What's the significance of David's back pain in The Lobster?

Question: In the film The Lobster (2015), the pain in the back is such a defining characteristic of David. Does it have any particular significance? Why did the director decide to give him that burden?
Answer: I think the main significance of his back pain was that it required ointment for a part of his body that he couldn't reach. That highlighted just how alone he was, that he didn't have someone to do something so simple as rub the ointment to alleviate his pain.
There was of course the (what I consider) secondary effect, that the character being in semi-constant pain added to the overall oppression of the film.
Answer: Aryxus is partly right; the back pain was intended to highlight how advantageous it is to have a partner in life.  Taken from Larsen On Film:

So The Lobster backs off a bit from its bitterly comic, anti-romantic
  first half. Early signs the movie might head this way are the
  occasions in which we watch David, alone in his room, struggling to
  apply pain-relief ointment on a hard-to-reach part of his back. At
  some level, the movie recognizes both our desire for relationship and
  our need for it. What the movie objects to, it seems, is the way
  relationship has been propagandized, commoditized and narrowly defined
  in contemporary society.

Keep in mind, too, such trivialities as a dining room full of "tables for one", and how certain activities (such as masturbation, which lends to the idea that you don't need a partner) are either discouraged or not allowed entirely in the hotel.


One whole duck and extra pieces - how long in the oven?

Question: I have a duck (a bit more than 3 kilos) and two additional breast pieces (each around 300g). Now I am wondering how long this should stay in the oven. Rule of thumb is usually one hour per kg. So I would put the duck in the oven at 180° for three hours. But what about the additional pieces? Should I add them after two and a half hours? Or does this extend the oven time?
Comment: Do you have a thermometer?
Answer: Anyone who tries to match the variability of an oven (over time, no two heat identically, even the same brand, and most are inaccurate) with the irregularity of the food (no two whole ducks have the same mass and shape, and the side breasts don't have bones, which affect heat conductance) is doomed to be disappointed.  Anyone who suggests that you put in the breasts X minutes before the bird is done is leading you down a primrose path.
By all means, use the rule of thumb to give you a rough guess, but don't plan your meal around it. Get yourself a probe thermometer -- two, in this case: one for your whole bird and one for your separate breast.  Pull each piece out when it is done.  Plan your menu around that reality.


Can a prior publication by the inventors themselves defeat novelty?

Question: I had published an article in a journal about an invention I was working on with my co-author. Now that we have been able to finish our project and came up with the drug, we want to apply for a patent on it in India. Can that article be regarded as a prior publication, and in that case can prior art by the same inventors be used to refuse a patent?
Answer: Generally speaking, it does not matter who the authors of a prior art document are. If a prior publication was made by the inventors applying for a patent themselves, it is generally just as novelty-destroying as somebody else's relevant publication.
In some countries, notably the US, a "grace period" of 6-12 months exists, during which inventors may still apply for a patent on subject-matter previously disclosed by themselves:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novelty_%28patent%29#Grace_period
However, most countries do not have such a grace period. I do not know what the specific rules are in India.
So, unfortunately, I think your own prior publication of your invention will preclude you from obtaining a patent on it in most jurisdictions.
If your journal publication was within the last 6-12 months, your best course of action might be to apply for a patent in those jurisdictions which offer a grace period. Also, frankly, given the mistake which has already been made, seeking professional representation would probably also be advisable.
Unfortunately, the patent game does not provide the room to wait and see how a project turns out in the long run. You invent, you file, then you publish.
Additional remark: However, you might want to consider whether any substantial improvements over the published subject-matter were necessary to actually realize the drug during the later stages of the project (i.e., any practical aspects or non-disclosed modifications, even if they may seem "minor" at first glance). If these were not described in the journal publication, you might still be able to obtain a patent by claiming these additional, non-published aspects.
Answer: Yes, this analysis is correct.
Our published article would be prior art against yourself, but there is an important regulator: the way you disclosed your invention in your published articles. If it is not detailed enough or if it is not enough to make other parties able to know what the invention is and be able to make the invention, then you can still file your invention and this publication would not deprive your invention it's novelty.
Answer: It's important to remember that a patent is the how-to part -- "the present invention teaches ..." -- not the what-we're-doing part, which could be "investigating how such-and-such might be done" which might even include "so far we've tried 27 things and failed."
What a disclosure cannot include, and not run afoul of the various grace periods, is a descripton what worked and how you actually did the what-worked.
If you look at a collection of disclosures I did for a while they related to simulating rotating masses using software to make the electric grid more stable with non-rotating sources of generation as well as loads which did not demonstrate some form of angular momentum.  If I opined ("wrote a paper about") "the problem with modern generating sources is that many of them lack angular momentum" that's just words and the problem to be solved -- the "the present invention teaches ... how to implement angular momentum in a non-rotating generator" part -- isn't disclosed.
All that said, consult competent legal advice.  As inventors we're too predisposed to think in our own favor for you to answer this question for yourself.
Finally, when working on something which may be patentable it really is best to not say anything.  It doesn't feel as good as talking about your work, but unless you're very good about not disclosing anything that may hurt you in the future, it feels a lot better in the long run.


Unusual feeling during salah please help (New Muslim)

Question: Hello Before asking my question let me tell you something about me I was an non Muslim and recently reverted to Muslim about 1 month ago due to my love to Allah . after reverting I started doing all my prayer and reading book for new Muslims and recently I started to do all prayer (Obligatory+Sunnah+Nafl) of all 5 times on their exact time I feel a unusual (can't be expressed) feeling of happiness in my heart and I also do zikr of Almighty "ALLAH " after every 1 hour although I love Islam but from the last week when I pray I get unusual thoughts to leave ISLAM and not to do other non obligatory prayer not to do dhikr and also from few days when I started zikr and doing all my prayer I get an burning sensation sometimes on my body especially at back of my body and my heart beat increases rapidly and sometimes (rarely but day by day getting usual) get very bad thought about ALLAH and about my family member ( I can not say they are too bad) and one thing my parents do not know I am a Muslim and they hate Muslim and I am doing all these prayer by hiding myself Please anyone can tell me is this usual or something serious ?
Comment: I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is asking for a diagnosis for a very particular condition; this is better-off asked of a trusted professional rather than random strangers on the Internet.
Answer: Assalamulaikum,
Firstly I am so happy of the choice you made, welcome my brother/sister! In shaa Allah Allah SWT will ease your journey.
I was born a Muslim, but my family wasn't practicing. Only in the past few years did Allah guide me to learn and complete my prayers and do zikr and search for knowledge.
Looking back, worship was much more difficult in those early days.
It had mostly to do with forgetting old routines and habits and getting use to a new one. Fasting etc was very hard for me to.
When I prayed I use to always feel exhausted and have headaches. I always felt lazy. But Alhamdullilah eventually it got easier. Some day it is a little stress to manage but it is all for a good reward so we persevere.
So I can say, with time this will In shaa Allah become second nature for you.
I am in the same boat as you, my concentration in prayer slips sometimes. In shaa Allah we both find concentration in our salah and learn to perfect it. Ameen.
Now regarding these thoughts. I know all Muslims it is natural to have a swaying of belief and doubt.
But never give in to them, know that your faith is #1 in your life. It is the most important thing after this life, what did you believe in?
So whenever you find yourself in doubt look up Mufti Menk or Nouman Ali Khan on YouTube, their words usually give some solace.
Or best of all read The Quran or Islamic teachings. But sometimes it's best to watch scholars talk on YouTube because it is a more authentic place to get accurate interpretations.
Of course, reading about your situation, I immediately feel this is the work of the devil. Whose aim it is to mislead all believers.
May Allah Reward you abundantly with highest reach of Jannah, for taking such a step especially in a household where Islam is not accepted.
I will advise you to read Ayatul Kursi after every prayer session. You can read it here:
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.quran411.com/ayatul-kursi.php
I use to be troubled by a sinister presence in my home, suffered from sleep paralysis etc. But ever since incorporating Ayat Ul Kursi into my prayer routine things have gotten significantly better Alhamdullilah.
You can read about it's benefits on the link provided too, there are many.
I use to read it from my phone after prayer, and naturally it became memorised. Alhamdullilah.
"…Ayat al-Kursi is equal to a quarter of the Qur'an. Whomsoever recites Ayat al-kursi in the night before sleeping, Allah The Most High will protect him, his house & the neighbouring houses…"
(Tafsir Al-Mazhari)
And increase in your adhkar in general. May Allah SWT protect you.
Here is a post of duas you may recite for protection from the devil etc.
https://wayfaringbeliever.tumblr.com/post/169845292450/daily-athkaar-protect-yourselves-dear-brothers
I too am trying to incorporate these duas into my daily routine, I ask Allah to forgive me if I have shared any thing incorrect unknowingly, or taught anything hypocritically.
May Allah Forgive You and Bless You.
Ameen.
Comment: Wa-alaikum-salam thanks for your answer I tried ruqya but I get sleep every time I listen to it and thanks for ayat all kursi and other advice's and for your answer, Amen.
Answer: salamunalaikum. it sounds like Satan is coming to you quite often. it quite normal as they are trying to divert you of the straigh path i know this because ive experienced the same things including the burning sensation. inshallah there are ways to protect yourself.
for 100% guaranteed protection in the nights between magreb and fajr recite from surah bakara:
-first 4 versus
-ayat kursi (verse 155) and 2 verses that follow
-the last 3 versus
these ayats are mentioned in a strong hadeeth that they will protect your home during the night. im unsure weather it will have the same effect during the day as havnt found a strong hadeeth specifying so but its possible that they will. however to be 100 % sure recite surah bakarah and your house will be protected for 3 days
alternatively you can read surah bakarah but its quite dificult but will pretect your house for 3 day if recited in the home at night and same applies if recited during the day
these thoughts might come back if you leave your home so best to remain indoors and keep the house your in protected using these versus
now to coment on the burning sensation my oppinion of why we experience them is that because Allah has elevated us and shown us the truth yet you continue to sin therefore the burning sensation alternatively could be black magic but either way we shouldnt sin try to avoid as much as posssible.
ask allah for forgivnes inshalah the way of prophet younus la ilaha ila ant subhanak ini kuntum mina thalimin
if it is black magic i recomend once again reciting surah bakarah its soo strong. ive read its the best surah and that magicians cant approach it
could also try reading last 3 surahs of quran for protection
inshalah this helps feel free to ask if you have any more questions
Answer: Assalamualikum
All praise be to Allah and peace be upon his last messenger Hadhrat Muhammed (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).
Dear brother/sister, i first greet you that Haq subhan wa ta ala has showered his mercy upon you and awarded you with his utmost and invaluable treasure that is imaan. May Allah bestow his long lasting grace on you and keep you on Islam forever and also make you a source of hidayat (right guidance) for others.
my dear brother/sister, the coming of difficulties and unexpected circumstances is part of our examination in this life. From the lives of sahaba radhiallhu, we can see they have endure such circumstances after accepting imaan that we can't even imagine. It is because Allah subhan wa ta ala wants to perfect our imaan. Although He loves us more than seventy times our mother, but He wants His obedient slaves to recognize Him in every aspect of life. That's why such hardships are sent to test our imaan. Swearing shadat of Islam is a first step and enhancing our level of imaan is a life-term work. The more we get our imaan and level of taqwa(piety) enhanced, more we get close to our Creator.
Sahaba radhiallhu did not fear from anything whether it is human, jinn or other creatures, because they fear Allah subhan wa ta ala. A person was brought to Hadrat Abdullah bin masood radhiyallh anhu. This person was suffering from possession of some jin. Hadrat Abdullah bin masood radhiyallh anhu recited the "Afahasibtum annama...."( Surah Muminoon 115-118)  till last in his ear. The deceased person immediately recovered. It can be inferred from this that the sahaba has got this level of imaan by which they were able to remove that jinn in just one time recitation of quran. But our imaan is very weak, although we do also have the same quran as sahaba.
But sahaba have achieved the reality of imaan from the dawat and endurance of hardship.
So my dear be patience with these circumstances and keep complete faith in Allah. Keep doing your prayer sincerely and increase your supplication (especially in last part of night). Also keep reciting quran with intention of cure from these problems. Manzil is a collection of various ayats of quran, selected especially for this purpose, so try to make a day and night habit of reciting manzil. if you need any help, feel free to contact me on "email@example.com".
May Allah subhan wa ta ala accept our deeds and overlook our mistakes and sins
Assalamualaikum


