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The Nintendo Switch could still get a Netflix app
Just don’t expect it any time soon
Shares
The Nintendo Switch might be a popular gaming console, but unlike the PS4 and the Xbox One, users of the handheld still can’t stream Netflix as there’s no official app. There is, however, some hope that the situation might change in the future.
Gaming website Polygon has reported that Netflix is “exploring the opportunity with Nintendo, but don’t have definitive plans to share at this time”. The statement is something of a rebuttal of a tweet posted on January 14 by Netflix, where the company said there were “currently no plans for Netflix on Nintendo Switch” in response to a Twitter user’s query.
The tweet has since been deleted, but Polygon has been informed that any updates regarding the Switch situation will be sent by the same Netflix customer service Twitter account.
The Switch launched in March 2017 with no video streaming service apps on offer, although it now offers Hulu in the US. A video-hosting platform called Niconico is also available on the Nintendo Switch, but only to Japanese customers. | {
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Is she really japanese? She doesn't look like. And she doesn't do this annoying squealing like a guineapig. I really like japanese people and japanese culture, but the way the girls sound while they're having sex is really horrible. Kammy is really nice and good anyway. | {
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Main Content
Fralin entomologists map out the genetics behind a deadly disease
Igor Sharakhov, Maria Sharakhova, and Vladimir Timoshevskiy presented their research on the genomic mapping of the Aedes Agypti mosquito at the Third Vector-borne Disease Research Group Symposium, held March 8-9, 2013, at the Inn at Virginia Tech.
BLACKSBURG, Va., March 21, 2013 – Stopping the spread of dengue infection-- a potentially fatal tropical disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito-- could be one of the biggest challenges of our time. About half of the human population is at risk for this disease, and threat levels are on the rise in the United States due to increased international travel and an ideal climate for mosquitoes in humid, hot areas such as Florida.
Symptoms of dengue fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control, are severe headache; bleeding; and severe muscle, joint, or eye pain.
If scientists can identify the location of the genes that allow for dengue transmission, and inhibit this trait in future generations of mosquitoes, the disease might hit a roadblock.
Sharakhova and her research team developed a 'master map' of the mosquito’s genome that allows scientists to view the locale of genes contributing to the trait of dengue transmission. Unlike previous studies attempting to map genes, this technique allows researchers to view multiple "unrelated" locations in a few major chromosome clusters.
"The map suggests a possibility that the same genes control the transmission of different pathogens, which would allow us to find and control these genes much more efficiently," said Igor Sharakhov, a coauthor of the paper and an associate professor of entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences affiliated with the Fralin Life Science Institute.
"This is a landmark study. Prior to the work of Sharakhova and Sharakhov, the Aedes aegypti genome was woefully incomplete. It was like a mixed-up jigsaw puzzle with no order and no logic," said Leslie Vosshall, the Robin Chemers Neustein Professor of Neurogenetics and Behavior at The Rockefeller University, who did not participate in the study. "These scientists have created the important foundations of a complete genetic map, something that is needed to progress to the next set of crucial experiments with this major disease vector. A genetic map is a blueprint that allows scientists to map traits to genes and this paper now allows us to attempt this in this mosquito."
"This project is a true tour de force and it is now only a matter of time to obtain the full DNA sequence of the three large chromosomes to catapult research into new directions and high-resolution detail for this important mosquito," said Jeffrey Powell, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University, who also did not participate in the study.
The map may also help curb other diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti, such as yellow fever that leads to a liver disease, and lymphatic filariasis, which caused by a worm that leads to the disease elephantiasis.
Other study authors include Vladimir A. Timoshevskiy, a postdoctoral research associate in the Sharakhov laboratory; William C. Black, a professor of microbiology, immunology and pathology at Colorado State University; David W. Severson, a professor of biological sciences at Eck Institute for Global Health of the University of Notre Dame, and Becky S. deBryun, a technician in the Severson laboratory.
A university-level Research Institute of Virginia Tech, the Fralin Life Science Institute enables and enhances collaborative efforts in research, education, and outreach within the Virginia Tech life science community through strategic investments that are often allied with colleges, departments, and other institutes.
Learn more about vector-borne disease research at Virginia Tech
The mission of the Vector Borne Infectious Disease Research Group at Virginia Tech is to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms involved in the transmission and pathogenesis of vector borne infectious organisms and to deepen our understanding of the nature of infectious disease to lead the search for novel approaches to disease mitigation. | {
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Swatch TV
Swatch presents Artyou
The "Swatch presents Artyou" Urban Art Event was held in Basel on 15-18 September 2010. More than 15 artists performed live and exhibited their artwork in the "|Satisfactory"|, a former machine factory with industrial charm. In collaboration with Swatch MTV Playground Art Battles were held over 3 nights in an amazing atmosphere. | {
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Mar 12 MENTAL MUTHA MEETS THE POSITIVE PLANNERS ALI
MENTAL MUTHA MEETS THE POSITIVE PLANNERS ALI
A bit of both I think, I’m a pretty normal looking mental mum who blabs about mental health all the time so people probably make the assumption I’m a bit mentally inclined!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Meditate? Talk? Hide?
Depends. On what sort of day, I’m having. I experience things in different ways, sometimes I need space and silence, sometimes I need to feed my soul. Sometimes I need to have a good old rant and sometimes I need to just slip away in to the background and concentrate on getting through the day.
Sometimes I need space and silence, sometimes I need to feed my soul. Sometimes I need to have a good old rant and sometimes I need to just slip away in to the background and concentrate on getting through the day.
— Ali
Do you discuss your mental health with your mum mates?
Yes. yes. yes. They all usually find out about our Insta account anyway to be honest and then that’s that. I don’t always go straight in, I usually find it really awkward when they do find out and then once they talk to me and often say ‘me too’ in some way shape or form, then I relax and just accept that The Planner is a tool to help. I’m not just moaning all the time we are trying to equip people with tools to help fight the fog, and then that makes me proud again.
How do you tackle mental health chats with your kid’s?
Hmmmm Mine are pretty small, I try to allow them to cry when they need. They see me cry all the time and I tell them that’s ok too. It’s important to me that we don’t shy away from extreme emotions. We do a lot of colouring and drawing in our house and I find this chills them out and also offers them space to chat about feelings and what’s going on for them. We are big fans of colouring and use it in The Planner so why not do it with our kids to get them in to a creative/meditative space? We also like doing simple breathing exercises like, blowing out the candles... 1,2,3,4,5 and you make your fingers go down when they blow, helps get them to focus and deep breathe!
Who helps you in the dark? (In your pits, your mental rock bottom - who is your hero?)
My mum. She’s been there herself. She knows. We are practically the same person to be honest. So, I can always count on her to listen, or just come over and do the washing up and make me a cup of tea. She knows what I need, she encourages me to get help, she reminds me about my prescriptions and she looks after the kids when I’m desperate. She is sort of like my own personal Mental health PA. I honestly couldn’t have been on this journey without her.
What helps you in the light? (Meditation? Procrastination? Perspiration? People?)
Obviously writing, I find it helps with articulating my brain, and kick starts my creative side if I’m having a cloudy day when I can’t make sense of things or know where to start. I find handwriting and making marks on a page in general really therapeutic, I have always felt more in control with a pen in my hand! Hence where the Positive Planner was born! I find that I need people, but I need the right sort of people and have spent the last few years making that connection. You won’t find me in my house though, I’m the sort of person who is always out and about!
Is it hard to talk about your mental health? (Doesn't mean on Instagram necessarily, but do you feel the stigma is lifting and do you feel safe to speak your mind, even if it is possibly ‘mental'?)
Absolutely the stigma is lifting, compared to when I had my son 4.5 years ago it has changed so much, I tell most people what I do and I’m proud of the Planner so usually that gets me talking about where it stemmed from. Having experienced the loneliness of feeling abnormal and shameful for struggling with my mental health when my second child was born, I am now pretty liberated in terms of being open and honest with others about emotional wellbeing. We all have a Mental health. We all have a limit and we are all responsible for caring for ourselves, I think that message is really starting to break through now! I always take the risk of sounding ‘mental’ as I have found that if that person has been experiencing the same thing, you could actually be the life line they need at that time, and conversations about shared experiences are so powerful.
Where’s your head at?
Honestly, I’m a calm mess. I know my meds are working as I can’t feel the anxiety monster sitting on my chest. But there is something lurking. The great thing is though I have become so used to being so acutely in tune with my head and what I’m feeling that I can probably (hopefully) prevent it from taking shape. After all Self-care is the new Black!
Honestly, I’m a calm mess. I know my meds are working as I can’t feel the anxiety monster sitting on my chest. But there is something lurking. The great thing is though I have become so used to being so acutely in tune with my head and what I’m feeling that I can probably (hopefully) prevent it from taking shape. After all Self-care is the new Black!
— Ali
Soft Play or Rehab?
Do you get Soft plays in Rehab?
Jacobs Creek or a Jacobs Cracker?
Jacobs Creek all the way.
Nut Job or Nut Allergy?
100% Nut job
Self Care or Self Sabotage?
Self-sabotage usually and then Self-care when I have come to my senses.
Journal or jog?
Journal, you need to write that shit down.
Ask for help or happy to hermit?
Usually asking for help from the comfort of my own home. Bed is my happy place. | {
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David Gregory
I’ve always thought entrenched left-wing journalists in Washington needed their heads examined. Much to my satisfaction, it appears the corporate media bosses of at least one Beltway anchor now agree.... | {
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JBoss Developer: Message List - Is SSL possible with JBoss/JMS??Most recent forum messageshttps://developer.jboss.org/community/jbossas/mq?view=discussionsJive Engage2003-05-31T18:09:40Z2003-05-31T18:09:40ZenIs SSL possible with JBoss/JMS??steinarrune/people/[email protected]:09:40Z2003-05-31T18:09:40Z<!-- [DocumentBodyStart:a7bc562e-4672-40cc-b22e-e172c3ddaa68] --><div class="jive-rendered-content"><p>I am having a SSL based SOAP server (http requests) that is polled by clients, with JBoss 3.2.1 as the underlying application server.<br/><br/>To reduce the load on the server caused by frequent polling from clients I want to use JMS instead as the connection between client and server. I would however need to encrypt it with SSL, and the only topics I have found on these pages simply hints on the fact that this could be possible.<br/><br/>Is it possible? If so, please include some short examples of what to configure.<br/><br/>Regards<br/><br/>Steinar Eriksen</p></div><!-- [DocumentBodyEnd:a7bc562e-4672-40cc-b22e-e172c3ddaa68] --><img src='/beacon?t=1521469862407' />2003-05-31T18:09:40Z14 years 10 months ago0 | {
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Report on Jan 12th 2017 HepCX Meeting
On January 12th 2017, New York Methodist Hospital hosted the 6th quarterly meeting of the Hepatitis C Clinical Exchange Network. The meeting agenda included: Reports from the Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Unit on the rise of the diagnosis of Hepatitis C in young people in NYC in 2016, preliminary results from the 2nd annual HCV Hospital Survey, updates on mandatory HCV RNA confirmatory testing in NYC, presentation on HCV care for mono-infected HCV and HIV/HCV co-infected patients at STAR Clinic, presentation on HCV Ad Campaign in Brooklyn and a review of the HCV dashboard publication timeline.
Reports from the Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Unit on the rise of the diagnosis of Hepatitis C in young people in NYC in 2016, preliminary results from the 2nd annual HCV Hospital Survey, updates on mandatory HCV RNA confirmatory testing in NYC, presentation on HCV care for mono-...
Overview
Hep Free NYC is a network comprised of the Hep B Coalition, Hep C Task Force and Hep C Clinical Exchange Network (HepCX). The network brings together health care and social service providers, public health professionals, advocates, and consumers to network, share best practices, identify needs, and develop and implement strategies to improve health outcomes of people at risk for or living with hepatitis B and C in NYC. | {
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Users of this web resource are warned that it may contain images and/or references to deceased people, which could cause distress or sadness particularly for some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The resource may also contain words and descriptions that could be culturally sensitive and which might not normally be used in public or community contexts. For example, some information may be considered appropriate for viewing only by men or only by women. The HealthInfoNet respects such culturally sensitive issues, but, for technical reasons, it has not been possible to provide materials in a way that prevents access by a person of the other gender. Users are asked to respect this cultural protocol.
Organisations
Our core funding only enables us to address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health nationally, and does not allow us to comprehensively consolidate this information at state, territory or regional level. Information relating to Indigenous health in Victoria has been collected as a part of our national focus.
Indigenous
General
Possibility of Indigenous content
The organisations have been rated to the left. The organisations are listed by name, but you can also select to list them by government type, reach, or focus.
When you click on one of the headings of the table, the list will be sorted according to that heading. For more information about the organisation, click on the title.
If you have information you would like to have included on this page please contact us.
We encourage organisations to link to the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet on their websites, view information. | {
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Comment 34 for bug 681904
For my NF210, I also tested against Fedora kernel to determine if this was an Ubuntu thing or a more general kernel problem. Same issue. So I reported to bugzilla.kernel.org. Feel free to add comments to that bug if you have the same problem. | {
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Search form
Divine Chocolate is a Certified B Corporation
Divine Chocolate is proud to be a Certified B Corporation®. B Corporations are leaders of the global movement of people using business as a force for good. There are over 2,000 Certified B Corporations from more than 130 industries in 50 countries with 1 unifying goal – to redefine success in business.
B Corps are important because they inspire all businesses to compete not only to be the best in the world, but to be the best for the world.
Why Certified B Corporations Matter
Certified B Corporations like Divine Chocolate are leading a global movement to redefine success in business, and we are distinguishing ourselves in a saturated marketplace by offering a positive vision of a better way to do business.
Individually, B Corps meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability, and aspire to use the power of markets to solve social and environmental problems.These standards measure a company’s impact on all its stakeholders (e.g. workers, suppliers, community, customers and the environment).
Collectively, B Corps lead a growing global movement of people using business as a force for good. Through the power of their collective voice, one day all companies will compete to be best for the world, and society will enjoy a more shared and durable prosperity for all.
Why We Became a B Corp
Our B Corp Certification is an important third-party validation of our business practices, reflecting not only our total commitment to Fairtrade and co-operative values, but also demonstrating that these values are embedded within our company. These practices include the way we do business and our impact on the environment, our workers, and the communities where we operate. It’s our assurance to consumers and partners that they can feel as confident about the way we run our business as they do about the benefits our products deliver to farmers around the globe.
As a Certified B Corp, Divine Chocolate joins a fast-growing global network of certified businesses that have made a commitment to managing, measuring and reporting their social and environmental impact while driving sound profitability. Divine Chocolate will champion Certified B Corps in the UK and in the USA and looks forward to the mutually rewarding partnerships certification will bring. We're also excited to join a network that collectively aims to push for fairer and more sustainable business policy and trade deals in the future.
Our CEO Sophi Tranchell notes,"We remain 100% committed to Fairtrade and the social enterprise movement. We see B Corp certification as a demonstration that these values run throughout our business, and we believe that it is part of our leadership role to embrace systems that drive businesses to behave better and empower consumers to make informed choices."
The Change We Seek
We seek to change the way the global chocolate industry does business and we are demonstrating that it is possible. Divine Chocolate’s success proves that a business driven by a commitment to trading fairly and sustainably – with a social mission at its core – can achieve scale. We can lead the way.
We are challenging the terms of world trade and showing that, by owning the largest share of Divine, smallholder farming families are not only sustainably remunerated as suppliers, they are also empowered to invest in their own families, farms and communities, making their own decisions about their future, and in turn making cocoa farming more attractive to the next generation.
In addition to trading with Divine Chocolate on Fairtrade terms, ensuring the Fairtrade minimum price for cocoa and the Fairtrade premium per metric tonne, Kuapa Kokoo also benefits from two additional income streams: the share of distributed profits (through co-ownership) and the Producer Support and Development Fund (PS&D). To date, over $3.6 million has been invested in PS&D – finance that is directed specifically towards chosen projects co-managed by Kuapa Kokoo and an NGO partner. The projects are aimed particularly at the empowerment of women, maintaining good governance, and testing different farming techniques. | {
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Carrickfergus castle was the most significant castle in medieval Ulster. Using sources available and any evidence found how far could you support this statement?
In 1011, Scandinavian raiders came to France and demanded territory. These raiders created conflict and ended up settling in the north or France, this area came to be known as Normandy. The Normans were beginning to grow in numbers. More families were being raised and so the space they took up in France became overcrowded. The Normans now looked for new territory and France’s smaller neighbour was England. England had a surpassing quality the Normans were interested in and this was farming, the Normans lived on farming and the land in England was perfect for farming.
In 1066, the Normans made the decision to conquer England. This decision was not eagerly accepted however by the English and so conflict arose. The Battle of Hastings was fought. The Normans won this battle and England was conquered. England suit... | {
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Dr. Crowley will be out of town from August 29th until September 8th getting MARRIED to a very lucky guy! Please call us if you have immediate needs that we might be able to tackle this week, otherwise you can call the following numbers for emergencies:
Pharmacy
First Aid Kits!
About Dr. Crowley
Dr. Lindsay E. Crowley graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, completing her clinical year at The Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine. Before that, she studied at Cornell University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. Recently, Lindsay has earned her certification in Veterinary Acupuncture after studying under Huisheng Xie, DVM, PhD at the Chi Institute. Read More… | {
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It's perhaps not a superstition, if asians think it's important to remember their presence sometimes. (I'm just enjoying Collin Cotterills crimies, located in Laos - and spirits are always amongst people)And think about the scandinavian, giving their 'Tomte' porridge for christmas.
Ah - my Sasha toddlers have an 'imaginary friend' they play with and we do get a little blur of green in photos soetimes. Could he be a good spirit, do you think?The toddlers tell me his name is Sid - which doesn't sound like a spirit name, so who knows?
Welcome Mahi. Perhaps you can whisper suggestions that remind them of the need to find a certain missing bear?
Oh dear, I have a lot of 'Good Spirits' here too!!! Expensive aren't they! ;) I like that name though, I will forever think of my bjds as good spirits rather than 'too many dolls' :)Big hugs Sharon xxx
Every house should have a good spirit :) The Village house has an Elf princess But I'm not sure she is always good!! :)Maybe she will bring good luck and a certain bears return? He will be so surprised with all the happening once he returns!! :)I agree that it's always good to think outside the box and let our imaginations run wild :) | {
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Serving Pancakes at the Capitol
Joe Denoyer - January 23, 2018 8:32 am
Several individuals from The City of Liberal, Seward County, Liberal Chamber of Commerce, Seward County Community College, and the International Pancake Day Board made the trip to Topeka to serve Pancakes st the State Capitol on today.
A breakfast of pancakes and sausage was served to almost 200 individuals that included Senators, Representatives, and staffers. 2018 Pancake Day books and gift bags of pancake batter was also handed out to those in attendance. The group also promoted the upcoming Pancake Day festivities which will kickoff on February 10, culminating with the International Race and Parade on February 13th. | {
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The combination of charisma, charm and intellect has helped catapult Sharpe to the top of the heap. In a recent conversation with him, I wanted to learn what it truly took to become an expert digital marketer. And one of the most important takeaways from that phone call was that if he could do it, anyone could do it. For someone who failed so devastatingly very early on in life, to rise from the ashes like a phoenix was no easy feat.
Join the amazing team at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency! We are a small high-powered digital marketing agency growing rapidly and looking for a rock star Paid Search (PPC) Specialist to work with a cohesive team of outstanding designers, developers, copywriters, social media, SEO, and PPC experts to help grow the business to the next level…. Read More »
We have the capability to work with our clients’ internal content, creative, and email marketing teams or handle the whole campaign for them. We incorporate our proven strategic consulting services as part of our Email Marketing offerings in order to help our partner clients develop effective strategies for building their email lists. These consulting services include assistance with event planning, creative design, website and landing page email capture, and much more. We help our clients not only with engagement but new email acquisition, list segmentation and list cleansing.
In February 2011, Google announced the Panda update, which penalizes websites containing content duplicated from other websites and sources. Historically websites have copied content from one another and benefited in search engine rankings by engaging in this practice. However Google implemented a new system which punishes sites whose content is not unique.[35] The 2012 Google Penguin attempted to penalize websites that used manipulative techniques to improve their rankings on the search engine.[36] Although Google Penguin has been presented as an algorithm aimed at fighting web spam, it really focuses on spammy links[37] by gauging the quality of the sites the links are coming from. The 2013 Google Hummingbird update featured an algorithm change designed to improve Google's natural language processing and semantic understanding of web pages. Hummingbird's language processing system falls under the newly recognised term of 'Conversational Search' where the system pays more attention to each word in the query in order to better match the pages to the meaning of the query rather than a few words [38]. With regards to the changes made to search engine optimization, for content publishers and writers, Hummingbird is intended to resolve issues by getting rid of irrelevant content and spam, allowing Google to produce high-quality content and rely on them to be 'trusted' authors.
Now that you know that backlinks are important, how do you acquire links to your site? Link building is still critical to the success of any SEO campaign when it comes to ranking organically. Backlinks today are much different than when they were built in 7-8 years back. Simply having thousands of backlinks or only have link from one website isn’t going to affect your rank position. There are also many ways to manage and understand your backlink profile. Majestic, Buzzstream, and Moz offer tools to help you manage and optimize your link profile. seoClarity offers an integration with Majestic, the largest link index database, that integrates link profile management into your entire SEO lifecycle.
Denver CO Search Engine Optimization
Write a description that would both inform and interest users if they saw your description meta tag as a snippet in a search result. While there's no minimal or maximal length for the text in a description meta tag, we recommend making sure that it's long enough to be fully shown in Search (note that users may see different sized snippets depending on how and where they search), and contains all the relevant information users would need to determine whether the page will be useful and relevant to them.
According to Unmetric data, Samsung's powerful story that drove it's #voiceforever campaign rang in as the top branded video across Facebook, YouTube and Instagram in 2018, garnering 98,996,516 video views (note the that Facebook video alone claims 99 million views, so what constitutes a view is still unclear). Of course, viral videos are outliers. But it is worth noting that the great majority of videos on the top 100 list were promoted. This is the easy knowable: A combination of both great storytelling and the means to push the story is the surest bet to success, but there's the rub.
When you comment on a blog post, you are usually allowed to include a link back to your website. This is often abused by spammers and can become a negative link building tool. But if you post genuine comments on high-quality blog posts, there can be some value in sharing links, as it can drive traffic to your site and increase the visibility of your brand.
SEO often involves the concerted effort of multiple departments within an organization, including the design, marketing, and content production teams. While some SEO work entails business analysis (e.g., comparing one’s content with competitors’), a sizeable part depends on the ranking algorithms of various search engines, which may change with time. Nevertheless, a rule of thumb is that websites and webpages with higher-quality content, more external referral links, and more user engagement will rank higher on an SERP.
I have a small service business called Eco Star Painting in Calgary and I do all of my own SEO. I’m having trouble getting good backlinks. How do you suggest a painting company get quality backlinks other than the typical local citation sites and social media platforms? I don’t know what I can offer another high domain site in terms of content. Do you have any suggestions?
If you own, manage, monetize, or promote online content via Google Search, this guide is meant for you. You might be the owner of a growing and thriving business, the webmaster of a dozen sites, the SEO specialist in a Web agency or a DIY SEO ninja passionate about the mechanics of Search : this guide is meant for you. If you're interested in having a complete overview of the basics of SEO according to our best practices, you are indeed in the right place. This guide won't provide any secrets that'll automatically rank your site first in Google (sorry!), but following the best practices outlined below will hopefully make it easier for search engines to crawl, index and understand your content.
When running PPC ads, it's important that you keep careful track of the specific ads and keywords that you're targeting. You can do this by using the Google Analytics UTM builder to create campaign URLs that you can use to track the campaign source, the medium and any keywords or terms that you might be targeting. This way, you can determine the effectiveness of any campaign that you run and figure out the precise conversion rate.
When we talk about ad links, we're not talking about search ads on Google or Bing, or social media ads on Facebook or LinkedIn. We're talking about sites that charge a fee for post a backlink to your site, and which may or may not make it clear that the link is a paid advertisement. Technically, this is a grey or black hat area, as it more or less amounts to link farming when it's abused. Google describes such arrangements as "link schemes," and takes a pretty firm stance against them.
Tablet - We consider tablets as devices in their own class, so when we speak of mobile devices, we generally do not include tablets in the definition. Tablets tend to have larger screens, which means that, unless you offer tablet-optimized content, you can assume that users expect to see your site as it would look on a desktop browser rather than on a smartphone browser.
The biggest problem that most people have when trying to learn anything to do with driving more traffic to their website or boosting their visibility across a variety of online mediums, is that they try to do the least amount of work for the greatest return. They cut corners and they take shortcuts. Because of that, they fail. Today, if you're serious about marketing anything on the web, you have to gain Google's trust. There are also many keyword research tools (some free and some paid) that claim to take the effort out of this process. A popular tool for first timers is Traffic Travis, which can also analyse your competitors’ sites for their keyword optimization strategies and, as a bonus, it can deliver detailed analysis on their back-linking strategy, too. You can also use Moz.com’s incredibly useful keyword research tools – they’re the industry leader, but they come at a somewhat higher price.
Probably the most creative thing I’ve ever done was wrote a review on a restaurant (The Heart Attack Grill) that was hilarious, emailed it to the owner. He loved it so much he posted it on FB and even put it on his homepage for a while. I got thousands of visitors from this stupid article: https://www.insuranceblogbychris.com/buy-life-insurance-before-eating-at-heart-attack-grill/
Digital marketing became more sophisticated in the 2000s and the 2010s, when[13][14] the proliferation of devices' capable of accessing digital media led to sudden growth.[15] Statistics produced in 2012 and 2013 showed that digital marketing was still growing.[16][17] With the development of social media in the 2000s, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, consumers became highly dependent on digital electronics in daily lives. Therefore, they expected a seamless user experience across different channels for searching product's information. The change of customer behavior improved the diversification of marketing technology.[18] As an internationally recognized Search Engine Marketing agency, we have the team, technology, and skills to manage large budget PPC campaigns with thousands of keywords. We have the ability to manage enterprise level accounts in multiple languages. IMI is also partner with Marin Software to provide our clients with the best possible advertising management platform, reporting dashboard, attribution modeling, and reporting. Backlink is a link one website gets from another website. Backlinks make a huge impact on a website’s prominence in search engine results. This is why they are considered very useful for improving a website’s SEO ranking. Search engines calculate rankings using multiple factors to display search results. No one knows for sure how much weight search engines give to backlinks when listing results, however what we do know for certain is that they are very important.
Outreach to webmasters should be personalized. You can list reasons why you like their brand, think your brand would partner well with them or citing articles and other content they published are great ways to make them more receptive. Try to find an actual point-of-contact on professional sites like LinkedIn. A generic blast of “Dear Webmaster…” emails is really just a spam campaign.
Game advertising - In-Game advertising is defined as "inclusion of products or brands within a digital game."[50] The game allows brands or products to place ads within their game, either in a subtle manner or in the form of an advertisement banner. There are many factors that exist in whether brands are successful in their advertising of their brand/product, these being: Type of game, technical platform, 3-D and 4-D technology, game genre, congruity of brand and game, prominence of advertising within the game. Individual factors consist of attitudes towards placement advertisements, game involvement, product involvement, flow or entertainment. The attitude towards the advertising also takes into account not only the message shown but also the attitude towards the game. Dependent of how enjoyable the game is will determine how the brand is perceived, meaning if the game isn't very enjoyable the consumer may subconsciously have a negative attitude towards the brand/product being advertised. In terms of Integrated Marketing Communication "integration of advertising in digital games into the general advertising, communication, and marketing strategy of the firm"[50] is an important as it results in a more clarity about the brand/product and creates a larger overall effect.
Sharpe says that you shouldn't dive into internet marketing until you decide on a niche and figure out what you're passionate about. Do you want to join the make-money-online (MMO) niche? Or do you want to engage in another niche? For example, you could sell products or online courses about blogging or search engine optimization or anything else for that matter. Keep in mind that whatever you're selling, whatever niche you're in, that you need to embed yourself there deeply. Online banner advertising began in the early 1990s as page owners sought additional revenue streams to support their content. Commercial online service Prodigy displayed banners at the bottom of the screen to promote Sears products. The first clickable web ad was sold by Global Network Navigator in 1993 to a Silicon Valley law firm.[16] In 1994, web banner advertising became mainstream when HotWired, the online component of Wired Magazine, sold banner ads to AT&T and other companies. The first AT&T ad on HotWired had a 44% click-through rate, and instead of directing clickers to AT&T's website, the ad linked to an online tour of seven of the world's most acclaimed art museums.[17][18]
In fact, the biggest challenges of video marketing in 2017 are strategic: How to build a solid and effective video marketing strategy, how to create content that people want to consume, and how to create engaging videos that get shared. Additionally, video content marketers need to have a solid understanding of metrics, and how they indicate a video’s success and areas for improvement.
Internet Marketing Inc. is one of the fastest growing full service Internet marketing agencies in the country with offices in San Diego, and Las Vegas. We specialize in providing results driven integrated online marketing solutions for medium-sized and enterprise brands across the globe. Companies come to us because our team of well-respected industry experts has the talent and creativity to provide your business with a more sophisticated data-driven approach to digital marketing strategy. IMI works with some clients through IMI Ventures, and their first product is VitaCup.
What does aperture mean for your video? When a lot of light comes into the camera (with a low f-stop number), you get a brighter image and a shallow depth of field. This is great for when you want your subject to stand out against a background. When less light comes into the camera (with a high f-stop number), you get what’s called deep depth of field and are able to maintain focus across a larger portion of your frame.
Page rank is an assessment of the authority and value of a website in Google’s algorithm. You can find plug-in tools for your browser or online tools (see the references section for links to some of these) to check the page rank of any given site. You can also check your own website’s page rank. The higher the page rank, the more likely it is that your SEO efforts are succeeding.
As Google becomes more and more sophisticated, one of the major cores of their algorithm, the one dealing with links (called Penguin) aims to value natural, quality links and devalue those unnatural or spammy ones. As a search engine, if they are to stay viable, they have to make sure their results are as honest and high-quality as possible, and that webmasters can't manipulate those results to their own benefit. People don’t share ads, they share stories. So try to approach your marketing videos like a storyteller. Sure, you may have a call to action (CTA) in your video that promotes a sale or encourages viewers to buy from you. But try to tell the story of the ways the viewer’s life will be improved with your product or how you’ll go about solving their problem.
Do you want to promote your business even while you're asleep? With other forms of marketing, you usually have to be up and at the site of marketing for you to be able to effectively sell your products and services. With Marketing1on1, we help you set up your own advertising autopilot so that people from the other side of the world can transact business with you even when it's 3 a.m. on your side. That's making sure you get the most out of your investment.
When traffic is coming to your website or blog, nearly unfettered, it gives you the opportunity to test out a variety of marketing initiatives. However, without that traffic, you're forced to spend money on costly ads before really determining the effectiveness of your offers and uncovering your cost-per acquisition (CPA), two things which are at the core of scaling out any business online.
In order to do all that, you will need to acquire and apply knowledge in human psychology. If you understand how your customers think, you can design for their needs. This course is based on tried and tested psychological techniques that bring together content and design so as to deliver hands-on advice for how to improve your web design and increase your customer engagement.
DisabledGO, an information provider for people with disabilities in the UK and Ireland, hired Agency51 to implement an SEO migration strategy to move DisabledGO from an old platform to a new one. By applying 301 redirects to old URLS, transferring metadata, setting up Google webmaster tools, and creating a new sitemap, Agency 51 was able to successfully transfer DisabledGO to a new platform while keeping their previous SEO power alive. Additionally, they were able to boost visitor numbers by 21% year over year, and the site restructuring allowed DisabledGO to rank higher than competitors. Their case study is available on SingleGrain.com.
The first thing you are likely to notice besides the fact that you will now be ranking high in the search results for your targeted keywords, is that your website will receive a lot more exposure and recognition. Being on the first page of a search engine such as Google can almost instantly provide your website with hundreds of extra visitors and extremely targeted search engine traffic.
Before you can create YouTube video ads as part of your marketing campaign, you must link your AdWords account to your YouTube account. Then you’ll need to import your video into AdWords - or create it if it doesn’t already exist. Once you upload the video, you’ll be able to choose a thumbnail and write some appealing ad text to encourage viewers to watch. The next step is to choose your target audience and budget. Provide some billing information, and you’re ready to run your first video ad.
Our digital agency offers both traditional targeted online display advertising as well as behavioral retargeting. Through an intense discovery process, our team will determine the most optimal marketing mix for your online media plan. We will leverage ad network partnerships for planning the ideal media buys and negotiating the best possible pricing.
It’s understandable to think video marketing is the exclusive territory of big companies with deep pockets. After all, you’d assume that creating an entire video marketing strategy from the ground up would take a lot of time and resources. Think again. With Biteable’s easy-to-use online video making software, all you need is a web browser and a few spare minutes to become a video marketing guru.
Before online marketing channels emerged, the cost to market products or services was often prohibitively expensive, and traditionally difficult to measure. Think of national television ad campaigns, which are measured through consumer focus groups to determine levels of brand awareness. These methods are also not well-suited to controlled experimentation. Today, anyone with an online business (as well as most offline businesses) can participate in online marketing by creating a website and building customer acquisition campaigns at little to no cost. Those marketing products and services also have the ability to experiment with optimization to fine-tune their campaigns’ efficiency and ROI.
The truth? Today, rising above the noise and achieving any semblance of visibility has become a monumental undertaking. While we might prevail at searching, we fail at being found. How are we supposed to get notice while swimming in a sea of misinformation and disinformation? We've become immersed in this guru gauntlet where one expert after another is attempting to teach us how we can get the proverbial word out about our businesses and achieve visibility to drive more leads and sales, but we all still seem to be lost.
Probably the most creative thing I’ve ever done was wrote a review on a restaurant (The Heart Attack Grill) that was hilarious, emailed it to the owner. He loved it so much he posted it on FB and even put it on his homepage for a while. I got thousands of visitors from this stupid article: https://www.insuranceblogbychris.com/buy-life-insurance-before-eating-at-heart-attack-grill/
Brian, you are such an inspiration. I wonder how do you get all these hacks and then publish them for all of us. I have been reading your stuff from quite a time now, but I have a problem. Every time I read something you post I feel overwhelmed but I haven’t been really able to generate any fruitful results on any of my sites. I just don’t know where to start. Imagine I don’t even have an email list.
Backlinks can be time-consuming to earn. New sites or those expanding their keyword footprint may find it difficult to know where to start when it comes to link building. That's where competitive backlink research comes in: By examining the backlink profile (the collection of pages and domains linking to a website) to a competitor that's already ranking well for your target keywords, you can gain insight about the link building that may have helped them. A tool like Link Explorer can help uncover these links so you can and target those domains in your own link building campaigns.
A press release can serve double duty for marketing efforts. It can alert media outlets about your news and also help your website gain backlinks. But it can only build links effectively if executed properly. Only write and distribute press releases when a brand has something newsworthy or interesting to share Click & Tweet! . This strategy can gain links on the actual press release post as well as on the stories that media outlets write about it.
Ask for a technical and search audit for your site to learn what they think needs to be done, why, and what the expected outcome should be. You'll probably have to pay for this. You will probably have to give them read-only access to your site on Search Console. (At this stage, don't grant them write access.) Your prospective SEO should be able to give you realistic estimates of improvement, and an estimate of the work involved. If they guarantee you that their changes will give you first place in search results, find someone else.
Keyword analysis. From nomination, further identify a targeted list of keywords and phrases. Review competitive lists and other pertinent industry sources. Use your preliminary list to determine an indicative number of recent search engine queries and how many websites are competing for each keyword. Prioritize keywords and phrases, plurals, singulars and misspellings. (If search users commonly misspell a keyword, you should identify and use it). Please note that Google will try to correct the term when searching, so use this with care.
Brian Dean, an SEO expert and the creator of BackLinko, uses SEO tactics to rank #1 on YouTube for keywords like “on page SEO” and “video SEO”. Initially, Dean admits his YouTube account struggled to get any views. Employing SEO methods like keyword optimization has enabled Dean to rise to #1 on YouTube for search results related to his business. He published his full strategy on Backlinko. The biggest problem that most people have when trying to learn anything to do with driving more traffic to their website or boosting their visibility across a variety of online mediums, is that they try to do the least amount of work for the greatest return. They cut corners and they take shortcuts. Because of that, they fail. Today, if you're serious about marketing anything on the web, you have to gain Google's trust. Nice word is not enough for this. You show that Blogging is like Apple vs Samsung. You can create lot of post and drive traffic (which is Samsung like lot of phone every year) or you can create high quality post like apple (which is you) and force higher rank site to make content like you copy content from you blog. Now i will work hard on already publish post until they will not get traffic.
If you’re using SEM as a strategy, you’ll need to test and evaluate your keywords. A good rule of thumb is that for every 100 clicks you get, you’ll get between 3 and 10 enquiries. So, to conduct an efficient test, you’ll want to test around 1,000 clicks. That means setting your budget for Adwords at 1,000 times the cost of the click. If you find that this is going to cost too much, you’ll need to find other keywords or a different marketing strategy. Submit website to directories (limited use). Professional search marketers don’t submit the URL to the major search engines, but it’s possible to do so. A better and faster way is to get links back to your site naturally. Links get your site indexed by the search engines. However, you should submit your URL to directories such as Yahoo! (paid), Business.com (paid) and DMOZ (free). Some may choose to include AdSense (google.com/adsense) scripts on a new site to get their Google Media bot to visit. It will likely get your pages indexed quickly.
It helps to improve your ranking for certain keywords. If we want this article to rank for the term ’SEO basics’ then we can begin linking to it from other posts using variations of similar anchor text. This tells Google that this post is relevant to people searching for ‘SEO basics’. Some experts recommend varying your anchor text pointing to the same page as Google may see multiple identical uses as ‘suspicious’.
The SEO industry changes at an extreme pace, every year marketers evolve their strategies and shift their focus. However, backlinks remain just as crucial of a strategy as when they were first created. Currently, backlinks are a very common phase in the world of SEO, and if you are involved in the industry, you know backlinks are vital to a website’s performance.
Search engine marketing, or SEM, is designed to increase a website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Search engines provide sponsored results and organic (non-sponsored) results based on a web searcher's query.[19]:117 Search engines often employ visual cues to differentiate sponsored results from organic results. Search engine marketing includes all of an advertiser's actions to make a website's listing more prominent for topical keywords. In this illustration from the “PageRank Citation Ranking” paper, the authors demonstrate how webpages pass value onto other pages. The two pages on the left have a value of 100 and 9, respectively. The page with a value of 100 has two links that point to the pages on the right. That page’s value of 100 is divided between the two links, so that each conveys a value of 50. The other page on the left has three outgoing links, each carrying one-third of the page’s value of 9. One link goes to the top page on the right, which ends up with a total value of 53. The bottom right page has no other backlinks, so its total value is 50.
There is another way to gain quality backlinks to your site, in addition to related site themes: anchor text. When a link incorporates a keyword into the text of the hyperlink, we call this quality anchor text. A link's anchor text may be one of the under-estimated resources a webmaster has. Instead of using words like "click here" which probably won't relate in any way to your website, using the words "Please visit our tips page for how to nurse an orphaned kitten" is a far better way to utilize a hyperlink. A good tool for helping you find your backlinks and what text is being used to link to your site is the Backlink Anchor Text Analysis Tool. If you find that your site is being linked to from another website, but the anchor text is not being utilized properly, you should request that the website change the anchor text to something incorporating relevant keywords. This will also help boost your quality backlinks score. Baseline ranking assessment. You need to understand where you are now in order to accurately assess your future rankings. Keep a simple Excel sheet to start the process. Check weekly to begin. As you get more comfortable, check every 30 to 45 days. You should see improvements in website traffic, a key indicator of progress for your keywords. Some optimizers will say that rankings are dead. Yes, traffic and conversions are more important, but we use rankings as an indicator.
You’ll want to capture users’ emails regularly, both when they purchase…and even before they become a customer. You can use lead magnets or discounts to incentivize email sign-ups and using an email management service like MailChimp allows you to create triggered autoresponders that will automatically send out pre-made welcome email campaigns when they subscribe.
In December 2009, Google announced it would be using the web search history of all its users in order to populate search results.[32] On June 8, 2010 a new web indexing system called Google Caffeine was announced. Designed to allow users to find news results, forum posts and other content much sooner after publishing than before, Google caffeine was a change to the way Google updated its index in order to make things show up quicker on Google than before. According to Carrie Grimes, the software engineer who announced Caffeine for Google, "Caffeine provides 50 percent fresher results for web searches than our last index..."[33] Google Instant, real-time-search, was introduced in late 2010 in an attempt to make search results more timely and relevant. Historically site administrators have spent months or even years optimizing a website to increase search rankings. With the growth in popularity of social media sites and blogs the leading engines made changes to their algorithms to allow fresh content to rank quickly within the search results.[34]
Page Structure - The third core component of SEO is page structure. Because web pages are written in HTML, how the HTML code is structured can impact a search engine’s ability to evaluate a page. Including relevant keywords in the title, URL, and headers of the page and making sure that a site is crawlable are actions that site owners can take to improve the SEO of their site.
One of the best things about organic search engine optimization is that you don't go to your market, your market comes to you. Using Google's online keyword tool, you can gauge how many people are looking for the kind of products and services you provide. With website SEO, you only target those people who are searching for your keywords on Google, effectively filtering out people who are not interested and allowing you to focus your marketing efforts on people who are very likely already sold. What a powerful way to do business!
According to the U.S. Commerce Department, consumers spent $453.46 billion on the web for retail purchases in 2017, a 16.0% increase compared with $390.99 billion in 2016. That’s the highest growth rate since 2011, when online sales grew 17.5% over 2010. Forrester predicts that online sales will account for 17% of all US retail sales by 2022. And digital advertising is also growing strongly; According to Strategy Analytics, in 2017 digital advertising was up 12%, accounting for approximately 38% of overall spending on advertising, or $207.44 billion.
Your first opportunity to delight comes directly after the purchase. Consider sending a thank you video to welcome them into the community or an onboarding video to get them rolling with their new purchase. Then, build out a library of educational courses or product training videos to cater to consumers who prefer self-service or simply want to expand their expertise.
Brian, this is the web page that everybody over the entire Internet was searching for. This page answers the million dollar question! I was particularly interested in the food blogs untapped market, who doesn’t love food. I have been recently sent backwards in the SERP and this page will help immensely. I will subscribe to comments and will be back again for more reference. When running PPC ads, it's important that you keep careful track of the specific ads and keywords that you're targeting. You can do this by using the Google Analytics UTM builder to create campaign URLs that you can use to track the campaign source, the medium and any keywords or terms that you might be targeting. This way, you can determine the effectiveness of any campaign that you run and figure out the precise conversion rate. One thing is certain: interlinking sites doesn't help you from a search engine standpoint. The only reason you may want to interlink your sites in the first place might be to provide your visitors with extra resources to visit. In this case, it would probably be okay to provide visitors with a link to another of your websites, but try to keep many instances of linking to the same IP address to a bare minimum. One or two links on a page here and there probably won't hurt you. The best strategy to get backlinks is to create great content and let other people promote your content. However, to get started, you can create your own links to content on your social media platform, ask your friends to share your content on their websites and social media, and if you can find questions in forums that your content answers, you can always post it there.
Private corporations use Internet marketing techniques to reach new customers by providing easy-to-access information about their products. The most important element is a website that informs the audience about the company and its products, but many corporations also integrate interactive elements like social networking sites and email newsletters.
NGDATA helps brands in data-rich industries such as financial services, retail, telecom, media/entertainment, utilities and hospitality, to capitalize on emerging opportunities in their customer data and to drive profitable customer experiences by supercharging analytics and campaign efficiency. The company’s Intelligent Customer Data Platform (CDP) puts people at the centre of every business via Customer DNA, which continuously learns from customer behaviour and context in real time. NGDATA partners with companies around the world, including Belfius Bank, Innogy and Telenet, to drive digital transformations. NGDATA is headquartered in Gent, Belgium and has offices in the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Users will occasionally come to a page that doesn't exist on your site, either by following a broken link or typing in the wrong URL. Having a custom 404 page30 that kindly guides users back to a working page on your site can greatly improve a user's experience. Your 404 page should probably have a link back to your root page and could also provide links to popular or related content on your site. You can use Google Search Console to find the sources of URLs causing "not found" errors31. We must be careful with our reciprocal links. There is a Google patent in the works that will deal with not only the popularity of the sites being linked to, but also how trustworthy a site is that you link to from your own website. This will mean that you could get into trouble with the search engine just for linking to a bad apple. We could begin preparing for this future change in the search engine algorithm by being choosier with which we exchange links right now. By choosing only relevant sites to link with, and sites that don't have tons of outbound links on a page, or sites that don't practice black-hat SEO techniques, we will have a better chance that our reciprocal links won't be discounted.
To cease opportunity, the firm should summarize their current customers' personas and purchase journey from this they are able to deduce their digital marketing capability. This means they need to form a clear picture of where they are currently and how many resources they can allocate for their digital marketing strategy i.e. labour, time etc. By summarizing the purchase journey, they can also recognise gaps and growth for future marketing opportunities that will either meet objectives or propose new objectives and increase profit.
The next step? How will you communicate with people. Sharpe says that you need to decide on this early on. Will you blog? Will you use social media? Will you build a list by working with solo ad providers? Will you place paid advertisements? What will you do and how will you do it? What you must realize here is that you have to get really good at copy writing. The better you get at copy writing, the more success you'll find as an internet marketer.
Brunson talks about this reverse engineering in his book called, Dot Com Secrets, a homage to the internet marketing industry, and quite possibly one of the best and most transparent books around in the field. Communication is what will bridge the divide between making no money and becoming a massive six or seven-figure earner. Be straight with people and learn to communicate effectively and understand every stage of the process and you'll prosper as an internet marketer.
Hi Brian, as usual solid and helpful content so thank you. I have a question which the internet doesn’t seem to be able to answer. i thought perhaps you could. I have worked hard on building back links and with success. However, they are just not showing up regardless of what tool I use to check (Ahrefs, etc). it has been about 60 days and there are 10 quality back links not showing. Any ideas? thanks!
Marketing managers need to be conversant in every element of a marketing campaign, and considering the importance of an Internet presence in any marketing plan today, this means having a clear understanding of Internet marketing from start to finish. A marketing manager should have confidence in his or her team and know how to facilitate work efficiency and communication between coworkers. This keeps each project on schedule and helps create a relaxed work environment.
Back in the ’90s, two students at Stanford named Larry Page and Sergey Brin started pondering how they could make a better search engine that didn’t get fooled by keyword stuffing. They realized that if you could measure each website’s popularity (and then cross index that with what the website was about), you could build a much more useful search engine. In 1998, they published a scientific paper in which they introduced the concept of “PageRank.” This topic was further explored in another paper that Brin and Page contributed to, “PageRank Citation Ranking: Bringing Order to the Web.”
For some business owners, they’ll think of a website. Others may think of social media, or blogging. In reality, all of these avenues of advertising fall in the category internet marketing and each is like a puzzle piece in a much bigger marketing picture. Unfortunately, for new business owners trying to establish their web presence, there’s a lot of puzzle pieces to manage.
According to Unmetric data, Samsung's powerful story that drove it's #voiceforever campaign rang in as the top branded video across Facebook, YouTube and Instagram in 2018, garnering 98,996,516 video views (note the that Facebook video alone claims 99 million views, so what constitutes a view is still unclear). Of course, viral videos are outliers. But it is worth noting that the great majority of videos on the top 100 list were promoted. This is the easy knowable: A combination of both great storytelling and the means to push the story is the surest bet to success, but there's the rub.
It’s hard to believe that the Internet is now multiple decades old. Affiliate marketing has been around since the earliest days of online marketing. It’s a great solution for businesses that are risk-averse or don’t have the budget to spend on upfront marketing costs. Use affiliate marketing to build a new revenue stream for your ecommerce or B2B business.
Google has a very large team of search quality raters that evaluate the quality of search results, that gets fed into a machine learning algorithm. Google’s search quality rater guidelines provide plenty of detail and examples of what Google class as high or low quality content and websites, and their emphasis on wanting to reward sites that clearly show their expertise, authority and trust (EAT). Some web browsers offer privacy modes where users can hide information about themselves from publishers and advertisers. Among other consequences, advertisers can't use cookies to serve targeted ads to private browsers. Most major browsers have incorporated Do Not Track options into their browser headers, but the regulations currently are only enforced by the honor system.[89][90][91]
An SEO technique is considered white hat if it conforms to the search engines' guidelines and involves no deception. As the search engine guidelines[18][19][51] are not written as a series of rules or commandments, this is an important distinction to note. White hat SEO is not just about following guidelines, but is about ensuring that the content a search engine indexes and subsequently ranks is the same content a user will see. White hat advice is generally summed up as creating content for users, not for search engines, and then making that content easily accessible to the online "spider" algorithms, rather than attempting to trick the algorithm from its intended purpose. White hat SEO is in many ways similar to web development that promotes accessibility,[52] although the two are not identical.
Being a leading data-driven agency, we are passionate about the use of data for designing the ideal marketing mix for each client and then of course optimization towards specific ROI metrics. Online marketing with its promise of total measurement and complete transparency has grown at a fast clip over the years. With the numerous advertising channels available online and offline it makes attributing success to the correct campaigns very difficult. Data science is the core of every campaign we build and every goal we collectively set with clients.
As you begin creating videos, you’ll notice a key difference between scripts and your typical business blog post — the language. Video language should be relaxed, clear, and conversational. Avoid using complex sentence structures and eloquent clauses. Instead, connect with your audience by writing in first person and using visual language. Keep the language concise, but avoid jargon and buzzwords.
Search engine marketing, or SEM, is designed to increase a website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Search engines provide sponsored results and organic (non-sponsored) results based on a web searcher's query.[19]:117 Search engines often employ visual cues to differentiate sponsored results from organic results. Search engine marketing includes all of an advertiser's actions to make a website's listing more prominent for topical keywords. So if you think about it, SEO is really just a process of proving to search engines that you are the best site, the most authoritative, the most trusted, the most unique and interesting site that they can offer to their customer - the searcher. Get people to talk about you, produce good quality content, get people to link to you, and Google will be more confident that you are the best result that they can offer to their searchers, and that’s when you will start ranking on the first page of Google.
With 360° videos, viewers “scroll” around to see content from every angle — as if they were physically standing within the content. This spherical video style allows viewers to experience a location or event, such as exploring Antarctica or meeting a hammerhead shark. VR allows viewers to navigate and control their experience. These videos are usually viewed through devices such as Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard.
In the 2000s, with more and more Internet users and the birth of iPhone, customers started searching products and making decisions about their needs online first, instead of consulting a salesperson, which created a new problem for the marketing department of a company. In addition, a survey in 2000 in the United Kingdom found that most retailers had not registered their own domain address.[12] These problems made marketers find the digital ways for market development. Before you can create YouTube video ads as part of your marketing campaign, you must link your AdWords account to your YouTube account. Then you’ll need to import your video into AdWords - or create it if it doesn’t already exist. Once you upload the video, you’ll be able to choose a thumbnail and write some appealing ad text to encourage viewers to watch. The next step is to choose your target audience and budget. Provide some billing information, and you’re ready to run your first video ad.
I first discovered Sharpe years ago online. His story was one of the most sincere and intriguing tales that any one individual could convey. It was real. It was heartfelt. It was passionate. And it was a story of rockbottom failure. It encompassed a journey that mentally, emotionally and spiritually crippled him in the early years of his life. As someone who left home at the age of 14, had a child at 16, became addicted to heroin at 20 and clean four long years later, the cards were definitely stacked up against him.
Organic SEO's flip-side offers up a paid method for marketing on search engines like Google. SEM provides an avenue for displaying ads through networks such as Google's Adwords and other paid search platforms that exist across the web throughout social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and even video sites like YouTube, which, invariably, is the world's second largest search engine. | {
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Separated presheaf
Idea
Definition
Recall that a sheaf on SS is a presheaf A∈PShSA \in PSh_S such that for all local isomorphisms Y→XY \to X the induced morphism PShS(X,A)→PShS(Y,A)PSh_S(X,A) \to PSh_S(Y,A) (under the hom-functorPShS(−,A)PSh_S(-,A)) is an isomorphism. (For an arbitrary class of morphisms VV, the corresponding condition is called being a local object.)It is sufficient to check this on the dense monomorphisms instead of all local isomorphisms. This is equivalent to checking covering sieves.
Definition
A presheafA∈PSh(S)A \in PSh(S) is called separated (or a monopresheaf) if for all local isomorphisms Y→XY \to X the induced morphism Hom(X,A)→Hom(Y,A)Hom(X,A) \to Hom(Y,A) is a monomorphism.
More generally, for a class VV of arrows in a category CC, an object A∈CA\in C is VV-separated if for all morphisms Y→XY\to X in VV, the induced morphism Hom(X,A)→Hom(Y,A)Hom(X,A)\to Hom(Y,A) is a monomorphism.
Remark
As for sheaves, it is sufficient to check the separation condition on the dense monomorphisms, hence on the sieves.
For {pi:Ui→U}\{p_i : U_i \to U\} a covering family of an object U∈SU \in S, the condition is that if a,b∈A(U)a,b \in A(U) are such that for all ii we have A(pi)(a)=A(pi)(b)A(p_i)(a) = A(p_i)(b) then already a=ba = b.
Definition
For A∈PShSA \in PSh_S the separaficationLsepAL_{sep}A of AA is the presheaf that assigns equivalence classes
LsepA:U↦A(U)/∼U,
L_{sep}A : U \mapsto A(U)/\sim_U
\,,
where ∼U\sim_U is the equivalence relation that relates two elements a∼ba \sim b iff there exists a covering{pi:Ui→U}\{p_i : U_i \to U\} such that A(pi)(a)=A(pi)(b)A(p_i)(a) = A(p_i)(b) for all ii.
This construction extends in the evident way to a functor
Lsep:PSh(S)→Sep(S).
L_{sep} : PSh(S) \to Sep(S)
\,.
Proposition
This functor LsepL_{sep} is indeed a left adjoint to the inclusion i:Sep(S)↪PSh(S)i : Sep(S) \hookrightarrow PSh(S).
Proof
Let A∈PSh(S)A \in PSh(S) and B∈Sep(S)↪PSh(S)B \in Sep(S) \hookrightarrow PSh(S). We need to show that morphisms f:A→Bf : A \to B in PShCPSh_C are in natural bijection with morphisms LsepA→BL_{sep} A \to B in Sep(S)Sep(S).
For ff such a morphism and fU:A(U)→B(U)f_U : A(U) \to B(U) its component over any object U∈SU \in S, consider any covering {Ui→U}\{U_i \to U\}, let S(Ui)→US(U_i) \to U be the corresponding sieve and consider the commuting diagram
obtained from the naturality of PShS(S(Ui)→U,A→fB)PSh_S(S(U_i) \to U, A \stackrel{f}{\to} B).
If for a,a′∈A(U)a,a' \in A(U) two elements that are not equal their restrictions to the cover become equal in that ∀i:a|Ui=a′|Ui\forall i : a|_{U_i} = a'|_{U_i}, then also f(a|Ui)=f(a′|Ui)f(a|_{U_i}) = f(a'|_{U_i}) and since the right vertical morphism is monic there is a uniqueb∈B(U)b \in B(U) mapping to the latter. The commutativity of the diagram then demands that f(a)=f(a′)=bf(a) = f(a') = b.
Since this argument applies to all covers of UU, we have that fUf_U factors uniquely through the projection map A(U)→A(U)/∼U=:Lsep(U)A(U) \to A(U)/\sim_U =: L_{sep}(U) onto the quotient. Since this is true for every object UU we have that ff factors uniquely through A→LsepAA \to L_{sep}A.
Biseparated presheaf
Idea
Often one is interested in separated presheaves with respect to one coverage that are sheaves with respect to another coverage. These are called biseparated presheaves .
of a sheaf topos is given. This is the localization at a set WW of morphisms in Sh(S)Sh(S), with CC the full subcategory of all local objects cc: objects such that Sh(S)(w,c)Sh_(S)(w,c) is an isomorphism for all w∈Ww \in W. A WW-separated object is then called a biseparated presheaf on SS and their collection BiSep(S)BiSep(S) factors the reflective inclusion as | {
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Mike Taylor forced the action in the final minutes of a harrowing, albeit ugly, preseason win for the Clips in Oklahoma City last night. Al Thornton put up nice-looking numbers from the field (8-13) and the line (6-8) -- but turned the ball over five times. Baron Davis, Marcus Camby, and Tim Thomas all sat out the game. Cat Mobley somehow managed to go 0-7 from inside of 15 feet. Other curiosities: Ricky Davis swiped nine rebounds in 27 minutes. Paul Davis continues to log quality minutes off the pine -- making life much harder for DeAndre Jordan in the Clips' crowded frontcourt.
Jake, an NBA fan from San Antonio, spins a fictional version of the NBA season at NBA on the Brain. Who's the picaresque hero of Prelude 12? Click here.
A week late on this, but Mark Kiszla of the Denver Postsounds a popular refrain we've heard a lot from Nuggets fans over the years:
"Denver can be a nastier, more rugged defensive team without Camby, who collected blocks as if they were art treasures but had little interest in doing any real down-and-dirty work in the paint, whether it required leaning on Shaquille O'Neal or chasing Pau Gasol...With Camby, this team was far too passive-aggressive on defense, with a strategy that seemed based on the big center swooping in at the last second to save the Nuggets from disaster. Now, defenders have no choice but to man up and get in the face of scorers. 'We're going to be more aggressive and disruptive,' Karl said Monday."
We have launched a new ClipperBlog.com site! You are currently on our old system & are viewing an archived page. We will continue to keep all 670 posts from our first 3 years on this archive site. Soon we will be closing the comments for each of these older posts.
Comments
To my knowledge Kaman will be the first real inside post player who can finish that Baron has played with in the NBA. I expect Kaman to shoot over 50% and Baron to average over 8 assists/game in 08/09.
