny bit of salt on top of the cookies.
This helped tone down the sweetness a lot.
Answer: I made my sugar cookie dough too sweet, and I just added lime juice and salt to a cup and mixed it well, then mixed it into the cookie dough, and the cookies came out really good.
Answer: Adding oats and nuts help to lessen the sweetness of the batter :)
Comment: Wouldn't they change the consistency of the batter?
Answer: I tried adding oats to store bought coookie-dough, but it didnt help reduce the sweetness, chopped almonds and walnuts worked very well. I think I'll try adding lemon, or cayenne next.


Creating 5.0 atmospheres & Panning

Question: Hey there,
Have been playing round with some stereo atmospheres i recorded, trying to make them into 5.0s I can bounce and use in the future as pre made surround  backgrounds. I would normally just pan in Pro Tools but figuring it would be nice phase wise to make them 5.0 through a plugin. (And yes ideally record them 5.0 in first place but I sadly don't have a surround mic). Ive tried 2 versions using Waves UM226, and Waves S360 imager. I've folded them back through Surround Code plug to stereo to check phase. Some presets sound a little phasey but Ive found a nice one for each plugin that works. Seems like a nice spread in 5.0.
Anyone had experience of this - or recommendations - a good idea, or am I just wasting my time??
Also, when tracklaying do people tend to create 5.0 atmospheres by simply panning a stereo in Pro tools, or by using a different section of the atmos for the rears,  or only use 5.0 recorded atmospheres or anything else? And do people diverge a stereo atmos or only use discrete panning for backgrounds. I guess I personally do a combination of all, depending on the situation and particular track - but would be interested to hear how other people work.
Thanks
A
Answer: I'd guess that, unless you're doing fast turnaround episodic TV stuff, it's best not to prefabricate 5.0 backgrounds. That way you can have more control in the mix.
I asked a similar question a while back, and got some awesome answers:
Mixing backgrounds/atmos for 5.1

Creating 5.0 atmospheres & Panning


My smartphone does not recognize headphones

Question: I received a Nokia Numia 635 (T-Mobile) yesterday for my birthday. I've since noticed that when I try to use headphones with it, the phone doesn't "detect" them, i.e., it keeps using the speakers. I'm using a pair of Skullcandy Hesh 2 headphones. Is there anything I can do?
Comment: I have a set of sony headphones with a mic and the mic regularly doesn't work. I think that it has issues with sony products.
Answer: I just found the solution - A simple restart fixed it.
EDIT: The phone was brand new when I posted this, and I'm going with the assumption that it had something to do with the updates needing a restart to finalize.
Comment: Does your Hesh 2 have a microphone? Headphones which doesn't have a mic won't work with Lumia phones. Check with a headset which is having a mic, preferably a Nokia headset.
Comment: Standard headphones work with my Lumia...
Comment: ^ Yeah. Mine don't have a mic and they work fine now with my phone. It must have been something with the software updates that required another restart.
Comment: From my experience, I've connected the default Nokia headset to my Lumia 630 and I could hear the sound well. But I connected a SoundMAGIC E10 headphone to my phone which doesn't have a mic, thinking that I could get the best sound experience, it isn't working or recognizing. Later then I tried a Sony MDR- XB30EX Extra-Bass Stereo Headphone without mic and it also disappointed me. But then I tried connecting a Samsung headset which is having a mic packed with Samsung Galaxy S2 and it was working. From this I understood that headphones without mic doesn't work with Lumia. That's what I said!
Comment: I just found that both the answers have been down voted. The answer which I said is what my experience! Let me know if anyone have the same problem as mine!
Comment: I have the same problem. After about half an hour of trying to get them to work they work. But when I remove the headphones it keeps saying that there are still headphones


Hong Kong transit visa processing time

Question: I am an Indian citizen and want to go into Hong Kong during my 15-hour layover. I applied with the pre-arrival registration form and was denied. I have sent the visa documents via fax and also separately by airmail to the Hong Kong Immigration department. At this point, I have 5 weeks before the time of my travel. Will I be able to get a transit visa within that time and, if not, is there any other way to get it quickly?
Comment: To OP: as @user87178 requested, it will be great if you can share your experience on the time to obtain the visa should they become available!
Comment: Sure will Do, so far I got application reference number and status is still In progress @B.Liu
Answer: Summary: Provided your documents/information provided are in order and managed to get to the right team in time, five weeks might just be enough with some luck. Anything unforeseen happening will mean your application will miss your five-week target.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department website stated the following on the processing time for visit/transit visas (emphasise mine):

It normally takes four weeks to process a visit/transit visa/entry permit application upon receipt of all the required documents. The Immigration Department will not be able to start processing the application unless all the required documents and information have been received. Please refrain from making enquiries about the progress of the application unless it is absolutely necessary, as it may delay the processing of the application.

I have bolded the "upon receipt of all the required documents" to emphasise that this suggested time-frame only applies if they are satisfied the documents you've submitted enables them to do their work. They won't start the four-week clock if e.g. your application have a supporting document missing.
Moreover, the four weeks refers to the time between the documents arriving at their desk and them making a decision. It does not include the time taken for your documents to get to them (i.e. the right team), as well as the time for their decision to reach you.
Comment: Liu, thanks for the information, once HK visa department receive documents will they provide application reference number to track the status
Comment: Information in this [link](https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/visit_transit.html#lastTab) should help.

Hong Kong transit visa processing time


Confused about an existing website with OAuth but now we add an API to the site

Question: I'm writing an API for our product and I'm trying to understand how some basic OAuth works with regards to mobile apps that might leverage our (to be created) api.
Lets imagine that our website currently allows a person to LogIn to our site via Twitter OAuth.
On the callback from Twitter, our server retrieves the twitter OAuth result and if all good, then checks to see
if this user already exists in our DB (eg. lets assume the Email is the unique key). If they don't exist, we
create a new user.
Of course, we then log the user 'in', which means we create a cookie for them, for their browser.
So far - nothing new here. All normal stuff.
Now .. if we want to do this via an iPhone or Windows phone using their native language and the app's use our API, i'm not sure of the point where OAuth ends and our API takes over?
For example, lets pretend it's an iPhone app that takes advantage of our API.
The iPhone app will try to authenticate the user against their Twitter cred's. Ok, fine. But when it callsback, it's back in the phone, right? Not our servers. So then the app needs to try and create a new user? So then the iPhone might try and call /api/CreateAccount. But this means -anyone- can call this api? And how does the website really know they have authenticated? Only because the app says so? What's to stop the person from creating a malicious app and calling our API by flooding it with new account creations? And what about authentication to api resources? Forms Authentication isn't available here. So do people use querystring authentication over SSL for api calls? How does the iphone authenticate with -our- server?
I'm so confused.
Can anyone please explain the differences and common practices people are doing these days when they have a website and an api .. and use OAuth as the authentication mechanism, please?
Answer: The naive app would call not CreateAccount, but VerifyAccount with twitter's oauth set of data so you site and API could verify it. The site would respond with a unique userID and your iOS app would use that as it's internal user id. More info.


If $\overline{A}=\overline{B}$, is it true that $\overline{f(A)}=\overline{f(B)}$?

Question: For a continuous function $f:X\longrightarrow Y$ of topological spaces with subsets $A$ and $B$ of $X$ satisfying $\overline{A}=\overline{B}$, is it true that $\overline{f(A)}=\overline{f(B)}$? Intuitively it seems so, but if someone could walk me through how this could be proved, I would be very grateful, regards.
Answer: You might also observe that

PROPOSITION $f:(X,\mathcal I)\to (Y,\mathcal L)$ is continuous if and only if for each $A\subseteq X$, $f(\bar A)\subseteq \overline{f(A)}$

PROOF Suppose that $f$ is continuous. Given a subset $A$, we have $f(A)\subseteq \overline{f(A)}$, which means $A\subseteq f^{-1}f(A)\subseteq f^{-1}\overline{f(A)}$. This last set is closed, so $\bar A\subseteq  f^{-1}\overline{f(A)}$, which means $f(\bar A)\subseteq \overline{f(A)}$.
Conversely, suppose that $f(\bar A)\subseteq \overline{f(A)}$ for each $A\subseteq X$. Let $F$ be closed in $Y$. Then $f(\overline{f^{-1}(F)})\subseteq \overline{f({f^{-1}(F)})}\subseteq \bar F=F $. Thus $\overline{f^{-1}(F)}\subseteq f^{-1}(F)$. Since the converse always holds, we have $f^{-1}(F)=\overline {f^{-1}(F)}$, so this set is closed and $f$ is continuous.
NOTE From the above proposition, we can see the condition $f(\bar A)\subseteq \overline{f(A)}$ for each $A\subseteq X$ can be taken as the definition of continuity in closure spaces.
Comment: @julien Thank you. I think it was worth adding. There are around 5 equivalent characterizations of continuity, and this one is little known.
Comment: This certainly deserves a +1.
Answer: Here is a hint/partial answer. Because $\bar{A}=\bar{B}$, we have $A \subseteq \bar{B}$ and $B \subseteq \bar{A}$. Hence $\overline{f(A)} \subseteq \overline{f(\bar{B})}$ and $\overline{f(B)} \subseteq \overline{f(\bar{A})}$. If $\overline{f(\bar{B})} = \overline{f(B)}$ and $\overline{f(\bar{A})} = \overline{f(A)}$ then we are done.
Therefore, it is sufficient to prove that, for every set $C \subseteq X$, $\overline{f(C)} = \overline{f(\bar{C})}$. The left to right inclusion for these two sets is immediate because $C \subseteq \bar{C}$. The right to left inclusion $\overline{f(\bar{C})} \subseteq \overline{f(C)}$ is all that's left.
Answer: Pick $y\in \overline {f(A)}$ and a let $U$ be an open neighbourhood  of $y$. We must show that $U\cap f(B)\ne \emptyset$. Since $f(A)\cap U\ne\emptyset$ there is a $x_0\in A$ so that $f(x_0)\in U$. Now, $x_0\in \overline B$ and $f^{-1}(U)$ is an open neighbourhood of $x_0$. Hence there exists $x_1\in B\cap f^{-1}(U)$. Therefore $f(x_1)\in U\cap f(b)$ which implies that $y\in \overline {f(B)}$.
Comment: and the reverse inclusion holds by symmetry.