病む in actual usage

Question: One of the difficulties facing any learner of another language is to try to understand the nuance of words between languages. In English, 'to be sick' is used for both the state of being ill as well as a polite term for the act of vomiting. Does this nuance carry over to 病{や}む (even informally), or would 吐{は}く or げろげろ吐{は}く be the better option?
Answer: 病む doesn't mean / imply vomiting. It is a little literary and usually takes an object to show what is wrong.

精神を病む
  結核{けっかく}を病んでいる

吐く is fine. げろげろ吐く sounds vivid, so you might want to avoid. Some people prefer 戻{もど}す because it sounds indirect.
Comment: I agree with Hideki when it comes to げろげろ吐く sounding quite vivid. For context, げろげろ is the sound of a frog going "ribbit", and is kind of illustrating the onomatopoeia of throwing up :p
Answer: I usually use "病む" mainly for mental illness, like "精神を病んでいる、or 心を病んでいる。"  I've never used this  word myself, meaning being sick, but in writing, maybe both physically and mentally we can use.  Personally "吐く"is OK, but "げろげろ吐く" doesn't sound good. I'm not sure, but I can see this expression maybe in comic books, but not often in the conversation.  People often say, "もどす"or "吐く". or "たくさんもどした、or
 たくさん吐いた"。

病む in actual usage


What is the state of open-source Poulsbo/GMA 500 drivers?

Question: Currently, a causal browse through a number of Linux distros show spotty Poulsbo drivers at best. Has any headway been made recently towards either convincing Intel to coax the driver source out of PowerVR or an acceptable (I can install it without low frame rates, involved steps and without fear that a kernel update will break it) OSS driver solution? I would love to put Linux on my little Acer netbook but I rely on it too much to install a nerfed driver.
Answer: There are open-source gma500 drivers in kernel-3.2 by Alan Cox from Intel. They are lacking 2d/3d/video acceleration but hardware should intialize properly. Not sure you'll find it user-friendly, but it is at least "hacker-friendly" - i.e. allowing to hack-in the missing features (acceleration).
Answer: I've tried Ubuntu 10.4, Linux 9 (same difference) Jolicloud Pre-beta, 1.0. 1.1, & 1.2, Fedora 12 & 13.
Ubuntu 10.4 has been by far the most stable, but kernal updates are risky and I've had to back track a few times. Jolicloud just gets worse and worse. 1.1 and 1.2 failed completely and support started to sound like they were almost at the point where they were blaming Ubuntu or Grub!
I've ran Mandriva 2011 Spring live and it all seems in place, recognising the Poulsbo and offering to download the (non-free) driver. Unfortunately I was out off the office so no net connection to try this out. Plan to install it in a second partition alongside Ubuntu 10.4.
Comment: I wish you luck. My Win7 install on my netbook is starting to experience bit rot and I would like to replace it with linux.


Why doesnt Trunks turn super saiyan rage in the Dragon Ball Heroes anime?

Question: In the Dragon Ball Heroes videogame animated scenes, Trunks is able to turn super saiyan rage. But in the anime he doesnt transform into it, not even to fight Oozaru Cumber, he only turns into super saiyan. Now I havent read the Dragon Ball Heroes mangas, but if the manga and the anime are based in the videogame, why doesnt Trunks turn into super saiyan rage in the anime?
Answer: The only possible answer for this question is the writers decided he would use his Super Saiyan form.If you rewatch the Episode, Goku and Vegeta also turn Super Saiyan against him at the start despite witnessing his power and fighting him fused before. Plus, they weren't out of stamina or anything as Goku transformed to SSJB when Cumber tried to crush him and he follows it with Kaioken times 20. The transformation does exist within Dragon Ball Heroes. Hence, there is no other specific answer or logical reasoning why.


Chain slipping between frame and gears

Question: I have a bike that I use for getting from place to place. The only problem is, the chain periodically slips off the gears and gets stuck between the frame and the rear wheel gears. Almost like my bike thinks there's one more gear there. It's pretty scary when it happens in an intersection because it locks my pedals. Any advice on how to fix it?
Comment: The rear derailer needs adjustment.  For the small cog you need to adjust the H (vs L) screw, screwing it in to limit how far outward the derailer can move.  Try starting with about 3/4 of a turn.
Comment: @DanielRHicks I plead "too early in the morning".  :-)
Comment: As Daniel said the derailleur needs adjustment.
[Park Tool has a good article](https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-adjustment) on derailleur adjustment.
Comment: If the chain gets caught between the gears and the rear wheel's spokes, you likely damaged the spokes.  Any nick or gouge in a spoke will create a [stress riser](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_concentration) in the spoke that will lead to failure much, much more rapidly.  And having a properly-adjusted derailleur isn't going to ensure it never happens.  I've taken to putting plastic spoke protectors on that **do** prevent the chain from getting between the gears and the spokes.
Comment: @AndrewHenle - That's the L screw.
Comment: Probably adjusting the derailleur will sort it out, but just in case, I had the same problem and it wasnt the derailleur I fixed it by reshaping the chain ring that was bent.
Answer: What is likely happening (which David and Daniel describe the fix to) is that your rear derailleur has become maladjusted and is moving the chain further outboard--and off the sprocket cluster--than is necessary for your particular cassette or freewheel. In a sense it does "think" there is one more gear since the current adjustment is allowing the derailleur cage more movement outboard than is necessary  and the chain derails into the space between the small, high gear cog and the frame dropout.
The fix is relatively simple and straightforward.  One has to "limit" the movement of rear derailleur's cage so that it can only move out as far as the last, high gear cog and no further.  The two limit setting screws are paired together and typically can be found at the back/rearward end of the rear derailleur.  Almost always, regardless of brand or model of derailleur, the manufacturer has designated each screw with an "H"--for high gear, small cogs or "L"---for the low gear, large cog side. The ends of these screws act on different aspects of the derailleur's parallelogram causing the derailleur cage to move in or out a few millimeters so that the upper jockey wheel gets in good alignment with the small cog at the outside and the large cog that's furthest inboard.  The end-setting of these screws will ideally find your jockey wheel running straight down from the outside edge of the small cog and straight down from the center of the large cog.  These two positions define the limits, high and low respectively, of the rear derailleur.
It's a good idea to release all cable tension from the rear derailleur by loosening the cable pinch bolt and allow the cable to go completely slack.  This takes cable tension out of the equation as this can generate a false high limit if the cable prevents full range of outboard movement the derailleur spring can cause the cage.   With the chain on the largest chainwheel and smallest cog (the highest gear), manipulate the H-limit screw so that the upper, jockey wheel of the derailleur cage comes in line with plane of the outer edge of the small cog.  Turning the H-limit screw clockwise will move the jockey wheel more inboard (which based on your derailling problem is the direction you'll need to go).  Counter clockwise rotation of the limit screw allows more outward movement of the cage.  Again, the H limit setting should be where the middle of the jockey wheel falls in line with the outside edge of the small cog. You can now re-tension the cable and secure with the pinch bolt.
Next is low limit adjustment with the chain in lowest gear (small chainwheel, largest cog in back). Turn the L limit screw such that the jockey wheel  comes in line with the center of the large cog. Clockwise movement of the L screw moves the derailleur cage to the right, counter clockwise will cause the cage to move left. When you have reached the desired limit on this low end, push the shifter as if to shift to a bigger cog to make sure any movement caused by this overshift doesn't bring the cage too close to the spokes.  When these steps are completed, the limit screws are set and no further manipulation of the screws should be attempted. Indexing of the gears and and other shifting issues should be handled with the barrel adjusters.