RE: Vince Carter
"The most obvious fit for Vince might be in L.A., as the Lakers are looking for a more traditional small forward, and the Nets would love to make a Carter-for-Odom swap that would clear another huge chunk of salary off their books. But his terrible contract is making the Lakers (and everyone else) think twice. If the Lakers aren't interested, the Clippers might be.
A swap of Carter for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas would help the Nets cut costs and give the Clippers a better shot at being competitive. One way or another, expect Nets president Rod Thorn to work his magic and find a good deal, just as he did when he originally acquired Carter."
The only way you take that chance (sacrificing the cap space in 2 years and taking on a HUGE salary for another 4 years) is if it brings you to the top 3 in the Western Conference. That would make you a legitimate title contender.
BD
Kaman
Thornton
VC
Camby
That is a phenomenal lineup... I see 3 problems from a basketball standpoint:
1. 4/5 players are injury prone
2. Who is going to guard opposing 2's?
3. Are you losing too much depth?
I'd say wait until mid-season and see how things are going. If the Nets and Clippers are playing miserably, it's a no-brainer. I'm sure thats what the Nets and Clips are going to do.
I would trade 2 title runs this year and next for cap space in 2010 any day of the week. Miami mortgaged the future in 2006 and won their title. I'd accept mediocrity for 5 years for 1 title.
I think the Clipper's are crazy if they think one of the big three would leave their team to come here in 2010. maybe Bosh after B-Diddy has an MVP year. but I think we should try to be better now. they might do that deal because James is has a good chance of going to the Nets if he goes anywhere!
I agree with RAM. I don't think any of those free agents are coming to the Clips unless Baron has an MVP season or both Davis and Thorton/Kaman make a couple of All-Star games.
Oh, and the team makes the playoffs over the next two years.
It's hard not to take Carter. Yes, he's getting up there, but he can step into a Ray Allen type of role on the Clips. A deadly 2nd or 3rd option. I don't think it gets the Clips a championship (maybe it does for the Lakers if they snagged him) or puts the team in the top 3, but it certainly would guarantee a couple of playoff runs. After last year? I'd take that.
to ACD
We would drop off defense for VC but we have Kaman and Camby to back him up. plus if Taylor and R.Davis keep playing like they are our depth doesn't hurt all that much. especially if Gordon is ROY like I hope he'll be.
Honestly, nobody gives a shit if you take your pathetic website down. Nobody visits it anyway. Everybody would rather you just not post here anymore.
Ford's proposed deal was actually Mobley + Thomas + Gordon for Carter and Swift. Ford's proposing Clips give up a great prospect and $15 million 2010 cap space for Vince Carter. Absolutely senseless. No need to worry about such a thing happening.
this has to be the best draft for us ever. before injury Eric Gordon was projected to go in the top three with Mayo and Beasley. we got him a Holy number 7. then we get Jordan for our second pick. another amazing pick. they said they wanted to get Taylor but couldn't believe Jordan was still there. then Taylor is just playing out of his mind right now with three 20 point games. definitely a diamond in the ruff. this is by far my favorite Clipper team and the season hasn't even started. I'm going tonight to pick up my tickets for pre-season
ROY - Gordon
MVP - Davis
6th MOY R.Davis
DPY - Camby
Were LOADED!!!!!!!!!
10/16/08 08:17:40
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Call for charity as Mandela turns 93
JOHANNESBURG — Millions of South African schoolchildren sang happy birthday to Nelson Mandela as he turned 93 Monday, while politicians and ordinary citizens did charity work to support his call to do good.
For the third year, at the request of his charitable foundation, July 18 is observed as Mandela Day, recognized by the United Nations as a global call to volunteer for good causes for 67 minutes — representing each year of Mr. Mandela’s life in active politics.
The nation’s 12.5 million schoolchildren sang “Happy Birthday” before starting class Monday, with television and radio stations urging the nation to join in the special rendition of the song, given an African twist by a local composer.
“This week there will be no extra mural activities. You will spend that time going to charities to do your charity work. It is only appropriate as a school to devote 67 minutes of our time in his honour,” Les Lambert, principal at Johannesburg’s Rosebank primary school, told his 500 students.
Kabelo Masemola, 10, said he wished Mr. Mandela a long and happy life.
“He must relax and must not get sick. He must live long.”
Tributes also came from world leaders, with British Prime Minister David Cameron saluting Mandela’s legacy during his visit to South Africa on Monday.
“President Mandela is an inspiration to the world, and as we celebrate his birthday and look back at just how far South Africa has come, so I believe we can look forward with confidence to an even better future for South Africa and her people,” Mr. Cameron said.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the world to observe Mr. Mandela’s call to carry out volunteer work.
“Everybody remembers and, indeed, needs an inspirational figure who has played a signal role in their lives. Nelson Mandela has been that role model for countless people around the world,” Mr. Ban said.
Mr. Mandela spent his birthday with his family at his childhood village Qunu in the Eastern Cape province, said Sello Hatang, spokesman for his foundation.
His grandson, chief Mandla Mandela said the family would give blankets to elderly people around his nearby birthplace of Mvezo.
“We’ll be ensuring that at least our elderly citizens are looked after and taken better care of, but we are also having kids from the school in Mvezo that will be cleaning the community because we want to ensure that we preserve our area,” he told national broadcaster SABC.
Similar activities were underway around the country, as South Africans cleaned and painted schools, orphanages and clinics, while others donated food, clothes, books and toys to charity.
Villagers in Qunu laid stones in a ritual to mark places of spiritual or historical significance at Mandela’s primary school, where he started his education at age seven.
President Jacob Zuma, who planned to visit Mr. Mandela in Qunu after meeting with Mr. Cameron in Pretoria, used the occasion to call for greater efforts to end poverty.
“We have achieved a lot, but we must still work further to eradicate poverty and improve especially the lives of children, because Madiba loves them so much,” Mr. Zuma said, using Mr. Mandela’s clan name.
Increasingly frail with age, Mr. Mandela was last seen in public just before his 92nd birthday, when he and his third wife Graca Machel made an appearance at the football World Cup final in Johannesburg.
As South Africa’s first black president, Mr. Mandela is revered for having ushered in democracy and for his personal sacrifices in fighting the apartheid regime.
On his release in 1990, he led negotiations that paved the way to elections in 1994. He used his warmth, dignity and self-deprecating humour to help heal racial divisions and opened a process of reconciliation. | {
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Friday, April 04, 2008
Hello London and Paris! :)
It’s been more than two years and I’m glad to say the wait is finally over.
Tonight I’m departing to London, and I couldn’t be happier! yay!!!
I’ll be in Europe for about 20 days. First I’m going to stay at my friend Donna’s in South Kensington (nice!) and after that I’m going to Paris to visit my friend Malu.
I don’t really have specific plans for this holiday, all I know is that I want to hang out in Hyde Park, go to the Japanese Gardens, go see “Life Before Death” which is an exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, go visit Canary Warf and my old apartment, and when I go to Paris I want to go for a day or two to the Louvre and hangout with Malu and also with my friends Guille and Jean Pierre.
I will be traveling alone this time which is rather sad because everything is so much more fun when my boyfriend is around, but besides my own thoughts I’ll also have a few good traveling companions: “Good Omens” by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, an ipod full of indie songs and This American Life podcasts, and my Digital Rebel with a brand new 10-22 mm lens.
So that’s it. I’m still packing so I’m rather busy, but just wanted to come by to let this ‘in paper’ – sort of. | {
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V&A Museum unveils new courtyard
London's Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum has unveiled its new spaces on the site's Exhibition Road Quarter following a £55 million programme of works.
The complex comprises a new entrance, underground gallery space and porcelain courtyard – made with 11,000 handmade tiles – and is the work of Stirling Prize-winning architect Amanda Levete and her London-based firm AL_A.
The tiles cover the 1,200-sqm Sackler Courtyard and were designed by the Dutch company Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum, with 15 diverse patterns and glaze tones based on the layout of the courtyard's original support trusses.
Another significant aspect of the redesign is the removal of colonnade erected over a century ago to conceal the museum's boiler rooms. A reduced version of the stone screen has been rebuilt featuring a pattern that recalls the shrapnel damage it suffered during world war two.
The courtyard will be used to showcase large-scale sculpture in addition to providing outdoor seating and offering views of three V&A façades that were previously hidden.
The revamp is the V&A's largest expansion in more than a century and provides the museum with an extra 6,400 sqm of visitor space. | {
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This leaf comes from a calendar for the feasts days celebrated in the month of September. Calendar pages are often illustrated with the labors of the month and the zodiac sign associated with each month. Making wine was a typical labor for the month of September. | {
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The Secret Dealer For Farmville Addicts
The company behind Mafia Wars and Farmville doesn't like to talk about the sad addicts who fuel its profits. But it does quietly run a special store for them, where imaginary credits are bought with very real bank transfers.
The minimum purchase in Zynga's underground "Platinum Purchase Program" is $500, payable by wire transfer (see email below). The reward over buying online with your credit card: Extra points with which to buy virtual goods for the company's Facebook games. If you refer a friend to the program, you get even more points. Zynga, meanwhile, gets word of mouth, which is especially important since Zynga keeps this bulk sales program hush hush; it's not mentioned on the company website, nor within its games. If you Google for it, you'll get a few complaints for disgruntled customers and a couple of posts from a blogger named "Loot Lady," who writes that it was "hard to find a lot of information out about this" program.
But it is keen to tap the market. Indeed, when it comes to game design, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus has a predatory attitude toward gamers, and has told his programmers that pumping up profits is more important than the experience of actually playing the game, ex employees say in an excellent new SF Weekly cover story. Disillusioned employees have even reportedly given Zynga an unofficial motto: "Do Evil," an inversion of Google's informal slogan "Don't be evil."
Having explicitly aimed to get people addicted to its mindless, low-quality games — SF Weekly writes that titles like Zynga's are built around a "compulsion loop," which sounds about right — Zynga's not just going to leave money on the table. By setting up a non-refundable, bank-to-bank transfer program, as documented in the Zynga email we obtained and have reproduced below, the company can avoid giving a cut of the revenue to credit card companies and processors. More importantly, the program allows gaming addicts to feed their addictions more conveniently; on Facebook Zynga's game stores can top out at $50 or $200 in virtual credit at a time, effectively turning away the company's best customers.
It's not a pretty notion, the idea of grown humans throwing huge quantities of perfectly good money into electronic addictions. Then again, it's not exactly novel one, either. Zynga deserves credit, at the very least, for going with the tried and true solution of keeping its junkie-serving business in the shadows, rather than throwing it onto the open web in some misguided gesture of transparency. Drug dealers have been doing it this way for centuries, with good reason. | {
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I grew up a child of the 90s, not really the Grunge movement but the stuff that came out of it. So stuff like Foo Fighters, Tool and Perfect Circle, Soundgarden, Bush, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Silverchair, Sponge, Bad Religion, Deftones, they always find their way to my playlists. The more recent stuff I listen to tends to follow that path too: Rise Against, Anberlin, 32 Leaves, Red, Skillet, Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed, Three Days Grace, Chevelle. Pandora serves me up quite a bit at work, and I'll usually give an artist at least a listen.
But I also was raised with a lot of classic rock around, and I find myself sticking with some of the real creative forces there. Obvious stuff like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, sure, but also King Crimson, Rush (2112 > Moving Pictures), Kansas, The Clash, Depeche Mode, they aren't going anywhere either.
To say nothing of my love of vidja gaem musik. A shout out to my boy SupraDarky, who's been picking the best game music for nearly a decade now for playlists and whose lists I tend to have running in the background whenever I'm playing an MMO or otherwise doing something where the audio isn't too important. Highlights of my recent listens include the obligatory Chrono Cross mention, the realization that Umineko's soundtrack is way more awesome than you would expect from a Visual Novel, and the reminder that Neir was seriously underrated as a game and soundtrack.
I recently picked up a few songs by 'Jay Ungar & Molly Mason'. All instrumentals with a rather sad tone. I've always been rather partial to sad tunes.
Great background music that doesn't distract you while you work on things, or just need to mellow out.
"Hao! Dai ye! We won again! This is good, but what is best in life?"
"The open steppe, fleet horse, falcons at your wrist, and the wind in your hair."
"Wrong! Conan! What is best in life?"
"Crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women."
I just got turned on to The Record Company. Another favorite is Grace Potter. Basically any good rock or blues rock. Where I live there's only one radio station that really plays new stuff so I have to hunt for new things through other means. | {
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the credit and asset bubble that built up in the United States was the biggest in history. At the peak of Japan’s bubble, it needed three yen of credit to make one yen of national income. The United States needed eight dollars of credit for every dollar of income. In Japan, the bubble grew for only about five years in the high-flying late 1980s. In the United States, the credit binge has been going on for a couple of decades.
The Pentagon has suffered from a cyber attack so alarming that it has taken the unprecedented step of banning the use of
external hardware devices, such as flash drives and DVD‘s, FOX News has learned.
The attack came in the form of a global
virus or worm that is spreading rapidly throughout a number of military networks.
“We have detected a global virus for
which there has been alerts, and we have seen some of this on our networks,”�a Pentagon official told FOX News. “We are
now taking steps to mitigate the virus.”
“Daily there are millions of scans of the GIG, but for security reasons we don’t discuss the number
of actual intrusions or attempts, or discuss specific measures commanders in the field may be taking to protect and defend
our networks,” the department said in an official statement.�
This description of the years preceeding the fall of Rome reminds me a lot of the culture of the United States these days. The pride, hard work, humility and dedication of generation’s past seems gone. We watch shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Biggest Loser, Dancing with the Stars and don’t want to be bothered by real issues, real concerns, real challenges. We drive SUVs that eat up tremendous amounts of gas, despite knowing the political and environmental side effects of doing so. And our smartest go straight to wall street to manage hedge funds that get in and out of stocks with indifference…without any output or benefit to the world other than to squeeze money out of the system (more money that actually exists it turns out). I hope that we are somehow strong and honest enough to recognize the errors of our ways and get so that we can someday get back to better days.
What led to Rome’s weakening? In describing the city of Rome in the middle of the fourth century, Ammianus Marcellinus wrote of the vanity and materialism of his contemporaries. Rome became great through virtue, he argued, and virtue had given way to vice. Decades before the barbarians broke into the empire, causing the economy to unravel, the Romans were focused on entertainment and self-gratification. “In this state of things,” wrote Marcellinus, “the few houses which once had the reputation of being centers of serious culture are now given over to the trivial pursuits of passive idleness…
THE SECRET to staying madly in love for life is hidden at the heart of your brain – a finding that may lead to new strategies for keeping alive passionate partnerships, say New York scientists.
Researchers led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine recruited 17 men and women who still love their spouses intensely after two decades of marriage, then scanned their brains as they saw their loved ones’ photos. When they compared the results with scans of 17 people who had fallen in love in the previous year, they found that the same area of the brain, the ventral tegmental area, lit up.
One of the authors, Helen Fisher, told the Society for Neuroscience‘s annual meeting this week: “If you ask people around the world whether romantic love can last, they’ll roll their eyes and say ‘probably not’. Most textbooks say that too. We are proving them wrong.”
Struggling to choose the top religion? Can’t decide between Bible-thumping evangelism or benign, gentle Buddhism? Make the process fun and easy with God Trumps, our cut-out-and-keep metaphysical card game for all the family. Cartoons by Martin Rowson. | {
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Lilia Nash Jewellery
Lilia Nash is a unique collection of fine eco-friendly gemstone jewellery. Lilia creates timeless pieces inspired by nature & modern life. Each limited edition piece of jewellery has been individually hand-crafted by Lilia, from her studio & shop in Lechlade, Gloucestershire.
I believe strongly in working with ethical, recycled metals and fair trade gemstones, in order to play a small part in reducing the damage being caused to the environment.
The jewellery industry has always relied heavily on exploiting the Earth’s resources, via the mining of precious metals and gemstones. Mining is very damaging to the environment - for example - to produce one gold band, five tonnes of environmental waste are produced. This waste pollutes the top soil as well as nearby water sources, affecting the health of local communities and wildlife.
Being passionate about jewellery but knowing the negative impact that mining brings, my jewellery is made with 100% recycled gold, platinum or Sterling silver and wherever possible ethical or fair trade gemstones. My metals are obtained from a refining source in the USA, which processes old reclaimed jewellery and scrap precious metals. | {
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10 Mnemonics to Help with Spelling Tricky Words
For the last month or so I’ve been sharing my favourite spelling mnemonics over on Twitter. Today, especially for those of you who don’t use Twitter, I’ve decided to round up some of them to share with you all. For more information on mnemonics, click here.
The thing I struggle with most when it comes to spelling the word ‘necessary’ is keeping track of how many Cs and how many Ss the word has. To combat this (and I’m about to betray how English I am!), I think of how necessary a cup of tea is in ensuring I have a good day – and once I’ve got the image tea in my mind, I think the following: “The word 'ne[c]e[ss]ary' is spelt using one [c]up and two [s]ugars”.
Some people, of course, come up with alternative tricks which cover the whole word, such as: [N]ever [E]at [C]risps, [Eat] [S]alad [S]andwiches [A]nd [R]emain [Y]oung.
The hard thing part to remember in the word ‘separate’ is the middle section. I think of the following: “Spell 'sep[a]r[a]te' by separating the two [a]s with an [r]", but I know others who prefer to find smaller words within the middle part, such as ‘rat’ or ‘para’.
Embarrassed that you can't spell 'embarrass'? The hard part here is keeping track of the number of Rs and the number of Ss. Why not try remembering the following: “I go [r]eally [r]ed when my [s]ister [s]ings”.
‘Laugh’ can be tricky because it isn’t spelt like it sounds. Perhaps the following will help: [L]augh [A]nd yo[U] [G]et [H]appy.
If the ‘I before E, except after C, but only when it rhymes with ‘bee’’ mnemonic rhyme doesn’t work for you, try using the following the next time you need to spell ‘believe’ or ‘belief’: “Try not to be[lie]ve a [lie]”.
And whilst we’re on liars, try using a similar trick the next time you can’t remember how to spell ‘familiar’: “That [liar] looks fami[liar]”.
No list of mnemonics is complete without this classroom favourite method of spelling 'because': [b]ig [e]lephants [c]an [a]lways [u]nderstand [s]mall [e]lephants, but personally I will never forget getting my Macbeth homework back at secondary school with the teacher’s red ink all over my quote: “Oh, horrer, horrer, horrer!”. Now, if I’ve needed to spell the word ‘horror’, I always think of a shocked or scared emoticon (like this -> :-O ) to remind myself that the word is spelt with an ‘o’ and not an ‘e’.
'Special' is another annoying word that doesn't sound like how it’s spelt. Remember that the CIA have Spe[cia]l Agents to work out the tricky middle part of the word!
I hope you’ve found these mnemonics helpful – if you’re on Twitter, be sure to follow us (@Spellzone) and search #DailyMnemonic to find more helpful little memory tricks. Say hello and we’ll follow back! | {
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Recording
Recording “Este es Francisco Yglesia”
These photographs were taken at St Thomas’s Church in June 2009, during the first of two recording sessions for his album “Este es Francisco Yglesia“. It was a busy day. The promotional videos were also filmed, and the album cover shoot also happened on this day! | {
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Create fresh juice faster
Just in time for summer, when fresh fruit juice is a staple, is this offering from Breville.
The Juice Fountain Cold XL makes it easier to juice quickly, while looking smarter on the benchtop.
Designed in Australia, the latest generation in the Juice Fountain range is the new Juice Fountain Cold ® XL, which has been thoughtfully developed so that users can create up to two litres of nutrient rich juice faster and quieter, all within a more stylish compact footprint.
Cold Spin Technology™, combined with the most powerful and quietest motor available in a Breville juicer, means ingredients are in contact with the stainless steel cutting disc surrounded by an Italian-made mesh filter for a fraction of a second, creating juice five times faster than a ‘cold press’, and limiting temperature transfer to less than 17º Celsius.
The design improvements continue, with the Juice Fountain Cold XL featuring the widest feed chute on the market.
Significantly reducing preparation time, the 88mm diameter chute enables large ingredients such as apples, beetroots and oranges, to be juiced whole.
With a new, narrow footprint that houses the clear pulp container at the rear, the Juice Fountain Cold XL makes it easier to juice quickly, while looking smarter on the benchtop.
Also designed with an elevated spout to make it easier to juice directly into the super-sized two litre jug with sealing lid, juice can be prepared in the morning, chilled in the fridge and enjoyed for up to three days. If a single glass is required, a spout nozzle can be attached. | {
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Promos in Cagayan de Oro
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Krispy Kreme is glazing extra joy this Christmas as they mark the most awaited Day of the Dozen! Get your second dozen of Original Glazed doughnuts for only P100 when you buy one dozen of Original Glazed doughnuts. Treat this as Krispy Kreme’s way of saying Thank You for your loyalty and celebrating a fun…
Share the spooky fun with 6 Halloween Doughnuts and 6 Original Glazed Doughnuts for just P299! *Available in all Krispy Kreme stores nationwide except MOA Arena and airport stores. *Not valid in conjuction with other existing promos *In the purchase of goods and services which are on promotional discount, the senior citizen can avail of…
Get your favorite dozen donuts for only P199 and P399! Get the One Dozen Classic Donuts for only P199! Get the One for Three bundle at P199! Get One Dozen Classic Donuts plus One for Three bundle at P399! And get Two Barkada Bundles for only P399! Save P199! Promo is runs on September 16, 2017…
Enjoy 6 pre-selected Assorted Doughnuts for only P299 this August 26 to September 3! * Offer is valid in Krispy Kreme stores nationwide except SM MOA Arena and Airport stores. * Not valid in conjuction with other discounts and promotions. * Senior citizens can avail of the promotional discount or the discount provided…
It’s payday again and the long weekend is coming! Dig in Krispy Kreme Mixed Dozen doughnuts for only P299 and get your hands on 6 Original Glazed doughnuts and 6 of our mouthwatering bestsellers! Take us ’til the weekend?😊 * Offer is valid from August 15 to 21 in Krispy Kreme stores nationwide… | {
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Whether you're looking for haircut or coloring services, Great Clips in Bowling Green, KY has you covered. Every face has a different hairstyle that suits it best. Allow this salon's stylists to pinpoint the right one for you.
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Oblivion Power Leveling Guide
In-Progress: This guide is still in progress, I'll add information for new skills as I finish writing them.
In the natural course of the game you'll increase your skills and gain levels. But what if you want to increase certain skills quickly? There are three ways of doing this: trainers, books and using the skills. Trainers work well if you can find them, but you'll need money. Some skills are easier than others to increase, we'll go over the method for all of them.
Maximizing Your Increases
To really power level, you need to get the maximum modifier possible for each attribute. Each skill has an attribute associated with it. For example, the Armorer skill is linked to the Endurance attribute. If you increase the Armorer skill by 10 points in one level, you'll get a x5 modifier for Endurance when you level up. This means you can increase your Endurance by 5 points, instead of just one. To completely maximize each level, go for x5 modifier for three different attributes.
Do this by picking the three attributes you want to increase, then identify the skills under those attributes. You'll need 10 skill increases for each attribute. The best way to do this is by picking three of your seven major skills for 10 of the points. The other 20 will be minor skills that won't increase your level. This way you can manage the 30 increases without leveling up three times.
Attributes
Attribute
Skills
Notes
Agility
MarksmanSecuritySneak
The higher your Agility the less chance you'll be knocked down in combat.
An extremely high personality (well past 100 when including fame) can even cause bandits and other enemies not to attack you.
A high personality makes it easier to yield to guards, avoid paying for crimes and yield to other attackers.
Most of the benefits from the Personality attribute can be had using spells, money and bonuses.
Speed
AcrobaticsAthleticsLight Armor
Speed affects how fast you can run, walk and fast travel.
How far you can jump.
Strength
BladeBluntHand to Hand
Governs how much you can carry, which is five times your strength.
Governs how much damage you do with blades, blunt weapons and hand to hand.
Governs your total fatigue.
Strength above 100 won't increase the damage you do in combat, but it will affect total fatigue and how much you can carry.
Willpower
AlterationDestructionRestoration
Governs your total fatigue.
Governs how quickly you can regenerate magicka and continues to have an effect past 100 points.
Doesn't not have any effect on the strength of your spells, the amount of damage you do with spells or how much spells cost.
Trainers
Two things to keep in mind with trainers: money and level limits. The higher your level, the more money it will cost to train a new level. You're also limited to five training sessions per level. It doesn't matter what skill you train, each session counts towards your five limit per level. After that, you'll need to wait for the next level before you can increase again. Click on the link below for information on training each skill:
Increasing Skills Yourself
Aside from training, it's also possible to increase your skills by using them. This of course is how you naturally increase skills during the course of playing the game. But the natural increases are chaotic, there's no way to control what skill increases when, the skills you use most will increase. If you want to increase specific skills this way, the concept is the same, you just find an activity that will train that skill.
Keep in mind that some skills are easier to increase than others. Skills in your specialization are easier to increase. For example, if your character is specialized in combat, increasing blunt, blade or block will be easier than increasing destruction. Your seven major skills will also be easier to increase. Finally, skills that are both major skills and skills in your specialization will increase the fastest.
Ideally the activity should be specific to just that skill, so you only increase the skill you want to increase. This is easy with some skills, such as Illusion or Alteration. But other skills, such as Destruction or Block, are a little more difficult. Here are the strategies for each skill:
Books
Reading some books will increase your skills by one point. Some of these books are easy to find, others are an adventure. Books will only increase your skill once. After you read it, the book won't increase your skill again. Click on the link below to see a list of books for the skill. | {
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Rosa Clemente is a community organizer, politician, and Hip Hop activist, whose work is focused on political prisoners, voter engagement and Puerto Rican independence. A former Green Party candidate for Vice-President of the United States, she is currently a doctoral student in the W.E.B. Dubois department of UMASS-Amherst. You can read more about her work and life here and follow her on twitter here.
Style Credits:Saint Laurent Black and White Emsemble
[Photo Credit: INSTARImages]T Lo support #TimesUp.
“The clock has run out on sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace. It’s time to do something about it.” Read the Letter of Solidarity here. Make a donation to the legal fund here. | {
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PALMER'S TORNADO VICTIM ASSISTANCE COMES NATURAL
Although Robert Ray Black is only 13 years old, he already has had to deal with some of life’s harsh realities.In 2007, his father, Bobby “Norman” Black died of a heart attack. On May 22, Black’s family home was blown away in the devastating tornado that smashed through Joplin, Mo. As of June 22, the Joplin tornado death toll was 156.
The Joplin tornado is the single most deadly tornado to hit the United States in 60 years, according to National Weather Service records.
Black vividly remembers when the tornado struck.
“I was at a friend’s house all day and my mom called and said I had to come home early because of bad weather,” said the younger Black, who goes by Ray. “I went home and took a shower and then I went upstairs to get a piece of pizza. It was green outside and the tornado sirens were going off and then the front door started rattling and all of a sudden I heard a sound like a big, huge freight train going through our house. Right then, my mom had me and my grandma and grandpa and everybody in our house, including our dogs go downstairs. We were all in a tiny bathroom and we formed a circle and started praying. When we finished praying, the tornado was gone. We didn’t have time to be scared. We went upstairs and our house was blown away and so was everything in our neighborhood.”
Coping with the devastation of the tornado has not been easy for Black.
“I loved that house and all my friends were there in Joplin,” Black said. “When my dad died in 2007 we had to move and now we are going to have to move again. It is hard to deal with, but I’m thankful that we are alive. It’s just has overwhelming. It’s like a bad dream.”
The younger Black did try to escape his hardships on June 3-4 by going to Ozark Raceway Park’s “Racing for Relief” event with his cousin Mike Sisco. ORP is in Rogersville, Mo., which is approximately 85 miles from Joplin.
Sisco was competing in the Mean Street class that weekend at ORP.
The main attraction at that event was Scott Palmer. The Top Fuel driver from Missouri, skipped the NHRA’s Supernationals at Englishtown, N.J., and made exhibition passes at ORP.
“I love drag racing, but I never had met Scott Palmer before, but I went over the second day after he made his run to see if I could buy a piston from him,” Black said. “He said I could just have it and I told him my story and he gave me a T-shirt and a tour of his trailer and he invited me to come back to see him race later this summer.”
Palmer and Mike McDaniel, who won the Mean Street class that weekend at ORP, took things a step further to help Black and his family.
Recently, Palmer and McDaniel gave Black’s family $500 cash.
“I can’t thank Scott and Mike enough for helping my family in our time of need,” Ray said. “My family and I started crying. It was very emotional.”
Palmer, who raced last weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio this weekend, was thrilled to assist Ray and his family.
“Ray, by chance, walked up and started talking to me that night after my run,” Palmer said. “When he told me his story, I knew I wanted to give money to his family.”
McDaniel had already planned on donating his winnings from ORP and Ray and his family were the ideal candidates for his gesture. McDaniel lives in Buffalo, Mo., which is about a two-hour drive from Joplin.
“The track (ORP) had contacted a church and they were helping five families and honestly I wanted to do something a little more personal,” McDaniel said. “One of the guys at the track told me what Scott was doing and I thought that was just perfect. I also told Ray that any race he wants to go to this year at Ozark Raceway Park, I would pay his way in.”
Black is hopeful for the future.
“I hope we someday live a normal life,” Black said. “I want to live a life without fear. I want to stop worrying about stuff like where you are going to get food and water from. I want to live a normal life.”
McDaniel definitely doesn’t want people to forget about the Joplin tornado.
“I’m in construction and I hear more stories every day,” McDaniel said. “I just put windows in for a guy whose daughter was working at a nursing home during the tornado and she had a brick wall fall on her. She is alive. I will take anybody’s ideas about how to keep the awareness about the tornado going. This tornado was devastating. It destroyed 8,000 buildings, which includes homes and businesses. It just blows me away that there have only been 150 some deaths. I honestly thought that number would be a thousand.”
Palmer is continuing his campaign to help Joplin’s tornado victims.
“At every race we go to we will take a percentage of the money the car brings in and we will donate a minimum of $500 from each race to help either Ray or another family,” Palmer said. “We have actually talked to some people down there and we have found out about other people who could use some help. After each race, we are going to help someone who needs assistance from the Joplin tornado.”
At each race Palmer attends, he also is selling T-shirts for $10 to $15 with a minimum of $5 per shirt going to help the Joplin victims.
People interested in buying the T-shirts can purchase them at the track or by contacting Palmer at [email protected]
Palmer’s generosity is more commendable considering on Feb. 9, Palmer’s home in Marionville, Mo., a small town near Springfield, Mo., was destroyed by fire. No one was hurt during the blaze and Palmer wasn’t home when the fire occurred.
“The racing family really helped me when my house burned down and we decided we needed to do something for these tornado victims,” Palmer said. “I have told everybody if we can just give one person hope, it is worth it. I know we gave Ray and his family hope. I know that. That makes it all worthwhile. We just want people to know that we care what they are going through.” | {
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Constitution
This is the Constitution as prepared by the members in attendance the
founding meeting of SCOUT eh! held under the name CAMP eh! on the weekend of September
24-26, 2004 at Camp Timken, Ontario. The constitution was ratified by a
vote of the membership of SCOUT eh! on October 22, 2004.
It has been amended on March 22, 2005 and October 30, 2006.
The name of the Association shall be the "Scouts Canada
Ordinary-member Unity Taskforce Association", hereafter "SCOUT eh!".
The Purposes of SCOUT eh! shall be to generally promote the
betterment of Scouts Canada and in particular:
to transform Scouts Canada into a democratic organization,
controlled by the vote of the general membership, and
to ensure that Scouts Canada establishes, maintains, and
preserves local stewardship of Scouting properties and resources.
SCOUT eh! shall operate consistent with the Principles of
the World Organization of the Scout Movement and, in particular, shall
apply the precepts of governance in the WOSM document The
Characteristics of Scouting (1998).
SCOUT eh! shall be carried on without purpose of gain for
its members, and any profits or other accretions to the organization
shall be used solely to promote its objectives. 2005-03-22
Former "Ordinary Members" of Scouts Canada whose membership has
been terminated by administrative fiat provided that a review
establishes that the cause for termination does not involve any
alleged criminal misconduct or any breach of trust.
"Voting Members" of Scouts Canada who subscribe to the Purposes
of SCOUT eh!
A person may be admitted to Associate Membership if formerly
registered but not currently registered with Scouts Canada or any other
Scouting Organization.
A person may be affiliated with SCOUT eh! as a Friend of
SCOUT eh! if they support the Purposes and Principles of SCOUT eh!.
Persons who are Associates or Friends of SCOUT eh! shall
not be eligible to vote.
There shall be no membership fee in the SCOUT eh!
Members may support the association by voluntary subscription.
Officers
The officers of SCOUT eh! shall serve without remuneration.
All members of SCOUT eh! 18 years of age or older shall be
eligible to vote.
The officers may create By-laws for the better administration of
SCOUT eh! but no such By-law shall become effective until
ratification by the membership.
The Officers shall be:
the Chair,
the Secretary,
the Treasurer and,
A Council Representative representing each Scouts Canada Council 2006-10-30
Elections for all Officers positions shall be held in November of
every even-numbered year. Those elected shall take office on December 1
of the year they are elected. 2006-10-30
The Secretary shall send a Notice of Election to every Member at
least 28 days and not more then 35 days prior to the date fixed for
voting. 2006-10-30
The Officers shall be elected by ballot of Members in good
standing as shown on the register of SCOUT eh! on the date
that the Notice of Election is sent. 2006-10-30
The Council Representatives shall be elected by those Members
registered within each respective council. 2006-10-30
All officers shall be of the full age of 18 years.
Amendments
An amendment of the constitution may be made by a ballot of two
thirds of members casting a ballot upon the amendment. All such
amendments shall require notice of not less than 28 days prior to the
date fixed for balloting. An exception shall be made in the event of a
ballot to reduce the voting age in which case an amendment in the
reduction of the voting age may be made by a ballot of fifty percent
plus one ballot of the members casting a ballot upon such amendment.
2006-10-30 | {
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Being a shark means never having to go on a diet
Updated 1:56 pm, Friday, July 31, 2015
It takes nerve to call a shark "fat," but such is the description in an item posted Friday by the plucky Daily Mail.
Not mean-spirited, the article is about sharks being tagged for research by the scientific organization OCEARCH.
According to the UK publication, a great white that was bagged and tagged with an electronic tracking device along the U.S. East Coast tipped the scales at two metric tons ("tonnes"), or about 4,400 pounds.
The story doesn't mention when the shark was temporarily captured, or what name the crew gave it, although the OCEARCH shark tracker allows the public to follow the path of individually named sharks outfitted with devices that "ping" whenever the shark's dorsal fin breaks the surface of the water.
For example, Zac, a mature female tiger shark tagged on Feb. 14 off Cairns, Australia, registered a ping at 11:54 a.m. Friday, also in the Cairns area.
Pablo, a young male Mako shark tagged in April 2014 off the coast of Chile, pinged at 9:04 a.m. Friday.
Judging by the typical "bio" on the OCEARCH tracker, 4,400 pounds would definitely be a shark with a double chin, perhaps even warranting the Daily Mail's rather rude put-down: "World's fattest great white."
Joey Polk missed out on the record books with his catch because he and his crew did not return the shark to the wild. Instead feeding it to 200 people at a community feast. The international land based shark fishing association requires sharks be released.
Joey Polk missed out on the record books with his catch because he and his crew did not return the shark to the wild. Instead feeding it to 200 people at a community feast. The international land based
Aerial footage showed more than a hundred sharks gathering off Gulf resorts in Alabama. Officials said they did not know what kind of sharks they were suggesting they could be Sand bar, Black Tip or Bull sharks. less
Aerial footage showed more than a hundred sharks gathering off Gulf resorts in Alabama. Officials said they did not know what kind of sharks they were suggesting they could be Sand bar, Black Tip or Bull ... more
Fisherman Noe Campus says he delivered around 30 shark pups after he got a hammerhead ashore and discovered a huge hole in her belly. He says he thinks she was bitten by another shark while she was on his line.
Fisherman Noe Campus says he delivered around 30 shark pups after he got a hammerhead ashore and discovered a huge hole in her belly. He says he thinks she was biten by another shark while she was on his line.
Fisherman Noe Campus says he delivered around 30 shark pups after he got a hammerhead ashore and discovered a huge hole in her belly. He says he thinks she was biten by another shark while she was on his line.
Photo: From Video By Ashley Violet
Image 25 of 32
Image 26 of 32
Fisherman Noe Campus says he delivered around 30 shark pups after he got a hammerhead ashore and discovered a huge hole in her belly. He says he thinks she was biten by another shark while she was on his line.
Fisherman Noe Campus says he delivered around 30 shark pups after he got a hammerhead ashore and discovered a huge hole in her belly. He says he thinks she was biten by another shark while she was on his line.
Photo: From Video By Ashley Violet
Image 27 of 32
Fisherman Noe Campus says he delivered around 30 shark pups after he got a hammerhead ashore and discovered a huge hole in her belly. He says he thinks she was biten by another shark while she was on his line.
Fisherman Noe Campus says he delivered around 30 shark pups after he got a hammerhead ashore and discovered a huge hole in her belly. He says he thinks she was biten by another shark while she was on his line.
Divers spotted the Great White ominously swimming by during a trip out 80 miles off the Florida coast in April.
Photo: Dane Kelly
Image 29 of 32
Divers spotted the Great White ominously swimming by during a trip out 80 miles off the Florida coast.
Divers spotted the Great White ominously swimming by during a trip out 80 miles off the Florida coast.
Photo: Dane Kelly
Image 30 of 32
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Divers spotted the Great White ominously swimming by during a trip out 80 miles off the Florida coast.
Divers spotted the Great White ominously swimming by during a trip out 80 miles off the Florida coast.
Photo: Dane Kelly
Image 32 of 32
Being a shark means never having to go on a diet
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In a quick run-through of sharks that have made recent pings, the only one that comes close to the two-tonne mark is Katharine, at 2,300 pounds.
Katharine rang in at 5:42 p.m. Wednesday off North Carolina. The shark, tagged in August 2013 off Cape Cod, is named for Cape Cod native and songwriter Katherine Lee Bates, best known for writing "America the Beautiful."
According to the OCEARCH expedition schedule, tagging crews have not been along the U.S. East Coast since the Cape Cod expedition in August 2013. Most recently, the team was in West Australia in April and May.
Another expedition, to be announced, is planned for fall, according to OCEARCH. | {
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A searchable database of language job outsourcers with feedback from service providers.
The ProZ.com Blue Board has been an important risk management tool for language service providers since 2001 and includes 145,360 entries across 13,264 outsourcers.
ProZ.com is currently running a campaign to encourage more Blue Board entries. Any service provider who makes (or has already made) at least 5 entries between January 1, 2017 and December 31st, 2017 will automatically be entered into a drawing for continuing professional development (CPD) credits to use on ProZ.com trainings.
Grand Prize: $150
2nd place: $100
3rd place: $75
Currently you have made 0 out of the 5 entries needed in 2017 to enter the drawing. Make an entry ->
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ProZ.com members enjoy unlimited access to all Blue Board records. This includes:
complete access to outsourcer contact information
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access to the edit history of comments
additional category ratings (members are able to see ratings entered by others for the outsourcers that they have rated. ProZ.com Plus subscribers are further able to view ratings entered for outsourcers that they have not worked for) | {
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Ja’ Cory Ranger / Area of 5600 S. 13th Place, Phoenix
Case & Reward Info
Crime Information:
On Monday, June 25, 2018 at 4:43 p.m., it is believed Terrance Lamb entered a home in the area of 5600 S. 13th Place, shot and killed the two victims, and fled in a 1997 Chevrolet Express Van. Investigators are seeking information in regard to the whereabouts of Terrance Lamb. | {
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Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, wrote dozens of children’s books that still today reach best seller’s lists and thrill a new generation of fans each and every year. His work, however, as a songwriter is not as celebrated. But when reminded, the songs penned by Seuss are just as enduring and whimsical as his books.
Of course, Seuss did not write the music, only the words, so his credit is in the lyrics. He wrote the tunes mostly for television specials and all with Seuss’s clever wordplay and sing-song rhyme pattern. For instance, in TheCat in the Hat, a television short released in 1970, and based on his first children’s book, Geisel wrote several original songs including the bouncy, “The Moss Covered Three-Headed Family Gradunza”
There’s a gradunza-snitcher in the house. Things will never be the same without it. How dear to my heart was that beautiful gradunza. That my old feline father bequeathed to me. That old family gradunza, The old, three-handled family gradunza, The old, moss-covered, three-handled family gradunza. That hung on the family tree. I’ve been burgled–thwertled by a fish.The old, moss-covered, three-handled family gradunza
The catchy “Cat, Hat:”
Cat, hat, in French, chat, chapeau. In Spanish, el gato in a sombrero. He’s a cat in a hat, he’s a chat in a chapeau. He also is a gato in a sombrero. Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole-o.
And the playfully teasing, “Calculatus Eliminatus:”
When you mislaid a certain something, keep your cool and don’t get hot. Calculatus Eliminatus is the best friend that you’ve got. Calculatus Eliminatus always helps an awful lot. The way to find a missing something is to find out where it’s not.
One song in particular, “I’m a Punk,” introduced such ridiculously pleasing locutions as crontunculous, gropulous, poobler, and schnunk.
While everyone understands the meaning of punk, being a “schnunk” needed some explanation. But when the Cat sings, “nobody, likes me, not one tiny hunk,” everyone gets the idea.
Seuss’s writing style is often credited to a Life magazine article in 1956 that criticized children’s reading levels, specifically “primers” or textbooks with simplified words and phrases, like “Dick and Jane.” Geisel was asked to write a story using a vocabulary list of just over 200 words. He picked the first two words that rhymed, cat and hat, and went from there. It certainly wasn’t like any story in a textbook, that’s for sure, and critics praised “The Cat in the Hat” for its originality.
Several years later when Seuss wrote the lyrics for songs in his television specials, he seemed to relish the opportunity to ratchet up the silliness even more. Seuss’s words just seemed to work with music, oftentimes using traditional melodies, sometimes with an original score. The man credited with composing or arranging most of the music for Seuss is Dean Elliott, a Midwesterner from Wisconsin, who conducted orchestras for the Tom and Jerry shorts before hooking up with Seuss. Later he worked with Bugs Bunny creator Chuck Jones.
Seuss’s most popular song is one we hear every year around the holidays. In it, an unmissable deep voice groans about a Grinch who has a “heart full of unwashed socks” and a “soul full of gunk.”
Written in 1966 for the TV special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Seuss enlisted a voice actor named Thurl Ravenscroft to sing the lead on the song even though Boris Karloff was the voice of the Grinch in the special.
Karloff reportedly could not sing and Ravenscroft was hired . But Ravencroft’s name was never listed among the credits and Karloff mistakenly got most of the acclaim. Seuss was reportedly furious and apologized for the oversight. Ravenscroft was also the voice of Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger (“They’re Great!”).
“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” is an unconventional Christmastime staple. The song never mentions Christmas, but rather teases with crafty metaphors, comparisons and contradictions all designed to point out what an awful crank the Grinch – now a symbol of holiday grumpiness – can be.
You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch
You really are a heel.
You’re as cuddly as a cactus,
And as charming as an eel,
Mr. Grinch!
The song is instantly recognizable, charming and vintage Dr. Seuss. The songwriter. | {
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About this campaign
Our management team is not your Ivy League Pedigreed team of managers, we are all former drug addicts and alcoholics, war veterans and also many of us also have experience with the silent pain of homelessness and felt the quiet despair of the hopelessness associated with it.
We have seen and done many of the things we will be asking our clients to do.
This program is an eight-step program to develop self-sufficient clients.
The overwhelming majority of clients come from lower socio-economic population groups. These segments can be difficult to communicate with, yet their use of Stepping Stones to Independence' s services would give them some profound benefits. The good news is if the people are willing to accept help from Stepping Stones to Independence they are far more likely to be able to get out of the dire circumstances that they currently face.
The other service providers are temporary shelters that only allow stays of 30 days or more, but not the fast housing, long term program and social development. These service providers are only housing shelters, they do not offer the in-depth self empowerment programs. Some alternative service providers take the form of religious service organizations that assist clients, but on a much smaller scale. The lack of true competition makes Stepping Stones to Independence the premier source of interim housing and life skill training.
This campaign was made on August 22, 2014
Team Members:
Trino Deltoro II, Director, Misulein Conklin, Founder, James Rampp, Program Development | {
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Bombata Business Classic briefcase for 15" laptop, various colours
Product Description
Business Classic is a bag born to offer a reliable working companion to professionals from all fields. With its increased capacity it fits a 15,6” laptop, storable in it’s comfortable included sleeve, together with accessories and documents. The external pocket and the second zipper which opens a gusseted bag part, helps to organise the contenst of the bag in the best way possible. | {
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The previous column in this series looked at the Israeli government’s concern about the risk of the pro-Palestinian leader of Britain’s Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, winning a general election and becoming prime minister.
Israel’s worry contrasts with an otherwise more favourable international environment, its most reassuring element the strong support from Trump and Pence’s White House (see “Netanyahu’s Corbyn problem“, 31 August 2018).
7 September 2018 (IOM)* – “We wanted to go to Germany by any means necessary; I had heard that [they were] good to refugees. I had a car in Iraq and I owned a store for repairing bicycles and motorbikes; I sold everything to collect US$20,000.
Like this:
6 September 2018 (UN Environment)* – Mer de Glace”, or Sea of Ice, is France’s largest glacier and the second largest in the Alps. Located in the Mont Blanc massif, the glacier lies above the Chamonix valley and is surrounded by majestic peaks, such as Aiguille du Moine, Aiguille du Charmez and the famous Aiguille du Midi.
In addition to admiring its natural beauty, there is one more reason one should visit Mer de Glace: to see climate change in action. “Mer de Glace is a true eye-opener,” says Kateryna Shornikova, of UN Environment’s Europe Office, who visited the glacier recently. “It helps understand what climate change means in real life.”
Like all glaciers, Mer de Glace is in continuous motion. The 200-metre-deep glacier flows for 7 km down the northern side of Mont Blanc, at a rate of about one centimetre per hour.
Emergency food supplies for hundreds of thousands of people in Syria’s Idlib are “ready for distribution” in the event of mass displacement caused by a full-scale military offensive on the last opposition-held region, the World Food Programme (WFP) on 7 September 2018 said.
UNICEF | A child sitting at a desk in a school that was attacked, in Idlib, Syria. 2016.
With the ingredients for a “perfect storm” brewing in the Syrian province of Idlib, the international community cannot allow civilians there to succumb to such a fate, the UN Envoy for the country on 7 September 2018 told the Security Council.
Virginia Gamba, the United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, on 7 September 2018 called for much greater accountability and effort, to prevent grave violations against children across the world’s youngest nation, South Sudan.
UNMISS/Isaac Billy | Former child soldiers are released in Yambio in South Sudan in February 2018.
Speaking in the capital Juba, at the end of four-day mission to the country, she said that in 2017, close to 1,400 children had been directly affected, with thousands more bearing the brunt of conflict. Gamba called on those in authority to take concrete action to end the violations and prevent any recurrence.
Around 150 million school children aged 13-15 are the victims of violence from their peers, says a new report from the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF.
UNICEF/Adriana Zehbrauskas | In Villanueva, Honduras, Darwin, 16, sits in the classroom he shared with his friend Henry. Henry committed suicide in September 2016. According to a teacher, the close friends were targeted by bullies.
The study published on 6 September 2018, measures the number of students who report having been bullied over the period of a month, or involved in a physical fight during the previous year, and shows that for many young people, the school environment is not a safe place, but a danger zone where they have to learn in fear. | {
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Remove the tracks from 17th St. to prevent bike crashes – San Francisco Transportation Bicycle Advocacy
A NYC Solution to the Church Street Red Lanes Problem
One of the big problems with the “test” red painted transit only lanes running on Church St. between 16th and Market Streets is the barrier effect. They don’t let cars headed North turn left at several key intersections. Cars are forced into the far right lane and the arrows on the pavement direct them to go forward or take a right.
To legally turn left they would have to use the red lane which has signs prohibiting all access at all times to regular cars. Even at midnight drivers are afraid to use the red lane.
These turn restrictions interfere with the flow of vehicles rolling through the Castro forcing many to use 17th Street to get to Sanchez Street so they can cross Market Street and keep going North on Steiner Street. It’s crazy but Sanchez and Noe Streets are the most viable crossings for drivers passing through the Castro toward the North of Market neighborhoods.
Actually the red lane on Church Street plays a double role in diverting automobiles to tiny little 17th St. It has much to do with that huge host of cars coming from San Mateo County and headed for the Northern neighborhoods. They have to cross Market Street.
Anyone that drives knows that Dolores Street doesn’t cross Market Street at all. Guerrero Street barely crosses and Valencia shunts you East over to Franklin Street. Church Street does cross Market Street historically carrying a good chunk of that North/South load but the red lane killed 50% of its capacity creating a choke point at Market St.
So drivers headed North detour up 17th Street to Sanchez and in some cases all the way to Noe Streets contributing negatively to 17th Street and two already very dangerous Market Street intersections.
This goes far in explaining why at certain times of the day 17th Street is seeing hundreds of cars per hour blasting through at high rates of speed.
It all started here on Church Street in 2013 with the City’s first test Red Lane. SFMTA had just convinced the State and the Feds to let them proceed with the experiment as of 2012.16th & Church Street. Those signs are confusing because the red lane is totally off limits to cars 24/7. Drivers are not supposed to turn left from the right hand lane.15th & Church Street. This picture illustrates the problem. That car can not turn left from the right hand lane and the arrows reinforce this rule. It can not enter the red lane.Which sign do you obey? This is a close up from 15th & Church Streets. Are they saying its okay to turn left from the far right lane late at night?15th & Church Streets. Notice the trolley pole power wire above the bus only lane and the rubber tire power system is over the regular traffic lane. Weird, but it does work.
How do they do bus-only lanes in New York City?
New York City doesn’t bother with all the expensive red carpet treatment. And they don’t have confusing signs. What they do is they run their buses on the right hand lane of the street and they label that lane with paint and with hanging signs as “bus-only” and they are specific about when drivers have to stay out.
But what about the parking? This is Fifth Avenue in the very heart of Manhattan. They need parking more than most people on earth but they have the wisdom to use their streets in an intelligent manner that prioritizes transportation of people over publicly subsidized parking.
I humbly suggest that San Francisco should adopt New York City’s approach to bus only lanes and spend our money on resurfacing and repairing the pavement instead of repainting the streets.
When their poor traffic engineering and deferred street maintenance kill people SFMTA doesn’t even apologize. In light of the moral turpitude of their staff I suggest that they be limited to using designs that have been proven to work in the big world. Using the Fifth Avenue method of facilitating buses on Church Street would be a good way to start. | {
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Officials in Fulton County, Georgia, want to ban R. Kelly from performing a concert there later this month, but the show's promoter says it will go on as planned.
Members of Fulton County's Board of Commissioners held a press conference Friday outlining their "grave concern" about the show — scheduled to take place Aug. 25 at Wolf Creek Amphitheater just outside of Atlanta — in light of recent allegations that Kelly is physically and mentally abusing young women at his home in the city. The allegations were first reported by BuzzFeed News.
An attorney for the board wrote a letter to promoter Live Nation this week asking that the show be canceled on moral grounds.
“Based on allegations reported in various news media regarding the artist, the citizens of Fulton County have expressed their collective concerns that Live Nation would allow this artist to perform at a venue that is supported in part by taxpayers,” the letter read.
But Live Nation, which holds exclusive rights to program the amphitheater, says it will move forward with the show despite objections. Company spokesperson Carrie Davis told BuzzFeed News, "The show is proceeding. No comment beyond that."
The county's opposition is the latest fallout from explosive charges leveled against Kelly last month by the parents of two young women who spoke to BuzzFeed News contributor Jim DeRogatis, who reported on the alleged abuse. One family, the Savages, told police that their daughter had been held "against her will." The daughter released two videos that aired on TMZ in which she said, "Everything is okay with me." But when prompted, she did not reveal her location or say she was free to leave.
Through his lawyer, Linda Mensch, Kelly strongly denied the charges at the time in a statement. "R. Kelly is both alarmed and disturbed at the recent revelations attributed to him," it read. “Mr. Kelly unequivocally denies such allegations and will work diligently and forcibly to pursue his accusers and clear his name."
At the press conference, social activists in Fulton said they plan to protest outside the amphitheater on the 25th. This week, Kelly canceled four other shows, reportedly due to poor ticket sales. A review of Live Nation's website for Wolf Creek showed that hundreds of tickets to the show were still available Friday evening.
“This is about understanding that the platform given to Mr. Kelly unfortunately provides him the insulation when he gets caught up in these precarious situations, or the legal counsel that gets him out,” said Kenyette Barnes, creator of the social media hashtag #MuteRKelly. “We need to send a message that our girls matter.” | {
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SurvivingInfidelity.com Forum Archives
I have been following a thread on another forum for months. There was a comment made by a BS that prompted me to start this topic.
Paraphrasing...A wayward will never have self-respect.
I disagree.
Definitely, during the A, we didn't have any self-respect or any respect for our BS.
However, in order to move forward and heal from our actions, we have to work on ourselves, discover the reasons for our past actions, and put into action the "new and improved me".
I have self-respect.
Thoughts???
Memory and hope; one looks backward, and the other forward; one is of today, the other of tomorrow. Together more than 48 years.
"Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain." (Joseph Campbell)
Posts: 3167 | Registered: Aug 2009 | From: Where a river runs through it
pointofnoreturn♀ 41034Member # 41034
Posted: 8:48 AM, November 16th (Saturday), 2013
Never say never.
I will admit I have zero respect for myself. Especially after the As, but even before. I find it hard to love myself knowing what I've done.
But to assume it'd always be like this is a bit absurd. If that's the case, every wayward should just be dumped and there's no point in trying to R.
The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. My lack of self-respect was so severe that I just allowed the As to happen, and consequently, showed I had little respect for the relationship.
This realization makes me cry. But I did it. Can't undo it now. So, do I choose to just accept it as "fate" that I'll never change, or do I pick myself up and try again?
To assume someone is always x is a defeatist attitude.
Me- WGF 24
Him- BBF 22
Ddays:
August 2011
September 26th, 2013
Posts: 187 | Registered: Oct 2013
looking forward♀ 25238Member # 25238
Posted: 9:10 AM, November 16th (Saturday), 2013
point:
Thank you for your response.
As Dr. Phil says, "You can't change what you don't acknowledge."
So you have taken the initial steps of recovering self-respect.
You are also so young! No matter how old we are (I am 62) we can and do change.
May I recommend a book for you? I see that you don't yet have the minimum number of posts to receive PMs. I also think this book would help other WS who are struggling with self-respect.
Living the Truth by Dr. Keith Ablow.
Memory and hope; one looks backward, and the other forward; one is of today, the other of tomorrow. Together more than 48 years.
"Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain." (Joseph Campbell)
Posts: 3167 | Registered: Aug 2009 | From: Where a river runs through it
Trying33♀ 38815Member # 38815
Posted: 9:21 AM, November 16th (Saturday), 2013
All the way through the A, I had zero self-respect. It's funny, but my thoughts often wondered to my parents, about how they did their utmost to raise moral and well adjusted adults, even through their own hardships and sacrifices, their most biggest aim in life was to raise, if nothing, at least kids who knew right from wrong.
I had not only failed myself and my H but also them, despite their hard work. What was the point
?
Anyway, these thoughts would usually occur in the middle of the night as I rarely slept due to anxiety. My thoughts would be so clear. But by the morning, the need for the drug would be high and I would wait for my fix, and conveniently, these crystal clear thoughts would be justified or pushed to the back of my mind. My self-respect was at an all time low.
I got my self-respect back the minute NC was initiated. NC was maintained purely due to me needing my self-respect back again. I was thrown under the bus and I was damned if I was going to let him treat me like that. He made out as though it was all my fault and let me take all the blame (which I did at the time but then later realised what had happened). Experiencing self-respect again fuelled my NC.
Posts: 362 | Registered: Mar 2013
Lmw9808♂ 41255Member # 41255
Posted: 10:18 AM, November 16th (Saturday), 2013
I would also agree that during the A I had no self respect for me or others in my life. In my case this went on for years. I am still working on my path to gaining back some self respect. It is a difficult road because of so may unanswered questions around how I could let myself get like this in the first place. I do believe change is possible for anyone who is willing to put in the effort.
Me - WH 44
Her - BS 45
Married 19 years
D-Day 5/18/13 5 year LTA
Posts: 16 | Registered: Nov 2013
KBeguile♂ 38348Member # 38348
Posted: 11:19 AM, November 16th (Saturday), 2013
I'm going to chime in here, because this issue came up in my mind recently. In fact, I was going to post my own thread about it, but now I don't have to.
I think, for me, my brain combined an already-active Major Depression Syndrome with an extrapolated love history:
Girlfriend in high school -- cheated on me with 3 guys
Girlfriend after high school -- was dating my archnemesis and then became a lesbian
1st college girlfriend -- used me to have underage access to cigarettes and raves, still in love with her boytoy from across the street
...
There are more, but the conclusion I've come to is that I already had a low opinion of myself, which I covered with a pretend ego to hide the damage. My past FOO and relationship issues chipped it away, and I eventually caved in to the idea that I would ever have a loving relationship. And I never worked on my self-esteem as a result.
Broken from the very beginning in a relationship that would have probably otherwise been fine.
As a friend once told me; Treat others with the same measure of respect you wish to be treated with, make sure your life is displaying conduct that is above reproach and above all else love your wife and your children. This is self respect.
WH (me)
BS (her)
D-Days April - Oct. 2007 Recovery started Nov. 2007
"Found Myself", I was right there in my shoes all along!
Search for self called off!
As a friend once told me; Treat others with the same measure of respect you wish to be treated with, make sure your life is displaying conduct that is above reproach and above all else love your wife and your children. This is self respect.
I like this....
I think I have more self respect then I have had I a long time. I don't believe in a world that has "never" or "impossible". Maybe that's foolish but I feel sorry for the person who does feel this way.
