How to write a hospital death scene without sentimentalism?

Question: The cliché scene where a man dies on the hospital bed and ECG goes "beep beep beep" is seen by everyone in movies. The problem is that someone told me that I go too sentimental in scenes like these while writing. How can I write hospital death scenes in a more creative way?
Comment: Welcome to Writing! Is it the cliche you're looking to avoid or the sentimentality in particular?
Comment: The question is about avoiding clichéed sentimentalism. It's ok.
Answer: If you like the sentimentalism, do that. It's not good to let others tell you that you are too much this or too much that in your writing, but what is important is whether what you've written is up to your standards and special to you.
Comment: Agreed.  It might be prudent to ask this beta reader to explain this, since we aren't him/her and "too sentimental" is not really good criticism.  Sentimentalism is supposed to invoke previous experiences.  One of the best works of fiction handling death for me, was the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "The Body" which doesn't include the ECG machine... but does have the cast in the waiting room of the hospital morge.  What makes it great for me, is I about the same age as the characters when I lost a parent and it gave voice to all those emotions that run through your mind.
Comment: Unfortunately, this gets into subjective matters of taste. OP is not *wrong* to write sentimentally, but the beta reader is not wrong to dislike it, either. OP might be better off finding a different beta reader.
Answer: Death is Drama:
Unless you're trying to be funny or ironic, death is drama. A hated rival dying. Your 112-year-old great-grandmother who's been out of it for 40 years dying. A completely unknown stranger dying alone except for a few nurses who don't even know the person's name. So there is little you can do to change the drama.
But the story isn't so much about the dying as it is the people and their reaction to the death. If you want to avoid stereotypes and clichés, don't have people doing stereotypical things (sitting at the bedside, holding hands, saying goodbye) but instead have all the reactions going on outside the room. The hospital cafeteria is a great place, as people go there to meet over food. People often go for a walk around the area of the hospital, even without coats and in crappy weather. Most floors in a hospital have some kind of waiting room. To avoid stereotypes, NEVER have anyone speak to the doctor.
And waiting is a bit of a cliché, yet that's what a lot of dying is about. A lot of death is slow, with time to reflect on life. A lot of time is just spent feeling overwhelmed and not sure what to do. If a person dies suddenly, there is little waiting for death, but instead waiting for funeral arrangements, casket-picking times, waiting for the florist to call you back, or waiting for Aunt Estelle to leave your house so you can make dinner.
Or you can have a very atypical death process with atypical responses. Listen to Paul Simon's song Mother and Child Reunion for example. Or you can have the scene centered around organ-harvesting for donation while the body is alive but the brain is dead. It can have a somewhat positive tone in a very bleak situation. An endocannibalistic funeral centered on eating the person quickly after death will be REALLY different, but could have unique cultural perspectives (I decided to go this route in a story just for the thrill/challenge of making it sympathetic). People can get pretty crazy around death, so envision someone refusing to acknowledge the person is dead and telling the other family members the person is resting comfortably and will be available tomorrow when they feel better.
Or you can embrace some of it. Death is a really weird thing in most people's lives, unless you're writing some variety of action story with lots of killing - and at that point, you're desensitizing your reader. If you are killing off a really beloved character, having a loving family circling their bed and crying is a cherished and fitting sendoff more beloved than a Viking funeral. It's your character's reward for all the crap and death you put them through to give you a good story.
Answer: Seinfeld did this:

 At the hospital.
 Doctor: Excuse me, are you the husband?
 George: Well, not yet - Fiancé.
 Doctor: Well, I'm sorry... she's gone.
 George: .........What's that?...
 Doctor: She expired.
 George: ... Are you sure?
 Doctor: Yes, of course.
 George: So... She's dead?
 Doctor: Yes.
 George: ... Huh!
 Doctor: Let me ask you; Had she been exposed to any kind of inexpensive glue?
 George: ...Why?
 Doctor: We found traces of a certain toxic adhesive commonly found in very low priced envelopes.
 George: Well she was sending out our wedding invitations.
 Doctor: That's probably what did it.
 George: We were expecting about two hundred people... Well... Thank you, thank you.
 Doctor leaves, George returns to the others
 George: She's ahem... gone
 Jerry: Dead?
 Elaine: I'm so sorry, George.
 Jerry: Yeah! Me too.
 Kramer: Poor Lily.
 Jerry: How did it happen?
 George: Apparently the glue in the wedding invitations was... toxic.
 All: Aah!
 Kramer: Well that's weird.
 Jerry: So I guess, you're not getting married?
 George: (embarrassed with a touch of unrestrained jubilation) Yes.
 [...Some talk about the other plot removed for space...]
 Elaine: All right. (they start to leave except Jerry)
 George: Well hmm... let's get some coffee.

So not really without making it come off humorous or the characters involved come off as jerks.


Is there a way for a consumer to report PCI non compliance?

Question: Is there a way for a consumer to report PCI non compliance?
Comment: Not that this will help, but PCI does require you to handle security reports... But of course, if they're not compliant, they probably dont have that either...
Comment: It might be useful for you to describe (with an appropriate level of anonymity) what they're doing that you find non-compliant. It impacts how realistic it is you'll be able to get anyone to act. HTTP instead of HTTPS, sure. Not having assurances from their service providers on file, less so.
Comment: @Avid: and what about the companies which show off that they are following PCI-DSS standard? How can a consumer report in that case for non-complaince?
Comment: For VISA cards, you can apparently report issues (in general, not just PCI violations) here: https://usa.visa.com/Forms/visa-rules.html
Answer: The PCI organization sets the standards. The card brands enforce those standards with fines. If you contact a brand (Visa, American Express, etc)., they may act on it. I am not aware of any PCI compliance hotline, and it may involve a lot of transfers and "call this person" redirects to find somebody... who may do nothing anyway. If you have the time, though, I encourage you to work on finding your way through that process.
Answer: If you are dealing with a normal merchant, one of the few ways would be to notify their processor, at which point they COULD be charged penalty non compliance fees, but it would depend on a large amount of variables. If you have a CCN stolen and traced back to that location, you can report that to your bank, and to the credit card company that issued your card, which will typically trigger a PCI forensic audit.
If they are a medical entity (any entity that handles protected health information) you can typically submit a complaint under HHS website for a HIPAA violation under section 164.308. If they are not handling correctly credit card information correctly, there's a solid chance that they haven't taken care of the following sections of their compliance:
164.308(a)(1)(ii)(A) Risk analysis (R)
164.308(a)(1)(ii)(B) Risk management process (R)
164.308 is regarding administrative safeguards. If there's credible evidence that PHI, (which includes Credit Card Numbers) has been compromised, or incorrectly handled, there would typically be a HIPAA audit which would also cover credit card requirements.
Be aware that there are typically tens thousands of dollars in fines if they are caught without the requirements necessary which can sometimes put a business under. Something to keep in mind before filing any complaints.


In Jazz, what is an avoid note?

Question: Why are some scale degrees avoided? What is the reasoning behind the avoid notes? Are there avoid notes in all modes? If so, which are the avoid notes of the different modes? Is this pattern widely spread through Jazz?
Comment: listen to the Beatles You Can't Do That. Lennon sings c on G7 (first bar), and f on C7 (bar 10): both avoid notes, and both sound great! always let your ears be your guide, never some theory book :)
Comment: Not sure you are right with that @musicjazz...
Comment: @DoktorMayhem _I got somethin' to **say that might** cause you pain_.  I see what he means, it's not really used as just a passing note, he leans on it a fair amount.
Answer: An avoid note is a chord tension which creates an interval of a minor ninth (or less) above a chord voice. Chord voices are the 1, 3, 5, and 7. Chord tensions are the 9, 11, and 13.
As I recall, the Imaj11 sounds terrible. On the other hand, the iimin11 is fine (because of the b3). Ditto the vimin11. And the IVmaj#11 sounds fine as well.
The avoid notes are fine in passing and arpeggios, but they are not necessarily agreeable in harmony. I have charted them here. The avoid notes are indicated in red; the affected chords are highlighted in yellow.
Here are some examples:
Comment: "A minor ninth or *less*". Clarify, please.
Comment: Note that it is not generally true that a b9 is an avoid note. Most well-known example: a dominant 7th chord with a b9. In this situation, the b9 is used *harmonically*, which wouldn't be the case for an avoid note.
Answer: I believe that the best definition of the concept avoid note is the following:

Avoid notes: The pitch or pitches of a chord scale which are not used harmonically because they will destabilize the sound of the chord.

(from The Chord Scale Theory and Jazz Harmony by Barrie Nettles and Richard Graf)
This definition avoids the problems inherent in the other popular definition:

Avoid notes are notes that are not part of the chord and that are a half step above a chord tone.

(My own formulation of what I've read and heard many times)
In current usage this second definition is generally not correct, because it would define the b9 as an avoid note in all circumstances, which is not the case. In jazz, the b9 is frequently used harmonically in a dominant seventh chord which resolves down a perfect fifth. So in that context it is definitely no avoid note.
Another example of a note that would generally be an avoid note according to the second definition is the 4 in a major chord. In many contexts this would actually be a correct classification. However, especially on the guitar, there is a voicing which is quite frequently used in pop music. It is a standard C chord shape shifted up by two frets, resulting in the following chord:
D F# G(!) D E
In all contexts in which I've found that chord it was used as a chord with root D, so it's a D major chord (no fifth) with an added 9 (E) and an added 4 (G). Owing to the specific voicing and the timbre of the open G string, this chord sounds good in certain contexts. This is an example where the 4 is used harmonically in a major chord, showing that it cannot generally be classified as an avoid note. This answer discusses that chord in more detail.
Also check out this blog post for a more detailed discussion of avoid notes.
Answer: I'm sure more comprehensive and insightful answers will come, but it is common knowledge in jazz I would say. The reasoning is that the avoid tones clash with come of the commonly played chord tones. One example is the fourth of the major scale, when used over the I chord, since it clashes with the third (it's a minor 2nd between them). For C the third of the chord is E, while the fourth of the major scale is an F. It also creates a tritone with the 7th B. According to a survey mentioned in the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, most people find the Lydian scale the most pleasing over a maj7 chord. Since the 4th is raised, the avoid tone is avoided in the Lydian scale. (It does create a minor 2nd with the 5th though...).
Avoid tones doesn't mean "never play", but rather "use sparingly or as passing tones". The patterns emerged since people disliked the sound of these notes together with the accompaniment.