Chain slipping between frame and gears


How much heat can a speaker cables PVC jacket take?

Question: Can a regular speaker cables PVC jacket survive 120°C atmosphere? Or do I have to use some other cable?
Comment: Maybe I could try to separate the whole cable, but I can't use the cable naked because the space where I am installing it is moist also:/ but I will still try to separate it from heat somehow.
Comment: well i would test it , i think it's a lot tho, have you thought of trying cloth wire? I've seen them getting some black burns from time to time but could work... especially if its a fat one!
Comment: This question seems better suited to electrical engineering stack exchange.
Answer: You have to use some other cable.
I usually go with Teflon in difficult thermal situations.

In general, the thermal performance of PVC may be severely inadequate for the 120°C conditions you've mentioned. Many forms of PVC insulation are rated as low as 80°C. Here are some supporting references to back up this claim:
See Semi-Rigid PVC (SR-PVC) under the Plastic materials:

http://www.awcwire.com/insulation-materials.aspx

See sub-heading UL Style 1007, CSA TR-64 under Polyvinylchloride (PVC) Insulated UL/CSA Hook-Up Wire:

http://www.standard-wire.com/downloads/swc_catalog.pdf

See PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC) under the Thermoplastic heading:

http://www.usawire-cable.com/pdfs/wire%20knowledge.pdf
Comment: Useful solutions in low-risk-of-damage may also include Silicone (150 to 250 deg C rated are most common) or glassfiber reinforced Silicone (200 to 350 deg C most common) - The latter is better suited for rough or sharp terrain, sometimes usually even better than PVC. But then, Teflon itself is also very soft. Might be good to include that in the advice; if there's sharp edges or a lot of rough abrasion that won't always do. (light abrasion should be fine as Teflon is slick as hell, but requires testing).
Comment: Thank you for the help! I bought some silicone cable which should endure temps from -80 celsius to 260 celsius:)


How to inform foreign office in Germany regarding Blue card when leaving Germany?

Question: I am working in Germany since February, 2016 and I have a blue card which is valid till 2020. Due to some reasons am resigning my current job and leaving Germany permanently and moving back to my home country (non EU country). I know I have to inform foreign office if I switch jobs within first two years of getting a blue card. But there are no clear rules about what to do with the blue card while leaving Germany? I checked the foreign office website and there are no details regarding this.
Answer: Normally a Blue Card is obtained after you pass some strict requirements. This gives you a residence and work permit in Germany for the first 2 years of your stay, plus access to other benefits. No integration course needed, proof of German language, etc....
If you are not currently working, it's required that you notify the Ausländerbehörde about this. The reason the Blue Card exists is to attract skilled workers when the internal market lacks such individuals.  I would also inform them of the reason why are you leaving, including your nationality, as this can help them prevent such things from happening in the future.
They have a public phone number you can call, or email them, or you can write them via post.  Their public contact page.
Comment: Thanks for the answer. Yes, I know about the Blue card and how hard is it to get. But due to some unexpected situations I had to leave. I contacted the foreign office through mail. Will update once I get a reply.
Comment: @siva did you ever get a reply? What happened in the end?


Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

Question: I read the question/answers on mindfulness of feelings and emotions. When I am meditating on the breath unpleasant body feelings arise and they are noted. (Example: A wave of fear permeating the body.  Not long after the fact, I realize that those unpleasant body feelings were a result of a thought. So, I get caught up in trying to label it correctly. I.e. Is it a body unpleasant feeling or a mind unpleasant feeling? This creates more anxiety and doubt. Do you have any suggestions on how to proceed. Thank you
Comment: I can't think of a better instruction/explanation than this one by Ajahn Jayasaro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hu5onZPHJI&feature=youtu.be&t=22m25s
Answer: Even though I cannot help explain the first part of your question, for sure I can help you reduce the anxiety and doubt that arises in meditation. What I give below is only one small part of the many things that you can do to overcome this feeling. Please try the following and see….
Impermanence of Breath
Anapanasati is something that should be developed and pursued mindfully and discerningly. Now, he trains himself to breathe in focusing on impermanence, and to breathe out focusing on impermanence. Purity of mind has been achieved through the elimination of the hindrances (nivarana). His effort, mindfulness and concentration are now being directed towards focusing on impermanence. He is contemplating on impermanence within anapanasati. He can see the impermanent nature of his own breath in its rise and fall; the impermanence of his body; and the impermanent nature of the pleasant feeling and perception that he experienced.
Impermanence of Body
What has he seen in the body? What does this body consist of? This physical body contains and comprises the four great elements, which are known as: solidity/earth (pathavi), fluidity/water (apo), heat or temperature (tejo) and air (vayo). We generally use the word rupa (material form) to denote the body. When he is breathing in and out, he is focusing on impermanence of material form which is derived from the four great elements.
Impermanence of Feeling
Thereafter, he is focusing on feelings. Dependent on contact, feeling arises. What is contact? Contact is the coming together of three things. For example, eye, form and eye-consciousness come together, and it is their convergence, that is called contact. Similarly, with ear and sounds, nose and smells, and so on, through to mind and mental-objects.
In this instance, when body, tangible object and consciousness come together, there arises contact. With the arising of contact, simultaneously, there arises feeling (vedana) – feeling born of body contact. Since feeling is conditioned by contact, feeling differs in accordance with the change of contact. This way, he contemplates on the impermanence of feeling.
Impermanence of Perception
Then, there is the recognition of perception. This is called sañña (perception) which is also subject to change as it is conditioned by contact. Perception changes due to impermanence of contact.
Impermanence of Formations
Perception is followed by sankhara (mental formations). If the mental factor was directed to a certain matter, on that occasion there is volitional activity, and this is called sankhara. Here, he observes the impermanence of the mental formation with the change of contact. All these are based on the activities of the mind.
Now he understands every aspect in this life process which was considered as self (form, feeling, perception and formation); or anything pertaining to a self. He has real wisdom to see things as they really are. One may contemplate on impermanence saying "anicca, anicca" continuously, but still be holding onto the notion of "I am" or "mine". To avoid this, it is important to realize the impermanent, no-self nature in inhalation-exhalation and in any other external object.
Impermanence of Consciousness
Finally, he sees the impermanent nature of all that has been cognized (the rise and fall of breath, rapture, joy, feelings, and perceptions). It is through this insight that the true nature of the five aggregates of clinging is understood and seen in the light of impermanence:
material form (rupa) derived from the four great elements,
feeling (vedana) that is conditioned by contact,
perception (sañña) that is conditioned by contact,
mental formations (sankhara) that is conditioned by contact, and
consciousness (viññana) that is conditioned by mentality-materiality (nama-rupa)
Being fully concentrated on anapanasati, he now dwells ardent, with full awareness, and clear comprehension of impermanence. With the base of this awareness, established in anicca (impermanence), he develops an understanding of his own life, the impermanent nature of others who breathe and live, and the impermanent nature of material form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness (the five aggregates of clinging).
Thus, he observes the impermanent characteristic of phenomenal existence, internally and externally. He does not see a difference in him and the outer world. He sees the characteristic of phenomenal existence as subject to cause and effect. Now he is gaining knowledge, and his comprehension is increasing. He sees things as they really are, in whatever material form: whether past, present or future, far or near, external or internal. He sees the impermanence even of the rapture and pleasure that he is experiencing in breathing mindfully. Now, based on the impermanent breath, he understands the impermanent nature of the five aggregates of clinging.
He realizes that whatever is impermanent and subject to change, is suffering (dukkha). And, whatever is impermanent is without self (anatta). It is through this insight that the true nature of the aggregates is clearly seen; in the light of three signs (ti-lakkhana): impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and without self (anatta).
He sees the impermanent, suffering and no-self nature of all conditioned and component things. As a result, he knows there is no "I", no self, or anything pertaining to a self. When he trains himself to breathe in and out focusing on impermanence, he understands that anything taken as 'mine' is impermanent; anything taken as 'I am' is impermanent; and anything that is taken as 'my self' is impermanent. He realizes that whatever is impermanent, is without self. That which is without self, is not 'mine', not 'I am', and is not 'my self'. Thus he sees everything as it really is – with wisdom.
Answer: Painful bodily feeling is, for example, a pain in the knee or a mosquito biting.
Fear is not a 'feeling'. Fear is a mental defilement, mood or emotion.
You should label using a descriptor (label) that is most natural.
An empathetic label that resonates the feeling or emotion is also useful (such as 'sensation' or 'trembling') because this helps the mind harmonize with the sensation or mood.
A pain in the knee you should label as 'pain' or 'painful sensation'.
Fear you should label as 'fear' or 'trembling' (in the clear knowledge it is a passing temporary mood).
Fear is a normal & ordinary arising in new practise. Even the Buddha-To-Be experienced it.
Comment: Thank you both for your prompt and helpful responses. I have a follow up question. What is the difference between a mental feeling and an emotion? Can you provide some common examples or something to help me differentiate between the two?
Answer: Feelings/sensations ('vedana') are pleasure & pain (or unpleasantness). For example, the taste of ice-cream, being sweet, is a pleasurable sensation. The smell & sight of a rotting dead animal is an unpleasant feeling. Or a mosquito biting is a painful sensation.
Emotions/cravings/desires/defilements ('kilesa') in Buddhism are categorized into three types: (1) greed/lust/love; (2) anger/hatred; & (3) confusion (including fear)/ delusion/self-obsession.
(When there is a lack of mindfulness) pleasant feelings give rise to greed or desire towards that pleasant feeling & experience. Unpleasant feelings give rise to hatred, anger, aversion or desire against that unpleasant feeling & experience. 'Vague' feelings give rise to confusion, fear, etc, circling around that 'vague' feeling (which Buddhism calls 'neither-pleasant-nor-unpleasant feeling').
The practise of Buddhism is that of having mindfulness & wisdom when feelings occur. For example, you may feel pleasure towards the sight of expensive food but have the wisdom to realise you cannot afford that food. Such wisdom will eliminate the desire/craving towards that pleasant food. Or you may feel pleasure towards the sight of your friend's beautiful wife but have the care, good-will & wisdom to know lust for your friend's wife is wrong, inappropriate & harmful. Or you may feel displeasure in your work against a difficult client but know if you exhibit anger in your voice you may lose the client or have a complaint lodged against you.
In Buddhism, it is taught pleasant & unpleasant feelings will always occur. Even Buddhas have pleasant & unpleasant feelings. But Buddhas, because of their mindfulness & wisdom, do not have the arising of unwise emotions/desires that lead to harm & suffering.