Prolonged low base rate and personal savings

Question: The Fed recently has prolonged its low base rate and is even considering lowering it further. I am an EU resident, and our base rate is even lower - it has been 0% for several months and it seems that it will stay like this for many more months, maybe years to come. That means we are having a massive increase in money circulating in our economy, while the economy of the whole EU is stagnating. Am I correct that years of high inflation are imminent and thus it does not make sense to save most of my money at a bank account? I am afraid of taking risks by investing my funds and I also cannot afford a loan for a house or a flat since housing prices have skyrocketed in my country. What is the best thing to do in my situation to at least prevent my fund from being worth less each year?
Answer: Base rates have been low for many years now, and high inflation hasn't happened yet.  The central banks are monitoring inflation rates, and will adjust the base rates if necessary.
To a large extent, the point of keeping interest rates low is to discourage people from hoarding large amounts of money in cash savings.  If the interest rate is below the rate of inflation, you lose money every year.
Instead, the authorities want you to either spend the money (which helps the economy) or invest it.  If you want growth for the future, you're pretty much forced into investing it.  That means accepting a balance between risk and potential growth.
Answer: This is a follow-on to @SimonB's excellent answer.
People have been worried about hyperinflation ever since the aggressive QE (Quantitative Easing, aka buying government bonds to increase the money supply) of 11 years ago.
But, as @SimonB mentioned, it hasn't happened.

What is the best thing to do in my situation to at least prevent my fund from being worth less each year?

Look at the past 11 years: the money supply exploded, but no hyperinflation.  Not even "high inflation".  The central banks are watching that like a hawk.


What is the difference between Guest Operating System options in VMware?

Question: during the installation I choose a guest operating system type (Window/Linux/Other + version). What is the difference it makes?
The hint: "Identifying the guest operating system here allows the wizard to provide the appropriate defaults for the operating system installation."
Is it some CPU optimizations or features which are enabled/disabled or it is only to give a right choice for vmware tools, CPU, RAM, etc.?
Answer: As far as I know, the list of operating systems is presets of other settings. It changes the initial amount of RAM, the initial virtual disk size, APIC / ACPI settings, SATA/IDE layout, etc.  For example, older operating systems do not support SATA.  Or newer operating systems require/recommend at least 1 GB. Etc.
The preset does not lock you into anything; it just sets reasonable defaults.
Comment: is it possible to see these templates / default choices? I've checked the VMware programm folder but found nothing.
Answer: These options determine the default disk size, memory, CPU, etc for the VM. The virtual hardare is also chosen based off this choice. For example, certain virtual NICs perform better on certain OSes
Answer: In addition to the above, when you go to install VMware Tools in the guest, it determines what iso to attach to the guest with the appropriate tools installer for that guest OS.


Orthonormal basis for Sobolev Spaces

Question: Sobolev spaces of order 2 are known to form a Hilbert space. Consider such a Sobolev space of (order 2) functions on the domain $f:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$. What is an example for the basis of such a Sobolev space.
Comment: First of all, there are infinitely many orthonormal bases for any Hilbert space of dimension $>1$. More importantly, finding a basis depends very much on the domain in question and about which Sobolev space you are looking at, i.e., how many derivatives you consider.
Answer: As mentioned above, the question is not well-posed in this form since the answer depends not only on the precise space you are considering but also on the norm
you are using.  Perhaps the following comment might nevertheless be useful.  If your space can be identified with (or is defined as) the domain of definition of an unbounded,
self-adjoint operator (as many of the useful ones are) and if the latter has discrete spectrum, then its eigenfunctions (suitably normed) form an ONB for
the Sobolev space with the corresponding norm.  Simple examples are the  Laplace operator on the circle or the standard one-dimensional Schrödinger operator on the line.  More sophisticated examples are provided by the Laplacian on a compact Riemann manifold or general Schrödinger operators under suitable conditions
on the potential function.
Answer: My guess for (a nice!) basis: use the Hermite functions and the Gram-Schmidt process. It is may be rather lengthy, but the procedure and ingredients are as follows.
1) $h_n' = \sqrt{n/2}h_{n-1} + \sqrt{(n+1)/2)}h_{n+1}, n \geq 0, h_{-1}=0$
2) $h_n$ are what is called the 'physicists polynomials', denoted by $\psi_n$ there.
3) Sobolev product would be $(f,g)_S=(f,g)_0 + (f',g')_0$. Could be also the product containing the Fourier transform, but this seems to me more lenghty ($Fh_n$ is nice, due to Wiener thorem, and equals $(-i)^nh_n$, but the factor $(1+|\xi|^2)^r)$ in the product in H^r is also a bit disturbing the smoothness of the computation.
4) The space ($\Omega$ for PDE-researchres) would be R.
5) Advantage of the Hermite fucntions is due to their easy dimensional properties
$h_{a_1...a_n}(x^1,...,x^n)=h_{a_1}(x^1)....h_{a_n}(x^n)$, where $a=(a_1,...,a_n) \in N_0^n.$
One should compute the first three and then to see the system...
The derivative property of the Hermits enables to speak about the neighbour basis terms only. But this must be done properly. [Formally by an induction, after "guessing".]
Note that this gives you the orthogonal basis only, one should normalize than! (In the Sobolev norm!)
It is quite strange - I could not found this results in the literature (even not as excercises for students).  (Chebyshev polynomials should be orthonormal for $H^1([-1,1])$ but changing the domain to $\mathbb R$ change the polynomials substantially even if we take the correct domain diffeomorphic to $\mathbb R$, i.e., $(-1,1)$.)

Orthonormal basis for Sobolev Spaces


Do I have to be a virtuoso pianist to compose faster music?

Question: I was about to compose my third movement of my first sonata, but the other movements are notated Andante and Adagio. I would want my final movement to be notated Allegro or something even faster than Allegro, but can't seem to compose fast music. Is there anyway I could compose faster music without being a virtuoso pianist? Or I have to become one to compose this kind of music?
Comment: I can barely play any of the music I write ;D
Comment: Drink coffee. Any time I want/need to write fast music, I drink a cup of coffee and the music writes itself. :)
Comment: The usual solution for [I need to perform faster](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJyQpAiMXkg).
Comment: It's not necessary that you are able to play what you write.
Answer: The simple answer is no. Think of it this way: Does a composer write pieces only for instruments he can play? No, he does not. He might compose pieces for instruments that he has never touched in his life.
You don't have to be a virtuoso pianist to compose fast music. You have to learn how to  imagine what you want to compose. If you can imagine your piece at a fast tempo, you can write it down. You should be able to hear it in your head, but if you cannot, nowadays you can easily download a DAW that can play the piece for you and see how it sounds (if this is your problem). You can write the notes and the DAW will play it back for you (The sound outcome won't be like a real pianist playing the song, but it'll help you understand some parts if you cannot figure out how they sound exactly).
Comment: DAW = [Digital Audio Workstation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_audio_workstation)
Answer: I think it is a common misconception that playing fast makes you great at your instrument. Playing slow music correctly and in time, with good interpretation is to me much more of a skill tester than playing fast.
Many times when there is music played a  high tempo the speed takes center stage and a lot of the principles of good melody takes a back burner, but because it is played fast the somewhat boring melody gets masked by a million notes being played in a minute.
To the OP though. I don't think you need a certain skill set in a instrument an instrument to compose for it. You do need a good understanding of it. This understanding can come from playing the instrument well, but not always.
I think it fair to say many of our great composers over the ages did not play every instrument in the orchestra, but they still understood how they worked. They definitely used this knowledge in there compositions.
So no, don't get too hung up on how fast you can play the piano. Compose good music and let the quality of the music speak for itself.
Comment: @GeneralNuisance: you really do that? Possibly it is easier to fake virtuosity in a fast tempo, but **a)** _experienced examiners will see through fake viruosity, won't they?_ and **b)** as Neil says, _playing slowly and profoundly is rather more of a skill and may well leave a better impression_. That's what I would say, but you may well be right that going for fast & daring can indeed be a good strategy at recitals. Admittedly, I also never chose a particularly slow piece.
Comment: @leftaroundabout Well, sure... A faster song leaves a better impression on people who aren't musical or at least don't study it... If I was doing it for an audition or somewhere where I'm being judged by experienced players,  would of course pick whichever song displays my skills the best way. A lot of times, that is a slower, more technically advanced song. All I was saying is that, yes, a lot of times playing a fast song is easier than a slow song. ;-)
Comment: +1 for the first paragraph. A little trick that I use at recitals: I pick a really fast song... It's easier to fake virtuosity that way ;-)
Answer: Shevliaskovic has it spot on:

You should be able to hear it in your head

That, IMO, pretty much wraps up what composing is all about: imagining how something would sound. Of course, one way to get this imagination is to actually listen to different possible options, by trying stuff on an instrument or a MIDI editor. But that's totally not necessary! In fact I'd go as far as saying it can be counterproductive to immediately play/listen to every detail as you write it: this often distracts from the grand concept.
So, if you have some melodic ideas and think they would sound good in a fast tempo – just write them down as such! It doesn't matter if you can play any of it in the proper tempo.
OTOH, you shouldn't just write something unplayably fast either just for the sake of having a fast movement. If the way it feels natural happens to be in a tempo you can also play yourself, then all the better.
Anyway, especially for a solo piece the choice of tempo is largely up to to the performer. You should certainly have a rough idea of how fast the piece should be, but a good composition will usually sound good in quite a range of different tempi. If you can yourself play it in a slow tempo and it sounds good, then chances are a virtuoso pianist will be able to play it faster and it'll sound even better – unless a fast tempo specifically contradicts the mood of the piece.
A bit of an edge case is if you can play everything slow and each individual movement sounds good this way, but the whole piece gets boring like that. In this case it's possible that speeding up one movement will to the trick to make the whole thing a round entity, but I wouldn't rely on it: boring and fast can also be just boring and annoying. Hence again the imagination bit: if you can imagine it in fast tempo and it feels exciting, then it probably is good. If you can't imagine it, then it probabably needs some more thorough thinking.
Comment: Some kinds of fast music can be perceived as being much like slower music, but played faster; others, however, can be much more readily perceived as interacting contours and textures which would not sound the same at a slower tempo.  Pieces like Chopin's "Black Key Etude" or "Revolutionary Etude", for example, will have textures which sparkle and simmer when played at tempo which would be largely absent if played slower.  I can imagine a novice composer sketching out with some concepts for contour and texture without being able to physically hear the music in question, but...
Comment: ...determining whether a particular series of notes actually achieved the desired effect without physically hearing it would seem much harder.
Answer: No, you don't have to even play an instrument to write for it. But you need to know how to write for that instrument, otherwise you can write things that are not playable, or that don't work well on the instrument.
Since you are asking the question, you don't know well how to write for piano, therefore I suggest you get advice from a good pianist who can play and try your ideas on the piano. That should help you.
Comment: I may add... if you don't have a lot of experience in writing music, a Sonata might be a little bit too ambitious project. But that is off-topic, of course.
Comment: I already composed six Piano quartets and two Violin Preludes. Does that make me experienced?
Comment: Experienced, not really; at least from the professional point of view. It also depends on the qualities of the music you have written. But I don't know your background nor the music you write, so I cannot nor I pretend to judge that.
To help you with the problem you present in your question: again, if you are composing for an instrument you cannot play so well, meeting a good instrumentalist in order to share and develop your compositional ideas is a must. I hope that helps.
Answer: I would say no you may not be. However you should have a very clear idea of what the music sounds like in your head. Composers who composed symphonies and so on were not able to make play or replay a whole orchestra just to arrange their music. Their minds were playing it.
Answer: No; you can compose music for an instrument or for vocals without you even knowing how to play that instrument or sing it for yourself. However, you should have a feel of the piece before you finalize, so that it could perfectly fit into the whole composition.
To accomplish this without hiring a virtuoso pianist, try free phone apps and place the notes/pitch in the track staff lines of the apps and change the instrument as you wish and hear the real music on the phone app. (Most MIDI with music notation apps support this feature on phone and tablets, for example Music Tool Kit from Google Play for Android phones.)


how do hosts set up vhosts for apache

Question: I'm wondering how hosts setup vhosts. It's an issue because the php scripts I use require the Server name to be set. For example with ukhost4u they said I just need to point my existing domain to their name servers but how does that in turn set the server name?
Is it not manually configured ?
Answer: If you are not familiar with setting up apache or setting hostnames I would check out the Rackspace CloudServer docs.
http://cloudservers.rackspacecloud.com/index.php/List_of_Articles
Those cover most of the basic setup of apache and virutalhosts.
Answer: Unless they've already set the DNS up for you (or you've done it there), then changing the nameservers won't fix anything.
You need to ensure you have DNS for the domain or subdomain pointing to your server, then you need to make sure the server will serve the correct domain for this IP (which is where the vhosts come in).
See http://articles.slicehost.com/2007/9/17/introduction-to-virtual-hosts for an explanation and see these two articles for instructions setting them up on CentOS. If you run a different distribution, please include more information in your question.

how do hosts set up vhosts for apache


Question about the $\epsilon-\delta$ definition of continuity of function

Question: When we apply the $\epsilon -\delta$ definition of continuity of function, we normally assumed that $\epsilon$ to be small enough. However, how small should the $\epsilon$ be? Intuitively it is quite reasonable to just mention small imprecisely but if the function vibrate frequently at some point, we need to consider the $\epsilon$ really small but then i don't know how small should it be defined. What do the definition mean by small $\epsilon$?
Comment: if $\delta$ works for $\epsilon=10^{-100}$, it certainly works for $\epsilon'=10^{100}$.
Comment: @Mathematics: Yes, any *positive* $\epsilon$...
Comment: I don't assume anything on $\epsilon$ other than the fact that $\epsilon>0$.
Comment: If you're wanting specific values, we usually choose the $\varepsilon$, and proceed to find out what $\delta$ ensures that our function stays with the given $\varepsilon$. It sounds like your asking about the other direction.
Comment: @Clayton ya but the $\epsilon$ you choose can't be too big
Comment: What is "too big" though? You get to decide the error, in a sense. I'm not sure what you're asking, otherwise.
Comment: Do you mean that $\epsilon$ can in fact be any real number? As long as there exist a small $\delta$ would is mapped inside the $\epsilon$- ball of $f(c)$
Comment: O i think i got something wrong with it
Answer: If you look at the definition it actually doesn't say small (or at least it shouldn't since small is a relative term). All you have is that for any $\epsilon >0$ there is a $\delta > 0$ ... So the definition simply just says that no matter what positive $\epsilon$ you can come up with, there has to exist this positive $\delta$ such that ...
Why might someone then think of $\epsilon$ as begin small? That is because the "problem" in finding a suitable $\delta$ becomes "harder" the smaller $\epsilon$ is. There are (in a certain sense) fewer choices for $\delta$ the smaller $\epsilon$ is.
As mention in the comment below (@Daid Mitra) another way to think of why $\epsilon$ should be small is that for small $\epsilon$ we are closer to the point that we are considering.
Answer: In the definition of continuity, there is no mentioning of "small $\epsilon$". It starts with "for every $\epsilon>0$", there is a $\delta>0$...". Intuitively, we are trying to show the existence of a $\delta$ no matter how small $\epsilon$ is.
Answer: The definitions says that for all positive $\epsilon$ you can find some positive $\delta$.
In that sense, $\epsilon$ can be considered arbitrarily small.
What you probably think of is the following: Sometimes, in order to chose a suitable $\delta$ we need that $\epsilon$ is smaller than some (positive!) number. This does not hurt insofar as we may always assume without loss of generality that $\epsilon$ is smaller than this number.
For example, if you have an expression for $\delta$ (depending on $\epsilon$) and this works only (e.g. is positive only) if $\epsilon<10$, then you may write in your proof "Wlog., $\epsilon<10$". Indeed, If you thus manage to show that for all $\epsilon>0$ with $\epsilon<10$ there exists a $\delta$ such that ..., then a closer look at the definition of continuity will reveal that this indeed shows that there is such $\delta$ for all $\epsilon>0$: You are "allowed" to use a $\delta$ for a bigger $\epsilon$, even if that $\delta$ is "intended" for some smaller $\epsilon$.
Answer: In the context of $\epsilon$-$\delta$ proofs, the size of $\epsilon$ does not matter; it could be anything greater than zero (by definition).
What you are trying to find is a relationship between $\epsilon$ and $\delta$, and whether it holds for all $\epsilon>0$.
Answer: In addition to the above, it's often the case when using continuity (and other sorts of similar statements) that we'll utilize the $\epsilon-\delta$ definition by picking a very small $\epsilon$ in order to approximate some other quantity.  In this case, the smallness of $\epsilon$ depends on the context, and we often leave just how small $\epsilon$ will be until the end of the argument so we can see what will be required.
Answer: The way I understand the $\epsilon -\delta$ relationship is that it's an 'if ... then ...' statement.  If you are accurate within $\delta$ distance from your target input value, then you will be within $\epsilon$ distance of your target output value.  Certainly, there is no penalty for being more accurate in the input value than you need to be, you will still hit your target output value. The proof of continuity usually involves showing that for the right type of function, the continuous function, there is always a way (at least theoretically) to be precise enough to hit your target output value value, if you get close enough to the target input value.
This can be a real world issue because quite often it's impossible to achieve perfection. In real life, you are never going to perfectly hit the target voltage, tension or what have you.  So generally, if you are trying to control an output from a machine or some complicated system, it's nice to know that if you get close enough to the right settings, the result will be close to the way you want.  So continuity is a nice property to have.
Answer: The definition states for any epsilon greater than zero, there exists an appropriate delta that satisfies a certain condition.  In general, the smaller you choose the epsilon value, the smaller the delta value becomes.  We call this an epsilon neighborhood of y, or a delta neighborhood of x. Then no matter how small we choose the epsilon neighborhood (interval around y, which we choose first), we can choose a delta neighborhood (interval around x) so that every x value in that neighborhood gets mapped into the epsilon neighborhood.  The smaller the epsilon value is, the smaller (in general) the delta neighborhood must be in order to satisfy the requirement.


