text:
The past few years I have chosen 3 words to help guide my choices in the coming year.
These words orient my MINDSET on how I will approach the year ahead.
These 3 words are not resolutions. They are not goals.
They are filters I run decisions & opportunities through to see if they are right for me. These words help set the direction I want to take my work & daily actions.
Resolutions never worked for me. I find goal setting limiting, even self-defeating.
With a goal, you wake up each day at a deficit. Until that goal is reached, you are unaccomplished. I find that this drains my willpower and enthusiasm.
After a few weeks, I usually move on to something else.
Focusing on 3 words leads to places far beyond where a goal would have taken me.
These 3 words create MOMENTUM.
They also act like a COMPASS when I lose focus and need to get back on track.
Simple – Simple succeeds. Complicated fails. I am going to prioritize simplicity in all aspects of my life. I will take a simple, uncluttered approach to my home, work, & daily schedule. I will do the simple thing well: show up early, give maximum effort, & leave things better than I found them. When I start training Gracie Jiu Jitsu again, my focus will be on refining simple, basic techniques.
Consistency – Slow and steady wins the race. I have learned consistent effort beats random flashes of greatness. I will consistently bring value to my customers, quality time to my family, and positive attitude to life. I will consistently keep an open mind to new ways of doing things. I will bring consistent effort to my ACL rehab & writing.
Gratitude – 2015 taught me how to be grateful. I will show gratitude for the simple things: being able to walk up a flight of stairs, drive, & play baseball with my kids in the back yard. I no longer take any of these for granted. Life’s biggest gifts are hidden in plain sight. I will notice these gifts and show gratitude for them.
Answer that, and you will be on your way to a REMARKABLE year.
Wish you much success in 2016!
The Power of Now gives new meaning to “living in the moment”. Eckhart Tolle reveals the benefits of focusing your energy on the present moment. Tolle writes, “The present moment is more powerful than the past & future combined”. Some books have the power to change the way you look at life. This is one of them.
Are You Fully Charged? Tom Rath digs deep into the latest scientific data to come up with practical ways to find more meaning in your life, improve your relationships, and increase your energy. My 3 favorite: Help someone each day (meaning); Give people your full attention (relationships); Stand, don’t sit (energy).
Greg McKeown’s “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” shows why the path to achieving more is found by doing less. McKeown makes a compelling case that the ability to FOCUS on your main priority & saying ‘No’ to all other requests is the master skill to success.
Positive self talk gets talked up in Joel Osteen’s latest book, “The Power of I am…”. Osteen asserts that positive self talk, even during your worst moments, will cause you to take positive actions that will lead to your best life. It is hard to read a few pages of any Osteen book and not get excited about being alive.
Darren Daily is daily mentoring email from Darren Hardy. Hardy is is the CEO / Publisher of Success Magazine & best selling author of my all time favorite business book, The Compound Effect. Organizations pay Hardy $50,000 to speak to their group. You can have Hardy coach you each morning for free.
Josh Vogel is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and author of the monthly video blog “The Sloth Report.” Josh takes complex concepts of Gracie Jiu Jitsu and makes them applicable to the average person.
Christopher Dodson, MD of the Rothman Institute is the orthopedic surgeon who put my knee back together after I tore my ACL while training jiu jitsu. From the moment I met Dodson, his confidence was contagious.
Dresher Physical Therapy took over where Dr. Dodson left off. Dresher’s amazing PT staff guided me from from hobbling in on crutches 4 days post surgery, to jogging in 90 days.
Our family’s most memorable week of 2015 took place at the El Conquistador in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The El Con sits atop a 300 foot cliff overlooking where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic Ocean. It was a week of waterfall hikes in El Yunque Rain Forest & the awesome beaches of Palomino Island. Amazing experience.
Wishing you a REMARKABLE 2016!
It was 3 days after ACL surgery.
I’m on crutches, limping down my driveway.
My neighbor yelled at me.
Wow! Great to see you too. I’m fine, thanks for asking.
Sarcastic neighbors aside, the dust was starting to settle.
The grind was about to begin.
The week after ACL surgery feels like a year long.
It begins with a bumpy, semi-conscious ride home from the hospital.
It’s rare that I get into a car and think, “Not enough leg room in here”.
But any ACL patient will tell you that you have to pull out your best Cirque Du Soleil move to get into the backseat post-surgery.
Your leg is numb, swollen, & immobilized.
You bounce around in the back seat like you were just tasered.
Back home you get planted on your sofa, mobile as a fire hydrant.
Nothing left to do but lie there with a nasty headache as the anesthesia wears off.
The RECOVERY process is more mental than physical.
Your recovery begins when you BELIEVE it does.
You can’t move the way you want.
It’s easy to get frustrated. Your attitude gets tested.
I made a choice to stay away from all things negative.
No depressing movies or TV.