There isn't a more rock bottom place than having an affair, lying to the person you live the most. What I did gutted me. Pulling myself out of that, confessing and working hard to clarify and define my values- I don't think I've ever had more self respect for doing that work. | {
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Pork Ribs With Spicy Plum Sauce
Take a bite into these steam-baked, juicy and moist pork ribs – coated with a nicely caramelised layer of sauce over its fall-off-the-bone tender meat. The pork ribs are sweet, with a subtle hint of spiciness and tart flavour from the sauce. Complete your meal with side dishes such as baked jacket potatoes, salad and corn!
Oven Baked Salmon with Potatoes and Tomatoes
Our recipe for Oven Baked Salmon with Potatoes and Tomatoes seals all the flavour and moisture for delightful feasting. Easy to prepare, this omega-3 packed protein is a wholesome main dish to enjoy this festive season.
Three Cheese Frittata with Baby Spinach and Mushrooms
Cheese lovers — our fuss-free recipe for Three Cheese Frittata with Baby Spinach and Mushrooms is a must-try. Layered with fragrant Parmesan, Mozzarella and Emmental cheese, this wholesome all-day breakfast is ready to be served in just 20 minutes. Get started here! | {
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Transform Your Raw Data into a Trusted Asset
You’ve heard this before, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” Indeed, without visualization it’s extremely hard to make sense of your raw data, tell data stories, understand trends, or drive informed decision-making. Some companies have been mastering these aspects for years pioneering self-service BI for the masses, however, data has been evolving even more quickly these last few years. Initially it was relational data, delimited files, excel documents, and business applications, and now it’s evolving to multi-structured data from NoSQL databases and cloud sources such as Amazon S3. All of a sudden, a flood of new data types and forms have emerged through the Internet of Things (IoT), web applications, the data providers and the likes, which has also driven new technologies, such as Apache Hadoop and Apache Spark, to store and process all this data at scale.
With this variety of data and exploding volumes, how can business users stay self-sufficient and continue analyzing their data at the speed of their business?
To respond to this need, data-savvy professionals turn to data preparation tools such as Trifacta that convert raw data of any sort and of any volume into a structured and clean tabular format ideal for easy consumption by visualization tools. Self-service data preparation, also known as “data blending” or “data wrangling,” is comprised of various steps to turn raw data into a consumable asset that can be used by Arcadia Data’s real-time modern BI platform for visualization and analytics.
The typical steps to turn data into a trusted asset would include:
Discover: This step helps the user understand what’s in the data; to get an idea of the data composition and its possible anomalies informing the user about what they should focus on to make the data usable.
Structure: Not all data has the same format. Especially in the world of big data and IoT, you can find JSON formats, exotic logs and hierarchical structures that are not easily consumable. A data preparation tool will help convert data into a familiar tabular format.
Clean: The data can hide incorrect values, missing ones, and various other inconsistencies that the user will want to smoothen and make disappear to report on trusted data.
Enrich: With big data, users have the ability to try out various combinations of data. Merging, appending, and joining in various ways to enrich the information or try to figure out possible correspondence between data sets.
Validate: Once a user has prepared the data in a consumable format, it is important to validate the data at scale, leveraging the underlying big data processing platform. Often, a data lake could have billions of rows, so it is important to provide an exhaustive quality view of the data before it is consumed.
Publish: When the data has been prepared and certified for consumption it can be exposed to Arcadia Data. Most of the preparation tools will export the data in a format that Arcadia Data can understand (e.g. csv files) but better, Arcadia Data can connect directly to the big data platforms using traditional JDBC or native connectivity to have real-time and ad-hoc access to the information.
At Arcadia Data, we’ve seen several of our customers successfully adopting the model of on-cluster data preparation and visualization. The two naturally go hand-in-hand. Think about it, you can’t fuel your car with crude oil – you actually need gasoline. Much the same way, your business intelligence and visual analytics platform produces better insights if you have clean data in your Hadoop data lake.
Data preparation and data visualization are complementary. A Trifacta + Arcadia Data partnership delivers faster insights to your end users. By nature, together they give the end user a seamless, simple experience enabling them to master their data themselves and spend more time on what matters the most: managing what they’ve visually measured and driving their business based on trusted data.
To learn more about building out your data infrastructure, from your raw data to the broad range of business users who need access, take a read here. | {
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Why are millennials burned out? Capitalism.
By Sean Illing – What made millennials the way they are? Why are they so burned out? Why are they having fewer kids? Why are they getting married later? Why are they obsessed with efficiency and technology?
His answer, in so many words, is the economy. Millennials, Harris argues, are bearing the brunt of the economic damage wrought by late-20th-century capitalism. All these insecurities — and the material conditions that produced them — have thrown millennials into a state of perpetual panic. If “generations are characterized by crises,” as Harris argues, then ours is the crisis of extreme capitalism.
What Harris focused on is millennials as workers and the changing relationship between labor and capital during the time we all came of age and developed into people. If we want to understand why millennials are the way they are, then we have to look at the increased competition between workers, the increased isolation of workers from each other, the extreme individualism of modern American society, and the widespread problems of debt and economic security facing this generation.
Millennials have been forced to grow up and enter the labor market under these dynamics, and we’ve internalized this drive to produce as much as we can for as little as possible. That means we take on the costs of training ourselves (including student debt), we take on the costs of managing ourselves as freelancers or contract workers, because that’s what capital is looking for.
And because wages are stagnant and exploitation is up, competition among workers is up too. As individuals, the best thing we can do for ourselves is work harder, learn to code, etc. But we’re not individuals, not as far as bosses are concerned. The vast majority of us are (replaceable) workers, and by working harder for less, we’re undermining ourselves as a class. It’s a vicious cycle. more> | {
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Europe
Italy Strikes Again
Tekla SzymanskiWorld Press Review Associate EditorApril 30, 2002
Protesters in Genoa carry a "crucified workman" during the general strike, April 16, 2002 (Photo: AFP).
The spectacle of Rome’s Piazza del Popolo, or “People’s Square,” as a sea of banners and red flags on April 16 has led many European commentators to speculate about the resurgence of Italy’s political opposition. “Berlusconi + Fini = Mussolini,” read one poster wrapped over a cardboard coffin at the most recent demonstrations. Two massive paper-maché puppets depicted Berlusconi as Napoleon and the Pope. Other protesters shouted slogans lambasting Berlusconi for “killing democracy.”
This was Italy’s first general strike in 20 years, and as such it was a “very political strike,” according to Giacomo Folli of Milan’s centrist Corriere della Sera (April 17). It was organized by Italy’s three major trade unions to protest the government’s plan to overhaul and weaken Article 18 of Italy’s rigid labor law so that employers would have greater freedom to hire and fire. Article 18, which was passed in 1970, states that a company with more than 15 employees must reinstate a worker if a court finds that he or she was fired without just cause. The unionists charge that any change to this established labor law---one of Europe’s most protective---would give the government a green light to further erode workers’ rights and job securities.
Thirteen million Italian workers walked off their jobs, and 2 million took to the streets for a day, bringing the country to a standstill. Participants included, among others, transport, media, and health-care workers. The action was more than an expression of anger: It was the beginning of an organized opposition against Berlusconi. The left, at first paralyzed after the media tycoon’s stunning victory last June and formation of a rightist government, seems to have reclaimed its confidence to challenge the prime minister openly. Surely the strike also brought back painful memories for Berlusconi himself: Mass demonstrations helped bring down his first, shorter-lived government in 1994.
The participation in the strike confirmed what many Italian commentators have long argued: That Sergio Cofferati, the leader of Italy’s largest trade union, the Confederatione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL), has the requisite support to run for office against Berlusconi. He has become the center of Italy’s labor movement, coordinating activities with Italy’s two other---more moderate---major trade unions, the Catholic Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori (CISL), and the centrist Unione Italiana del Lavoro (UIL).
Cofferati is a quiet man; Berlusconi refers to him dismissively as “Signor No.” But Berlusconi’s opponents welcomed Cofferati’s call for the unions to unite against Berlusconi’s government as the opposition’s first significant act of defiance since Berlusconi took office. Corriere della Sera, for example, in an April 15 front-page article, saw the general strike as “an instrument of political struggle,” which had nothing to do with the normal business of trade unions.
Likewise, Milan’s conservative Il Giornale, which is owned by Berlusconi, was quick to declare, in its April 15 edition, that the strike was aimed at bringing down the government. The next day Il Giornale’s top headline gloated: “The Strike Was Not General: Participation in Marches Less than Expected.”
Be that as it may, the editors of Munich’s conservative Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote on March 25, many left-leaning Italians have begun to realize that their lackluster and fragmented opposition must awake from its “deep sleep, which allows the government to do what it pleases.” Coincidentally, the last general labor strike 20 years ago was against former Premier Bettino Craxi, after he eliminated the scala mobile, which legislated automatic salary raises to account for inflation. Ironically, the Socialist Craxi played no small role in making Berlusconi Italy’s biggest media baron: Craxi was a close friend of Berlusconi, and when, in 1984, a judge ruled that Berlusconi’s three national television networks were broadcasting illegally, Craxi rushed through a governmental decree to get them back on the air. Regardless, as the editors of Geneva’s independent Le Temps wrote on March 25, “2-3 million [striking] Italians is a lot…[but] even if they were to vote today, they would re-elect Berlusconi.”
Perhaps they would. But opposition to Berlusconi has been rapidly gaining steam in recent months. Smaller strikes have been an almost daily occurrence, but until recently did not have much impact. And even now, the political opposition is too divided to pose a serious threat. But if Italy’s press is any indication, that may soon change. Milan’s weekly Diario della Settimana regularly refers to Berlusconi as “the one who buys everything;” Rome’s left-wing Il Manifesto has called him “the elegant evil,” and “the black knight.” And when the unions called for a general strike, Italians across the political spectrum were happy to comply.
Perhaps it was to keep terrorists from hijacking their agenda. On March 19, Marco Biagi, a consultant to the government on labor law who had worked to change Article 18, was gunned down as he bicycled home from work. An offshoot of the Red Brigade, a far-left terrorist group active in the 1970s and 1980s, claimed responsibility, but Berlusconi’s coalition partners blamed the murder on the intransigence of the labor unions. On March 27, after Cofferati---whom Italian newspapers call the “anti-premier” or the “anti-Berlusconi”---organized a rally in Rome that drew 2 million people, expressing disgust at the murder but protesting proposed changes to Italy’s labor law. The turnout at this first rally may well have inspired Cofferati to build on his success.
The turmoil seemed to take the rest of Europe’s press by surprise as they struggled to make sense of Italy’s tumultuous internal politics. “Italy Sees Red,” was the headline of Dorothee Sippell’s special report in the March 25 edition of Vienna’s weekly newsmagazine Profil. Sippell depicted a country burdened by an influx of immigrants and a sky-high crime rate: “Has this country gone mad?” Sippell asked. “How will the opposition distance itself from extreme-left terrorism?”
Barbara Spinelli, a columnist for Turin’s centrist La Stampa attempted to answer this question in an angry guest-column for the March 27 edition of Hamburg’s liberal weekly Die Zeit, in which she concluded that the whole country was rotten to the core. Philip Willian, writing for the April 17 edition of London’s liberal Guardian likewise saw systemic problems behind the recent protests. “The massive response to the strike call,” Willian wrote, “Underlined just how polarized Italy has become.”
Süddeutsche Zeitung took a more penetrating look. “The opposition is fighting the wrong issues,” an unsigned March 25 editorial argued. “When Berlusconi took over the country, when his deputies subserviently passed his laws, and his ministers slammed the judiciary, protest was lukewarm. Now, when the government is finally beginning to do its job and is starting to tackle overdue reforms, the clamor begins.” In an opinion piece from the same edition, Stefan Ulrich added: “The new opposition is a street festival at best. It can cause Berlusconi to fall but it lacks enough substance to take his place. The leaders of the leftist parties go with the flow—but they don’t lead. They offer no attractive alternative to Berlusconi’s political bloc.”
La Stampa’s editors seemed to agree in their March 25 editorial. The protests, they argued, are holding up other initiatives that are “necessary to modernize the economy and create jobs and prospects for development.”
“Italy must move ahead,” Giacomo Folli agreed in an April 17 column for Corriere della Sera. “We must remember that in a democracy, the majority wins. And the government must remember that the labor world deserves respect. The workers are not an enemy to fight.”
Unions and the government are now set for long and painful negotiations in search of a compromise. Even a complete remake of the political arena is now possible, but the unions are going to have to take risks---cautiously. “Cofferati is aware of the fact that a general strike can be employed only once,” Gianfranco Fini, Italy’s Vice Premier and leader of the far-right National Alliance Party said, as quoted in Berlin’s left-wing taz (April 18). “He knows that he can’t threaten to strike again in another month.” Nevertheless, the opposition is slowly attempting to unify Italy’s three major trade unions into one potent political front that will vote together.
Left-wing Italian journalists have responded with optimism. “April 16 is not a repeat of the old general strike,” wrote Valentino Parlato in Il Manifesto (April 14). “It is not a matter of resistance but an opening to something new, absolutely modern…. This strike is a great challenge that will not end at 5 p.m. on April 16. It is a challenge to all of us…. The medium-term aim is to remove the current group from power---and then to take a new course.” | {
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Method and device for recognition of a handwritten pattern
A method for recognition of a handwritten pattern comprises the steps of forming (4) a representation of the handwritten pattern, forming (6) at least two subconfigurations by dividing the representation of the handwritten pattern, and processing the subconfigurations. The step of processing comprises the steps of comparing (8) each subconfiguration with reference configurations, selecting (10) at least one subconfiguration candidate for each subconfiguration among the reference configurations based on said step of comparing, and determining (12) at least one candidate pattern consisting of one selected subconfiguration candidate for each subconfiguration. The method further comprises the steps of comparing (14) the representation of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern, and computing (16) a cost function in order to find a closest matching candidate pattern. The cost function is based on the comparing of the representation of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern and on the comparing of the subconfigurations to the selected subconfiguration candidates in the candidate pattern.
Description
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/469,950, filed Mar. 10, 2004, and claims the benefit of priority from prior Swedish Patent Application No. 0100745-9, filed Mar. 7, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method and a device for recognition of a handwritten pattern.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is an increasing need for recognition of handwriting. Portable data handling devices, such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant), mobile phones and portable computers, are becoming increasingly popular. In order to enter data into these portable devices, a text insertion unit is needed.
Text insertion units have formerly been implemented as keyboards. This, however, sets limits to the minimum size of the portable device, and therefore a different way of inserting text into the device is needed in order to enable smaller devices.
In such devices, the keyboards can now be replaced by some kind of recognition of handwritten text. A common solution is to arrange a pressure-sensitive area where a user can write characters. The characters are then interpreted and handled by the portable device. It is, of course, also of interest to replace keyboards of regular stationary computers.
Thus, recognition of handwritten characters is an important task in portable and stationary devices. In recognition of a handwritten text, each character is often recognized individually. However, this implies that a lot of information, which could be useful for a correct recognition, is disregarded. For example, the height of a character compared to other characters is useful when trying to distinguish-between ‘o’ and ‘O’. Also, some characters extend below or above other characters. This could be used for recognition of a ‘P’ compared to a ‘p’.
There are some ways today of using the information given by characters that extend below or above other characters for better recognition of handwritten text. These methods try to define a base line and a core region to decide where the characters should be positioned. The base line is the line on which the text stands, but characters as g and p extend below it. The core region is the region over the base line, which all characters intersect. Characters, such as ‘a’ and ‘m’, are completely inside the core region, whereas ‘l’ and ‘b’ extend above the core region. However, it could be hard to find a base line for the text and it is hard to define the core region, especially if the characters are inclined. Furthermore, this method is specialized in Latin characters and could not be used in e.g. Chinese characters.
Another method is to have reference patterns for two or more characters combined and recognize each pattern as a whole. However, this implies that a very large number of reference patterns are needed and thus the recognition becomes slow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide an improved method for recognition of handwritten patterns. A special object of the invention is that the method should be able to distinguish between characters that only differ in size or position.
The objects of the invention are achieved by a method for recognition of a handwritten pattern, comprising the steps of forming a representation of the handwritten pattern, forming at least two subconfigurations by dividing the representation of the handwritten pattern, and processing the subconfigurations. The step of processing comprises the steps of comparing each subconfiguration with reference configurations, selecting at least one subconfiguration candidate for each subconfiguration among the reference configurations based on said step of comparing, and determining at least one candidate pattern consisting of one selected subconfiguration candidate for each subconfiguration. The method further comprises the steps of comparing the representation of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern, and computing a cost function in order to find a closest matching candidate pattern. The cost function is based on the comparing of the representation of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern and on the comparing of the subconfigurations to the selected subconfiguration candidates in the candidate pattern.
The inventive method recognizes a handwritten pattern by recognizing the subconfigurations that form the pattern and recognizing how these are combined. The comparison of the representation of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern is weighed into the cost function and could thus to the cost function add information of the interrelations between the subconfigurations. As a result, the interrelations between the subconfigurations may be considered, without the need of finding a base line and a core region of the pattern.
Furthermore, the selected subconfiguration candidates can be used to form ordinary candidate patterns. The candidate patterns can then be formed from the reference configurations during the processing of the subconfigurations and, in this way, there is no need for an extensive database of candidate patterns.
In the context of this application the term pattern is defined as a word, a single character or a part of a character. If a character is complicated it could be recognized by recognition of the parts forming the character as well as the character itself. This reasoning also applies to a pattern being a part of a character. In the latter two cases it could be advantageous if the pattern is stored in the database. The term cost function is defined as a function which determines the goodness of a solution during the computational process.
The forming of subconfigurations will not necessarily use all parts of the handwritten pattern. For instance, for cursive handwriting, the handwritten pattern consists of characters and ligatures between the characters. The forming of subconfigurations could then aim at finding the characters and designate these as subconfigurations, whereupon the ligatures could be skipped. Alternatively, the information in the ligatures is used as well and these ligatures will then form additional subconfigurations.
The comparison of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern could be performed by comparing the patterns to each other as a whole. However, the patterns could also be compared by comparing sets of two or more subconfigurations of the handwritten pattern to sets of corresponding subconfiguration candidates in the candidate pattern, and repeating these comparisons for different sets until all subconfigurations have been included in at least one set of subconfigurations.
In a preferred embodiment, the step of determining a candidate pattern comprises the step of merging one selected subconfiguration candidate for each subconfiguration into a candidate pattern, said merging being made according to a predefined rule.
As a result, the determining of the candidate pattern is easily performed. The merging of the subconfiguration candidates into a candidate pattern is fast, since a predefined rule controls how the merging is to be done.
Preferably, the step of comparing the representation of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern comprises the step of measuring a difference of the positioning of the subconfigurations relative to each other in the handwritten pattern compared to the positioning of the selected subconfiguration candidates relative to each other in the candidate pattern. The determined candidate pattern forms a template of how certain subconfigurations should be positioned relative to each other. The measuring of the difference of the positioning of the subconfigurations in the handwritten pattern to the positioning of the subconfiguration candidates in the candidate pattern will thus give a measure of how well the handwritten pattern follows the template.
In a preferred embodiment, the step of measuring the difference of the positioning comprises the steps of transforming the representation of the handwritten pattern to make it resemble the candidate pattern as much as possible and computing a geometric proximity between the representation of the handwritten pattern and the transformed representation of the handwritten pattern.
This means that the representation of the handwritten pattern is transformed and then compared to the original representation. Thus, there will be no problem if the representation of the handwritten pattern and the candidate pattern have different sets of representations, such as one representation comprising more points than the other.
In the context of this application the term geometric proximity is defined as a measure of the likeness of the shape of two patterns. The shapes are invariant with respect to a group of transformations of the shapes, i.e. the representation of the shapes is not altered by the group of transformations. This group of transformations could be similarity transformations, thus including scaling, rotation, and translation of the pattern, or affine transformations, further including skewing of the pattern. Thus, the geometric proximity gives the same result of the likeness of the shape of the two patterns, regardless if one of the patterns has been transformed by a transformation belonging to the transformation group in question.
In another embodiment, the step of measuring the difference of the positioning comprises the steps of transforming the candidate pattern to make it resemble the representation of the handwritten pattern as much as possible and computing a geometric proximity between the candidate pattern and the transformed candidate pattern.
In this way, instead the candidate pattern is transformed to resemble the representation of the handwritten pattern. The candidate pattern is formed by the reference configurations, which are represented in a form that could easily be transformed.
In yet another embodiment, the step of measuring the difference of the positioning comprises computing a geometric proximity between the representation of the handwritten pattern and the candidate pattern. This means that the measuring of the difference is performed directly between the handwritten pattern and the candidate pattern and no step of transformation has to be performed first.
Preferably, the step of forming at least two subconfigurations by dividing the representation of the handwritten pattern comprises the step of forming different sets of subconfigurations by dividing the representation of the handwritten pattern in alternative ways. This is especially useful when trying to recognize cursive writing. The subconfigurations are then not unambiguously separated. In many cases, several different splittings of the pattern are possible. Therefore, the handwritten pattern is divided in alternative ways into different sets of subconfigurations in order to be certain that the correct set is obtained.
Preferably, the step of processing the subconfigurations is performed for each set of subconfigurations. In this way, measures are acquired for the resemblances between each set of subconfigurations and the reference configurations. Thus, the correct set of subconfigurations is determined during the comparisons.
Preferably, the recognition of the handwritten pattern is independent of a group of transformation. The group of transformations could be e.g. similarity transformations or affine transformations. Thus, the handwritten pattern could be written in any size, inclination, etc.
The objects of the invention could also be achieved by a device for recognition of a handwritten character, comprising means for detecting the handwritten pattern and forming a representation of the handwritten pattern, and means for forming at least two subconfigurations by dividing the representation of the handwritten pattern. The device further comprises a database, in which reference configurations are stored, means for comparing each subconfiguration with the reference configurations, and means for selecting, for each subconfiguration, at least one subconfiguration candidate from the reference configurations in the database based on said comparing. The device further comprises means for determining at least one candidate pattern consisting of one selected subconfiguration candidate for each subconfiguration, means for comparing the representation of the handwritten pattern with the candidate pattern, and means for computing a cost function in order to find a closest matching candidate pattern. The cost function is based on the comparing of the representation of the handwritten pattern with the candidate pattern and on the comparing of the subconfigurations to the selected subconfiguration candidates in the candidate pattern.
The device according to the invention comprises means for comparing subconfigurations with reference configurations as well as means for comparing the representation of the handwritten pattern with the candidate pattern. This means that both information of the appearance of subconfigurations and information of interrelations between subconfigurations could be used, which gives a good possibility of correctly recognizing handwritten patterns. Only the building blocks of the handwritten patterns need to be stored in the database, since the means for determining a candidate pattern could generate patterns from the blocks. These blocks could then be retrieved quickly, as the database can be small.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of example referring to the appended drawings.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for recognition of a handwritten pattern according to the invention.
FIG. 2a is a view of an example of a handwritten pattern.
FIG. 2b is a view of an example of a dividing of the handwritten pattern in FIG. 2a in break points, in which the parts of the pattern have been horizontally translated to emphasize the break points.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a device for recognition of a handwritten pattern according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2a and 2b, a method for recognition of a handwritten pattern 1 will now be described in detail. First, a user enters a handwritten pattern 1 on a pressure-sensitive screen. The entered handwritten pattern 1 is detected, step 2, and a digital representation of the handwritten pattern 1 is formed, step 4. This representation comprises the portions of several points on the handwritten pattern 1. It could alternatively comprise vectors or curves describing the directions of the strokes of the handwritten pattern 1.
In a presently preferred embodiment, the detection returns a representation of the handwritten pattern 1 as a sequence of points X=(p1,p2, . . . , pm), where pi=(xi,yi) for i=1,2, . . . , m. (xi,yi) are the coordinates of the point pi. The sequence of points is obtained by sequential detection of the position of a pen, with which the handwritten pattern 1 is written. It is desired that the representation of the handwritten pattern 1 is invariant with respect to e.g. similarity transformations. A representation that remains the same even though the pattern is affected by a transformation belonging to some group is said to be an invariant with respect to this group. Rotations, scalings and translations generate similarity transformations. In another embodiment the representation is invariant with respect to affine transformations where skewing is also included.
An affine shape s(X) is created from the point configuration X=(p1,p2, . . . , pm). The affine shape is an invariant with respect to affine transformations. The affine shape s(X) is the set of coefficients ξ=(ξ1,ξ2, . . . , ξm) that appear in affine null-combinations:
s(X)={ξ|∑k=1mξkpk=0,with∑k=1mξk=0}
The affine shape could also be represented by a matrix Sx whose column space equals s(X).
Next, at least two subconfigurations are formed by dividing the representation of the handwritten pattern, step 6. There are varying difficulties of correctly forming the subconfigurations. If the handwritten pattern 1 is cursive the forming of subconfigurations is very difficult and could be performed in different ways, but if the characters of the handwritten pattern 1 are not connected the forming of subconfigurations is fairly easy. The forming of subconfigurations implies that the representation of the handwritten pattern 1 is divided into sequential point configurations X. The representation of the handwritten pattern 1 is thus divided in certain break points 7, where the points on different sides of the break points 7 are assigned to different point configurations. The break points 7 are relatively easy to find when the handwritten pattern 1 is not cursive. Then a stroke, that is a line drawn without lifting the pen, relates only to one character. However, one character could comprise one or more strokes, and so identification must be done if two subsequent strokes belong to different characters or to the same character. If the handwritten pattern 1 is cursive the break points 7 will have to be found within strokes. This is much more difficult and could be accomplished in several different ways.
In this embodiment, the break points 7 are found by attempts to recognize ligatures, that is parts of the stroke that binds together two characters. This method uses the assumption that ligatures extend from left to right and also extend in positive vertical direction. This is true for almost all ligatures. However, following an “o” or a “v”, the ligature often extends straight to the right or even slightly downwards. The break points 7 are placed around each part of the stroke that extends to the right and in positive vertical direction. A break point 7 could then be placed within a character comprising a part extending like a ligature and consequently sets of subconfigurations forming the handwritten pattern 1 have to be created in different ways. The most easily obtained set is created by considering each stroke part extending to the right and in positive vertical direction as a ligature and thus considering each part between the ligatures as a subconfiguration. Other sets are obtained by considering some parts extending to the right and in positive vertical direction as parts of a character and thus merging stroke parts into one subconfiguration. Several sets are generated in this way and then used for the recognition of the handwritten pattern 1.
The above-described method for forming the subconfigurations requires that the text be entered horizontally for the ligatures to be correctly detected. However, if that is not the case, an orientation for the text has to be found and then the handwritten pattern 1 could be rotated or the defined direction of the ligatures could be set in accordance with the orientation of the text.
Subsequently, the subconfigurations that have been established by the segmentation are recognized. This is done by comparing the subconfigurations to reference configurations that have been stored in a database, step 8. The comparing of the subconfigurations to a reference configuration gives a measure of how good the resemblance between the configurations is. The reference configurations that have good resemblances to the subconfigurations are kept and identified as subconfiguration candidates, step 10. One subconfiguration could thus be recognized by several reference configurations and the further processing of the subconfigurations will give the answer to which of these reference configurations is the correct interpretation of the subconfiguration. The individual comparisons of the subconfigurations to the reference configurations use the proximity measure outlined in WO 00/13131 by Sparr, G. and Berthilsson, R. The proximity measure is defined as μ(X,Y)=P(S1,S2)=∥(I−PS1)PS2∥2 (1)
where S1, S2 are the affine shape matrices of the two point configurations X, which is a subconfiguration of the handwritten pattern, and Y, which is a reference configuration, and PS1, PS2 are the projection matrices for the space spanned by the columns of S1 and S2, respectively. S1 and S2 could be replaced in (1) by X=(X1) and Y=(Y1), respectively, with the same result, i.e. P(S1,S2)=P(X,Y), since S1 and S2 are orthogonal to X and Y, respectively. This proximity measure returns a low value if the point configurations are very similar. Thus, if the proximity measure returns a value below a threshold value the reference configuration is assigned as a subconfiguration candidate for the present subconfiguration.
Next, candidate patterns are determined on the basis of the kept reference configurations, step 12. Some candidate patterns could be stored in the database, but the majority of candidate patterns are created by merging of the subconfiguration candidates. Examples of candidate patterns that could be stored in the database are characters consisting of more than one stroke, such as an “i”, a “j” or a “t”. Very common words could also be stored as candidate patterns. Candidate patterns are determined for all sets of subconfigurations and for each set several candidate patterns could be determined. This occurs when a subconfiguration is not unambiguously interpreted as one reference configuration. All possible combinations of the candidate subconfigurations to the subconfigurations of the handwritten pattern 1 form their own candidate pattern. In this context the sequence of the subconfiguration candidates is kept the same as the sequence of the subconfigurations of the handwritten pattern 1. The merging of subconfiguration candidates is performed according to a predefined rule. This rule is determined according to how characters normally are placed with respect to each other. Thus, a subconfiguration candidate is placed a certain distance to the right of a preceding subconfiguration candidate. The vertical placement of the subconfiguration candidate is fixed so that the candidates stand on the same base line.
When all candidate patterns have been determined, the representation of the handwritten pattern 1 is compared to each candidate pattern, step 14. This comparison gives a measure of the resemblance of the whole handwritten pattern 1 to the candidate pattern. Thus, the candidate pattern that has the best individual resemblance of each subconfiguration together with the resemblance of the whole pattern is determined.
The measure of the resemblance of a handwritten pattern 1 to a candidate pattern is obtained by a relative proximity measure. In a preferred embodiment, the subconfiguration candidates are compared in pairs of adjacent subconfiguration candidates to the subconfigurations of the handwritten pattern 1, independently of the other subconfigurations in the patterns. All pairs in a candidate pattern are then compared to the corresponding pairs of subconfigurations in the handwritten pattern 1. A subconfiguration candidate is then paired with the subconfiguration candidate preceding it and in another pair with the subconfiguration following it. However, more subconfigurations could be compared at a time. This would then result in the fact that the importance of a single character diminishes and a greater risk of misinterpretation occurs. On the other hand, comparison of more subconfigurations at a time implies that more information of the interrelationships of the characters is used.
A relative shape s(X1,X2) describes how the two point configurations X1 and X2, which each represent a subconfiguration of the handwritten pattern, should be put together. The relative shape s(X1,X2) is a linear subspace of s(X1∘X2) with the property s(X1∘X2)=s(X1)⊕s(X2)⊕s(X1,X2). The relative proximity measure gives a measure of how well a relative shape of two point configurations s(X1,X2) agrees with a relative shape of two other point configurations s(Y1,Y2), where Y1 and Y2 represent selected subconfiguration candidates, forming a template for how the point configurations should be positioned to each other. In order to find the relative proximity measure we need to form s(χ)=s(X1)⊕s(X2)⊕s(Y1,Y2). This represents a compound configuration χ where the two configurations X1 and X2 are separately affinely transformed to form the relative-shape s(Y1,Y2). Then a proximity measure calculated for the two combined configurations χ and Xo=X1∘X2 gives a measure of how much the original compound configuration Xo agrees with the configuration transformed to have the relative shape from the template s(Y1,Y2). Thus, we need to find the transformation of Xo that gives the best approximation of Yo=Y1∘Y2 with the restriction that the individual affine shapes of X1 and X2 shall remain constant under the transformation. The transformed version of Xo is called χ. The relative proximity measure could then be achieved by comparing Xo and χ.
This could be done by forming a new matrix X12,
X12=(X100X2)=(X110000X21),
where 1 means a column of ones and 0 means one or more columns of zeroes, depending on the context. Then this matrix is made orthogonal, X12⊥=orth(X12).
Xo=(Xo1) is then a linear combination of these columns. Xo=X12⊥*A
Another linear combination, χ, of the columns X12⊥, will give us a solution to our problem, i.e. the composition of the two parts X1 and X2 that best approximates Yo. To find this linear combination we want to minimize the norm ∥χ−Yo∥ƒ=∥X12⊥*B−Yo∥ƒ,
where Yo=(Yo1). The B that minimizes this norm could be found from normal equations X12⊥TX12⊥B=X12⊥TYo⇄ B=X12⊥TYo
Then we compare χ to Xo with the proximity measure defined above (Xo,χ). This will be referred to as the relative proximity measure.
An observation that is useful when this is to be implemented is that P(Xo,χ)=P(X12⊥TA,X12⊥B)=P(A,B)
Thus all computations that have to be done to calculate the relative proximity measure are to orthogonalize X12 to X12⊥, to calculate A=X12⊥TXo, to calculate B=X12⊥TYo and to compare A and B, i.e. to calculate P(A,B).
Each candidate pattern now has a proximity measure for each of its individual subconfiguration candidates and a relative proximity measure for the entire candidate pattern. These measures should be weighed in a suitable way to correctly interpret the handwritten pattern 1. Thus, a cost function is designed to give the lowest cost to the best candidate pattern. Then the cost function is computed, step 16, to identify the best matching candidate pattern, which will be the result of the recognition. The cost function does not merely sum the proximity measures of the candidate patterns, but these are weighed in accordance with how complex the candidate is. The final cost function is thus a function of the weighed proximity measures. A simple suggestion is just to add all weighed proximity measures. Another maybe better approach is to add all factors and divide by the number of factors to get some kind of “cost per factors”. Otherwise segmentations with fewer subconfigurations can get an improper advantage. According to the presently preferred embodiment the cost function is the sum
where S1,S2, . . . , Sn, Si=(Ci,Gi) are the sequences consisting of the subconfiguration candidates Ci=(c1(i), c2(i), . . . , cmi(i)) and the corresponding subconfigurations Gi=(g1(i), g2(i), . . . , gmi(i)) of the handwritten pattern 1, the sequence consists of mi subconfiguratons, the function Γ(gj(i),cj(i)) defined below gives a measure of how good candidate the subconfiguration candidate cj(i) is for the subconfiguration gj(i) independently of how complex the candidate is, and μr(gj(i),gj+1(i),cj(i),cj+1(i)) gives the relative proximity measure of the pair (gj(i),gj+1(i)) compared to the pair (cj(i),cj+1(i)). The Γ-function is used to include the fact that different subconfigurations/characters get different typical values of proximity when compared to their database equivalent. Thus, the Γ-function regards both the proximity measure μ(g,c) and what the proximity measure usually is for that candidate when it is considered the best candidate. The function could for instance be
Γ(g,c)=μ(g,c)ρ(c)
where ρ(c) is the mean proximity measure for the candidate, c, when it is considered the best one. However, in the presently preferred embodiment the following definition is used:
Γ(g,c)=μ(g,c)η(g)0,3
where η(g) is the number of segments from which the subconfiguration is built up. This promotes characters with more segments, and gives the possibility of comparing these characters with more simple characters on hopefully even terms.
This cost function could be trimmed to suit the patterns that are sought to be interpreted and could thus be differently designed for different alphabets.
The candidate pattern that gets the lowest result of the cost function will be deemed as the interpretation of the handwritten pattern 1.
It is not certain that all points in one character are entered in sequence. Some points could be entered before a following character, while other points could be entered after that character. Examples of this are dots in an “i” or a “j”, or the bars across a “t” or a “q”. These features are called secondary strokes and are often written last in a word. The information in these secondary strokes could be very useful to correctly interpret characters and distinguish between for example an “m” and three successive “i”'s.
Therefore, if a character with a secondary stroke is suggested as a candidate for a subconfiguration, a check is done if a secondary stroke is present and in that case, if this secondary stroke is correctly placed compared to the primary stroke of the character. If there is no secondary stroke, or if it is misplaced, a punishment is added to the candidate as interpretation of the subconfiguration, but on the other hand if a secondary stroke is correctly placed, a bonus is added to the candidate as interpretation of the subconfiguration. A measure of the placement of the secondary stroke with respect to the primary stroke is obtained with the relative proximity measure described above. The relative shape, that is the character with a primary and a secondary stroke, is preferably stored in the database, as the way of merging a secondary stroke into a primary stroke does not follow a scheme that is equal to all characters.
Referring to FIG. 3, a device 20 for recognition of a handwritten pattern according to the invention will be described. The device 20 for recognition of a handwritten pattern could be incorporated in a data handling device, such as a computer, a PDA, a mobile phone, a scanner or the like, which comprises a text input unit for entering text by manual writing. The device 20 for recognition of the handwritten pattern comprises means for detection 22 of a handwritten pattern entered on the text input unit. The means for detection 22 preferably repeatedly acquires the position of a pen 24 in a pressure-sensitive area 26, on which a user writes a pattern. The means for detection 22 generates a digital representation of the handwritten pattern. The device 20 for recognition of a handwritten pattern further comprises means for dividing 28 the representation of the handwritten pattern. The means for dividing 28 divides the handwritten pattern into subconfigurations. If the handwritten pattern cannot be unambiguously divided, the means for dividing 28 generates several sets of subconfigurations accounting for the different divisions of the handwritten pattern.
The device 20 for recognition of a handwritten pattern further comprises a database 30, in which reference configurations are stored. A first means for comparison 32 is arranged to compare the subconfigurations of the handwritten pattern to the reference configurations of the database 30 and generates a measure of the resemblances between the subconfigurations and the reference configurations. The first means for comparison 32 selects those reference configurations that have a measure of resemblance below a threshold as candidates for that subconfiguration. A means for merging 34 merges a candidate for each subconfiguration into a candidate pattern. For each set of subconfigurations all combinations of selected candidates for the subconfigurations are merged into candidate patterns. Thus, in most cases, several different candidate patterns are generated.
A second means for comparison 36 then compares the candidate patterns to the handwritten pattern to give a measure of the resemblances of the entire patterns to each other. A means for selecting a best match 38 weighs the measures of the resemblances of the individual subconfigurations and the whole patterns to find the candidate pattern that has the lowest cost. A display 40 then presents this candidate pattern, with typographical letters, as the recognition of the handwritten pattern.
Above, the description has been made essentially on the basis of the characters being written on a pressure-sensitive screen and being detected at the same time as they are written. However, the recognition method could also be applied to patterns that are detected, for instance scanned, after they have been written on a piece of paper. Thus, the detection comprises, instead of the operation of sensing the writing on the pressure-sensitive screen, the operation of reading (scanning) the characters from the piece of paper. Representations of the read handwritten pattern are thus detected and created and recognition could then be performed as described above.
It should be emphasized that the preferred embodiment described herein is in no way limiting and that many alternative embodiments are possible within the scope of protection defined by the appended claims. For example, the above embodiment has been described with reference to recognizing Latin characters and words. However, the invention could be applied to recognition of other alphabets or other symbols.
In an alternative embodiment the handwritten pattern could be a character or a part of a character. The division of the handwritten pattern will then be achieved in a different way. For example, if Chinese characters, are to be recognized the division could return each stroke as a subconfiguration.
The step of forming the subconfigurations could be performed in several different ways. For example, the break points 7 on each side of a subconfiguration could be identified by finding the maximum curvature points in the handwritten pattern. Another way of finding the break points 7 is to find local extreme in the vertical direction of the handwritten pattern. These and other ways of finding the break points 7 could also be combined, since the found break points 7 are not identical for these methods.
In an alternative embodiment, the two configurations Y1 and Y2 representing the selected subconfiguration candidates are affinely transformed for calculation of the relative proximity measure of how well the relative shape of two subconfigurations of the handwritten pattern s(X1,X2) agrees with the relative shape s(Y1,Y2). Thus, s(γ)=s(Y1)⊕s(Y2)⊕s(X1,X2) is formed and a proximity measure for the two combined configurations γ and Yo=Y1∘Y2 is calculated in order to get the relative proximity measure.
In another alternative embodiment, the relative proximity measure is calculated directly between the combined configurations Xo=X1∘X2 and Yo=Y1∘Y2.
Claims
1. A method for recognition of a handwritten pattern, comprising:
forming a representation of the handwritten pattern,
forming at least two subconfigurations by dividing the representation of the handwritten pattern,
processing the subconfigurations, said processing comprising: comparing each subconfiguration with reference configurations, selecting at least one subconfiguration candidate for each subconfiguration among the reference configurations based on said comparing of each subconfiguration, and determining at least one candidate pattern consisting of one selected subconfiguration candidate for each subconfiguration,
comparing the representation of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern, and
computing a cost function based on the comparing of the representation of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern and on the comparing of the subconfigurations to the selected subconfiguration candidates in the candidate pattern in order to find a closest matching candidate pattern.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a candidate pattern comprises merging one selected subconfiguration candidate for each subconfiguration to a candidate pattern, said merging being made according to a predefined rule.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein comparing the representation of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern comprises measuring a difference of a positioning of the subconfigurations relative to each other compared to a positioning of the selected subconfiguration candidates relative to each other in the candidate pattern.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein measuring the difference of the positioning comprises:
transforming the representation of the handwritten pattern to make it resemble the candidate pattern as much as possible, and
computing a geometric proximity between the representation of the handwritten pattern and the transformed representation of the handwritten pattern.
5. The method according to claim 3, wherein measuring the difference of the positioning comprises:
transforming the candidate pattern to make it resemble the representation of the handwritten pattern as much as possible, and
computing a geometric proximity between the candidate pattern and the transformed candidate pattern.
6. The method according to claim 3, wherein measuring the difference of the positioning comprises computing a geometric proximity between the representation of the handwritten pattern and the candidate pattern.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein comparing the representation of the handwritten pattern to the candidate pattern comprises measuring a difference of a positioning of the subconfigurations relative to each other compared to a positioning of the selected subconfiguration candidates relative to each other in the candidate pattern.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein measuring the difference of the positioning comprises:
transforming the representation of the handwritten pattern to make it resemble the candidate pattern as much as possible, and
computing a geometric proximity between the representation of the handwritten pattern and the transformed representation of the handwritten pattern.
9. The method according to claim 7, wherein measuring the difference of the positioning comprises:
transforming the candidate pattern to make it resemble the representation of the handwritten pattern as much as possible, and
computing a geometric proximity between the candidate pattern and the transformed candidate pattern.
10. The method according to claim 7, wherein measuring the difference of the positioning comprises computing a geometric proximity between the representation of the handwritten pattern and the candidate pattern.
11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein forming at least two subconfigurations by dividing the representation of the handwritten pattern comprises forming different sets of subconfigurations by dividing the representation of the handwritten pattern in alternative ways.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein processing the subconfigurations is performed for each set of subconfigurations.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recognition of the handwritten pattern is independent of a group of transformations.
14. A device for recognition of a handwritten character, comprising:
means for detecting the handwritten pattern and forming a representation of the handwritten pattern,
means for forming at least two subconfigurations by dividing the representation of the handwritten pattern,
a database, in which reference configurations are stored,
means for comparing each subconfiguration with the reference configurations,
means for selecting, for each subconfiguration, at least one subconfiguration candidate from the reference configurations in the database based on said comparing of each subconfiguration,
means for determining at least one candidate pattern consisting of one selected subconfiguration candidate for each subconfiguration,
means for comparing the representation of the handwritten pattern with the candidate pattern, and
means for computing a cost function based on the comparing of the representation of the handwritten pattern with the candidate pattern and on the comparing of the subconfigurations to the selected subconfiguration candidates in the candidate pattern in order to find a closest matching candidate pattern. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
politics
Every day one sees politicians on TV assuring us that nuclear deterrence works because there no nuclear weapon has been exploded in anger since 1945. They clearly have no understanding of statistics.
With a few plausible assumptions, we can easily calculate that the time until the next bomb explodes could be as little as 20 years.
Be scared, very scared.
The first assumption is that bombs go off at random intervals. Since we have had only one so far (counting Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a single event), this can’t be verified. But given the large number of small influences that control when a bomb explodes (whether in war or by accident), it is the natural assumption to make. The assumption is given some credence by the observation that the intervals between wars are random [download pdf].
If the intervals between bombs are random, that implies that the distribution of the length of the intervals is exponential in shape, The nature of this distribution has already been explained in an earlier post about the random lengths of time for which a patient stays in an intensive care unit. If you haven’t come across an exponential distribution before, please look at that post before moving on.
All that we know is that 70 years have elapsed since the last bomb. so the interval until the next one must be greater than 70 years. The probability that a random interval is longer than 70 years can be found from the cumulative form of the exponential distribution.
If we denote the true mean interval between bombs as $\mu$ then the probability that an intervals is longer than 70 years is
We can get a lower 95% confidence limit (call it $\mu_\mathrm{lo}$) for the mean interval between bombs by the argument used in Lecture on Biostatistics, section 7.8 (page 108). If we imagine that $\mu_\mathrm{lo}$ were the true mean, we want it to be such that there is a 2.5% chance that we observe an interval that is greater than 70 years. That is, we want to solve
If the worst case were true, and the mean interval between bombs was 19 years. then the distribution of the time to the next bomb would have an exponential probability density function, $f(t)$,
\[ f(t) = \frac{1}{19} \exp{\left(\frac{-70}{19}\right)} \]
There would be a 50% chance that the waiting time until the next bomb would be less than the median of this distribution, =19 ln(0.5) = 13.2 years.
In summary, the observation that there has been no explosion for 70 years implies that the mean time until the next explosion lies (with 95% confidence) between 19 years and 2765 years. If it were 19 years, there would be a 50% chance that the waiting time to the next bomb could be less than 13.2 years. Thus there is no reason at all to think that nuclear deterrence works well enough to protect the world from incineration.
Another approach
My statistical colleague, the ace probabilist Alan Hawkes, suggested a slightly different approach to the problem, via likelihood. The likelihood of a particular value of the interval between bombs is defined as the probability of making the observation(s), given a particular value of $\mu$. In this case, there is one observation, that the interval between bombs is more than 70 years. The likelihood, $L\left(\mu\right)$, of any specified value of $\mu$ is thus
If we plot this function (graph on right) shows that it increases with $\mu$ continuously, so the maximum likelihood estimate of $\mu$ is infinity. An infinite wait until the next bomb is perfect deterrence.
But again we need confidence limits for this. Since the upper limit is infinite, the appropriate thing to calculate is a one-sided lower 95% confidence limit. This is found by solving
The first approach gives 95% confidence limits for the average time until we get incinerated as 19 years to 2765 years. The second approach gives the lower limit as 23.4 years. There is no important difference between the two methods of calculation. This shows that the bland assurances of politicians that “nuclear deterrence works” is not justified.
It is not the purpose of this post to predict when the next bomb will explode, but rather to point out that the available information tells us very little about that question. This seems important to me because it contradicts directly the frequent assurances that deterrence works.
The only consolation is that, since I’m now 79, it’s unlikely that I’ll live long enough to see the conflagration.
Anyone younger than me would be advised to get off their backsides and do something about it, before you are destroyed by innumerate politicians.
Postscript
While talking about politicians and war it seems relevant to reproduce Peter Kennard’s powerful image of the Iraq war.
and with that, to quote the comment made by Tony Blair’s aide, Lance Price
It’s a bit like my feeling about priests doing the twelve stations of the cross. Politicians and priests masturbating at the expense of kids getting slaughtered (at a safe distance, of course).
This post was written for the Spectator Health section, at short notice after the release of the spider letters. The following version is almost the same as appeared there, with a few updates. Some of the later sections are self-plagiarised from earlier posts.
Picture: Getty
The age of enlightenment was a beautiful thing. People cast aside dogma and authority. They started to think for themselves. Natural science flourished. Understanding of the natural world increased. The hegemony of religion slowly declined. Eventually real universities were created and real democracy developed. The modern world was born.
People like Francis Bacon, Voltaire and Isaac Newton changed the world for the better. Well, that’s what most people think. But not Charles, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall.
In 2010 he said
"I was accused once of being the enemy of the Enlightenment,” he told a conference at St James’s Palace. “I felt proud of that.” “I thought, ‘Hang on a moment’. The Enlightenment started over 200 years ago. It might be time to think again and review it and question whether it is really effective in today’s conditions."
It seems that the Prince preferred things as they were before 1650. That’s a remarkable point of view for someone who, if he succeeds, will become the patron of that product of the age of enlightenment, the Royal Society, a venture that got its Royal Charter from King Charles II in1622.
I suppose that the Prince cannot be blamed for his poor education. He may have been at Trinity College Cambridge, his 2.2 degree is the current euphemism for a fail (it seems that he even failed to learn the dates of the enlightenment).
His behaviour has brought to the fore the question of the role of the monarchy.
A constitutional monarch is purely ceremonial and plays no part in politics. Well actually in the UK it isn’t quite as simple as that. The first problem is that we have no constitution. Things haven’t changed much since the 19th century when Walter Bagehot said “the Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy… three rights—the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn.”.
These are real powers in a country which is meant to be run by elected representatives. But nobody knows how these powers are used: it is all done in secret. Well, almost all. The Prince of Wales has been unusually public in expressing his views. His views bear directly on government policy in many areas: medicine, architecture, agriculture and the environment. These are mostly areas that involve at least an elementary knowledge of science. But that is something that he lacks. Worse still, he seems to have no consciousness of his ignorance.
The Royal family should clearly have no influence whatsoever on government policies in a democracy. And they should be seen to have no influence. The Queen is often praised for her neutrality, but the fact is that nobody has the slightest idea what happens at the weekly meetings between the Prime Minister and the Queen. I doubt that she advises the prime minister to create a National Health Service, or to tax the rich. We shall never know that. We should do.
Almost the only light that has been thrown on the secret activities of Charles was the release, on 13 May, of 27 letters that the Prince wrote to government ministers in the Blair government between 2004 and 2005. It has take 10 years of effort by the Guardian to get hold of the letters. It was ike getting blood from a stone. When the Information Commissioner ruled that the letters should be made public, the decision was vetoed by the Conservative attorney general, Dominic Grieve. He said. of the "particularly frank" letters,
" Disclosure of the correspondence could damage The Prince of Wales’ ability to perform his duties when he becomes King."
That, of course, is precisely why the documents should be revealed.
If Charles’ ability to perform his duty as King is damaged, should his subjects be kept unaware of that fact? Of course not.
In this case, the law prevailed over the attorney general. After passing through the hands of 16 different judges, the Supreme Court eventually ruled, in March, that the government’s attempts to block release were unlawful. The government spent over £400,000 in trying, and failing, to conceal what we should know. The Freedom of Information Act (2000) is the best thing that Tony Blair did, though he, and Jack Straw, thought it was the worst. I expect they are afraid of what it might reveal about their own records. Transparency is not favoured by governments of any hue.
What do the letters say?
You can read all the letters on the Guardian web site. They give the impression of being written by a rather cranky old man with bees in his bonnet and too much time on his hands. The problem is that not all cranky old men can write directly to the prime minister, and get an answer.
Not all the letters are wrong headed. But all attempt to change government policy. They represent a direct interference in the political process by the heir to the throne. That is unacceptable in a democracy. It disqualifies him from becoming king.
Some letters verged on the bizarre.
21 October 2004
To Elliot Morley (Minister for the Environment)
I particularly hope that the illegal fishing of the Patagonian Toothfish will be high on your list of priorities because until the trade is stopped, there is little hope for the poor old albatross.
No doubt illegal fishing is a problem, but not many people would write directly to a minister about the Patagonian Toothfish.
Others I agree with. But they are still attempts to influence the policies of the elected government. This one was about the fact that supermarkets pay so little to dairy farmers for milk that sometimes it’s cheaper than bottled water.
To Tony Blair 8 September 2004
". . . unless United Kingdom co-operatives can grow sufficiently the processors and retailers will continue to have the farmers in an arm lock and we will continue to shoot ourselves in the foot! You did kindly say that you would look at this . . . ".
Yours ever,
Charles
He wrote to the minister of education to try to influence education policy.
22 February 2005
Ruth Kelly
"I understand from your predecessor, Charles Clarke, that he has spoken to you about my most recent letter of 24th November, and specifically about the impact of my Education Summer School for teachers of English and History. This Programme, which involves up to ninety state school teachers each year, has been held over the past three years in Dartington, Devon, at Dunston, in Norfolk and at Buxton, in Derbyshire. I believe that they have added fresh inspiration to the national debate about the importance of English Literature and History in schools."
Despite having made substantial progress, as you may be aware I remain convinced that the correct approaches to teaching and learning need to be challenged
It’s interesting that the meeting was in Dartington. That’s near Totnes ("twinned with Narnia") and it’s a centre for the bizarre educational cult promoted by the mystic and racist, Rudolf Steiner.
Then we get a reference to one of Charles’ most bizarre beliefs, alternative medicine.
24 February 2005
Tony Blair
Dear Prime Minister,
We briefly mentioned the European Union Directive on Herbal Medicines, which is having such a deleterious effect on complementary medicine sector in this country by effectively outlawing the use of certain herbal extracts. I think we both agreed this was using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. You rightly asked me what could be done about it and I am asking the Chief Executive of my Foundation for Integrated Health to provide a more detailed briefing which I hope to be able to send shortly so that your advisers can look at it. Meanwhile, I have given Martin Hurst a note suggesting someone he could talk to who runs the Herbal Practitioner’s Association.
Yours ever, Charles
In this he opposes the EU Directive on Herbal Medicines. All this directive did was to insist that there was some anecdotal evidence for the safety of things that are sold to you. It asked for no evidence at all that they work, and it allowed very misleading labels. It provided the weakest form of protection from the deluded and charlatans. It was put into effect in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA). They even allowed products that were registered under this scheme to display an impressive-looking “kite-mark”. Most people would interpret this as a government endorsement of herbal medicines.
This got a sympathetic response from Tony Blair, someone who, along with his wife, was notoriously sympathetic to magic medicine.
30 March 2005
Response from Tony Blair
Dear Prince Charles
Thanks too for your contacts on herbal medicines who have been sensible and constructive. They feel that the directive itself is sound and the UK regulators excellent, but are absolutely correct in saying that the implementation as it is currently planned is crazy. We can do quite a lot here: we will delay implementation for all existing products to 2011; we will take more of the implementation upon ourselves; and I think we can sort out the problems in the technical committee – where my European experts have some very good ideas. We will be consulting with your contacts and others on the best way to do this we simply cannot have burdensome regulation here.
Yours ever, Tony
Note "absolutely correct in saying that the implementation as it is currently planned is crazy. We can do quite a lot here: we will delay implementation for all existing products to 2011".
Government support for acupuncture and herbal medicine was made explicit in a letter from Health Secretary, John Reid (February 2005). He assures the prince that government is taking action to "enhance the status of the herbal medicine and acupuncture professions".
I have beside me a copy of a letter allegedly written by him some years ago to a cultural institution, asserting the conviction that ‘there is a DIVINE Source which is ultimate TRUTH… that this Truth can be expressed by means of numbers… and that, if followed correctly, these principles can be expressed with infinite variety to produce Beauty’.
You can’t get much barmier than that.
Are the letters harmless?
That has been the reaction on the BBC. I can’t agree. In one sense they so trivial that it’s amazing that the government thought it was a good use of £400,000 to conceal them. But they are all the evidence that we’ll get of the Prince’s very direct attempts to influence the political process.
The Prince of Wales is more than just a crank. He has done real harm. Here are some examples.
When the generally admirable NHS Choices re-wrote their advice on homeopathy (the medicines that contain no medicine) the new advice took two years to appear. It was held up in the Department of Health while consultations were made with the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health. That’s Charles’ lobby organisation for crackpot medicine. (The word "integrated" is the euphemism for alternative medicine that’s in favour with its advocates.) If it were not for the fact that I used the Freedom of Information Act to find out what was going on, the public would have been given bad advice as a direct result of the Prince’s political interference.
Perhaps the worst example of interference by the Prince of Wales, was his attempt to get an academic fired. Prof Edzard Ernst is the UK’s foremost expert on alternative medicine. He has examined with meticulous care the evidence for many sorts of alternative medicine.Unfortunately for its advocates, it turned out that there is very little evidence that any of it works. This attention to evidence annoyed the Prince, and a letter was sent from Clarence House to Ernst’s boss, the vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter, Steve Smith. Shamefully, Smith didn’t tell the prince to mind his ow business, but instead subjected Ernst to disciplinary proceedings, After subjecting him to a year of misery, he was let off with a condescending warning letter, but Ernst was forced to retire early. In 2011and the vice-chancellor was rewarded with a knighthood. His university has lost an honest scientist but continues to employ quacks.
Not just interfering but costing taxpayers’ money
The Prince’s influence seems to be big in the Department of Health (DH). He was given £37,000 of taxpayers’ money to produce his Patients’ Guide (I produced a better version for nothing). And he was paid an astonishing £900,000 by DH to prepare the ground for the setting up of the hapless self-regulator, the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC, also known as Ofquack).
The Prince of Wales’ business, Duchy Originals, has been condemned by the Daily Mail, (of all places) for selling unhealthy foods. And when his business branched into selling quack “detox” and herbal nonsense he found himself censured by both the MHRA and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for making unjustifiable medical claims for these products.
It runs in the family
The Prince of Wales is not the only member of the royal family to be obsessed with bizarre forms of medicine. The first homeopath to the British royal family, Frederick Quin, was a son of the Duchess of Devonshire (1765-1824). Queen Mary (1865-1953), wife of King George V, headed the fundraising efforts to move and expand the London Homeopathic Hospital. King George VI was so enthusiastic that in 1948 he conferred the royal title on the London Homeopathic Hospital.
The Queen Mother loved homeopathy too (there is no way to tell whether this contributed to her need for a colostomy in the 1960s).
The present Queen’s homeopathic physician is Peter Fisher, who is medical director of what, until recently was called the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital (RLHH). In 2010 that hospital was rebranded as the Royal London Hospital for Integrated medicine (RLHIM) in another unsubtle bait and switch move.
The patron of the RLHIM is the Queen, not the Prince of Wales. It is hard to imagine that this anachronistic institution would still exist if it were not for the influence, spoken or unspoken, of the Queen. Needless to say we will never be told.
The royal warrant for a firm that sells "meningitis vaccine" that contains nothing
Ainsworth’s homeopathic pharmacy is endorsed by both Prince Charles and the Queen: it has two Royal Warrants, one from each of them. They sell “homeopathic vaccines” for meningitis, measles, rubella and whooping cough. These “vaccines” contain nothing whatsoever so they are obviously a real danger to public health.