Curl doesn't work in crontab

Question: I'm new to set up server settings and to the whole unix thing so maybe this is simple.
I'm trying to start crontab with curl in but it doesn't work. I want it go to file and send email every 30 minutes.
If just writing
curl http://webaddress.com/controller/action

in the terminal everything works just fine and it will send out mail as I want.
But when I trying to do it with crontab it never "kicks".
In the crontab -e I have write
0,30 * * * * curl http://webaddress.com/controller/action

I have also tried
0,30 * * * * /usr/bin/curl http://webaddress.com/controller/action

nothing with result.
Anyone have any clue what can be wrong?
SOLVED
It was some PAM related bug on the server.
To fix it I wrote:
aptitude reinstall libpam-modules libpam0g cron

Comment: try add -v option to see details?
Answer: Check that everything for PAM is installed. ;-)

Curl doesn't work in crontab


No roll-back option on edit

Question: I just noticed this old question received a recent edit. When I examined the edit I noticed that it greatly altered the meaning and context of the question, perhaps to better fit the editor's own answer. I wanted to roll it back but there is no rollback option. Has something changed or is it something to do with that particular question?
Answer: It seemed to roll back fine for me...
I don't do a lot of editing and I don't think I've ever rolled back an edit until just now, but it looks like the way it works is that earlier versions of the post have a "rollback" link that will revert the post to that version.
I'm going to leave it rolled back for now, but the guy who did the editing has updated this earlier question which has lots of discussion about that SSL/TLS question.
Comment: Thanks Ward, I had a look through the earlier revisions and there was no roll-back option anywhere at that time. Something weird's going on.
Answer: I'm the author that edit, and re-edited back to something closer to what it was originally.
Of course, you can say the edit I made was for my answer to fit better the question, but then again, the question I answered was quite clearly "What's the difference between SSL and TLS?" (check the history).
Saying that I edited it back to fit my answer is rather unfair.
As for the edit itself, I was merely correcting the eternal SSL v.s. TLS misconception in "I know that TLS is essentially a newer version of SSL, and that it generally supports transitioning a connection from unsecured to secured (commonly through a STARTTLS command).".
This more or less implies that SSL did not support this sort of transitioning, which isn't true. Both protocols equally support transitioning from unsecured to secured, but how this is done depends entirely on the application protocol.
I also admit this is a broad question, but since a number of IT professionals don't understand the difference, I'd argue it has its place here.
Comment: @ChrisS, sorry, I really didn't mean it in an offensive way. We all makes mistakes once in a while, I certainly do. I just found your edit at the time a bit odd, putting words that the OP had never said. I'm not not sure this sort of editing (coming from mods or anyone else who can edit) is a good idea, that's all.
Comment: When I looked at that question the oldest version was not what you say it was, which is why I said what I said. However, as I also did not have the roll-back option it is possible that the page I saw was incomplete. However, I can only go on what I personally see.
Comment: No worries. It seems that the idea of editing that question isn't so popular after all anyway (I got a downvote today on [the associated meta question](http://meta.serverfault.com/q/3125/47187)). Why a mod would introduce a statement that could be considered as misleading in a question is not clear to me, more so because it also makes some previous answers look silly (see comments on the last one, for example). I'm not sure what to do about this...
Comment: "Why a mod would introduce a statement that could be considered as misleading"... 1. Um, thanks for the "compliment" 2. Mods are human, apparently you've never done something others think is a mistake, but the rest of us... pretty much daily 3. It was partially intentional as the OP had some apparent misunderstandings about the various protocols and the mod wanted that reflected in the Question; more so because the Answer points out the correct information.

No roll-back option on edit


Did Swami Vivekananda regularly chant any Vedic or Tantric mantras?

Question: Did Swami Vivekananda regularly chant any Vedic or Tantric mantras during his lifetime?
Comment: Are you looking for mantras from Veda and Tantras only?
Answer: Yes, he did. what they were specifically, is not said in the books. Vivekananda become proficient in Sanskrit grammar at a young age and spent time. He was able to speak and do Sanskrit argumentation with Sanskrit scholars. He believed and said that all Indians should learn Sanskrit.
It is said that he would sometimes spend many hours in Japa and meditation. In the Complete Works (V7, p 62) Vivekananda says:

Repeating the Om continually is the only true worship. It is not a word, it is God Himself.

Based on this one teaching, you can be sure he repeated AUM regularly.
Comment: Swamiji. consider adding source.
Answer: Yes, Sri Ramakrishna surrendered Swamiji to Maa Kali and asked him to meditate on the form of Maa Kali. So He had given Kali Mantra to Swamiji in all probabilities.Swamiji soon started getting visions of Kali, different other deities and mantras, as He told confidentially to Sri M in 1887(as recorded in Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita.
Sri Ramakrishna also gave Him Rama Mantra at Kashipore in 1886 (as mentioned in Sri Ramakrishner Antyaleela by Swami Prabhananda).He was taught Swamiji Advaitavaad as mentioned by Swamiji in His Complete Works.
It seemed Swamiji, besides chanting OM , worshiped Lord Shiva and Maa Kali frequently.He told Nivedita that he regularly worshiped Kali and mentioned it as his personal affair which he was not ready to preach.
Normally incarnations like him can not do japa for long.They soon get immersed in meditation, bhava and samadhi, as happened with Sri Ramakrishna.
Chanting of the Raama Naama was also very favorite of Swamiji.


Different Font Faces in same Web Application

Question: The context here is a web application delivered through the browser.
My question is: is it ever okay to have different font faces or a single application?  To me it looks obvious but not egregious.
Comment: Yes...It is OK.
Answer: Yes, mixing different fonts and typography is perfectly fine, so long as it is done tastefully. My approach to mixing different fonts is to give each font a purpose or a voice. The App would have a particular voice and the fonts would correspond to its personality. While things requiring input from the user would have a different font/voice. Using that as a guideline can help making things consistent and help you keep track of all the typography being used.
Check out this tutorial by Hoefler & Frere-Jones Four Techniques for Combining Typefaces
Another good example of it in use by Mailchimp.
Answer: It's going to depend on which font faces you are using and in which context.
For example, having titles in a different font face to the main body text might be OK, as might using different a different font face for the menu/navigation or side bar of external links. In all these cases you are indicating that these elements are different to the main body of your site in some way.
However, having too many different font faces would be a bad thing.
Answer: There isn't a problem with just using multiple fonts on your site per-se, the issue will come with what you do with them, how you style them etc. Everything in moderation, and all that. Make sure you have a reason to go with multiple styles, and it's not just because you like certain fonts and can't decide which ones to go with so you end up using all of them.
There's a good article over at Noupe about mixing multiple fonts where they give you some tips as well as showing some example sites. Their top 7 tips should give you something to think over:

Pay attention to scale and proportion.
Unify fonts with color or style.
Pay attention to priority and emphasis of different fonts.
Avoid anything too similar.
Keep body text readable.
Don't overlook different font styles.
Trust your instincts.
Answer: Different typefaces are okay within limits; a very common situation is to have a logo or header font in addition to a body copy font.
From Typography.com:

A clever way to combine typefaces with similar proportions is to assign each a different purpose, and to limit each to a specific range of sizes.

There's lots of Font Combination Resources out there which will help you get started, but the important thing is to remember each font should have a different purpose. Body copy should generally be easy to read at a smaller size, while header fonts might be something that's more ornate but is still readable because it's presented at a larger size.
Try to limit yourself to one or two fonts; your body copy (something simple and always readable) and maybe a header font with a slight bit more personality that's still readable at the size it's presented. Justify the use of each font; don't use different fonts for different areas of the site unless there is a legitimate need; different mood, different reading conditions ect.


What type of work goes into refurbishing a launch pad?

Question: I read that launch pads need to be refurbished after every launch. What stuff on the pad takes damage? What is stopping them from covering the "stuff" in some sort of flame-retardant, explosion-proof material?
Comment: There is no explosion-proof material, there are only covers that could resist a smaller explosion but not a large one.
Answer: Rocket launches are extremely violent. Launch pads are already built from "flame-retardant, explosion-proof" materials like steel, concrete and fire brick, and they're often water-cooled during the launch.
Despite all that, the pad gets damaged over time. Most of this damage is superficial: paint burns off and has to be replaced to prevent corrosion, small items like light fixtures get blown away, concrete spalls and needs surface repairs, the occasional brick is blown away.
You could prevent this, but then you'd need to build the launch pad like a battleship: cover everything in foot-thick steel plates. That would be more expensive than the current solution, and it'd make maintenance more difficult due to reduced access.
A major part of "refurbishing" is just a check: it's a large structure, so this takes some time.


Resurrection stories in Hindu scriptures?

Question: Christians claim the resurrection story to be very unique. Is there any story in Puranas , where anyone died and resurrected after dying. And also is there is any parallel story of someone raising people from the dead.
Comment: There are many many stories...like Lord Krishna made alive Parikshit... he brought back his Guru's son... Sukracharya resurrected many many persons/demons using Mritsanjeevani Vidya... and so on there are many stories...
Comment: @Tezz, Parikshit was on the verge of death. He did not actually die. Krishna saved him from death. So this example is wrong. Others are good.
Comment: The stories of bringing someone back to life are plenty but the difference you will notice is that the resurrection in Christianity happened to their supreme deity whereas it happened prolifically and to much "lesser" beings in the Hindu world.
Answer: There are plenty of resurrection stories mentioned in Hinduism. Some of them are below:

Ganesha brought back to life after beheading.

Lord Ganesha's head was chopped off and it was replaced by Lord Vishnu with head of a bull elephant which was sleeping with its head sleeping towards north direction.
From Chapter 12, Ganapati Khanda, Brahma Vaivarta Purana,

O sage, at the gaze of the Saturn, the head of the child was cut off and Saturn closed his eyes at once, Looking downwards and stood there. [7]

He (Vishnu )took out the trunk of the child from the lap of Parvati, kept him in his lap and joined the elephant head with the trunk of the child. [22]

The lord who has been the form of Brahman applying the divine knowledge uttered humkara brought back the child back to life. [23]

In this way, Lord Ganesha attained was brought back to life by Lord Vishnu.

The bull elephant whose head is cut off.

In the above story, Lord Vishnu beheads a bull elephant's head using his Sudarshana Chakra. That elephant was also brought back to life after being prayed by cow elephants.  This story is explained in this answer by @Arya.

Thereafter, finding all the people fainted Vişņu mounted on Garuda, went to the northern direction and reached the bank of Puspabhadra river. [11]

Reaching the bank of Puspabhadra river, he found an elephant enjoying the company of cow elephants. [12]

Lord Visnu delightfully cut-off his head by using Sudarsana-cakra which was soaked in blood and kept it over Garuda and was quite pleasant to look at. [14]

<code> There after, the wives and the children of the bull elephant pray Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu pleased with the prayer of the elephants restores the life of the bull elephant and bestows a life for Kalpa.
</code>

The lord who is all knowledgeable, touched the body of the elephant with his lotus-like feet and said, "O elephant, you will remain alive with your family for a kalpa." [20-21]

The resurrection of Vānaras from the Rāmāyaṇa.

As explained in the other answer to this question, Valmiki Rāmāyaṇa Yuddha Kanda sarga 120 mentions the resurrection of Vānaras. The dead Vānaras were brought back to life by Lord Indra after being asked by Lord Sri Rāma.