This idea is as true today as the day it was written.
As soon as I believed I was healing, so did my body.
I couldn’t believe when my surgeon told me to report to physical therapy (PT) 3 days after surgery.
The thought of bending my knee scared me.
It seems counter intuitive, but being inactive sets back your recovery.
We did a Whole Foods’ run and stocked up on fruits & vegetables.
Healthy eating is a HUGE strategic advantage.
I am convinced that a healthy diet sped up my recovery.
By the end of the 1st week, the pain meds and crutches were history.
Sometimes the smallest victories are the sweetest.
Feeling down and out is AVERAGE.
Believing things are getting better feels REMARKABLE.
My 3 year old daughter & I were sitting on top of a sliding board.
As we started to slide, I realized why sliding boards and torn ACL’s are not a great combination.
I limped through 100 days of summer with a torn ACL.
The experience was an amazing teacher. But not one I plan on repeating anytime soon.
There is minimal pain after the “Pop!” (Yikes).
There are many people dealing with MUCH worse.
But you are reminded 24/7 that you are living life at HALF SPEED.
The injury changes how you look at a flight of stairs.
The injury changes how you approach the world.
If you are not careful, it can mess with your ATTITUDE.
1) I take my health for granted.
Having the ability to HUSTLE through life is a GIFT.
Showing GRATITUDE for simple things is a 2016 priority that I am putting in motion now – 4 months early.
I will give thanks more often.
2) Adapt or become irrelevant.
When you are injured, you have to get creative to stay active.
You have to be open to new ideas. You have to have the courage to experiment.
I was forced to stop training Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Not fun.
I had to swap out training Street Week & Open Mat for pull ups & the elliptical machine.
I used this as an OPPORTUNITY to update my U2 library.
Nothing like rocking out with Bono & The Edge.
Sometimes we have to operate in a different light. We have to learn to ADAPT to new worlds.
3) Shared experiences create strong bonds.
I struggled with my inability to be active with my kids.
This injury made me realize how important being ENGAGED and ACTIVE is to making strong connections.
2 days before my surgery, we headed off to the beach.
Our goal was 1 last dose of summer before I was as mobile as a fire hydrant.
On the last night, we walked the beach at sunset.
My 8 year old asked if I could walk out on the jetty with him.
He wanted to get an “awesome view” of the sunset.
A torn ACL was not stealing this moment.
Waves crashed around us as we walked out over the slippery jetty.
My FOCUS was not to end our trip with the ACL Splash into high tide.
While we were watching the sunset, my son said this was like The Karate Kid movie.
Daniel-San taking on a challenge with 1 good knee.
Living life at half speed is AVERAGE.
Having the ability to adapt is REMARKABLE.
The way forward begins when we decide it does.
I was training in jiu jitsu. My knee popped.
It was the sound that changed my summer.
I tried hard to convince myself my knee was “getting better”. After a few futile attempts at jogging, I knew it was time to see a specialist.
Fast forward: 2 weeks of limping, X-Rays, and an MRI later.
I was standing next to an orthopedic surgeon. He read the MRI report.
Strengthen my injured knee with physical therapy.
See if my knee could learn to live without an ACL.
Go about my day to day life, minus any full speed activities.
A knee brace and a “take it easy” attitude would be needed for all athletics for the next 40-50 years.
I ruled this option out in about 3 seconds.
Have the surgeon create a new ACL by drilling a cadaver tendon into my knee.
Follow his rehab regime for about 6 months.
Surgery was the only option that offered a chance to get back to FULL SPEED.
Me: What’s your success rate for this type of surgery?
Me: How many ACL surgeries have you done?
Me: How bad is the post-op pain?
MD: 3 or 4 out of 10. Take the meds.
Me: What’s the risk of NOT getting the surgery?
MD: Chances are you will be back here sometime in your 50’s with no ACL, a damaged meniscus, and arthritis in your knee. That will be an entirely different conversation.
Not a road I want to walk (or limp) down.
The surgeon came highly recommended.
The long term advantages of the surgery were apparent.
But a DECISION to get knee surgery can’t be made in a vacuum.
We have 3 young kids in non-stop activities.
My wife has a busy career.
We had family trips planned over the summer.
Me: Would it affect my outcome if I waited 2 months to get the surgery?
MD: No. Just stay off the jiu jitsu mat.
This is true in business and life.
The best way to come back is to move forward.
Not knowing what path to take is AVERAGE.
Making the decision to move forward is REMARKABLE.