The regulator (the MHRA) failed to step in to stop them until it was eventually stirred into action by a young BBC reporter, Sam Smith who made a programme for BBC South West. Then, at last, the somnolent regulator was stirred into action. The MHRA “told Ainsworths to stop advertising a number of products” (but apparently not to stop making them or selling them).
They still sell Polonium metal 30C and Swine Meningitis 36C, and a booklet that recommends homeopathic “vaccination”.
Ainsworth’s sales are no doubt helped by the Royal Warrants. The consequence is that people may die of meningitis. In 2011, the MHRA Chief Executive Professor Kent Woods, was knighted. It was commented, justly, that
"Children will be harmed by this inaction. Children will die. And the fault must lie with Professor Sir Kent Woods, chairman of the regulator "
But the regulator has to fight the political influence of the Queen and Prince Charles. They lost.
The attorney general, while trying to justify the secrecy of Charles’ letters, said
“It is a matter of the highest importance within our constitutional framework that the Monarch is a politically neutral figure”.
Questions about health policy are undoubtedly political, and the highly partisan interventions of the Prince in the political process make his behaviour unconstitutional.
The Prince’s petulant outbursts not only endanger patients. They endanger the monarchy itself. Whether that matters depends on how much you value the tourist business generated by the Gilbert & Sullivan flummery at which royals excel.
The least that one can ask of the royal family is that they should not endanger the health of the nation. It would help if they refrained from using their influence on matters that are beyond their intellectual grasp..
If I wanted to know the winner of the 2.30 at Ascot, I’d ask a royal. For any other question I’d ask someone with more education.
Follow-up
The letters have made headlines in just about every newspaper. The Guardian had extensive coverage, of course.
The Times had a front page story "Revealed: how Charles got Blair to alter health policy" [pdf]
The British Medical Journal wrote "Prince Charles delayed regulation of herbal medicines" [pdf]
For me, the most shocking item was an interview given by Jack Straw, on Radio 4’s Today Programme. He was Home Secretary from 1997 to 2001 and Foreign Secretary from 2001 to 2006 under Tony Blair. From 2007 to 2010 he was Lord Chancellor. His response to the letters sounded like that of a right-wing conservative.
Like Blair. he deplored the Freedom of Information Act that his own government passed. He defended the secrecy, and supported the Conservative attorney-general’s attempt to veto the release of the letters. Perhaps his defence of secrecy is not surprising, He has a lot to hide, His involvement in the mendacity that led to the Iraq war, the dodgy dossier, his role in covering up torture (the "rendition" scandal). And He was suspended by the Labour party in February 2015 due to allegation of cash bribes.
The New York Times (17 January 2006) published a beautiful spoof that illustrates only too clearly some of the bad practices that have developed in real science (as well as in quackery). It shows that competition, when taken to excess, leads to dishonesty.
More to the point, it shows that the public is well aware of the dishonesty that has resulted from the publish or perish culture, which has been inflicted on science by numbskull senior administrators (many of them scientists, or at least ex-scientists). Part of the blame must attach to "bibliometricians" who have armed administrators with simple-minded tools the usefulness is entirely unverified. Bibliometricians are truly the quacks of academia. They care little about evidence as long as they can sell the product.
The spoof also illustrates the folly of allowing the hegemony of a handful of glamour journals to hold scientists in thrall. This self-inflicted wound adds to the pressure to produce trendy novelties rather than solid long term work.
It also shows the only-too-frequent failure of peer review to detect problems.
Recent Nobel-prizewinner Randy Schekman has helped with his recent declaration that "his lab will no longer send papers to Nature, Cell and Science as they distort scientific process"
The spoof is based on the fraudulent papers by Korean cloner, Woo Suk Hwang, which were published in Science, in 2005. As well as the original fraud, this sad episode exposed the practice of ‘guest authorship’, putting your name on a paper when you have done little or no work, and cannot vouch for the results. The last (‘senior’) author on the 2005 paper, was Gerald Schatten, Director of the Pittsburgh Development Center. It turns out that Schatten had not seen any of the original data and had contributed very little to the paper, beyond lobbying Scienceto accept it. A University of Pittsburgh panel declared Schatten guilty of “research misbehavior”, though he was, amazingly, exonerated of “research misconduct”. He still has his job. Click here for an interesting commentary.
The New York Times carried a mock editorial to introduce the spoof..
One Last Question: Who Did the Work?
By NICHOLAS WADE
In the wake of the two fraudulent articles on embryonic stem cells published in Science by the South Korean researcher Hwang Woo Suk, Donald Kennedy, the journal’s editor, said last week that he would consider adding new requirements that authors “detail their specific contributions to the research submitted,” and sign statements that they agree with the conclusions of their article.
A statement of authors’ contributions has long been championed by Drummond Rennie, deputy editor of The Journal of the American Medical Association,
and is already required by that and other medical journals. But as innocuous as Science‘s proposed procedures may seem, they could seriously subvert some traditional scientific practices, such as honorary authorship.
Explicit statements about the conclusions could bring to light many reservations that individual authors would not otherwise think worth mentioning. The article shown [below] from a future issue of the Journal of imaginary Genomics, annotated in the manner required by Science‘s proposed reforms, has been released ahead of its embargo date.
The old-fashioned typography makes it obvious that the spoof is intended to mock a paper in Science.
The problem with this spoof is its only too accurate description of what can happen at the worst end of science.
Something must be done if we are to justify the money we get and and we are to retain the confidence of the public
My suggestions are as follows
NatureScience and Cell should become news magazines only. Their glamour value distorts science and encourages dishonesty
All print journals are outdated. We need cheap publishing on the web, with open access and post-publication peer review. The old publishers would go the same way as the handloom weavers. Their time has past.
Publish or perish has proved counterproductive. You’d get better science if you didn’t have any performance management at all. All that’s needed is peer review of grant applications.
It’s better to have many small grants than fewer big ones. The ‘celebrity scientist’, running a huge group funded by many grants has not worked well. It’s led to poor mentoring and exploitation of junior scientists.
There is a good case for limiting the number of original papers that an individual can publish per year, and/or total grant funding. Fewer but more complete papers would benefit everyone.
Reading the paper gives a rather different impression from the press release. Look at the pre-specified primary outcome of the trial.
The primary outcome measure was
" . . the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study/Activities of Daily Living (ADCSADL) Inventory.12 The ADCS-ADL Inventory is designed to assess functional abilities to perform activities of daily living in Alzheimer patients with a broad range of dementia severity. The total score ranges from 0 to 78 with lower scores indicating worse function."
It looks as though any difference that might exist between the four treaments is trivial in size. In fact the mean difference between Vitamin E and placebos was only 3.15 (on a 78 point scale) with 95% confidence limits from 0.9 to 5.4. This gave a modest P = 0.03 (when properly corrected for multiple comparisons), a result that will impress only those people who regard P = 0.05 as a sort of magic number. Since the mean effect is so trivial in size that it doesn’t really matter if the effect is real anyway.
It is not mentioned in the coverage that none of the four secondary outcomes achieved even a modest P = 0.05 There was no detectable effect of Vitamin E on
The only graph that appeared to show much effect was The Dependence Scale. This scale
“assesses 6 levels of functional dependence. Time to event is the time to loss of 1 dependence level (increase in dependence). We used an interval-censored model assuming a Weibull distribution because the time of the event was known only at the end of a discrete interval of time (every 6 months).”
It’s presented as a survival (Kaplan-Meier) plot. And it is this somewhat obscure secondary outcome that was used by the Journal of the American Medical Assocciation for its publicity.
Note also that memantine + Vitamin E was indistinguishable from placebo. There are two ways to explain this: either Vitamin E has no effect, or memantine is an antagonist of Vitamin E. There are no data on the latter, but it’s certainly implausible.
The trial used a high dose of Vitamin E (2000 IU/day). No toxic effects of Vitamin E were reported, though a 2005 meta-analysis concluded that doses greater than 400 IU/d "may increase all-cause mortality and should be avoided".
In my opinion, the outcome of this trial should have been something like “Vitamin E has, at most, trivial effects on the progress of Alzheimer’s disease”.
Both the journal and the authors are guilty of disgraceful hype. This continual raising of false hopes does nothing to help patients. But it does damage the reputation of the journal and of the authors.
This paper constitutes yet another failure of altmetrics. (see more examples on this blog). Not surprisingly, given the title, It was retweeted widely, but utterly uncritically. Bad science was promoted. And JAMA must take much of the blame for publishing it and promoting it.
We hear a lot about lifelong education, and a good thing too. But we have a government that seems to think life ends at 18. The contrast between official attitudes to schools and post-school education is striking. The contrast is most striking in two areas: religious discrimination and public support for costs.
Religous discriminatiion and selection
The Universities Tests Act was passed on 18 June 1871, while William Gladstone (Liberal) was Prime minister. It was "An Act to alter the law respecting Religious Tests in the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham, and in the Halls and Colleges of those Universities". Of course UCL was founded in 1826, partly as a place that was free of religious discrimination. Since 1871 it has been illegal for a university to discriminate among applicants on the basis of their religious beliefs or lack of them. For the last 140 years it has been unimaginable that anyone would try to do such a thing.
In stark contrast, in 2010, religious discrimination among entrance to primary and secondary schools is not only legal, but is actively encouraged by the government. It was a trend that got worse while the ‘reverend’ Tony Blair (illiberal) was prime minister. The minister of education under the new conservative regime promised even more religious schools.
Why the rules should be diametrically opposite when you are younger than 18 from when you are over 18 is baffling.
It is equally baffling (and perhaps a partial explanation) that universities are not regarded by this government, or by Blair’s, as part of education at all. They are governed by the Department of Business, not the Department of Education.
Why should a postman pay for your university education?
I imagine that I’m not the only person who has wrestled with this question in the last few weeks (Stephen Law’s thoughts here)
In the UK it is a legal requirement to stay in full time education until the age of 16, and that should be increased to 18 by 2015. Although most children stay in school until 18, around 25% or 30% don’t. I have never heard anybody question the idea that education from 16 to 18 should not be supported 100 percent by the state, out of general taxation. That is the case despite the fact that not everybody stays in education up to 18.
Education up to the age of 18 is regarded as a common good and nobody questions for a moment that it should be free at the point of use.
Once again, everything changes entirely when you reach 18. Education is not regarded as a continuum, or as a life-long project. Suddenly at the age of 18, it stops being a public good worthy of state support, and becomes an optional extra for those who are rich, or those who are not deterred by the idea of going though life paying a debt that will, in some cases, approach the size of the mortgage on their house.
The ConDem coalition, on December 9th 2010, has come very close to privatising the teaching of humanities in universities. You are encouraged to learn languages from 16 – 18 and then these are dropped like a hot cake.
The result has been riots by schoolchildren and total discrediting of Liberal democrats who voted for one of the most philistine measures in living memory.
The discussion of this legislation has, in my view, focussed on the wrong thing. It has been almost entirely about the mechanisms for paying off an enormous debt. That was the wrong place to start. This is what should have been done.
(1) Consider what is being funded. Should the university system adapt to present circumstances, e.g by abolishing honours degrees and creating real graduate schools, as I suggested recently in the Times? Disgracefully, the government has rushed headlong into changes in funding without waiting to consider what it should be funding. Equally disgracefuly, Universities UK (the vice-chancellors’ trade union) has made no constructive suggestions for change, but appears to be rendered immobile by a rift between the Russell group VCs who want to grab as much as they can as soon as possible, and other VCs who fear for their existence.
(2) After deciding what form universities should have in the future, you can then go on to discuss how much public money should be used to support the system.
(3) Only after both of these have been done, does it make sense to talk about how you pay back any contribution made by the student (and that contribution should be, at most, no bigger than now).
In their haste to make people pay high fees, the government seems to have got the worst of both worlds. They have devised a scheme that, in the long run, is likely to cost the taxpayer as much as, or even more than, the present system, while at the same time trebling fees to students. It’s hard to imagine greater incompetence than that.
But the question still lurks: why should a postman pay for your university education? My answer is yes, but not much. They should pay because, although they may not get any direct benefit themselves, their children certainly may. The fairest, most progressive, tax is income tax. If you are a postman, or indeed a graduate, on a low income you shouldn’t pay much tax, so you won’t pay much for, inter alia, other people’s university education.
I can see no reason for the sudden change in attitude to, and funding of, education that happens when you reach 18.
I see every reason why kids should be angry. I doubt that we have seen the last of the riots.
I hope not anyway.
Follow-up
See also UCL’s Beautiful Occupation. Students seem to think more clearly about what’s happening than either university management or the government.
December 10 2010, The New York Times points out that tuition fees in the UK will, under this scheme, be double those of public universities in the USA."this new policy is an utter failure."
"I was slightly dissapointed when 7/8 of my first year medical students showed up for their last day of teaching at my practice on thursday December 9th. The eighth student was ill, so not one of them was protesting. When I asked them why not they said that in their first week as medical students they were told not to get involved in any protests because even a police caution would mean they might be thrown off the course and almost certainly they wouldn’t get a job. Images of Fascist Spain or Nazi Germany came immediately to mind (I have just read Alone in Berlin)"
December 12 2010. The Observer reports:
“Police officers ‘tried to stop hospital staff treating injured protester’ Mother of injured student Alfie Meadows said that her son’s life could have been put at risk by the journey to another hospital”.
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The press may like to portray students as irresponsible and revolting . When I visited the occupied Jeremy Bentham room last week, i got a very different impression. That was more than confirmed yesterday (29 November). The students aren’t just sitting around grumbling. They have organised a very impressive series of events. Here is yesterday’s programme.
I volunteered to discuss with them some ideas of what could be done to further their aims. It was the same day that our letter came out in the Daily Telegraph, that pointed out the foolishness of deciding on funding before deciding what form universities should have in the future, I also suggested some possible changes along the lines of those proposed in the Times in October.
I didn’t talk for long and the discussion that followed was lively and constructive. It was about education, not revolt.
I was asked if I’d like to come back a bit later for group discussions, so I did. I found the students had split into groups. It could well have been an academic conference.
There was a cheerful but entirely serious discussion about what universities should be doing, about teaching methods and about research. There was also discussion about how the good atmosphere could be continued when the occupation eventually ends. Perhaps the most obvious thing is that the students were enjoying immensely being thrown together with people from other disciplines, whom they would never have met otherwise. There were two scientists in the group I joined, the rest being from a whole range of disciplines.
It is to the credit of UCL that they haven’t brought in bailiffs or cut off access to toilets. So a lot more sensible than Warwick university’s management for example. An email was shown on the screen from Rex Knight, vice provost (operations) who seems to have been put in charge of mediation. He’s the one who refused to do anything about it when HR were advertising for people trained in that curious form of psychobabble/pyramid selling scheme, neurolinguistic programming. He decined to meet the students. These days, you just can’t get the staff.
You can just walk in and out of the Jeremy Bentham room quite freely. Some students left for lectures and then returned. Others were away that afternoon on a demonstration outside TopShop on Oxford Street. If people like Top Shop owner Philip Green paid the taxes that they should do, the crisis might not be as bad as it is.
And between the earnest intellectual stuff they have fun too. This is the dance-off against the Oxford occupation.
And this is their weekend Ceilidh
Their blog is impressive. as is their organisation. They they have an events organiser with their own email address. You can follow the activities on Twitter @ucloccupation. In just a few days they have picked up more followers on Twitter than I have,
These are well-dressed, articulate youngsters, there’s no damage to the room, and the occupation leaflets are mixed up with sleeping bags and text books about biology and Spanish grammar.
This looks like a revolution that probably does the hoovering when it’s finished. Any stereotypes about rent-a-rioter are way off the mark.
,
It’s the Hogwarts kids, with their strong sense of right and wrong, who are now putting up the barricades.
And they seem as distant from the old left as they do from the new right.
This could be the best educational experience of the year for some of them, and they were making the most of it.
It is really rather beautiful.
Follow-up
Sad to say. UCL’s management soon managed to lose the moral high ground and went to court to evict the students. Their blog says
On Friday 3rd December two students on behalf of the UCL Occupations attended a hearing to resist the university’s application for a possession order. After almost an hour of legal debate, the judge acknowledged the occupying students’ rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and concluded that no possession order could be granted without a full hearing of all the legal arguments. The hearing has been adjourned till Tuesday 7th December at 10:30am.
6 December 2010.Hobbled into work, for hospital appointment. The Slade School of Art is now occupied too. The signs are quite, eh, artistic.
“There was some estimate on the basis of surveys done recently that something in the order of 45 per cent of the research grants that were going through was to research that was not of excellent standard. So the bar will have to be raised.”
A legion of people have tried to decode what he meant. The purpose of this post is to go a bit further, to investigate the problem of mediocre research and to suggest a change of policy that might help.
This appears to be what Cable should have said.
(1) His comments don’t refer to the main source of money for research at all. They refer to "quality-related" (QR) money given to universities by the Higher Education Finding Council. It is intended to support the infrastructure for support, but it vanishes into the ever-expanding administration and most researchers don’t see a penny of it.
(2) QR money is not given to individual researchers to do research, it is given to the university retrospectively, on the basis of the score in a vast, time-consuming, assessment known as the Research Assessment exercise. This grades departments on the basis of the amount of grade 1 2 3 or 4 research they do.
(3) Cable’s comment . on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme that “45% of research grants were not of excellent standard", caused uproar, and rightly so, because it shows a total lack of grasp of how science is funded, The "45%" doesn’t refer to grants at all, but it is the percentage of work that was judged in the RAE to be grade 1 or 2 (less good) rather than 3 or 4 (very good).
(4) Work that is graded 2 gets little QR money, and 1 gets none at all. David Sweeney, a HEFCE bureaucrat not generally noted for his understanding of research, points out that the 45 percent of 1 and 2 work gets only 7 percent of the funds. Using Cable’s criterion his number should have been 7% not 45%.
(5) In physics at least, the RAE panel claims it was told to use norm-referencing. This means that they are told roughly what fractions 3 and 4 grades to produce. HEFCE deny this is the case, but it is quite usual for big organisations to lie about this sort of thing. Insofar as norm-referencing was imposed, the fraction of research that is labelled mediocre is pre-determined, and is quite independent of quality. It means no more than saying that half the people are below average. It is just a statistical inevitability (if the distribution is symmetrical). It tells you absolutely nothing about the quality of research,
(6) A figure far more important than any of these is that only 10 – 20% of research grant applications get funded. It takes a long time to write a research grant application, something like two months. That is a major time-consuming activity for scientists, who should be thinking about science and doing experiments. Around 85% of that effort is fruitless. The cost in salaries and lost output of writing grants that fail is enormous. Being high alpha rated is certainly no guarantee of getting funds. That is the number that Cable should have produced, but didn’t.
So what did Cable get right, and why?
This is the bit that hasn’t been discussed much in the comments so far.
If it so hard to get a grant, why is there a widespread perception that quite a lot of published work is, if not wrong, at least trivial?
(1) Most work has always been trivial. Great breakthroughs are very rare events. But let’s accept, for the sake of argument, that the widespread view that it is worse now that in used to be, or at least that quality hasn’t improved.
(2) There is now enormously more research than before. That means more top-rate work, but, perhaps, even more bad or trivial work
(3) The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) is on of the main reasons why the fraction of good papers is perceived to have decreased. It has probably done more harm to research standards than any other single change in my lifetime.
(4) Although it is tempting to blame politicians for the harm done by the RAE, the greatest harm is actually done by senior academics and other ex-researchers, and their numerous administrative hangers-on, who apply intolerable pressure on their juniors to publish large numbers of papers, preferably in one of three ‘top’ journals. This inevitably leads to large numbers of trivial papers being produced, because people think they won’t be promoted if the don’t go along with the senior bullies,
(5) The fate of young researchers is made even worse by HR’s attempts at "well-being" (major post coming up on that topic), the money wasted on ‘Roberts agenda’ skills training and the utterly vacuous Concordat
(6) A consequence of this sort of pressure is that anyone who wants to think deeply, or to understand properly, the basis of what they are doing, is quite likely to be fired for lack of "productivity" before they produce their best work (I speak here of biomedical sciences. I presume that physicists can’t get way so easily with poor understanding of principles of their subject).
(7) The result is a system that is not just over-competitive, but positively cruel to young scientists. The miracle to me is that anyone wants to work in science at all in the present state of universities. It is a sign, I guess, of just how wonderful it is to find something new, that people still put up with a system that seems, at times, not much different from slavery. See, for example, The Mismeasurement of Science by Peter A. Lawrence
.
(8) Not all the slavery is, of course, quite was bad as the famous chemist at Caltech who berated his slaves for not working (for his glory) seven days a week (though things not far short of this are quite common). And not all universities are quite so stupid as the Texas A&M University, which is reported to be thinking of hiring on the basis of the amount of grant income you bring in, although Imperial College London got alarmingly close to this sort of insanity. I guess I shouldn’t feel bad about other universities behaving in a way that makes anyone who is any good not want to work for them, but the matter is too important for one to worry about inter-university rivalry.
(9) The over-competitiveness and encouragement of trivial science, quantity rather than quality, has been going on for long enough now, that people who have risen on that basis now have power, and are to be found even on review panels of grant-giving bodies.
(10) Organisations like the Medical Research Council used to have permanent staff who developed a high level of expertise in the subjects they dealt with, and a great deal of expertise in the critical duties of knowing which referees to select, and how to judge what they wrote. More recently, the turnover of MRC staff has been too great for that sort of expertise to be well-developed, I have no axe to grind myself. My last program grant as PI (1999 – 2004) was funded, as was its successor (2004 – 2009, in which I was co-applicant). But recently I have seen feedback on failed grant applications (not mine) that suggest that the review panel either hadn’t read or hadn’t understood them.
(11) There is an enormous shortage of money for ‘response-mode’ grants. That means grants submitted by individuals to fund projects that the individual thinks will work. One reason for that is the research councils and charities have, increasingly, ring-fenced funds for work in a particular area, which some committee has decided ie important. Often this results in money being given to projects that don’t work very well (as I have seen at first hand when on the panel for the BBSCR Neuron initiative). These "initiatives" may sound good on paper to politicians, but they result in mis-spending of taxpayers’ money.
(12) One thing that Cable is dead right about ir that the ‘graduate tax’ is by far the fairest way to fund degrees. Sadly vice-chancellors line up to condemn it (you can’t get the staff these days).
So what can be done?
I’ve listed a lot of criticisms, but what can be done about it?
I can see a couple of things that could be done. The main thing is to reduce the intense competitiveness that leads to low quality. The competitiveness arises in part because of the large increase in the number of universities that took place in 1992, when the then Conservative government converted at a stroke polytechnics and technical colleges into universities, This was done largely to increase the number of undergraduate students, something of which I advocate strongly. I also feel strongly that teaching at an advanced level should be done by people who are doing research in the area they are teaching about. This is what governments have tried to do since 1992, but the numbers just don’t add up. There are simply not enough good researchers to teach half the population, yet the promotion of everyone has been made to depend largely on research.
One way would be to retain honours degrees but make the post-1992 universities into teaching only institutions. That would be the wrong solution in my view. It would result in a lot of teaching being done by people barely able to cope with advanced stuff.
My proposal.
(1) The conservatism of some senior academics has meant that they have failed to recognise that the traditional honours degree is quite unsuitable for a mass education system in which 50% of people do a degree.
(2) We should abandon altogether the honours degree system, which attempts in 3 years to take people from high school level to research level in 3 years (even with smaller numbers of people it often failed to do that anyway).
(3) We should start with much wider general degrees where teaching could be at a lower level and be done in universities that did little research. Such degrees would still aim at critical thinking rather than being purely vocational. Reluctant though I am to see teaching and research separated, it has become an economic necessity and the harm should not be too great if the separation applies only to general first degrees,
(4) After this general first degree, students would either do vocational training, or if they wished to continue along the academic line, they would go to graduate school.
(5) By graduate school, I mean teaching in the advanced aspects of their chosen subject, as is done in the USA. Most UK universities now have something called a graduate school, but they are largely charades which teach advanced powerpoint presentation but nothing intellectual. Our own summer school was originally taught as part of the UCL graduate school, but was dropped by them on the grounds that it was education not training. Protests that a knowledge of mathematics was the ultimate transferable skill in science, fell on deaf ears.
(6) The graduate schools would be the place where the advanced teaching was done, and also where most research was done. To make this feasible for the staff, they would have little, or even no, undergraduate teaching. They’d be more like ‘institutes of advanced studies’.
(7) This proposed system is, of course, much more like the system in the USA than the present UK system. It’s worked rather well there. We should try it.
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Once again some members of the Israeli defence force have shown behaviour worthy of an Auschwitz guard. Once again the old conflicts in my own mind are stirred up. It is a bit like the second great march against the Iraq war. Time has proved how right the marchers were, but we found ourselves walking alongside Islamic fundamentalists with whom we felt very little in common. All it proves is the undesirable behaviour that results from religion – any religion. Whether it is islam, judaism or christianity, the outcome is mayhem and murder. There is no human so irrational and dangerous as those who believe they have god on their side.
It also shows, in my view, tha major mistake that was made after the second world war when the west tried to purge its collective remorse for the holocaust, but chose to do so at the expense of Palestinians. It was downright stupid to think that it was possible to put the clock back so far.
The name of Rachel Corrie is imprinted on my mind. It was the news that this 23-year old American college student had been callously crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer (made in the USA). That was the incentive to start my politics blog. I stopped maintaining that when Blair left office, but may occasionally get political here.
In her memory, here is a reproduction of my first political post, from 2003.
A Great American.
On Sunday, 16th March 2003, a 23-year-old American peace activist, Rachel Corrie, was crushed to death by a bulldozer as she tried to prevent the Israeli army destroying homes in the Gaza Strip
You can read here some of the emails that she sent home before she died. And a reaction from Naomi Klein in the Globe and Mail (Toronto).
” Katharine Viner has edited her writings for a new play, on an ordinary woman with an extraordinary passion”. [Guardian]
John Sutherland documents some of the terrifyingly violent reactions of ‘patriotic’ Americans. [Guardian]
One ‘patriot’ wrote
“Anyone who would burn an American flag deserves to be bulldozed to death!!! Hopefully the US government will aim some bulldozers at the next group of war protesters, those anti-American motherfuckers.”
And now another: Tom Hurndall
A British peace activist shot in the head while observing the Israeli army in Gaza, in April 2003, has died in hospital.
Tom Hurndall, 22, was overcome by pneumonia at the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability, in south-west London.
A conviction at last!
Latest: after an indefatigable campaign by his parents to discover the truth, on 27 June 2005, a former Israeli soldier has been found guilty of the manslaughter of Tom Hurndall.
Ex-sergeant Taysir Hayb was convicted at a military court in Ashkelon for the shooting of Mr Hurndall in April 2003. Hayb will be sentenced at a later date.
In addition to the manslaughter verdict, Hayb was found guilty of obstruction of justice, incitement to false testimony, false testimony and improper conduct.
[Hurndall’s father said] “We’re concerned that there is a policy which seems to be prevalent in Gaza, amongst the Israeli soldiers and army, that they feel able to shoot civilians really without any accountability whatsoever.”
Civil liberties group Human Rights Watch last week accused Israel of investigating less than 5% of hundreds of cases of Palestinians killed since 2000.
On 11 August 2005 the BBC reported that Hayb was convicted to 8 years in jail, 7 years for manslaughter and 1 year for the other charges. Amnesty International’s Kate Allen said that while the person responsible for Mr Hurndall’s death had been brought to justice, it was
“striking that this was almost entirely due to tireless campaigning by his family”.
“The strong suspicion is that if Mr Hurndall’s family had not shown utter determination to uncover the truth of their son’s death, then no-one would ever have faced justice for what happened to Tom,”
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One member of parliament, above all others, has championed reason for the last 13 years, But Evan Harris was not re-elected in Oxford West and Abingdon. On May 6th he got 23,730 votes, a mere 176 votes fewer than his conservative rival.
Let me declare an interest. Evan Harris is one of the most principled men I have ever had the pleasure to meet. His stands on human rights, civil rights and libel law reform have been exemplary. He is also one of the few (and now fewer) members of parliament who understands how science works and its importance for the future of the UK. He has been a tireless advocate for the idea that policy should be based on evidence (as opposed to guesswork)..
Harris is also an atheist, something that one would not expect to be very relevant in a country where the influence of religion has declined progressively for many years. It would not be relevant if it were not for the fact that his defeat was brought about by poisonous lies propagated by, ahem, evangelical christians. I’m an atheist too, but I have met some good christians, I think they are wrong about their sky fairies, but I also think they should be free to believe in them if they want. Some of them do good things as a result of their beliefs. But not in Oxford West and Abingdon.
The (just) winner was conservative Nicola Blackwood. She is a member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship. But curiously a search of her web site for ‘christian’ shows not a single result. Shouldn’t voters know about your beliefs? It seems distinctly dishonest not to admit that your views come from an old book as interpreted by old men, The voter should know your motives.
Her profile at the Conservative Christian Fellowship says
“Along with many Christians, she is concerned that right to freedom of religion is being undermined without proper understanding of the potential consequences for faith groups or the wider community. In particular, she fears that the voice of Christians and people of other faiths on key issues of conscience is too readily dismissed in public debate.”
But what did Nicola Blackwood know about the smear leaflets?
Nicola Blackwood’s web site not only doesn’t mention the word ‘christian. It says very little about policies of any sort, There is no
mention of euthanasia or any of the other questions raised in pamphlets that were distributed throughout the constituency. There is a well hidden disclaimer
"Nicola has distanced the Conservative Party from literature distributed by private individuals and special interest and pressure groups attacking her opponent".
That is a pretty weak response to the poisonous and inaccurate leaflets that were circulated (they can be seen here). The worst stuff came form two sources
The Reverend Lynda Rose.
Lynda Rose is an Anglican minister who seems to think it appropriate to call a good man "Dr Death" because of her religious ‘principles’. Here is part of her leaflet
Lynda Rose has extreme "pro-life" views, more like those of the pope than of the average anglican. She seems not unlike the extreme right wing fundamentalist religious groups found in the USA. Harris told the Oxford Mail that
“It is a pity that, instead of putting up a candidate to contest the election, an anonymous group, using money from no-one knows where, is distributing an inaccurate personal attack leaflet in this constituency for the first time ever.
“It is offensive and I would say profoundly unchristian to use the term Dr Death – associated with Nazi murderer Joseph Mengele or mass-murderer Harold Shipman – to describe any politician.”
The Reverend Rose replied to the this in a letter to the Oxford Mail (April 26th) that is reproduced on the web site Anglican
Mainstream ("Anglo-catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox, Charismatic, Mainstream"). There is not a word of apology for vilely defamatory use of “Dr Death”, but merely a huffy defence of Hansard’s voting records.
That takes some beating as uncharitable, intolerant, inaccurate (and defamatory) comment. But there is even worse to come.
Keith Mann was another candidate in the same election. In 1994 Mann was sentenced to 14 years in jail, reduced to 11 years on appeal, for 21 offences including possession of explosives, incitement, criminal damage, and escape from custody (from Wikipedia). His leaflets were even worse than those of the Reverend Lynda Rose.
This vile calumny, full of inaccurate allegations and written by someone wth a serious criminal record, was aimed at a deeply-principled man. No doubt helped Nicola Blackwood to scrape in, but I can find no direct denunciation of it from Ms Blackwood. Christians don’t seem to be fussy about their allies.
Then there were the newspapers, in particular the Daily Telegraph.
Cristina Odone was editor of the Catholic Herald from 1991 to 1996. She is another ‘good christian’ who wrote an abominably nasty piece in the Daily Telegraph on April 19th. The Lib Dems are a Jekyll and Hyde party. Forget nice Mr Clegg. What about ‘Dr Death’? It is worth looking at it as a prime example of inaccurate, ad hominem, nastiness. It is also worth looking at for the comments: there were a lot of comments (thanks to an alert via Twitter) and most of them were along the lines of this of one of the first, from the redoubtable skepchick
"Thanks for the heads up, Cristina! Now I know to cheer for the LibDems. I want to know that if I end up in a vegetative state, I’m given a peaceful death rather than my own Telegraph column."
Most importantly, read the calm, diginified and polite response from Evan Harris himself.
I have never said that that the current abortion rate is not of import (you just made that up Christina!) and indeed have argued for more effective sex and relationships education as other countries manage and which also delays first sexual intercourse. And for better access to effective contraception. We can disagree on that too but best to have a rational discussion rather than a distortion.
I have never said “God is bad, his followers mad”. You made that up again Christina! I respect the religious view actually but believe that the state should be neutral on religion and it should not be privileged by the state above other beliefs.
My own comment took a while because of the Telegraph’s clunky registration system.
“This truly vile piece of writing shows all the tolerance of an Ayatollah who advocates rule by religious dogma (well actually, of course, by his own opinions). There could hardly be a worse moment to seek to impose catholic values on the rest of society. That church, including its head, has been seem to fail to report to the police the most vile crimes. It is in deep disgrace precisely because of its lack of moral principles.
One thing was very clear: she doesn’t understand the web. Her follow-up article seemed to think that the response was organised by Lib Den HQ! The Lib Dems’ spooky posse of internet pests. Sorry, Ms Odone, but these days concerned individuals can speak up.
Again there were many hostile comments, including quite a lot from christians.
“Speaking as a Christian, I find it amazing how many Christians are capable of being thoroughly nasty about people they dislike. I have made a mental note that if I ever find myself seeking a church in central London, I shall avoid St Brides, Fleet St like the plague.”
and from ex-christians
“Dr Evan Harris is more of a doctor than either you or Nadine Dorris are “human beings”. You are both spiteful, evil people, and you are exactly the sort of person that drove me to reject the Catholic Church, and ask for an official notice of my defection to be placed in the baptismal register of my parish.”
Father Raymond Blake is another cleric who thinks you should vote according to his interpretation of the bible. His web site is as political as that of the christian taleban of the southern USA,
and just about as charitable. He too uses the "Dr Death" abuse, with no consideration of what Harris actually advocates.
How is it that christians (and homeopaths) can be quite so unpleasant?
Religious people, and those with other belief systems that resemble religions are supposed, traditionally, to be warm, caring people, charitable, forgiving and selfless, That, at least is the image they like to cultivate. Of course it has never been quite as simple as that. Just think of the inquisition, the warring catholics and protestants and, right now, the sordid disgrace of child rape, and its cover up by the highest officials of the vatican.
Last easter, I added a bit to the 2008 diary section of this blog about why I’m not a christian It seems to be worth repeating here.
"When I was about 15 I went to a Summer camp which turned out to be run by christian evangelists (my parents swore they didn’t realise that it was a brain-washing camp). I was converted and became rather earnest. Then, at 18, I met a nurse. Being on Merseyside, she was Irish. And being 18, I was rather interested in sex. The price of sex was to go with her to mass, so of course I went. It was Easter and they were doing the Twelve Stations of the Cross. I still recall watching this, with mounting horror. The priests were just enjoying it too much. It was almost like a sado-masochistic orgy. The priests seemed to be almost masturbating. It was simply sick."
I was reminded of this streak of cruelty that runs through christianity by the comment made by an aide to Tony Blair who said
“I couldn’t help feeling TB was rather relishing his first blooding as PM, sending the boys into action. Despite all the necessary stuff about taking action ‘with a heavy heart’, I think he feels it is part of his coming of age as a leader.”
His enthusiasm for a war that has killed over 100,000 people (and cost a small fortune) seems sadly consistent with his catholicism,
Despite all this, some individual religious people have done good for humankind.
Likewise proponents of magic medicine are proud of their individual caring approach and this may indeed be helpful in eliciting a good placebo response.
The problem seems to be that neither group can tolerate criticism. They aren’t interesting in discussing anything, because they just know they are right. And if anyone tries to express an opinion that differs from their own, the niceness vanishes like the snow in spring.
The quotations above show the downright nasty vindictiveness of religious people towards an honourable man who happens to hold somewhat different views to their own.
Likewise the cuddly homeopaths show astonishing abusive nastiness to anyone who doesn’t believe in their magic. I allow them to say what they want on this blog but they routinely delete comments. Along with most of my scientific friends, I’ve been subject to abuse and utterly incorrect allegations. I don’t enjoy it, but if its the price of free speech, so be it.
I fear that these things represent the incursion into UK politics of the extreme polarisation seen in the USA. a place where religious people seem to think it is moral to shoot doctors who do abortions.
“Several changes include sidelining Thomas Jefferson, who favoured separation of church and state, while introducing a new focus on the “significant contributions” of pro-slavery Confederate leaders during the civil war.”
“The new curriculum asserts that “the right to keep and bear arms” is an important element of a democratic society. Study of Sir Isaac Newton is dropped in favour of examining scientific advances through military technology.
There is also a suggestion that the anti-communist witch-hunt by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s may have been justified.
The education board has dropped references to the slave trade in favour of calling it the more innocuous “Atlantic triangular trade”, and recasts the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as driven by Islamic fundamentalism.”
I voted labour in every election (apart from my very first) up to and including 1997. This is about my feelings for the 2010 election. Make up your own mind (but don’t let Rupert Murdoch manipulate you).
By 2001 election, I had been forced to the conclusion that Tony Blair had views that were well to the right of Margaret Thatcher’s, in many areas that mattered to me. so I voted Lib Dem. That was before 9/11 After that event, all doubt was gone, so the 2005 election it was Lib Dem again.
I won’t even consider the Conservative party much. I have never understood how anyone could vote for them, ever. The only choice for me is Lib Dem versus Labour. Let’s try to be fair. Labour has done some good things (though most of them would probably have been done by Lib Dems too).
Minimum Wage Act 1998 was a great innovation
The Freedom of Information Act (2000) was a major step forward for openness and democracy.
Nursery school places have increased
Heating allowances for pensioners (though not sure that I should have got it)
The funding for the NHS was increased considerably and it has been very good for me (see Why I love the NHS).
Funding for science increased considerably
Against the big increases for the NHS must be set the huge increase in the number of highly-paid managers, relative to the number of nurses and doctors, that has occurred under Labour.
Bad things that labour has done
It was obvious from an early stage that Labour were in favour of selective schools (but were not honest about). They certainly favoured religious selective schools, and still do.
The explicit support of Tony Blair for creationist schools and his implicit support for homeopathy are distasteful, but not in themselves sufficient reason for voting against him. The decisive thing for me is the Labour government’s careless attitude to human rights and free speech.
Nothing made that clearer than the Iraq war and its aftermath.
Saddam Hussein was a wicked dictator, Sadly the world has many wicked dictators. One wishes they would all go away. But only one of the world’s wicked dictators was singled out to be invaded. It was already clear before 1997that Iraq had been picked out by American neoconservatives as a ‘special case’. They didn’t get far until the election of George Bush in 2001, and the tragedy of the twin towers, 9/11, gave them the chance they sought.
George Bush was perhaps the most extreme right wing president in US History (as well as one of the most stupid). As someone who seemed to have difficulty in distinguishing between real life and a B-movie, his behaviour may not be surprising, but it brought shame on his country. His regime’s legitimisation of torture is, to my mind, the greatest disgrace that has happened during my adult lifetime.
It was with increasing incredulity that I watched Tony Blair’s poodle-like behaviour to Bush. It seemed incredible that any normal human. let alone a Labour prime minister could behave like that. The sight of two such men, both believing that god was on their side was scary in the extreme.
Some things are in danger of being forgotten with the passing of time. All these and much more were documented on my politics blog, up to the point when Blair left office.
Remember the US governments legalisation of torture. That caused no wavering in Blair’s support.
Remember the plagiarised dossier? Any student would have been fired for that, but Blair shrugged it off.
“I couldn’t help feeling TB was rather relishing his first blooding as PM, sending the boys into action. Despite all the necessary stuff about taking action ‘with a heavy heart’, I think he feels
it is part of his coming of age as a leader.”
Remember the Hutton report, and the vicious attacks on the BBC’s independence that followed it?
Remember the attempts to conceal ‘rendition’ (i.e. .torture by proxy).
Remember the wonderful efforts of UCL lawyer, Phillipe Sands, to expose illegal activities by both US and UK governments. He is someone of whom UCL can be very proud.
The good done by the Freedom of Information Act has to be set against their sloppy attitude to human rights, as evidenced by their constant attempts to extended detention without charge or trial. In 2004 I made the following poster, based on a dramatic front page of the Independent, 18th Dec. 2004. It is still relevant.
Click to enlarge
This followed the ruling pf the Law Lords that the government’s detention policy was illegal
“The real threat to the life of the nation, in the sense of a people living in accordance with its traditional laws and political values, comes not from terrorism but from laws such as these. That is the true measure of what terrorism may achieve. It is for Parliament to decide whether to give the terrorists such a victory.” Lord Justice Hoffmann, in the 8-1 ruling of the Law Lords that the UK government’s policy of detention without charge is illegal. [Washington Post] , [Original report]
The sight of Blair acquiescing to the wish of the most right-wing neoconservative government in the western world sickened me unspeakably, and still does, The happy days of 1997 seemed to be a long way away.
That was Blair, but Gordon Brown and most of the Labour cabinet looked on and did nothing.
David Miliband said “You’ve punished us enough about Iraq”. Well no, you haven’t been punished at all, Yet. As someone said on twitter, resuscitate the 100,000 dead and we’ll forgive you.
I’m still baffled about why the crowd that gathered in UCL’s quad for the start of the second great march on 20th March 2003, were able to predict the outcome of the invasion so much more accurately than the government.
Apart from the war
He has supported segregated religious schools and the reintroduction of "academy" schools, both being ways of surreptitiously re-introducing selection into the education system
He and Blair presided over an endless multiplication of box-ticking quangos. The intention was, no doubt to increase quality, but the effect has been exactly the opposite. Just look, for example, at Skills for Health, the QAA, the QCA and a multitude of others.
These are some of the reasons that I cannot vote "Labour" this time. They have become. in many ways, a party of the right, barely distinguishable from the Conservative party (and in some respects, further to the right). Remember that the Conservatives supported Blair in his love affair with George Bush, they support selective schools, they support religious schools. And they are even more likely that Labour to sell their soul to Rupert Murdoch. Imagine Fox "News" coming to the UK and be afraid, very afraid.
Why Liberal Democrats?
Since I find it impossible to vote Labour this time. they are the only option. But I think one can be a bit more positive than that.
The Lib Dems are more likely than the other parties to roll back New Labour’s attack on civil liberties
Lib Dems tax and green policies look pretty good to me.
The cost of replacing Trident missiles could be around £100 billion, and if that were spent it is doubtful whether what you get is useful under present conditions. Only Lib Dems would rethink this ghastly waste of money. Brown and Cameron prefer macho posturing.
Brown’s judgment about banks was wrong, yet he still won’t separate the casino banks and the savings banks. Lib Dem’s would.
Lib Dems have been more open about how cuts would be made than other parties (if not 100%). Vince Cable for Chancellor.
An‘early day motion1 (EDM 908) has been tabled in parliament which opposes the conclusions of the science and technology committee report on the evidence for homeopathy. After two weeks it has been signed by an amazing 55 MPs. That is 8.5% of all 646 MPs. Nothing shows more clearly the scientific illiteracy that prevails in the House of Commons (and, perhaps, the results of the mass mailing of MPs by homeopaths, who are clutching at straws)..
These MPs are all people who have difficulty with the idea that pills which contain nothing can have no effect above placebo. It isn’t rocket science.
Those of us who spend quite a lot of unpaid time trying to communicate the joy of science to the public, rather resent having our efforts undermined by these members of parliament. But at least we now have a handy list of them.
In case this seems a bit harsh, it is only necessary to point out that the EDM was tabled by David Treddinick (Cons, Bosworth). Mr Treddinick is renowned as the most extreme advocate of magic medicine
in the House of Commons. The EDM twists and distorts the evidence in exactly the way the committee’s report condemned so sternly.
Nothing is too barmy for Treddinick to espouse. His education at Eton and Oxford has led him to advocate homeopathic borax for the treatment of foot and mouth disease, and he has backed homeopathic treatment of AIDS and malaria. He is a major danger to public health. By way of background, Tredinnick was suspended for a month without pay for taking a £1000 bribe in the cash for questions scandal. And he was again in trouble during the expenses scandal. It was reported that
“The MP for Bosworth struck a deal with the parliamentary standards commissioner to pay back the £755 which he claimed for a computer programme that states it can help users to predict their health via the stars.”
Yes, really, astrology! You couldn’t make it up.
One would think that, with a reputation like this, nobody with half a brain would want to sign an EDM proposed by Treddinick. Well, not so. The list of signatories is amazing, and shocking.
The state of the parties is interesting.
Unionists (Northern Ireland): no fewer than 77% (7 out of 9 MPs) signed, including the infamous Ian Paisley and the recently famous Peter Robinson. Disheartening though this is, perhaps it isn’t so surprising from a group noted for religious belief, and consequently predisposed to believing things that aren’t true.
The seriously sad thing is that second place in the stupid race is held by – wait for it – the Liberal Democrats, with 15.9% (10 of their 63 MPs). That is tragic in the light of the fact that two of the very few MPs in the House with any appreciation of evidence are also Lib Dems, Phil Willis and Evan Harris (both on the Science and Technology Committee).
After them Conservatives with 8.3% (16 out of 193), and the best is Labour 5.8% (20 out of 346 MPs)
Here is the roll of shame, updated on 12 March (the last six signed in the last 24 hours)
I haven’t contacted most of these MPs, and of those I have only two have replied. I had a rather curt reply from one of the most surprising signatories (John Hemming, who was a Scholar in Theoretical, Atomic and Nuclear Physics at Magdalen College, Oxford.
Mark Twain’s letter
Thanks to @Count_Stuff on Twitter for reminding me about
a letter written in 1905 by Mark Twain. It refers to an Elixir of Life. By curious coincidence this popped up a week after I saw Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amoreat ENO (and a couple of days after I bumped into its producer, Jonathan Miller, in the RADA café). I’d love to quote Kelly Rourke’s witty translation of the quack’s song, but can’t find the libretto.
Given the ludicrous libel laws in the UK. I’d like to make it clear that the following item has absolutely nothing to do with EDM 908. Please sign the petition at http://libelreform.org/
You’re an idiot of the 33rd degree
In November of 1905, an enraged Mark Twain sent this superb letter to J. H. Todd, a patent medicine salesman who had just attempted to sell bogus medicine to the author by way of a letter and leaflet delivered to his home.
Nov. 20. 1905
J. H. Todd
1212 Webster St.
San Francisco, Cal.
Dear Sir,
Your letter is an insoluble puzzle to me. The handwriting is good and exhibits considerable character, and there are even traces of intelligence in what you say, yet the letter and the accompanying advertisements profess to be the work of the same hand. The person who wrote the advertisements is without doubt the most ignorant person now alive on the planet; also without doubt he is an idiot, an idiot of the 33rd degree, and scion of an ancestral procession of idiots stretching back to the Missing Link. It puzzles me to make out how the same hand could have constructed your letter and your advertisements. Puzzles fret me, puzzles annoy me, puzzles exasperate me; and always, for a moment, they arouse in me an unkind state of mind toward the person who has puzzled me. A few moments from now my resentment will have faded and passed and I shall probably even be praying for you; but while there is yet time I hasten to wish that you may take a dose of your own poison by mistake, and enter swiftly into the damnation which you and all other patent medicine assassins have so remorselessly earned and do so richly deserve.
Adieu, adieu, adieu!
Mark Twain
1 For those who are not familiar with the quaint customs of the UK parliament, early day motions can be tabled by any MP but are rarely debated and even more rarely lead to any action.
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I had never intended to write about climate. It is too far from the things I know about. But recent events have unleashed a Palin-esque torrent of comments from people who clearly know even less about it than I do. In any case, it provides a good context to think about trust in science,
Earthrise from moon. (click to enlarge)
My interest in it, apart from little matters like the future of the planet, lies in the reputation of science and scientists.
I have been going on for years now about the lack of trust in science, and the extent to which it is a self-inflicted problem. The latest reactions to the developments at the University of East Anglia and the IPCC may show the nature of the problem with dreadful clarity,
Many of us came into science because, apart from the sheer beauty of nature, it seemed like one of the few honest ways of earning a living. Most scientists that I know still think like that, but recent
events invite some reexamination of honesty in science.
How dishonest is science?
The first thing to say is that I have never come across anything in my own field that would qualify as fraud, or even dishonest. I did once have a visit from a rather distressed postdoc (not in my area of work) who felt pressurised by her boss into putting an interpretation on her work that she did not agree with. In the end, the bit of work in question was left out of the paper. That could be held to be dishonest, in that the omission wasn’t mentioned, but it could also be held that the omitted result was too ambiguous to contribute much to the paper. It was just short of the point where I’d have felt compelled to do something about it. But only just. That is about the worst thing I’ve encountered in a lifetime.
There is, of course, an enormous difference between being wrong and being dishonest. Any research that is worth doing has an outcome that can’t be predicted before the work is done. At best, one can hope for an approximation to the truth. Mistakes in observations, analysis or interpretation will sometimmes mean the announced result is completely wrong, with no trace of dishonesty being involved. But when that happens, others soon fiind the mistake. It is that self-correcting characteristic of science that keeps it honest in the long run.
Of course there have been occasional cases of outright fraud, simple
falsification or fabrication of data. How often it occurs is not really known. There is a recent analysis in PLoS One, about verified cases of misconduct in the USA suggested that 1 in 100,000 scientists per year are to blame, but other ways of counting give larger numbers. For example, if asked around 2 in 100 scientists claim to be aware of misconduct by someone else., The numbers aren’t huge but they are much bigger than they should be.
It isn’t perhaps surprising that the Fanelli study found misconduct was most frequent in “medical (including clinical and pharmacological) research studies”, which are often funded by the pharmaceutical industry, Basic biomedical research and other subjects were better, though sadly that could be only because they are less often offered money.
What gives rise to dishonesty?
It seems obvious that one motive is money, as suggested by the worst rates of misconduct being found in the clinical pharmacological studies, It is well known that studies funded by industry are more likely to produce results that favour the product than those funded in other ways.
The other reason is presumably the human desire to win fame, promotion and to get grants.
It is no excuse, but it is perhaps a reason for misconduct that the pressure to publish and produce results is now enormous in academia. Even in good universities people are judged by the numbers (rather than the quality) of papers they produce and by what journal they happen to be published in. Contrary to public perception, even quite senior people have no guarantee that they can’t be fired, and life for postdoctoral fellows, who do a large fraction of experimental research, is harsh to the point of cruelty. They exist on a series of short term contracts, they work exceedigly hard and have poor prospects of getting a secure job. In conditions like that, the only surprising thing is that there is so little dishonesty.
The enormous competitive pressure under which academics work is imposed by vice-chancellors, research councils and other senior people who should know better, It is a self-inflicted wound.
In other words, the authorities provide a strong incentive to do poor, over-hurried and occasionally dishonest science. Perhaps the surprising thing in the circumstances is that there is so little outright fabrication. The very measures that have the aim of improving science actually have just the opposite effect. That is what happens when science is run by people who don’t do it.
Given the high degree of insecurity for young researchers, compounded by well-intentioned but vacuous “training” from daft Robert’s’ "training courses", or the dismaly ineffective Concordat, the only surprise is that so many people remain honest and devoted to good science. Nothing raises the ire of hard-pressed scientists more than the constant emails form HR trying to force people to go to gobbledygook courses on "wellbeing". Times Higher Education recently did a piece on "Get happy", The comments are worth reading.
So what about climate change?
Out of thousands of pages in the IPCC reports, a single mistake was found, On page 493 of the IPCC’s second 1000-page Working Group report on “Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” (WGII) it was said that Himalayan glaciers were “very likely” to disappear by 2035. Glaciers are melting but that date can’t be justified. This single mistake has been blown out of all proportion. Furthermore it is important to notice that the mistake was found by scientists, not by ‘sceptics’. It is a good example of the self-correcting nature of science. Nevertheless this single mistake has provoked something close to hysteria among those who want to deny that something needs to be done.
On the other hand, the hacked emails from the University of East Anglia (UEA) look bad. It simply isn’t possible at the moment to say whether they are as bad as they seem at first sight, We just don’t know whether anything of importance was concealed, but we should know.
“The emails which are now public reveal that Mr Holland’s requests under the Freedom of Information Act were not dealt with as they should have been under the legislation. Section 77 of the Freedom of Information Act makes it an offence for public authorities to act so as to prevent intentionally the disclosure of requested information.”.
There was a big feature about academic freedom in Times Higher Education recently. One of the problems was what happens to someone who brings their own university into disrepute. But when that term is used, it is always used about junior partners in the organisation (you know, professors and the like). It should apply equally to heads of communications and vice-chancellors who bring their own university into disrepute, whether the disrepute is brought about by failing to comply with the Freedom of Information Act, or by promoting courses in junk medicine.
In general, conspiracy theories are wrong. I’m not sure how much of the distortion of climate data results from surreptitious funding of opposition to doing anything by the fossil fuel industry. The Royal Society is an organisation that is not usually prone to conspiritorialist views. That means one must take it seriously the fact that in 2006, the Royal Society wrote to ExxonnMobil to ask them to stop funding climate denialist organisations. This is a bit like the way Big Pharma has been caught funding “user groups” that endorse their products. Some newspapers like to stir up controversies about things that aren’t very controversial. For example there is a good analysis of a recent Sunday Times piece here.
Of course it is often alleged that "quackbusters" are funded by Big Pharma, though in fact the amounts of money involved are far too small for Big Pharma to bother. Climate deniers too like to suggest that there is some sort of conspiracy, arranged between hundreds of labs in the world to conceal the fact that there is no such thing as warming. I guess that shows only that deniers know little about how science works. it is an exceedingly competitive business, and getting hundreds of labs to say the same thing would be like trying to herd cats.
If there is a problem, it is the other way round. Labs are in such intense competition with each other, that it lcan lead to undesirable levels of secrecy.
Blogs in which researches have a direct dialogue with the public are a big help. As always in the blogosphere, the problem is to find the reliable sources. Two excellent sites, in which scientists (not journalists or lobbyists) talk directly with the public are realclimate.org and Andrew Russell’s blog. The post on RealClimate, IPCC errors: facts and spin, is especially worth reading.
Total openness is the only cure
All the raw data and all emails have to be disclosed openly. Everything should be put on the web as soon as possible. By appearing to go to ground, UEA has made enormous problems for itself and for the rest of the world. Some people object to total openness on the grounds that the other side tells lies. In the case of climate change (and in the case of junk medicine too) that is undoubtedly true. The opponents are ruthlessly dishonest about facts. The only way to counter that is by being ruthlessly and visibly honest about what you know, and why.
The UK’s Meteorological Office has, to its great credit, put raw data on line. That policy has already paid off, because a science blogger found a mistake in the way that some Australian data had been incorporated into forecasts. The Met Office thanked him and corrected the mistake. In fact the error makes no substantial difference to the warming trend, but the principle is just great. The more people who can check analyses and eliminate slip-ups the better.
Putting raw data on the web is an idea that has been gathering force for a while, in all areas of work, not just climate change. In my own are (stochastic properties of single ion channel molecules) our analysis programs have always been available on the web, free to anyone who wants them, despite the large amount of work that has gone into them. And we run a course. almost free, on the theory that underlies our analyses. Within the last couple of months we have been discussion ways of making public all our raw data (in any case, we would always have sent it to anyone who asked). Digitised single channel records are big files (around 100 Mb) and it is only recently that the web has been able to deal with such large amounts of raw data. There are also problems of how to format data so other people can read it, The way we are all heading is clear, and the fact that some people in climate science appeared to be hiding raw data is a disgrace.
Public relations is not the cure
,
It is not uncommon to read that science needs better PR. That is precisely what is not needed. PR exists to put only one side of the story. That makes it an essentially dishonest occupation. Its aims are the very opposite of those of science. The public aren’t stupid: often they recognise when they are getting half the story.
It is particularly unfortunate that many universities have developed departments with names like "corporate communications". Externally they are seen as giving information about science, and indeed some of the things they do are successful public engagement in science. Only too often, though, it is made clear internally that an important aim of these departments is to improve the image of the university.
But you have to choose. You can engage the public in science or you can be a PR image-builder. You can’t be both.
The matter came to a head in 2008 when, according to a report in Times Higher Education, the University of Nottingham issued a memo that defined public engagement as: “The range of activities of which the primary functions are to raise awareness of the university’s capabilities, expertise and profile to those not already engaged with the institution”.
The mainstream media and political blogs
The biggest problem of all with climate change is that it has become more about politics than about facts. It has become an essential credential for any conservative to deny that climate is changing. It is part of their public image, and most conservatives neither know nor care about evidence. Like Sarah Palin, they just know. In the USA especially, the argument is not really about climate at all. It is really about discrediting Barack Obama -a sort of swift-boat treatment that uses whatever lies are needed.
Just as with the great MMR fiasco and the promotion of its false link to autism, reports in newspapers and blogs must bear much of the blame for failing to inform readers of the actual underlying facts and, just as important, the uncertainties. Of course some papers have done a pretty good job, particularly the Guardian and the Independent in the UK, and the New York Times.. The political blogs, by and large, haven’t. The Huffington Post has made little effort (and publishes some appalling nonsense about medicine too).
The problem with political blogs and tabloid newspapers is that they are much more interested in sensation and circulation than they are in giving accurate news and information. Take, for example, the Guido Fawkes blog. To be fair, the blog itself says "The primary motivation for the creation of the blog was purely to make mischief at the expense of politicians and for the author’s own self-gratification. Its writer", so you know not to expect much, Paul Staines, was at the Westminster Skeptics event, Does Political Blogging Make a Difference? He makes no pretence of taking the news seriously, which, I guess, is why I don’t read his blog. After the talks I asked why his blog did little about climate change. His answer was "where are your sandals?". On the way home I tweeted, from a very overcrowded train (most trains from Euston being cancelled that night),
"On way home from #sitp political blogging. Learned that Guido serious about nothing but Guido. Narcissist not journalist."
It was good to hear Sunny Hundall of Liberal Conspiracy (the only one I read), but I found myself agreeing mostly with the chair, Nick Cohen. It would be a tragedy if the great national and local papers were to vanish. Guido Fawkes and Huffington Post are not remotely like proper newspapers.