O the bestower of honour! I wish to see all those monkeys, who for my sake, were removed from their sons and wives, be delighted at heart. They were all valiant, proving their energies and did not take their death into account. They made their strenuous efforts and died. O Indra! Restore their lives to them. Those monkeys - who counted death as nothing and who were fond of doing favour to me - let them get re-united with their near and dear ones by your grace. I seek this boon of you. O bestower of honour! I wish to see the monkeys and bears, free from wounds and pains, with augmented strength and valour. [6-9]

Indra restores the lives of the Vānaras and bears who have lost their lives in the battle.

Let all those monkeys and bears along with long-tailed monkeys, who have been killed in battle, by the demons and whose heads and arms have been severed, be alive and active again. [13]

All of them, full of delight, will get re-united with their friends, relatives, kinsmen and family members. [15]

Bharata's son Puṣkala brought back to life by Hanuman.

This story which is not very famous is also associated with the Rāmāyaṇa. But this is told in the Chapter 43-44, Patala Khanda of Padma Purana. This happens when Sri Rāma sets his sacrificial horse loose when he performed a horse sacrifice. Sri Rāma appoints his younger brother Shatrughna as the protector of the horse. A huge army is also sent along with the horse. Bharata's son Puṣkala is also one of the warriors who is sent along with the horse.
As a part of its journey, the horse enters the kingdom of King Viramani. He doesn't agree to surrender the kingdom to Sri Rāma. Finally Puṣkala, son of Bharata resolves to fight with him. He wins the battle. But the king Viramani is a devotee of Shiva. So, he himself has arrived at the battle field along with his forces.  He sends Virabhadra to fight with Puṣkala.  He is killed by Virabhadra after a fierce fight.

Virabhadra, with the Khatvanga in his hand cut off became extremely angry and shattered the warrior's chariot. Having broken the chariot of the warrior and having (thus) made him a foot-soldier, he fought with the magnanimous Puṣkala in a close fight. That very mighty Puṣkala abandoning the chariot shattered to pieces by him (i.e. Virabhadra), hit Virabhadra with his fist. [---------] Then Puṣkala who was extremely angry seizing Virabhadra by the neck struck (i.e. threw) him on the ground. The very mighty Virabhadra distressed by that stroke seized Puṣkala by the foot and repeatedly shaking him and throwing him on the ground the very mighty one cut off his head with blazing ear-rings with his trident. The very strong Virabhadra having killed Puṣkala roared. That roaring follower of Siva frightened great warriors. When Puṣkala fell in the battle, there was a very great wailing. All the very proficient men became frightened on the battlefield. They informed Satrughna that Puṣkala killed by Virabhadra, the attendant of Siva, had fallen on the battlefield. The great hero, the mighty (Satrughna) having thus heard about Puṣkala's being killed in the battle, was very much grieved and due to great grief trembled. [28b-42a]

Thereafter Shatrughna also fights with Lord Shiva but falls unconscious in the battle. Enraged with the fall of the devotees of Sri Rāma, Hanuman starts a fight with Shiva. He destroys the chariot, flags, trident of Lord Shiva. He hits Shiva with trees and mountains. By this act, Shiva enrages and said

(He said): "O mean monkey, you are (now) killed. Flee and go (away) from the battle. In a moment I shall destroy your life with (this) pestle." Seeing the pestle discharged by the angry Siva the monkey remembering Visnu (i.e. Rāma) avoided it very speedily. That pestle made of strong iron and discharged by Siva, fell down. Having torn off the entire earth it went to the nether world. Hanumat, the servant of Rāma, was extremely angry at that time. Taking a mountain in his hand he hit it on the chest (of Siva). While the lord of SatI (i.e. Shiva) was thinking of cutting off the mountain he was struck by the lord of monkeys with a tree having many branches. When he (i.e. Siva) was intent on cutting it off, he was hit with rocks (by Hanumat). The persevering Siva made up his mind to break those rocks. Just then he showered him (i.e. Siva) with trees and mountains. Having encircled the protector of the beings (i.e. Siva) with his tail he struck him again and again with stones, mountains, trees and strokes of his tail. Nandin was very much frightened, and even the moon was reduced to pieces. The very angry great god got very much confused. [22-29a]

He said to the lord of monkeys who every moment
made him very much disquieted: "O follower of the protector of
Raghus, you are blessed. You have today done a great feat, so
that I am very much pleased with you. O you, having a great
speed, I am not easily obtainable by means of charity or sacrifice
or a little penance. Therefore, ask for a boon from me. [29b-32]

Hanuman laughing and speaking in fearless words, spoke to Shiva who was speaking like this:

O great god, by Ragunatha's grace I have everything. Yet I ask for a boon from you who are pleased with the battle. This our (hero) named Puṣkala has fallen down dead. So also Shatrughna, Rāma's younger brother, became unconscious in the battle. Many other heroes wounded with arrows have also fallen. Some are unconscious, some have sunk; (please) protect them
along with your own attendants. Do that by which big ghosts, vampires and fiends, so also foxes and others, will not take them away and eat them up; and (do that by which) their bodies will not be split. By all means preserve all of them, till, having conquered the attendants of Indra, I bring (either) the Drona mountain or the herbs thereon, and bring back, per force, to life these heroes kept under (your) control. Here I go to take that Drona
mountain on which life-restoring herbs exist. [34-40]

Hanuman goes to Drona mountain which is guarded by the attendants of Lord Indra. He goes and uproots the Drona mountain. Devatas were frightened by this act of Hanuman. Then Indra bows to him asks him why he arrived there and allows him to take required herbs. The devatas bow to Hanuman and he takes leave from there. He brought the medicine back to the battlefield. He joined the head and body of the dead Puṣkala and said

If I recognise (only) lord Raghava (i.e.Rāma) by the deeds of my mind, body and speech, then let him quickly revive by means of the medicine.". Puṣkala came back to life.

Hanuman then went to Shatrughna, put the medicine on his chest and said

O best Satrughna, revive. O you of great might and valour, why (i.e. due to what) did you become unconscious on the battlefield? If I being
diligent (i.e. diligently) keep celibacy till (the end of) my life,
then let this hero Satrughna revive in a moment.

No sooner did he utter these words then Satrughna came back to consciousness in a moment.
In this way, Hanuman revived Puṣkala, the son of Bharata.

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma rescuing their teacher  Sāndīpani's son.

Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa studied at the ashrama of Sāndīpani. They served him with great obedience. They learned all the topics in a very short period of time.

SB 10.45.35-36
— O King, those best of persons, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, being Themselves the original promulgators of all varieties of knowledge, could immediately assimilate each and every subject after hearing it explained just once. Thus with fixed concentration They learned the sixty-four arts and skills in as many days and nights. Thereafter, O King, They satisfied Their spiritual master by offering him guru-dakṣiṇā.

SB 10.45.37 O King, the learned brāhmaṇa Sāndīpani carefully considered the two Lords' glorious and amazing qualities and Their superhuman intelligence. Then, after consulting with his wife, he chose as his remuneration the return of his young son, who had died in the ocean at Prabhāsa.

They go to Yamaloka and ask Yamarāja to send their teacher with them. Yama rāja worships them elaborately and agrees with them. He sends the boy with them. They bring their teacher's son back to life.

SB 10.45.45 — The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Suffering the bondage of his past activity, My spiritual master's son was brought here to you. O great King, obey My command and bring this boy to Me without delay.

They take him to their teacher's ashrama and fulfill their guru-dakṣiṇā.  Sāndīpani gives them permission to return to their home.
In this way, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma brought their teacher's son back to life.

Bali Chakravarti brought back to life by Śukrācārya.
Bali chakravati was brought back to life when he was killed in a war with Indra. Śukrācārya brought him back to life. Due to this, Bali became faithful to Śukrācārya. Many Rakshasas were revived by Śukrācārya using Mrita Sanjivani vidya but all of them were slain  by Vishnu. Bali Chakravarti was not slain. He is in Sutala loka along with his friends and allies.

parājita-śrīr asubhiś ca hāpito
hīndreṇa rājan bhṛgubhiḥ sa jīvitaḥ
sarvātmanā tān abhajad bhṛgūn baliḥ
śiṣyo mahātmārtha-nivedanena

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, when Bali Mahārāja lost all his opulence and died in the fight, Śukrācārya, a descendant of Bhṛgu Muni, brought him back to life. Because of this, the great soul Bali Mahārāja became a disciple of Śukrācārya and began to serve him with great faith, offering everything he had. [SB 8.15.13]

Above are some of the incidents of resurrection mentioned in the Hinduism.
Comment: Wow, so many resurrections! BTW, it will be good if some of the quoted passages are shortened to reduce the length. :-)
Comment: @Sinister - Yes , I also did not added these stories because they are of Asuras. And they finally were again killed by Lord Vishnu after resurrection.
Comment: Yeah. There are many. If dug deep, we may find some more. I removed some text to shorten the answer.
Comment: Nice answer,Keep it up. BTW there are lots.of resurrection stories in Bhagvatam. Shukracharya resurrected many asuras.Maya danava again given life to many asuras , even the story of Daksha Prajapati is similar.
Comment: @SwiftPushkar Thanks. Yes, there are many. You may add them in your answer. But the Daksha prajapati story is not consistent in the puranas. In some puranas, Daksha is not killed. He is saved from Virabhadra. That's why, I didn't add it.
Answer: There is One intersting story in  Valmiki Ramayna   (Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War) about  Resurrection of the Monkeys by Lord Indra , who were killed in the battle between Shree Rama and Ravana.

समुत्तिष्ठन्तु ते सर्वे हता ये युधि राक्षसैः | ऋक्षाश्च सह
गोपुच्छैर्निकृत्ताननबाहवः || ६-१२०-१३

te sarve = (Let) all those monkeys; R^ikShaashcha = and bears; gopuchchhaiH = along with long-tailed monkeys;ye hataaH = who
  have been killed; yudhi = in battle;raakShasaiH = by the
  demons; nikR^ittanana baahavaH = and whose heads and arms have been
  severed;samuttiShThantu = be active again.