lowercased:
the past few years i have chosen 3 words to help guide my choices in the coming year.
these words orient my mindset on how i will approach the year ahead.
these 3 words are not resolutions. they are not goals.
they are filters i run decisions & opportunities through to see if they are right for me. these words help set the direction i want to take my work & daily actions.
resolutions never worked for me. i find goal setting limiting, even self-defeating.
with a goal, you wake up each day at a deficit. until that goal is reached, you are unaccomplished. i find that this drains my willpower and enthusiasm.
after a few weeks, i usually move on to something else.
focusing on 3 words leads to places far beyond where a goal would have taken me.
these 3 words create momentum.
they also act like a compass when i lose focus and need to get back on track.
simple – simple succeeds. complicated fails. i am going to prioritize simplicity in all aspects of my life. i will take a simple, uncluttered approach to my home, work, & daily schedule. i will do the simple thing well: show up early, give maximum effort, & leave things better than i found them. when i start training gracie jiu jitsu again, my focus will be on refining simple, basic techniques.
consistency – slow and steady wins the race. i have learned consistent effort beats random flashes of greatness. i will consistently bring value to my customers, quality time to my family, and positive attitude to life. i will consistently keep an open mind to new ways of doing things. i will bring consistent effort to my acl rehab & writing.
gratitude – 2015 taught me how to be grateful. i will show gratitude for the simple things: being able to walk up a flight of stairs, drive, & play baseball with my kids in the back yard. i no longer take any of these for granted. life’s biggest gifts are hidden in plain sight. i will notice these gifts and show gratitude for them.
answer that, and you will be on your way to a remarkable year.
wish you much success in 2016!
the power of now gives new meaning to “living in the moment”. eckhart tolle reveals the benefits of focusing your energy on the present moment. tolle writes, “the present moment is more powerful than the past & future combined”. some books have the power to change the way you look at life. this is one of them.
are you fully charged? tom rath digs deep into the latest scientific data to come up with practical ways to find more meaning in your life, improve your relationships, and increase your energy. my 3 favorite: help someone each day (meaning); give people your full attention (relationships); stand, don’t sit (energy).
greg mckeown’s “essentialism: the disciplined pursuit of less” shows why the path to achieving more is found by doing less. mckeown makes a compelling case that the ability to focus on your main priority & saying ‘no’ to all other requests is the master skill to success.
positive self talk gets talked up in joel osteen’s latest book, “the power of i am…”. osteen asserts that positive self talk, even during your worst moments, will cause you to take positive actions that will lead to your best life. it is hard to read a few pages of any osteen book and not get excited about being alive.
darren daily is daily mentoring email from darren hardy. hardy is is the ceo / publisher of success magazine & best selling author of my all time favorite business book, the compound effect. organizations pay hardy $50,000 to speak to their group. you can have hardy coach you each morning for free.
josh vogel is a brazilian jiu jitsu black belt and author of the monthly video blog “the sloth report.” josh takes complex concepts of gracie jiu jitsu and makes them applicable to the average person.
christopher dodson, md of the rothman institute is the orthopedic surgeon who put my knee back together after i tore my acl while training jiu jitsu. from the moment i met dodson, his confidence was contagious.
dresher physical therapy took over where dr. dodson left off. dresher’s amazing pt staff guided me from from hobbling in on crutches 4 days post surgery, to jogging in 90 days.
our family’s most memorable week of 2015 took place at the el conquistador in fajardo, puerto rico. the el con sits atop a 300 foot cliff overlooking where the caribbean meets the atlantic ocean. it was a week of waterfall hikes in el yunque rain forest & the awesome beaches of palomino island. amazing experience.
wishing you a remarkable 2016!
it was 3 days after acl surgery.
i’m on crutches, limping down my driveway.
my neighbor yelled at me.
wow! great to see you too. i’m fine, thanks for asking.
sarcastic neighbors aside, the dust was starting to settle.
the grind was about to begin.
the week after acl surgery feels like a year long.
it begins with a bumpy, semi-conscious ride home from the hospital.
it’s rare that i get into a car and think, “not enough leg room in here”.
but any acl patient will tell you that you have to pull out your best cirque du soleil move to get into the backseat post-surgery.
your leg is numb, swollen, & immobilized.
you bounce around in the back seat like you were just tasered.
back home you get planted on your sofa, mobile as a fire hydrant.
nothing left to do but lie there with a nasty headache as the anesthesia wears off.
the recovery process is more mental than physical.
your recovery begins when you believe it does.
you can’t move the way you want.
it’s easy to get frustrated. your attitude gets tested.
i made a choice to stay away from all things negative.
no depressing movies or tv.
this idea is as true today as the day it was written.
as soon as i believed i was healing, so did my body.
i couldn’t believe when my surgeon told me to report to physical therapy (pt) 3 days after surgery.
the thought of bending my knee scared me.
it seems counter intuitive, but being inactive sets back your recovery.
we did a whole foods’ run and stocked up on fruits & vegetables.
healthy eating is a huge strategic advantage.
i am convinced that a healthy diet sped up my recovery.
by the end of the 1st week, the pain meds and crutches were history.
sometimes the smallest victories are the sweetest.
feeling down and out is average.
believing things are getting better feels remarkable.
my 3 year old daughter & i were sitting on top of a sliding board.
as we started to slide, i realized why sliding boards and torn acl’s are not a great combination.
i limped through 100 days of summer with a torn acl.
the experience was an amazing teacher. but not one i plan on repeating anytime soon.
there is minimal pain after the “pop!” (yikes).
there are many people dealing with much worse.
but you are reminded 24/7 that you are living life at half speed.
the injury changes how you look at a flight of stairs.
the injury changes how you approach the world.
if you are not careful, it can mess with your attitude.