In Jazz, what is an avoid note?


Can't login to the microsoft account

Question: So I can't login to any microsoft account in windows phone 8.1 plus facebook, twitter, gmail(on outlook) say having trouble getting data. Internet works fine on internet explorer and I can login to my live account on the browser. my phone is lumia 520.
Answer: Check your date and time settings, they have to be right for the region you're in. Also try a doing a soft reset.
Also sometimes this is just an issue with Microsoft services, might resolve itself eventually.

Can't login to the microsoft account


Beer batter fish, keeping the breading from peeling right off while eating?

Question: A few months back I made beer-batter fish.  I don't remember the exact recipe I used but I think I got it from foodnetwork.com.  I fried in vegetable oil at 350.  Everything came out OK, but the breading seemed to peel clean off of the fish while eating rather than sticking to it.  Are there any tricks for prep/cook to prevent this from happening?
Answer: I usually dredge the fish in plain flour first and then the beer batter. I actually made beer battered fish tacos for dinner last night and the batter stuck perfectly.
It probably also depends on your batter consistency. The recipe I use says the batter should be slightly more liquid than pancake batter.
Answer: Give your fish a light dusting of corn starch before dredging in the batter. Flour works to some extent but without gluten formation flour is working as a drying agent more than anything else. Corn starch is, as its name implies, a starch which will actually act as a weak glue when heated wet. Just don't pile it on. dredge each fillet in the corn starch and tap off the excess until you're left with a thin, uniform layer. Your batter will stick to the corn starch, which will stick to the fish.
Comment: Shaking off the excess is probably more important than the exact starch used -- you don't want to be sticking the batter onto cornstarch or flour that isn't actually sticking to the fish.
Comment: I can agree with that. Corn starch is likely more common in US households than other forms of starch. You could experiment with any neutrally-flavored starches such as Wondra flour, tapioca powder, arrowroot, etc.
Answer: If it's English style beer battered fish the batter "shouldn't" stick to the fish otherwise it will be too dry or soggy depending on which way you go rather than light and crisp. To be light and crisp it should not adhere to the surface of the fish too closely.
Breaded fish is a different matter. Take a look at the pic here:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7785/golden-beerbattered-fish-with-chips
Comment: although i don't think the bbc is very good, i do agree with the point you made about the batter not sticking too closely. the whole point of battering/breading is to provide a protective edible coating while the food steams inside while frying.
Answer: If you did AB's recipe, you need to lightly dredge the fish in cornstarch as @yock mentioned. You should also make sure that the batter is cold -refrigerate for 15 minutes to an hour at most. It turns out pretty good if you follow that recipe.
Answer: Pretty sure that the problem you are having is moisture; here's how I do it.
Take the fillets, pack them with flour and set them on a wire trivet and let them dry a bit and then shake them off then let them dry some more.  When the outside of the fish is dry to the touch I dip them carefully in the batter and cook them.  This method seals the fish inside the batter 'envelope' holding in the juices for that first delicious bite.
Note that if the batter is too thick the outside of the batter will contract so much faster than the inside that it will crack, allowing fat in and letting the juices out.
While the last of the fish is cooking I will add an egg, some cornmeal and spices etc to the left over batter and make hush puppies in the same pan I cooked the fish in.
Answer: Be sure to pat the fish dry as completely as you can. Don't salt the fish beforehand to avoid drawing out any moisture.
Also, like Frankie suggested, dip the fish slowly into the oil. Dipping it slowly allows some of the initial moisture to escape and lets the batter cling to the fish before there's a shell of batter holding in all the moisture.


Why is zina forbidden?

Question: I would like to know the exact reason for zina being forbidden. Also how can i advice someone who has so much desire for zina ?
Comment: If zina is allowed, how will you determine your father, genealogy, family structure all will be put into chaos, I'm not going deep into problems of inheritance, and other mahram issues. Would you like it for your mother or sister, if answer is no then others also dont like zina on part of sisters and mothers
Comment: You will find plenty of reason to not do Zina, but can you give me a single reason why it should be permitted, except your nafs say's it do so? if Zina is permitted then, there is no father, mother, sister, brother relation, there will be no family, no sweet home nothing will be there..just all will live a life like an animal does. so there will be no difference between a human and an animal.. But as A Muslim our only reason should be Zina is forbidden in the Quran and Hadith and it's a big sin.
Comment: Jazakallahu khair for all. May Allah grant you all the jannathul firdaus- aameen
Answer: Zina is forbidden because Allah has explicitly forbidden it in the Qur'an:

ولا تقربوا الزنا إنه كان فاحشة وساء سبيلا
And do not approach zina (unlawful sexual intercourse). Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.
— Al-'Isra' 32

If Allah's supreme authority is not good enough for your friend, trying to find weaker arguments that might convince them is probably just a waste of time.
Comment: Jazakallahu khair. May Allah grant you the jannathul firdaus- aameen

Why is zina forbidden?


Extend Sprints or take the renaming tasks to a new Sprint?

Question: I am a rookie PM. We are conducting a Sprint with selected tasks from the backlog, when suddenly critical bugs appear. Should we extend the Sprint, or finish the Sprint on the delivery date and move the remaining tasks to another Sprint?
Answer: Welcome Ayesh!
You have 3 options, and the best option to choose will depend on the details of what is going on:

Ignore the critical bugs for now. Finish the sprint you're doing now, and put the bugs at the top of the backlog to be worked in the next sprint.

This can be a good option when the sprint is going to be complete in a few days anyway, or when there is low risk and/or low cost in waiting on fixing the bugs.
In general, this should be the preferred response for all "suddenly, new stuff appears", whether the stuff is bugs or requirements or new priorities or whatever. Sprints are short iteration cycles, short enough that in most cases, it should be reasonable to wait until the next cycle to address stuff. If the critical bugs were just discovered, then presumably they've been there for a while and you've lived with them this long, so what's another week or two? This is often reasonable logic.

Add the bugfixes to the current sprint by removing an equivalent amount of work from the original plan.

This can be a good option when fixing the bugs quickly is of more value than completing the original sprint goal, and when there is indeed an equivalent amount of work in the current sprint that can be swapped out.

Cancel the sprint, and immediately plan and begin a new sprint focused on fixing the bugs.

This is a drastic and disruptive option; canceling the sprint is generally a last resort. It would be appropriate when the bugs are not only critical but urgent, and fixing them immediately has more value than anything else, including the cost of context switching and lost planning.
Personally, I don't consider "extend the sprint" to be a viable option. Work is planned in sprints (short fixed-duration timeboxes) so that change can be embraced between sprints, and focus can be maximized during sprints, and the team can gather useful metrics like velocity normalized by the constant sprint length. Extending the sprint messes with all that. (And, again, if you extend the sprint in this case, are you going to start getting pressure to extend the sprint for other reasons that various stakeholders might consider critical? Better to not even go there.)
Good luck!
Comment: Thanks for the clear clarification. I guess, I'd go with the option 2.
Answer: TL;DR

Should we extend the Sprint, or finish the Sprint on the delivery date and move the remaining tasks to another Sprint?

Scrum is a time boxed framework that values a predictable cadence of events. Work that can't fit into the current time box must removed from the current time box, or the entire time box scrapped so the Scrum Team can adapt to newly-discovered priorities.
Categorizing and Managing Bugs
In Scrum, Product Backlog Items are either done or not-done at the end of a Sprint. The Sprint is a fixed time box, and should never be extended to fit scope. So, incomplete work or features that don't meet the Definition of Done should go back on the Product Backlog to be re-prioritized by the Product Owner and re-estimated when they are again in scope for Sprint Planning.
Correctly categorizing your "critical bugs" is important, too. In Scrum, bugs will generally fall into one of four categories:

If they are actually issues with the current work increment, then fixing them should be part of your Definition of Done and addressed in the current Sprint (if possible). Unfinished work is addressed during the Sprint Review, and then placed back onto the Product Backlog.
If the bugs aren't directly related to the current Sprint Goal, or are refinements or other work that was not in scope for your current Sprint, then they belong on the Product Backlog for a future Sprint.
If the bug is truly "stop the line" critical, the Scrum Team can collectively renegotiate scope for the Sprint to free up capacity so long as the current Sprint Goal is not endangered.
If the bug is so critical that it takes precedence over the current Sprint Goal, then the Product Owner can cancel the Sprint as a visible cost to the project. The team can then return to Sprint Planning, where this critical bug can be prioritized, estimated, and planned. NB: If the bug isn't critical enough to do this, then it's probably not really that critical.

A core agile tenet is that not everything can be "priority number one." If the business has identified a truly critical bug, then either fixing the bug is more important than the Sprint Goal, or else it isn't. If it is more important, then the cost to the project of cancelling the current Sprint and replanning is fully justified. If it isn't, then the Sprint Goal should not be put at risk for a less-important issue. Prioritizing work is the Product Owner's job, so you should work with the Product Owner to determine whether he or she is prepared to cancel the Sprint.
Continuous Improvement
Whatever you do in regards to this particular bug, make sure you take time to address this as a process issue within the Scrum Team during the Sprint Retrospective. Bugs happen, but the team should implement solid practices that limit the number and criticality of bugs, as well as well-defined processes for categorizing and managing them. There's probably some room for improvement in the team's practices and processes, so use this experience as grist for the mill.
Answer: My two cent input
If the bug has been caused by some work done in current sprint and is kind of show stopper for the release, then it must get resolved in current sprint. Analyse it for the effort required to fix and free up resources by moving equally weighed work back to product backlog without much effecting goal of the sprint. Even if the goal of the sprint gets a CUT, PO can discuss this with stake holders and convince them.
If the bug has been there in previous releases and somehow could get discovered now, then it can wait for the next sprint.
Please note, aborting a Sprint is not an option here. It is mostly done in situations when the work being done in sprint is no more relevant. e.g. feature being developed is not required by the customer any more. (Bug is not a valid cause here)
Sprints are time boxed so should not be extended.