How suffering arises: On seeing a form with the eye, he is passionate (sàrajjati) for it if it is pleasing; he is angry
  (byàpajjati) with it if it is displeasing. He lives with attention to
  body (kàya-sati) unestablished, with a limited mind, and he does not
  understand realistically (yàthabhåtaü nappajànàti) the deliverance of
  mind (cetovimutti) and deliverance by wisdom (pannà vimutti) wherein
  those evil unwholesome states (dhammas) cease without remainder.
  Engaged as he is in favouring and opposing, whatever feeling he feels
  - whether pleasant or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful - he delights (abhinandati) in that feeling, welcomes it, and remains
  holding on to it. As he does so, delight (nandi) arises in him. Now,
  delight in feelings (vedanàsu nandi) is clinging (upàdàna). Becoming
  is conditioned by his clinging; becoming conditions (egoism) birth;
  (egoism) birth conditions (egoism) ageing-&-death; sorrow,
  lamentation, pain, grief and despair come to be. Thus is the arising
  of this entire mass of suffering.
~~~~
How suffering ends: On seeing a form with the eye, he is not passionate for it if it is pleasing; he is not angry at it if it is
  displeasing. He lives with attention to body established, with an
  immeasurable mind, and he understands realistically the deliverance of
  mind and deliverance by wisdom wherein those evil unwholesome states
  cease without remainder. Having abandoned favouring and opposing,
  whatever feeling he feels - whether pleasant or painful or
  neither-pleasant-nor-painful - he does not delight in that feeling,
  welcome it, or remain holding to it. As he does not do so, delight in
  feelings ceases in him. From the cessation of his delight comes
  cessation of clinging; from the cessation of clinging, the cessation
  of (egoism) becoming; from the cessation of (egoism) becoming, the
  cessation of (egoism) birth; from the cessation of (egoism) birth,
  (egoism) ageing-&-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair
  cease. Thus is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering.
Mahàtanhàsankhaya Sutta

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction


Words order in a question

Question: Which is better (and why)?

Which feature should I attach this task to?

or

To which feature should I attach this task?
Answer: The first phrasing is what one would use in casual conversation; it does a good job of establishing the subject, object, and verb to a listener whereas the second phrasing takes some "decoding", in my opinion.
The "rule" that you can't end sentences with prepositions is a myth; it's generally agreed that ending sentences with prepositions is fine as long as the preposition is not extraneous (i.e. you wouldn't have the same meaning by removing it.) So, the first sentence is not ungrammatical.
However, the idea of this rule indeed exists because as TLP said, it is a bit of mouthful. It might make sense to go with an alternate phrasing.

Which feature is this task associated with?
Which feature involves this task?
Answer: I am not sure the first one is quite proper English, but I am sure it is passable. If you read it out loud, though, it is quite a mouthful.
The second one is, IMO, clearer, as it narrows the scope of the question straight away: "To which feature.."
An alternative to these two is:
To which feature should this task be attached?

Words order in a question


How to get my younger dog to stop pestering my older dog?

Question: My older dog is an overly-tolerant purebred Newfoundland(True). She and my younger dog have lived together in the same house since we adopted the younger one at 5 months old. The Newfie is seven years old now, and is getting quite tired of my rescue mix's pestering. My rescue mix(Luna) is three, and she still tries to get my Newfie girl to play. When True refuses to play with Luna, Luna tries to herd her. True just sits there. This frustrates Luna, so she tries to use True's neck fur to pull her out of a sitting position. Eventually, True gets tired of this, and gently but clearly exerts dominance. Luna backs off, but only for 5-25 minutes, at which point she begins again. True has been at a sleepover during the week in order for her to take a break from Luna. She seems to be bored with only Molly(the resident dog) to play with, so we know that she's willing to play a little bit. But only on her terms. Advice?
Comment: Personally, I'd let them negotiate this.
Answer: Why does this bother you?
Your Newfoundland seems to be able to handle the situation quite well. We have an older and a younger dog too (1 and 3 years) and as long as they don't get too aggressive with each other, we just let them sort it out.
Unless they are in danger of hurting each other, I would not intervene. This is part of their normal social behavior.


USA 2016 election demographic data

Question: I am looking for demographic data (age, income, race, location) for individuals who voted in the 2016 US presidential election. The resolution that I am looking for can be at the state, county, or census block level. The data format is not important.
Comment: @Daniel Miller thanks for the edit i was having trouble with the wording lol
Comment: Unfortunately, data.gov is not that refined yet. Currently, retrieving registrations, turnout estimations, and modeling them, is still an expensive process. That is why it is mostly reported on by news outlets and universities. With any luck, something like the University of Minnesota's Population Center will eventually release their findings.
Comment: states will have this. you'll have to do an individual search, and not all will, but you'll find some goldmines if you look hard enough. although i have no clue when they'll be posting these.
Answer: From an open-source point of view, there is no direct source for age/income/race/location as to which way an individual voted; this is by design that you cannot figure out who voted for whom.
Having said this, you can get an estimate through a survey program that the US Census does. An overview of the results up to the 2014 elections is provided.
Additionally, you can get the voter registration data from each state and look at the demographic make up by county; Florida has a great site for this. You can get help on sources from the Election Project Voter List site. Once you have the registration data, you can get a generalized makeup of the voting by county / state.
TLDR: There is no direct source, but state election offices provide an roundabout way to figure this out.
Answer: That data isn't available from the government, but the next closest thing that is available is the exit polls. CNN lets you browse their exit poll results on their website.
Comment: this is good stuff, i wish i can download the data the though
Comment: @ziggy Scraping would be the way to go there.
Comment: @BarryCarter I know some Python, but never really learned web scraping aside from geospatial data off of google maps. any chance you could post some code on how to do this or a link to a solid reference/tutorial on this
Comment: @ziggy Yes, but the chance is about the same as Gary Johnson winning the election ;) Seriously, if you google talk me at firstname.lastname@example.com I can tell you how to write a scraper and give you tips, but I'm not quite up to writing code at the moment, sorry. Tip: note that http://www.cnn.com/election/results/exit-polls/new-jersey/president gives you New Jersey results... if you "curl" this page and others (substituting new-jersey for other state names), you're halfway there.
Comment: @BarryCarter hahah Gary Johnson, okay so I may take you up on that private message thanks for the offer!
Answer: You can download the data from CNN in JSON format at:
http://data.cnn.com/ELECTION/2016/full/P.full.json
This is some of the data that powers the CNN's election web page.
It has the outline shown below, with "races" containing results per state, and "polls" containing polling data:
<code>
{
  "pages": [...],
  "race": "President",
  "races": [...],
  "candidates": [...],
  "polls": [...],
  "lts": 1479007549000
}
</code>
Answer: Check out these links below, and you can also search "election 2016" in data.world for other related data. There's quite a few users who are already aggregating this data and creating analyses and cool visualizations. If you're interested in collaborating, some are seeking additional contributors to help build out these datasets further. Hope this helps!
https://data.world/aaronhoffman/us-general-election-2016
https://data.world/kidpixo/election-usa-2016-results

USA 2016 election demographic data


For independent contractors, can you use your room as a deduction if you don't pay rent?

Question: I'd like to use my living space as a deduction, I don't pay rent.
Comment: Why don't you pay rent? Because somebody else is paying 100% of the bill (e.g. parents) or because you own the home?
Comment: It is my parents home. My question was answered though, that there can be no deductions without expenses
Answer: In general, tax deductions can only be used to offset specific expenses or income. If there is no expense, then you can't deduct it. Similarly, if you paid only $1 in rent, then you could deduct at most $1 for a room deduction. Note this also explains why if you donate your time to a charity, you cannot deduct that either (because there is no income to offset).
Note that tax credits work differently, as they reduce your tax bill, and can sometimes cause you to receive a tax refund even if you have no income. Credits are typically a special case and do not apply here.
Comment: And to be a bit more explicit, in you have a room in your house, for which you use for business, you can deduct part of the cost of maintain the house.  (Certain conditions apply.)  If your cost for maintaining the house is zero, well then you can't deduct anything.
Answer: In addition to TTT's excellent and accurate answer, you also can't deduct rent for your living space - even if you paid any - because living space isn't a business expense. You need your living space even if you weren't running a business, so it isn't a business cost.
There are some ways to make it work, primarily involving having part of your 'home' solely dedicated to work, but the tax office investigates them very thoroughly and they are very strict, because it's such an easy thing to fiddle.
Comment: Just to help the OP, this *only applies* if you are *paying money* for rent.  In this case, it seems OP is paying $zero to the parents, so, there is *no* deduction possible.


When does Magicka save your position?

Question: I thought these checkpoints had some kind of auto-saving, but after I quit the game and wanted to continue, I had to go to the beginning. Is this some sort of a bug or what? When does the game save your position? I don't plan on going through the whole game in one shot; those days are over. I want to play for 45-60 minutes to relax, not to sit in front of the computer playing for half a day.
Answer: Magicka uses a 'checkpoint and chapter' save system. The various Checkpoints you reach save your progress against death - if you screw up, they're where you'll restart from.
Progress is saved persistently -  read, across sessions -  after completing each chapter.
Fortunately, each chapter is fairly short, taking only about an hour, give or take some to complete once you've figured out the various gimmicks, puzzles and dangers.
Comment: There was a [patch](http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2235109) to change this, in the meantime. Now the checkpoints are actually saved.
Answer: There are some round stone pedestals on which some big boulders with a round hole around the top spread throughout Magicka. Those serve as respawn points. Also, you get a new respawn point every time you see "Checkpoint" come up on your screen, or when entering boss rooms.
The only times you update the SAVE FILE itself is when you finish a chapter. Once you leave the game, you will start at the beginning of the chapter you were last on.

When does Magicka save your position?


How to make a diff tool ignore asterisks?