1) i take my health for granted.
having the ability to hustle through life is a gift.
showing gratitude for simple things is a 2016 priority that i am putting in motion now – 4 months early.
i will give thanks more often.
2) adapt or become irrelevant.
when you are injured, you have to get creative to stay active.
you have to be open to new ideas. you have to have the courage to experiment.
i was forced to stop training gracie jiu jitsu. not fun.
i had to swap out training street week & open mat for pull ups & the elliptical machine.
i used this as an opportunity to update my u2 library.
nothing like rocking out with bono & the edge.
sometimes we have to operate in a different light. we have to learn to adapt to new worlds.
3) shared experiences create strong bonds.
i struggled with my inability to be active with my kids.
this injury made me realize how important being engaged and active is to making strong connections.
2 days before my surgery, we headed off to the beach.
our goal was 1 last dose of summer before i was as mobile as a fire hydrant.
on the last night, we walked the beach at sunset.
my 8 year old asked if i could walk out on the jetty with him.
he wanted to get an “awesome view” of the sunset.
a torn acl was not stealing this moment.
waves crashed around us as we walked out over the slippery jetty.
my focus was not to end our trip with the acl splash into high tide.
while we were watching the sunset, my son said this was like the karate kid movie.
daniel-san taking on a challenge with 1 good knee.
living life at half speed is average.
having the ability to adapt is remarkable.
the way forward begins when we decide it does.
i was training in jiu jitsu. my knee popped.
it was the sound that changed my summer.
i tried hard to convince myself my knee was “getting better”. after a few futile attempts at jogging, i knew it was time to see a specialist.
fast forward: 2 weeks of limping, x-rays, and an mri later.
i was standing next to an orthopedic surgeon. he read the mri report.
strengthen my injured knee with physical therapy.
see if my knee could learn to live without an acl.
go about my day to day life, minus any full speed activities.
a knee brace and a “take it easy” attitude would be needed for all athletics for the next 40-50 years.
i ruled this option out in about 3 seconds.
have the surgeon create a new acl by drilling a cadaver tendon into my knee.
follow his rehab regime for about 6 months.
surgery was the only option that offered a chance to get back to full speed.
me: what’s your success rate for this type of surgery?
me: how many acl surgeries have you done?
me: how bad is the post-op pain?
md: 3 or 4 out of 10. take the meds.
me: what’s the risk of not getting the surgery?
md: chances are you will be back here sometime in your 50’s with no acl, a damaged meniscus, and arthritis in your knee. that will be an entirely different conversation.
not a road i want to walk (or limp) down.
the surgeon came highly recommended.
the long term advantages of the surgery were apparent.
but a decision to get knee surgery can’t be made in a vacuum.
we have 3 young kids in non-stop activities.
my wife has a busy career.
we had family trips planned over the summer.
me: would it affect my outcome if i waited 2 months to get the surgery?
md: no. just stay off the jiu jitsu mat.
this is true in business and life.
the best way to come back is to move forward.
not knowing what path to take is average.
making the decision to move forward is remarkable.


text:
Could Bitcoin in space help boost trade on Earth? The cryptocurrency has left our shores to join the world of satellites.
Could Bitcoin in space help boost trade on Earth?

lowercased:
could bitcoin in space help boost trade on earth? the cryptocurrency has left our shores to join the world of satellites.
could bitcoin in space help boost trade on earth?


text:
Finasteride is used to treat hair fall problems effectively. It is used to treat hair fall problems in men. Many men have used Finasteride to treat their hair fall problems. There are few problems with this medicine like Finasteride weight gain, Finasteride bodybuilding Finasteride depression. If you do not want to treat your hair fall with Finasteride then one of the Finasteride alternatives can be surgery.
Nowadays like women even men seem to be quite possessive about their hair. They try on different hair styles and haircuts to look different and better. My brother used to the same with his hair. He was quite obsessed with his hair but then things suddenly took wrong turn. He started losing his hair. For some time he tried on some home remedies but still the problem did not stop. At last we went for a professional help and my brother was advised to take Finasteride. Finasteride is used to treat male pattern baldness and hair fall amongst men. You may have questions like should I take Finasteride or what are the Finasteride alternatives. To get your answers read below.