Specialist blogs like this one are fine if you are interested in the topics we write about, but we don’t begin to supplant proper newspapers. Bloggers can and do occasionally get good stories. Those that are written by scientists can analyse more critically than most journalists have either the knowledge or the time to do. Bur they don’t come close to supplanting the detailed reporting in good newspapers of local events, what happens in law courts or in parliament. That’s why it is vital to buy newspapers, not just read them free on the web.
Follow-up
James Hayton, who is in nanoscience has posted his thoughts obout trust in science on his blog. I discovered this via Twitter (@James_Hayton). He also posted a beautiful clip from the Ascent of Man, in which Jacob Bronowski speaks, from Auschwitz, of the consequences of irrational dogma. I’m old enough to remember Bronowski on a 1950s radio programme, the Brains Trust, though James Hayton clearly isn’t. Now I enjoy equally his daughter, Lisa Jardine‘s talks about science and history.
“The CRU e-mails as published on the internet provide prima facie evidence of determined and co-ordinated refusals to comply with honourable scientific traditions and freedom of information law. The principle that scientists should be willing to expose their ideas and results to independent testing and replication by others, which requires the open exchange of data, procedures and materials, is vital.”
7 March 2010. Thanks to some kind remarks from Michael Kenward (see first comment). I sought wider coverage of this item in the mainstream media. Consequently, on Thursday 4 March, a much shortened version of this article appeared on the Guardian environment site. That piece has accumulated so far, 230 comments. The discussion of it has spread to the two blogs that I recommended, Andy Russell’s blog and RealClimate.org, though it has been diverted onto the side-issue of the letter from the Institute of Physics. The seemingly innocent idea that total openness would increase trust has, to my real astonishment, resulted in hysterical accusations that I’m a crypto-denialist. The constant politically-motivated attacks on climate science seem to have induced a paranoid siege mentality in some of them. There is a real danger that such people will harm their own cause, and that would be tragic.
Des Spence, a general practitioner in Glasgow, has revealed a memorandum that was allegedly leaked from the Department of Health. It was published in the Britsh Medical Journal (17 June 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2466, BMJ 2009;338:b2466). It seemed to me to deserve wider publicity, so with the author’s permission, I reproduce it here. It may also provide a suitable introduction to a forthcoming analysis of a staff survey.
Re: The use of ‘note pads’ in the NHS and allied service based agencies.
Hi, all care providers, managers of care, care managers, professions allied to care providers, carers’ carers, and stakeholders whose care is in our care. (And a big shout to all those service users who know me.)
We report the findings from a quality based review, with a strong strategic overview, on the use of “note pads” across all service user interfaces. This involved extensive consultation with focus groups and key stakeholders at blue sky thinking events (previously erroneously known as brain storming). This quality assured activity has precipitated some heavy idea showers, allowing opinion leaders to generate a national framework of joined-up thinking. This will take this important quality agenda forward. A 1000 page report is available to cascade to all relevant stakeholders.
The concentric themes underpinning this review are of confidentiality. Notes have been found on the visual interface devices on computers and writing workstations throughout the NHS work space. Although no actual breach of confidentiality has been reported, the independent external consultants reported that note pads “present a clear and present danger” to the NHS, and therefore there is an overarching responsibility to protect service users from scribbled messages in felt tip pen. Accordingly all types of note pads will be phased out in the near time continuum. A validated algorithm is also attached to aid this process going forward.
This modernising framework must deliver a paradigm shift in the use of note pads. Care provider leaders must employ all their influencing and leverage talents to win the hearts and minds of the early adopter. A holistic cradle to grave approach is needed, with ownership being key, and with a 360 degree rethink of the old think. All remaining note pads must be handed over in the next four week ” note pad armistice” to be shredded by a facilitator (who is currently undergoing specialist training) and who will sign off and complete the audit trail.
(Please note that the NHS’s email system blocks all attachments, so glossy, sustainable, wood based hard copies will be sent directly to everyone’s waste recycling receptacles.)
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b2466
Spence added a footnote, Note: The BMJ’s lawyers have insisted that I make it clear that this is a spoof, just in case you were wondering.
Here are a few more
There is an initiative underway to determine what we do as an organisation in the realms of drug discovery. The intention is to identify internal and appropriate external capabilities to foster a pipeline of competencies that enable some of our basic research outputs to better impact healthcare.
One of the most extraordinary bits of journalism I’ve read for a long time appeared as an editorial in the Sri Lankan newspaper, the Sunday Leader, on Sunday January 11th 2009 It was reproduced in the Guardian on 13th January, and inThe Times. It was written by Lasantha Wickrematunge, editor of the Sunday Leader, and it was the last thing he wrote. Days after writing it he was assassinated.
It is a plea for freedom of speech. In particular, for the freedom of journalists to tell the truth, It is deeply moving and it is also written in more beautiful English than many native speakers can manage. The second person to leave a comment in the Guardian said
“Extraordinary, humbling and deeply moving.
Cif Eds, please leave this at the top of the page for about a week, and then nail copies it to every available surface at Guardian HQ.”
Writing blogs like this one (and a thousand others) need some of the skills of investigative journalism. Those skills are not so different from those you need in science, Curiosity, a willingness to look under stones, a preference for truth over myth, some skill with Google and a good deal of tenacity. You also need to be resilient to abuse and defamation by people who disagree with you. But you do not risk your life. It does not take much courage. That isn’t true in large parts of the world.
Read it all. Here are a few quotations to persuade you it’s worth the time.
“No other profession calls on its practitioners to lay down their lives for their art save the armed forces – and, in Sri
Lanka , journalism. In the course of the last few years, the independent media have increasingly come under attack. Electronic and print institutions have been burned, bombed, sealed and coerced. Countless journalists have been harassed, threatened and killed. It has been my honour to belong to all those categories, and now especially the last.”
“The Sunday Leader has been a controversial newspaper because we say it like we see it: whether it be a spade, a thief or a murderer, we call it by that name. We do not hide behind euphemism. The investigative articles we print
are supported by documentary evidence thanks to the public-spiritedness of citizens who at great risk to themselves pass on this material to us. We have exposed scandal after scandal, and never once in these 15 years has anyone proved us wrong or successfully prosecuted us.”
“The free media serve as a mirror in which the public can see itself sans mascara and styling gel. From us you learn the state of your nation, and especially its management by the people you elected to give your children a better future.”
“It is well known that I was on two occasions brutally assaulted, while on another my house was sprayed with machine-gun fire. Despite the government’s sanctimonious assurances, there was never a serious police inquiry into the perpetrators of these attacks, and the attackers were never apprehended.
In all these cases, I have reason to believe the attacks were inspired by the government. When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me.”
“In the wake of my death I know you will make all the usual sanctimonious noises and call upon the police to hold a swift and thorough inquiry.
But like all the inquiries you have ordered in the past, nothing will come of this one, too. For truth be told, we both know who will be behind my death, but dare not call his name. Not just my life but yours too depends on it.
As for me, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I walked tall and bowed to no man. And I have not travelled this journey alone. Fellow journalists in other branches of the media walked with me: most are now dead, imprisoned
without trial or exiled in far-off lands.”
“People often ask me why I take such risks and tell me it is a matter of time before I am bumped off. Of course I know that: it is inevitable. But if we do not speak out now, there will be no one left to speak for those who cannot,
whether they be ethnic minorities, the disadvantaged or the persecuted. An example that has inspired me throughout my career in journalism has been that of the German theologian, Martin Niemöller. In his youth he was an antisemite and an admirer of Hitler. As nazism took hold of Germany, however, he saw nazism for what it was. It was not just the Jews Hitler sought to extirpate, it was just about anyone with an alternate point of view. Niemöller spoke out, and for his trouble was incarcerated in the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps from 1937 to 1945, and very nearly executed. While incarcerated, he wrote a poem that, from the first time I read it in my teenage years, stuck hauntingly in my mind:
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
If you remember nothing else, let it be this: the Leader is there for you, be you Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, low-caste, homosexual, dissident or disabled.”
This man puts to shame the those who won’t speak out in the safety of the West, despite the fact that they have nothing to lose but their ministerial jobs or their knighthoods. Or running the risk of being sued by chiropractors.
How about some nominations for Western journalists who live up to these ideals? I’d start with Seymour Hersh and Paul Krugman in the USA, and our own Ben Goldacre. It’s interesting though, that two of these three are not full time journalists. Blogs do rather better than most newspapers. They have become an important force for freedom of speech. That more than counterbalances the use of the web for promoting junk. It is a lot harder to keep a secret than it used to be.
A report has appeared on Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine. The report is written by people all of whom have vested interests in spreading quackery. It shows an execrable ability to assess evidence, and it advocates degrees in antiscience It would fail any examination. Sorry, Prof Pittilo, but it’s gamma minus.[Download the report]
“This week came the publication of the “Report to Ministers from the Department of Health Steering Group on the Statutory Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Other Traditional Medicine Systems Practised in the UK”. Otherwise known as twaddle.” . . .
“Regulate the practitioners – for safety, note, not for efficacy, as that is impossible to prove – and you give them official recognition. From recognition it is but a short hop to demand and then prescription: packet of Prozac, bit of yoga and a bag of dodgy herbs for you, sir.” . . .
“The Government responded on Monday – with a three-month consultation. So join in. Write to the Health Minister Ben Bradshaw at Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, SW1A 2NS. Write, on behalf of the NHS: “What I want for my 60th birthday is… the chance to provide medical, dental, and nursing care to all. And absolutely nothing else.”
Why is it that a health joutnalist can do so much better than a university head? Yes, the chair of the steering group is Professor R. Michael Pittilo BSc PhD CBiol FIBiol FIBMS FRSH FLS FRSA, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. Despite all those impressive-lookin initials after his name, I believe that this is a very bad report.
Professor Michael Pittilo joined The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, as Principal and Vice-Chancellor on 5th September, 2005.
After postdoctoral research on arterial disease at the University of London, he was appointed to Kingston University where he became Head of Life Sciences. In 1995 he became Foundation Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences at Kingston University and St George’s Medical School (University of London). He was appointed Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Hertfordshire in 2001.
Professor Pittilo has held a number of additional roles, including chairing Department of Health working groups, and as a trustee for the Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health. “
Notice that Prof Pittilo is a Trustee of the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health, source of some of the least reliable information about alternative medicine to be found anywhere.
This steering group is, as so often, a nest of vested interests. It does not seem to have on it any regular medical or clinical scientist whatsoever. Why not? They just might produce some embarrassing facts perhaps? Like most government committees its members seem to have been chosen to produce the desired outcome.
For a start, the university run by Prof Pittilo, Robert Gordon’s University, is itself involved in a few antiscientific courses. Since his report recommends that degrees in quackery should become mandatory, I expect he’d welcome the chance to run more. Amazingly, Robert Gordon’s University runs an Introduction to Homeopathy, just about the daftest of all the common sorts of magic medicine.
Most of the the members of the steering group represent vested interests, though strangely this is not made clear in the list of members. An earlier report, in 2006, from the steering group was more open about this. Twelve of the members of the group represent Herbal Medicine, Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (four from each). Most of the rest are lay members or bureaucrats. With membership like that it is, I suppose, not surprising that the assessment of evidence is, to put it kindly, grossly distorted and woefully inadequate.
The report starts badly by failing to mention that the House of Lords report (2000), and the government’s response to it, set the following priorities. Both state clearly
“… we recommend that three important questions should be addressed in the following order . .
(1) does the treatment offer therapeutic benefits greater than placebo?
(2) is the treatment safe?
(3) how does it compare, in medical outcome and cost-effectiveness, with other forms of treatment?
The word ‘placebo’ does not occur a single time in the main report (and only twice in the text of the seven appendices). But they do say (page 11):
“We recommend that public funding from the NHS should be used to fund CAM therapies where there is evidence of efficacy, safety and quality assurance.”
The evidence
The problem is that the assessment of the evidence for efficacy in the report is pathetically poor. The report, sad to say, consists essentially of 161 pages of special pleading by the alternative medicine industry, served up with the usual large dose of HR gobbledygook.
There is really no excuse for this utterly incompetent assessment. There have been plenty of books this year alone that make excellent summaries of the evidence, mostly written for the lay public. They should, therefore, be understandable by any university vice-chancellor (president). The one benefit of the upsurge in public interest in magic medicine is that there are now quite a lot of good clinical trials, and when the trials are done properly, they mostly confirm what we thought before: in most cases the effects are no more than placebo.
Here is one example. Annexe1 concerns “Developing Research and Providing an Evidence Base for Acupuncture and Herbal/Traditional Medicine Treatment”. The wording of the title itself suggests, rightly, that this evidence base does not exist, in which case why on earth are we talking about them as “professions”? The discussion of the evidence in Annexe 1 is nothing if not partial. But what do you expect if you ask herbalists to assess herbal medicine? An honest assessment would put them out of business. The eternal mantra of the alternative industry appears as usual, “Absence of evidence is, of course, not evidence of absence”. True of course, but utterly irrelevant. Annexe 1 says
“Acupuncture is a complex intervention and lack of a suitable placebo control has hindered efforts to evaluate efficacy”
This is simply untrue, In recent years enormous efforts have been put into devising controls for assessment of acupuncture, but they are entirely ignored here. One thing that has been established quite clearly is that it makes no difference where you put the needles, so all the talk of Qi and meridians is obvious mumbo-jumbo.
Have the authors of Annexe 1, and Professor Pittilo, not read the relevant studies? Two books this year have dealt with the question of evidence with great care. They are both by people who have been involved personally with acupuncture research, Prof Edzard Ernst and Dr Barker Bausell. Edzard Ernst is the UK’s first Professor of Complementary Medicine. Barker Bausell was research director of an NIH-funded Complementary and Alternative Medicine Specialized Research Center at the University of Maryland.
Singh and Ernst discuss thoroughly the question of controls and assess all the evidence carefully. Their conclusions include the following.
The traditional principles of acupuncture are deeply flawed, as there is no evidence at all to demonstrate the existence of Ch’i [Qi] or meridians.
By focussing on the increasing number of high-quality research papers, reliable conclusions from systematic reviews make it clear that acupuncture does not work for a whole range of conditions, except as a placebo.
In short, the evidence is neither consistent nor convincing. It is borderline.
Barker Bausell was himself involved in designing and analysing trialsof acupuncture. His conclusions are even less positive.
“There is no compelling, credible scientific evidence to suggest that any CAM therapy benefits any medical condition or reduces any medical symptom (pain or otherwise) better than a placebo”.
These are serious authors with direct experience in CAM research, which is more than can be said of anyone on the steering group. Why are their conclusions ignored entirely? That is sheer incompetence.
Degrees in anti-science
One conclusion of the report is that
“The threshold entry route to the register will normally be through a Bachelor degree with Honours”
This is utter nonsense. It is quite obvious surely that you can’t award honours degrees until after you have the evidence. You can read on page 55 of the report
“3a: Registrant acupuncturists must:
understand the following aspects and concepts for traditional East-Asian acupuncture:
This is utter baloney. Anyone who advocates giving honours degrees in such nonsense deserves to be fired for bringing his university into disrepute (and, in the process, bringing all universities and science itself into disrepute).
If making peole do degrees in mumbo-jumbo is not the answer, what is? Clearly it would be far too draconian to try to ban quackery (and it would only increase its popularity anyway).
The answer seems to me to be quite simple. All that needs to done is to enforce existing laws. It is already illegal to sell contaminated and poisonous goods to the public. It is already illegal to make fraudulent advertisemants and to sell goods that are not as described on the label.
The only problem is that the agencies that enforce these rules are toothless and that there are a lot of loopholes and exceptions that work in favour of quackery. I have tried myself to complain about mislabelling of homeopathic pills to the Office of Fair Trading on the grounds that are labelled Arnica 30C but contain no Arnica. They solemnly bought a bottle and sent it to an analyst and of course they found no arnica, But nothing happened, because an exception to the usual law applies to homeopathic pills.
“Consumers in the United Kingdom are to receive stronger legal safeguards against products that claim, without any identifiable scientific evidence, to provide physical and mental health benefits such as tackling obesity or depression.”
“The scope of the legislation is deliberately wide and is the biggest shake up in consumer law for decades. It targets any unfair selling to consumers by any business.”
Politicians seem to be immune to rational argument when it comes to quackery. But a few legal actions under these laws could bring the house of cards tumbling so fast that this gamma-minus report would become rapidly irrelevant. There will be no shortage of people to bring the actions. I can’t wait.
“It makes it clear that the lunatics have taken over the asylum. For a start, how could Philip Hunt, previously director of the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts, possibly have thought that “psychic healing” constituted a “profession” – let alone one which would “develop its own system of voluntary self-regulation?”
“One can see how this might fit in with the Government’s “never mind the quality, feel the width” approach to university education. One can also see how established practitioners of such therapies might see this as a future source of income – how pleasant it might be to become Visiting Professor of Vibrational Medicine at the University of Westminster.
Thus garlanded with the laurels of academic pseudo-science, the newly professionalised practitioners of “alternative medicine” can look down on such riff-raff as the “psychic surgeons”
Once again I have to ask, how is it that we have to rely on journalists to prevent vice-chancellors eroding academic standards; indeed eroding simple common sense? I guess it is just another sign of the delusional thinking engendered by the culture of managerialism that grips universities. | {
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Where Are They Now? Alabama Crimson Tide Legend Tyrone Prothro
In part two of my Tyrone Prothro interview, I find out what he's up to today and about his playing days.
What are you up to now?
"I'm currently working at Regions Bank right here on campus. I'm a bank teller and that's my job right now. I still have dreams to coach, but I'll be doing this until I get that coaching opportunity."
Have you been approached about any coaching jobs?
"I haven't, I really haven't put myself out there because I was looking for other things to start a career with and banking was what I came up with. In the end, I think coaching is something I want to do at some point."
In your playing days you were known as a smaller guy who would make the really hard catch and you were also known for some tenacious downfield blocking. What is it that drove you as a smaller player in the SEC?
"Just growing up I was the smaller guy and a lot of people doubted me because of my size.
"Even when I got to Alabama, I had a chip on my shoulder because a lot of people didn't think I could make it playing college ball.
"I've always been a stronger guy, I was a running back in high school. I never had a problem with laying a lick on somebody every now and then, so I took that mentality and put it into my offensive game. It just kind of worked out for me."
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Prothro wins the 06 ESPYS best play award
Of course everyone knows you for that one catch against Southern Miss that was immortalized in a Daniel Moore print. You were initially ruled in for a touchdown and it was overturned. Did you think you were in?
"When it happened they called it a touchdown. That was the first year that we were able to use instant replay or go look at the challenges.
"Had they not had it [replay] that year, it would have stood as a touchdown.
"Even though it was ruled down at the 1[-yard line] we were about to score. I was on the sideline and I was kind of upset because I wanted the touchdown. Nevertheless, it sparked us to come back and win the game."
Everyone wants to know, as the subject of a print, do you get a free one?
"I have my free one. Danny Moore gave me one after I graduated."
I think every kid when he comes to Alabama wants to be part of one of those moments that is immortalized in a print. How does it feel to be part of that?
"It just feels good to be part of something of that magnitude and to be part of history, really.
"When it's all said and done, this play will still be one of the top plays for years to come. People still remember it like it was yesterday. It makes you feel good to know that I will always be part of history."
What are some of your best memories of being an Alabama football player?
"I think running out of the tunnel and feeling the excitement of running out in front of what was 92,000—and it's a little more now with the expansion. But just running out in front of the fans and having everybody cheer for you.
"It excites you and it motivates you when you come out of that tunnel."
As a former player, what is it like coming back for games?
"Well there's still the love and the support of the fans. Alabama fans are probably the best fans you could ever have.
"When you leave and come back for the games, people still remember you and call you by name and remember what you did and they appreciate that.
"Just to come back and have that love and support, I feel honored and I appreciate the love and support that I get whenever I come back and go to a football game."
Have you had any access to the 2011 version of the Crimson Tide? What do you expect from this team?
"I've been over there from time to time and I definitely feel like we have a great team.
"We have an opportunity where if we come out and take care of business week in and week out, I definitely think we have an opportunity to make this a great season."
Everyone of course knows how your career ended with a leg injury—how is that leg today?
"I actually had surgery five weeks ago just to correct some things before I got too much older. It's doing well. I can go out and be active on it and run.
"It's not 100 percent, but I can go out and do what I want to. It still aches from time to time. You have that arthritis deal where if it gets cold or raining it will ache. But other than that I'm doing fine."
In your final attempt to come back under Nick Saban it generated a lot of fan buzz prior to the season, but ultimately you did not make it fully back. How close were you to making it back on to the field?
"I think it was a couple of things here and a couple of things there that could have been done differently to help me get back out there.
"Whether it was one of the surgeries that I just had, could I have had it back in 2008? But I had already been through eight surgeries then and I just kind of wanted to graduate and move on with my life and do other things.
"I feel like I was pretty close, I may have needed the surgery that I had recently. If I had, maybe I would have given myself a better opportunity, but I was at the point that I didn't want to have any more surgeries."
I noticed a story the other day about your old coach, Mike Shula, who is now the quarterback coach for the Carolina Panthers and coaching up Cam Newton. Do you still have any contact with Coach Shula?
"I keep in touch with him from time to time. He will text me or call me every now and then and check up on me.
"He always tells me about the girls and his wife. Everything is good. We still have a good relationship.
"A lot of people ask me if I hold a grudge against him. My answer is no, I've never held a grudge against him and I don't think it was his fault for what happened to me, it's just one of those things that happen and you really can't do anything about."
That was my final question, as time had run out.
It didn't occur to me to even question if he at all blamed Mike Shula for him being in the Florida game late in a blowout when he was injured. He, nonetheless, defended Mike Shula.
I know everyone has their opinion, but in the game of life bad things happen. If Mike Shula could have run out on that field and broken his own ankle with a hammer in place of Tyrone Prothro, I would bet my house he would have done so without hesitation.
Coach Shula may have had failings as a head coach, but as a man who tried his best in difficult times, he loved his guys and loved Alabama and he still deserves respect. | {
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Key to Aging Immune System Is Discovered
UCSF Scientist Leads Team Discovery of DNA Replication Problem
There’s a good reason people over 60 are not donor candidates for bone marrow transplantation. The immune system ages and weakens with time, making the elderly prone to life-threatening infection and other maladies, and a UC San Francisco research team now has discovered a reason why.
Emmanuelle Passegué, PhD
“We have found the cellular mechanism responsible for the inability of blood-forming cells to maintain blood production over time in an old organism, and have identified molecular defects that could be restored for rejuvenation therapies,” said Emmanuelle Passegué, PhD, a professor of medicine and a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF. Passegué, an expert on the stem cells that give rise to the blood and immune system, led a team that published the new findings online July 30, 2014 in the journal Nature.
Blood and immune cells are short-lived, and unlike most tissues, must be constantly replenished. The cells that must keep producing them throughout a lifetime are called “hematopoietic stem cells.” Through cycles of cell division these stem cells preserve their own numbers and generate the daughter cells that give rise to replacement blood and immune cells. But the hematopoietic stem cells falter with age, because they lose the ability to replicate their DNA accurately and efficiently during cell division, Passegué’s lab team determined.
Especially vulnerable to the breakdown, the researchers discovered in their new study of old mice, are transplanted, aging, blood-forming stem cells, which lack the ability to make B cells of the immune system. These B cells make antibodies to help us fight all sorts of microbial infections, including bacteria that cause pneumonia, a leading killer of the elderly.
In old blood-forming stem cells, the researchers found a scarcity of specific protein components needed to form a molecular machine called the mini-chromosome maintenance helicase, which unwinds double-stranded DNA so that the cell’s genetic material can be duplicated and allocated to daughter cells later in cell division. In their study the stem cells were stressed by the loss of activity of this machine and as a result were at heightened risk for DNA damage and death when forced to divide.
The researchers discovered that even after the stress associated with DNA replication, surviving, non-dividing, resting, old stem cells retained molecular tags on DNA-wrapping histone proteins, a feature often associated with DNA damage. However, the researchers determined that these old survivors could repair induced DNA damage as efficiently as young stem cells.
"Old stem cells are not just sitting there with damaged DNA ready to develop cancer, as it has long been postulated" Passegué said.
Molecular tags of DNA damage are highlighted in green in blood-forming stem cells.
But not all was well in the old, surviving stem cells. The molecular tags accumulated on genes needed to make the cellular factories known as ribosomes. The ribosomes make all the cell’s proteins. Passegué will further explore the consequences of reduced protein production as part of her ongoing research.
“Everybody talks about healthier aging,” Passegué added. “The decline of stem-cell function is a big part of age-related problems. Achieving longer lives relies in part on achieving a better understanding of why stem cells are not able to maintain optimal functioning.”
Passegué hopes that it might be possible to prevent declining stem-cell populations by developing a drug to prevent the loss of the helicase components needed to faithfully unwind and replicate DNA, thereby avoiding immune-system failure.
Among the additional study authors are graduate student Johanna Flach and postdoctoral fellow Sietske Bakker, PhD, who performed the experiments in Passegué’s lab at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF. International collaborators included Juan Méndez, PhD, of the Spanish National Cancer Research Center, in Madrid, and Ciaran Morrison, PhD, of the National University of Ireland, in Galway.
The research was funding by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Passegué recently was recognized for the research with a prestigious Glenn Award for Research in Biological Mechanisms of Aging.
UC San Francisco (UCSF), now celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding, is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences, as well as a preeminent biomedical research enterprise and two top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco. | {
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Dear Durham Democratic Women and Friends:We need you to pick up your pens and postcards today and write to the members of the Senate Insurance Committee. The Senate has decided they don't need to wait for the Governor: they can act to say No to establishing a Health Exchange and Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act.
The official title of Senate Bill 4 isAN ACT (1) TO CLARIFY THE STATE'S INTENT NOT TO OPERATE A STATE-RUN OR "PARTNERSHIP" HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE, (2) TO PROVIDE THAT FUTURE MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS WILL BE MADE BY THE STATE RATHER THAN THE FEDERALLY FACILITATED EXCHANGE, AND (3) TO REJECT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT'S OPTIONAL MEDICAID EXPANSION.
Pretty clear, huh? Just say no! Who cares about the 20% of North Carolinians who have no health insurance?
Will you write a postcard-a-day this week to members of the Senate Insurance Committee asking them to oppose this bill? Tell them it is bad for North Carolina. Medicaid Expansion will not only enable nearly 500,000 low-income North Carolinians to have health care coverage but over 6 years it will bring $15.5 billion dollars of Federal Medicaid funds into our state health care system. That means lots of good paying jobs for North Carolinians. We need Medicaid Expansion to grow our economy and keep our families healthy.
Start with Sen McKissick since he is our Senator. And then move on to the Committee CoChairs: Sen Tom Apodaca and Sen Wesley Meredith. A blizzard of postcards from us and from other women across the state can make a difference.
And don't forget about the HKonJ Rally and March on February 9. We've printed up a new Durham Democratic Women banner for the occasion so we can make sure our state leaders know where we stand on the issues. Look for us and join us at 10:00 AM at Shaw University in Raleigh. For more information http://hkonj.com | {
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Nuclear must be part of the climate change solution
The last remaining nuclear power plant in California will go offline, starting in 2024.
The last remaining nuclear power plant in California will go offline, starting in 2024.
I appreciate the passion and enthusiasm the editorial staff showed in responding to climate change (“Here's what averting climate catastrophe would mean,” Oct. 9). However as so often is the case, one person’s science “believer” is at the same time a science “denier.” I give you Exhibit A, nuclear power. Not once in the article is nuclear power mentioned as a solution, yet it is our best solution for zero-emission, reliable and safe power for the long term.
Sadly, those who enthusiastically support climate science turn around and become science deniers when it comes to other proven sciences like nuclear power, genetically modified organisms and vaccinations. You can’t have it both ways; you either believe in what science tells us, or you don’t. Selectively choosing the science you believe in is the ultimate hypocrisy.
Nuclear power technology today has made massive improvements in terms of materials, technology and safety that make it a slam-dunk winner to address our long term power needs. Renewables, like wind and solar, while feel-good, have gaping holes and cannot produce the amount of power needed, either now or in the future.
The New York Times has caught on to the value of nuclear power, and has recently chastised governments like the state of California, which recently shut down the Diablo Canyon reactor, only to realize its energy output needed to be replaced by … you guessed it, fossil-fuel powered plants. It seems that the so-called renewables could not be relied upon to fill the demand that the nuclear plant once did.
Sadly, the only thing getting in the way of eliminating our power-generation carbon footprint is the fear-mongering of science deniers. Please do not be selective in your application of which science to believe in, otherwise you become no different than those who deny climate change. You have an obligation to educate people on all sides of the issue, it’s time to start. | {
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Bentley Celebrates Entering Its 100th Year With New Film
Bentley Motors, founded 10th July 1919, is entering its 100th year of creating the world’s most iconic Grand Tourers, and the British luxury brand is honouring decades of innovation, achievement and craftsmanship by releasing a short film ‘Together we are Extraordinary: The Story of Bentley Motors.’
From W.O. Bentley himself, right up to the new Continental GT, the film touches upon the extraordinary characters, sporting achievements and successful models through the decades.
The film uses a striking combination of 3D-scanned actors turned into digital ‘metal’ sculptures; stylised archive imagery; and Hollywood-grade motion graphic technology to tell the Bentley story.
Shot using 4k ALEXA Mini camera technology and bespoke rigs, the film wasproduced by Oscar-winning visual effects company, The Mill.
It begins with W.O. Bentley touching an aluminium paperweight (the inspiration for his revolutionary aluminium piston design) to a wall which then comes to life, taking the viewer on an engaging journey across Bentley’s near-century of innovation and success.
The legendary Bentley Boys and Girls star, as do the Le Mans-winning ‘Blower’ and Speed 8, alongside Woolf Barnato during his famous race against the ‘Blue Train’. The film is also inspired by the shapes, surfaces and luxurious materials that have made Bentley the enduring automotive brand it is today.
Bentley’s Centenary – 100 Years of Extraordinary
In 1919 Walter Owen (W.O.) Bentley created a company with a simple objective: to build “a fast car, a good car, the best in its class”. This guiding principle has driven Bentley ever since, pushing the brand forward and making it the leader in automotive luxury around the world.
The 10th of July 2018 marks the start of Bentley’s 100th year and the countdown to the brand’s centenary in 2019. This extraordinary milestone – reached by only a special few companies – will be a cause for celebration of the company’s history and its global success today.
‘Together we are Extraordinary: The Story of Bentley Motors’ can be viewed at www.BentleyMotors.com/100Years | {
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Every Post in WordPress is filed under one or more Categories. Categories allow the classification of your Posts into groups and subgroups, thereby aiding viewers in the navigation and use of your site.
You can try using BulkPress. It allows you to create hundreds of categories very easily. Follow these steps:
Install and activate the plugin.
In the left side bar, hover your cursor on Bulkpress … . Then click
on Terms.
A new page will appear. In Taxonomy field, choose Category.
Insert your Categories in the Terms field.
Choose your desired Parent, if required.
Finally, click on the Add Terms button.
…
You can try using Term Management plugin. You can use it to bulk merge your duplicate categories into one. Follow these steps:
Install and activate the plugin.
Go to Posts > Categories.
Select the … categories that you want to merge. Then select the merge
option from the bulk option.
Type the name to which you want to merge these categories. Finally,
click on the Apply button.
… | {
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Armenia
England beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 79-65 while Ireland destroyed Armenia 124-35 on Saturday in Group B games in the European U16 Championship for men.
England owed their win largely to their exploits in the second quarter which they took 19-5.Ryan Richards was the undisputed star for the winners with 17 points and 13 rebounds while William J. Hall also hauled down 12 boards to go with his 14 points. | {
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This is a promotional giveaway where you could win the following prizes:
Top Level Domains [Like *.com *.org *.in etc]
Premium hosting for 1 year
Many domains
This promotion will run from Sunday, 12th October’ 2011 to 31st October’ 2011 00:00 hours (mid-night). Result of the promotion will be announced on within a week and prizes will be distributed to all the winners in the next 3 weeks’ time.
New day.. New office location.. New Seat..
So many new things happened to me before this new year comes.
Newness always brings enthusiasm and excitement.
Hope this New Year also comes with hand full of surprises as Every Day is a New Day indeed..!!!
When: 31 BC
Where: Rome and Egypt
What’s So Special about Their Love: These two had a love so strong, war was waged against them to break them up. When Mark Antony left his wife, Octavia, for the mesmerizing Cleopatra, Octavia’s brother Octavian brought the army of Rome to destroy them. These two lovers were so entranced with each other that they committed suicide rather than be apart- the ultimate Romeo and Juliet true love story.
Monday, August 27, 2007
I feel women are made by god to be much more sensitive and mature and complete than men. And that’s their beauty.They are elegant and caring and have this delicate sense about them. And their liberation lies in being able to do what they wish , but not in disregarding the modesty and elegance which is the essence of feminism. I mean , if a girl thinks her freedom is in wearing minimal clothes in public , she needs to see the thousands of ordinary girls all over India , who wear cotton salwaar suits and may be termed “behenjis” or “orthodox” , but have an inner confidence to go out and work as teachers and nurses , instead of being a Mallika
Thursday, August 23, 2007
The day began just the same but when I saw the so called wonderful “appetite-killer” breakfast which was an insult to the hen who laid the eggs that went into its making. If that hen tasted that omelette , she would spit it out and ask the cooks, “you killed my kids to make this piece of crap ? ” It was .....yuk!! I was wondering what has happen to Mankind ? Even the newspaper was the same. Man kills wife. Woman kills husband. Then both of them kill themselves. The same old Hum Vs. Tum battle, but without the songs and the happy and safe , Saif – Rani ending.
I have never been involved in a big accident
But I have seen a friend spend a year in bed , when he should have been studying in USA. He chose the wrong night to test his bike’s capabilities , and spent many a night regaining his own physical capabilities.
You have seen those advertisements on doordarshan. Use iodized salt to prevent swollen necks , feed ORS to munna when he shits a lot , wear a condom all the time , and the rest .You know how boring those preaching advertisements are. So I won't make this into another “drive carefully , your kids and your dog are waiting at home” advertisements.
So whenever you take out your car / bike / scooter / moped / bicycle / truck / bus / auto onto the road , just remember that a lot of people want you to return alive , primarily , all those guys whom you owe some money .If you drive some vehicle , please drive it carefully. It takes a moment to ruin everything. Do not allow that moment to happen .
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Yesterday , I was having a conversation with a friend.Since I was a part of the conversation , it was of shameful intellectual standards .I was talking about my haircut . ( I think I look cute after the haircut. I guess everyone found it cute ).
Suddenly , the talk moved onto a rather philosophical plane. Within a matter of minutes , the haircut talk developed into an animated discussion and my friend asked me this
" Have you ever thought what kind of person are you?".
I promptly coughed , murmered something useless , and then started talking about something else .The conversation ended soon after. ( Itne heavy questions poochegi to end karni hee padegi na ) . But then I got back to my room , jumped in my bed , drew my bedsheet over the eyes , stared into the darkness and thought
"What kind of person am I?"
I guess thinking about oneself once in a while clears up things , and then why should only celebrities get to talk about themselves and their favorite colors and favorite dishes ? I talk about what I think of myself as a person .
I read it somewhere that,
"The most uncomfortable person in this world is a person who is not himself."
I tore away the page carrying this quote I went home and pasted this sheet on the wall of my room .
But over the years , I have tried to practise what this quote said . So I have learnt to listen to myself . I have learnt to develop a sense of self security so I dont need to do things which make me 'cool' or 'happening'or 'smart'.
Improvement is something that belongs to my priority list , but pretending to please your senses is not exactly on my things-to-do list. In short , I am uncool , stuck-in-old-times , and strange to a lot of people , but I have learnt to be myself .
I am beginning to understand the importance of searching for happiness in the right places . Achievements , salaries , accolades , shallow relations serve as a rocket fuel for the ego , but an ego boost is as different from happiness .
I am learning from life , that things change , people change , and clinging onto anything is selfish and useless .
Anyway , I have already destroyed every limit of self indulgance tonight by talking about myself so long , so I will wrap up now. | {
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AbersochLife provides all things positive about this great village. Find places to stay, where to eat, things to do, general information and so much more. Abersoch is a stunning seaside resort on the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales. If you love the sea, mountains, watersports, shopping, eating out & socialising then Abersoch has it all.
Abersoch Life Editor 2018-01-12T10:24:15+00:00 October 19th, 2017|Comments Off on Winter Issue 2017 Out Now
With Storm Ophelia battering the windows, 90 mph gusts sending waves crashing over Aberdaron and even the normally sheltered main beach here in Abersoch looking more like Hawaii than our familiar Llyn Peninsula, it is [...]
Keith MacMaster was enjoying a very contented retirement when the news came through. On the Friday he was having a quiet drink in The Vaynol. His daughter Pennie and her fiancée Peter were browsing in [...] | {
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These are the subtle visual signs of a seasoned leader. They are the signs that he or she has been through something—a lot of something—and lived to tell about it. It makes them interesting and wise and, hopefully, courageous. They’ve had success and those are the tales they tell on their impressive bios, but it’s the stuff they don’t say in the bio that really makes a gripping story.
It’s the time they were fired or demoted
The days of leading immediately after 9/11
The failed acquisition
The bankruptcy
The months of breath holding while working to turn cash flow to a positive
The lawsuits
The affair
The alcohol or prescription drug addition
The wife or husband who left them
The children who follow them
It’s the trials, the story behind the story, that makes a leader seasoned, and like salt on a steak, the seasoning makes them better. Because it is in the trenches that they learn to keep getting up. And that is the lesson most of us need to learn during this extended time of corporate and financial uncertainty. We need to learn how to keep getting up, to bounce back, to survive, and to go on to tell the story to others one day. We all dream of having it easier, safer, and steadier, but maybe that isn’t what we need. Maybe what we need is the turbulence.
If you visit the Biosphere 2, a planet Earth research center at the University of Arizona, as you walk through the exhibits, the guide will point out that the trees are harnessed in place to allow them to stand upright and tall. While almost every force of nature such as the rainforest and ocean waves has been replicated inside the glass structure, the one missing is the force of a strong wind. Without the stress of the wind, the trees can’t grow strong and will fall to the ground.
And perhaps it’s that way with people, too. Without the trials and the struggles, we can’t grow strong; our roots don’t go deep enough to handle the pressure when the storm comes. Thus, it’s not a life without stress that we should seek but instead, the wisdom to create a life that can withstand the stress and the fortitude to stick it out when the wind is blowing on us especially hard. While some stressful experiences in the workplace can be daunting, without these experiences leaders are unable to stand on their own, learn resilience, and grow stronger.
We often evaluate our elected officials, presidents, and even corporations by the way they handle crisis. Franklin D. Roosevelt, FDR, led the United States during a time of worldwide economic depression and war. His message, “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” reminded citizens that we have the strength, resilience, and optimism to endure challenges and have a lot to be thankful for.
In 1982, Johnson & Johnson recalled and destroyed 31 million capsules of Tylenol after seven people were killed by cyanide found in bottles on store shelves. The staggering cost of $100 million dollars was a lot to overcome, but the quick, decisive action and introduction of tamper-resistant packaging enabled the company to earn trust and bounce back after the tragedy.
Apple Computer CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs said, “I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired by Apple was the best thing that could ever have happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”In 1985, Jobs resigned and the following year purchased Pixar Animation Studios.
Even athletic superstar Michael Jordan attributes his ultimate success to failing over and over again in his life.
The American Psychological Associationsays resilience is a process that can be practiced and learned. It’s not a trait of an individual, team, or corporate culture. Learning from the past and maintaining flexibility and balance in life is important.
How does a leader learn resilience, one of the key characteristics of a seasoned and successful leader? What are some of the strategies? Well, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. Different approaches work for different people depending on the personality and leadership style of the individual. Here are a few approaches that may work for various leadership styles:
Do what must be done. The practical, matter-of-fact-type leader might find comfort in doing. They are more likely to accept the things that can’t be changed and focus on the problems that CAN be solved. They will do best when they can establish a plan with a timeline and milestones, set goals, and get to work.
Connect with others. Relationship-oriented leaders can re-energize by reaching out to peers, customers, direct reports, friends, family, or even volunteering in the community to serve others. Seeking advice, communicating scenarios, and hearing stories of others’ successes and failures helps this type of leader bounce back and move forward.
Create a vision. Enthusiastic, insightful leaders may find they are at their best when they can write down a vision, consider the big picture and establish a long-term strategyfor achieving it. Communicating a vision helps them and others to visualize success in the present. Rallying others to the cause and beginning an exciting new journey or new direction in strategy gives this type of leader new energy and strength to move forward.
Problem-solve. Leaders who consider themselves primarily logical thinkers who enjoy problem-solving may find relief from a set-back by attacking the issue with an exercise in critical thinking skills the same way we might work on a complex puzzle. In some situations, they may even benefit from creating a little competition either internally with a game or a prize for the team with the solution or externally by toying with the competition in some fun, healthy competition.
Get creative. Imaginative leaders may benefit from creative expression. They may find that their best ideas for solving a problem or recovering from a setback happen when they take a break and focus on something else, even totally unrelated, for a short while. Even when they are stuck, they can benefit with creative expression by going to a conference, going on vacation, calling a brainstorming session to get fresh eyes on the situation, creative writing, or listening to stories of how others have solved problems creatively. They can create their own, “aha” moment and trigger new approaches to the situation hours or even days after such an exercise.
Reflect on key insights. Introspective leaders may gain new energy by focusing on lessons learned after a tough moment, event, or project. Taking time to debrief is a key military tactic and works in the corporate world, as well. Focusing on what to do differently next time helps maintain a positive outlook and focus on future success rather than dwelling on what didn’t work. It’s a continuous improvement mindset minus the over-emphases on perfection the first time. By doing this, the leader gains confidence, as he or she learns and applies new learning when faced with a similar situation again,
Benjamin Disraeli said, “There is no education like adversity” and before inventing the light bulb, Thomas Edison is said to have “found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” It’s through failures, stormy days, and turbulence that leaders discover their ability to get back up, their inner strength, and learn to live the stories that inspire us today and guide future leaders as they, too, weather the storms and struggle by struggle grow into seasoned leaders.
Bonnie Hagemann is the CEO of Executive Development Associates (EDA), a global leadership consulting firm that specializes in executive assessment, development, and coaching. Hagemann specializes in leadership development, executive assessment, and executive coaching. To date, Hagemann has conducted full coaching programs for more than 65 leaders in medium and large organizations, including seven organizational presidents. She has delivered 250-plus presentations and speeches on leadership, teambuilding, communication, conflict, and behavior. She has 13 published works and a book, “Decades of Differences: Making it Work,” released in 2010 by HRD Press.
Saundra Stroopeis a Talent Management and Organizational Development manager at ATK with 20 years of experience in Human Resources with an emphasis in talent, leadership, and organizational development. She has experience creating development solutions that align with business strategy and achieving results in a variety of industries (aerospace, defense, mining, energy, telecommunications, health care) at global and Fortune 500 companies. Her education includes a Master’s degree in Management, Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and professional certifications.
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Resources
True Nature
Excerpts about True Nature
All States of Being are Generally Experienced as One's True Nature
All aspects of Essence, both differentiated and undifferentiated states of Being, are generally experienced as one's true nature; this is because they are all recognized as the intrinsic existence and Presence of one's Being. The Personal Essence is experienced as such, as one's own nature and Being, but it is also experienced as a person. One experiences oneself as a Human Being.
Being as the Actual Presence of True Nature
We are in not using the term "being" in its everyday sense. Usually, "being" means mere existence, and that "existence" is, like everything else, experienced conceptually. The spiritual traditions, on the other hand, use this term to refer to the actual presence of true nature, which can be directly experienced. We are using the term in this latter sense. As human beings we are Presence, we are Being, we are actuality; we are not simply mental constructs.
Being the True Nature that Inquires and Reveals Its Truth
We continue to ride the razor’s edge until, at some point, our inquiring, our taking responsibility, and the self-revelation of Being become one thing. The inquiry moves to new ground. Prior to this, our inquiring and the self-revelation of Being might seem like two things, two forces interacting in a dialectic, interacting from varying degrees of proximity or distance until the interaction becomes so subtly and intimately connected that the inquiry is spontaneously happening as the dynamism of true nature revealing its possibilities. This is what I call diamond meditation, which means that we are being the true nature that inquires and reveals its truth. True nature inquires by being open and interested in its own revelation. Its inquiry is an invitation for it to reveal its mysteries. The inquiry and the revelation can become so connected that, at some point, they are one movement. Inquiry becomes a dynamic revelation, a nondoing with a dynamic engagement.
Characteristics of True Nature
The first quality of true nature is that it is inseparable from awareness. Our true nature is inherently aware. This is the fact of luminosity, the fact of light, the fact of consciousness. We know this because when we experience any of the essential manifestations, we recognize that Being is inseparable from some kind of awareness, sensitivity, in-touchness, or consciousness. Awareness is not something in addition to true nature; it is an inherent and inseparable characteristic of true nature, the way heat is inherent in and inseparable from fire. The second characteristic of true reality is that this field of awareness, this field of presence, is pervasive and infinite, and includes everything within it. In fact, it is a oneness, an indivisible unity. This is similar to the Buddhist notion of the “wisdom of equality or evenness.” The fact that there are patterns within the field does not mean there are discrete objects… The field is all one consciousness with different patterns in different places. So the entire soul is unitary as well. When we recognize true nature and we lose the sense of boundaries, we recognize that oneness pervades the whole universe. God has one mind. The third characteristic is that true nature is dynamic. Reality is moving and changing all the time. This is obvious when you notice that your perception of your inner experience – or of the whole world – is not a snapshot; it is a movie. It is inherently in a constant state of change and transformation. It is not a static presence. This is related the Buddhist notion of the “all-accomplishing wisdom.” Reality is a dynamic presence that is always changing through shifts in the manifest patterns. In fact, the presence of change is implicit in the fact of awareness; without it, there is no awareness. The openness of true nature is its fourth characteristic. Openness means an infinite number of possibilities – open to be anything, open to manifest as anything, unlimited in its potential. This is the indeterminacy and inexhaustibility that we discussed in the last chapter. Reality is always changing because its true nature is completely open. This is the space dimension of our Being: when you recognize true nature, you find it to be spacious. In other words spaciousness is inherent in the presence that is true nature. The whole universe is a deep mysterious nothingness, openness, lightness, and complete absence of any heaviness. And this very mysterious, delicate spaciousness has a luminosity inherent in it, a glimmer, a radiance that gives it awareness of itself. The fifth major characteristic of true nature is that it is not only awareness, oneness, dynamism, and openness, but also knowingness. This is similar to the Buddhist notion of the “wisdom of discrimination,” or the discriminating awareness of the Buddha. It is inherent to essential presence that it is not only awareness of presence but simultaneously the discrimination of the particular quality of presence, such as Compassion or Peace. This knowingness is inherent to presence, inherent to the awareness of presence.
How True Nature Relates
True Nature does nothing, but it is naturally aware because it is pure awareness. If we just let things be—if we don’t control them or try to direct them—we are naturally, simply aware. And in this awareness, we are present to whatever is happening. True Nature is so loving, so kind—infinite in its kindness and compassion and intelligence—that it relates to each condition exactly according to what that condition needs. And it doesn't give you an instruction that you cannot relate to. It doesn't try to tell you to practice something you cannot practice. In our work, we discover that True Nature responds to our limitations—our stuckness, our lack of development, our reactivity—appropriately and with attunement and kindness.
So that is what our practice is. We are learning how True Nature would approach our situation in the moment—how it would hold it, how it would relate to it. And we especially want to know this when we are reactive or scared or feeling stuck. That’s when it’s especially hard to know how to just be in a natural condition. You might hear people say, “Just be in your True Nature; remember what it is to be yourself and just be that.” For some people, that might work, but most people can’t do that at any time, much less when things are difficult.
Living Being, Total Being and True Nature
As we have been exploring the paradox of realization, I have been using the terms “Living Being” and “Total Being” more than the term “true nature.” This is because Total Being and Living Being refer to the totality of existence in all of its conditions. The understanding of Total Being reflects a view that sees many perspectives at once: the conventional perspective of a self relating to others and to the world; the essential perspective of a self that recognizes itself as an expression of a more fundamental truth or of a relationship to a larger reality; the boundless perspective of a field of reality in its purity, as the true nature that pervades everything and is the nature of everything; and many other perspectives as well. And, because it includes all of these perspectives, the view of Total Being refers to reality in all of its conditions, refers to all of these perspectives and their interrelationships—which means that Total Being includes the states of enlightenment as well as the states of ego. Total Being includes the many kinds of realizations, the many intermediate states, and the many conditions of suffering and pain. Recognizing the importance of the relationship between the particular and the whole—the reality of the individual on one side and the ground of true nature on the other side—can show us that Living Being is not simply true nature. True nature is the essence of Living Being, the true nature of Living Being, but Living Being is reality however we happen to be experiencing it. In the condition that reveals the inherent purity of Living Being, its true nature is apparent: luminous, spacious, and brilliant. In this condition, Total Being is pure goodness and total beauty, grace, and elegance. But Living Being is free to recognize its nature in its true condition or not. It can experience itself in myriad ways, including the dualistic or conventional way. And it is Living Being regardless of how it experiences or manifests itself.
None of Us is to be Blamed for Our Shortcomings
Each of the boundless dimensions in our work reveals to us and teaches us something about reality and about experience. We learn that reality has true nature. We’ve been using the concept of true nature in our teaching for a long time, and now I’m introducing Total Being, which is an overlapping, though not completely identical, concept. I am leaving it ambiguous on purpose. True nature is total purity and freedom all the time. If we only say, “Everything is always true nature,” that doesn’t account for the fact that most people don’t experience things that way. We could explain this by saying, “Well, that is because they are not aware of it.” But when we understand reality or true nature, we realize that people don’t really exist the way we think they do. So when we say, “They don’t understand true nature,” we believe that they are responsible for not understanding it. But when we blame somebody for not understanding it that way, we ascribe to them an independent existence apart from Total Being. They don’t have that; nobody does. So actually, it is Total Being that is ignorant—not the individual. An individual does nothing on his own because he is a manifestation of Total Being. So none of us is to be blamed for our shortcomings.
Our Essence is Connected to Our Personality
Our true nature, our Essence, what is real and unconditioned in the human being, does not exist in some mysterious realm, waiting for us to attack and slay the inimical ego, and then show up in glory. Our being, our Essence, the divine within us, is connected to our personality in a very complex and intimate way.
Our True Nature or Beingness is Beyond Our Usual Sense of Identity
In the course of this teaching, I’m frequently using the expression “Being” or “Living Being.” In some sense, I have been using these expressions in a loose way. What I mean is that as an individual consciousness, our true nature or Beingness is beyond our usual sense of identity, is not constructed by our individual mind. This Beingness is the Beingness of everything and everybody and is connected to true nature because it is the true nature of everything. And it’s not only that this Beingness is true nature, but also that this Beingness has an aliveness and a dynamism. As we are understanding ourselves and reality, at some point we recognize that there is something larger, something bigger and more fundamental than our sense of individual self or individual life. There is something that underlies it all, underlies everything and, ultimately, is everything. We can realize this truth to different degrees, which brings in the nondual view that reality is one indivisible unity.
Recognizing Nonconceptual Presence-Absence as the Ground, Essence, and True Nature of Everything.
We recognize this nonconceptual presence-absence as the ground, essence, and true nature of everything. It is the eternal ground, transcending all forms and phenomena as it manifests them. It is the reality of all phenomena, their essence and true condition. The realization of this ground is the recognition of true nature in its fullness in the condition of manifestation. It can be considered the experience of absolute manifest Reality, in contrast to true nature in absolute transcendence.
Recognizing that True Nature is Always Inseparable from the Forms It Displays
We can be contented with our present understanding of true nature as fundamental awareness where clear presence is coemergent with emptiness, or of true nature as a self-aware coemergence of being and nonbeing. Many wisdom traditions do just that, for this is one valid way of viewing the situation. Yet, we can also easily see that true nature possesses other inherent properties. Recognizing that true nature is always inseparable from the forms it displays points to another perpetual characteristic, that of dynamic creativity. Since there are always forms manifesting, manifestation or display of forms is an ongoing characteristic of Reality, and also since all forms are a display of true nature itself, it is easy to see that in the nondual view true nature is inherently dynamic, endlessly displaying forms. In other words, true
nature is not only coemergent awareness but also dynamism itself. True nature is, then, awareness inseparable from dynamism, just as it is inseparable from potential.
Seeing the Preciousness of True Nature
However, the moment you recognize that true nature is such a beauty, such a preciousness, you will do anything for it. No sacrifice is too great to realize that beauty, that radiant, lustrous preciousness. It is difficult to convey verbally the sense of this preciousness, this beauty, and the wonder and magic of it. Physical beauty is a very pale reflection of the beauty of Being, which is the nature of your soul. If you really recognize that the truth of who you are is so beautiful, so precious, so full of value, and so magnificent, you would devote the totality of your life to it. Everything in the universe, from beginning to end, is like dust compared to this magnificence, and every action and situation is expendable for this preciousness.
Sharing Our Very Nature
Our nature, in its purity, is complete. You can’t say that something is missing from it. It encompasses everything because our nature is the nature of everything; our experience of fundamental reality does not exclude anything. So when we are in the vastness of the ocean of consciousness, the experience of reality feels transcendent. But we might feel that we are missing something if we don’t have relationships. If we’re not sharing with another person, we start missing that. How often have you gone on a spiritual retreat and sat for a week, or have gone walking in nature and had an epiphany, and find that you can’t wait to go tell your friend what happened? There is something about sharing it, about saying it, about expressing it. There is something about letting other people know that a wonderful thing happened. This thing that happened to you, you want them to know it too. So we all want to share what we love. In doing this, we are sharing the very nature of what we are, the very beingness of what is all. We share with others our love for them, but we also want to share this freedom we have that is beyond anything in the world. The question of how to live from this freedom usually presents us with a disparity, puts us in a bind. How do we remain in our experience, unencumbered by worldly concerns—outside the world and its limitations, feeling complete freedom, freedom from all the sorrow and the suffering—and still participate in the world we live in? How can we be free and completely separate from all the limitations that we thought we had and yet be in the world with all of its limits? How to reconcile these two realms, these two loves? We love our relationships, we love life, we love being in the world. We might not feel it on some days, because living is very frustrating at times, but when push comes to shove, we want to protect our lives, we want to enhance them. We do things to try to nourish ourselves, make ourselves healthy, bring ourselves into greater well-being physically, emotionally, and mentally. And we also want our freedom, our delight, our expansiveness; we want to feel our fullness. We want to be authentic, to live in a way that is real and true, but we often feel that we have to get away from the world in order to do that.
Sometimes True Nature is a Teacher and Sometimes it is a Student
True nature is always the only truth that we wake up to, even though it has many faces and guises. It is also the light that illuminates that truth and reveals the truth of our obscurations, as well as the practice that expresses that truth. True nature is the guide that leads us to the truth. It is the teacher that points to the truth, that inspires us to appreciate it and to practice, and that supports us in the process of discovery, awakening, and transformation. True nature, the philosophers’ stone that opens all the secrets of existence, is the teacher, the guide, the truth, and the light. True nature is the single element, the elixir, that makes transformation possible. We cannot transform without the interaction between true nature and our life situations, between true nature and our own individual experience. It’s true that human consciousness can transform without the presence of true nature, but that is more of a horizontal transformation: Throughout our life, we can increase our knowledge or expand our emotional range or learn new skills. But the individual consciousness cannot grow spiritually, cannot awaken to itself and express that awakening, without the presence of true nature. As the transformer, true nature transforms itself from one guise to another; that is what a transformer does. Sometimes it is the truth, sometimes it is the light, sometimes it is a form, sometimes it is a teacher, and sometimes it is a student.
The Dynamism of True Nature Manifests Whatever is Needed
But the way I have been discussing true nature, from both the hierarchical and the nonhierarchical views, indicates that true nature is not a thing. It is a mysterious kind of truth that is continuously changing while also being a single truth. True nature is energetic, alive, and dynamic, always manifesting new forms, experiences, and insights. We can think of this as true nature always evolving or always developing or always maturing our souls. This is true and is a good way of seeing what is happening. But we might see that what we consider evolution, development, and maturation from the perspective of the individual can also be, from the perspective of realization, simply that true nature is manifesting whatever is needed in that moment. Evolution, development, and maturation imply a hierarchy of better and worse, of higher and lower realization. But the dynamism of true nature simply manifests whatever is needed, whatever is possible, and whatever somebody is ready for and capable of experiencing.
The Experience of True Nature as Nonbeing Does Not Mean that there is No Reality, No Soul or Manifestation
True nature is absolute being, but also absolute nonbeing. It is both presence and absence of presence. It is both but not exactly, because these are conceptual elaborations of which true nature is innocent. We say it is both being and nonbeing, or neither, only because these are fundamental concerns for the soul. Being is the last thing the soul needs to surrender as she opens up to her true nature. As she does this she learns about nonbeing. She experiences the emptiness and ontological absence of her existence, and everything else in manifestation. So she may believe that true nature is total emptiness, absolute nothingness, complete absence of existence. The experience of true nature as nonbeing or emptiness does not mean that there is no reality, no soul or manifestation. This is a nihilistic perspective that experience and understanding do not support. The wisdom of emptiness or nonbeing is an attempt to understand the final ontological mode of things. We normally believe that things exist when we perceive them. This belief is accompanied by a subtle underlying feeling or sense of what existence is. Things feel real in a substantial way. We consciously or unconsciously feel that the existence of things is a substantial solid quality. Existence becomes the existence of substance and solidity, which becomes opaqueness if we continue in this direction. In other words, we not only perceive that things appear to our perception, and not only believe that this appearance is objective and independent of our imagination and mental construction, but feel at the same time a sense of substance to this appearance, a sense of solidity. Existence for us then is not only the true appearance of things in perception but the imbuing of what appears with a quality we call Being.