Motivation for my 25 year old daughter

Question: How can I get my 25 year old daughter to be motivated to finish her degree, get a job and start looking after her appearance?  She still behaves as if she is 15 years old.  All she wants to do is watch tv series and sports all night long get up at 16h00, most days doesn't even wash her face or brush her teeth except if she is going out and even if she is going out she still wants to dress in jeans tshirts and sneakers and gets all upset when I tell her she should look after herself and have proud in herself ....
Comment: Have you considered depression? Have you asked _why_ she doesn't want to do more (she might not know...) ?
Comment: You are a carer (you provide unpaid care support to a person with an illness) - you are a parent carer.  You may want to find carer support organisations in your region. In England your GP should register you as a carer and there should be a carer support group in your county; medical professionals should be including you in some aspects of her care (see also triangle of care); your needs should be assessed, etc. A carer support group will be able to provide useful support and information to you.
Comment: Welcome to Parenting.SE! Does she still live at home with you? How long has this been a problem, has it gotten worse over time, why didn't she finish her degree, has she ever had a job... If you provide a bit more history and context, you will get more helpful answers.
Comment: She sounds depressed, get her to see a doctor about it.
Comment: Are there other family members?  If so, what do they think about your daughter?  Does your daughter have friends?  What motivates her to go outside?  Has your daughter always been like this or was there a precipitating incident?  In any case, let us know what you try and how it works.
Comment: Do you have a foot ? Does she have an ass ?  Maybe having those 2 meet together might be what she needs. I know this goes the opposite side of others pointing to a possible depression, but lazyness could also be an explanation. Also, from what you describe I see no reason to be proud of herself, so I don't see why you're telling her she should...
Answer: I am sorry, this is a tough situation.
Many people have mentioned the possibility of depression. Now, I am not going to diagnose over the internet, but your daughter is showing some signs of it (not getting up, not being interested in personal hygiene); however, other things you mention, like wearing jeans and sneakers are not a sign of depression and make me think there might be something else going on, at least in addition to depression.
The thing with depression is, you can't just casually talk someone out of it. If she is depressed, you telling her to dress more nicely and take pride in herself is not going to shake her out of it. A depressive episode makes a person not have pride in themselves. And it's likely what she's hearing isn't "you are awesome, dress like it", but "you are a slob who can't even manage to dress up to my standards". I am not saying that is what you are saying, I am saying this is what she might be hearing/thinking.
Dealing with depression sucks. The depressed brain lies to its owner. It's a long way out, and parents, partners and friends are often overwhelmed, and that's not their fault. Some ideas that I have that could gently help her are:

help her get into a daily routine: knock on her door at a certain time, maybe have breakfast ready.  Ask what she's planning to do that day, make note if the weather is nice enough for going outside, or that there's a festival in town she may be interested in, etc.
talk about what she is good at, what positive things might be in the future for her. I am reading that she hasn't yet finished her degree - talk about what she'd like to do with it, why she chose that sibject
don't bother her about what she is wearing - getting up and dressed is good! Getting out and meeting with friends is also good.

Also, be honest with yourself on why you are criticising her: Does it come from a place of worrying about her or are you disappointed in her? If you are disappointed, she will pick up on it. If this has been going on for some time, she may have internalized this way of thinking.
It would be good if she saw a doctor/counselor about this. How this works depends on your country, you might for example need a referral from a GP/family doctor. However, suggesting therapy or medical treatment is tricky, because it's easy for the depressed person to hear "you are a problem" instead of "you have a problem, let's solve it!" Also, therapy has to be wanted, it can't be forced because the patient has to do work. So just saying "talk to someone" isn't going to be the solution.
There are some good resources on the internet I can recommend:
Supporting a family member or friend
Captain Awkward post in dealing with a friend having depression (CA usually has an excellent comment section for these issues)
An important note: if this gets too much for you, if you get rejected, if you yourself find the situation too much to deal with: it's not your fault. You are allowed to be sad or angry about this as well. You are also allowed to get help (you have taken a good first step by posting here), in whatever form you need, including talking to a professional. And you are even allowed to say that having your 25 year old daughter at home, not helping in any way (I presume from the other issues you mentioned that she is not doing chores or paying rent) is not acceptable.
Depression is one possibility, based on the limited amount of information in the question. It might be something else. Important questions are, for example:

When did she start showing these behaviors?
How does she say she feels? Is she happy with the way she is living her everyday life?
Was there any kind of event that started a break in her routine? Did she fail a class, did her life circumstances change?
Comment: @Worriedmother this information (anxiety, taking medication) really should be in the original post.
Comment: Thank you very much for your words yes she started suffering from anxiety/panic attacks +-4 years ago &has been on medication since then I really do try not to criticize& try help her to become motivated about life but its not easy I have to admit though that last couple weeks she seems a little better she's been going out to her friends a bit more & seems more interested in her hygene.I don't have a problem with jeans &a tshirt for everyday wear but you have no idea how I battle to get her to choose something to wear when its something more formal like a wedding its an absolute nightmare !
Answer: From your question, I assume that your daughter is emotionally and mentally capable of attending school and/or working. I also infer from the question that she's never left home, has never had a job, and still acts like a teenager.
If my inferences are correct, the issue may be that she has never emotionally matured because she never has had to do so.
The solution will require you to take some bold steps, so I need to give you some powerful reasons to do so.

You won't be around forever to care for her.  Eventually, she'll have to fend for herself.  The longer she goes without having to care for herself, the harder it will be when you pass.  Some of the saddest people I've met are the fifty-somethings who have never left home, never taken care of themselves, and are suddenly thrust into adulthood quite unprepared.  I had a neighbor who was so unprepared to care for himself that he committed suicide after his father died.
Living like Peter Pan (e.g. never growing up) robs her of dignity, self-respect, self-confidence, and self-reliance.  It is hurting her!
If she never leaves home, never holds a job, and never goes to school, she may never find someone with which to share her life.  Even if she met the perfect person, dependence is quite unattractive. In fact, dependence attracts dependence.  I have a cousin, who never left home, who married a woman exactly like himself.  It didn't end well and caused great harm and pain to the family.
As long as she lives as a dependent, she will never achieve her full potential.

So, what is the solution?  Gently push the bird out of the nest.  This is like surgery.  It will cause pain now, to create healing later.

Tell her that she now has to pay rent to live with you.  Keep the amount small and reasonable (say $100 a month at first.) If she doesn't, she will have to move.  Write down the amount, date due, and the details on a paper, and both of you sign.  Then, if she does not pay, evict her.
Once she gets used to paying rent, let her know that she has a limited amount of time to live with you.  Let her know that going to school will allow her to stay longer, as long as her grades are good.
Help her dream.  Talk about the joys of living on her own.  Have her envision her future.  Set goals together, and show her how to meet them.
Teach her the skills she's going to need on her own.  Help her budget (Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University is a good tool for this.)  Teach her to cook and clean (if she doesn't know already.)  Make her do the shopping.
Help her to save for her security deposit on an apartment by matching what she saves.
Never confuse enabling with helping.  She is not going to like doing a lot of this at first.  She may cry, accuse, beg, or yell.  If your intent is to help her, she has to learn to live on her own and fly.  As time progresses, she will feel better about herself and her newfound independence.  Remember, nobody ever builds a muscle unless they use it, and sometimes building muscles causes us to be sore.  Don't go weak on her, because you would be doing her a great injustice.

Finally, other posters suggested the issue may be linked to depression.  While depression could be a contributing factor, inactivity and purposelessness contributes to the depression.  If you suspect depression, get her some help, and give her the dignity she deserves..
Answer: Perhaps you too often tell your daughter what is wrong with her. Stop giving her assessments. It is better to talk to her about what she wants from life, and not about what you want from her daughter. Perhaps you control too much and hence she does not control herself and makes you out of spite. This suppresses it. Imagine that you still control your mother. Would you like it? I think not. Cease to be an overseer, instead be a friend of your daughter. Perhaps this will enable her to be sufficiently motivated and take control of her life in her hands.

Motivation for my 25 year old daughter


What would be best squat stance and toe position for a person with weak knee?