Question: I want to compare and merge some org files. How can I make a diff tool assume that some tasks or notes are identical, even if they are on different levels, i.e. strings only differ in the number of asterisks (*) at the beginning? I would then collapse those strings and consider merging only the rest that really differ.
Answer: If you are content to use diff on the bash command line and are not looking for a pure emacs solution, you can use process substitution to pass into diff slightly modified files:
diff <(sed -E 's/^\*+/*/' file1.org) <(sed -E 's/^\*+/*/' file2.org)

Each sed command outputs its input file unchanged, except that a string of one or more asterisks at the beginning of a line is changed to a single asterisk. Bash process substitution makes a file out of that output. Conceptually, the above is equivalent to
sed -E 's/^\*+/*/' file1.org > /tmp/file1.modified.org
sed -E 's/^\*+/*/' file2.org > /tmp/file2.modified.org
diff /tmp/file1.modified.org /tmp/file2.modified.org
rm /tmp/file1.modified.org /tmp/file2.modified.org

You can also write a bash script to simplify the invocation:
#!/bin/bash

diff <(sed -E 's/^\*+/*/' $1) <(sed -E 's/^\*+/*/' $2)

Save it as stardiff in $HOME/bin (which I assume is in your $PATH), make it executable: chmod +x $HOME/bin/stardiff and invoke it like this:
stardiff file1.org file2.org

Process substitution is a general mechanism and is very useful in situations like this one, where we basically want to pipe the output of a command (the sed command output) into the input of another command (the diff command), except that we have two or more inputs: an ordinary pipe cannot deal with that, but process subsitution can.
Of course, this has nothing to do with emacs, but I hope the emacs SE moderators will not be too upset :-)
Answer: You can do an ediff-buffers-wordwise and type #h \*+ to ignore words consisting of stars.
If you advance to the next diff by pressing  SPC  ediff will skip words only differing in the number of stars.
Comment: I cannot find a command "ediff-buffers-wordwise"
Comment: Same question for me. I guess that this is a custom function defined in https://emacs.stackexchange.com/a/46195/226
Answer: One can configure ediff-filtered-filters such that it replaces multiple leading stars with one leading star and call ediff-buffers.
The following Elisp function my-org-ediff does that for you. Just copy the Elisp code to your init file, restart Emacs, and use my-org-ediff for diffing org files in the way you want it.
(defvar ediff-filtered-filters)
(defun my-org-ediff ()
  "Ediff like `ediff-buffers' but convert all heading leaders \\*+\\([[:space:]]\\) to \\*\\1."
  (interactive)
  (let ((ediff-filtered-filters '(("^\\*+\\([[:space:]]\\)" . "*\\1"))))
    (call-interactively #'ediff-buffers)))


Will it be disappointing for the reader to not know who the main character is until the end?

Question: What I'm trying to say is the first four chapters are about four different people by themselves, then they're together the rest of the book and all die except one, but that one is very important and it's supposed to be realized that he was the definite main one throughout the whole series. If that sounds confusing here's a the simplified question: Is it "too much" for the reader to get attached to all four characters then just just follow one after the first book, especially if he wasn't the most likable one?
Comment: It doesn't sound wrong if you do it well.
Answer: There are more things to consider, with regards to who is the main character, than who is "the most important to the plot". Who is the POV character(s)? Whose inner thoughts do we hear? Whose emotions do we follow? (The POV character is not necessarily the MC - Sherlock Holmes is a famous example to the contrary - but it is one element that would affect how your readers view the characters.)
If all four characters get about equal POV time, you can compare your story to Song of Ice and Fire: readers certainly get attached to G.R.R. Martin's numerous POV characters, and those POV characters certainly die partway through the story.
You mention that your four characters are together for most of the book. In that case you need to consider group dynamics. The leader of the group is not necessarily the MC - The Lord of the Rings is a contrary example, but if you have one POV who is the leader, and three POVs who are tagging along, the character who's most active in making decisions is going to feel like the MC.
And one last thing for you to consider: you are worried about definitions. Is there any particular reason why you can't have four MCs? Or why a character who is not really the MC of the first book of your series can't grow into the role after his companions die? Those are just different ways to look at the setup you presented.
Comment: @T.E.D. I've always wondered why it's necessary for some to "identify" with a character in order to enjoy a story. For me, I *like* characters I have little in common with. It's fiction, fantasy—I *want* to read/watch something I can't relate with. I might learn something about myself!
Comment: @ell - Pretend I used your word instead then. Fact of the matter is the writers removed the characters I liked, leaving me with a host of ones I disliked. Frankly, I got to the point where I didn't really care if the White Walkers came down and annihilated everyone left. They'd certainly deserve it.
Comment: Since you brought it up, this was in fact **the exact** reason I quit following Game of Thrones. He kept taking away the characters I identified with. For a while I thought perhaps I'd watch to root for the ones I *didn't* like to die, but that wasn't very satisfying either. So I gave up. So yeah, that show did great financially, but for me this is a very good example of something for a writer to **not** do.
Comment: @ell Different strokes for different folks. I quit Dexter because I hated every character, but I quit house because I could no longer identify with any character, but still liked many of them.
Comment: @T.E.D.: Game of Thrones' plot isn't about the cogs (the characters), it's about the machine (the world/society). You're focusing on something else than what the plot focuses on. GoT has taken away disliked characters too (Craster, Tywin, the High Sparrow, Ramsay, ...), but we simply don't quite care for their deaths the way we do for those we like. Imagine a bullet manufacturer not being able to enjoy a war movie because the bullets are considered ubiquitous consumables and not enough time is being spent on valuing the logistics of ammo provision. It misses the focus of the plot.
Comment: @DanNeely `most of the characters I liked were dead and the remainder either had been reduced to powerless chewtoys for the numerous scumbags running the story` This is **exactly** how Arya/Jon/Sansa/Bran feel, especially when you consider they don't know the others are still alive. Your feeling about the world (the bad guys always crush the good guys), that feeling of hopelessness, it's part of the experience. Viewers have grown to expect happy endings and don't fret over whether the hero will prevail or not. Game of Thrones challenges that inherent assumption and make you fret again.
Comment: Another LoTR point to back up your "definitions" point: after over 1000 pages, it's still not obvious [who](https://scifi.stackexchange.com/q/6238/93696) [the](https://marktrapp.com/blog/2014/01/06/lord-of-the-rings-true-hero/) [main](http://www.thetolkienforum.com/index.php?threads/main-character.4751/) [character](http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2013/05/16/71670-all-about-sam-why-the-main-character-of-the-lord-of-the-rings-is-really-samwise-gamgee/) [is](https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080628145805AAV7Kp8&guccounter=1). Surely this means making it obvious isn't essential.
Comment: @T.E.D. Game of Thrones is perhaps an extreme example, where you're tempted to say "a plague on both their houses".  Perhaps a better one would be Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" series (which inspired GRRM).  In that series you definitely know who the good guys are, and they all get PoV sections, but a lot of them don't make it to the end.
Comment: @ell I don't need to identify with characters, but generally I do need to like at least one of them and what's happening to them.  I stopped reading the books at a point when most of the characters I liked were dead and the remainder either had been reduced to powerless chewtoys for the numerous scumbags running the story or had appeared to go over to evil.  I've heard that as GOT continued beyond the books the situation for some characters has improved, but I doubt I'll read through the remaining doorstoper and a half from the current books to get to where the next will begin.
Comment: @T.E.D.: Maybe to rephrase better: In most stories, the world helps define the characters. But in Game of Thrones, the characters help define the world. The viewer doesn't know the history that the characters do know/experienced. It is only through conversation that we "listen in on" that we get morsels of information that helps up piece together the puzzle of what happened before and why things are the way they are. **Saying you dislike GoT for taking away the characters you like is like saying you dislike Sherlock Holmes because the usual suspect doesn't end up being the murderer.**
Comment: @T.E.D. Agreed. But that's the appeal of the show to me!
Answer: It sounds to me like you have Book 1 with four main characters, and Book 2 with only one of those characters continuing. Lots of series do this, including Narnia and Dragonlance.
But, it's important that Book 1 work in its own right. You don't want to get rid of major characters abruptly just because they're not going to be in the next book...
You absolutely can kill off main characters; please don't treat a character who dies as "less important" than one who lives. If/when you kill off a main character, you want their death to feel like it's got narrative significance -- e.g. an inevitable tragedy, or a sacrifice to accomplish something, or falling victim to a horrible enemy... you have many many options, but build up to it, make it mean something, because that character's life and death is its own plot-arc in your story.
Comment: I remember being devastated as a kid when certain main characters died in DragonLance. However, I don't remember any series where only one main character survived to the next book (I read about the first 30 or so). Examples? With Narnia a lot of time passes between each book, so it's almost expected that a lot/all of the previous characters won't be featured in subsequent books.
Comment: @CJDennis: Well, a lot of my point isn't about character death at all. It's about the assumption that "This character doesn't show up in Book #2" also means "this character is less important in Book #1" -- that's kind of a weird logical jump. The _reason_ they don't show up _can_ be death, but it can be plenty of other things -- and understanding that is likely to help OP figure this problem out. The characters who die aren't "not main characters" (or, they don't have to be), they're "main characters, who die," and... that shouldn't be a problem for the next book.
Comment: The Dragonlance example I'm thinking of is the _Legends_ trilogy which followed the _Chronicles_. Easy example where Trilogy #1 is about a whole bunch of characters, and Trilogy #2 zooms in on just two or three of them. It's **okay** for different parts of the series to focus on different sets of characters, as long as each part commits to its own focus, and does it well. :)
Comment: That's a bit different from main characters not progressing to book 2. _Legends_ had three of the main characters from _Chronicles_ and added a fourth. There were _a lot_ of main characters in _Chronicles_ (eight or more), so it seemed fair enough (especially with that particular storyline) that only a few were also in _Legends_.
Answer: As We Write, We Learn
There is a well-known quote by an author E. M. Forster:

"How do I know what I think until I see what I say?"

Freedom of Creation