You should use Finasteride as you are asked to do by your doctor. Answer to your question should I take Finasteride would depend on if you are suffering from any bladder, urine or liver problems. If you are suffering from the above problems then you should not be taking Finasteride. Finasteride in pregnancy is strictly prohibited as Finasteride should not be handled by pregnant ladies and children. You can take Finasteride long with a glass of water or milk also. You can take Finasteride after having your food or without food also. Store the medicine in a cool and dry place.
You should take your doctors’ advice for knowing what dosage is right for you. You should stick to the dose and should not increase or decrease the dose on your own. Be regular in taking your dose and take the dose at same time every day. In case you forget to take any dose then you should take that dose as soon as you remember. However, if the time for next dose is close then you should directly go for the next dose.
There are some side- effects of this medicine like Finasteride depression. You may experience depression if you are taking Finasteride. Finasteride in pregnancy is strictly prohibited. In fact pregnant ladies should not be even handling Finasteride.There are some Finasteride alternatives like using a wig or anti hair fall shampoo. Other alternatives to Finasteride include hair transplantation surgery. Do not ignore the side-effects as it may cause more complications. If you think that side effects are causing more problems, then you should contact your doctor immediately.
Where can you get Finasteride?
You can get Finasteride at your nearest chemist shops. If you are not able to get medicine at your chemists shop then you can order Finasteride online through online sites that sell this medicine. If you do not want to buy Finasteride then Finasteride alternatives include hair wig or shampoo.
Thnaks for the awesome tip, cheers!

lowercased:
finasteride is used to treat hair fall problems effectively. it is used to treat hair fall problems in men. many men have used finasteride to treat their hair fall problems. there are few problems with this medicine like finasteride weight gain, finasteride bodybuilding finasteride depression. if you do not want to treat your hair fall with finasteride then one of the finasteride alternatives can be surgery.
nowadays like women even men seem to be quite possessive about their hair. they try on different hair styles and haircuts to look different and better. my brother used to the same with his hair. he was quite obsessed with his hair but then things suddenly took wrong turn. he started losing his hair. for some time he tried on some home remedies but still the problem did not stop. at last we went for a professional help and my brother was advised to take finasteride. finasteride is used to treat male pattern baldness and hair fall amongst men. you may have questions like should i take finasteride or what are the finasteride alternatives. to get your answers read below.
you should use finasteride as you are asked to do by your doctor. answer to your question should i take finasteride would depend on if you are suffering from any bladder, urine or liver problems. if you are suffering from the above problems then you should not be taking finasteride. finasteride in pregnancy is strictly prohibited as finasteride should not be handled by pregnant ladies and children. you can take finasteride long with a glass of water or milk also. you can take finasteride after having your food or without food also. store the medicine in a cool and dry place.
you should take your doctors’ advice for knowing what dosage is right for you. you should stick to the dose and should not increase or decrease the dose on your own. be regular in taking your dose and take the dose at same time every day. in case you forget to take any dose then you should take that dose as soon as you remember. however, if the time for next dose is close then you should directly go for the next dose.
there are some side- effects of this medicine like finasteride depression. you may experience depression if you are taking finasteride. finasteride in pregnancy is strictly prohibited. in fact pregnant ladies should not be even handling finasteride.there are some finasteride alternatives like using a wig or anti hair fall shampoo. other alternatives to finasteride include hair transplantation surgery. do not ignore the side-effects as it may cause more complications. if you think that side effects are causing more problems, then you should contact your doctor immediately.
where can you get finasteride?
you can get finasteride at your nearest chemist shops. if you are not able to get medicine at your chemists shop then you can order finasteride online through online sites that sell this medicine. if you do not want to buy finasteride then finasteride alternatives include hair wig or shampoo.
thnaks for the awesome tip, cheers!


text: It all ends here! What a wild ride Resident Evil 2 has been! I enjoyed this game SO MUCH and I hope you did too!

lowercased: it all ends here! what a wild ride resident evil 2 has been! i enjoyed this game so much and i hope you did too!


text:
The Internet of Things (IoT) is not a futuristic technology trend: It’s here today, and it starts with your things — your devices and sensors, the data they produce, your cloud services and business intelligence tools. That’s the Internet of Your Things.
What is the scope of IoT?
Internet of Things can connect devices embedded in various systems to the internet. When devices/objects can represent themselves digitally, they can be controlled from anywhere. The connectivity then helps us capture more data from more places, ensuring more ways of increasing efficiency and improving safety and IoT security. IoT is a transformational force that can help companies improve performance through IoT analytics and IoT Security to deliver better results. Businesses in the utilities, oil & gas, insurance, manufacturing, transportation, infrastructure and retail sectors can reap the benefits of IoT by making more informed decisions, aided by the torrent of interactional and transactional data at their disposal.