The Integration of True Nature and Everyday Life
The understanding of inquiry we are discussing highlights the integration of true nature and everyday life through finding your thread--- being where you are, moment to moment, and following your immediate experience. As this luminous thread, which is the center of your life, manifests and unfolds, your daily life becomes an appreciation and celebration of the continuing manifestation of true nature in its various qualities, colors and forms. This flow of experience, of manifestations, is what we call living the essential personal life, in which the various situations of personal life become the context for Being to manifest its many possibilities.
When we understand the discerning capacity of true nature, we come to see that it teaches not only as revelation but as self-revelation. It illuminates itself and liberates itself by revealing itself. In its operation, this penetrating intelligence teaches us the capacity to learn. But as it teaches, it learns. As it reveals, it realizes. As it illuminates, it is enlightened. As it transforms, it evolves. We see that true nature is behind the whole process of learning, unveiling, and transformation. True nature awakens itself by guiding itself as the individual consciousness that appears to be inquiring. In reality, the inquiry of the individual is nothing but the way that true nature is revealing itself. It is Total Being functioning as the student eager to learn and as the teacher, outer or inner, skillfully guiding the student. This is the picture that we see when the discriminating intelligence synthesizes the role of the individual practicing and the action of true nature. It is a picture that emerges when this intelligence utilizes both dual and nondual perceptions in the same insight. This understanding is one of its awakenings: The inner teacher learns in the form of teaching an other which is a form of itself.
True Nature is Actually Transforming and Revealing Itself
We could say that true nature transforms our individual consciousness and our heart and mind so that we learn the correct relationship to true nature. But true nature is actually transforming and revealing itself. And part of the revelation of itself is the arising of this humility, this reverence, and this prayerful attitude acknowledging a mystery so fathomless that regardless of how much we realize and understand it, it is still new and there is always more to learn. The more we experience this innate reverence of true nature, the more we have faith and trust in its truth, power, and goodness. And as our trust and faith increase, essential activation intensifies and realization becomes more dynamic and more liberated. So even though there is the possibility of duality and the danger of self-aggrandizement, people who are activated in this way usually don’t become trapped in these; they are interested only in learning more about reality.
True Nature is Presence Which Is at the Same Time Awareness, Oneness and Knowingness
At the beginning of the inner journey, we usually experience Essence in one of three ways: as a presence that arises inside us, or that appears outside us, or that comes into us from the outside. These forms of experience, though real, are due to limitations in our perception, and can become veils if taken to be final. These experiences can be seen as an intermediate stage between normal experience and the objective experience of reality. When we experience true nature objectively, without veils, we recognize that it is neither inside nor outside. It’s everywhere – outside, inside, and in between. The field of awareness has no boundaries. This presence is an infinite field of awareness, which means that true nature is not the true nature of the human soul only, but the true nature of everything. True nature is nothing but presence, which is at the same time awareness, oneness, and knowingness.
True Nature is the Essence of Living Being
Recognizing the importance of the relationship between the particular and the whole—the reality of the individual on one side and the ground of true nature on the other side—can show us that Living Being is not simply true nature. True nature is the essence of Living Being, the true nature of Living Being, but Living Being is reality however we happen to be experiencing it. In the condition that reveals the inherent purity of Living Being, its true nature is apparent: luminous, spacious, and brilliant. In this condition, Total Being is pure goodness and total beauty, grace, and elegance. But Living Being is free to recognize its nature in its true condition or not. It can experience itself in myriad ways, including the dualistic or conventional way. And it is Living Being regardless of how it experiences or manifests itself. This understanding is inherent in the nondual view, but it is usually not stated explicitly. If we thoroughly understand nonduality, we realize that the dual cannot be separate from the nondual. That is, after all, what nonduality means—there is nothing but it, and it is one. That is to say, there is no other place; there is not another separate reality that is dual. It is all one reality experienced differently.
True Nature Makes Recognition Happen
It’s a subtle thing. In our teaching, we see that our normal minds simply do not have the capacity to recognize True Nature. When we recognize True Nature, it is actually True Nature making the recognition happen. From the beginning of our practice, it is True Nature that decided to make itself known through the practice. It’s not like we practice and at some point we recognize True Nature. True Nature is functioning from the beginning. The dynamism from the beginning is what is guiding our work, what is moving the whole process. The practice is simply recognizing that we need to get out of the way; we need to suspend our habitual orientation of goal-oriented doing.
True Nature Sometimes Simply Erupts
The cause-and-effect approach to understanding how things happen seems to have a lot of scientific and experiential evidence to support it. People who don’t practice don’t seem to develop spiritually; but there are exceptions. And one of the exceptions is that sometimes you have certain experiences—Being arises, true nature manifests—and it is not obvious that it has anything to do with what you were doing. And this brings us back to the side of grace, the side of spontaneous arising—true nature sometimes simply erupts, simply manifests and looks you squarely in the eye. There are many stories about people, ordinary people, who haven’t done any practice at all and one day simply wake up. As we observe the fact that realization can be decoupled from practice, we might begin to question the logic and the view of cause and effect.
True Nature Stirring the Consciousness of the Soul
The maturation of the soul appears at some point as the stirring of the enlightenment drive. And we interpret this stirring of the enlightenment drive as the interest and love and desire that motivate us to engage the spiritual path. It is actually True Nature stirring within the consciousness of the soul to reveal itself, as if to say, “Hey, you, it’s me. Where are you looking? You are looking in the wrong place! Look here!” But because we don’t yet recognize this revelation, we feel that this interest and excitement, this love, this longing, this yearning, is ours. We feel all sorts of discontent and existential angst and suffering. We want God, we want enlightenment, we crave the truth and, basically, we are full of delusions. And the whole time, we believe we are waking up. We are waking up in a sense, but as we are waking up, we are also perpetuating further lies. Fundamentally, we are misinterpreting the situation.
We Don’t Posit Presence or True Nature as a Goal for Practice
So the deeper understanding of practice and realization in our work is that we don’t posit an end state. There is no state in which we are going to reach an end. This is another understanding of no goal. In one sense, not having a goal means you don’t know where you are going next because Being itself doesn’t have a goal, is not directed in that way. But also, in another sense, practicing with no goal means that even Being itself is not seen as the goal. We don’t posit presence or true nature as a goal for practice. This is a subtle point. Many of you are thinking, “Yes, right, of course. Now we are getting to a subtle way of practicing where we let go of true nature as our goal, because that is the best way to reach true nature.” Although there is some truth to that, it is not completely true. Regardless of what you have experienced of true nature, regardless of what you understand of true nature, true nature will manifest itself in ways you have never known, in ways you could never imagine. So the moment you have a goal, no matter what it is, the moment you conceptualize it, the moment you know it, true nature will go beyond all of that.
We, Most Often, have to go through a Spiritual Journey
True nature, the fundamental nature of what we are—and of everything—is what matters most when it comes to spiritual transformation. It is the single most important element for liberation. The more we understand it, the more we realize that it is not simply the most important element; in fact, it is the only element because it is inherent to all the other elements that are necessary along the way. True nature, when we experientially and sufficiently understand it, is every single thing—every event, every place, all and everything. And all and everything does not have to be sublime; it can be ordinary and still it is true nature. However, it seems that to be able to accept this simplicity and to live a normal life with this kind of freedom, we most often have to go through a spiritual journey. We have to go through the various stages, the deaths and rebirths, the discoveries and awakenings, the enlightenments and illuminations. We have to experience all the subtleties and mysteries of reality. | {
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Teacher adopts former problem student and brother
CNN reported a former teacher in Baton Rouge said a fourth grade student’s behavior was so bad she thought about quitting being a teacher, but later adopted the boy and his younger brother.
According to the report, Chelsea Haley joined Teach for America to make a difference in a low-income school and ended up at an elementary school in Baton Rouge.
It added Jerome Robinson was a tough fourth grader who was the bane of Haley’s career.
"At certain points, his behavior got so bad," Haley said, "I thought, 'I can't do this anymore. I can't be a teacher.'"
However, the two eventually formed a special bond. Haley said she went to dinner with Jerome, his brother Jace, and their mother one day.
"Haley explained she was finishing her third year at the school, and planned to return to Georgia," the report stated. "'You can go back,' the boys' mother told Haley. 'But I want you to take Jerome and Jace with you.'"
According to the report, Haley filed the paperwork to adopt the two boys and they all now live in suburban Atlanta.
The report added Haley is currently a middle school teacher and all three are thriving. | {
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Superchunk, which is one one the area’s preeminent indie rock bands, still plays three or four of the songs from the album in their shows, according to frontman Mac McCaughan. He said he’s surprised those songs have stood up for 27 years.
“I’m surprised we knew this many songs well enough to record them,” McCaughan said in a statement. “Twenty-seven years later, we still play at least three or four of these songs live occasionally (one of them all the time…), which says something good about a few of the songs, anyway!” | {
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Breaking News
It's Time: Metallica Watches Unveiled
Designs based on album art and lyrics
It’s a great time to be a Metallica fan. The band teamed with Nixon to create a line of hard-rocking watches that are now available.
The collection features eight different models based on the band’s albums – from Kill ‘Em All to Hardwired… To Self-Destruct.
“The fact that each and every one of the band members wanted to participate and did participate in the project was special, man,” Said Joe Babcock – Nixon’s director of product. “Bringing that band’s energy to life through our product was awesome.”
Babcock says his team took details from Metallica’s album art and lyrics and blended them together to create the design of the watches.
“If you look closely, if you’re in the right light, you’re gonna find some more hidden messages and secret experiences on the inside of the watch.” | {
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Clearly the second most impressive performance in the ACC tournament (after Brandon Costner) belonged to Brandan Wright of North Carolina. Not looking like he broke a sweat the entire weekend, Wright needed to step for the Tar Heels since Tyler Hansbrough wasn’t himself playing with a broken nose.
Wright glided up and down the court effortlessly in every moment he was on the floor, not forcing a thing and looking extremely comfortable in his role as a finisher in and around the paint. At times you feel like things are just too easy for Wright at this level, as he’s never asked to go outside of what he does best and is therefore a little more difficult to evaluate than the Odens and Durants of the world, who need to shoulder much bigger roles for their teams. This is exactly why he managed to shoot nearly 70% from the field from the tournament, and is converting 66% of his field goals on the year.
Regardless, he seems to be showing a little more every game he steps out on the floor, for example in knocking down a 14-foot jumper from the baseline or creating a little bit off the dribble for himself. He gets his points primarily though moving off the ball intelligently within Carolina’s loaded lineup and presenting himself for easy catches and finishes within 8 feet of the hoop, usually with his gorgeous left-handed jump-hook.
What did stand out more than anything was the phenomenal athleticism, length, touch and instincts he has at his disposal. He’s a fluid athlete with excellent quickness and body control, able to explode off the floor effortlessly to finish bounce passes with a two handed dunk, catch alleyoops thanks to his terrific hands, block shots on occasion, or put-back any offensive rebounds that are lurking around the rim. One play that showed how his tools can be brought together all at once occurred deep in the second half of UNC’s blowout victory over Florida State. Wright ran the floor smoothly in transition with his guards and was thrown an errant alley-oop lob well out of his range, but somehow managed to still elevate and get a finger tip on the pass as it was sailing out of bounds to convert the basket with his left hand. These are the kind of instances where it clearly doesn’t hurt to have a 7-5 wingspan. On another simple play against Boston College, Wright went over the top of a couple of Golden Eagle defenders and stuck his hand in out of nowhere to tip out a defensive rebound to a streaking Bobby Frasor running down court for an easy layup in transition. You might not have thought much of it at the time, but there are only a select number of players in the NCAA who can make a play like that, let alone do it so easily.
Although he seems to be playing slightly harder than he did earlier in the year, phrases like “effortless” and “too easy” don’t get to attached to him for nothing. For example, there’s no excuse why a player with his tools should only pull down 11 rebounds over a three game stretch playing 30 minutes per game. This is the main beef scouts we spoke with in Tampa had with him, wondering just what kind of drive he has to be the best possible player he can be. That’s also where the comparisons to Channing Frye and LaMarcus Aldridge are coming from, although he’s clearly an even more naturally gifted player than those two. If he played with even half the intensity of his teammate Tyler Hansbrough, we might even be having a discussion about him competing with Oden and Durant for the #1 pick. It’s not that he’s lazy, he just has a very calm and relaxed demeanor to him. That’s all nice and dandy playing alongside a roster that is chock full of NBA talent, but at the next level that just won’t fly if he’s to reach his full potential.
It’s hard not to wonder how much better (or worse?) Wright might be if he was playing on a team with slightly less talent that allows him to just coast at times and score so easily off his terrific playmakers and the attention Tyler Hansbrough draws. Unfortunately, we might have to wait until he’s in the NBA to find that out.
Jackson State scoring machine Trey Johnson continued his fantastic senior season over the weekend, taking his team on his back and leading them to the SWAC tournament championship and his first ever NCAA Tournament berth. He was right on par with his 27.1 point per game average over the weekend, and came up big with scoring efforts of 32 and 33 points respectively in his team’s semi-final and championship game wins. He was the decisive factor towards the end of the game in the championship against Mississippi Valley State, scoring seven points in a two-minute span to break the game wide open with just a few minutes left. He also surpassed Lindsey Hunter on Jackson State's single-season scoring list in the process.
Johnson did a fantastic job of utilizing his size and strength against smaller opponents. He is a threat to score from the low post, but can also beat you off the dribble with his explosive first step and heady play. The former minor league baseball player does an outstanding job of employing shot fakes and jab steps, but is especially deadly when driving right. His three point range extends out the NBA line, and it is not abnormal to see him drill heavily contested jump shots off the dribble from 20 feet and beyond. Simply put, Trey is a downright scoring machine at the collegiate level and should be considered a prime prospect to develop into a legitimate scoring punch off of the bench.
It has been quite clear throughout the season that the Jackson State coaching staff was attempting to mask Trey’s defensive ability, or lack thereof. He doesn’t seem to have phenomenal lateral quickness or length, and often struggled throughout the year to keep his man in front of him when isolated upon. While on the topic of weaknesses, it must be noted that Johnson is extremely right hand dominant, rarely even putting the ball on the floor with his left hand and in the few instances he does, usually going back to his right hand. Any decent NBA assistant coach or bench scout will be able to spot this out a mile away, making him quite easy to guard at the next level if he doesn’t improve his off hand.
Friday’s game against Florida will be crucial for Johnson in terms of his NBA stock. He will most likely be guarded by one of the nation’s finest perimeter defenders, the super long Corey Brewer. It will be interesting to see how he bodes against the 6’9 Brewer, with strong performance against the Gator junior being just what Johnson might need to boost his NBA draft stock. Right now he looks like an excellent second round prospect for this June’s draft, but a strong NCAA tournament showing could surely allow him to find himself landed somewhere in the late first round.
Easily the MVP of the ACC tournament, Brandon Costner wrapped up a phenomenal (redshirt) freshman season with an incredible showing over four days in Tampa. He played a total of 151 minutes (nearly 38 minutes per game) despite participating in four straight games from Thursday through Sunday, something that even NBA players don’t ever have to do. Despite the obvious fatigue that had to take its toll, Costner was an absolute devastating force for the Wolfpack, playing terrific basketball while matched up against some of the best NBA draft prospect big men the ACC has to offer.
Costner is the perfect fit at the power forward slot in Sidney Lowe’s Flex offense. A natural lefty, Costner is equally effective with his back to the basket as he is facing it. He is an excellent ball-handler with his left hand, and has a pretty stroke with range that extends all the way to the college 3-point line. Most perimeter oriented big men are known more for their finesse rather than their toughness, but Costner is an extremely aggressive player who puts tremendous pressure on the defense and does not shy away from contact. He’s not overwhelmingly quick in his first step, but is extremely smart and crafty, particularly in the way he uses the glass to finish around the hoop. He’s a patient guy who takes what the defense gives him and is highly intelligent in the way he moves off the ball in the half-court, setting screens nicely and doing a good job making sharp cuts to the basket for easy finishes.
Once Costner gets to the rim, he lacks a bit of explosiveness to finish in traffic, being more likely to finish with a layup rather than a dunk, but is smart enough to know how to draw fouls and get to his noticeably stronger hand, his left. He got to the free throw line over 8 times per game in the tournament, and showed a very soft touch there knocking down his shots.
In the post, Costner is blessed with an outstanding frame and has excellent footwork and a great understanding of how to use fakes and pivot moves to get his man in the air. His touch is excellent once again here, and if faced with a double team, shows terrific court vision (like all of NC State’s players) to find the open man spotting up or cutting to the rim.
After having the pleasure of taking in a couple of his performances this past weekend in person, there is little doubt in our mind that Costner will emerge as one of the best big men in the ACC, likely as soon as next year. The only question we have is, just how good of an NBA prospect will scouts consider him to be? Only standing 6-8, Costner has the frame but not the prototypical height of an NBA power forward. He is just an average athlete on top of that, which shows up most noticeably on the defensive end, where he struggles with his lateral quickness and does not really go out of his area for rebounds. Offensively, he could still stand to improve his off-hand, as it’s not hard to tell that he favors his left strongly and will even switch hands in mid-air while on the right side of the post to avoid having to finish with his right. In terms of an NBA comparison, think of a mix between Brian Cook and Ryan Gomes.
NC State ran out of gas in the ACC Championship game against North Carolina and was not able to pull off the Cinderella upset to secure the automatic bid for the NCAA tournament, but few will forget the heart this young team showed off in winning their first three games. Returning most of their core, minus Engin Atsur, this team will be one to look out for next year and should be able to win an at-large bid next year with all the talent they possess and with the terrific coaching of Sidney Lowe. At the forefront of that effort will be their smooth and versatile power forward, Brandon Costner.
Ben McCauley and the Wolfpack had a great statement tournament in terms of showing their fight and overall skill. McCauley fits in very well with his teammates because of how fundamental and risk free he plays the game. It’s impressive how low McCauley’s turnovers were this year considering how much playmaking ran through him in the post. When you factor in the precious few minutes he received as a freshman just a year ago, McCauley’s production is more impressive.
McCauley operates almost strictly in the low post as an offensive weapon, though his superior passing ability makes him an excellent facilitator of ball-movement out of the high post as well. McCauley operated out of the left-side, low post for a majority of the ACC Tournament and did some decent damage from there as a playmaker. McCauley’s turnover’s were higher than acceptable at 3.8 per game, but his seasonal average of 2.3 per contest leads one to believe that McCauley was simply over-anxious to be a playmaker for the Wolf Pack during Tourney play.
As a draft prospect, McCauley is almost assuredly a four year man due to his average athletic ability, though his improvement from first to second year was quite encouraging. McCauley’s main problem is his physical tools relative to his skill set. As a seven-footer, McCauley would be one of the most intriguing sophomore big men in the country, but he is not. At 6’9, McCauley has a power forward’s size with the game of a pure center. McCauley hasn’t displayed any type of outside shot, taking less than nine percent of his offensive touches off the face-up jumper. His first step and dribbling ability are center caliber quality on an NBA level as well. His rebounding numbers aren't off the charts either, something that is a must for undersized players looking to buck the normal trend and stand out from the pack. Hitting the boards and hitting his free throws (67%) would go a long way toward a successful junior season showing marked improvement. He also isn’t the quickest guy in the world and won’t ever wow you with the way he explodes off his feet.
Overall, McCauley has a great feel for the game and has improved dramatically over the course of two seasons. As his game and body develop maturity, he should help NC State’s frontcourt gain the consistency it needs to win games and garner him some attention in the process. His skill set and size point to a pro career somewhere if he keeps developing his game, especially with a solid face-up game from the foul line extended. McCauley should be a fun player to watch develop over the remainder of his collegiate career, as he plays the game the right way and has a winning attitude.
Jimmy Graham caught the eyes of the DraftExpress staff during the Hurricanes’ surprising upset victory over Maryland and the subsequent hard-fought overtime loss to BC in the following game. Graham was the heart and soul of Miami’s team in these two games as he fought and clawed for every inch of turf underneath the basket on both sides of the ball. His defensive efforts were substantial in both help and man situations, particularly against ACC player of the year Jared Dudley.
Graham plays with an edge to his game, which makes him slightly foul prone. Some would even call him dirty, but we prefer the term “scrappy”. But Graham’s aggressive nature makes him an intimidating presence around the basket, as he will bump shoulders and throw elbows when securing a loose ball just as readily as he’ll dive on the floor to go get it. Graham didn’t put up amazing rebounding numbers, averaging 8.9 per 40 minutes on the season. His technique for rebounding the ball is very solid however, especially on getting inside position for offensive rebounds. Graham sneaks in front of his man when the ball is in the air and has very good timing for releasing off his man and jumping for the board. As is often the case with players in his mold, he just seems to want the ball more than his opponents.
Graham’s offensive game is almost non-existent unfortunately. He has poor touch from the free throw line and didn’t show much more than the rudiments of a running hook when he had the ball in scoring position. As a tweener power forward, Graham will have to add some type of offensive element to his game beyond toughness and timing. Graham’s rebounding, shot blocking, and steals numbers aren’t off the charts, so relying on those skills to get him to the professional level simply won’t be adequate based off of the level they’re currently at. A tough competitor and energizing player, though, he has some athleticism and certainly a good deal of strength and will. Graham has two years left at Miami to round out his game. He would be well served to watch tape of Eddie Najera, a player he resembles, and see how the Denver Nuggets combo forward secures his NBA paycheck with a similar approach to the game.
On paper, Josh McRoberts’ lone performance in the ACC tournament might have appeared to be a fairly decent outing judging by his stats, but considering the way it looked in person, as well as the fact that his team was upset on the first day, it was hard not come away disappointed by what he showed.
This was really a tale of two halves for McRoberts, starting off terribly and then warming up as the game moved on. He picked up two quick fouls and barely scored in the first 25 minutes or so, looking completely out of sorts on both ends of the floor and displaying some very worrisome body language when things weren’t going his way. It doesn’t seem to take much for McRoberts to completely lose his confidence. He looked sluggish and a lot slower than we thought he would, being extremely passive on the offensive end and not being able to take and make decisive actions without hesitating. On one particular sequence, he stole the ball from NC State and handled the ball beautifully all by himself in transition. As the defense recovered, he could not decide whether to take the ball in all by himself or pass the ball to a streaking Greg Paulus, instead doing neither and just throwing the ball meekly out of bounds, and then hanging his head in disgust.
Defensively, McRoberts was absolutely smoked by either of the NC State big men he tried to guard, whether it was Ben McCauley or Brandon Costner. They established position on him at will, backed him down in the post, and then got him in the air with a simple pump-fake to open up a clear angle for an easy layup. Part of this had to do with the foul trouble they quickly got him in, but McRoberts clearly needed to show a little bit more pride by not letting players score on him so easily on this end of the floor.
Offensively, he looked as mechanical as always with his back to the basket, struggling to get into any kind of effective post move without deliberating and taking the ball up extremely softly at the basket. It was if he were more concerned with avoiding contact than getting his team two points, which resulted in his shot being blocked on more than one instance.
Later on in the game, his real potential started to come out to a certain extent, making some great crisp passes and executing nicely on pick and roll plays with Greg Paulus, finishing with one terrific tomahawk jam after creating his own shot and then throwing down a beautiful two-handed reverse on another. In overtime he stepped up his game a lot more, but it was too little too late and Duke was sent packing before archrivals North Carolina even made it into the building.
McRoberts’ season hasn’t gone according to plans so far, both individually and on the team level. If he’s to recover his draft stock—keeping in mind that he was considered a lock for the top 5 up until not too long ago—he will have to show some more passion and fire in leading his team past the second round of the tournament. That’s not going to be easy of course, considering that his team is a 6 seed and they’ll likely be playing Aaron Gray’s Pitt if they are to make it past VCU in round one.
Kyle Weaver continued his solid all around play for the Cougars in their two game appearance in the Pac-10 Tournament. The long, athletic guard posted tournament averages very similar to his regular season numbers in helping Washington State advance to the tournament semi-finals for only the second time in school history. He has been a top performer all season long, second on the team in scoring, while leading them in rebounds, assists, and steals. Weaver is a classic stat-stuffer, doing a little bit of everything.
Weaver makes his living offensively by slashing to the lane, relying heavily on his tremendous feel for the game. Weaver uses every trick in the book to break his man down off the dribble: spin moves, hesitation moves, and classic crossovers. Once in the lane Weaver does one of two things. When he has the step on his defender he will go straight to the rim. With his long, thin frame, Weaver is able to finish more drives than he should because he has fantastic body control in the air, and a nice touch off the glass. He also does a good job shielding the ball with his body, drawing a fair number of trips to the foul line. If he doesn’t drive, Weaver almost always spins and pulls up for a jumper. He has a nice pull up shot and fades away from time to time, making it even harder to block. Weaver’s form is unique in that he tends to double clutch when he pulls up, but it doesn’t seem to have any effect on his shot.
Weaver is a guy that does a lot of little things very well, and the end result winds up being a solid contributor. He is a fantastic passer on both the screen and roll and out of the double team. He picks up the majority of his team leading 4.5 assists out of those two scenarios. What makes Weaver so much of a likeable player, especially to coaches, is the ferocity with which he attacks the boards. Despite his wiry frame as a perimeter player, Weaver still grabs more than 5 rebounds a night simply because he never gives up on a ball in the air, often times tapping it three of four times before finally coming down with it. Weaver has also shown that he is comfortable in the post offensively. He doesn’t go down low often, but when faced with a small defender he will drop to the block where he has been able to get himself good looks at the basket.
Tough defense is where Weaver really earns his playing time with the Cougars. He is second in the Pac-10 in steals per game thanks to his great anticipation and exceptionally long arms. He has the open court speed to turn an intercepted pass into a dunk at the other end of the floor. Just like on the offensive glass, Weaver is a workhorse down low defensively, fighting for every rebound. He uses his length to his advantage, tapping balls away from opponents to himself.
Weaver didn’t help or hurt his stock during his two games in the Pac-10 Tournament, but he has been showing flashes all season long of a player who could breakout next season as an All-Conference selection, especially with his potential to play as a big point guard in the NBA. There are plenty of facets of his game that he needs to improve on if he wants to reach the next level, specifically his outside shooting where he is an abysmal 24.3% for the year. His is a real hustle player though, and does a lot of things well, but nothing great yet. Look for him to continue to be a focal point of the Cougar’s offense next season. | {
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Move-in date for displaced 650 Parliament tenants pushed back again
Nine months after a fire at a St. James Town highrise displaced more than 1,500 residents, tenants are being told once again that their date to move back home has been pushed back.
In a notice addressed to residents of 650 Parliament Street, building management said the “unprecedented damage” and “massive repair efforts” are not allowing them to provide an exact timeline for tenants to return to their units.
Initially building management said residents would be able to return home in early 2019, but that date was pushed back in March to at least late August. However, the notice issued on Wednesday said re-occupancy will likely not occur until fall 2019, at the earliest.
While “good progress” has been made, building management said more needs to be done within the tenants’ suites.
“We simply cannot complete the building repairs efficiently with tenant content in place, and getting the work done and getting you back in as quickly as possible is our priority,” the notice said. “So, we are now considering the best way to remove and return your contents, and will turn to the courts (and work with tenant lawyers) for guidance.”
A hearing regarding the matter is scheduled to take place before a judge a month from now. Prior to the hearing, building management said tenants will receive legal documents by mail they can review.
“To make sure this is done right, we are asking the court to establish a fair procedure to remove and return the contents to residents and approve a potential offer of compensation for items damaged in the fire,” building management said. “Following the court’s ruling, tenants will be provided details of the process, and of course, are encouraged to seek ongoing independent legal advice.”
“We’re sure this process will raise many questions with residents, but the answers will only be available after the June hearing and the court’s ruling.”
Back in March, a spokesperson for the building, Danny Roth, said that about $20 million had been spent on restoring the building so far with another $26 million in work, bringing the total repair bill to $46 million.
The property management company for the apartment building has assisted displaced residents in finding temporary accommodations.
“While our primary goal is to return tenants to 650 Parliament as soon as possible, we have been working hard to ensure that all 650 Parliament residents receive comparable local apartment accommodation in the interim,” the notice sent out on Wednesday said. | {
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Shah Hussain’s acquittal a major blow to fight for women rights in Pakistan
The recent judgment passed by the LHC acquitting Khadija Siddiqui’s attacker has managed to thwart all efforts being made by right activists all over the country. This isn’t exactly a surprise; we live in a country where every step taken in favour of women, of anyone oppressed actually, results in two steps being taken backwards and this is exactly what has happened.
Women continue facing harassment and are then encouraged, rather forced, to remain silent and the few brave ones who speak up are denied justice. What happened to Khadija is the outcome of a poorly raised man, one who wasn’t stopped the first time he kicked a girl. What happened to her is the outcome of ‘boys will be boys’. It is the outcome of the fact that men, from a young age, are allowed to get away with small things which eventually result into them attempting to murder a woman. Of course, they get away with that too.
According to Khadija, the accused and his defence resorted only to character assassination and mudslinging. What’s worse is that these tactics resulted in a beast being set free.
So, while everyone has condemned what has happened, what does all of this mean for Pakistani women?
For starters, it is a major blow to the morale of all the women out there who are struggling to get women the rights they deserve. After all, if a woman can be stabbed brutally with the intent of murder in broad daylight and her attacker is set free, does it leave any hope for millions of other women? Women who are abused by their husbands, women who are harassed by their colleagues, women who are made to feel uncomfortable by their peers. If a woman stabbed in the middle of the day was denied justice, how can a woman raped in the dead of night expect it?
Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s earlier decision to withdraw security from Khadija further proves how the likes of Shah Hussain will roam the streets feeling empowered while millions of girls will live in more fear than they had been earlier.
Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s earlier decision to withdraw security from Khadija further proves how the likes of Shah Hussain will roam the streets feeling empowered while millions of girls will live in more fear than they had been earlier.
Furthermore, this will lead to any fear of repercussions being eliminated within the likes of Shah Hussain. Anyone coming from a slightly influential family will now believe that he too can get away from a crime as heinous as that of Shah Hussain’s. When freedom is sold out there in the open, nothing can stand in the way of a man and his monstrosity. Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s earlier decision to withdraw security from Khadija further proves how the likes of Shah Hussain will roam the streets feeling empowered while millions of girls will live in more fear than they had been earlier.
And finally, it brings us down to the basic concept of consent. Men already struggle to understand the concept of consent. If a classmate does not want to speak to you, you do not stab her 23 times and leave her to die. If a classmate does not wish to have anything to do with you, you do not stab her 23 times and leave her to die. Even if a classmate angers you, you do NOT stab her 23 times and leave her to die. Sadly, we butchered the concept of consent yesterday. Millions of other Shah Hussains will now feel entitled to committing barbaric acts simply because things did not go their way.
While the Chief Justice seems to have taken notice of the situation, it is sad that things have come to this point. It’s sad that for a case that should have been handled at its earliest, so much time is being taken. It just shows women all over the country that their fight against any injustice of this sort is going to be a long, arduous one with no certainty that justice will be served. As for Khadija, the man who attempted to murder her roams freely while security provided to her has been withdrawn. As of now, that man is a free man and will continue to remain so keeping in mind the precedent that has been set. | {
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Arm Your Mind With 2017’s Best Latino/Latin American History Books
Every year, university presses across the United States publish dozens of books documenting the Chicano-Latino experience through history, culture, music, immigration, biography, race, and so much more. Unfortunately, most of them – while tackling important and fascinating subjects – get next-to-no mainstream attention because they’re written for an academic audience, which means high prices, a bunch of egghead gobbledygook, and stilted writing that makes reading them a chore few people bother to undertake.
That’s why it’s always important to highlight the ones that cross over – the ones that tell great stories, offer groundbreaking research, and are just a delight to read. Following is the best academic books about Latinos published 2017 (with one oldie-but-goodie thrown in the mix). Enjoy, and profes: write for el pueblo, not for the ivory tower.
The Tide Was Always High: Latin Music in Los Angeles
This spectacular collection of essays features the many ways Latin music has influenced Los Angeles and beyond, from a history of son jarocho in Southern California to the early days of queer Latino clubs to a hilarious analysis by Los Angeles Times culture critic Carolina A. Miranda about how Peruvian exotica-music queen Yma Sumac ended up in LA. But the best part is the oral history section – where South American session players, who backed everyone from Blondie to Jackson Browne and many other famous American music stars, finally get their due.
Latin American Women Filmmakers: Social and Cultural Perspectives
You gotta love a book with a cover that re-imagines Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz with a movie camera instead of a pen. And it gets better inside, with analyses of the films and careers of pioneering Latin American female filmmakers, such as Mexico’s María Novaro, Argentine Lucía Puenzo, and the Brazilian Suzana Amaral.
Flying Under the Radar with the Royal Chicano Air Force
As one of the first Chicano art collectives, the Royal Chicano Air Force influenced everything from the revival of Dia de los Muertos in the United States to the famous murals at Chicano Park in San Diego’s Barrio Logan. This is the first-ever study on its history (following its own The Accidental Archives of the Royal Chicano Air Force last year), and author Ella Maria Diaz expertly writes on its projects and impact without ever losing sight of how hilarious the collective was.
The Lynching of Mexicans in the Texas Borderlands
Disturbing, essential read about how the Mexican Revolution brought violence upon Mexicans in Texas in numbers and carnage unseen since the aftermath of the Mexican-American War. University of Colorado Professor Nicholas Villanueva, Jr. focuses on two cases – a 20-year-old burned alive by a mob, and Leon Martinez, Jr. executed despite being a teenager – through court testimony, newspaper clippings, and property records. “What I am most proud of,” he told Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine last month, “is finding the voice of the forgotten dead.”
Assassination of a Saint: The Plot to Murder Óscar Romero and the Quest to Bring His Killers to Justice
The story of how Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero was martyred while saying mass is well-known, but not getting as much attention is the fight to hold his killers accountable. Author Matt Eisenbrandt helped to investigate the trail of death squads and money that led to Bishop Romero’s murder, giving a great account about how his law firm achieved the first-ever court verdict against the guilty in a California courtroom.
L.A. Mexicano: Recipe, People and Places
Yeah, I wrote the forward to this book, but it’s the only boring part. James Beard winner Bill Esparza does the first-ever history of Mexican food in Los Angeles, with profiles of pioneers, stalwarts, and Alta California masters. Featuring gorgeous photos and recipes for you to try and make the good stuff.
The title is a bit complicated; the writing of St. John’s University English professor Steven Alvarez isn’t, as he gives an ethnographic account of an after school program in New York City (or, as Mexicans call it, “Puebla York”) that helps Mexican immigrants learn English, their children keep their Spanish, and unites the two to achieve academic excellence.
La India María: Mexploitation and the Films of María Elena Velasco
María Elena Velasco directed and starred in films featuring La India María, an indigenous woman with a propensity to get into trouble but whose antics were actually sly commentaries on indigeneity, machismo, class, and immigration during the 1970s and 1980s. She gets nowhere near the credit she deserves by American film scholars. Author Seraina Rohrer corrects that with this book, featuring interviews with Velasco and her contemporaries, along with breakdowns of all her films.
U.S. Central Americans: Reconstructing Memories, Struggles, and Communities of Resistance
There are still not enough academic books about Central Americans in the United States (or books, period), so this collection is especially welcomed. The primary focus is on Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Maya experiences in Los Angeles, but the best chapter is University of Maryland literature professor Ana Patricia Rodríguez’s examination of Salvadoran migration to San Francisco in the 1960s and 1970s, before the Civil War.
BONUS: Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza
In the era of Trump, there’s no better time to read Gloria Anzaldúa’s legendary treatise (released in 1987) on mestizaje. Google honored her with a doodle this year on occasion of her 75th birthday, and its remembrance ended with her wise words: “To survive the Borderlands/you must live sin fronteras/be a crossroads.” | {
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Daemonicus Issues Recording Studio Update
Swedish death metal band Daemonicus has issued the following update about entering the recording studio:
"Hell-O! Daemonicus have finally entered C.C.H.B. studio for the recording of the second full length album. The producer is the all mighty Krille Krilltrack Englund. Krilltrack was also the producer and mix/master of our latest EP '11th Hour.'
"This full length album will contain 10 tracks off pure brutality. Stay tuned for more updates as we go along!"
Images from the studio can also be found by heading over to this location. | {
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The Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip has reported that Israeli soldiers injured, Friday, 1143 Palestinians, including 83 with live fire, among them three who suffered serious wounds, and added that the soldiers injured 149 children and targeted medics and journalists, wounding eight of them.
Todayâs procession, dubbed as the Friday of workers, was held near the border fence in several parts of the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Health Ministry said the soldiers injured 1143 Palestinians, including 83 with live fire, and added that among the wounded are 149 children and 78 women.
It added that the soldiers targeted medics, ambulances and reporters, wounding three medics and five journalists.
  The soldiers also fired gas bombs at two ambulances east of Khuzaâa, east of Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, casing damage.
The army also used high-velocity gas bombs that have a longer range, which led to injuries among Palestinians, including children, in areas far from the border fence.
The Israeli army also used loud speakers warning the protesters that it has sharpshooters along the border fence and threatening to kill anyone who approaches or crosses it, while many youngsters burnt tires to create smokescreens that would reduce the sniper scope vision of the soldiers.
On Friday evening, many Palestinians managed to cross the border fence and entered Karem Abu Salem military base, burnt rooms and took some computers and documents, before more soldiers arrived at the scene and started firing live rounds at the youngsters who then left the area.
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The video above of an infant, Ekram, only 6 months of age, who suffered the severe effects of teargas inhalation, due to the Israeli high-velocity gas bombs, east of Gaza city.
During Fridayâs protests, which only came days after International Workersâ Day on May 1, the Palestinians aimed at drawing attention to the ongoing and escalating suffering in the besieged coastal region, especially under the dire economic conditions and high rates of unemployment, reaching %43.6, while %80 of the residents depend of international aid to survive.
The mass protests were held, Friday, for the sixth consecutive week as part of the âGreat March of Return,” and will continue until May 15th, the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe) Day.
At least 430 Palestinian civilians, including three journalists, were injured by live shots or suffocated from teargas inhalation on Friday, as Israeli forces attacked the protests of the ongoing Great March of Return, at many encampments on the Gaza-Israel border.
69 protesters were reportedly shot and injured by live bullets, while the remainder suffocated from teargas inhalation, according to WAFA.
Journalist Abdul-Rahman al-Khatib intensely suffocated from teargas inhalation, and journalist Sulaiman Abu Zarifa was hit and injured by a teargas canister in his leg, while journalist Hamza Shami was hit by a canister in his shoulder, according to press sources.
According to the Health Ministry, since the protests began on March 30, Israeli forces have killed 45 protestors, including two journalists )Yasser Murtaja and Ahmed Abu Hussein) who were both shot despite wearing protective jackets marked with the word âPRESSâ.
The 46-day Great March of Return protests started on March 30 and are set to reach a crescendo on May 15, which marks the 70th anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe), in which over 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes to make way for the creation of Israel in 1948.
Dubbed the “Friday of Palestinian Workers”, todayâs protest comes three days after the International Workersâ Day and seeks to highlight the plight of Palestinian workers in the besieged coastal enclave, where over 40 percent of the population is unemployed.
More Palestinians are expected to arrive to encampments set up in five locations along Gaza border, including Khan Younis, Rafah and al-Bureij refugee camp, to demand their right of return to their villages and towns they were forcibly displaced from in 1948. | {
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335/N54 fanboys get panties in a twist over a bolt on DCT E92 M3 pulling a JB4 tuned bolt on 335i
335/N54 fanboys get panties in a twist over a bolt on DCT E92 M3 pulling a JB4 tuned bolt on 335i
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335/N54 fanboys get panties in a twist over a bolt on DCT E92 M3 pulling a JB4 tuned bolt on 335i
Oh yes, here we go the millionth time, the ever popular 335 versus M3 discussion. A user posted the video below of a bolt on DCT E92 M3 pulling a JB4 tuned 335i in the forums and the N54 fanboys went for the pitchforks and torches. For whatever reason 335 owners in particular seem to really want to attack the E92 M3 perhaps in justification of their own purchase. There is the typical "oh I didn't get an M3 because a tuned 335 is faster" nonsense that N54 fanboys tend to comfort themselves with in the never ending M3 versus 335 debate.
Even though the 335 in this video may have more power and torque in tuned form which the fanboys love to point out the other side of the coin is that the M3's redline and transmission are a huge advantage. Gearing is an area the M3 simply has an advantage over the 335 in and the transmission makes a big difference as one can see the shift speed in lower gears is really what gives the M3 the gains it sees in the race early on.
Up top, the tuned 335's horsepower advantage comes into play as the cars spend more time in gear negating the gear change advantage provided by the DCT allowing the 335 to inch up and close the gap.
This video is a good real world example as without race gas or meth a 335 will struggle against a tuned M3 especially one with DCT. Of course 335 owners will point out they can upgrade their turbos. Then M3 owners will say they can supercharge. Then the debate escalates and escalate and there are dozens of pages to read of M3 and 335 owners essentially throwing feces at each other. BMW fans, just enjoy 335 versus M3 round 400,000 in the video below.
Tq multiplication blah blah blah....everyone that is serious about modding a m3 gets a blower...why? Bc on the street, without a blower, the e9x m3 isn't a fast car. This is the argument LM makes, and this is what I thought when I test drove a m3. We aren't talking about track performance, I'm talking about driving on the street.
I cant bring myself to spend more money on a slower car. When BMW gets the next gen m3 on the street,it will be a different story.
I find it funny that every time a conversation comes up about the m3 having no tq, people start whipping out graphs, tq multiplication, blah blah. Comparing the s65 to a z06, really?
The bottom line is, when you step out of a fbo 335, and turn the key on a e9x m3....it just feels dull
Ya 400 horsepower cars are slow on the street. I had trouble merging when a prius was in the next lane. Seriously?
The M3 is pretty damn quick as it sits. We're spoiled with horsepower here be realistic it's more power than the vast majority of cars on the road.
The point with the comparison between the Z06 and M3 goes to show how the M3's gearing levels the playing field because it can be geared more aggressively due to revving higher. It's simply a fact.
I like how he has made it seem like the N54 owners are the ones making the attacks when this wannabem5 clown is the one putting up an incorrectly titled post and making a blanket statement that ALL stock M3's are faster than ALL FBO 335s... So dumb.
Are N54 owners not speaking up for themselves or something? It's a headline, it's designed to catch your attention and I most certainly don't blame everyone. Just the dumb people.
@Sticky some of the upgraded turbo 335's or some of the guys that posted a few pages ago challenging any m3's. as for why, it would be a great race and really show what your car can do
335's are damn fast when modded correctly, but don't let that mislead you to think they are fast enough to take on ANY M3 now. Several 700+ whp e92 M3s running around, more than a handful of 800+ whp E46 M3's rolling around that no 335 is even touching, and there are def a bunch of high hp E36 M3s out there too.
335's are damn fast when modded correctly, but don't let that mislead you to think they are fast enough to take on ANY M3 now. Several 700+ whp e92 M3s running around, more than a handful of 800+ whp E46 M3's rolling around that no 335 is even touching, and there are def a bunch of high hp E36 M3s out there too.
Well, My car makes a little over 700WHP and my motor is completely stock. (Unlike any 700 or 800whp M3)
I clearly said stock for stock. I admitted that a PROPERLY tuned 335i will put more torque down to the wheels?
why would you bring up stock vs stock, of course the M3 is faster, no way would they let a non-m be faster in a straight line? - i didn't get that from your post though
Originally Posted by ezec63
Hmm I guess that makes sense the more I think about it and break it down good points ! I guess I don't run into that problem personally because the c63/m156 has very good torque but also a great top end for a big displacement 6.2L v8 that never drops power up top and has a relatively high red Line for an engine of its size (7,200 rpm)
yeah the M156 just tends to have THAT much more torque and holds it well
All you need to know is an M3 exceeded anything an N54 has ever done without even running to redline or on highest boost. How big do you think the disparity really is at the moment? When the S65 gets turbos how much bigger will it get?
All you need to know is an M3 exceeded anything an N54 has ever done without even running to redline or on highest boost. How big do you think the disparity really is at the moment? When the S65 gets turbos how much bigger will it get?
Lol, exactly. Try to get that through the south Florida N54 guys thick heads but they are ignorant as a rock.
467247]Cast parts are stronger? And the N54 is designed to go to 8400 rpm? Please.
I've read from several sources that the n54 had certain internal parts that were forged ( not sure which ones specifically, but I believe the pistons are). But the s65 has cast parts. I could be wrong but I've seen it several places[/COLOR] | {
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95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "One of the more powerful, rich, and decadent wines in the lineup, the 2016 Côtes Catalanes Secret De Schistes (100% Syrah vinified and aged in 300-liter barrels) boasts a deep purple color as well as fabulous notes of blackberries, black raspberries, crushed rock-like minerality, and Asian spices. With medium to full body, terrific concentration, and notable vibrancy and freshness, drink it over the coming decade." (11/2018)
98 points Decanter: "From 65 to 115 year old vines with no destemming, aged in old foudres. A discreet but intriguing nose of flowers, fruits and herbs. It's fresh and almost cleansing on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is concentrated but not overly so, with incredible brightness and vivacity leading into a mineral, saline finish that refreshes and lifts the spirits. Perfectly balanced, poised and seriously elegant, this is an absolute joy. It has an unforced and natural demeanour that is the sign of great terroir and a natural, sensitive to...Read More »
100 points James Suckling: "The aromas to this are incredible with blueberry, minerals, dried flowers, and stones. It goes to dried meat and spices. Full body and incredibly integrated with blackberry, licorice, and minerals. There's a wonderful purity to this. It goes on for minutes. The quality of tannins is amazing. Seamless. There's an amazing transparency that shows you all the elements of the wine's unique terroir. Try after 2018." (11/2013) 100 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "An absolutely amazing wine... It comes from one of the few biod...Read More »
94-96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Sporting a deep purple-almost blue-color, the sensational 2016 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde l'Esquerda has a northern Rhône-like minerality as well as notes of classic black and blue fruits, crushed flowers, ozone and licorice. Made from 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, all from granitic soils, it’s a rich, structured, full-bodied and age-worthy red that will drink nicely through 2026. The quality of this release continues to soar and there are not many values like this out there today. (JD)" (04/2017) ...Read More »
92 points Decanter: "There is good depth and interest to the aromas here, with damson alongside some subtle resin notes. Full-bodied and powerful on the palate, the lush, fleshy plum fruit continues into the long finish. There is ample balancing acidity and tight, fine tannin on the finish. It's a wine that feels more gently steered to its final state rather than micro-managed; it's not overly polished and retains some texture and detail. (MW) " (10/2017) 92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "A 60-40 blend of Grenache and Syrah, the 2016 Cotes du R...Read More »
100 points James Suckling: "The aromas to this are incredible with blueberry, minerals, dried flowers, and stones. It goes to dried meat and spices. Full body and incredibly integrated with blackberry, licorice, and minerals. There's a wonderful purity to this. It goes on for minutes. The quality of tannins is amazing. Seamless. There's an amazing transparency that shows you all the elements of the wine's unique terroir. Try after 2018." (11/2013) 100 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "An absolutely amazing wine... It comes from one of the few biod...Read More »
94 points Decanter: "From 45 to 65 year old vines, no destemming, aged in old foudres. A lifted, unforced, floral and effortless style, showing aromas of blueberry, black cherry and sage. It's medium-bodied in the mouth, with piercing acidity and fine tannins that deliver considerable grip. Enlivening and saline on the cool finish. Organic. (MW)" (10/2017) 93 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Leading off the 2016s from bottle, the 2016 Gigondas Tradition (80% Grenache and 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre) is a smoking wine that’s worthy of a case purchase. Sweet bla...Read More »
94 points Wine Enthusiast: "Hedonistic is an apt word to describe this luscious, perfumed sip full of black plum and cherry flavors. It’s unabashedly ripe and rich but maintains an upright edge marked by earth and mineral tones. The finish is long and silky, framed by chalky tannins and whiffs of rose and violet. Delicious already but should improve through 2028. Seaview Imports. (AI) *Editor's Choice*" (12/2018) 93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Hints of mocha mark the nose of the 2016 Gigondas Cotes Jugunda, a small portion of which spent tim...Read More »
91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The full-bodied 2016 La Réserve d’O is rich and velvety on the palate, then it turns silky on the long finish. Scents of thyme and bay leaf accent raspberries, blueberries and black cherries in this concrete-aged blend of 45% Grenache, 45% Syrah and 10% Cinsault. (JC) 91+" (05/2018) K&L Notes: We met Marie Chauffray at the Vinifilles tasting in January of 2015 in Montpellier. The Vinifilles (which means "wine girls") is an association of women producers who own and operate their own estates. From growing to win...Read More »
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2015 Vacqueyras Bio is a big, fruit-bomb effort that offers lots of plum, blackberry, ground herbs and pepper in a forward, delicious and gulpable style. It will be ready to go on release. (JD)" (12/2016)
93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2016 Lirac Domaine du Clos de Sixte is a terrific wine, easily the rival to many Châteauneufs from across the river, starting with its alluring aromas of flowering garrigue and ripe cherries. A blend of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre, this full-bodied wine is lush and concentrated on the palate, then turns velvety on the long finish. I'd treat it like a Châteauneuf du Pape in terms of cellaring: hold it for a few years, then drink it over the next 15. (JC) 93+" (10/2017) 92 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Y...Read More »
92-93 points Raymond Chan: "Bright, very pale straw-yellow colour. The nose is very fresh and bright with slightly cooler spectrum fruit, showing gooseberries, nettles, a little cut grass, and mineral notes. This is still youthful. On palate very zesty and coolish, with gooseberry, cut grass, fresh herbs along with thirst-quenching minerals. Very good fruit depth, the textures in the background, and the acidity to the fore to be mouthwatering. This is putting on richness, and evolving, albeit very slowly, and should live well. " (10/2016) 93 points Sam...Read More »
94-97 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Based on 80% Grenache and 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, partially destemmed and aged in old barrel, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Capelan is going to be another blockbuster from this estate. Cassis, roasted plums, licorice and roasted herbs all flow to a massive, rich, full-bodied, unctuous beauty that has serious depth and richness. With sweet tannin, beautiful purity, it's a sensational effort that’s going to have two decades of longevity." (10/2017) 96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "La Ferme du Mont's 2016 Chatea...Read More »
Jancis Robinson: "Grenache grapes in a pretty, gently bulbous, bottle. Low temperature fermentation nose but very nicely, gently balanced on the palate. Perfect summer aperitif with nice salty grip on the end. Very refreshing and racy. Just the ticket. Fruit but not syrup. (JR)" (06/2018) K&L Notes: Situated to the east of the walled city of Carcassonne and in the shadow of the Montagne Noire (Black Mountains) lies Minervois. The village of Laure-Minervois is home to Château Saint Jacques d'Albas, a 90-hectare hillside estate. Some 26 hectares of the e...Read More »
95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Made with guidance from Peter Sisseck, the 2015 Crianza from Hacienda Monasterio is a blockbuster effort that’s a blend of 75% Tinto Fino, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot, all of which spent 18 months in 30% new French oak. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by terrific notes of blueberries, violets, graphite, and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, deep, concentrated, and elegant, with a traditional style and building tannin, it’s incredible that they produce upward of 30,000 cases of this beauty. It’s no doubt beautif...Read More »
93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "I appear to have underestimated the 2016 Vacqueyras Le Rif when I reviewed it last year and rated it 90 points. It's even better than that, marrying rose and tea-like notes with raspberry and cherry fruit. Silky and concentrated, it's more about elegance than power, yet it still lingers a long time on the finish. (JC)" (08/2018) 92 points Decanter: "A wonderfully inviting nose of lifted berry fruits with sparks of cracked black pepper. There's plenty of juicy berry fruits and a raft of ripe tannins on the palat...Read More »
94 points Vinous: "The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous wine, not to mention a tremendous value. It is also the kind of wine that is easy to overlook in a universe of turbo-charged Napa Valley Cabernets. But that would be a mistake. The 2015 is dark and ample on the palate, with a bit more textural richness than normal because of the unique conditions of the year. Succulent black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and new leather all flesh out in the glass, but it is the wine's exceptional balance that makes the deepest impression. Even better, this is o...Read More »
96 points Vinous: "Not surprisingly, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard is the least expressive of these wines. At the same time, so much of its appeal is in its tightly-coiled energy and tension. Cherry pit, smoke, blood orange, mint and spice open up with time in the glass, but the 2010 is clearly built for cellaring. The wine's brightness and focus are compelling, but the 2010 needs time. (AG)" (10/2015) 95 points Wine & Spirits: "The remarkable aspect of this wine is its texture and weight, its flavors complete and fully concentrated int...Read More »
Jancis Robinson: "From Limoux, but without Chenin Blanc in the blend it can't be called Crémant de Limoux. Full bodied, showing some lovely development with a neat bead. Mouthfilling citrus tang, and very satisfying. Would put many Champagnes to shame, quite frankly. *Very Good Value* (TC)" (07/2014) K&L Notes: Outstanding sparkling wine from the Languedoc? Absolutely and resoundingly, yes! There may be those who would scoff at the price of this wine, and claim that a sparkling wine set so low could never be worth any serious consideration. Well, we're...Read More »
Mas Codina is a 40 hectare estate in Penedès which dates back to 1681. This Brut Rosé consists of Pinot Noir grown in their own vineyards in the middle Penedès region. Here the Garriga brothers are quite pleased with the results they see from the Pinot Noir grown in chalky-clay soils. They have been working organically for the past several years and their first harvest doing so with certification was 2017. We direct import this delicious Cava and it is arguably one of our best values in rosé bubbly right now. (Joe Manekin, K&L Spanish wine buyer)
91-93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Fermented and aged in used barrels, the 2016 Condrieu Legende Bonnetta comes from the older vines on the estate. It shows a pronounced crushed-stone accent on the nose but also floral notes and hints of pineapple and apricot. It's clean, refined and refreshing, fleshy without being fat, and should drink well for a few more years after release. (JC)" (12/2017) K&L Notes: Condrieu is a particularly small region in the Northern Rhone that solely produces Viognier--but not just any Viognier. Simply put, these ar...Read More »
94 points Wine & Spirits: "This is exhilarating wine: It starts out smelling heady and ripe, then does a one-eighty, delivering pure, stony flavor. All the fruit - the notes of pear, marzipan and citrus oil - feels as though it’s there simply to flesh out the wine’s intense structure. The main event is stones and surging acidity - it’s salty and firm, and keeps giving freshness. Evanthia Mitropoulou farms her vines organically and vinifies this wine without any inputs. (TT) " (09/2018) K&L Notes: On the border of Macedonia and Thrace in northern Greece...Read More »
92-94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "There are only 100 cases of the Syrah-dominant 2016 Hissez O (60% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 5% Cinsault), so you may have to move quickly to secure some of this exceptional wine. Swirling aromas of violets, thyme, blueberries and cherries create aromatic overload, while in the mouth, this medium to full-bodied wine is silky and fine but firm, with a long, mouthwatering finish. No doubt the 400-meter altitude of the vineyard and the argilo-calcaire soils have something to do with the finesse and elegance of this cuv...Read More »
90 points Wine Enthusiast: "From gneiss base rock that is similar to granite, this tight, taut and mineral wine is intensely crisp, dominated by acidity and by bright citrus flavors. It comes from a vineyard that is being converted to organic farming. The wine is young and will be ready to drink from 2018. *Editor's Choice* (RV)" (12/2017) K&L Notes: Domaine de la Fruitiere is making terrific Muscadet from some of the best crus in the region. This fun single plot all comes from sandy, gneiss soils that provide the accent of minerality that is so classi...Read More »
94-96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Sporting a deep purple-almost blue-color, the sensational 2016 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde l'Esquerda has a northern Rhône-like minerality as well as notes of classic black and blue fruits, crushed flowers, ozone and licorice. Made from 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, all from granitic soils, it’s a rich, structured, full-bodied and age-worthy red that will drink nicely through 2026. The quality of this release continues to soar and there are not many values like this out there today. (JD)" (04/2017) ...Read More »
93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The excellent 2016 Pinot Noir Estate offers up a sapid bouquet of sweet spices, smoke, wild plum and rich soil. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied with rich tannins, a succulent core of juicy fruit, nice concentration and depth. This is a characterful, complex Pinot Noir with plenty of substance to enjoy over the next decade. (WK)" (04/2018) 92 points Wine Enthusiast: "This is a great and extremely fairly priced taste of what the Pence team is up to on the eastern edge of the appellation. Sweet sandalwoo...Read More »
97 points James Suckling: "The dried flowers are wonderful in this with a violet and rose petal character. Dark fruits, too. Full body, dense and chewy with dusty texture from the ripe tannins. This has an energy and focus that keeps your attention. Better in 2020 but great to taste already. Made from bio-dynamic grapes and Demeter certified." (08/2017) 95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The beautiful 2015 Cabernet Franc Duemani shows the heat of the summer growing season in a bold and upfront manner. The wine is impenetrable and inky dark in ap...Read More »
Mas Codina is an estate in the middle Penedes, about an hour's drive from Barcelona. They own about 40 hectares, most of which are planted to Xarel-lo, Macabeu, Parellada, and Pinot Noir, with some Syrah, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon as well. While they have been farming organically for a while, they will be certified organic beginning with the 2017 vintage. Proprietors Toni and Jordi Garrida make terrific wine, and while many of our customers have come to rely on their delicious, value sparkler, we expect this tasty, humble Cab to turn many heads ...Read More »
91-93 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Leading off the 2016s from barrel, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vendange is a ripe, hedonistic barrel sample that's overflowing with fruit and texture. Plums, licorice, violets, and hints of asphalt all emerge from this uber-ripe, full-bodied beauty that doesn’t pull any punches. A blend of 80% Grenache and 10% each of Mourvèdre and Syrah, aged mostly in concrete (there’s a small amount in old barrels), it should certainly be an outstanding wine that’s going to shine for 10-15 years." (10/2017) 93 points Robert Parker's Wine ...Read More »
Alexandre le Brun is a young, ninth generation winemaker in Monthelon in the Ardenne (Marne) region of Champagne. His family established themselves in Champagne in 1750 and their cellars were built in 1822. We were very pleased to meet him and are very excited to carry his wines.