Question: I think i have some knee problems as I usually feel sore there after an intense lower body work day. Also I have noticed that I have some symptoms of a knock knee,so I want to know the best stance width and toe position for least pain.I have noticed that pain is mostly when my knee goes forward, therefore I don't have much problem in heavy deadlift but much problem in back squat,even much less weight compared to DL.
Comment: I have a recurring knee injury aswell. What helps for me as to widen my stance a little bit wider than shoulder width and allow my knees to out a bit more as you go down. This way you can kind of "sit in between your legs" like you would during a front squat. This puts less stress on my knees.
Answer: It's a matter of getting everything aligned properly. Which is hard to explain with words alone, but getting your knees in the right position will require you to get your hips and ankles in the right position. The video below demonstrates what should be going on.
https://youtu.be/IKJWKJQXTuY
Answer: Well, to begin with I would work on strengthening the knees.
A simple exercise you can do is to put one foot forward and focus most of your weight on it, as you tighten the quad. You're kind of pushing on your knee and down with the foot (but don't use your hands). You should feel the muscles around the knee tighten. Tighten and release a few times like this during warm-up and/or on rest days.
Another good one is knee circles. Squat slightly and draw circles with your knees without moving the rest of your body too much.
Otherwise going into a more shallow squat should be easier on your knees.
So would turning your toes out a bit - maybe 15 degrees outwards.
So would a "neutral" stance - feet about hips width apart. A narrow stance will force your knees to work harder, and a wider stance would be conducive to your knees turning inward which may lead to misalignment of the knee cap (patella) - it tends to rotate inward.
TL;DR Squat more shallow and work on the root cause - strengthening your knees to alleviate the pain.
Answer: If you're having knee trouble with the squat then it's generally a good idea to minimize knee drift.
*/Which isn't necessarily the case with people squatting who don't have knee issues. I just want to note that knee drift is not necessarily a "bad thing." It can be if you have knee issues and you want to continue to squat.
Generally what I'd do with a client in this situation is likely box squats. Box squats generally force people to lean back more (the box/bench is there to catch you) and keep their shins more vertical. You can attenuate that position by blocking the knees with something too, like a training partners hands.
Of course general changes in technique may also be useful (screwing your feet in to the floor, changing the foot angle of the problematic knee, changing stance to wider or narrower, and adjusting depth are all valid) but a box squat is likely the fastest way to a pain free squat (with knee trouble) because it forces you to make a technique change that leads to a more vertical shin angle.
You could also try doing your warm up sets with a 9" or 11" looped band around your knees (just above or below) in addition to box squats. Just make sure you set up the safety pins in the power rack appropriately for that, it's a foreign feeling for most people.
Lastly there are also plenty of other exercises that train similar muscle groups to the squat. Exercises that would permit a more vertical shin (less knee drift) alignment on the front and potentially better train the muscles that counterbalance knock-knee postures (glutes/external rotators). Things like step-ups, maybe lunges (the back knee may be problematic though) or skater squats may be good accessory movements to add or to replace the squat until the knees start feeling better.
Comment: Thanks for the advice,I did some changes as advised,most prominent is widen the stance a bit,and switching to a low bar squat style.


Can I enter the UK as a tourist then on a student visa?

Question: I am an Australian student going on exchange to the UK for six months. I am intending on travelling prior to the commencement of my studies. As a condition of my student visa I am unable to enter the UK until 1 week before my studies commence. I was wondering if I can enter the UK as a tourist (approx. six weeks before study) then travel around Europe and come back into the UK on my student visa one week before I start studying?
Or would I have to go back to Australia first?
Comment: If you're going to travel around Europe, can you simply avoid going to the UK first?
Comment: I was intending on leaving majority of my luggage in a storage place at the university as I do not want to carry it all around with me. Also the tour which I was planning on booking begins in the UK. But, yes if worse comes to worst I will have to change my plans.
Comment: I have similar situation myself at the moment. What did you end up doing?
Answer: I am in exactly the same boat: arriving 7 weeks before my course starts from Australia.
From what I have heard, as long as you can prove at immigration when you enter the UK that you are leaving before the start of your student visa, and have a good reason as to why you can come in beforehand, it should be okay.
However, I don't know anyone who has done this, and none of my Google searches have proved fruitful, so I am hoping that it will be OK. I hope this makes sense!
Answer: A tourist visa would allow you to enter the UK and stay for up to three months. If you wanted to travel six weeks through the UK with a tourist visa, then stay six months with your student visa, that would seem very dodgy to me and I wouldn't try unless you get some official confirmation that it is fine. (The reason why I think it's dodgy is because you enter with a tourist visa with the intent to stay 7 1/2 months).
Entering the UK with a tourist visa and then travelling through Europe, returning to the UK when your student visa allows it, should be fine.
Comment: Actually OP wont need a tourist visa if they are an Australian citizen. They can get a stamp on entry which is valid for 6 months not 3 months. but yes, they can come, leave the uk then come back in on re-entry
Answer: As an Australian citizen you can come to the UK as a visitor for 6 month. On arrival be honest with the border guard, tell him/her you are coming in as a tourist, leaving the country and coming back on a student visa and you will be fine. I have learnt from past experience to just always be honest with border officials and you will be fine. I'd also advise you show proof of you planned travel to Europe like flights and hotel itinerary.
What you don't want to do is not mention your studies and the border officer find out about them, then it will look like you are up to something.
Enjoy your holiday and studies in the UK and the rest of Europe.


10 year old avoiding school as parent criticises and changes school texts

Question: My 10 year old grandson has been avoiding school because his father (my son) doesn't support some material in schoolbooks which he believes is political, not information.  My grandson is embarrassed because his father writes in his textbooks.  My son is correct in his judgment, I believe, but his strategy has set up tensions and he's concerned about how to get a good education for his son.
Comment: Given that the son will fail his tests if he can't access the school material, I can see why there's concern over him having a good education...
Comment: Do you have more specifics on what he's challenging?  It doesn't change my answer, below, but if he's challenging something like objectively well-established science because he doesn't like the answer, that's very different than, say, if a take on history only presents a very slanted perspective.
Comment: Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/55688/discussion-between-erik-and-ruben-giuliani).
Answer: When in Rome...
A child's textbook is not the place to stage a protest against the school's curriculum. As you have already observed, it will only cause stress and embarrassment, not actually teach a better lesson.
At 10 years old, your grandson is more than capable of understanding that people sometimes disagree on a subject or say things for a different purpose than they claim. As such, it's not necessary to literally overwrite the lessons in the textbooks.
Instead, the father should encourage his son to learn and understand the textbook as an exercise and a way to understand what other people may believe about the world. At home, he can provide this context and spend some time with his son teaching the preferred alternative lesson.
I know you've carefully avoided mentioning the subject or which side you and your son are on. Still I feel I should discuss that a little. Whether it's Creation vs Evolution or Climate change vs Hoax, there is a lot of basic science underneath, that your grandson may need to successfully complete a higher education.
If your grandson is taught to reject all of that science because it produces some results that are in conflict with your views, it will hurt him badly should he choose a technical or scientific career. It's better to teach him that science works and he should learn it, but it's only as good as humans can understand. Science doesn't produce fundamental truths, but "This explains all the stuff we're seeing, so we're pretty confident that's how it actually works." truths. They are subject to change and limited to what we can observe and understand.
Teach him to investigate, understand and question things, then make up his own mind, and you'll do well by him, regardless of which subject or side you are on.
Comment: To be fair, he might be in a private school and using a creationist textbook, and the father is writing in the real science; or using the horrible revisionist history books in Texas, and the father is correcting them to the real history.
Comment: Indeed. I tried to cover the situation either way, but wanted to call out the risk of rejecting science education overall rather than only some of its claims. It's much easier to recover from having learned history slanted one way or the other than from not being familiar with the basic scientific methods and thinking.
Comment: I'd be worried if the child is forced and brainwashed to believe in an ideology and be taught incorrect information such as dinosaurs not being real and evolution being all a lie.
Answer: What your son is doing, without realizing it, is using your grandson's education and well-being as a pawn for his own political agenda.  If he wants to teach his son critical thinking skills, and wants to discuss and examine why his son should keep an open mind to alternative perspectives on issues that are, possibly, subjective, that's fine.  To use him as a proxy like that is more selfish than helpful.  If he has concerns about whether the content is objectively legitimate, then that can be raised.  Usually, when it comes to politics, it's more about being stubborn when one's own viewpoint isn't championed.
Answer: You should have a serious talk with your son to make sure that he takes his parental responsibilities more seriously. He is behaving in a way that clearly causes damage to his child (your grandson).
If your son doesn't agree with school policies or the materials in his child's schoolbooks then he should take it up with the school officials.
Answer: I would encourage your son to talk with the school official who is in charge of curriculum and textbook selection.


Prefermenting the whole sourdough rye bread

Question: Why is it recommended to preferment only a portion of the dough required to make a sourdough rye bread? What can go wrong if I preferment the whole batch? My current knowledge is that it should only help to get better and more acidic taste - more time for yeast to process starches.
Comment: Maybe because the taste would be too strong - strong flavors (sharper, more acidic, more sour) are often used in moderation in recipes because even if some people will prefer the stronger taste, its easy to overwhelm taste tolerances for most people.  Or possibly you'll end up with too much yeast, and the bread's texture will suffer?
Answer: I am still very much an amateur in this area, however my current mental model is that the way to develop more flavor is by slowly cultivating many generations of yeast.
So, the potential problem with letting your young yeast get all the sugar all at once, is that you greatly reduce both the time and the number of generations.

One option is let your yeast multiply in a small portion of you total
dough before it joins the rest of your dough.
Another option is to let your yeast multiply under refrigeration.
A third option is to do both.
Answer: There are several reasons you only ferment 30% - 50% of the flour:
You can already mix all the water with this comparatively low amount of flour, resulting in a more mild (less acetic acid, more lactic acid) bread. It also helps getting more yeasts.
There is a danger the bread will ferment too much. Once you reached that point, there is nothing you can do, except doubling the amount of bread you make by adding more flour and water :). If you bake it anyway, it will collapse in the oven and be wet inside. The reason is that fermenting it is effectively using up the starch in the flour, which binds the water and provides structure in the bread.
If you ferment only a third or half the flour, even if you let it ferment too long and your yeasts in there starve to death, you can simply add the rest of the flour and some yeast afterwards since there will be enough starch from the new flour to provide food for the new yeast and structure in the bread.
It is certainly possible to ferment all of the dough and make a good bread from it. You typically do this to wheat breads because rye breads simply taste too strong when made this way. However, the margin for error is very small and I would recommend you get some experience with the "usual" way of making sourdough bread first.
Answer: First, you have to differentiate between "guiding" the starter and making a preferment for flavor purposes. A sourdough starter colony is not in a bakable state, its population density is wrong. It needs a few hours in a specific environment (sufficient food, etc.) to "revive" and get into a state which will work in bread. This is different from making, say, biga for white yeasted bread, which just tries to create a bit of yeasty flavor, disregarding culture viability.
I am not sure you can bake with guided starter only, without adding more fresh dough. Sourdough making stages are optimized for the best leavening power, and it is likely that, if you don't add more fresh flour and water after the preferment has become "ready", it will not perform well but start to go into an overfed stage, without much leavening power. This is a bit of a conjecture, as I have not worked with rye sourdough starter.
Second, preferment is not dough, and it handles badly. It lacks the elasticity and suppleness of freshly made dough, so even if you can get proper leavening action, it cannot make a nice loaf texture.
The "too sour" argument is actually a matter of taste. I am certain that, if a lot of fermentation produced the best bread in terms of leavening/texture and durability, people would have grown to regard very sour bread as the norm and enjoy it.
If you really want to try baking with pure firm preferment, nothing stops you from trying. It is likely that you will like the result less than properly made bread though.