Allow yourself this first act of freedom to create your draft as you see fit. Silence the inner critic simply by telling your Inner-Critic,

"Wait until after, then we can determine how "good" it is.  For now,
  let's just get the words down, no matter how "bad" so we can see the
  the artistry of the story I am attempting to tell. Then, if you
  (Inner-Critic) are right, we can determine how to change it or leave
  it behind."

There is the additional possibility that your Inner-Critic is correct.
It could be why you are led to ask this question about whether or not readers will be disappointed.  Could it be that your own subconscious is trying to send you a message that the story won't work this way?  But determining that is for later.  For now, get the story out.
Think Of Yourself As a Consumer (Reader) of Your Story Too
Take just a half a step back and consider your own story.
Do you like the way you are telling the story?  Do you like the effect of all the other characters dying and only the one living thru to the end?
Art And Style (Voice In Writing)
Keep in mind that you are the artist and it is ultimately up to you.  You could be on the verge of creating an entirely new POV (Point of View) concept.
Check out House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. That is a very new and odd concept, but he did not ask someone else what they thought.
If you think this story method works best then write it. Write it better than anyone else because only you can.  It is your format.
Get 100 People to Read It
After you write a complete draft get 100 people to read it.  Do you believe you could convince people to read it for free?  Then you believe in your story and you should (no, must) write it in your format.  If you do not believe in it...run from it quickly.
These small decisions do not really matter.  What really matters is that you write it the best you can and that you believe in it so much that you would read it aloud to strangers because you know they will love it.
Comment: @TotumusMaximus Good points again. I edited to start with more positive point of quieting Inner-Critic first.
Comment: @Angel you are the master of your story. The readers don't decide who lives and dies, you do. If you can instill such reaction in the reader that he is shocked about the deaths of the other guys then you did a good job. Just make sure the rest of the story is as interesting as that.
Comment: "Could it be that your own subconscious is trying to send you a message that the story won't work this way?" - It could also be the rational voice in you that prevents the creative side to get to work. Some people are just insecure and need some extra prodding to get their job done.
Comment: @TotumusMaximus I agree 100%. I should've made that part more clear, but it was the intent of the rest of the message -- that a writer must believe in her own work first.  If not, nothing will ever move forward.  But, yes, some do have a stronger internal critic. But, again, the best way through that is to write up the story and "see what you think about it yourself".
Comment: Oh yes. Believing in yourself is probably the most important thing you need to finish your story. But my opinion is that if you start out with a negative it can warp the entire message into something negative. Which makes conveying the message harder which is a shame because I think your message is an important one.
Comment: The problem Is i know what's next for the main character so I know it's going to be exciting but I don't want the other readers thinking "well I wanted the other one to live and we follow his story instead"
Answer: I'd say no, if they are well written you can get readers attached to many characters and as long as a main character is compelling and relatable they don't have to be particularly likable at all to be satisfying as a main protagonist. David Gemmell's Druss is, for example, a real nasty piece of work a lot of the time but because he has his, obvious, reasons for being that way he's still a good leading character.
A quick note, people don't always see what we want them to see and they don't always miss what we want them not to see. You will have readers who realise what you're doing and where the narrative is going long before you get there this may put people off or it may cause them to get greater enjoyment from the narrative, you don't know until it happens.
My advice in situations like this is always the same, it's the same advice I've gotten from a couple of my favourite authors over the years, "write yourself the story you want to write, the way you want to write it". If it's good enough to get the attention of a publisher you can fight over final styling and other compromises when that time comes.
Answer: Yes, it will be disappointing, but that disappointment will not likely occur at the end, but much earlier when the reader begins to get the sense that the character they are following has no arc. Once they realize that, they will stop reading and never reach the end.
A story is not a history. A history can have multiple players who come and go as much by chance as by design. Story is precisely a rejection of the randomness and purposelessness that history presents to us. (So much of history, and news, is falsified precisely to give it the shape of story that it does not have by nature.)
A story is about one person (though a novel may weave together several stories). It follows that person through some disruption in their life (which may come from within or without, may come through desire or loss) which leads to a moment of decision in which they must face up to who they are and what they are willing to do. This decision may be faced on the battlefield or in the drawing room, before the mast of a storm-tossed ship, or in the heart of an uncertain lover, but it is always there, and it is the pivot on which the story turns.
What draws the reader on is the sense that this character is likely to have to face such a decision, and a desire to see them face it. The sense of the coming crisis may be faint at first, but it must grow stronger as the story progresses. The tension around the character must increase as they are led towards the point where the decision must be made. It may build quietly or it may build loudly, but it must build.
But none of this can happen if we don't know who the main character is. The main character is, by definition, the one whose life is leading them towards such a moment. The reader is looking for that person, and either they will find them and continue, or they will not find them and will abandon the work.
If you provide no identifiable main character, they will be disappointed early and bail early. If you provide a false main character, whose life seems to be heading towards this moment of decision, but isn't, then the disappointment will come as soon as the reader recognizes that they are on a false trail, and then they will bail.
Answer: If you do it well, it can make for a thrilling ride, especially if it seems like one character is the main but then they die, leaving you to wonder who is the real lead.  If you keep killing off people, or having them leave in other ways, the reader is always going to be guessing and that makes for an exciting read as you can't wait to finish.  Killing off lots of popular characters annoys some people (or so they say), but if it's relevant to future sub plots later, they can be an important part of the story.
Just look at the ice and fire books, after book one, do you have any idea who the primary characters is in the entire story?
Even after book five, (and the tv shows that went further), we still don't know if there is even is a primary character, or if it's maybe a group of characters, or none (as it's a tale about the [history of the] world, and may not be not following a single characters journey at all.
At best, we only really know who has lasted the longest up to this point.  We know more deaths are coming so it's quite possible the entire series was the story of one character with fillers elsewhere to build to the story of the world and the other sub characters throughout.  It could be one family that triumphs and is the primary object, or it could be that "man" triumphs over the Smurfs with their shiny new dragon.  It could quite literally be anything, and the storytelling has been done quite well so that we just don't know until the final page of the final book (or final show if it is going to be one story, target than told two ways; a book ending, and a series ending).
Answer: As someone who is more of a consumer than a creator of writing (in the sense of storytelling), I'd like to offer an example of a piece of media that did just that.
I'd like to preface that this answer contains some spoilers!
In the video game Metal Gear Solid 2, the game revolves around the character Solid Snake, the definitive main character of the series. He is an unstoppable hero with incredible cleverness, near superhuman abilities, and more or less a "power fantasy" character. When the game was coming out, of course, everyone was excited to return to the life of Snake and his story.
However, in Metal Gear Solid 2, you only play as Snake for a very short time before you end up playing as a different character who, in short, does not encapsulate many of these qualities; in fact, he is more or less a wimp! Although the rest of the game is told through his eyes, it is revealed that all major story points actually revolve around Snake and his actions that are occurring in the same setting. You, the main character, often tend to just get in the way or cause more problems that he cleans up, but at the end of the game it is all revealed that he was the real protagonist as far as the story is concerned.
Of course, not many people who played the game came out feeling cheated; many consider it to be an amazing example of post-modernity in the video game industry. This is because playing through the eyes of the second character did not hamper the story; it gave a fresh viewpoint to experience the story, and it gave the player/consumer agency.
Now, obviously, a novel has different ways to achieve this, but I think they both revolve around the same idea: character viewpoints other than the main character are possible, and when done well, exceptional! One just needs to make the narrative beyond that character engaging, and make the consumer care about the other character enough to establish agency and immersion.
In short, it won't necessarily be disappointing to tell the story through the eyes of non-protagonist characters, but it will be challenging to build a narrative strong enough that it persists through the actions of the protagonist and establishes a connection with the reader through the supporting characters.
Answer: YES it will be disappointing.
+1 Mark, I think the same; a story is about a main character.
I would add this: Introduce his POV first, he will be assumed to be the MC. Then yes, you can let his sidekicks die, even if they are "leaders". Keep his POV the most intimate, that is another signal of MC, the one that thinks most of love and family, his responsibilities to others, their fate if he dies, his emotional goals. Don't go quite as deep on the doomed characters in their POV, e.g. keep their love interest rather light, for the reader's benefit they can be admired, and even better than the MC in most respects, but you want the reader to intuit these characters have a bit less to lose, their lives are simpler and their deaths won't be quite as devastating.
I would prefer the MC be the only POV, but that can restrict the plots you can write. Mark is correct, I think you must constantly nudge the reader into seeing the lone survivor as the MC.
Look at Tolkien; Frodo is the MC (it seems) in Lord of the Rings; but we have other characters that are far more powerful: Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas. Your MC does not have to be the most fascinating of your characters. Often, the other super-competent characters DO die protecting the chosen one, or choose their death because they are the only one that can accomplish some key element of the mission, and accepting their own death as the price is their contribution to the ultimate success.