"Let all those monkeys and bears along with long-tailed monkeys, who
have been killed in battle, by the demons and whose heads and arms
have been severed, be alive and active again."
मत्प्रियेष्वभिरक्ताश्च न मृत्युं गणयन्ति ये | त्वत्प्रसादात्समेयुस्ते
वरमेतमहं वृणे || ६-१२०-८

te = those monkeys; ye = who; na gaNayanti = did not take into account; mR^ityum = their death; abhiraktaaH matpriyeShu = and who
  were fond of doing favour to me; te sameyuH = let them get reunited;
  (with their near and dear ones); tvatprasaadaat = by your
  grace; aham = I; vR^iNe = seek; etam = this varam = boon (of you).

"Those mokeys - who coutned death as nothing and who were fond of
  doing favour to me - let them get re-united with their near and dear
  ones by your grace. I seek this boon of you.

The story in brief is -

When Indra the lord of celestials asks Rama for a boon, Rama requested
  Indra to bring back to life, all the monkeys who had lost their life
  in the battle. Indra grants the boon and all the dead monkeys are
  restored to life. The celestials disperse and the whole army of
  monkeys enjoy their well-earned rest.
Comment: Had visited this but never read before, now I read it for the first time. Nice to find it. Only difference is that according to [this answer](https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/20536/1049), *Brahma* brought the monkeys into life and above answer suggests *Indra* brought them. Though the end result is same.
Comment: Yes , that's he main difference and as you said -"The end result is same" :-)
Answer: Apputhi Adigal was one of the 63 Nayanars. He was very devoted to Thirunavukkarasar, who was another Nayanar. When Thirunavukkarasar went to home of Apputhi Adigal to meet Apputhi Adigal, he saw that Apputhi Adigal named his every asset as Thirunavukkarasu. Apputhi Adigal lately recognized that the person who came to his home was none other than Appar aka Thirunavukkarasar.
Apputhi Adigal requested him to have food at his home. When Thirunavukkarasar consented, Apputhi Adigal and his wife ordered his eldest son called Senior
Thirunavukkarasu [Out of his devotion towards Thirunavukkarasar, Apputhi Adigal named his elder son as Mootha Thirunavukkarasu(Senior Thirunavukkarasu) and his youngest son as Ilaya Thirunavukkarasu(JuniorThirunavukkarasu)] to bring banana leaves from the garden. A snake bit him in the garden while trying to pluck banana leaves. So, he died there.

Periya Puranam 12.25.24
Behold my boon! I have been plied in this Holy task by my goodly and
  righteous parents!"
Thus he thought and ran to the garden. As he cut
  a broad and tender plantain-leaf
A dazzling snake bit him on his palm
  Causing him to fall down in pain and giddiness.

Apputhi Adigal hid the corpse of the boy and tried to serve food to Thirunavukkarasar. But Thirunavukkarasar wanted to apply holy ash to the eldest son, who just died. So, he requested Apputhi Adigal to order his eldest child to come back from the garden. Apputhi said he would not be available without mentioning the son's death. Finally, Apputhi revealed the truth to Thirunavukkarasar. Appalled, Thirunavukkarasar prayed to Shiva with the hymn Ondru Kolam Avar thevaram. The child was resurrected.
Periya Puranam 12.25.35

When Navukkarasar heard the death event of his child, he exclaimed:
  "
Great indeed is that you have wrought!  Whoever had done like unto
  you?"
Then he rose up and walked to the moribund.  He hymned a musical song
  which in its wake
Caused the flow of the grace of Lord;  Thus he chased the venom away from the child's body.
Answer:
Parikshit was revived by Lord Krishna. This is discussed in this post.
Lord Paraśurāma's mother and brothers were revived by Jamadagni. This is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) 9.16.8.
Sage Bhrigu revived his wife. This is discussed in this post.
Daksha was revived by Lord Shiva. This is discussed in this post.
Jamadagni was revived by sage Bhrigu/Lorad Parshuram. This is described in this post and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) 9.16.24.


Java add new functions to library class

Question: The problem:
application uses some library. Like:
<code>ClassA a=new ClassA();
</code>
In this library classA uses classB - e.g. call some method from classB.
I need to change how this method works.
Is it possible do without using AOP?
Thanks.
Comment: You'll need to add more detail to your question.  It doesn't make sense as is.
Answer: There are two options:
a) modify the source
b) modify the byte code
a) means: download the source, change it, build and use your own version. Drawback: for every new version of the library, you'll need to create a new  patched version
b) For this, AOP (probably using AspectJ) is the easiest way. Other options would be to do it programmatically using commons / bcel or cglib. AOP is easier because you only have to implement the behaviour you want, whereas using byte code manipulation, you would also have to do lots of infrastructure programming (e.g. providing a custom ClassLoader or Java Agent that runs your patch).
Alternative c) is often the best: contact the developer of the library and ask him to provide the functionality you need.
Answer: You can subclass ClassA if ClassA is not final.  You should probably download the source for the library and look at the internals to see how it works -- only create a subclass as a last resort -- you don't want to break the library.

Java add new functions to library class


Surname and Given name swapped in new passport

Question: I have a valid US visa in my (expired) old passport. In my new passport the given name and surname have been swapped. Will I have issues traveling back to the US with this new passport, or I should I attempt to get a new visa?
Comment: Erm, wait: which document has the right information: the visa or the new passport? If in the new passport, your first and last name have been incorrectly swapped, then you should probably get the new passport replaced. Or did you apply for a US visa with a passport that carried incorrect information?
Answer: So to clarify:

Your old passport is correct
Your old visa is correct
Your new passport has it wrong

It's definitely something you'll want to do, to prevent problems.  Yes, it'll likely be clear what has happened, but given how strict the US is - for their own passports, they offer a FREE, expedited service for correcting passports, which are prioritised well above general passport applications - they'll expect the same from other citizens.
Ultimately, it'll come down to the discretion of the US border agent to decide if it's clearly just a mistake, and even then they're likely to give you a telling off for trying to travel with an incorrect travel document.
You probably don't want to leave it up to them, so I'd recommend getting it fixed ASAP, before you travel back to the US.


Why are there many guitarists, but only one drummer in a band?

Question: In a band, there will be many guitarists. However, there will always be only one drummer. Why can't there be more than one drummer in a band? Are there any cultural or musical reasons behind it or that's just the way things are?
Comment: OMG someone who never heard of The Allman Brothers Band!  Moving rather far afield: take a look at the number of drummers (and percussionists) in a typical marching band.,
Comment: You can look at it this way, a guitarist can only play one guitar and one guitar part at a time while a drummer plays multiple drums and percussion instruments at the same time including bass, snare, high-hat, toms, floor, cymbals, and sometimes other percussion instrument (like cowbell).
Comment: Not true, some bands have several drummers, even in "rock" like Combichrist or Slipknot, but you'll notice that there is often a "standard" drummer (snare, cymbals, kick) and additional percutionnists (that often play bassy drums like toms).
Comment: The new line-up of King Crimson will feature three drummers!
Comment: Adam and the Ants .. two drummers, using full kit, used to good effect. There's no reason why a band can't have two drummers, having just one is probably a tradition born out of limitations on space (takes a lot of room if you're booking a rehearsal studio / playing on a small stage) and noise (they're LOUD! two would be louder). There's also the issue about having to explain drummer jokes to both of them individually. Bahaha.
Comment: @Carl - most marching band members find it hard to balance a whole drumkit whilst on the move !
Comment: Not quite an answer but here are two examples of when one drummer is not enough:
 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu1teeixmpw
 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3FNfxW7j0o
Comment: The Blue Man Group is all about the percussion! Hell, a [Drumbone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BlueManGroup_Dec2007.jpg) requires multiple people to play at all. (In the linked picture, you can also see multiple regular drum kits, so it's not just about the BMG's strange instruments.)
Comment: Yes, marching bands for sure, but also beyond that are other cultures, consider the Samba Bateria originating in Brazil "with its roots from Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions", and Caribbean Steel Drum bands, and gamelan, a traditional musical ensemble from Indonesia, and the symphonic orchestra, geez you can have a ton of percussion, and the list goes on as well as the beat.
Comment: I've seen rock bands with 2 drummers. Even Radiohead used 2 drummers on their latest album/tour. The guys in Molotov (a mexican band) sometimes play 2 basses, or 2 drumsets (they change instruments; the drummer doesn't always play drums, the bassist doesn't just play bass, etc)
Comment: Volume is one reason.  It is frickin' hard (for an amateur like me) to balance everything else in the band against just one drummer, for all but the largest/loudest spaces.  And in my experience, the average rock drummer seems to have very limited ability to play less loudly.
Comment: Some bands have more than one drummer. They are rare but they do exist. Slipknot for example has three.
Answer: This is not always true. While most bar bands have this set up, if you go to many large concerts (for instance the Eagles concert tour), you will often find many percussionists working simultaneously.
But on average, and for most typical bands, I'd say you're correct. And while I can't give a scientific reason, I can give my general opinions and at no charge. But to sum my opinions up, I think it has mostly to do with an issue of competing within the same musical space.

Musical space:

It is easier to have multiple guitars adding to a song and not conflicting with each other, for instance with one playing lead, the other rhythm, or two rhythm guitarists playing at different timbres, rhythms, pre-amp and amp settings, different mic'ing, or one being capo'd and the other un-capo'd.
If you add bass to the guitar mix, then this is also obviously true.
It be hard to have two drum sets and not have them compete in the same sound space.
That being said, it wouldn't be a problem if one drummer were playing one type of set and another using a different set of percussion instruments.

Rhythm:

If one guitar is slightly rhythmically off from another, it's not as big a deal, since the backbone of the rhythm is usually provided by bass and drums.
Not so if you have more than one drum set.

Availability:

Guitarists, especially your average rhythm guitarists, are common and thus are easy to find (although very good rhythm guitarists are worth their weight in gold)
Drummers are less easy to find, and a decent drum kit may cost more and certainly has the added hassle of being cumbersome to transport and set up.
This is why at most "jam sessions" I've been to, I often play with 5 to 10 rhythm guitarists and one bass and drum if we're lucky.