lowercased:
the internet of things (iot) is not a futuristic technology trend: it’s here today, and it starts with your things — your devices and sensors, the data they produce, your cloud services and business intelligence tools. that’s the internet of your things.
what is the scope of iot?
internet of things can connect devices embedded in various systems to the internet. when devices/objects can represent themselves digitally, they can be controlled from anywhere. the connectivity then helps us capture more data from more places, ensuring more ways of increasing efficiency and improving safety and iot security. iot is a transformational force that can help companies improve performance through iot analytics and iot security to deliver better results. businesses in the utilities, oil & gas, insurance, manufacturing, transportation, infrastructure and retail sectors can reap the benefits of iot by making more informed decisions, aided by the torrent of interactional and transactional data at their disposal.


text:
The PPM Star Catalogue (1991) is one of the best, both in the proper motion and star position till 1999. Not as precise as the Hipparcos catalogue but with many more stars. The PPM was built from BD, SAO, HD and more, with sophisticated algorithm and is an extension for the Fifth Fundamental Catalogue, "Catalogues of Fundamental Stars".
Although this version of the catalogue was termed "preliminary", it is still the current one as of March 2006, and is referred to as CNS3. It lists a total of 3,803 stars. Most of these stars already had GJ numbers, but there were also 1,388 which were not numbered. The need to give these 1,388 some name has resulted in them being numbered 3001–4388 (NN numbers, for "no name"), and data files of this catalogue now usually include these numbers. An example of a star which is often referred to by one of these unofficial GJ numbers is GJ 3021.
100 Aquarii is a star in the zodiac constellation of Aquarius. The designation is from the star catalogue of English astronomer John Flamsteed, first published in 1712.
6 Andromedae is an astrometric binary star system in the northern constellation of Andromeda. The designation comes from the star catalogue of John Flamsteed, first published in 1712. Its apparent visual magnitude is 5.91, which is just bright enough to be visible to the naked eye under good seeing conditions. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 29.12 mas as seen from Earth, it is around 112 light years from the Sun. It is moving closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −32.4 km/s. The system has a relatively high proper motion, advancing across the celestial sphere at the rate of 0.272 arc seconds per annum.This is a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 9.2 years and an eccentricity of 0.3. Some early observations of the star gave it a subgiant luminosity class and it was published in the Bright Star Catalogue as spectral class F5 IV. More modern measurements identify the visible component as an F-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of F5 V. The star is an estimated 2.9 billion years old with 1.3 times the mass of the Sun. It is radiating 2.8 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of around 6,425 K. 6 Andromedae displays an infrared excess at a wavelength of 22 μm, which may indicate a circumstellar disk of warm dusty debris.The mass of the secondary component is roughly at or above that of the Sun. If it were a single, ordinary star, it should be readily visible as it would be just one magnitude fainter that the primary. The lack of conspicuous ultraviolet emission appears to rule out a white dwarf companion, so it may instead itself be a binary system consisting of two smaller stars having an orbital period between a week and a year.
The Bright Star Catalogue, also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars or Yale Bright Star Catalogue, is a star catalogue that lists all stars of stellar magnitude 6.5 or brighter, which is roughly every star visible to the naked eye from Earth. The catalog contains 9,110 objects, of which 9,095 are stars, 11 are novae or supernovae, and 4 are non-stellar objects; the non-stellar objects are the globular clusters 47 Tucanae (designated HR 95) and NGC 2808 (HR 3671), and the open clusters NGC 2281 (HR 2496) and Messier 67 (HR 3515).The catalogue is fixed in number of entries, but its data is maintained, and it is appended with a comments section about the objects that has been steadily enhanced since the Yale astronomer Frank Schlesinger published the first version in 1930. The version of 1991 was the fifth in order, a version that implied a considerable enhancement of the comments section, to a little more than the size of the catalogue itself. This most recent edition, in addition to several previous editions, was compiled and edited by Ellen Dorrit Hoffleit of Yale University.Although the abbreviation for the catalog is BS or YBS, citations of stars indexed in the catalog use HR before the catalog number, after the catalog's 1908 predecessor, the Harvard Revised Photometry Catalogue produced by the Harvard College Observatory. The original Harvard Photometry was published in 1884 by Edward Charles Pickering, which contained about 4,000 stars. Following its release, Pickering promoted a broader stellar survey that would include stars from the southern celestial hemisphere. This photometry work was carried out by Solon I. Bailey between 1889 and 1891, leading to the publication of the Revised Harvard Photometry in 1908. The new catalogue contained stars down to magnitude 6.5 in both hemispheres. The work was then continued by John A. Parkhurst up through the 1920s.