To what extent do deductive approaches consider authorial intent?

Question: Bottom-up approaches start analyzing a text by first determining the original intent of the human author of a text.  From there, they use inductive reasoning to construct theories of broader meanings.  Top-down approaches begin with a greater truth and deduce the meaning of the text from first principles.  In general, can the intent of the human author be ignored by deductive interpretations?
Comment: Great question!
Answer: The simple answer is to the extent that the person making the deductions care about the original author's intent.
Let's use a legal document like a contract as a start.  This is less complex as it is a human document, but it still can furnish us with a basic process of understanding an author's intent. First one must start with deduction.  We must always start with deduction then use induction and deduction in combination repeatedly. We deduce it is written in English because we find English letters. Then we deduce what each word means based on a strict bias of the alphabet and dictionary. Then we use our assumptions about what we consider to be acceptable grammar to determine individual sentences. We also assume that the legal document has an overall purpose and is trying to meet established legal customs of its subject and aim.
Now we start inductive reasoning. We read the sentences and try to compile main ideas that together explain the entire document and shed light to each word chosen.
After we have reached our limits of understanding we isolate portions that do not seem to fit our conclusion and switch back to deductive reasoning.   Based on our preliminary understanding we make various deductions hoping to align with the difficult statements we have not yet found a place for in the puzzle.  We repeat this top-down, bottom-up, top-down iteration until we think we finally understand the original intent of the author.
With the Bible, the author is God through men, so we have authors and must use every portion of scripture to help us understand the meaning of any given text.  Furthermore as human reason can't understand either author's intent without illumination of the Holy Spirit, prayer and faith must govern both our inductions and deductions if we hope to arrive at any understanding.
In the end, how much we respect the original human author's intent, I think is one of several measurements that tell us how much we understand anything about the text.  The same can be said about prayer, if we ignore prayer in our search for knowledge we probably don't understand either the human author or the divine author's intent.  However in either case both earnest deduction and inductions are inseparably required. Both objective critical scholastic study and true dogmatic pressures derived from previous inductions upon the text are required.
Can a person totally ignore large portions of a text by overly forcing their dogma onto it? Of course, this is what every person without faith and prayer does consistently well. Several biblical scholars seem to do nothing but enforce their unbelief on scriptures not knowing that they are filled with the faith of the original author.
Comment: @GoneQuiet - David prayed the way I propose, but I admit its is more readily supported in the Christian NT. 'Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law' (NIV Psalm 119:18)
Comment: A few quick comments. Deductive study is "topical." It is the approach by which we start with a concept and search through a corpus finding places where the works within that corpus address that concept. Inductive study relies on drawing conclusions from observations on the text. Both are quite susceptible to misuse which is why I wholeheartedly agree with your encouragement to use both. I will say that *starting* with deduction shouldn't be so strongly pressed because tremendous benefit can also come from induction.
Comment: I also agree with your bolded paragraph, though I'd back off at the "true dogmatic pressures derived from previous inductions upon the text are required" because it's not necessarily a requirement to apply critical methods to a text. It *is* a requirement if you're applying critical methods in order to arrive at a theological conclusion and you wish that conclusion to be fully integrated with your extant theology :).
Comment: Finally, I will say that if God is all of the *omnis* that we Christians claim that he is, then he still has jurisdiction over "biblical scholars [who] to do nothing but enforce their unbelief on scriptures not knowing that they are filled with the faith of the original author." Good can still come from *that* but you need to be discerning as to what the "good" is. Overall, +1 from me.
Comment: @swasheck - I don't think I disagree with any of your comments. I think I was using the term deduction and dogma slightly differently than how you are using them. I am not a fan of topical studies. What I mean is when I read a given text that might imply God is unholy I apply pressure from my faith (from texts that say he is holy) onto the difficult text, in order to help understand it. Cheers
Comment: Psalms 119:73
Yodh
 Your hands have made and fashioned me;
 give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
Answer: No method can be purely inductive.  Even the historical-grammatical method begins with the a priori assumption that the author's intent matters.  In addition, anyone who devotes their time to understanding a text makes an implicit assumption that the text has a timeless meaning.  The meaning assigned by the reader must be tethered to the author's meaning or why bother reading the text at all?
Answer: Under a Christological hermeneutic, there are meanings beyond what the author intends to be sure.  Stories about Abraham, Isaac, and Israel give us insight into the character of Jesus.  Often the human author has no idea of the weight of their words.  (See John 11:51.)  But the deeper meaning augments and does not contradict the proximate meaning.  Good allegory follows rules and respects the author.


Escaping alone is not enough

Question: I am attached to my parents, children and other close family members quite heavily. Me alone escaping the suffering is not enough. I want to make sure they are on track to escape suffering as well. What are my options?
Comment: Share with them the Buddha's Teaching. In case no one is interested, you can always cultivate yourself and try to be a living example of what's good and wholesome. It's like a source of warm bright light which people will naturally be drawn toward and emulate its good attributes.
Comment: The only option is to escape alone, for only then are you qualified to help others do the same. This is not to disagree with santa100 in any way.
Comment: I asked maybe a similar question -- [How to explain what Buddhism is?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/7258/254)
Answer: I don't have a complete knowledge in Buddhist teachings.
There is a quote which says,
'No one can save us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.'
So we can just help them show the path, but they have to walk their own path.
Comment: That quote is from quite an old translation ([link](https://fakebuddhaquotes.com/no-one-saves-us-but-ourselves-no-one-can-and-no-one-may-we-ourselves-must-walk-the-path/)).
Answer: If you want to share the Buddha's teachings (also known as "the Dhamma") with your family members and friends, you may do so, if you believe that they would be willing to listen.
Of course, if they are not interested or not ready to listen, then you must be willing to let them be.
According to Iti 100:

"There are these two kinds of gifts: a gift of material things & a
  gift of the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: a gift of the Dhamma.
"There are these two kinds of sharing: sharing of material things &
  sharing of the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: sharing of the
  Dhamma.
"There are these two kinds of assistance: assistance with material
  things & assistance with the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: help
  with the Dhamma.
"There are these two kinds of mass-donations: a mass-donation of
  material things & a mass-donation of the Dhamma. Of the two, this is
  supreme: a mass-donation of the Dhamma."

But to teach someone the Dhamma, you must have some qualifications, according to the Udayi Sutta (AN 5.159):

"It's not easy to teach the Dhamma to others, Ananda. The Dhamma
  should be taught to others only when five qualities are established
  within the person teaching. Which five?
"(1) The Dhamma should be taught with the thought, 'I will speak
  step-by-step.'
"(2) The Dhamma should be taught with the thought, 'I will speak
  explaining the sequence [of cause & effect].'
"(3) The Dhamma should be taught with the thought, 'I will speak out
  of compassion.'
"(4) The Dhamma should be taught with the thought, 'I will speak not
  for the purpose of material reward.'
"(5) The Dhamma should be taught with the thought, 'I will speak
  without hurting myself or others.'
Note: According to the Commentary, "hurting oneself" means exalting
  oneself. "Hurting others" means putting other people down.
Answer: the best you can do is becoming some arhant with the power of mind reading and the power to explain the dhamma well. Do not forget that some people who hear the dhamma from the buddha do not even get enlightened.
if you want to prepare them to hear the dhamma, you can watch bikkhu bodhi about the sutta ''being fit to talk to'' about the dhamma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdbCBfI0I2E
Answer: Almost every man/woman/child you meet in life has been your parents, family, children in the past. It's just that you don't remember them. Your current family will be no different when you die. You have done the family thing countless times in the past and doing it again one more time wont help in ending anybody's suffering. That is why prince Siddhartha left his family. So wanting to save your family is no excuse for not getting ordained or not going to a monastery for long time meditation.
Then again, monk-life is not for everybody. Unless you have strong determination and courage, you are going to struggle to keep up with that lifestyle. Besides, you don't have to leave the lay life to become enlightened, it's just that the process is comparatively slow because of all the distractions and temptations.
So here are some options available for you:

Leave the lay life, achieve your goal, come back and help the family members to end their suffering like how the Buddha did.
Stay in lay life, go to a good meditation retreat every now and then with your family members, stay there for at least couple of weeks at a time.
Meet a good meditation teacher and get meditation advice, go back to lay life, find a time of the day when everyone can meditate together. Enforce some house rules at that time for everybody to participate or at least stay quiet. Or you could incorporate meditation in all your day to day activities depending on the type of meditation you do.