Edit for OP comment:

But there is no POV it's all of them as a group.

In that case, broaden POV to mean whomever the narrator seems to be focused on primarily; and your first POV is the first character in Chapter 1. The reader will assume that is your MC, unless (like in Harry Potter) that and other characters are strongly focused on an off-screen character (Harry Potter). Characters focusing on serving another character (even an infant like HP) is a tool to imbue the other with great importance (for another example, consider a show that opens on thugs and cops, the cops want to know where Big Mike is, the thugs are clearly fearful of Big Mike and take a beating without telling the cops anything --- Clearly Big Mike is the focus of this first scene, and very important, even though the audience has no idea who Big Mike is at all).
Even if the narrator cannot get into the thoughts of the characters, we (readers) should still feel like the MC is our main guy. You could make them more expressive, and give them more dialogue, follow them more closely when the group is together.
This story does have a main character, the survivor. Obviously this is all my opinion, as is every other answer, but you just can't have an MC that dies with chapters left in the book, that is too much of a break with the laws of (modern) fiction. That is what will happen if you allow the audience to think somebody else is the main character, and that character dies. In your tale, the 3/4 of readers that mistakenly focus on a non-survivor as their MC will be disappointed when that char dies, and not in a good way, in a "stop reading" way, because when their hero dies they are done, they no longer worry about what happens to him, they know! He's dead!
That was your question, nobody should reassure you otherwise; the modern audience for fiction has expectations and this would violate them, not in a good way. I doubt it would be taken up by agents or publishers, and if you self-publish, you may sell a few copies but those readers won't recommend it, and may publicly denigrate it as poorly written.
Your MC does not have to be the most powerful; we understand heroes (the other three) dying to protect something important to them. In Star Wars, Obi Wan sacrifices himself to save Luke, Gandalf dies fighting the Balrog to save Frodo, Dumbledore dies in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. We often see powerful mentors or characters fight and die to protect weaker main characters, or the group, or to prevent failure of their mission.
If your MC is the most powerful, the other deaths can humanize him, as failures: He failed to protect them, misjudged their opposition, and so on. He can feel guilt and failure in losing friends, even if he is victorious in all his own battles.
Comment: But there is no POV it's all of them as a group
Comment: @Angel See the edit I made.
Answer: I have read a lot of wild books which broke with any and all conventions about anything story-related at all. (Seeming) main characters dying were some of the most memorable moments, and not only since Song of Ice and Fire.
Go for it. Other aspects will make or break your story. The number or overall fate of your characters will not decide anything (obviously, as long as you can present your book in a fashion that does not leave the reader completely behind).
Answer: The original Star Wars did this very well. It was only in the last minutes of the film did we realize that R2-D2 was the main character.
Keep your main character in most scenes, but don't focus on him in most scenes. Your readers will thus build up empathy for him just as they did for R2-D2. As your concern is to not have the reader become disappointed, you could borrow another tip from A New Hope: have the character become injured near the end, then let the reader feel relieved at him being spared.


Can more recent revelation from LDS prophets nullify or change official Mormon scripture?

Question: When an LDS prophet speaks, if what he says is different than canonized LDS scripture, do the words of the prophet take precedence?
Answer: Are you referring to anything specifically?  If you can provide a specific instance, that might be more informative.
In short: the answers are: Nullify, no.  Takes precedence, yes.
For example, polygamy is an eternal law.  And although it is not practiced today, it has been practiced as noted in the Bible (Genesis 16:3; 25:1; 29:21-30; 30:3-4, 9), spoken of in the Book of Mormon: (Jacob 2:30), and practiced in the beginnings of the LDS church.  However, the prophet in 1890, President Woodruff, wrote a Manifesto which lifted the commandment to practice plural marriage LDS.org topic: Polygamy. In that instance, the prophet didn't "nullify" the law, because those who had practiced it would still be sealed in heaven, however the practice on earth was stopped because the Lord commanded it.
In general, scriptures were written by prophets, who received the revelation from God, and the words of the living prophets are considered scripture: "In addition to [the] four books of scripture, the inspired words of our living prophets become scripture to us. Their words come to us through conferences, the Liahona or Ensign magazine, and instructions to local priesthood leaders. "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God" (Articles of Faith 1:9)." LDS Gospel Principles
Revelation from the living prophets are spoken as if from God.  (D&C 1:38) Also, God does not change.  (1 Nephi 10:18).  Therefore, the revelation and the scriptures are from God, and God does not change, though he may give some specific instruction to certain people at different times, it doesn't nullify scripture.
This pattern is shown when Christ declared that the law of Moses was fulfilled in Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
In an interesting address by a modern prophet (an apostle at the time) to the students at BYU in 1980, President Benson said, "Beware of those who would set up the dead prophets against the living prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence." Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet
Comment: One of the reasons Latter-day Saints believe prophets are essential is exactly this – having living prophets allows us to receive guidance on specific topics, as the world and its values change, so that we can stay continually pointed towards the Savior. God knows what we need, when we need it most, and when there's something that the entire Church needs to hear, Latter-day Saints believe that he sends that message through his servants the prophets. +1 for Fourteen Fundamentals.
Answer: First of all, the title doesn't really match the question body. I suppose what you mean is something along the lines "God commanded X earlier, now he wants you to do Z instead."?!
There are multiple mentions of revoking an earlier command in D&C, for example:
D&C 58:31-33

31 Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not
  fulfilled?
32 I command and men obey not; I revoke and they receive not the
  blessing.
33 Then they say in their hearts: This is not the work of the Lord,
  for his promises are not fulfilled. But wo unto such, for their reward
  lurketh beneath, and not from above.

So, revoking commands is something the Lord explicitly said he would be doing. Other answers have mentioned modern day "changes" to commandments. Here are two biblical examples that popped into my head, I figure there are many more, but lack the time to look for them:

law of Moses no longer applies after Jesus' sacrifice (do i need reference here?)
Israelites were to conquer Canaan right away, got scared and God told them to travel 40 years in the desert instead. Weren't happy with that, tried to conquer anyway - didn't work out. (Numbers 14)

In short, God can and does change commandments. He tells this the prophets. That does in no way "nullify" or "change" something in retrospect - you had a command earlier, you have a command now - of course the current command takes precedent, why do we even talk about this? ;-) Note also that there are lots of changes all the time, but most go under the radar because they are mostly policy changes. These however do also represent what the leaders of the church feel (as in, feel inspired by the Holy Ghost) is the right thing right now.
Examples of recent changes that probably went under the radar:

reduction of missionary age requirement
new global guideline that the sacrament meeting should be the first meeting

Sure these are not doctrinal changes, but they change policies that have been in place for a long time (and I'm sure, well thought out by earlier leaders, and inspired at that time).
Answer: I believe there are several issues being discussed that are not necessarily all the same.  There should be a distinct difference noted in the policies and running of "The Church", and the revelatory process relating to doctrine.
Examples:
The change in age of missionaries, while inspired, is really administrative in nature. Hypothetically the age of missionaries could at any time drop to 13 or rise to 65, and there would be no doctrinal inconsistency.  This would be highly unlikely, but it could happen and then change back six months later. We can argue the wisdom in that, but it doesn't nullify or contradict doctrine.
A different example would be that of polygamy. When it was instituted, it was, in fact, a reintroduction of a biblical doctrine shown throughout the Old Testament. When the manifesto was given it did not nullify the doctrine, but rather forbade the practice. There are still areas where this doctrine is still active such as when a widower is remarried, it is not actively practiced by current members of the LDS faith in good standing.
Where this would come to the test would be a canonised doctrinal announcement that would contradict established doctrine.  The Word of Wisdom that was later canonised, is a good example of new doctrine being introduced via a modern Prophet.  The interpretation of this doctrine has varied and evolved, but has been established to specifically be a prohibition against alcohol, tea, coffee, and tobacco (among other details). It is not unthinkable that a modern prophet could add or subtract from that list substantively, and current inspiration would rule.
That doesn't mean that our understanding of an established doctrine or principle couldn't be altered with new information from a modern Prophet.
Answer: No, but from there one has to dig in to the deliberately strong word you framed it with: nullify.
When it comes to the Mormon health code for example, they don't drink alcohol. So wine is not used in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. But the commandment of Jesus to use wine in rememberance is not nullified but put on hold. There will be a time where wine is restored to the ordinance so it is not a word game.
Mormons don't think of it as a nullification even though there is an unambiguous instruction from the Lord (and that is a pretty good authority) and yet they are not going to do what he said. But they remember that the difference is just temporary so it is not considered as changing the canonized scripture.
The Joseph Smith translation of the Bible is another good example. The old definition of translation is useful here. But there you have a modern prophet literally changing the Bible but it is seen as a re-transmission of the canon in an original form.
Comment: Welcome to Christianity.SE, and thanks for taking the site tour. Thanks also for offering an interesting answer to this question. Can you provide any references to official church writings to support and amplify what you're saying here? If so, it would make this a much better answer for the purposes of this site. See: [What makes a good supported answer?](http://meta.christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/692/what-makes-a-good-supported-answer) Meanwhile, I hope you'll stick around and read some of the other questions and answers here.
Answer: Essentially, yes.

Current revelation can be more relevant
Though God himself is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8, 1 Nephi 10:18), man and his circumstances do change. President Brigham Young was asked to speak on this topic.