Chen Zhuo (fl. 3rd century) was a Chinese astronomer who lived in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. He served as an imperial astronomer in the state of Eastern Wu (222–280). He collected the works of earlier astronomers of the Han dynasty and combined them into a single system. His star catalogue listed 1,464 stars in 283 constellations. His works were lost over the course of history, but information on his system of constellations survives in Tang dynasty records, notably by Qutan Xida.
In astronomy, Durchmusterung or Bonner Durchmusterung (BD), is the comprehensive astrometric star catalogue of the whole sky, compiled by the Bonn Observatory (Germany) from 1859 to 1903.The name comes from Durchmusterung ("run-through examination"), a German word used for a systematic survey of objects or data. The term has sometimes been used for other astronomical surveys, including not only stars but also the search for other celestial objects. Special tasks are the celestial scanning in electromagnetic wavelengths which are shorter or longer than visible light waves.
The Guide Star Catalog (GSC), also known as the Hubble Space Telescope, Guide Catalog (HSTGC), is a star catalog compiled to support the Hubble Space Telescope with targeting off-axis stars. GSC-I contained approximately 20,000,000 stars with apparent magnitudes of 6 to 15. GSC-II contains 945,592,683 stars out to magnitude 21. As far as possible, binary stars and non-stellar objects have been excluded or flagged as not meeting the requirements of Fine Guidance Sensors. This is the first full sky star catalog created specifically for navigation in outer space.
The Index Catalogue of Visual Double Stars, or IDS, is a catalog of double stars. It was published by Lick Observatory in 1963 and contains measurements for 64,250 objects, covering the entire sky. The database used to construct this catalog was later transferred from Lick Observatory to the United States Naval Observatory, where it became the basis for the Washington Double Star Catalog.
The New Catalogue of Suspected Variable Stars (NSV) is a star catalogue containing 14,811 stars which, although suspected to be variable, were not given variable star designations prior to 1980. It was published in 1982.
The PPM Star Catalogue (Positions and Proper Motions Star Catalogue) is the successor of the SAO Catalogue. It contains precise positions and proper motions of 378,910 stars on the whole sky in the J2000/FK5 coordinate system.
It is designed to represent as closely as possible the IAU (1976) coordinate system on the sky, as defined by the FK5 star catalogue. Thus, the PPM is an extension of the FK5 system to higher star densities and fainter magnitudes.
which accurate proper motions were known. Names in the SAO catalogue start with the letters SAO, followed by a number. The numbers are assigned following 18 ten-degree bands of declination, with stars sorted by right ascension within each band.
In astronomy, stars have a variety of different stellar designations and names, including catalogue designations, current and historical proper names, and foreign language names.
Only a tiny minority of known stars have proper names; all others have only designations from various catalogues or lists, or no identifier at all. Hipparchus in the 2nd century BC enumerated about 850 naked-eye stars. Johann Bayer in 1603 listed about twice this number. Only in the 19th century did star catalogues list the naked-eye stars exhaustively. The Bright Star Catalogue, which is a star catalogue listing all stars of apparent magnitude 6.5 or brighter, or roughly every star visible to the naked eye from Earth, contains 9,096 stars. The most voluminous modern catalogues list on the order of a billion stars, out of an estimated total of 200 to 400 billion in the Milky Way.
Proper names may be historical, often transliterated from Arabic or Chinese names. Such transliterations can vary so there may be multiple spellings. A smaller number of names have been introduced since the Middle Ages, and a few in modern times as nicknames have come into popular use, for example Sualocin for α Delphini and Navi for γ Cassiopeiae.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has begun a process to select and formalise unique proper names for the brighter naked-eye stars and for other stars of popular interest. To the IAU, name refers to the (usually colloquial) term used for a star in everyday speech, while "designation is solely alphanumerical" and used almost exclusively in official catalogues and for professional astronomy. Many of the names and some of the designations in use today were inherited from the time before the IAU existed. Other designations are being added all the time. As of the start of 2019, the IAU had decided on a little over 300 proper names, mostly for the brighter naked-eye stars.
Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.
It was published in Augsburg in 1603 by Christoph Mang (Christophorus Mangus) under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to "Uranometria, containing charts of all the constellations, drawn by a new method and engraved on copper plates". The word "Uranometria" derives from Urania, Muse of the heavens and "uranos" (oυρανός) the Greek word for sky / heavens. A literal translation of "Uranometria" is "Measuring the Heavens" (to be compared with "Geometry"-"Geometria" in Greek, literally translated to "Measuring the Earth").
It was the first atlas to cover the entire celestial sphere.
The Washington Double Star Catalog, or WDS, is a catalog of double stars, maintained at the United States Naval Observatory. The catalog contains positions, magnitudes, proper motions and spectral types and has entries for (as of June 2017) 141,743 pairs of double stars. The catalog also includes multiple stars. In general, a multiple star with n components will be represented by entries in the catalog for n-1 pairs of stars.