According to the importer, Paris Wine Company: "The wines of Domaine de la Jaufrette are resolutely old-fashioned, as the domaine has refused to change the winemaking style since the André and Paulette Chastan moved to Orange in the 1950s... Today, the Domaine de la Jaufrette is run by Alain’s son Frederic, who has maintained the same traditional winemaking philosophy. Vinification is a slow process - the fermentation occurs naturally in large concrete tanks, where the wine is allowed to sit for up to a year. It is then aged in a mix of used foudres and ...Read More »
94 points Bob Campbell: "Richly scented Pinot Noir with plum, cherry and mineral flavours, together with a seasoning of spice and subtle herbal characters. A bright, high energy wine that's a pleasure to drink now but has the potential to develop well." (08/2017) 93-94 points Raymond Chan: "Moderately deep, cerise-ruby red with youthful purple hues. This is ripe, up-front and juicy with sweet, aromatic fruits, with dark raspberries and cherries and plum notes. This is easy to access and is inviting with its sweetness. Beautifully and fully ripe on pala...Read More »
93 points James Suckling: "There's licorice here along with mint, some lead pencil and flowers. It's full and round displaying wonderful vanilla and plum flavors. Very silky and refined yet dense and caressing. A beauty, though it does turn a little dry, always revealing its wood." (11/2015) 92 points Wine Spectator: "Very pretty aromas of vanilla, tobacco, berry and chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied, with soft tannins and a berry, chocolate finish. Not very dense. This pales compared with the other top Pauillacs. I never thought this was a perfect win...Read More »
94 points James Suckling: "Intense aromas of blueberries, raspberries, lemons, orange skin and hints of light cedar. Medium to full body, polished and silky texture round tannins and a crispy and long finish. I like the tension at the close. Gorgeous now. Drink or hold." 93 points Wine & Spirits: "Momtazi Vineyard has been farmed under biodynamics since 2005, and the composure in this wine may come from that vigilant, attentive agricultural practice. This pinot's savory scents of olive, smoke, and sourdough strike a balance with dark cherry fruit. The f...Read More »
A darling of the critics, Sea Smoke remains of the Central Coast's cult Pinot producers. Ten is a blend of ten Pinot Noir clonal selections sourced entirely from the Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. The wine saw 16 months in 65% new French oak barrels before bottling. Winery note: "A brooding and intense wine. The aromas begin with notes of dried flowers and blueberries, then a myriad of spices, cacao and a hint of lavender. Firm, mature tannins—evidence of Ten’s ageability—are followed by a long, velvety finish." *Organic, Biodynamic*
Marie and Frederic Chauffray began their career in wine when they took over Fred's parents' wine shop in a suburb outside of Paris. They ran the business successfully for many years, but Marie always wanted to pursue winemaking. After eight years of searching, they found the perfect terroir in a small vineyard in the hills above the city of Montpellier. Since 2005, they have made wine their way by following organic and biodynamic principles and always with the utmost respect for nature. The Bilbo represents their everyday wine. It is composed of 60% Gren...Read More »
"My name is Sophie Guiraudon and I am a winemaker since ZERO generation!", says Sophie proudly. Sophie was working in other peoples' wineries in southern France for years. In 2000, Sophie started her own bio-dynamic, organic winery. She wanted to grow grapes that her son could eat right off of the vines. The "Lolo de l'Anhel" is typically a blend of 81% of Carignan, 10% of Syrah, 7% of Grenache Noir, and 2% Mourvèdre. The grapes are hand picked, gently vacuum pressed, and finished with 100% tank aging.
91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The classically proportioned 2016 Rasteau is full-bodied, creamy and rich, packed with red raspberry and black cherry fruit. Subtle spice notes add complexity on the nose and finish, which is long-lasting and silky. This should drink well for 5-8 years. (JC)" (10/2017) 91 points Vinous: "Brilliant ruby-red. Fresh raspberry, licorice and candied flowers on the spice-accented nose. Taut and energetic in the mouth, offering juicy red fruit and spicecake flavors that become sweeter as the wine stretches out. In an ...Read More »
89-92 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2016 Vacqueyras sports a semi-opaque ruby/purple color as well as perfumed notes of raspberries, incense, white pepper, and flowers. Showing slightly more purity and freshness than the Rasteau, with high-quality tannin and plenty of depth, it’s going to drink nicely for 6-7 years." (10/2017) K&L Notes: Thibault Chamfort has taken the helm at this wonderful multi-generational estate property situated in the village of Sablet. Making wines from a variety of terroirs including - Rasteau, Plan de Dieu, Vacqueyras and of cour...Read More »
When first tasting the wines of Domaine de la Jaufrette, the name López de Heredia sprang to mind. That famous Rioja producer is known for its late-release and complex reds that are subtle, old school and long lived. Jaufrette, to my mind, is the Rhône equivalent. Jaufrette is run by Frédéric Chastan, the third generation winemaker to oversee this project. The winery sits just outside the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation but has holdings in Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Côtes du Rhône. All the grapes are hand harvested and hand sorted, and the reds are ferment...Read More »
Domaine Begude is a small, family-owned property located high in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the Limoux region of the Languedoc. The long, cool growing season lends itself perfectly to the production of crisp and delicate wines, all organically certified by Ecocert. This is a zippy and bright Chardonnay, with citrus, apple and pear notes underlined by a refreshing minerality.
Domaine Clos de la Bonnette was purchased in 1992 by wife and husband team, Isabelle Guiller and Henri Montabonnet. Isabelle had her eye on this abandoned vineyard site for many years before they moved forward. The main reason that the site remained unoccupied was because the hillsides were in complete disarray, as many of the stone retaining walls had collapsed over the decades due to neglect. Restoring this property could only be done as a labor of love, not a commercial venture. Isabelle and Henri did most of the restoration themselves, rebuilding the...Read More »
Vinous: "Bright ruby. Aromas of spice-accented blackberry, licorice and dark chocolate on the nose, along with a hint of cracked pepper that adds spicy lift. Pliant cherry and dark berry flavors display a smooth, seamless quality and put on weight with air. Shows good clarity on a warm, broad finish framed by harmonious tannins. (JR)" (11/2018) K&L Notes: Coralie Onde was from a winemaking family but opted to start her own project independent of her family estate, Domaine les Ondines. In 2008, Coralie formed her new estate in Vacqueyras when she purcha...Read More » | {
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Although we still firmly believe that working remotely can be great for companies and employees alike, people can have a tendency to work more while doing so.
When your home is your office, it can be hard to separate your work and personal life. Here are some ways to help avoid burnout and keep living the dream…
Maintain a routine
Whatever your working hours, make sure that you keep to the routine as if you were working in an office. This will make it easier to distinguish between work and non-work time and help to prevent you from doing too many hours.
Treat your working day as you would if you didn’t work remotely
It can be easy to slip into bad habits when you work from home, the aforementioned routine will help with this but seemingly little things like getting dressed for work, making a pot of tea or coffee and not just opening your laptop in bed and starting work as soon as you wake up, will make a real difference. Bear in mind that there is no-one to tell you to stop working, you need to decide when to stop.
Create boundaries
Relish the freedom that remote working allows but be proactive about setting boundaries and sticking to your priorities. Find the hours that work for you and make sure that your colleagues are aware of what they are. Working remotely doesn’t mean that you need to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it offers flexibility which you can enjoy if you have a few things in place.
Take breaks
We don’t just mean a lunch break, though that is important too. Throughout the working day in an office, think about how many times you get up from your desk to get a drink or visit a colleague, have a meeting etc. The good thing about working remotely or being at home is that you have the opportunity to make so much more of these breaks. Take a walk, do a spot of yoga, get ahead of the laundry, basically do whatever works for you.
Schedule some human interaction
As much as rowdy colleagues can be off-putting, it is nice to have some human interaction in your day. Whether it’s for a spot of gossip in the tea room or to discuss weekend plans, these small interactions do provide moral boosts throughout the day. This is one of the main contributors to burnout and can be easily avoided with a bit of social interaction. Nowbridge can help with this, you can see who is there and if they’re free, send chat messages and more.
One of the main ways to avoid burnout is to be aware of it. Practice self-care and make sure that you’re able to enjoy the perks of working remotely. Having a healthy work-life balance doesn’t purely come from working remotely, it comes from being in control of your working life and making sure that it works for you.
There has been a huge rise in the past couple of years of new software and apps to increase productivity, streamline connectivity and all in all, make it easier for both in-house and remote workers to improve the efficiency of their working days.
For productivity and project management there are the usual suspects, Trello,Asana, Jira and Axosoft, which crop up a lot in reviews and articles about remote working. Also Slack, which is technically more of a messaging app for teams, but you can do a fair bit more than that, including file sharing and prioritizing conversations into topics and themes.
Another clever tool for remote teams split across different time zones is EveryTimeZone, which shows you how the time zones of your coworkers overlap with yours so you can coordinate efforts more easily.
Google Cloud Print eliminates the need to print huge documents at home and allows you to send the documents to a printer at the office or, any printer in the world really! Speaking of clouds, Dropbox and WeTransfer are great for sharing large documents with your colleagues – you don’t need an account for the latter and can transfer up to 2GB a time as often as you need.
Need to drown out some background noise but find the radio or television too distracting? Try Noisli, a white noise app. You can pick and choose the high quality ambient sounds and see what works for you!
A new contender that we’re quite excited about is Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set, which lets you hand write your notes and see them transferred to an app on your phone, so they are instantly digitized. Eliminating the need to write up your notes or scan in diagrams or drawings to send to colleagues, this will save you time and reduce the risk of losing the work. We can’t wait to give this one a try!
Nowbridge is our offering; a remote working software that allows you to stay part of the team by sharing live still images every few seconds with your colleagues so you can see who is available and who isn’t. You can send instant chat messages, leave voice messages and even call someone on Skype from within the desktop app. There are a number of different photo filters available and the images are only shared with people who you allow to see you. It gives you a clear boundary between when you’re at work and when you’ve finished for the day and helps you stay part of the team, wherever you are in the world.
Are there any other great apps or software we should be aware of? Let us know!
We all know the benefits of working remotely, but it can be lonely. We created Nowbridge so that all of your colleagues, wherever they are in the world, can stay a part of the team.
Our software unobtrusively sits on your desktop in the background while you work, but it’s there when you want to check whether a colleague is at their desk, or you need to quickly send a message that it’s not worth sending an email about. You can use it to call them on Skype or leave a voice message, which they can hear when they’re back at their desks.
The rest of the time, you might not even realise that it’s there, until you need it. There are lots of handy filters that you can apply to your live still images too, which gives you another level of control. It also gives you a clear way of switching off at the end of your day as your remote colleagues can see when you turn it off, your box goes white. This helps distinguish between your work time and your home time.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Remote working is on the up and up, and we can’t be happier. Being ‘self employed’ or ‘freelance’ no longer implies being between jobs or out of work. Instead, it’s becoming a sort of, badge of honor nowadays, with lots of people seeing the move as brave.
As more and more companies embrace remote working, there is more work available for people who decide to move away from the office. So really, it’s no wonder that with the increase in public transport costs and the stress of commuting, the pull to work remotely is getting stronger.
We created our software because as great as remote working can be, for productivity, for your stress levels and for the environment, it sure can be lonely sometimes. When you’re working in an office, you have ongoing micro-interactions with people without often even realising it. Even if you can just see the top of someone’s head from your desk or hear them answer the phone, you know that they’re there. Whereas when you’re working remotely, you really don’t have any way of knowing whether someone is available. Yes, you can login to Skype or Gmail chat, if your company use those, but those green “online” dots aren’t always accurate.
Nowbridge bridges the gap between staff working remotely and in the office. Live still images updating every few seconds all day long create the illusion of being together. You control who you connect with and when. You can only be seen by the people you can see. Use it throughout the day to send chat messages to colleagues or even quickly call them on Skype when you can see they’re at their desks. At the end of your working day, press pause or close Nowbridge down and it’s clear to everyone in your team that you have finished for the day.
Although a lot of companies strive to improve communication and productivity, a lot of the time, this can fall by the wayside when urgent projects and deadlines take priority. Add in staffing/recruitment issues and budget cuts and it’s understandable that focusing on the needs of your current staff can slip. But communication and productivity aren’t just important for the managers, directors, executives, CEOs, they are crucial for the rest of the staff too.
What you might not realise is that communication doesn’t necessarily improve by being in the same office as someone. In fact, often the communication quality improves dramatically when one or both parties work remotely. For one thing, you make time to speak to each other. Often in offices, there’s the temptation to give someone a quick call or pop over to their desks. Convenient yes, but it’s likely that the other person is working on something else and isn’t entirely focused on your particular query. Therefore, you might be able to speak to them quickly but how likely is it that you’ve got 100% of their attention and understanding?
The increase in productivity that comes from working remotely or having remote workers is the subject of many an article, blog post and tweet. But the facts are hard to deny. With the loss of office noise, interruptions, necessary or seemingly-unnecessary meetings, remote workers can focus more on their work and also work during their most productive hours – that is, if the company allow flexible working. We mentioned in an earlier blog that by hiring remote workers, you increase your talent pool. If, for example you are on a different timezone to your employees, this can also mean that while you sleep, they might also be working on the project and can advance it significantly before you even start your next working day.
There are obviously other ways to improve communication and productivity in companies than by having a remote working policy but with all the benefits to both employee and employer that come from remote working, it shouldn’t be ignored.
Don’t forget to try Nowbridge, it’s free, easy and can make remote workers feel like they’re still a part of the team. Try it today!
There has been a noticeable shift in the past few years with more people wanting a better work/life balance and subsequently opting for digitally-focused careers, which allow them more flexibility with how much they work and also, where they work.
“Any businessman, any executive, could live almost anywhere on Earth and still do his business through a device like this.” – Arthur C. Clarke
As predicted by infamous science fiction author and futurist, Arthur C. Clarke, we are now able to work from anywhere. Technology really is incredible. In fact, here’s another quote from Arthur C. Clarke which seems pretty apt.
Obviously there are some industries that can’t utilize remote working, but for those who can, it opens up a whole world full of talented potential employees. Rather than being limited to hiring from within a location-based pool of candidates, if your company is pro-remote working, you could hire the best people from around the world rather than the best people in your immediate location.
There seem to be endless articles about the rise of the digital nomad and this all links into the quest for the perfect balance. More and more people are drawn to the nomadic lifestyle, travelling the globe and working as and when they need to. We spend around a third of our lives working. A third! Even if you aren’t travelling the world while working freelance, by working remotely you can take back some control of your working life. Although the stability of working 9-5 works for some people, others might find that they work more productively in the afternoons and cannot focus properly for much of the day.
What do you do, live to work or work to live? Are you tempted to move to remote working?
“…an employee who works just two days a week from home can save up to 390kgs of carbon emissions annually”
With Earth Day coming up on the 22 April, we thought we’d do a bit more research.
According to various sources including NASA, global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come. In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecast a temperature rise of 2.5-10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century! Climate change will affect agriculture, built environment, transport, health, business and finance, water resources, flooding and more, so it is something that we all need to take more seriously.
80% of people living in urban areas that monitor air pollution are exposed to air quality levels that exceed WHO limits. This is worrying because “As urban air quality declines, the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma, increases for the people who live in them.”
The emissions reduction we mentioned for one employee would be amplified if entire work forces started telecommuting.
Even if you can’t work remotely, by using public transport, walking or cycling instead of driving to work, you can make a huge difference. Reducing commuter traffic cuts back on air pollution, water pollution and oil consumption.
We already knew that remote working could help to save the planet but it seems that it can also help save us. | {
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Senior common app essays that got into harvard
is a remote management framework that enables the collection of host information, execution of code, psychology dissertation papers and provides an eventing system that can respond to operating system events in real time. In our talk we will demonstrate and discuss the exploitation of an internal LTE modem from Huawei which can be found in a number of devices including laptops. He co-founded Lookout in 2007 and is responsible for driving Lookouts technology to protect people from current and future threats while keeping the product simple and easy to use. Zack Allen is an RIT graduate, majoring in Information Security. His security specialties include research and development, threat intelligence, tool creation and red teaming. Ken is a security analyst and "creative technologist" with 15 years experience building and breaking things through the use/misuse of technology.
Justin has been involved in application security assessments of many open and closed source messaging applications and other related technologies. Before joining Stach Liu, Francis served as an IT Security Specialist with the Global Risk Assessment team of Honeywell International where he performed network and application penetration testing, product security evaluations, incident response, and risk assessments of critical infrastructure. Pursuing his desire to actually make money, he took advantage of computer skills learned in the LSU recording studio to become a systems administrator in the mid 1990s. Both can be found on his website m Return to Top Confessions of a Professional Cyber Stalker Ken Westin. Trammell Hudson enjoys taking things apart and understanding how they work. Yang Qing is the team leader of Unicorn Team in Qihoo 360 Technology. Aslr, for example, randomizes the location of the stack, the heap, libraries, and (optionally the binary itself at every execution of an application. From this talk you will get an intimate understanding of how the many interconnected systems in a Tesla model S work and most importantly how they can be hacked. This presentation will include attack methods of all nature including physical attacks, rfid, wireless, telephony, network, and more. Organizations are doing poorly trying to communicate expectations for a job, there are people going to interviews without knowing how to showcase their (limited or vast) experience, and some people posture themselves so poorly that the hiring managers dont think the candidates are really interested.
Senior common app essays that got into harvard
Fsu application essay for 2012, Where to write essays for money, Yale common app essays 2017, | {
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Before I Die:
1. Ride my bike from my dad's to my mom's. 130 miles.
2. See Justin Bieber in concert.
3. See 30 Seconds to Mars in concert.
4. Be in a fashion show.
5. Be in a magazine.
6. Go skinny dipping at midnight.
7. Make a spontaneous road trip.
8. Get a job in Logan, preferably before I run out of food.
9. Ride a wave.
10. Ride the fastest and biggest rollercoasters on the planet.
11. Get a boyfriend before I'm 30.
12. Dance the night away, literally.
13. Get arrested. I'll do that last.
14. Buzz my head.
15. Donate an organ.
16. Sing on a Broadway stage.
17. Sing on a normal stage.
18. Write a Best-seller.
19. Swim with the ocean inhabitants.
20. Win an award.
21. Catch a fish with my bare hands.
22. Make a discovery.
23. Throw a house party while my parents are out.
24. Leave my mark in graffiti.
25. Storm chase a tornado.
26. Get a piece of art into an exhibit.
27. Meet someone with my own name.
28. Bungee jump.
29. Stage dive or crowd surf.
30. Get into the Guinness Book of World Records.
31. Own a pointless collection.
32. Be a human guinea pig.
33. Go up in a hot air balloon.
34. See a space shuttle launch.
35. See an erupting volcano.
36. Sky dive.
37. Stay in the best suite in a five star hotel.
38. Play a part in my favorite T.V. show.
39. Make a fire without matches.
40. Go sky diving.
41. Go cliff jumping and actually jump.
42. Go to Africa and make a difference.
43. Go to another country and make a difference in someone's life.
44. Get to round 238 of getting ice cream with Macall Herpich.
45. Be a head teacher with ILP.
46. Go to ILP summer camp in Moscow.
47. Backpack through Europe.
48. Get a tattoo.
49. Drink on the beach with my best friends.
50. Fall in love.
51. Get my own apartment.
52. Graduate from college.
53. Think of more things to do before I die. | {
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Name Tags
Name tags were often applied to flight jackets of both the USAAF and USN. We offer the correct designs for both arms of service. Typing your name in the appropriate field on the product page you can personalise your name tag just like they did in WWII.
These can be ordered loose or sewn to your jacket order. Use the insignia builder tool on the jacket product page if you wish to have insignia sewn to your jacket. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
AOMEI Freeware
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“I need to upgrade the hard drive in my laptop as it has extremely limited storage capacity. Can I reinstall Windows 10 on a new hard drive without license issue? What is the best way? My laptop was preinstalled with Windows 8.1 and it was upgraded to Windows 10 during the free upgrade period. Any help would be appreciated.”
This is a topic related to migrate Windows 10 to new hard drive from reddit. Do you have the same or similar issues? Do you want to know how to transfer Windows 10 as well as its license to new hard drive. Keep reading to learn what you want to know.
How to transfer data and OS to new hard drive in Windows 10?
With time goes by, the performance of computer will reduce due to low disk space or other reasons. Therefore, most users want to replace HDD with SSD , because there are no moving parts in SSD, which makes it has a faster boot time or data accessing time. But, how to move Windows 10 to another hard drive?
There are three common ways user may use, including clean install, backup and restore utility, third-party tool like AOMEI Backupper. Then, here comes a question: what is the best or proper way? Let’s see the details.
Backup and Restore tool can keep a copy of system, apps, setting, etc on the target drive and you can restore the backup when needed. Also, it can help you create a system repair disc. However, there is major problem when you try to restore Windows 10 image to new hard drive: the backup image created on a larger disk cannot be restore to disk with smaller partition layout. Thus, it’s not perfect.
AOMEI Backupper is very similar to Windows built-in backup and restore tool. However, this software has more advanced features, such as, differential backup, backup when USB plug in, event-trigger backup, etc. In addition, it’s still a disk cloning software, which allows you to migrate Windows 10 to new hard drive easily and quickly.
In a sum, moving Windows 10 to new hard drive with AOMEI Backupper is a better choice.
Step 2. AOMEI Backupper will select system and boot related partition as source by default. You just need to select a new disk as the destination (here is Disk 2) and click Next to go on.
Step 3. In the following pop-up window, please read the note and then click OK after confirmation. But if there are any important data, you should backup data at first.
Step 4. Confirm the operation and click Start Clone.
Note:
Tick "SSD Alignment" option if the target drive is SSD disk, because this option can optimize the performance of SSDs and extend its lifetime.
"Sector by sector clone" option refers to clone all the sectors no matter it has been used or not and the cloning process will take more time if tick it. It’s not recommended, because it will clone the bad sector if the original disk has.
Step 5. When the progress is completed 100%, please click Finish to exit.
Step 6. Restart your computer, enter BIOS by hitting the corresponding key on the first screen and change the cloned hard drive to the first boot option, then press 10 to save the changes and boot from the cloned disk.
Besides cloning Windows 10 to new hard drive, this software also can transfer Windows 7/8/8.1 to new hard drive.
How to transfer Windows 10 license to new hard drive?
Will the Windows 10 license be transferred to new hard drive or SSD? Many users are worried bout this question. Now, let’s talk about this question.
Whether the license can be transferred or not, all depends on what kinds of license you use. Retail or Volume license key can be transferred while OEM keys cannot. That is to say, if your license is Retail or Volume license, you can migrate Windows 10 license to HDD/SSD and the license will be reactivated automatically.
If your license is Retail or Volume, you can follow the detailed steps and move it to new hard drive. The entire process is divided into two parts, including removing license key from the old machine, activating the operating system with the license.
Step 1. Type cmd in the search box and run as administrator.
Step 2. Type slmgr /upk in the command prompt window and hit Enter. This command will remove the license key from the current machine.
Note: The steps above won't remove the activation from the Microsoft servers. Instead, this process will prevent the same product key being used in multiple devices. Thus, if you transfer hard drive with Windows 10 to new computer, you can ignore Step 2 and Step 3 and directly activate Windows with the license on the original computer.
Step 6. Type slmgr /xpr and hit Enter to check if the Windows is activated. If it’s activated, you will be prompted “ the machine is permanently activated” on a pop-up window.
Conclusion
Reading here, you may already know how to transfer Windows 10 and its license to new hard drive. Although there are 3 common ways you can try, but I have to say that cloning OS to new SSD or HDD is the best way.
This software has a wizard-like interface, which make all steps become easier. And it can accelerate the reading and writting speed of SSDs. Besides, it’s still backup and restore software, which allows you to move hard drive to new computer in Windows 10 with different hardware and ensure boot.
If you want to protect or clone unlimited computers within your company, you can consider AOMEI Backupper Technician. With the inbuilt AOMEI Image Deploy tool, you are also allowed to deploy/restore system image file on server-side computer to multiple client-side computers over network. | {
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1/25/13
Update coming as soon as I get more info, but breaking report is that two people are dead in clashes between protesters at the Candente Copper (DNT.to) Cañariaco project and police. We note that on Jan 16th IKN said "there will be blood". It took just nine days, sadly.
UPDATE: Unconfirmed information says the two dead are locals who were part of a group that blocked the access road to the Cañariaco mining camp. Two names are being mentioned, but until there's official confirmation it's probably best not to publish.
UPDATE 2: Peru's national paper La Republica now reporting the deaths. Here's a quick translation of the La Republica early report:
Lambayeque: Two dead after confrontation between locals and police in Cañaris
Friday 25th Jan. 3:37pm
The incident left at least 10 injured people who have been taken to hospital
Today Friday saw two dead in a confrontation between around 100 police officers from the national police foces and 400 anti-mining locals protesters from Cañaris and Incahuasi (Lambayeque) who blocked the "Marayhucaca" road, the access road to the Candente Copper mining campsite.
The victims have been identified as Santos Tantarico and Lindaura Sánchez, according to the activist Rocio Silva Santisteban via her Twitter account.
Meanwhile, the chief of territorial police of Chiclayo, Colonel Jorge Linares Ripalda, said that the action taken involved a member of the Public Ministry who was attempting to establish a dialogue with the protesters.
UPDATE 3: Oh this is cute: The chief of police says denied that there had been any deaths and that his officers had only used "dissuasive force", via the use of tear gas and rubber bullets. Repeated here.UPDATE 4: The original source of the names for the La Republica report above now seems to be backtracking. Previously she said "confirmed" on the two deaths but now she says that "Cañaris confused information: family members and local leaders from Marayhuaca say that there are 2 dead, Minister Pedraza (says) that there are only injured people". Time will tell which side is right and the markets are now closed, so your humble scribe will leave it for the real news services to work it all out and bring you the story (as they certainly will). No need to read a third-rate site such as this for your information, for sure. Over and out.
UPDATE 5: ok ok, one more update. Both locals and police now confirm that there are no deaths to report, fortunately. However there are 24 injured, some seriously and at least one, according to a doctor on the scene, from gunshot wounds. This directly contradicts the police who said that no live ammo firearms were used. In other words there still was blood. And one other thing: you thought locals were pissed before? You ain't seen nothing yet.
But the very thought that a Stan Bharti company would be privately tipping off its favoured friends and fine folk so that they could make a quick killing at the expense of market rubes? Nah, surely not!
...under two conditions. According to today's reports out of Cañaris (here's an example), locals at the site of the proposed copper mine owned by Candente Copper (DNT.to) would be willing to sit down and negotiate with the company about the controversial project, but ask for two conditions:
1) DNT puts a halt on its current exploration work (i.e. the drilling at the Cañariaco Norte target) that was the spark that set off this latest round of protests.
2) The negotiation meeting is set up in the town of Cañaris itself, rather than in the nation's capital Lima or the regional capital Lambayeque.
To be honest, that sounds reasonable. The ball's in your court, Ms. Freeze.
Three employees at Barrick's (ABX) Pascua Lama project on the Chile/Argentina border set a new Gangnam Style altitude record (errr...probably) of 5,000 metres above sea level (16,400 feet in old money).
The reason? The newspaper of record in Spain (and often cited as the premier media source in the Spanish-speaking world) said it's a photo of Hugo Chávez, it turns out that it's not Hugo Chávez, El Pais quickly retracted the photo from editions and its website (which, strangely for that publication carried no byline) but the horse had already bolted and now Venezuela has started legal action against 'El Pais'. In the words ofVenezuela's Communications Minster Ernesto Villegas (translated):
"The Executive Vice-President (Nicolás Maduro) has instructed us to take action leading to a legal demand against this newspaper for the grave offensive for which the dignity of the President of the Republic is affected by a false photograph."
So it looks like El Pais royally screwed up here and there will be consequences. Mind you, it would be nice to get a real snap of the man from real Venezuelan government sources, wouldn't it? After all, there seems to be a teensy weensy bit of an information gap about the state of Hugo, so perhaps it's time for the Venezuelan government to be....what?...how can we say?...a little bit more....errr...transparent?
...in the fourth quarter of 2012 when he refused to jump on the Huldra Silver (HDA.v) pump and pointed out a few basic weaknesses in the company story, both in email exchanges (with multiple persons) and also in an episode of our semi regular snarkfest "Mining PRs and the Ottotrans™" (part 65).
We apologize for possessing a memory.
(Uff, I'm considering setting up a short-only service. It's the only thing I seem to be good at doing these days).
1/24/13
There's something wonderful about a Spanish PM coming to Peru and begging the localsto plough money into the country that plundered the merry fark out of them 400 years ago but is now bankrupt. The Inca concept of pachakuti showing through...and right on time, too.
1/23/13
It's now slamming it down with rain, about 15°c colder and we're sheltering in the small town about 10km from this photo. Such is the way with weather in rainy seasons at 12,500 feet above sea level, but it does give a decent excuse to check in here and catch up with those everso everso important daily moves in the market. As for the location? Your best guesses welcomed.
1/22/13
Just a quick word to inform that your humble scribe now finds his humble self at a location with very limited interwebz access, so posting will be light for a couple of days. Hope you have a nice week.
1/21/13
I don't think I've ever considered an article on any aspect of Latin American politics brilliant before today. This article by Brian Winter of Reuters starts with an interesting subject matter, that of the Brazilian clown Tiririca who famously ran for congress, got there and since then has turned out to be one of the better members of the bunch. However Winter uses him as a starting point rather than a finished subject, and lays on thoughts that must have been gestating in his brain for some time. IKN heartily recommends this report to anyone interested in world politics, not just those of Brazil or LatAm, so pull up your favourite comfy chair, a cup of something warm andread this long form note of great merit.
I have to say that I was a little surprised to see OGC trade slightly lower at the open this morning after this NR had hit the wires, because the 4q12 numbers were pretty darned good.
Maybe the market was a bit leery about the teething problems reported at Didipio? Maybe it's because the NR hit after the Oz market was shut and as that's the opinion which normally drives the stock (and USA is closed), Canada didn't really know what to think? I dunno, but since the open OGC has moved up a couple of pennies and volumes are pretty good for a closed NYSE day too. Might be a sleeper.
Galway Gold (GLW.v), the second spin-out company to come from the recent sale of Galway Resources (ex-GWY.v) to Eike Batista, started trading this morning...
...and it's doing good business, comfortably over 40c. So for those of you who are counting, the days around the Batista buyout saw GWY trading around $2.15 to $2.20. For that price you would have got yourself:
$2.05 in cash from the deal (paid)
A share of Galway Metals (GWM.v) that's priced now at 5c
A share of Galway Gold (GLW.v) and let's call that 42c today.
Or in other words, it was an easy 15% arb. Which is why your humble scribe bought GWY at $2.19.
The following memo/mail has been sent to your humble scribe and although there's no way of verifying its authenticity, the source is trustworthy and totally reliable, the sound of the memo is correct and in light of recent events in Colombia, its contents are holding up to examination as well. So we're running with it and allowing the reader to do with it what they will.
Below is the original Spanish, above is your author's translation
Security Front Meeting BR-14
Good afternoon to all,On January 15th the Commander of Brigade XIV, with HQ at the port of Berrio, and responsile for the security of Northeast Antioquia region, calls to a meeting all company representatives of the region and according to the security agreement with the armed forces, said meeing will inform on the intentions of the FARC armed group for this year, thanks to the capture of one of its head personnel who had in his possession documents that had been written in a meeting with heads of the guerrilla group recently.They are the following:1) Increase in assassinations of public figures (mayors, political representatives, members of the public armed forces)2) Increase in extortion and vaccinations (against companies, unions and commerce)3) Penetration of universities and schools, businesses, State offices (looking for information to promote its illicit activities and the creation of a group named "Young Rebels")4) Hit strategic targets in order to destabilize the State, cause chaos and destructive force (energy, hydrocarbons, mining)5) Attack permanent armed forces bases 6) Increment in hijacking of directors and company contractors in coordination with Bacrim (criminal groups or paramilitaries)7) The start of an offensive, in two phases, the first between January 18th and February 2nd and the second from January 3rd onwards.8) Supplanting (disguising as or feigning to be company employees to gain access to various locations in order to commit acts of sabotage).9) Attraction maneuvers (faking of small terrorist actions in certain sectors to attract attention in order to commit larger acts of destruction elsewhere).
Nicholas CampbellSoup of the Can of Corn seems to disagree with Adam Graf of Dalman Rose. While Graf famously considered Golden Minerals (AUM.to) (AUMN) as a $104 per share and turned his rich client base into not-so-rich clients as a result, CampbellSoup has finally seen the light and dropped his rating (hold from spec buy) and target $4.75 from $7) on the dog.
Meanwhile, Steve Green of TD Sec has consistently shown more nous about AuRico (AUQ) than the rest of the sellside anal yst community in Frostyland and never fallen for the BS hype this company generates. This is underscored today as he drops his target on the stock to $6.50 (from $7) and the call to reduce (from hold). This is the correct anal ysis of the day and Mr. Green wins the internets.
1/20/13
IKN194 has just been sent to subscribers and it's not that often it occurs, but today's is a pretty good edition methinks. Here's the cover letter that went out with it.
Good Sunday evening,The main event today is the upgrading of one of our covered stocks to 'Top Pick' status, the first time in a long time that this has happened. We also check out production results and take a careful look at a couple of hot political risk events in Peru and Colombia. Plenty more besides.All feedback welcomed.Best, O
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The information and opinions contained within this site reflect the personal views of Inca Kola News and therefore all material within should not be construed as accurate or reliable or be utilized as advice for investment or business purposes. Independent due diligence and discussions with ones own investment and business advisors is strongly recommended. Accordingly, nothing on this site should be construed as offering a guarantee of the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, as an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security or as an endorsement of any product or service. All opinions and estimates included on this site are subject to change without notice. All content may be reproduced under fair use doctrine providing proper credit and a return link is made to this https://www.liquidtintz.com/ site. | {
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The Classic Rowing Machine is generally quiet for a water resistance machine, but some users believed that it was a little noisy. Like all rowers, whether it’s a flywheel or a waterwheel, there is going to be noise. The more effort that you put into it, the louder it’s going to get. And most find it motivating to hear the water paddles get louder as they burn more calories.
Modern rowing as a competitive sport can be traced to the early 10th century when races were held between professional watermen on the River Thames in London, United Kingdom. Often prizes were offered by the London Guilds and Livery Companies. Amateur competition began towards the end of the 18th century with the arrival of "boat clubs" at the British public schools of Eton College, Shrewsbury School, and Westminster School. Similarly, clubs were formed at the University of Oxford, with a race held between Brasenose College and Jesus College in 1815. At the University of Cambridge the first recorded races were in 1827. Public rowing clubs were beginning at the same time; in England Leander Club was founded in 1818, in Germany Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club was founded in 1836 and in the United States Narragansett Boat Club was founded in 1838 and Detroit Boat Club was founded in 1839. In 1843, the first American college rowing club was formed at Yale University.
Yes! The mother of indoor rowing competitions is the CRASH-B Sprints, held annually in Boston. The Charles River All-Star Has-Beens started when the U.S. boycotted the Olympics in 1980 — during the same era that Concept 2 launched their Model A; necessity met opportunity. CRASH-B is still held with aplomb and doesn’t require any special qualification of its applicants.
Originally made from wood, shells are now almost always made from a composite material (usually a double skin of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic with a sandwich of honeycomb material) for strength and weight advantages. FISA rules specify minimum weights for each class of boat so that no individual team will gain a great advantage from the use of expensive materials or technology.
WaterRower Dimensions: 83'' x 22'' x 21'' / Weight: 108 Lbs (At Minimum Water Level)Built For Light Commercial Use & Practically M...aintenance Free, Rowing Machine Targets All Major Muscle Groups (84% Of Total Muscle Mass) W/ Excellent Adjustable Resistance LevelsMade W/ Kiln Dried Harwood; Danish Oil & Urethane Finish For Better Wood Performance/Strength & Cozy Feel To Your GymBoasts A Patented Water Flywheel That Mimics The Natural Dynamics Of Rowing Yet Suitable For Users W/ Joint Concerns (Chlorine Tablet Is Available Free Of Charge)Enjoy 1 Year Manufacturer's Warranty (Upgradeable To 3-Year Parts While 5-Year Frame Is Free Of Charge W/ Registration)Comes W/ The S4 Performance Monitor For QuickStart Of Functions And Displays Intensity, Kcalories Per Hour, Strokerate, Heartrate, And More!Storage Dimensions: 21'' x 22'' x 83'' (Easily Store It On End)Entry Height Is At 12'' (At 20'' W/ Optional Hi-Rise Adaptor)Noise/Intrusion Levels: Soothing & Relaxing/Minimal read more
Because of the vast array of products that might contain one of the chemicals or ingredients on the list, we must include Proposition 65 warnings in our communications with you. We are required to use exact wording as specified by the state of California. While the warning sounds alarming, the purpose is to notify you of the potential risk so that you can make an informed buying decision.
Most people who are new to the sport of rowing have difficulty achieving low strokes rates while trying to obtain their desired intensity – there are many comments such as “it does not feel hard enough?” or “how can I make it harder?” Rowing is about ratio and rhythm and you need to focus on a long stroke length and a powerful drive phase (push with the legs and pull with the arms). Give yourself time to learn this, it can take a few weeks before you start to feel the intensity at low stroke rates.
Water rowers are just a recent invention followed by the air rower, which utilizes paddles and water in order to create the resistance. While there are a lot of people who prefer the air rower compared to this one, there are also people who prefer the water rower because it has a smoother, quieter feel of the action, especially when emulating the movement of water rowing. Like the air rower, this machine is able to burn calories and work up your muscles through offering resistance to your movement while sitting on the sliding seat. The more resistance there is, the more it makes it harder to work on the machine and your workout becomes more challenging.
Rowing is a highly aerobic activity which burns calories quickly and gives you a complete cardiocascular workout which is a great way to help your heart as well as tone your arms, legs, chest, back, and abs. What most people don't realize is that Rowing improves joint health through a wide range of motion and relieves stress because it allows you to remove yourself from the world around you, to connect to the calm and quiet of the water, and to meditate through the rhythmic, repetitive motion of your stroke. Rowing is a great way to get Aerobic and Anaerobic benefits without even thinking about it. Rowing also provides a workout for a variety of different muscles and joints in your body. If you want to see improvements in both your cardio fitness levels and your overall strength, it can give you the desired results you're looking for.
At the collegiate level (in the United States), the lightweight weight requirements can be different depending on competitive season. For fall regattas (typically head races), the lightweight cutoff for men is 165.0 lb. and 135.0 lb. for women. In the spring season (typically sprint races), the lightweight cutoff for men is 160.0 lb., with a boat average of 155.0 lb. for the crew; for women, the lightweight cutoff is 130.0 lb.[48]
Noise level is another large factor that tips the scale more towards water rowers. Air rowers make a fairly loud “whooshing” noise every stroke, which makes them bad for people who like watching TV, have sleeping children, live in apartments, or like working out early in the AM. Water rowers do make some noise but the splashing of water in the tank is a lot quieter and more soothing than the fan noise produced by air rowers.
We spent 42 hours on research, videography, and editing, to review the top picks for this wiki. These days, there’s no need to trek to a gym and pay costly membership fees if you want to get fit and stay healthy. Rowing machines provide a low-impact, full-body workout that targets almost every major muscle group. Once you choose the model that best fits your needs and find a convenient location somewhere in your home, there's nothing left to do but dip your oars. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to support our work. Skip to the best rowing machine on Amazon.
Outside of resistance type, we found the number-one arbiter of ride feel to be cord quality. Water ergometers tend to employ nylon cords, while air ergometers feature metal chains — a durability factor we anticipated would result in our favoring air. But while all three water rowers aced our expectation of smooth, high-tension strokes, perfecting the chain seems to be more difficult: Some tug with just a slight rumble, others feature bouncy, grinding chains that are incredibly loud, something akin to angry snoring. As for nylon, the best wind and unwind like elastic silk — no slack, no sound, no catching, just perfectly even tension throughout the stroke.
Rowing is one of the few non-weight bearing sports that exercises all the major muscle groups, including quads, biceps, triceps, lats, glutes and abdominal muscles. The sport also improves cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. High-performance rowers tend to be tall and muscular: although extra weight does increase the drag on the boat, the larger athletes' increased power tends to be more significant. The increased power is achieved through increased length of leverage on the oar through longer limbs of the athlete. In multi-person boats (2,4, or 8), the lightest person typically rows in the bow seat at the front of the boat.
Wood has been chosen due to its marvellous engineering properties, primary amongst these is its ability to absorb sound and vibration enhancing the WaterRower's quietness and smoothness of use. The WaterRower's patented WaterFlywheel has been designed to emulate the exact dynamics as a boat moving through water; the objective of the exercise of rowing.
Yes! The mother of indoor rowing competitions is the CRASH-B Sprints, held annually in Boston. The Charles River All-Star Has-Beens started when the U.S. boycotted the Olympics in 1980 — during the same era that Concept 2 launched their Model A; necessity met opportunity. CRASH-B is still held with aplomb and doesn’t require any special qualification of its applicants.
The WaterRower Classic is hand crafted in solid American Black Walnut. Like all woods, Black Walnut may vary in color from a rich brown to purple-black. Each machine has been hand finished with three coats of Danish Oil giving a deep lustre an warmth to the wood. Wood has been chosen due to its marvellous engineering properties, primary amongst these is its ability to absorb sound and vibration enhancing the WaterRower's quietness and smoothness of use. Black Walnut, like all woods used in WaterRower construction, is a premium hardwood with incredible longevity and dimensional stability. For reasons of ecology, all our woods are harvested from replenishable forests.
Flywheel sits in enclosed water tank to provide smooth, quiet, self-regulated resistanceSeries 4 performance monitor tracks workou...t intensity, stroke rate, heart rate, and moreHandcrafted rowing machine with "water flywheel" that replicates actual rowing feelStores upright; measures 83 x 22 x 21 inches (L x W x H) and weighs 108 poundsNo impact and Non-Load Bearing, perfect for users with Joint concerns read more
1.) I keep reading about cracks and leaks that develop in the water tank. WaterRower even offers a tank repair kit for this very issue. It seems to me that this is a design flaw that they refuse to address, instead offering a fix for when it eventually occurs. Have you seen these tanks to eventually leak? I’m surprised they haven’t tried a one-piece tank.
Rowing is unusual in the demands it places on competitors. The standard world championship race distance of 2,000 metres is long enough to have a large endurance element, but short enough (typically 5.5 to 7.5 minutes) to feel like a sprint. This means that rowers have some of the highest power outputs of athletes in any sport.[35] At the same time the motion involved in the sport compresses the rowers' lungs, limiting the amount of oxygen available to them. This requires rowers to tailor their breathing to the stroke, typically inhaling and exhaling twice per stroke, unlike most other sports such as cycling where competitors can breathe freely.
The benefit of a water resistance rower is that it most closely simulates a boat moving through water. Rowing resistance comes from the effect of fluid drag acting on the boat; in other words, resistance increases according to stroke rate. The patented WaterFlywheel emulates this naturally self-paced benefit of rowing. This is a workout with immediate benefits, regardless of your level of experience! Please also note that you can adjust the workout intensity by changing the amount of water in the tank. The more water, the higher the effort level required.
Water Rower Dimensions: 88" x 22" x 28.5" / Weight: 79 Lbs (Empty Tank), 116 Lbs (With Water); Maximum User Weight And Height: 700... Lbs & 38" InseamExercise Rower Features Aluminum Makeup With Powder-Coated Aluminum Finish For High DurabilityBoasts Patented Water Flywheel Responsible For Its Natural Rowing Dynamic-Like Actually Driving A Boat With Oars! Other Features: Self-Regulating Resistance Levels-Making It Suitable For Any User, Little Maintenance Required (Tablets Available From Manufacturer Free Of Charge) And Inclusive Of S4 Performance Monitor (Displays Intensity, Kcalories/Hour, Stroke Rate, Heart Rate, And More! Enjoy 1 Year Commercial Warranty (Upgradeable To 3-Year Parts While 5-Year Frames Are Free Of Charge With Registration) read more
Ever since the earliest recorded references to rowing, the sporting element has been present. An Egyptian funerary inscription of 1430 BC records that the warrior Amenhotep (Amenophis) II was also renowned for his feats of oarsmanship. In the Aeneid, Virgil mentions rowing forming part of the funeral games arranged by Aeneas in honour of his father.[10] In the 13th century, Venetian festivals called regata included boat races among others.[11]
As with any fitness activity, it’s important to exercise with proper technique, however. The big muscles in the legs are where most of the workout action should be. Injury to the lower back can occur from bending too far forward in the row. It’s best to maintain a upright 90 degree angle to the rowing machine’s seat and slider bar. Using the legs for the motion rather than relying as heavily on the back or arms can help reduce the chance of muscle pulls or other related injuries. Always check with a physician before starting any new fitness regimen.
Head races are time trial / processional races that take place from autumn (fall) to early spring (depending on local conditions). Boats begin with a rolling start at intervals of 10 – 20 seconds, and are timed over a set distance. Head courses usually vary in length from 2,000 metres (1.24 mi) to 12,000 metres (7.46 mi), though there are longer races such as the Boston Rowing Marathon and shorter such as Pairs Head.
It provides a pretty impressive cardiovascular workout that will leave you feeling rejuvenated and empowered at the same time. This is a water resistance model that allows you to smoothly cut through water using all the major muscle groups, without putting unnecessary strain on the lower back and joints. This is the perfect workout for users who cannot participate in high impact workouts.
Award Winning Design - The WaterRower has been designed to set it apart from other fitness equipment, featuring an attention to detail unseen in other exercise equipment. Refined Design - The WaterRower has been designed to set it apart from other fitness equipment, featuring an attention to design refinement unseen in other exercise equipment. Hand Crafting - WaterRower’s wooden models are handcrafted from a selection of the world’s finest hard woods (Ash, Cherry, Walnut, Beech and Oak).. Each model is hand finished and coated with Danish oil giving it a deep penetrating Luster. Sustainable & Eco-Friendly - All WaterRower's wooden models are crafted from the finest Appalachian hardwoods sourced only from replenishable forests.
Amateur competition in England began towards the end of the 18th century. Documentary evidence from this period is sparse, but it is known that the Monarch Boat Club of Eton College and the Isis Club of Westminster School were both in existence in the 1790s. The Star Club and Arrow Club in London for gentlemen amateurs were also in existence before 1800. At the University of Oxford bumping races were first organised in 1815 when Brasenose College and Jesus College boat clubs had the first annual race[14] while at Cambridge the first recorded races were in 1827.[15] Brasenose beat Jesus to win Oxford University's first Head of the River; the two clubs claim to be the oldest established boat clubs in the world. The Boat Race between Oxford University and Cambridge University first took place in 1829, and was the second intercollegiate sporting event (following the first Varsity Cricket Match by 2 years). The interest in the first Boat Race and subsequent matches led the town of Henley-on-Thames to begin hosting an annual regatta in 1839.[16]
The WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine with S4 Monitor is hand crafted in solid Ash and stained Honey Oak for consistency of color.... Each rowing machine has been hand finished with Danish Oil giving a deep luster and warmth to the wood. Wood has been chosen due to its marvelous engineering properties, primary amongst these is its ability to absorb sound and vibration enhancing the WaterRower's smooth and quiet performance.;Flywheel sits in enclosed water tank to provide smooth, quiet, self-regulated resistanceSeries 4 performance monitor tracks workout intensity, stroke rate, heart rate, and moreHandcrafted rowing machine with inchwater flywheel inch that replicates actual rowing feelStores upright; measures 84 x 21 x 22 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 117 poundsStores upright; measures 84 x 21 x 22 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 117 pounds read more
WaterRower Rowing Machines offer a pleasant rowing exercise while holding true to the dynamics of on-water rowing; burn up to 1000 calories an hour and work up to 84 percent of your muscle mass! Rowing provides an effective, high-intensity, cardio workout, while maintaining a low-impact to the joints. Workout at your own pace as the WaterFlyWheel's self-regulating resistance dynamically adjusts to each of your strokes. Unlike common ergometers, to change resistance on a WaterRower rowing machine you simply row harder!
Water Rower Dimensions: 82.25" x 22.25" x 19.63" / Weight: 88 Lbs (Empty Tank), 125 Lbs (With 171 Liters Of Water) ; Maximum User ...Weight And Height: 1000 Lbs & 38" InseamExercise Rower Features Stainless Steel Makeup With Brushed Stainless Steel Finish For High DurabilityBoasts Patented Water Flywheel Responsible For Its Natural Rowing Dynamic-Like Actually Driving A Boat With Oars! Other Features: Self-Regulating Resistance Levels-Making It Suitable For Any User, Little Maintenance Required (Tablets Available From Manufacturer Free Of Charge) And Inclusive Of S4 Performance Monitor (Displays Intensity, Kcalories/Hour, Stroke Rate, Heart Rate, And More! Enjoy 1 Year Commercial Warranty (Upgradeable To 3-Year Parts While 5-Year Frames Are Free Of Charge With Registration) read more
THL: Stay a safe distance from vertical surfaces if there are significant waves present in the area. A passing boat or ship may generate big waves that escape your attention until there is no time to escape. An example is the North anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge (but there are special cases, e.g. rough water classes or the OWRC regatta, when there is a fast flood coming through the Golden Gate, and it is useful to be close to the wall since the current is slower there).
Note: Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations may not apply to you. Some states do not allow the exclusion on limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
The WaterRower Classic Rower has been designed to optimize ease of storage. Simply lift one end and the machine stores conveniently upright in about the space of a dining room chair. The WaterRower Classic Rower has a light wooden frame, the positioning of the WaterFlywheel close to the wheels, and the leverage effect provided by the rails, makes lifting almost effortless. When stored the WaterRower's patented WaterFlywheel provides a low center of gravity making the machine very stable.
The machine was easy to put together and worked well mechanically. The problem is the electronic monitor. The strokes/min registered as double the actual pace, and the distance registered as 1/10th the actual distance. I contacted customer support via email and their response was slow and inadequate. I am returning the machine and plan to buy a WaterRower.
The water flywheel is comprised of two paddles encased in an enclosed tank of water. As you pull the cable, the paddles move through the water creating resistance. The beauty of this machine is it uses the mass/density of water. The paddles create the drag, so the harder you pull, the more resistance increases. Think about moving your hands through water. The faster you go, the more dense water feels. The slower you go, the less you feel the resistance. And this type of resistance is excellent for your joints. Click here to read the full review.
The Concept2 Model D is the ultra-popular air rower that you’ll see at most gyms. It is one of the best home indoor rowers you can buy period. Expertly constructed and ergonomically unequaled, this rowing machine looks great and rows smoothly without so much as a jarring catch. As an air rower, the Concept2 employs air baffles to create the resistance. A nickel-plated chain pulls the flywheel and you get your workout by pulling against the increasingly higher air pressure that the fan is creating.
Ever since the earliest recorded references to rowing, the sporting element has been present. An Egyptian funerary inscription of 1430 BC records that the warrior Amenhotep (Amenophis) II was also renowned for his feats of oarsmanship. In the Aeneid, Virgil mentions rowing forming part of the funeral games arranged by Aeneas in honour of his father.[10] In the 13th century, Venetian festivals called regata included boat races among others.[11]
Blades, otherwise known as oars to amateurs or non rowers, are used to propel the boat. They are long (sculling: 250–300 cm; sweep oar: 340–360 cm) poles with one flat end about 50 cm long and 25 cm wide, called the blade. Classic blades were made out of wood, but modern blades are made from more expensive and durable synthetic material, the most common being carbon fiber.
The A1 S4 Driftwood by WaterRower delivers a total body workout, caters to fitness goals and exercise requirements. This rower is ...crafted out of fine-quality driftwood with an aluminum monorail. It is perfect for home or gym use and has a maximum user weight capacity of 375 pounds. The A1 S4 Driftwoood boasts features such as the WaterRower patented WaterFlywheel that gives life-like water rowing experience, a unique self-regulating resistance with infinite variable which suits any user, contoured seat with wheels that glide along the rail and comfortable rowing handles. It also comes with an S4 monitor that shows time per 2 or 500 kilometers, calories burned per hour, distance covered and total time of workouts. Maintenance of this rower is minimal. Simply add a purification tablet every 3-6 months. Tablets come with the package. When not in use, store the A1 S4 Driftwood vertically against a wall or in a closet. Buy your very own high-quality WaterRower Rowing Machine from Dazadi and get free shipping with every purchase. *WATER ROWER FOR HOME AND GYM USE - Crafted out of high-quality driftwood with aluminum monorail with no impact and non-load bearing, making it perfect for users with joint problems. Targets 84% of all major muscle areas like the arms, legs, back, shoulders, chest, core, etc. Water rower dimensions: 83 L x 22.5 W x 22.5 H Inches / Weight: 110 Pounds*LIFE-LIKE WATER ROWING EXPERIENCE - Features patented WaterFlywheel, unique self-regulating resistance, ergonomic seat and handles. Suits any user without need for adjustments. Maximum user weight: 375 Pounds. *TRACK YOUR PROGRESS - Water Rower comes with an intelligent S4 monitor that shows time per 2 or 500 kilometers, watts, calories burned per hour, distance, and the total time of workouts.*LOW MAINTENANCE AND SPACE EFFICIENT - This water rowing machine does not require lubrication or maintenance. User simply needs to add a purification tablet in the water every 3-6 months (tablets come with the package). When not in use, tip vertically against a wall or store in closet conveniently. read more
Row, Jimmy, row…🎶 What’s one of the best things about using the WaterRower? There’s no such thing as an age limit when it comes to using it because of its ability to provide a workout with minimal impact on the joints. You don’t have to take our word for it, but we think you might want to take this fellas. Jimmy is 93 years young and hopped on the WaterRower for the first time yesterday. Let’s hear it for Jimmy!
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The International Rowing Federation (French: Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron, abbreviated FISA), responsible for international governance of rowing, was founded in 1892 to provide regulation at a time when the sport was gaining popularity. Across six continents, 150 countries now have rowing federations that participate in the sport.[3]
Rowing has long been recognized as the perfect aerobic pursuit, with naturally smooth and flowing movements that don't tax the joints but do boost the heart rate. Now you can take your rowing experience to the next level with the WaterRower Classic rowing machine. Using the same principles that govern the dynamics of a boat in water, the WaterRower Classic is outfitted with a "water flywheel" that consists of two paddles in an enclosed tank of water that provide smooth, quiet resistance, just like the paddles in an actual body of water. As a result, the machine has no moving parts that can wear out over time (even the recoil belt and pulleys don't require lubricating or maintaining). More significantly, the water tank and flywheel create a self-regulating resistance system that eliminates the need for a motor. As with real rowing, when you paddle faster, the increased drag provides more resistance. When you paddle slower, the resistance is less intense. The only limit to how fast you can row is your strength and your ability to overcome drag. And unlike conventional rowing machines, which tend to be jerky and jarring, the WaterRower Classic is remarkably smooth and fluid.
On a rowing machine, you don’t want to be wearing clothes that are too baggy as the fabric can get caught between the seat and the beam it slides on. It’s not a disaster if that happens, but it can get annoying if your shorts keep getting caught there while you’re trying to get a serious workout. It’s better to wear shorter, tighter-fitting shorts (nothing ridiculous), but just enough to ensure it doesn’t the material doesn’t hang down.
Water Rower Dimensions: 82.25" x 22.25" x 19.63" / Weight: 88 Lbs (Empty Tank), 125 Lbs (With 171 Liters Of Water) ; Maximum User ...Weight And Height: 1000 Lbs & 38" InseamExercise Rower Features Stainless Steel Makeup With Brushed Stainless Steel Finish For High DurabilityBoasts Patented Water Flywheel Responsible For Its Natural Rowing Dynamic-Like Actually Driving A Boat With Oars! Other Features: Self-Regulating Resistance Levels-Making It Suitable For Any User, Little Maintenance Required (Tablets Available From Manufacturer Free Of Charge) And Inclusive Of S4 Performance Monitor (Displays Intensity, Kcalories/Hour, Stroke Rate, Heart Rate, And More! Enjoy 1 Year Commercial Warranty (Upgradeable To 3-Year Parts While 5-Year Frames Are Free Of Charge With Registration) read more | {
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Hunter Renfroe Rumors
The Padres declined to part with top outfield prospect Hunter Renfroe in their deal for closer Craig Kimbrel, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. At the same time, the Braves weren’t sold on top catching prospect Austin Hedges and feared that his hitting might not develop enough. Ultimately, that left pitcher Matt Wisler as the key prospect in the deal. Here’s more from Heyman’s column..
Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle is considering retirement following the 2015 season, Heyman reports. While he notes that April retirement ruminations often prove to be inaccurate, there seems to be a strong possibility that the 36-year-old Buehrle will call it quits.
Tigers executives were shocked that they were able to pry right-hander Shane Greene away from the Yankees this winter, Heyman writes. The Yankees considered trading Greene “painful,” but the team was desperate for a shortstop, and New York scouting guru Gene Michael was a strong supporter of Gregorius.
Trading Ryan Howard seems less and less likely for the Phillies each coming day, Heyman writes, noting that one scout said that Howard simply looks “lost” at the plate. Heyman also notes that the stacked starting pitching class on next year’s free agent market may be hindering the Phillies’ ability to move Cole Hamels, as teams are content to wait to bid on the likes of David Price, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmermann, Jeff Samardzija and others.
The Orioles checked in on Blue Jays catcher Dioner Navarro at some point late in the spring. Navarro, who has been supplanted as the starting catcher in Toronto by Russell Martin, is hoping to go elsewhere and start. The diplomatic Navarro spoke with MLBTR’s Zach Links last month about the trade talk surrounding him.
One GM who has some interest in Elvis Andrus suggested to Heyman that it’d be hard for the Rangers to trade him now. While Texas has infield depth, most of it is at the lower rungs of their system. Meanwhile, they’ll be without Jurickson Profar for a second straight year.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has one year to go on his contract, but word is that the front office likes him and they mainly want to see progress from their younger players before extending him. It’s said that Gonzalez won’t be judged on his win-loss record, but so far he’s doing pretty well in that department too.