Option 1 would be the most effective, but most people are too weak for that big of a leap. Nevertheless, option 2 and 3 can get the job done too albeit being less effective.
Comment: Thanks. For me it is hard to believe that everyone that I meet had been my parent/etc in an early life. If you just take all the combinations in to account it enormous and time required is exceptionally large. Instead, I feel that beings typically cluster together for various reasons. I have practically seen something like that happening although I cant prove.
Comment: @Peter do you think any number of combinations is bigger than infinity? If there is no starting point in Samsara. It can accommodate any number.
Answer: Some options:
Focus on the buddhist ideas of brahmaviharas for the sake of your surrounding.
Also, buddhism doesnt have exklusive rights to compassion or kindness. So option two would be the general humane stuff we do for each other.
Option three: There is a chance you're already doing enough for your loved ones, seeing as it is a topic you're attentive to. In that case, keep being yourself.
Answer: Putting your family "on track" might succeed or it might backfire. Each of us has our own "track". If others choose our tracks for us, resentment might arise.
However, if one offers compassion and understanding when others approach in a moment of suffering, one might reveal a door for them to choose on their own.
Recently a friend sought my advice, complaining of agitation, uncertainty and anxiety. I suggested that she simply close her eyes and count her breaths for one minute as one might do for MN10 Mindfulness Meditation. After that minute her day went much better and an hour later, laughing, she thanked me for that help.
Be there for your family. Let go of the track.
Answer: Surely, householder, it's hard to leave home, follow the Buddha and his disciples, their leader and many others previous in same situation but could have been able to see the higher benefit for all and could let go.
Once a householder asked the Buddha having same bonds of debts:

"We are lay people enjoying sensuality; living crowded with spouses & children; using Kasi fabrics & sandalwood; wearing garlands, scents, & creams; handling gold & silver. May the Blessed One teach the Dhamma for those like us, for our happiness & well-being in this life, for our happiness & well-being in lives to come."
[The Blessed One said:] "There are these four qualities, TigerPaw, that lead to a lay person's happiness and well-being in this life. Which four? Being consummate in initiative, being consummate in vigilance, admirable friendship, and maintaining one's livelihood in tune. ...To Dighajanu

Find more on householders practice and family here and if no access to clean your self in frequently meeting the monks, this might be a tiny possibility to stay often in borderlands.
(Note that this is not given for stacks, trade, exchange or entertainment, but toward escape and to get more near to a possibility)
Answer: Follow the Path, and those who see it will follow also.
Answer: No options. No need to become attached to some Buddhist ideal that a very small percentage of Buddhists, let alone people in general, achieve.

Escaping alone is not enough


What hardware do I need to get started with Bitcoin?

Question: I am new to crypto currencies and just got into bitcoin, I want to know how to  start off, which equipment would I need?
Comment: related: [I am new to Bitcoin, how can I get started?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/22840/5406)
Comment: possible duplicate of [How can I start mining Bitcoin?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/1433/how-can-i-start-mining-bitcoin)
Answer: Nothing out of the ordinary hardware wise is necessarily required if you are just using bitcoin as a currency. The only case you would need specific hardware was if you intended on mining bitcoin. For just normal bitcoin transactions you can utilize whatever electronic device you are using to visit stack-exchange.
There are really only 2 big decisions you have to make as a user. What wallet do you want to use and what exchange you want to purchase bitcoin from. Below is a resource to help you decide what wallet would meet your needs (it depends on the device you are using and the security level you require)
https://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet
There are two characteristics that make up the main difference between wallets, one being the type of environment they work on ie: some are for desktop computers, some for mobile devices and some are web based and work through the web-browser. The other is if they are full validation wallets or simplified validation. As a starter I would suggest beginning with a simplified validation wallet like electrum and getting your feet wet with that. Later as you learn more about bitcoin you can decide if running a full validation wallet like bitcoinqt would be something you'd be interested in doing to help out the network.
The second thing you need to decide is what exchange you want to use to purchase your bitcoin. This mainly depends on your location and personal preference.
Here is a general resource to help you learn more information about bitcoin:
https://bitcoin.org/en/getting-started
I would suggest reading up on most of the bitcoin.org pages, the whole website is a great resources for people new to bitcoin.
Answer:
I want to know how to start off, which equipment would I need?

If by equipment you mean mining, be sure to know that mining has become a professional venture.  You need a good combination of i) cheap energy, ii) large CaPex, and iii) a country that has low (or no) import taxes on your equipment.
This is what a single, small, miner looks like today.
If, however, you want to aquire and use btc, you don't need much.  Most current PC's/laptops will be able to handle even the full blockchain, provided you have the HD/SSD space.  If you don't, there are a host of wallets which will not require the full blockchain in your machine.  You can check them out at Bitcoin.org.  What you're giving up then is some security---your machine is not checking that the transactions are all perfectly safe.
Answer: My setup is a bitcoin blockchain node only, created for participation, no mining.
Here's my hardware list:
1. Raspberry Pi 3B
2. 32GB MicroSD
3. 512GB hard drive torage (currently bitcoin blockchain size > 240GB)


Why is this probability being cubed ?

Question: If 3 ants are on three different vertices of a triangle. what is the probability they will collide and they can move along the sides of the triangle - so in this case each ant can move along 2 sides of the triangle. So why is the probability that they will move in a clockwise direction (1/2)^3 ?? and probability in the counter clockwise direction is (1/2)^3 again. I understand that probability of moving itself is (1/2) but why is it cubed ?
Comment: Because each ant moves independently with a probability $\frac{1}{2}$ to move anticlockwise or clockwise: $$\frac{1}{2}\times\frac{1}{2}\times\frac{1}{2}=\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{3}$$
Comment: so what formula is this using to get this cubed result and why is it not addition of the probabilities ?
Comment: @Shaktal Sorry but, for independent events, P(A or B or C)=P(A)+P(B)+P(C) is as wrong as can be.
Comment: just imagine it as follows: there are 8 different ways the ants can move. 000,001,010,011,100,101,110,111 where 0 is anticlockwise and 1 clockwise. $2^3=8$
Answer: Nobody knows what probability really is; but in the last 250 years we have learnt to talk about it coherently. When there are $3$ ants choosing one of two "equally likely" directions "independently" then there are $2^3=8$ possible cases, which for "reasons of symmetry" are equiprobable. Among these $8$ cases there are exactly $2$ where all three ants start to move in the same direction.
Answer: For independent events,
$$
\Pr\left( \bigcap_{i=1}^n A_i \right) = \prod_{i = 1}^n \Pr\left( A_i \right).
$$
In words, "the probability of the product is equal to the product of the probabilities".
In your example, each ant has a $1/2$ chance to move either left or right. Presumably, these events are independent, as we are given no information about the ants communicating with each other. If we let $A_i$ be the event "ant $i$ goes right", then we get
$$
\Pr(A_1 \cap A_2 \cap A_3) = \Pr(A_1) \cdot \Pr(A_2) \cdot \Pr(A_3) = (1/2)^3,
$$
which is the probability that all ants travel clockwise. A similar calculation gives $(1/2)^3$ as the probability that all ants travel counterclockwise.
To finish the problem, the probability that the ants do collide is equal to the probability that the do not all travel clockwise or all counterclockwise. This is given by
$$
1 - (1/2)^3 - (1/2)^3 = 3/4.
$$

Why is this probability being cubed ?


How to take faster HDR shots with a Nikon D7000?

Question: I was experimenting with HDR photography with my Nikon D7000.  I consulted an article on how to do it and the results look great.  However, the settings on the Nikon seem to allow for a minimum of 1 second between shots.  This means that taking a three exposure HDR series takes several seconds (especially with the mirror lock-up).  I've seen examples of action shots using HDR photography and clearly several seconds isn't remotely suitable.  In fact, several seconds is so long that it can only be used in the most still conditions.   Is there any way to reduce this time or am I out of luck?   If I'm out of luck, what features am I missing on my camera?
Answer: What I do on my D90 is use the normal self timer, which you can set up to take multiple shots.

set shooting mode to high burst (about 4 fps)
set self timer on, with short delay (2 seconds)
set self timer to take 3 shots
set bracketing for 3 shots
press shutter, camera delays three seconds, then takes 3 quick shots, under 1 second

I don't use mirror up.  That seems to be the limiting feature when using the interval timer technique in the article you referenced.
I would use mirror up for very close macro shots to eliminate any movement.  I wouldn't bother with landscapes, as I don't feel it really makes any noticeable difference.  I've read opinions both ways.  It's probably best practice, but I think a lot of people feel it doesn't make enough difference to bother.
If you need quick shots (moving clouds say) then I'd do away with mirror lockup if that's indeed the limiting factor.  If you can afford 1 second intervals, then go ahead and use mirror lockup.  I'd say do some tests and see if you can tell the difference though.
Comment: For what it's worth, mirror lock-up only really matters over a very narrow range of shutter speeds. *Exactly* what that range is depends on your tripod's resonance, the focal length of the lens you're using and the camera itself (how well the mirror is damped). Faster shutter speeds mean that camera motion will be negligible; longer shutter speeds are more affected by other sources of motion (wind, ground vibrations, etc.). It's mostly in the 1/15s to 1/60s that mirror slap will show if conditions are just right -- 1/30s is the traditional "deadly speed" where conditions are "most pessimal".
Comment: Yep, that's exactly what I was thinking.  Fast shutter speeds and it wouldn't matter.  Very slow shutter speeds and a little brief movement wouldn't have much effect.  With bracketing though, especialy if doing 5 or 7 shots, you are likely to span that range of shutter speeds where it does matter.
Answer: You can also do cropping in the action shots to apply HDR to the remainder of the scene, while the action area stays with the on exposure that is best for it.  The water ripple shot looks to me as if this was done.  The bike flip shot may have as well (no sky detail right around the bike in the air).  There's no reason the subject of interest has to actually be in every shot; it only needs to have itself at the right exposure.
For practice, set up a shot at a scene which would benefit from HDR, but also has people walking past in the scene.  Shoot the background over your HDR bracket.  Then set the exposure that is right for exposing the people that cross the scene.  When someone does walk by, don't just take a shot ... take multiple shots.  Then crop that person into the scene multiple times.  You would just be combining a couple techniques in post processing.  Then you should be able to see that HDR is effectively a supplement to the subject.
Another fun shot is to make one of those "family profile" shots where all the kids gather first on one side of the parents, then again on the other side.  In post processing, in addition to the HDR in the background (shoot that without the people even there) the family is now larger (if the parents are still enough, this is very easy to do).