Physical Space:

A guitar player takes up a relatively small amount of space
While a drummer with a full set takes up a lot.
In a small bar with a tight stage, this makes a difference.

Edit
I have to add a link nicely provided by Bradd Szonye that lists bands that use double drummers, that is two drummers playing their own full kits: Double Drumming Band List.
Thank you Bradd!
Comment: Good answer. FYI, Wikipedia has a [list of bands with multiple drummers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_drumming). Some of them regularly use multiple drummers, others only for touring, and some only for specific pieces.
Comment: Also Noise level, It is hard enough with just one drum kit to get anything apart from the drums in the vocal mikes, unless you got a big stage and/or a cage to put the drummer in.
Comment: You'd need to check out the individual band pages for details. For example, the Allman Brothers regularly use double drummers; King Crimson and Modest Mouse have both used double drummers in some of their lineups (but not all); Radiohead uses double drummers only for touring.
Comment: @BraddSzonye: thanks for the info and the great link. I wonder how many use 2 drummers both with distinct full drum sets. If they did, I think that they would have to carefully choreograph their playing so as not to step on each other. I know that I have to struggle to do that myself, so that my keyboard is distinct and complementary to our guitar players.
Comment: Your answer sounds like it's about what is possible to put in a band. I think in most cases it is about what is needed in a band. One good drummer can fulfill all the needs of most bands while you might have polyphonic guitar voices one guitarist can't handle alone.
Comment: King Crimson has 3 drummers, not 2
Answer: I can certainly explain why there aren't many rock bands with multiple drummers.
Because every garage band practices in the drummer's garage.
The drummer can't fit the drum set in the back of his mom's Celica, so everyone else else comes over to his house.  Plus, even when the van is working, it's a pain to lug the set around.  Much easier with guitars and such.
If you had two drummers, whose house would you practice at?
So even when a garage band hits it big, big enough to afford a permanent practice space, they are used to having a single drummer.  Their fans are used to them with a single drummer. All the music they know is arranged for a single drummer.  They only need one drummer. They only have the one drummer.
Comment: True, but lots of drummers have two or more drum kits in their garage anyway (at least one acoustic, one electronic). And drummers generally aren't as fussy about using somebody else's instruments as guitarists are, so It wouldn't be too much of a problem for another drummer to come over.
Comment: @leftaroundabout I agree on a certain level but I myself as a drummer am very protective of my gear most drummers take a lot of pride and care of the drum kits it depends on how sentimental the kit is for the drummer.
Comment: @ThunderToes, that's for sure. Most of the drummers I know are like John C. Riley in Step Brothers.
Answer: Apart from the fact that one drummer can produce enough volume to compete with guitarists, even with a big rig,every sound he produces on the drums, and even on the hi-hat, is a short sound. With two drummers, each 'note' they play will have to be timed more accurately than, say, chords on a guitar.This should be easy to accomplish, but my experience says that I've played with more drummers who wander with timing than those who keep an accurate beat. That's not to say every song has to be regimented and exactly the same tempo all through, but with two drummers, the chance of them speeding up or slowing down, even a little, together, is quite small.
If you've played with drummers, you'll know how much stage space they occupy.
I guess the OP is talking about two drumkits, rather than several percussionists, which is not an unusual line-up.
And... there are lots of bands with only one, sometimes two guitarists. Not many have many - playing at the same time. More than two often means parts are being played identically, for no gain musically.
Answer: I can only think of two rock-oriented bands with two drummers: The Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead. In both cases, as I understand it, there's one drummer (Bill Kreutzmann for the Dead, Butch Trucks for the ABB) who is primarily responsible for the timekeeping and another (Mickey Hart, Jaimoe) who focus more on providing flourishes and a greater rhythmic complexity.
(At least, that's how I understand it; I'm a guitarist, so if you played me Live Dead or Fillmore and said there's one drummer, I'd believe it.)
(Just thought of a third: Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band. When I saw their live show on PBS, it featured Shiela E., who played when Ringo was a front man, and Ringo played when Shiela did her songs. For her main song, "Glamorous Life", she played percussion on a stand-up kit, as always. So, not the same thing.)
In general, you aren't going for that much rhythmic complexity, which is why you don't often see it.
Comment: So, with Ringo's band there was only one drummer at one time. And Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles...
Comment: Several years later, I say that I definitely saw Ringo on one kit and Shiela on another, as well as Ringo on a full kit with Shiela singing and doing percussion on "Glamorous Life", so no, Tim. Plus I'm tired of seeing people harsh in Ringo.
Answer: While many other valid points have been made here, IMHO it all comes down to LOUDNESS.
The signature tones of rock n roll guitar--distortion and overdrive--are said to have originated because early electric guitarists had to "max out" their primitive amplifiers in order to be heard over the drumset. Yelling and screaming as "vocal styles" likely evolved in a similar fashion.
An average drummer and drumkit alone can easily play at levels in excess of what is considered "safe" (i.e. non-damaging) for the human ear. This is compounded by the fact that snare drums and cymbals produce a broad swath of frequencies all at once, which masks other sounds (this is why some people use "white noise" machines to help them sleep).
Modern amps and sound systems are better able to "keep up" than they were 50 years ago, so even a three-piece (bass/guitar/drums) with cheap gear can achieve ear-shattering levels long before they "turn up to 11." With vocals (or instruments that require mics) you've got the added challenge of amplifying acoustic signals over the drums without causing feedback.
If you've ever seen an "unplugged" show, you may have noticed the drummer using "dowel sticks" (bundles of small wood or plastic rods bound together) or brushes of some sort to avoid overpowering everything else. This is also the reason you often see those plexiglass shields around drummers in some venues (they are not bulletproof!).
I'm sure there are exceptions to this, but in general: you have to be on a big stage, in a pretty large venue, outdoors, or have SERIOUS hearing protection (or major hearing LOSS!) -- PLUS have big trucks and top-notch performers -- before multiple drumkits actually sound like a good idea.
Answer: I can't believe no one has mentioned Adam and the Ants.
It's simple logistics, there are brazillions of guitar players, a lot of bass players and a handful of drummers in most localities.
(A decent drummer, who has their own van is gold dust)
Any good drummer is usually in more than one band.
Also, most material is written by the guys at the front who formed the band in the first place. It's sort of hard to write a song drums first.
Comment: "It's sort of hard to write a song drums first."  [Disapproves](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/1_collins.jpg).
Comment: I didn't say it was impossible.

Mr Collins doesn't come up with melodies at the drum kit though.
Comment: As I drummer myself I totally agree with you. I have been in two bands for at least two years now and throughout that time I have dabbled and been asked to play in countless other bands, drummers (good quality, diverse drummers) are hard to come by in this day and age.
Answer: Bands like the Doobie Brothers and The Allman Brothers did (do?) have two drummers.
One reason is that drums are, largely, one-dimensional musically speaking - they provide only rhythm without pitch. Guitars can provide both. So you can do more with guitars, like having a background rhythm with one while a more lead part with the other, e.g., listen to the intro in the Eagles' "One of these Nights."
Or listen to the intro in Derek and the Domino's "Layla" - you'll hear one guitar playing the chord (or it could be only fifths) progression with Eric playing that classic lead lick.
Comment: Ouch!  If you really think percussionists (even w/ a semi-standard rock drum kit) don't produce pitch,you aren't listening!  Snare, tenor, trap, bass drums produce radically different pitches.
Comment: They don't _vary_ their pitch. I've never found a drummer I could ask "Play an A this measure and D next meaure" on the snare drum!
Answer: The question specifically addresses culture, so... here goes.
Drums are complicated and cumbersome. Keyboardists and guitarists are more portable and greater in number. Culturally, this can lead to friction with drummers (see Pete Best, etc) as drummers are often known for being... well, they like to be in control, because technically they set the beat and, thus, are in control. In every band I've known this has led to personality issues with rock band drummers. So, if one is difficult to deal with, who would want 4?
Rock traditionally doesn't have more than one drummer. But there's more out there than stoner rock bands like Allman Brothers. Big Pig, a band popular for a stint in the 90s, had 21 drummers! The Talking Heads have toured with a cavalcade of drummers, at one time featuring at least 13 percussionists on stage. The Creatures, basically just Siouxsie and Budgie, toured with other drummers as their music was very tribal.
Now, with synths and beats and djs, there's even less need for drummers. The last Creatures show I went to, for example, was JUST Siouxsie and Budgie and a handful of synths. For a lot of EDM which is very beat driven, there's no drummer at all.
Sheila E often used to perform with her father and his band, which also featured several drummers. Other bands, like Weather Report, Return to Forever, and Santana, have featured several drummers. So yes, it's cultural - on a variety of levels.
Answer: Musically, I think the reason is...
Guitarists provide different things: rhythm (bass and rhythm guitar), harmony (rhythm guitar) and melody (mostly solo guitar). Also, we need bass and rhythm guitar because of different pitch they provide.
Drums provide only one thing: rhythm. Other percussion instruments (like congos in Latin music) add to that, but it's still only rhythm, with a little bit of tone. [EDIT: drummers don't hate me. This is too simplified, of course.]
(LATER) I saw that Randy had the same idea. BTW, Randy, saw a Cream DVD lately and wonder how do they work it out with only a lead guitar and no rhythm guitar. (Of course many other great bands did and do.)
Answer: This is interesting although it would mainly be down to personal Opinion/ preference there are many bands that have more than one Drummer/ percussionists and it seems to work. and its not specific to one genre either. the band slipknot uses a drummer and two other percussionists which provides a lot of diversity in the way of drumming. (that's in my opinion) but I think the problem with having multiple drummers is the difficulty to keep time with each other it is much easier for guitarists to keep in time with each other than it is for drummers to hit at the exact same time.
Also the space on stage would have to be dramatically increased to support such bands, and practice rooms generally only have one drum kit in each room and more rarely have space for another. although I love the thought of two drummers in a band it would be quite hard for them to get along in terms of timing and space. There's also a financial strain on bands with one drummer alone in terms of transport and storage and so on never mind two, so I guess that's why you don't see many bands with more than one drummer.
Answer: It is hard to find a good drummer just like it is hard to find a good bass player who stays in pocket ( and doesn't move onto playing guitar). Maybe it is an ego thing.