The Red Sox made at least a preliminary offer to Yoenis Cespedes before trading him, which seems to poke a hole in the theory that Boston coaches “hated” the outfielder.
Despite coming off their third World Series title in five years, many pundits aren’t expecting much of a title defense for the Giants, which Tim Hudson tells ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick is just fine by the clubhouse. “I think the guys in here embrace the underdog role. It’s like they say, ‘OK, everybody is picking us to finish mid-pack again. We’re gonna show ’em.’ I think it’s great,” Hudson said. “I would rather be the underdog than the favorite. The pressure is on the favorite all the time.” Here’s some more from around the NL West…
Zack Greinke will, unsurprisingly, wait until the end of the season before deciding whether to exercise the opt-out clause in his Dodgers contract, the righty told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick). Greinke reiterated that he enjoys pitching for the Dodgers and said he’s open to discussing a new contract with the team.
The opt-out clause, Greinke said, is “all to your benefit. If things are going good, you can use it for more power. There’s no negative to it.” He also made some telling remarks about why he wanted the clause in the first place, seemingly based on regrets over his first multi-year contract when he pitched for the Royals. “I know you can’t really trust the front office and what they tell you. Guys have signed long deals and get traded the next year. It happens all the time,” Greinke said. “Teams do what’s best for them and you can’t fault them, but you can’t trust them to do what’s best for you. Their job is to do what’s best for the team.”
According to recent reports, the Padres offered Austin Hedges and Hunter Renfroe to the Phillies in exchange for Cole Hamels. With the assumption that it was a legit offer that the Phillies rejected, and that no other players or money were involved, Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan examines the proposal and feels that the Phils were probably right to turn it down. While “the offer seems in the vicinity of fair” and wouldn’t have been a bad return for Hamels, there are significant questions about Hedges and Renfroe’s long-term future as major leaguers. Sullivan thinks Philadelphia could find a better deal elsewhere, even if he doesn’t think they’ll be able to land a true blue-chip prospect for Hamels.
Phillies lefty Cole Hamels would prefer to be dealt to a contender, he tells Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “I want to go to a place where I can win again,” said Hamels. Though he made clear he was not demanding a trade, Hamels did indicate that he wants to play for a winning ballclub, saying “I know it’s not going to happen here.”
Hamels, 31, has represented perhaps the biggest unconsummated trade story of the offseason. With all major arms now signed off of the free agent market, and most teams presumably set to enter camp with their rotations intact, he may well be the only achievable prize left for clubs looking to add an impact starter.
According to Nightengale, the Phillies have continued to work hard to find an acceptable deal. The Padres have dangled a package of Hunter Renfroe and Austin Hedges, but that was not deemed sufficient by the Philadelphia front office. And the Phils have been unsuccessful in prying their key targets from teams like the Red Sox (who won’t include Blake Swihart), Dodgers (who haven’t offered any of the team’s top four prospects), and Cardinals (who have not agreed to move Carlos Martinez).
Hamels says that he will do his best to prepare for the season in the normal course, and gave no indication that he will do anything other than honor his contract, particularly with camp set to open. “Now that I’m here, I plan on being here for the next six weeks,” said Hamels, explaining that he had kept an eye on rumors over the winter. “I think it would be pretty chaotic if that’s not the case. But it’s out of my control.”
The veteran southpaw says that he crafted his no-trade list by identifying the nine teams he would most want to play for and leaving himself unprotected from those clubs. Only the Yankees and Rangers can deal for him without approval among American League teams, though Hamels notes that he would be “all ears” to the possibility of waiving his no-trade protection were the Red Sox to work out an agreement to acquire him. (He did not address the idea, advanced in some earlier reports, that he might seek inducements, such as a guarantee of his fifth-year option, from a team over which he possesses veto power.)
4:57pm: The Padres are close to signing first-round draft pick Hunter Renfroe, as MLB.com's Corey Brock reports (via Twitter) that the Mississippi State outfielder is in San Diego today to take his physical. Once the physical is passed and the deal is signed, Renfroe will report to the Padres' short-season A ball affiliate later this week. Renfroe is advised by McKinnis Sports Management.
No terms of the deal are known, though the 13th overall pick carries an assigned slot value of $2.678MM. The Padres have agreed to terms with the rest of their picks from the first 10 rounds and are roughly $83K under their assigned draft pool budget, so it's possible this extra money could be used to give Renfroe a slightly-above slot deal. (Tip of the cap to Baseball America for the previous two links.)
Renfroe, 21, was originally a 31st-round pick for the Red Sox in the 2010 draft but he instead chose to attend Mississippi State and ended up improving his draft stock considerably. Baseball America ranked Renfroe as the 11th-best prospect of the 2013 draft class, while ESPN's Keith Law ranked him 12th and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo ranked him 28th. Renfroe projects as a right fielder due to his strong throwing arm and plus speed. The right-handed hatter has "outstanding raw power" according to MLB.com's scouting report and has "progressed tremendously at the plate" in college, though "there's still some swing and miss to his game." | {
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Ride-sourcing companies like Uber and Lyft add tons of traffic to Denver and Boulder streets, and make the transportation system less efficient by cannibalizing transit, biking, and walking trips. That’s according to a study by Alejandro Henao, a PhD candidate at the University of Colorado.
Uber and Lyft famously hide their trip data from cities, so Henao went and got the data himself. He became a driver for both companies and surveyed 311 passengers over about four months in Denver, Boulder, and various suburbs. Each passenger answered 28 questions — things like where they were going, how they would’ve traveled otherwise, and demographic information.
“The main goal was to understand how people are using Uber and Lyft — what modes they were replacing,” Henao told Streetsblog. “And also, looking at it as a transportation engineer, I wanted to see how efficient this service is, compared to other services.”
About 34 percent of people surveyed said they would have either taken transit, biked, or walked instead of using the car service. That’s about 106 people who replaced transit, biking, and walking with sitting in a car, which means 106 more cars on the road that weren’t there before.
And here’s the other thing — those people aren’t adding a car to the road solely during their trip, according to Henao’s research. The mileage ticker starts when Henao is hailed by the app, continues through the pick-up, and ends with the drop-off. So if he drives two miles to pick up a passenger, then takes the passenger three miles away, the person in his back seat actually accounts for five miles worth of car traffic.
A bus going that same three miles on a fixed route carries a lot more people in a smaller amount of space, and doesn’t add excess mileage to the streets. But bad transit is also a culprit, according to Henao’s research. If the bus doesn’t come frequently or takes too long to get its destination, people will pay more for the immediacy of a personal car.
“One of the main reasons that these people stated that they’re using Uber and Lyft is because public transportation is unavailable or is poor,” Henao said.
Henao experienced the frustration of extra driving, and used his trip data to measure its effect on the overall transportation system. He examined the group of people who replaced other modes with Uber and Lyft rides, and measured the impact of those trips with Uber and Lyft and without.
With ride-sourcing, it takes 1.6 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to move a passenger one person mile (PMT). Image: Alejandro Henao
Using other modes, Henao’s passengers could have moved 112 miles for every 100 miles worth of car traffic burdening the system, Henao found. With Uber and Lyft in the picture, it takes 100 miles of car traffic to move 60.8 “person miles.” In other words, more car trips moved fewer people.
Uber and Lyft “could be part of the solution for better transportation systems,” Henao says. After all, 12.3 percent of Henao’s passengers said they wouldn’t have traveled at all without the car service. They could also help cities treat their expensive and space-hogging parking addiction, Henao said.
But mostly the study is a cautionary tale to cities that think private ride-sourcing gets them off the hook for providing convenient transit. It’s not a silver bullet for mobility
“Transit agencies cancelling bus routes and subsidizing Lyft and Uber rides — you see it happening more and more all over the country,” Henao said. “But we don’t fully know the effects.”
Not sure that 106 Uber/Lyft trips over four months reflects “tons” of traffic. The obvious benefit is their ability to create individualized routes easily and quickly which is not something that RTD is even capable of doing. Uber/Lyft could be most productive by adding first mile/last mile ability; but that depends on having transit that appeals to commuters.
mattlogan
Multiply 106 by the number of Uber/lyft drivers in Denver.
TakeFive
… and how many would that be? And what would be the amount of total traffic over four months in Boulder, Denver and the surrounding suburbs as opposed to the Uber/Lyft traffic? Is that spread throughout a 24 hour day or is it mostly at Rush Hour? Feel free to offer whatever intelligent assessment you can.
Doesn’t look like a lot of data points to make sound conclusions, though I see the trends. Would be interesting to see the pick-up/drop-off locations mapped though. If he primarily stayed in the CBD areas, I’d think the 1:1.6 ratio would be closer to 1:1.
One major false assumption: “A bus going that same three miles on a fixed route carries a lot more people in a smaller amount of space, and doesn’t add excess mileage to the streets.” That assumes that the bus is operating near capacity / carrying multiple passengers. In many suburban areas, the bus is just a bigger vehicle carrying a handful of riders, so it becomes more of a “wash” . . .
How are households that are no car/car-lite because of the occasional availability of rideshare accounted for? Just because one might have otherwise taken a bus for that specific ride, doesn’t capture all the other trips that person takes by foot/bike/bus because of the availability of rideshare. Anecdotally, here in DC it feels like everyone in the city is dropping to no car or one car households because there are way more options these days than even a few years ago.
Asher Of LA
Great point, and one that’s hard to address with the dataset Henao has.
Once you have the car, you tend to use it much more – but TNCs can substitute for say, 20% of your car use, with the balance from transit/biking/walking/shared rides.
I’d contend Uber is simply too expensive for most to replace 100% of your car rides. It would be interesting to study those DC households and see what percent of their travel is by Uber, vs similar but car-owning households and their car VMT.
Alejandro
Good point. This article is in regards to the “specific trip” data. Data on general travel behavior changes (including car-ownership changes) was also collected, which can be found in the full dissertation….stay tune for more papers about this. You can find more info at http://www.alehenao.com/dissertation.
SingleOccupantDriver
Congestion and air pollution is mostly caused by the width design choice of vehicle makers.
I propose large cities work with Uber, Lyft, FedEx, Amazon, UPS, taxi companies, and their public transit groups to build and lease single-width, 100% electric narrow cars and buses so that the trips to pick up passengers don’t require twice the road-width.
Bicycles wouldn’t be as great for cities if they had side seats, which some novelty bikes do. I can’t imagine a single person thinking cities allowing car or bus width twice as wide as they are currently to be a good idea. The same logic applies absolutely to side by side seated vehicle design.
It’s time to design and build single-width road vehicles to fix congestion and improve air quality in cities.
joerubino
Regardless of what you think about this study, there is no doubt that Uber and Lyft have created incredible unintended consequences re: traffic congestion and pollution. NYC streets used to seem like a sea of yellow with their 13,000 taxis. Now, added to that group, there are 65,000 Uber cars. That is not an exaggeration. San Fran has 1800 taxis, which always seemed like a lot in that small (45 square mile) city, yet there are now 45,000 Ubers on San Francisco streets. Think of that number for a second. Uber was supposed to REDUCE cars on our streets, not add to that number exponentially. These additional numbers of vehicles on city streets are having a deleterious affect on the act of simply walking around either city. To say nothing of the increased pollution. Visit either of those cities to see for yourself if you doubt my word on this. Regular drivers in San Fran can barely get through an intersection without dodging a ride-hail car heading to or from a pickup.
hibbidydibbidy
If they were truly “ride sharing” then it would reduce traffic because we’d be sharing a ride to a nearby destination.
However the driver of the car has to drive from where they are to where you are, then go from there to your destination, and then finally go to where they want to be. This adds 2 additional legs added to the trip compared to you just driving yourself.
Sure, a taxi would do a similar amount of driving but nobody claims that taxis cut down on the number of miles driven.
JulieMcCabe7
Hi Alejandro, I attended 10/18/17 transport meet in Boulder. You did a great job! Too bad everyone in Boulder can’t take a pill and download all the points made by the panel. You equate cost transportation in vmt vs pmt. Another way of saying this is $ efficiency, cost/benefit analysis based upon a graph showing: parking, cost, GHG emissions, congestion, etc. This will show the variables of choice in making a decision: it’s windy and cold, call Lyft b/c the bus stop sucks, or there’ll be no parking, etc. My bet, few are so politicized that they take mass transit solely because of GHG issues. GHG is a big picture issue people think about, on which gov.s act. Lauren (think ?) said future mobility will incorporate mass transit. My BIG complaint about city mass transit – it runs nearly empty except for routes for students and CU. (CU’s on campus parking is limited and expensive.) Our “non-profit” politicians default to more mass transit to combat Boulder’s traffic woes. I don’t agree highly subsidized mass transit (i.e. too few riders) is worth the cost. High subsidy = NOT contributing to any solution. The RTD saga in Denver with its light rail costs is going to be a headache until RTD figures out how to incorporate its systems with the ones discussed last night. Have a good day. JMc
After the Global Climate Strike, where students in Colorado and around the world demanded climate action, elected officials at all levels of Colorado government appear to be shrugging their shoulders, offering political agendas that fail to envision a better transportation future.
At long last, the congestion price may finally be right. State legislators, facing pressure after years of inaction on transit issues, are closer to passing congestion pricing than they’ve ever been, according to multiple sources familiar with the ongoing negotiations. Anything can happen, of course, but there is less opposition than ever among the Democrats […] | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
It is mainly used for mobile phone base station battery location tracking, and the fixed upload frequency is set daily, such as 24 hours to upload the equipment location information, when the equipment displacement or power, triggered the alarm, The tracking mode can be activated to obtain the real-time location information of the battery....
12V GPS Anti-theft Accurate Tracking | Power standby Please carefully read the user guide before use in order to quickly get the right to operate. Product appearance, color and accessories are subject to change without prior notice in this manual 1)Quick Overview 2)Functions Real-time tracking Geo-fence Vibration/Displacement/Low battery/Power
An anti-theft system is any device or method used to prevent or deter the unauthorized appropriation of items considered valuable. Theft is one of the most common and oldest criminal behaviors specially happened popularly at Telecom base site and power station from ASEAN, Africa and Asia, etc. Our anti-theft systems via GPS tracking management technology have been evolved to match the introduction of new inventions to stationary batteries and the resulting thief been caught as soon as stealing the batteries. At present, there are huge number of Telecom base stations all over the world, the vast majority of sites are located in remote areas with any unattended which are stolen seriously. Theft violently destroy the infrastructure of the base station and steal batteries, resulting in serious losses such as communication breaking and stations maintenance. The conventional protective measures, such as iron guardrail, external positioning alarm device, and anti-theftscrew, not only are unable to achieve your desired effect, but also have the disadvantages of higher cost, lower battery life and weaker concealment. Our battery anti-theft solution and Monitoring Tracing system is comprised of GPS module and software operation platform. This equipment includes GPS satellite positioning system and network positioning system, that is GPS+LBS dual intelligent positioning mode. It has the function of satellite positioning, base station locating, remote reset, remote upgrade, fence alarm, tracking replay, battery low voltage alarm, vibration alarm,etc. The utility model aims at resolving the problem that an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) storage battery of a field station can not guard against a thief effectively and providing a global position system (GPS) andanti-theft monitoring tracing system for a storage battery. A terminal module is connected with a management platform and mobile phone signals through a mobile communication network. The terminal module comprise a GPS module, a central processing unit (CPU) module connected with a mobile communication network module and a vibration transducer connected with the CPU module. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
US company stops making key death penalty drug
The sole U.S. manufacturer of a key lethal injection drug said Friday it is ending production because of death-penalty opposition overseas — a move that could delay executions across the United States. Over the past several months, a growing shortage of the drug, sodium thiopental, has forced some states to put executions on hold. And the problem is likely to get worse with the announcement from Hospira Inc. of Lake Forest.
Hospira said it decided in recent months to switch manufacturing from its North Carolina plant to a more modern Hospira factory in Liscate, Italy. But Italian authorities demanded a guarantee the drug would not be used to put inmates to death — an assurance the company said it was not willing to give.
“We cannot take the risk that we will be held liable by the Italian authorities if the product is diverted for use in capital punishment,” Hospira spokesman Dan Rosenberg said. “Exposing our employees or facilities to liability is not a risk we are prepared to take.”
Italian Health Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.
All but one of the 35 states that employ lethal injection use sodium thiopental. In nearly every case, they use it as part of a three-drug combination that sedates and paralyzes the inmate and stops the heart.
There are other, similar sedatives on the market, but substituting one drug for another would require new laws or lengthy administrative processes in some states, and could also lead to lawsuits from death row. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
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Restarted HG and went with a mono team I haven't seen people use Normal types only I dumped Chickorita in the box I currently have Furret level 15 Ratatta level 13 Spearow level 10 and i'm training for the 2nd Gym.
I did some stuff at the Pokemon Center on Route 3, then I entered Mt. Moon. As soon as I entered, I met my rival (Silver) and we had yet another battle. Thankfully, I managed to defeat his Pokemon quite easily, so there was little drama to be had there. I explored the rest of the cavern after that, although there really wasn't much to explore since the majority of the layout was altered from the LG/FR days. Anyway, I managed to find a Clefairy so I captured that. I went to Mt. Moon Square, then I flew back to Pewter City. I swapped Pokemon at the Pokemon Center, then I headed south again to Route 2. I entered the gatehouse that led to Viridian Forest, then I wandered around the labyrinth. I battled several Bugcatchers in the forest, and I battled some wild Bug-type Pokemon. I managed to find a Pikachu, and I captured it inside of a Nest Ball. I saved the game in the middle of the forest.
Heracross critted Jasmine's Steelix with Brick Break, so that was fairly successful. Went to Mahogany and burned my way through the Rocket Hideout. My pokemon were all overlevelled. I'm not sure what GF thought the proper order was, but it looks like Team Rocket HQ->Cianwood->Olivine->Mahogany or something like that. I managed to find a Leaf Stone and evolve Poncho the Exeggute into Exeggutor.
Beat Mahogany gym. More or less, soloed with Heracross. Hertz the Croconaw did evolve to Feraligatr along the way.
Climbed the Radio tower and defeated Team Rocket. Nothing too difficult even though Archer's Houndoom had a 5 level advantage over my pokemon.
It's at this point that I cheated a little. After one last dance with there pre-evolved forms I traded over a Magmarizer and Shiny Stone from Platinum. While I could maybe manage with Magmar, I'm not having a Togetic until the E4. I also evolved Cho into Golem.
Ice Path was a lot easier than I remember. Probably because I had a decent stash of repels a knew what I was doing initially. Ah well.
Made it to Blackthorn city and beat all the gym trainers bar Clair. I highly doubt i'd be able to take a STAB Hydro Pump off a lvl 41 Kingdra with my lowly lvl 33s. Unfortunately, the pokemon found on Route 46 are still horribly underlevelled. Seriously, after Chuck, Jasmine, Pryce and Archer the wild pokemon should be at least lvl 30. In fact, Route 48 gives a higher exp yield, so I train there instead.
Hertz the Feraligatr
Cho the Golem
Lestrade the Togekiss
Coleos the Heracross
Poncho the Exeggutor
Sulad the Magmortar
I kept on battling trainers inside the Viridian Forest on my way to Viridian City. I managed to find a good headbutt tree as I got closer to the exit, and I found some good Pokemon there. After spending 15 minutes capturing Pokemon, I headed for the forest's exit. I arrived at the southern portion of Route 2 and I battled a couple more Bugcatchers there. I finally arrived in Viridian City after that, and I quickly went to heal my Pokemon at the Viridian City Pokemon Center. I swapped Pokemon there as well an organized my PC boxes. I then headed over to the Viridian City Gym, but it was closed since the Gym Leader wasn't in town at the moment. I went to the Trainer House instead and I battled against Cal there. I earned a Battle Point, then I headed south toward Pallet Town. I battled some trainers along Route 1, and I arrived in Pallet Town shortly thereafter. I saved the game there.
Clair was fairly challenging, in the sense that I had to use a fairly convoluted strategy to defeat her, rather than just mow down everything.
Sent out Golem first against Gyarados. It turns out that Clair's gyarados doesn't know any Water moves. 5 hits of Rock Blast took him down in across two turns. Cho comfortably took two Dragon Rages along the way.
Kingdra was to come out next. i sent out Lestrade the togekiss and managed to send him to sleep with Yawn. Poncho the Exeggutor switched in to take the incoming Hydro Pump. I pummelled Kingdra for a few turns with Energy Ball while healing myself through Leech Seed. I managed to get him down to 1 HP before Clair switched to Dragonair. Caught me by surprise, as I expected her to use her Full Restore.
I switched out to Hertz the Feraligatr as I expected a Fire Blast. I was right: Hertz took it in his stride. My pre-battle planning paid off here when Dragonair used Thunder Wave. That Cheri berry Hertz was holding allowed me to get a free KO with ICe Fang. The next Dragonair also fell to Ice Fang.
Kingdra came back in a predictably, Clair used her Hyper Potion. Coleos the Heracross managed to get in a few Brick Breaks before sacrificing himself to get in some extra damage. Lestrade came back in to finish what he had started with Air Slash.
Overall a very fun battle, because of how by strategising payed off.
Went over to and cleared out the Dragon's Den. got the Rising Badge. Collected the Master Ball form Prof. Elm.
Went over to Ecruteak to defeat the Kimono Girls. The Eeveelutions are quite hard hitting, particularly Espeon, but none were too difficult. Got the Clear Bell and tomorrow I'll take on Bell Tower.
I visited Professor Oak's lab in Pallet Town shortly after I arrived. I talked to him there and then I visited Red and Blue's house; I learned from Daisy that Blue had traveled to Cinnabar Island, so I decided to go after him. I Surfed south toward Cinnabar Island, and I battled some wild Tentacool along the way. I also found some trainers to battle on my way to the island, and I used those opportunities to train my Pokemon. I finally arrived after Surfing for 15 minutes, and I decided to heal my Pokemon before talking to Blue outside. Once I finished that, I had a talk to Blue and he told me to collect the other badges; that was the only way I could challenge him for the Earth Badge. So I Surfed toward the Seafoam Islands since that was where Blaine had moved his Gym after the volcano had erupted. I battled more trainers and wild Pokemon, and I saved the game on a sandbar.
I recently found my hg and wanted to see where where i was. I had completed the game for the most part. Beat all gyms elite four etc.. And i was trying to complete my pokedex legit however im missing celebii and latios. Turns out i havent played in about two years and mossed the two events for them. So now im trying to get those two somehow through trading over these forums. Dissapointed i wanted to get them in my ot
I went some item searching for my Pokemon.Then I went and completed the Power Plant and the Pokedoll Sidequests.At entrance to Diglett's Cave,I battled and caught Snorlax easily.Then I went through Diglett's Cave to Route 2 and arrived in Pewter City.I explored the city and got the Silver Wing.Then I challenged the gym.I defeated Brock quite easily.He started with Graveler and I sent out Nidoking.Nidoking OHKO'ed Graveler with Earthquake.Brock sent out Rhyhorn.Nidoking OHKO'ed Rhyhorn as well with Earthquake.Brock sent out Omastar.Omastar used Protect to block Nidoking's Earthquake.Nidoking did heavy damage with Earthquake but was defeated by Omastar's Brine.I sent out Arcanine.Brock used Full Restore to heal Omastar while Arcanine's Thunder Fang did some damage.Arcanine's Thunder Fang did some more damage while Omastar's Brine did heavy damage.Arcanine's Leftovers restored its health a bit.Arcanine knocked out Omastar with another Thunder Fang.Brock sent out Onix.Arcanine's Crunch did some damage while Onix's Rock Slide missed.Arcanine's Leftovers healed it a little.Arcanine's Crunch did some damage.Onix's Sitrus Berry restored some of its health.Onix's Rock Slide did some damage.Arcanine's Leftovers healed it a little.Arcanine's Crunch did some damage and lowered Onix's Defense while Onix's Rock Slide missed.Arcanine's Leftovers healed it a little.Arcanine knocked out Onix with another Crunch.Arcanine's Leftovers healed it a little.Brock sent out Kabutops.Kabutops defeated Arcanine with Aqua Jet.I sent out Fearow.Fearow did some damage with U-Turn and switched to Heracross while Kabutops's Rock Slide missed.Heracross defeated Kabutops with Close Combat.I won the Boulder Badge and got TM Rock Slide.Then I went to catch Suicune and managed to catch one with Timid nature in 29th Ultra Ball.I then saved the game.
Started up both SS and HG. In the middle of Mt. Moon in HG, no clue what I'm doing there. Sorted out my pc boxes, now they are somewhat organized. And on SS my file was deleted and restarted with a play time of 0:36. Don't you hate younger siblings who know how to delete save files?
I Surfed toward the Seafoam Islands and I beat the last Swimmers on the route. I arrived at the first cave and I decided that I would train before battling Blaine, so I headed deeper into the caverns and I found the icy floor area. I battled many wild Pokemon there and I moved through the cave while picking up items off the floor. I battled some trainers there as well, and I spent at least 30 minutes grinding. I eventually went back to Cinnabar Island to heal my Pokemon, then I went across the sea once more. I arrived at the Gym and I started battling the Gym trainers. I went around the Gym cave until all the Gym trainers had been defeated. I then battled Blaine. His Rapidash gave me a lot of trouble, but I eventually defeated it using my Rhydon's Rock Slide attack. I beat Blaine's Magcargo and Magmar with my Golduck's Surf attack, and I saved the game after getting the Volcano Badge.
Got Ho-oh down to 1 HP and put it to sleep. Threw 20 Ultra Balls/Heavy Balls and another 15 or so other pokeballs before it ran out of HP. Didn't even get 3 shakes. After soft resetting I just Koed it out of spite. I wish there were more techniques to abuse when catching pokemon, because that was just ridiculous.
After ignoring the bastard Ho-oh I set of towards Indigo Plateau. Route 27 and 28 were fairly easy going. After reaching Victory Road I taught Hertz and Cho Strength and Rock Smash respectively. I wish Victory Road had trainers, as I probably spent about as much time getting through Union Cave as this.
The final battle with Silver was notable in that Hertz the Ferailgatr actually managed to beat Silver's Meganium. It survived with 1 HP, but Ice fang got a lucky freeze. Got the last few items like Earthquake once I defeated Silver and saved at the Indigo League.
At this point I took a short hiatus to get to the friendship room in the Pokeathlon. Wasn't too difficult, but i am aiming to get as many trophies as possible by the team I clear out Kanto. Got Heart Scale from the store and taught Magmortar Thunderpunch. He'll need it, as Lance's entire team resists Fire type attacks, and are all flying types.
My Pokemon are all lvl 37 now, but once I've grinded to lvl 42 I'll take on the Elite 4. Hertz will be lvl 43, since I need his Ice fang to take out the Dragonites as the only other member who stands a chance against the Dragonites is Golem.
I left the Gym cave after I defeated Blaine and I Surfed toward Cinnabar Island again. I swapped Pokemon at the PC and then I used Fly to return to Viridian City. I stopped by the Trainer House and I battled Cal again for a Battle Point, then I headed to the Viridian City Gym to battle Blue for the Earth Badge. Once inside, I had to navigate around the Gym which was full of trainers and those movement tiles. I had to heal my Pokemon after I defeated the trainers, then I went back to finish the challenge. I battled Blue and I defeated his Exeggutor and Machamp with my Lugia, then I used my Raichu against his Gyarados. I took down his Rhydon and Arcanine with Golduck's Hydro Pump attack (which surprisingly didn't miss), and then I used my Rhydon to defeat his Pidgeot, which put up a tougher fight than expected. I won the Earth Badge and the TM and I saved the game outside the Gym.
After I defeated Blue at the Viridian City Gym, I visited the Viridian City Pokemon Center. I healed my Pokemon there and I also swapped some on the PC. I bought some items at the local Poke Mart after leaving the Pokemon Center, and then I went back south since I had to stop by Professor Oak's lab. I arrived in Pallet Town shortly, and I talked to him at the lab. He gave me the HM that contained the move Rock Climb, and he told me to go to Mt. Silver since there were tons of tough Pokemon there. I flew to Viridian City right away, and I headed west towards the Pokemon League gate. I headed towards Mt. Silver after that, I battled against some wild Pokemon as I made my way to the mountain. I eventually arrived at the Pokemon Center at the foot of Mt. Silver, and I swapped Pokemon again there. I taught Rock Climb to my Snorlax, and I entered Mt. Silver Cave. I saved the game inside.
I battled some wild Pokemon inside Mt. Silver Cave when I arrived, and then I climbed using Rock Climb so I could access the other areas. I made it outside to the side of the mountain, and I entered several caves until I found the right one. I battled my way around the cavern until I found Moltres' room. I battled it there and I managed to weaken it and then capture it. I headed out after that since my Pokemon were getting injured from all the battles. I healed at the Pokemon Center near Mt. Silver, then I headed over to Violet City using Fly. I visited the Ruins of Alph to the west of Violet City, and I solved the puzzles that I had neglected to solve before. I picked up some items after using Rock Smash on some boulders, and then I flew to Goldenrod City. I did some shopping at the local Department Store, and I left some Pokemon at the Day Care Center on Route 34. I saved the game after that.
I found that in Viridian forest pikachu ins't that rare at all. There's always one spot in Viridian forest where they group and you'll encounter almost only pikachu while in the rest you'll have a really hard time finding one.
I defeated all the trainers on Route 3 and healed at the Pokemon centre.When I entered Mt.Moon,my rival Silver challenged me and I easily defeated him.My Feraligatr Solo'ed his full team.He started with Sneasel and I sent out Feraligatr.Feraligatr OHKO'ed Sneasel with Waterfall.Silver sent out Meganium.Feraligatr's Ice Punch did some damage while Meganium's Petal Dance did heavy damage.Feraligatr defeated Meganium with another Ice Punch.Silver sent out Magneton.Feraligatr OHKO'ed Magneton with Earthquake.Silver sent out Alakazam.Alakazam used Disable to disable Earthquake but it was defeated by Feraligatr's Crunch.Silver sent out Gengar.Feraligatr OHKO'ed Gengar with Crunch.Silver sent out Golbat.Feraligatr's Ice Punch did heavy damage while Golbat's Air Cutter missed.Feraligatr knocked out Golbat with another Ice Punch.After defeating him,I proceeded through Mt.Moon and reached Route 4.I defeated all the trainers there.Then I flew to Pewter City and went to Viridian Forest.I defeated all the trainers there and got some items as well.Then I defeated two remaining trainers on Route 2 and arrived in Viridian City.I explored the city but there wasn't anything much interesting.In the Trainer House,i defeated Ace Trainer Cal and won 1 BP.I then went to and defeated all the trainers on Route 1 and arrived in Pallet Town.There wasn't anything here to do.I saved the game.
I headed over to Violet City again because there was a Whiscash swarm in the area. After fishing for a Whiscash, I headed over to Mr. Pokemon's house, which was just south of Dark Cave. I talked to him and he gave me the Orb that would awaken a Legendary Pokemon in the Embedded Tower, which was located south of the Johto Safari Zone. I flew there after obtaining the Orb, and I headed south until I reached the sea. I Surfed toward a cliff and I had Snorlax use Rock Climb. I entered the Embedded Tower and I found Groudon inside. I battled against it and I managed to weaken it with my Golduck. I put it to sleep with my Hypno's Hypnosis attack and I captured it inside an Ultra Ball. I left the tower soon after, and I flew over to Olivine City. I decided to challenge the Battle Frontier next since I was finished with almost everything else. I saved the game at the Frontier Access place.
I headed along towards Olivine City and then climbed the Lighthouse and spoke with Jasmine about healing Amphy. It took about a month but I was able to cross the treacherous waters between Olivine and Cianwood. For fear of it taking another month to cross it again after getting the medicine I decided to challenge the gym. Scyther beat every trainer with Wing Attack and after healing up I challenged Chuck. Croconaw beat his Primeape easily with 2 Surf's and then I struggled slightly with Poliwrath. I went with Miltank who fainted from a Focus Punch once Zen Headbutt missed and then Poliwrath beat Croconaw after a long battle of Bite barely doing any damage. Luckily Jumpluff had my back and after a couple Mega Drain's Poliwrath was defeated! I got the badge and flew to Olivine thanks to Kenya and gave Amphy the medicine. Baoba called and told me the Safari Zone was open but I decided to train in the Union Cave before going there. While battling trainers Croconaw evolved into Feraligatr! I beat everyone and then took a break.
I actually only grinded my team to level 41/42. I realised that I would gain exp on the way.
Will was a joke. I was able to easily exploit all the team's many weaknesses and bar Xatu no-one survived more than one turn.
Koga was also fairly easy as he focuses on status effects rather than actually hitting hard.
Chuck did give me a few worries. Heracross was KO'd by Hitmontop's Counter forcing me to revive him.
Hitmonlee almost KO'd Togekiss with Hi Jump Kick, but it missed as I healed up allowing me to KO him with Air Slash. Onix is another joke. 45 base attack is ptitful for the Elite 4. He really needs a Heracross.
Karen was also pretty easy. Only Vileplume managed to actually threaten my pokemon.
I elevated all my pokemon to level 42 and entered the champion chamber.
Now Lance was tough.
Gyarados had a ridiculously lucky first few turns against exeggutor. It flinched me, froze me and got a critical hit with consecutive Ice Fangs. His luck was spent though as the next 2 attacks missed as I healed, put Gyarados to sleep, Leech seeded him and Energy Balled him to death.
Then came Charizard vs. Sulad the Magmortar. Shadow Claw vs. Thunderpunch. I managed to paralyse him handing me the winning blow.
Aerodactyl came next as planned. Cho the Golem easily dispatched him with Rock Blast. Then came the Dragonites. One with Blizzard, one with Thunder and the last with Fire Blast.
Blizznite came first. Hertz took a Thunder Wave like a man and OHKoed with Ice Fang.
Thundernite was arguably the hardest. I sent out Golem and Rock Blast didn't do much at all. No-one else could switch in on Dragon Rush and I was forced to deplete his PP via Hyper Potions. He managed to get a crit on Golem during this so I sacrificed 3 team members to fully heal him up. Only Togekiss, Feraligatr and golem remain.
He switched out to the main Dragonite.
I switched to Lestrade the Togekiss onto Safeguard. I managed to nullify Outrage with Charm. Lance actually used his brain and started attacking with Fire Blast instead. But I manged to put him to sleep with Yawn. And weaken him with Air Slash. After he woke up I used Yawn again and sacrificed Togekiss to heal the only two remaining members up.
Feraligatr took out the main Dragonite leaving only Thundernite left without any Dragon RUsh PP. I switched to Golem so I could lower his defences with Rock Smash. His only remaining move was THunder and Thunder Wave. I took a risk and switched to Hertz the Feraligatr.
Thunder missed.
It missed again. Hertz used Ice Fang one last time and ended the match.
Probably my 2nd best battle behind the Cynthia battle. I used 5 of 6 team members discounting sacrifices and ended it with my starter. You can't get much more poetic than that.
Watched the credits and saved.
Decided to begin my journey into Kanto. After getting the Nat. dex from Oak I rode the S.S. Anne to Kanto. So far I've been through Vermillion, Saffron, Celadon and Fuschia city. Janine's gym is the lowest levelled so I'm taking that on first.
I've got to say I am loving the music here. It all feels so fresh after Johto started reusing themes towards the end.
I wandered over to the Battle Frontier after I captured some Pokemon, and I decided to challenge the Battle Castle first. I swapped Pokemon at the PC there and I entered the tournament. I was using my team consisting of Snorlax, Gengar and Lapras. I went in and I met Darach there. He explained some stuff and I challenged the first trainer. I defeated his team easily and I won some Castle Points. I defeated the second and third trainers easily as well, but I didn't gain as many Castle Points because my Pokemon took hits. I spent some of my Castle Points and I battled the last trainers of the set. I won some Battle Points after I defeated seven trainers in a row, and I swapped Pokemon out at the lobby. I went back in with Snorlax, Gengar and Magneton and I battled some more. I defeated seven more trainers with some difficultly, and I won some more Battle Points. I saved in the lobby.
Finally defeated Red. It was tricky due to his pokemon being of such a high level but I found that since my team consisted of mostly legendaries and the use of status booster items the fight wasn't nearly as difficult as it would seem. First, I did not need to level my pokemon to a comparable level. All my guys were between 67-70 for the exception of Lugia which was L76 and a recent change out of Gengar for Mochamp which was only L43 at the time. I actually wasn't intending to face him either and was just roaming about gathering items and leveling my Mochamp with the experience share but then I stumbled upon Red. I thought what the hell and engaged him and if things weren't going to go well I could just restart. Fortunately things went a lot better than expected. Only guy that I had a problem with was Lapris since nothing really hit it too hard. Fortunately Lugia knew recover and Lapris hit like a wet noodle against him. I just would give him some special attack boosts inbetween recovers and I eventually brought Lapris down giving me the victory. Articuno downed the Snorlax and Venusaur no problem while I used Raikou to defeat Charizard, Pikachu, and Blastiose. I used Lugia for Lapris. I use Machamp as a decoy so I could heal up Raikou once as well. I thought I might of needed my full team but ended up doing fine.
After I defeated Red I immediately aimed for Kyogre and did what I needed to get him. He surprisingly went into a Net Ball with only having to throw 4-5 total and 2 heavy balls. I should of put the guy in a heavy ball just for the hell of it. Regardless, I now have Kyogre and now have my sights on Moltres and Mewtwo. Mewtwo may prove difficult but just as long as I get my Dragonair to L55 since it knows thunder wave and get it to dragonite I think I should be fine since Lugia will be able to tank the damage Mewtwo dishes out. Moltres will probably be simple.
I left the Battle Frontier after battling at the Battle Castle because I wanted to battle Red at Mt. Silver. I flew there and climbed the mountain once more, and I challenged him to a battle. I defeated Red's Pikachu very easily with my Rhydon's Earthquake attack, but then I had to battle against his Lapras right after that. My Meganium was able to do pretty well against Lapras with Giga Drain, but it fainted after getting hit with Ice Beam. I had to use my Magneton against Red's Lapras, and I won that match with Thunder attack. I then had to deal with Red's Snorlax after that, but I managed to beat it with Rhydon's Horn Drill attack. Battling against Red's Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise was a bit easier thanks to type advantages, and then the credits rolled after I defeated Red at Mt. Silver's summit. I awoke in my room after that, and I flew over to Goldenrod City. I saved the game there.
I have been pretty tired of the Unova region lately, as I own all 4 games for that region. So on a whim, I decided to start over Pokemon SoulSilver, my favorite Pokemon game ever. Here is what has happened so far:
Started in New Bark Town, named my character Mallory (which is my name). Went to Professor Elm, got a Chikorita. Girl on the first pick! I can never use Meganium unless it is female, so that saved me a lot of trouble. Went to Mr. Pokemon's house, went back to New Bark (you sure do have to go back and forth a lot). Finally made it to Violet City, and beat the Sprout Tower easily. Surprisingly, I didn't come across a single Rattata. With Chikorita still my only Pokemon, I decided to try to beat Falkner. I knew it was going to be difficult, but on the fourth try, I barely beat him. Got a call from my boyfriend saying he Random Encountered a shiny Vulpix and was willing to give it to me. I am so excited! Because Chikorita is overlevelled, I am having to wait until tomorrow when he goes to his Dad's where he can connect to the wifi to give me the Vulpix so I can train it appropriately. So I'm kind of stuck where I am for now. | {
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DA_Mighty 56 0
So there was this new guy who joined the discord last night and the server..he remembered one player though DA_Mighty1 lol. Unless hes going far out of his way to play pretty sloppy and make a new alias then I don't think its a smurf. His aka is something like th3r3ap3r now on the server sounds like he plans to join us some more. | {
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Install
Example of a simple user install with from source:
python3 setup.py install --exec_name="ds_down" --user
The executable console script name can be controlled with the ´–exec_name=´
argument. The default is ´ds_down´. The executable script in this example is
placed in ´$HOME/.local/bin´ which can be added to the PATH variable if needed.
This also installs needed dependencies.
PyPI Install
Alternatively last published version can be installed from PyPI with pip: | {
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The Oxford Handbook of Personality Disorders
Paperback | November 6, 2013
On the cusp of the newest edition of the DSM, the field of personality disorders is thriving and productive. This is certainly a time of major transition for the classification, study, and treatment of personality disorders, as the personality disorders section of the DSM is undergoing majorrevision, leaving researchers and clinicians to wonder whether their area of specialty in the field of personality disorders will be retained, deleted, or revised in DSM-5.In advance of DSM-5, The Oxford Handbook of Personality Disorders provides a summary of the latest information concerning the diagnosis, assessment, construct validity, etiology, pathology, and treatment of personality disorders. Bringing together contributions from leading scholars, researchers,and clinicians from a wide variety of theoretical perspectives, this volume includes:* Chapters devoted to personality disorders proposed for retention in DSM-5* Chapters concerning personality disorders that are slated for deletion* Chapters concerning three that have never obtained or had previously lost official recognition (i.e. passive-aggressive, depressive, and racist)* Chapters authored by members of the DSM-5 Personality Disorders Work Group, which succinctly outline and explain the proposals, as well as chapters by authors who raise significant questions and concerns (often differing) about these proposals* Special coverage of largely neglected areas of investigation (i.e. childhood antecedents of personality disorder, cross-cultural validity)* Controversial areas for the DSM, such as schizotypal personality disorder, narcissism, depressive personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, and dimensional classificationIn this time of transition, scholarship on personality disorders is proliferating, making this comprehensive, timely handbook the perfect resource for students, researchers, and clinical psychologists.
Pricing and Purchase Info
On the cusp of the newest edition of the DSM, the field of personality disorders is thriving and productive. This is certainly a time of major transition for the classification, study, and treatment of personality disorders, as the personality disorders section of the DSM is undergoing majorrevision, leaving researchers and clinicians ...
Thomas A. Widiger, Ph.D., is T. Marshall Hahn Professor of Psychology at the University of Kentucky. | {
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Grapeseed Oil
Description- We Shubham Natural fragrances offers Natural Essential Oils. Grapeseed oil has emerged as an ideal oil to use on your facial skin. There are some commercial products that contain this oil. A cheaper and more effective way of using it is to simply use the oil on its own. | {
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Mr. Cuomo has a solution
The shuffling, scrambling and general clamor at the state Capitol is the uneasy reaction of politicians when one of their own delivers on a promise.
Governor Cuomo really is serious — as serious as he was in last fall’s campaign — about taking the power to draw the boundaries of state legislative districts out of the hands of the affected legislators themselves.
That has Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, among others, very uncomfortable. Yes, Mr. Skelos ran last year — along with the other 31 Republican senators — on a pledge to implement an independent redistricting process. But now he’s saying that legislative consideration of Mr. Cuomo’s budget proposal has to take priority. So much for multitasking, then. So much for demonstrating an affinity for a work force in the real world that’s being asked to do more and more.
Mr. Skelos, we must say, seems about as excited for redistricting reform as Senate Democratic leader John Sampson was in the rather brief time his party held a tenuous Senate majority. He’s gone so far as to use the Senate’s arcane rules to stop Democrats — who now wholeheartedly support independent redistricting — from co-sponsoring Mr. Cuomo’s plan.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver isn’t so thrilled with the governor’s urgency, either. His promise to further study the issue is enough to imagine all the other good government measures that could be in place by now if such deliberation had turned into legislative action.
Enough of the same old Albany games. We can’t have another round of elections approach where incumbent legislators make the rules, custom design their districts and, for all practical purposes, pick their voters.
New York already has missed one deadline, action late last year on legislation sponsored by Assemblyman James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, that could have ended gerrymandering and jury-rigging for good. He wanted to amend the state Constitution to take redistricting out of the Legislature’s hands and put it into those of an independent, nonpartisan commission. That can’t happen now — not, that is, until the elections of 2022.
Redistricting would come under the control of an 11-member commission. No one who served in the Legislature or Congress in the prior four years would be eligible. Nor would anyone working in the Legislature, Congress or the governor’s office, or any political party officials or registered lobbyists. The commission itself would be selected by the governor and the majority and minority party leaders of both houses of the Legislature.
The commission’s recommendations for legislative and congressional redistricting still would be subject to legislators’ approval. But their ability to tinker with those recommendations would be severely limited.
Mr. Cuomo’s proposal, perhaps, could use some fine-tuning, particularly in the lopsided number of appointments the governor would get on the board that picked nominees for the commission. But this is a decent framework. And legislative leaders should take Mr. Cuomo at his word — that any redistricting plan that’s watered down any further will be vetoed. | {
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Tag Archives: Allen Stone
Allen Stone, the story goes, learned to sing at church. The Sunday practice sessions speak for themselves: Stone is a singer with such divine control of his instrument it’s sinful. He’s a supremely smooth vocalist with Louis Armstrong’s broad vibrato at the end of his phrases. At 25, he released his self-titled album on ATO Records, and he’s now touring to support it. I first heard “Sleep” in an acoustic session on YouTube, and was hooked.
The recorded version is even slicker than the version I first heard. Right as the song kicks off, dig those handclaps, that muted guitar line. The buildup before the first chorus and the entrance of the backup singers at 0:30 is wonderfully calculated. These backup singers are just as controlled as Stone, and add a nice harmonic complexity to the track. The backup singers are also key players in the song’s breakdown at 1:40, especially their exasperated line read on the line “Take a pill, Al.”
Stevie Wonder is going to be inevitably brought up in all future discussions of Stone. The biggest similarity is in their vocal delivery, but I think, at least on this track, Stone shows a slightly earthier—and certainly more concise—sensibility than Wonder. The fact that the comparison can be made at all speaks very well of Stone.
I saw Allen Stone live this past spring in Paris at La Flèche d’Or. The band was just as tight in person, but what really made me believe in Allen Stone was the look I saw on his face as he came out the stage door. His entire face lit up in the moment before he came out to greet the crowd—the same look I had when I first heard this song. Keep an eye on Allen Stone, ladies and gentlemen. | {
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partial tones
Definitions
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
adj. the simple tones which in combination form an ordinary tone; the overtones, or harmonics, which, blending with a fundamental tone, cause its special quality of sound, or timbre, or tone color. See, also, Tone. | {
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Study: Divorce could have an effect on men's health
There's no getting around it: Divorce is a complicated process. Any major life change is going to require serious consideration and has the potential to create stress. However, couples seeking divorce may have the ability to help ease the process along based on how they approach their split. Namely, seeking the assistance of an experienced divorce mediator can help couples settle all of the critical aspects of divorce in a fair and civil environment.
The results of a recent study may alarm readers. According to the Journal of Men's Health, divorce can affect a man's physical and mental health. In fact, the study says that mortality rates among divorced or unmarried men may be up to 250 percent greater than their married counterparts.
Divorce is often portrayed as an incredibly stressful and contentious experience. If this is the case, men and women could experience detrimental health effects. At the same time, however, this does not have to be a universal experience. By agreeing to set aside certain differences and choosing divorce mediation, it may be possible to create a mutually agreeable settlement.
Researchers associated with this study also point out that it serves as a reminder to divorced men to take care of their mental and physical health after the split is completed. Even though a person might think he is working through the emotions of divorce in a positive manner, it doesn't hurt to seek professional assistance when needed.
Even though divorce is complex, completing the process and reaching a fair settlement may prove to be beneficial in the long run. Oftentimes, people decide to get divorced because they feel unhappy with their marriages. Seeking divorce mediation can be a proactive way to address this concern.
The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.
Mediation Offices of David L. Price, Esq. provides family law litigation and divorce mediation services for clients in Orange County and Los Angeles County, California, including communities such as Newport Beach, Irvine, Orange, Tustin, Fullerton, San Juan Capistrano, Aliso Viejo, Anaheim and Long Beach. | {
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Leicester City has no new injury concerns with Matty James (Achilles) and Robert Huth (ankle) the only absentees.
Newcastle United have lost only two of their last 17 home league meetings with Leicester City, although the Foxes won on their last visit to St James’ Park in November 2015.
Jamie Vardy is one away from becoming the first Leicester City player to hit 50 Premier League goals.
Shinji Okazaki scored in both fixtures the last time these sides met in 2015/16, making Newcastle the only team he’s scored in more than one match against in the Premier League.
Newcastle has lost five of its last six games, but they return home to try and turn things around with Leicester City coming to St. James Park on Saturday evening. (Watch live at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC and online via NBCSports.com).
Rafa Benitez has plenty of big-game experience – usually in UEFA Champions League matches – but now his Newcastle side is in a relegation battle and needs a big performance to create some space between the side and the drop zone.
Leicester City meanwhile has won two games on the bounce and has lost just one game in its last nine fixtures, showing good form with Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Damarei Gray showing their talent on a week-by-week basis.
What they’re saying
Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez on his team’s recent results: “We have to improve as a team to be sure we can compete against some of the top sides. The teams at the top at the moment, we are a little bit far away, but still we could do something against Liverpool, for example. I think it is important that the next two games at home, if we can compete, we can win. If we cannot compete – like happened in the second half against Manchester United or Chelsea – we cannot win. As I have said before, we have to maximize what we have, and what we have is fantastic fans behind the team, at home and away. So, they have to show again that they support the team because these are the players we have.”
Leicester City manager Claude Puel on his side’s performance since joining the club: “I don’t know if I expected this but the most important thing is to continue this work and to keep building momentum and confidence. It is important to get results for confidence and to try and improve all the time. Time will tell. For me it is about keeping a good focus and concentration on the next game and to try and play a strong game.”
Video Preview
Prediction: Newcastle will come out with plenty of energy and spirit, but defensive frailties, even with the return of Jamal Lascelles will cause them to lose as the quality of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez take over. Leicester City 2-1 Newcastle
Ahead of what’s expected to be a busy summer for Tottenham, the club’s fans got some exciting news.
Tottenham announced that it had signed manager Mauricio Pochettino to a new five-year contract. Also joining Pochettino with new contracts are assistants Jesús Pérez, Miguel D’Agostino and Toni Jimenez.
“I am delighted that we have agreed a new, extended contract with Mauricio,” Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said in a statement. “We have been on an extraordinary journey and the times ahead look even more exciting as the Club enters the next phase in its history. Mauricio has fostered an incredible spirit in the team and has embraced a style of play our fans have loved watching. I know they will welcome this commitment by Mauricio.”
Since joining in 2014, Pochettino has led Tottenham to a fifth-place finish in his first season followed by three-straight finishes in the top three of the Premier League. While the club still has the title and UEFA Champions League hump to overcome, Pochettino has done great work to help the club shed it’s also ran status as a club with history and power, but below the top four.
🗣️ Mauricio: "We are already making plans to ensure we continue to build on the great work that everyone has contributed to over the past four years."#COYSpic.twitter.com/851m8C1XE4
Keeping Pochettino is also huge for keeping the squad together, including the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier, while also adding to a starting lineup that battled with the best in the Premier League all season.
Jose Mourinho is nearing a boost to his attacking midfield, with Brazilian international Fred reportedly on the verge of joining Manchester United.
The 25-year-old midfielder has starred for Shakhtar Donetsk the past five seasons, cementing his place as a starter for the Ukrainian side and impressing in UEFA Champions League matches. Fred follows the likes of Manchester City’s Fernandinho and Chelsea’s Willian as using Shakhtar as a mid-way point between Brazil and the Premier League.
According to multiple reports in England, Manchester United is in advanced negotiations to sign Fred for a reported transfer fee of nearly $59 million. The singularly-named Fred would be the third-famous Fred to play for Man United, following Freddie Goodwin, who played for the Red Devils from 1954-60 and Fred Erentz, who played from 1892-1902.
Although he is not physically big, Fred could be an Eden Hazard-type player, a tricky midfielder who puts defenders on their heels as he skates past them with the ball.
Here are more transfer rumors and notes from around the Premier League:
ACCRA, Ghana (AP) FIFA Council member and Ghana Football Association head Kwesi Nyantakyi has been arrested on his return to his home country following a complaint made against him by the Ghanaian president.
Police spokesman David Eklu confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that Nyantakyi, also a vice president of the Confederation of African Football, is in custody and being interrogated.
Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo asked police to investigate Nyantakyi after the soccer boss allegedly was caught in an undercover documentary promising businessmen access to the president and other senior government officials in return for money.
Nyantakyi was out of the country at the time President Akufo-Addo made the complaint.
Ghana media reported that Nyantakyi, a member of the powerful FIFA Council since 2016 and an influential figure in African football, was picked up by plain-clothes police at the airport in Accra and taken straight to police headquarters.
One of England’s most famous clubs is receiving investment and strategic business connections from one of the NFL’s most famous brands.
Leeds United and the San Francisco 49ers announced Thursday that 49ers Enterprises, an investment arm of the 49ers ownership, has purchased a minority stake in the Championship club. Multiple reports state that the 49ers now own 10-15 percent of the club, but current Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani remains the majority owner.
As part of the deal, 49ers President Paraag Marathe gets a seat on the Leeds United board of directors. Per Leeds, the money invested will stay with the club and be used for the first team, as Leeds looks again to make its way back to the Premier League in next season’s campaign.
Leeds Utd majority owner Andrea Radrizzani has sold a minority stake (approx 10-15%) in the club to 49ers Enterprises, an investment entity attached to the San Francisco 49ers NFL franchise. 49ers President Paraag Marathe will get a seat on the Leeds Utd board of directors.
An American ownership group investing in England is nothing new, but to identify and purchase a stake in a club with history and a decent chance at making it to the Premier League is impressive. In addition, the York Family, who owns the 49ers, has a net worth in the billions, which could help fund Leeds’ push back into the Premier League.
For the 49ers, this is also a savvy business decision. By investing low in a club in the Championship, they hope that they can experience the financial windfall of playing in the Premier League. This season, clubs made a combined $3.2 billion (with a capital B) thanks to revenue sharing, international and domestic TV rights, and other sponsorship deals.
With even the relegated sides taking home nine figures in revenues from the league, who wouldn’t want to invest and take a cut of that?
Now, only time will tell how long it is before the 49ers influence helps – or hinders, based on the 49ers current state of affairs in the U.S. – Leeds reach the pinnacle of English football. | {
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Why is user accessibility important?
Maybe you’ve heard of the recent lawsuit against Domino’s Pizza, which didn’t make its site accessible through a screen reader — and to be fair, Domino’s isn’t the only one. Traditionally, accessibility has been more of an afterthought or a “nice-to-have” element in many organizations’ design plans. Hopefully moving forward, we’ll see a greater trend in planning and incorporating Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as a basic part of the design process.
Just as any business would not want to keep someone with a disability from entering its store, the same holds true for websites. The internet is, after all, a public place. And as designers, we have an ethical responsibility to make sure that what we design is functional for everyone.
A very simple way to begin is to pay attention to the use of color on your site.
Know your compliance level
The standards on color are basically all about contrast. Below is an extremely simplified checklist that should not be taken as complete — read here for the full and detailed list with examples and further information. But at the heart, it’s this:
Seems pretty simple, right?
First, check what standard your client or project requires. There are three levels of compliance ranging from A to AAA (the highest). Discuss this with your team to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Conveying information with more than color
Don’t indicate something by use of color only. Imagine a screen reader is going through your site, interpreting to someone who is blind. Would that person know what to act on?
The basics are:
Links: Don’t indicate a link or action using only color. Show an underline or some other kind of visual differentiation.
Error messages/form info: An error in a form shouldn’t only be indicated by a red outline alone, but also by descriptive text and an icon, if possible.
Maps/infographics: Imagine a subway map that’s been photocopied so you can’t tell the lines apart, or an infographic that says “the red bar shows the time of departure” but doesn't label which line that is. There must be an additional way for the user to gain the information they need or your graphics can miss their target.
Note that none of this applies to light and dark values that are indistinguishable from each other. When two colors have the same value, a person who is visually impaired may not be able to tell the difference between the two. For instance:
Both sets of buttons are red and green and show two different choices. While the red is the same in each choice, the green is darker in the left set, and brighter in the set on the right - but still indisputably red for option 1 and green for option 2.
Here’s what the same button sets look like to a user who has red-green color blindness:
Notice how the set on the left now looks like pretty much the same color, while the set on the right is clearly visible as two distinct shades of color.
It’s all about the contrast
Use contrast ratios to ensure your colors have enough contrast for the visually impaired and the colorblind. The contrast ratio describes the ratio of the luminance of the foreground color against the background. You should aim for a contrast of 7:1 for smaller text, or 4.5:1 for text 18pt and above to reach the AAA standard. (Again, please refer to the full list for concise information and examples.)
There are several different contrast checkers available, many for free, and some of which can work right with your design software. Our favorite is ContrastChecker.com, which is free to use, keeps a history, and allows you to export and share findings with your team. To illustrate how you can check for contrast, let’s test the following circles.
In the example above, our red circle (“ONE”) with a background of #B50000 and white text has enough contrast to pass all levels because its contrast ratio is 7.08:1.
Testing our green sample “TWO,” with background #02850F and white text, shows that the color passes for the way we’re using it because the text is 18pt or higher. But notice also that it doesn’t pass for other levels. The ratio here is 3.29. Again — this is where your specifications for the site will let you know how stringent you need to be in each situation.
And now for the pink circle with white text, sample “THREE.” It fails across the board with a ratio of 1.7:1.
So what can we do about it?
Option 1: Tweak the background color until it’s dark enough to have a better contrast. This could work if you want to keep the background pink but you’re not picky about how dark it is. In our example below where the background is #96006C with white text, it gives us a ratio of 8.36:1, which meets the AAA rating.
Option 2: The simplest option is to change your text color to something with more contrast. Making the text black on our original background of #FFACE8 provides the contrast needed over and beyond the requirements with a 12.32:1 ratio.
The golden rule of color accessibility
This is the simplest guideline to follow: Don’t make any styles that impede the use of reader accessible technology. Readers can overwrite your foreground or background colors to make your content clearer, even if you’ve missed something.
With the tips above and the resources included below, you can easily make accessibility a “will-have” or “must-have” element in your next design project. Remember, just a little consideration and planning can go a long way toward making the internet a more welcoming public space, and toward making your content available to a wider audience of readers. | {
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