What is the default configuration of the firewall in Ubuntu Desktop Edition?

Question: Is it safe to connect a computer running a freshly installed ubuntu desktop edition directly to the internet? Or do I need to actively configure a firewall before connecting it?
Comment: to the best of my memory, desktop default doesn't have network aware services other than avahi and dhclient running out of the box...but more security would be "better" imho
Answer: You can tell what the currently running firewall rules are by running:
sudo iptables-save

If this doesn't print anything, which it doesn't on my recently installed Ubuntu 10.10 system, then no firewall is in place.  Do you absolutely need a firewall?  Probably not, particularly if you keep up to date with software updates.  However, I would recommend enabling it.  The tool you probably want to use is called "ufw", and you can enable it with:
sudo ufw enable

Once you do that, the iptables-save command above should display 50 lines or so of information.  If you have any services you need particularly to allow, such as HTTP, you can allow it with:
sudo ufw enable 80/tcp

This would be if you wanted to be able to access the web server on your machine.
For most users on a workstation, the default setting will be good.
Answer: I think it is safe enough. Though firewall doesn't run by default like Windows, but Linux/Unix system always requires superuser/root permission to make change to its system, e.g. opening a network port or even just installing new software.
You don't need firewall as long as your OS (whether it's Windows or Linux) doesn't open up network ports which has security holes or backdoor. Windows needs personal firewall because there are so many malicious software out there that will opening up malicious backdoor ports once it is installed, so firewall is there to act as a protection against that.
Comment: Ratanachai - please see my comment, as your points just aren't true.
Comment: OK, I changed from "Yes, it is safe" to "I think it is safe enough". BTW, what port does a freshly installed ubuntu desktop open anyway?
Answer: No it categorically isn't safe! Sure, if an OS has no holes then it would be fine as Ratanachai says, however all operating systems and applications have holes. And although Microsoft operating systems are the most targeted, a standard Ubuntu install has vulnerabilities that are known, as well as other unknown ones (probably) and depending on the applications you run you could have a large number of possible vulnerabilities which can be exploited if your machine is not firewalled from the Internet.
You should always build your OS in as secure an environment as you can - so if you are downloading packages from the Internet, at least firewall it so you are only getting responses, not direct targeted scans/exploits etc.
Once you have installed, then harden your platform - follow all security advisories and patches, turn off all unneeded services and lock down access (ie deny root access from remote)
That will at least leave you with a basic level of security.


How to keep Apps, that are banned from the offical market, up to date?

Question: Sadly, a few fine Apps are banned from the official Market by Google (e.g. Transdroid): How can I keep those Apps up to date, without visiting the project sites regularly?
Answer: I usually sign up for an RSS feed on the project's website, and add the feed to a separate group in Google Reader.  Since I sync up with Reader twice a day, when an update to an app I'm following is available I know about it the same day.
For sites that don't provide a native RSS feed, there are some services that can generate an RSS feed on-the-fly, like Feed43 or FeedBeater, for example.


Why don't smartphones default to 4x6?

Question: The most common ratio of picture to print (by far) is 4x6.  So why don't smartphones default to this aspect ratio?
Answer: While you're probably correct that the most common aspect ratio for printing is 3:2, that's not what happens to the vast majority of photos these days. People look at them on screen, and upload them to Instagram, Facebook or whatever is the social media site of the year. Instagram is purely a 1:1 aspect ratio, Facebook will crop photos to 1:1 in a lot of instances (at least for preview), and so on. Printing is a minority sport these days, so I think it's entirely correct that smartphones don't optimize for that use case.
Answer: The default aspect ratio for the photos that a smartphone produces is a function of both hardware (the image sensor's native aspect ratio) and software (whether and how much the phone's software decides to crop from this image).
It's difficult to speak in general to the choices of specific phone manufacturers and models, but one factor that designers may take into account when choosing a default aspect ratio for photos is the aspect ratio of the phone's display and whether or not the phone's designers feel it is important to fill the entire screen with data from the camera (and therefore to use a nonstandard aspect ratio, since smartphone displays are rarely 4x6, or 3:2 for 35mm equivalent cameras).
Answer: If I had to guess then it's as simple as this:
Smartphone manufacturers want to use a resolution which matches the aspect ratio of the phone. Imagine if the average user took a picture and then had black bars either vertically or horizontally on the side of the screen, it would look about as amazing as those 4:3 aspect photos that they loop on the 16:9 TV at weddings, etc...
Comment: @szulat weird, is that default? When you view the picture on your phone screen in it's native orientation then does it crop the image or provide black bars on the sides of the screen?
Comment: yes, they add empty space on the sides! (and if I recall correctly, the old system behavior on the old 3:2 ratio screen iphones (before iphone 5) was to crop (probably because the difference between 3:2 and 4:3 was smaller than 16:9 and 4:3)). also note the positive side of 4:3 photos on 16:9 screen: they never fit exactly, but displaying the "other" orientation (like landscape on portrait) creates smaller bars.
Comment: Funny, because the iPhone's camera aspect ratio is 4:3 :-)

Why don't smartphones default to 4x6?


How can I change my site's meta tags using fatcow.com site builder?

Question: I am a newbie to website work.  I am on the board of a new non-profit, and have been given the task of getting the website up and running.  We elected a package from Fatcow.com that gives hosting and most services, cheap, but the only downside is the drag-and-drop style builder.  Of course without this builder, I would not have the page up already.  The downside to the builder is that it is hard, if not impossible, to edit the tags I need to in the actual code.  I have a copy of the Google Webmaster starter guide, and want to set meta-tags for each page on the site, however, I cannot find a function on fatcow to allow me access to read the code behind the pages.
Can anyone tell me how else to access the code for manual editing?
Answer: How about this page, Step 8.
Answer: try this:
control panel>file manager>root>index.html


Would APS-C be better for shooting wildlife?

Question: Considering the magnification effect of APS-C sensors, they theoretically have to extend the zoom range of telephoto lenses. Accordingly, would it be wiser to use an APS-C camera for shooting wildlife instead of full frame, or this is just something that I only imagine and it'd be different in practice?
Comment: Same basic concept: [Are full-frame cameras bad for sports photography?](http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/12672/are-full-frame-cameras-bad-for-sports-photography)
Comment: Then why not a Micro Four Thirds (crop factor 2x) ?
Answer: Crop sensors are indeed used for wildlife to get more reach without sacrificing megapixels. And, you can get closer images without spending as much money. Sure, you could crop, but then your printing dimensions will be reduced. For display on the web, at 72dpi or so, it wouldn't matter if you cropped.
All that said, remember that to get the same image as a full frame sensor, you have to apply the crop factor to both the focal length and the aperture. Many photographers forget this, and think that their full-frame 200mm f2.8 lens will turn into a 300mm f2.8 on a crop sensor. Actually, you get the effect of a 300mm f4, instead.
Comment: Thank you actually stating the facts, including the f-stop issues.
Answer: Not necessarily.
The APS-C sensor merely crops the image that would have been captured on a full frame sensor, so you end up with what you'd get if you used a full frame and cropped in post (see: Does my crop sensor camera actually turn my lenses into a longer focal length? and Is crop-factor a bad thing?)
But given a full-frame and a crop sensor of the same resolution, say 14MP, at least with the APS-C you'll have a 14MP end result. With full-frame, if you crop the image to match the APS-C image, you'd throw away pixels and end up with a 6MP image.
Comment: The critical thing here is that the lens has to be of sufficient quality.  I've done this test with my D7100 and D610 - both have the same image resolution (same MP) but the pixel density on the D7100 is naturally higher since the sensor is smaller.  If the lens is sharp enough then the D7100 full image will slightly outperform (in perceptual resolution/sharpness) the D610 cropped, simply because there is a higher pixel density in the cropped area.
Comment: @J... But that is only true when you are displaying at a large enough size that the difference in the number of pixels make a difference.
Answer: There can definitely be some benefit to be gained by using a crop sensor camera when longer focal length is desireable. It is one of the reasons compact "superzoom" cameras can give fields of view equivalent to 1000mm+ focal lengths on a full frame camera with a much smaller lens than would be required to get that same FoV using a full frame sensor camera.
If the pixel density is the same on a FF camera and an APS-C camera, then there would be little to no benefit (all other things being equal). But the pixel density is rarely the same. A typical APS-C camera might have a 20MP sensor that gives a pixel spacing of about 4 microns. A 22MP FF camera has a pixel spacing of 6.25 microns.
The crop factor of a particular sensor is based on linear measurements, but pixel density is measured in terms of pixels per area. This means the number of pixels on a FF sensor that fall within the space covered by a 1.5X APS-C sensor is not 1/1.5X, but 1/2.25X of the total number of pixels on the FF sensor. In the case of our typical 22MP FF camera, if we crop the image by 1.5X in the linear measurements we are only left with a pixel count of just under 10MP. In the case of cropping to match a 1.6X APS-C sensor it would only be about 8.6MP.
If 8-10MP is sufficient for your intended display size, then there will be very little difference between cropping the FF image or using the APS-C camera (all other things being equal). But if you need more than 8-10MP resolution for your intended display size, then the advantage of the APS-C body becomes obvious.
If you magnify the image projected by the lens, such as is the case with a teleconverter, you spread the light thinner and give up aperture in terms of the f-number used to calculate exposure. But if you increase magnification when printing or displaying the image you don't lose any aperture in terms of exposure. You do, however, lose performance in terms of perceived image noise when you magnify an image. Displaying the same image at different viewing sizes (magnifications) also affects the depth of field as perceived by the viewer at the same viewing distance.
Beyond the relative pixel densities, there is also the issue of comparing different generations of technology. A newer FF body might do better cropped to APS-C magnification compared to an older APS-C body. On the other hand, a newer APS-C body may do better when compared to a cropped image from an older FF body.
Also please note that when you crop a FF image to the same magnification as an APS-C sized image, you have just thrown away the extra light that the FF sensor collected to give it that one stop advantage in terms of noise.
Answer: There's no universal answer.  Cameras are different, with differing resolutions, pixel pitch, and noise performance. A newer camera can trump a bigger camera.  Does the bigger one have bigger pixels, more pixels the same pitch, or something in between, which makes them harder to compare?
Also, you might be able to afford a much better lens (or only use the center part thus making a cheaper lens perform better) with a smaller sensor. Is the better optics a bigger or smaller effect than the difference in noise?
Compare actual cameras and equipment that would make up the kit, not one single property held by many cameras of different brands and tiers.  I've had a Sony alpha 6000 (crop) take a better picture than a Canon 5D (full) in the identical shot: the larger sensor gives a 1 stop advantage to low-light. The other camera had its own advantages. One stop due to one feature doesn't just trump everything else that's going on.
Comment: "Identical shot" meant standing in the same place at the same time and filling the subject to the viewfinder to get the same picture. The lens focal length would hqce been different between the two cameras.
Comment: Ah, I see what you mean. Given that he already has the longest lens he can get, the FF doesn't have its inherent advantage in play.
Comment: If you crop the FF image to the size of the APS-C image, you give up that stop of light advantage because you're throwing away roughly half the light the larger sensor collected.
Comment: Then you're not, as the question states, "extending the zoom (sic) range of telephoto lenses." The question seems fairly clear to me to be comparing using the same focal length lens to either shoot with a FF camera and crop to the narrower FOV of an APS-C camera or shoot with an APS-C camera.
Answer: Full frame cameras will give you better quality images especially in low light. However, they are bulky, heavy and expensive. And yes you do lose telephoto capability to a degree as the crop factor is not there. So you will need a bigger lens on a full frame to cover what you lost with a crop sensor camera. Which ofcourse will add to the weight. Some people are willing to live with this headache to get the best images possible. But others are not. Using cameras in real life in the field is always better teacher than theorizing about it. I currently use a crop sensor DSLR for nature photography and carry only 2 lightweight lenses. Since weight is an issue for me when i travel across the world. I have used all kinds of cameras on my travels and i am always looking to get the right balance between weight, bulk and performance.
Answer: Most answers here compare the use of a crop-sensor camera with the
option of cropping in post. This raises the question of comparing either
megapixel counts or pixel densities, as discussed in all the answers.
However, all these answers fail to address a very essential issue:
viewfinder magnification. Crop-sensor cameras almost universally
have a larger viewfinder magnification than full frame cameras, which is
only natural given their smaller focusing screen. If you are going to
use only an APS-C (or smaller) area of your sensor anyway, an APS-C
camera will give you a better experience in terms of composing your shot
in the finder. With full frame you will have to compose on a smallish
partial viewfinder image.
Answer: The short answers are:

If using a FF lens use a FF body. If using a APS-C lens use a APS-C body.
If you need to crop the FF image in post to get closer, then use an APS-C otherwise FF may be better after all.
Answer: You could use APS-C camera to save some considerable weight, size or money. But if you are looking for the best image quality especially when the light is not plentiful, top of the line FF cameras will give you better chance compared to the same generation APS.
Comment: Look at dpreview: some APC sensor cameras have better low-light performance than some full-frame cameras.  In particular, see the notes for the Canon 7Dii.
Answer: Full frame cameras offer better results in form of sharpness and noise, so you could use a full frame and crop it later in APS-C format.
Comment: When you crop and then enlarge to the same size, you effectively give up most of the advantage regarding both noise and sharpness. Those comparisons are only valid when images from both cameras are viewed with the *pixels* viewed at the same size (i.e. at 100% so that the magnification ratio is different for each image unless the pixel size is identical).


javascript smooth scroll

Question: I would like to implement smooth scrolling on my page made in drupal 6. I have a list of topics on top of the page. I would like the page to smooth scroll down direction to the topic. Can any point me how to do it in drupal 6?
thank you
Answer: Try customising the Scroll to Top module. Which provides a similar functionality.
Answer: If the Scroll to Top module mentioned by @vgardner isn't to your liking, you might also look at integrating Ariel Flesler's jQuery.scrollTo plugin which may offer a lot more functionality out of the box.
Answer: Finally I picked one of many js scripts available on internet. Then put it into js file inside theme directory + added this to theme.php
function MYTHEME_preprocess_page(&$variables) {
  drupal_add_js('...');
  $variables['scripts'] = drupal_get_js();
flush caches and it is working.

javascript smooth scroll


Why would a bike feature a "carbon wrapped aluminum frame"?

Question: I saw a link to what appeared to be a Carbon bike on amazon.  The price was extremely lower than any carbon bike I had ever seen.  After reading a bit, it seems that the bike frame is really made of "carbon fibre wrapped aluminum". What advantages would wrapping an aluminum frame in carbon have compared to just a regular aluminum bike.  Is it just to get a carbon look bike more cheaply, or does it allow you to use a narrower aluminum frame, with carbon taking up some stress, creating a frame with a weight somewhere between carbon and aluminum?
Comment: Here's a review of a DIY carbon wrap kit. Make sure you read to the editor's note at the end. http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2008/reviews/april1_carbon_wrapit08
Comment: That review had me believing it until I read the part about the frame being made lighter.
Comment: The earliest 'carbon fiber' seatposts were the normal alloy ones wrapped with something claiming to be carbon fibre. This was twenty years ago, glad nothing has changed...
Answer: That is purely marketing. It's a common ploy with components, but I've never seen it on an entire frame until now. Aluminum and carbon can be used in conjunction effectively, but not in this case. The carbon wrap on that bike is basically veneer. While Schwinn was once upon a time a well respected brand, they suffered a major fall from grace after going bankrupt. Their bikes, even their bike shop level bikes (i think they call them their "select" series bikes) target the budget market. They're not horrible, but they're not great either. The bike you posted a link to is no exception. One could argue that the combination of dissimilar materials would aid to vibration dampening, but that's really just more marketing jargon, at least in this case. That bike will still ride just like a full aluminum framed bike would. If you are considering that bike save yourself a few bucks and just go with a full aluminum frame.
Comment: One *COULD* do the carbon wrapped aluminum trick and have a useful result -- build the frame out of very thin aluminum and then wrap fairly heavily with carbon.  In some ways this manufacturing technique might be cheaper than conventional carbon, and it should produce a bike with most of the better attributes of carbon, plus the tricky aspects of joining carbon to bearing races would be simplified.  But of course it's unlikely that the subject bike is much of a step in this direction.
Comment: My assumption is that if there was benefit to be had and it could be done, some reputable manufacturer would have already jumped on the process.
Comment: There simply aren't that many customers for such a scheme.  The real bike junkies insist on having the most expensive carp available, while the bulk of the cycling public simply wants a bike that will get them from A to B (and maybe look sexy along the way).
Answer: For the carbon fiber to be of any use structurally, it has have multiple layers.  If it says it is wrapped around the aluminum, my bet it is for show only so it gives the appearance of being an expensive frame when it is clearly not.
There is no way that a composite of the two will be very light without being very weak if it were compared to a full Carbon frame or an Aluminum.  Both materials will not hold up to a stress test.  The Aluminum would be very brittle and the Carbon fiber would be very squishy.
Carbon and Aluminum are very light as is.  Carbon fiber is light and when wrapped certain ways can be stiff or supple.  Aluminum is always stiff, that is the nature of the material.
To reiterate, it is most likely a way to mask a cheap frame and pass it off as Carbon fiber.
Comment: Actually, carbon fiber is quite stiff compared to aluminum -- 2-3 times stiffer.
Comment: @freiheit: brittle has a special meaning in engineering, where brittle materials break without much deformation. Aluminum will deform quite a bit before it ultimately breaks in non-fatigue failures. Concrete and carbon fibers don't deform, those are brittle materials. As for the fatigue limit on aluminum, "eventually" can take potentially millions or billions+ of cycles before it eventually fractures, depending on the magnitude of the involved stresses.
Comment: You're certainly right that the carbon wrap is just to make this cheap bicycle look fancier than it is.  You're not right that aluminum is always stiff and brittle; old ALAN aluminum frames are quite flexy.  For metal frames, tubing thickness and diameter play a significant role in how the frame behaves.
Comment: -1: It is not in aluminum's nature to be stiff. Aluminum is typically stiff in bicycle frames, because of engineering trade offs that have to be made in strength vs stiffness which are realized by the geometry of the tubing.
Comment: @whatsisname: From reading the [Wikipedia page on Fatigue Limits](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_limit) I think that "brittle" is a good description of "any amount of flex in Aluminum will eventually break it".
Answer: It would in theory combine some of the characteristics of both, while permitting a cheaper bike than straight carbon.  The aluminum could be thinner, providing only modest strength but serving as a mandrel to support the carbon, and the carbon would produce a stiffer bike than straight aluminum.
Or it could just be hype.  Or the "carbon wrap" could be used to conceal crummy joining of the aluminum tubes.
Answer: Mid range bikes commonly have a carbon-wrapped seat post which claims to reduce vibration and increase comfort. Basically, get some of the benefits of a full carbon seat post with less of the cost. I expect this manufacturer is using the same concept on the entire frame to get carbon-like ride at a reduced cost.
Personally, I cannot discern the difference between a carbon-wrapped and a non-carbon wrapped seat post. I know other riders who believe it makes a difference (but they were using a different brand of seatpost).
I think it's  difficult to tell if the carbon-wrap would improve the ride any just based on the description. I've ridden aluminum frame bikes that ride far better than full-carbon frame bikes that cost quite a bit more. The frame material is just one factor in ride quality and a "carbon wrapped" frame could be a huge improvement for the right frame design or a huge marketing gimmick for the wrong one.