Eradication of the Five Hindrances

Question: Is there any stage, along the 'supermundane paths' to enlightenment, where the Five Hindrances to meditation are destroyed forever?
Comment: by Supramundane Path, do you mean the Eightfold Noble Path?
Comment: As this question was unclear and received no responses to date; edited to (hopefully) clarify. Can be rolled back to original if I've misstated your question though.
Answer: I think that the answer is 'yes, progressively'.

When you say "supermundane paths", this says,

According to the Abhidhamma, 'supermundane path', or simply 'path' (magga), is a designation of the moment of entering into one of the 4 stages of holiness - Nibbāna being the object - produced by intuitional insight (vipassanā) into the impermanence, misery and impersonality of existence, flashing forth and forever transforming one's life and nature.

Therefore, 'supermundane path' means the same thing as Four stages of enlightenment.
In each of these stages, there's the corresponding abandoning of more and more of the various 'fetters'.
This link says that the five hindrances include the ten fetters, and there's a table that says at which supermundane stage each hindrance is eradicated.
Comment: That table in the last link would have sufficed for a precise, targeted answer to the question. I'll add it in if you don't mind.
Answer: Yes! This is the whole aim of the Arhat's path! This is the goal of the 3rd training!
Instead of the word "destroy" it is better to think of it as "transform" because that is what it actually is. (Read Heart Sutra to understand this concept. Keep it in mind. Read Diamond Sutra Explained after.) The hindrances are basic energy that once you transform to its positive form--even if you do it temporarily--will give you tremendous energy in all its positive forms!
Anyway, that was the answer to your question.
But may i ask...
How is this done?
The three trainings.
1st training, morality, does a very temporary, repressive hold on the hindrances and afflictions.
This is why success in the 2nd training is pivotal. Once jhana is attained, each of the 5 factors of jhana temporarily but completely quells the 5 hindrances! This releases a tremendous amount of mental and physical energy and one feels truly oneself finally.
Fun Exercise: Make a table and think for yourself which concentration factor attacks which hindrance??
This is crucial because the 3rd training, the training of wisdom, requires that tremendous energy and focus from jhana. The goal of (Theraveda) Buddhism is success in this "last" training because it brings permanent resolution of the 5 Hindrances.
Nonetheless, may I repeat, one will not succeed in this "permanent resolution of the 5 hindrances" unless one succeeds in a temporary cure of the 5 Hindrances (through mastering at least 1st jhana).
What are the medicine for each respective hindrance? Each respective factor of the 5 Faculties.
How does one train them? Through facility in jhana, the 2nd training.
Note: Some argue that jhana is not necessary, the "dry insight" people, that this is going directly against the original suttas which speak of the benefits of jhana repeatedly ad nauseum.
Note 2: In Mahayana Buddhism, we go one step further and achieve Buddhahood by going beyond the afflictions and hindrances. In Mahayana Buddhism, once the goal of mastering the hindrances is achieved (3rd training), we go back to the 1st training (morality) and save all beings before entering into Perfect Nirvana. This is true Buddahood.

Eradication of the Five Hindrances


Does being optimistic help me to age more slowly?

Question: I read an article that says that the superyoung (people who look at least 10 years younger than they are) are really optimistic and happy people. Is this true? Is there any cause and effect relationship between mental health and biological age?
Answer: Being optimistic is not the only factor but people who were prepared for physical losses, and who were nevertheless optimistic, were better able to maintain better physical functioning, and lower depressive symptoms. in the study below it was concluded that  ageing well may depend both on public policy and societal efforts that work against stereotypical views of ageing, recognizing instead the diversity of the ageing population, and on encouraging individual optimistic views and active behaviors to promote healthy ageing. Optimism buffers the detrimental effect of negative self-perceptions of ageing on physical and mental health.


How to discover the referrals to 404 error pages in Google Analytics?

Question: I want to know the source of traffic which is directing people and bots to a page that does not exist on the site.  As a result they are being getting to a 404 page. How can I find this info using Google Analytics?
Answer: This could work if your 404 page has a specific title (like 'error' or 'Page not found'):
In Analytics: Go to Behavior > Site Content > All Pages
As primary dimension choose 'Page Title' and filter on the title of your 404 page - this will list all traffic to you 404 page.
Then choose 'Full Referrer' as secondary dimension - which will give you the url's linking to 404 pages. Disadvantage is that you don't know the page which is generating the 404.
Another alternative: create a custom report (under Customization tab)
Select Type: Flat Table
Dimensions: Page + Page Title
Filters: Page Title - Regex: (title of your 404 page)
=> Save (and run) - this generates a report with url / page title / referrer.
Alternatives: check the search console - it lists which pages are linking to your 404 pages. The method above will only work for humans - most bot traffic will not be measured by analytics


Replacement compatability for Shimano Mountain LX Chainring and or Crankset

Question: I need to replace Shimano Mountain LX Biopace Chainrings with 48/38/28 110 bcd and am having difficulty finding replacement chainrings, particularly the center chainring 38T. It appears Mountain LX is rare and I would like to know what other Shimano (Deore) or other chainrings or complete cranksets are compatible.
Answer: You cannot replace Biopace unless you find some antiques. Biopace ended 20 years ago.
Other chainrings are all compatible if the BCD is correct. The only issue is the ramps or pins that are meant to improve shifting performance. The manufacturer will always tell you to match everything up exactly but that is their sales pitch. Realistically having something ramped on the middle ring is a good idea and maybe on the big ring too. Ramps on a granny (smallest) ring don't make any difference. If you are really worried about compatibility get something similar (XT, STX, Deore...) with ramps that is from Shimano and you will be just fine.
Any square taper crankset which allows clearance for the frame and similar chainline will work fine. Actually buying a complete crankset with all the rings included is a lot cheaper than buying individual rings. The extreme example is a low end shimano riveted crankset for less than $40 vs the typical budget of $1/tooth for chainrings.
Answer: TA makes a 38t 110 bcd chainring.
For whatever reason, it's generally easier to find odd size parts on the European Web sites. Wiggle is generally a good source.
http://www.wiggle.com/ta-110-pcd-zephyr-mtb-middle-chainring/
Vuelta chainrings are generally more easily available in the USA, but aren't as nice as the TA ones.
http://www.bicycleroots.com/vuelta-chainring-38t-110bcd-6061-silver.html
If you swap the 38t for a 36t, then you should have no problem finding standard round replacement rings. Those old Deore cranks are pretty nice, just upgrade it
with a new set of rings. It's absolutely no problem to use 9spd chainrings on those cranks with 7 or 8 spd chain.
Answer: Unfortunately, Biopace components haven't been made for years (and other non-round chainrings aren't the same (e.g. Sugino Cycloid, Osymmetric)) and they've become somewhat rare. However, you can sometimes find them on eBay (listing claims Biopace, but theres no picture). Some people have stuck normal chainrings on a biopace crankset though (just need to match the BCD and number of bolts), and this is a significantly cheaper option.
As for replacement cranksets, you have just a plain old JIS square taper bottom bracket. So if you wanted a new crankset, match it to that type of bottom bracket. They're still made at the mid-lower levels of components (e.g. Shimano Alivio M430). Or you could switch the BB with another of appropriate size and get some other crankset.


Add Meta Stack Overflow → Stack Overflow migration path

Question: It seems like we've had an upswing in meta posts that actually belong on Stack Overflow (I'm not sure how that happens, but it does). I generally mod flag them, but they usually end up closing before a mod sees the flag. Is it possible to just add a migration path from Meta Stack Overflow to Stack Overflow?
Comment: @Daniel Mods can migrate anywhere; I wanted a migration path so 3k users here could vote to migrate
Comment: This would appear to be completed now in spite of Jeff's rejection of it :)  (see: http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/93345/convert-android-code-to-monoandroid-code?noredirect=1 )
Comment: As per @DanielDiPaolo's comment, should this question have the tag [status-accepted]?
Answer: No, I don't support this.
If users are so confused that they ask a programming question here, they need to figure a few things out on their own without us spoon feeding it to them.
Comment: +1.  I've only seen low-quality SO posts on meta.SO, never good ones.
Answer: As I posted here (which was written before mods had the facility to migrate anywhere in the network):

With the per-site-Meta model now, I
  think the following makes the most
  sense:

On all Meta sites, allow migration to the parent site
On per-site Metas, also allow migration to Meta Stack Overflow

This makes Meta SO an endpoint for
  Meta questions (as it should be), but
  allows a Meta site to migrate back and
  forth between the parent site (and
  that's it -- no MSO to SU, for
  example).

Under the new modified system, this scheme still works, and would alleviate moderators from having to intervene to do a migration. The 3k+ rep users on Meta are pretty active, and obvious programming questions do get closed quickly. On other per-site-Metas, there's nothing wrong with having this ability as well, though it's probably more likely that a mod will come along first before migration quorum is reached.
I should point out that contrary to what Jeff said in his answer here, programming questions on Meta are actively being migrated by moderators to the parent site (at least some of them). So if what Jeff said is what should happen, then mods need to stop "spoon-feeding" the users. Or, of course, the site close/migration policy could be changed so regular users do the work for the mods...
Answer: Diamond moderators can already migrate between any site, including from Meta to Stack Overflow. Simply flag the question for migration and it will be so. This can also be done if the question was already closed.
Comment: When I said "I generally mod flag them, but they usually end up closing before a mod sees the flag", I meant I mod flag them with "Please move to SO". Often the question closes as off-topic and the user leaves or reposts manually before a mod gets to it. If it's going to be increasingly common that we need to move to SO, we might as well have a migration path for it (it's not like meta is running out of space on the close dialog)