Brother Brigham took the stand, and he took the Bible, and laid it down; he took the Book of Mormon, and laid it down; and he took the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and laid it down before him, and he said: "There is the written word of God to us, concerning the work of God from the beginning of the world, almost, to our day. And now," said he, "when compared with the living oracles those books are nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than all the writing in the books."

This isn't meant to disparage the scriptures, but rather to use their already esteemed status to stress the even greater importance of current revelation.
Had it not been for a living oracle, Israel would not have been lead out of Egyptian captivity. There was nothing wrong with what God had said to his people before that time, but what he said then to Moses was necessarily tailored to the Israelites' current predicament.

Existing commandments can change
The coming of Jesus Christ ended the shedding of blood. Instead of animals, sacrifices to God were to be of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. (3 Nephi 9:19) Thus we see that God is able to change his own commandments.
Joseph Smith:

That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another. God said thou shalt not kill,—at another time he said, thou shalt utterly destroy. This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted—by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire.
History of the Church, 5:135

Joseph compared it to the raising of children. In some circumstances, a parent may punish a child for eating an apple (if it were stolen), but allow it in other circumstances (if it had been given to them). That may seen inconsistent to a young child, but eventually they will learn and understand.
An example in the latter days is the adoption and later un-adoption of polygamy. Another example is the command for the early Saints to collect themselves in one location (Zion), versus the instruction today to strengthen the Church in each nation they are in.

Eternal principals are of course eternal. The specific actions they necessitate will depend on time and circumstance, and these instructions are delivered by a living oracle.


How can i Re-set customized shortkut keys to default keys in corel draw and Adobe Photoshop without re-installation

Question: i have just changed my job in my new office when i start work on Photoshop and Corel Draw the all shorts keys changed is there any option to restore my complete software without installation.
Answer: I can't speak for CorelDraw.
For Photoshop Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
Then select "Photoshop Default" from the menu at the top of the dialog window.
Finally, click OK.


How can smart contracts interact each other?

Question: If the "context" of a smart contract can see only the transaction where it sits and its inputs-outputs, how can a smart contract interact with other smart contracts living in different transactions?
Comment: Since everything is on the block chain, I find it hard to believe that a smart contract can only see a specific transaction? Maybe you can elaborate?
Comment: @Ahmedie-mi it is true, on Cardano, smart contact can only consume the input transactions. It does work only with the UTXO set and does not keep the entire blockchain in memory.
Answer: It can't.
But that doesn't mean different smart contracts can't interact. The interaction must simply happen in the same transaction.
As an example, imagine you have some Uniswap-like liquidity pool as one UTxO and another UTxO belonging to an auction contract. Then you can use the pool to swap tokens and then use the swapped tokens to bid in the auction, all in one transaction. That transaction will have both UTxO's as inputs (plus additional inputs for the funds that you swap) and updated UTxO's for both the liquidity pool and the auction as outputs.
You have to think differently when working with the EUTxO-model, but that model is at least as powerful as the accounting model used by Ethereum.
Answer: In simple words, it probably can't (even thought we do know the final Plutus design yet).
If two smart contacts needs to interact between each other, they need to provide each other inputs to consume, just like it would be the case with end-user.


What's the physical significance of |0⟩ and |1⟩?

Question: The word 'state' makes sense in Quantum Mechanics. In classical computers, numbers are represented in binary as a series of 0s and 1s. It seems that the word 'state' extracted from QM and the 0s and 1s extracted from Computing are put together to make $\lvert 0\rangle$ and $\lvert 1\rangle$. This doesn't make sense. What's the physical significance behind that representation?
Answer: Consider: in classical computing, what do the 0 and the 1 refer to?
Sometimes (and as suggested by Turing when he introduced Turing Machines), they represent literal symbols which are written down: a '0' character, or a '1' character. But when we use electronic computers, they more often refer to a low voltage versus a high voltage, or a magnetic field pointing in one direction or another. In each of these cases, what we are looking for is some physical system, in which there are some 'states' (either ink on a piece of paper, voltages in a wire, or direction of a magnetic field) which we can easily distinguish from one another (by seeing the differences in the ink patterns under ambient light, or by a suitable piece of electronics).
Here, as in quantum mechanics, we are considering questions of the state of a physical system, and the reason for this is that information must always be encoded in terms of physically distinguishable properties of the ways that a system could be — properties of the state of the system.
When we consider quantum computation, we have the same situation, only we have to be much more precise in what we are distinguishing. We not only want to have easily distinguished properties — like the orientation of an electron spin, or the polarisation of a photon — but for those properties also not to be closely coupled to any other properties of the system.
If we can succeed in this, and if that relatively isolated degree of freedom can have only two distinct values (which we could give any labels that we like, such as value A and value B, or indeed '0' and '1'), then we identify this as a qubit. By virtue of it not being strongly coupled to any other properties of the system, we can consider any possible configuration that this isolated degree of freedom can have, so that we may consider superpositions of '0' and '1', whether we can cause this degree of freedom to interact in a controlled way with other measurable degrees of freedom of the system, and so forth.
Often, but not always, this isolated degree of freedom (our 'qubit') is a property of one particular part of our system, such as an electron, a nuclear spin, a photon, a current through a small superconducting element, etc.; and the fact that it gives us this qubit is due to the fact that it is not too strongly coupled to other electrons, photons, etc. in the physical set-up being considered. Of course, arranging that this should be the case is a question of delicate engineering, but we can consider how to do so. Even so, it is not necessary that a qubit be as easily isolated as pointing to one particular physical system: once we get going with quantum error correction, particularly if we use planar surface codes, the story of "where is my qubit" may become a bit more complicated — but the qubits will still be there, and will arise out of a well-controlled degree of freedom of the system.
In short: just as '0' and '1' are shorthand for physically distinguishable values of some degree of freedom in some classical physical system, |0⟩ and |1⟩ are shorthand for physically distinguishable values of some degree of freedom in a quantum mechanical system.
Answer: The |0,1> is a mathematical representation which makes correspondance with classical computing easier. But qubits can be realised by different physical systems.
Take for instance two different polarization of a photon; the alignment of a nuclear spin in a uniform magnetic field; two states of an electron orbiting a single atom...
Sometimes instead of 0,1, you can hear spin up or spin down to refer to the computational basis state. So it is just a matter of convention.
Answer: $\left|0\right>$ and $\left|1\right>$ are shorthand for vectors in a pre-defined state space.
Their physical meaning depends on the underlying technology.
For example, you could have an optical polarization system, such that
$\left|0\right>$ means that the photon is vertically polarized, and
$\left|1\right>$ means that the photon is horizontally polarized.
You could have a superconducting flux loop system, such that
|0> means that the loop current is clockwise (+ magnetic flux), and
|1> means that the loop current is counter-clockwise (- magnetic flux).
You could have differential optical system, such that
$\left|0\right>$ means that the photon is in the left fiber, and
$\left|1\right>$ means that the photon is in the right fiber.
You could have a neutral atom system, such that
$\left|0\right>$ means that the unpaired electron spin is parallel to the nucleus spin, and
$\left|1\right>$ means that the unpaired electron spin is opposed to the nucleus spin.
Given the large number of possible technologies which might be used,
you can see that this list goes on for a while.
The main thing to know is that, in principle, you could build a Quantum Computer
out of any of these technologies.  The software description should be identical,
as long as certain elementary operations, such as CNOT, are supported.
A quantum algorithm which implements an Oracle should work the same way,
no matter which implementation technology is used.
As other people point out, this is similar to the situation in classical logic.
Ethernet, for example, could be implemented using copper wire, optical fiber, or
radio.  This is called "Layer 1".  The definition of 0 and 1 depends on the
underlying technology.  What is important is that Ethernet (and TCP/IP running on
top of Ethernet) does not care what the physical implementation of the bits is.
Answer: Building upon the previous answers, I will give a concrete example in terms of spin-$\frac12$ particles.
Assume such a particle, say an electron, is at rest inside a magnetic field of strength $B$ pointing in the $z$ direction. The hamiltonian of this small system is
$${\rm H}=-\gamma B\,{\rm S}_z=-\gamma B\,\frac\hbar2\begin{bmatrix}1&0\\0&-1\end{bmatrix}$$
where $\gamma$ is some constant called the gyromagnetic ratio and ${\rm S}_z$ is the observable corresponding to spin in the $z$ direction. The eigenstates of this hamiltonian are the states that we prefer to name spin up and spin down,
$$|\!\uparrow\rangle=\begin{bmatrix}1\\0\end{bmatrix},\;\;\;\;|\!\downarrow\rangle=\begin{bmatrix}0\\1\end{bmatrix},$$
with eigen-energies
$$E_\uparrow=-\gamma B\frac\hbar2,\;\;\;\;E_\downarrow=+\gamma B\frac\hbar2.$$
If we were to build a quantum computer using these spin-$\frac12$ particles as qubits, we could relabel the spin up state $|\!\uparrow\rangle$ as $|0\rangle$, and the spin down state $|\!\downarrow\rangle$ as $|1\rangle$. After all, it is much more convenient to reason about strings of qubits like $|001001010111\rangle$ than strings of ups and downs, i.e. $|\!\uparrow\uparrow\downarrow\uparrow\uparrow\downarrow\uparrow\downarrow\uparrow\downarrow\downarrow\downarrow\rangle$. Measuring a qubit would then mean measuring its spin, and finding either $E_\uparrow$ or $E_\downarrow$ to determine which state it collapsed to.
Of course, you could build a quantum computer with a completely different system under a different hamiltonian, but the same principle holds. Computer scientists talking about quantum computation generally toss out the entire idea of hamiltonians, energies and so forth because circuits carrying $|0\rangle$s and $|1\rangle$s are easier for them to understand, and because it abstracts away the underlying physical system.