Zīj-i Sulṭānī (Persian: زیجِ سلطانی) is a Zij astronomical table and star catalogue that was published by Ulugh Beg in 1438-1439. It was the joint product of the work of a group of Muslim astronomers working under the patronage of Ulugh Beg at Samarkand's Ulugh Beg Observatory. These astronomers included Jamshīd al-Kāshī and Ali Qushji, among others.
The Zij-i-Sultani is generally considered the most accurate and extensive star catalogue up to its time, surpassing its predecessors, including Ptolemy's work, Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi's Book of Fixed Stars, and the Maragheh observatory's Zij-i Ilkhani. It was not surpassed until the work of Taqi al-Din and Tycho Brahe in the 16th century.
The serious errors which Ulugh Beg found in previous Zij star catalogues (many of the earlier ones were simply updates on Ptolemy's work, adding the effect of precession to the longitudes) induced him to redetermine the positions of 992 fixed stars, to which he added 27 stars from al-Sufi's Book of Fixed Stars (964), which were too far south for observation from Samarkand. This catalogue, one of the most original of the Middle Ages, was edited by Thomas Hyde at Oxford in 1665 under the title Tabulae longitudinis et latitudinis stellarum fixarum ex observatione Ulugbeighi, by G. Sharpe in 1767, and in 1843 by Francis Baily in vol. xiii. of the Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society.
In 1437, Ulugh Beg determined the length of the sidereal year as 365.2570370...d = 365d 6h 10m 8s (an error +58s). In his measurements over many years he used a 50 m high gnomon. This value was improved by 28s, 88 years later in 1525 by Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), who appealed to the estimation of Thabit ibn Qurra (826-901), which was accurate to +2s. However, Ulugh Beg later measured another more precise value as 365d 5h 49m 15s, which has an error of +25s, making it more accurate than Copernicus' estimate which had an error of +30s. Ulugh Beg also determined the Earth's axial tilt as 23;30,17 degrees in sexagesimal notation, which in decimal notation converts to 23.5047 degrees.

lowercased:
the ppm star catalogue (1991) is one of the best, both in the proper motion and star position till 1999. not as precise as the hipparcos catalogue but with many more stars. the ppm was built from bd, sao, hd and more, with sophisticated algorithm and is an extension for the fifth fundamental catalogue, "catalogues of fundamental stars".
although this version of the catalogue was termed "preliminary", it is still the current one as of march 2006, and is referred to as cns3. it lists a total of 3,803 stars. most of these stars already had gj numbers, but there were also 1,388 which were not numbered. the need to give these 1,388 some name has resulted in them being numbered 3001–4388 (nn numbers, for "no name"), and data files of this catalogue now usually include these numbers. an example of a star which is often referred to by one of these unofficial gj numbers is gj 3021.
100 aquarii is a star in the zodiac constellation of aquarius. the designation is from the star catalogue of english astronomer john flamsteed, first published in 1712.
6 andromedae is an astrometric binary star system in the northern constellation of andromeda. the designation comes from the star catalogue of john flamsteed, first published in 1712. its apparent visual magnitude is 5.91, which is just bright enough to be visible to the naked eye under good seeing conditions. based upon an annual parallax shift of 29.12 mas as seen from earth, it is around 112 light years from the sun. it is moving closer to the sun with a radial velocity of −32.4 km/s. the system has a relatively high proper motion, advancing across the celestial sphere at the rate of 0.272 arc seconds per annum.this is a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 9.2 years and an eccentricity of 0.3. some early observations of the star gave it a subgiant luminosity class and it was published in the bright star catalogue as spectral class f5 iv. more modern measurements identify the visible component as an f-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of f5 v. the star is an estimated 2.9 billion years old with 1.3 times the mass of the sun. it is radiating 2.8 times the sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of around 6,425 k. 6 andromedae displays an infrared excess at a wavelength of 22 μm, which may indicate a circumstellar disk of warm dusty debris.the mass of the secondary component is roughly at or above that of the sun. if it were a single, ordinary star, it should be readily visible as it would be just one magnitude fainter that the primary. the lack of conspicuous ultraviolet emission appears to rule out a white dwarf companion, so it may instead itself be a binary system consisting of two smaller stars having an orbital period between a week and a year.
the bright star catalogue, also known as the yale catalogue of bright stars or yale bright star catalogue, is a star catalogue that lists all stars of stellar magnitude 6.5 or brighter, which is roughly every star visible to the naked eye from earth. the catalog contains 9,110 objects, of which 9,095 are stars, 11 are novae or supernovae, and 4 are non-stellar objects; the non-stellar objects are the globular clusters 47 tucanae (designated hr 95) and ngc 2808 (hr 3671), and the open clusters ngc 2281 (hr 2496) and messier 67 (hr 3515).the catalogue is fixed in number of entries, but its data is maintained, and it is appended with a comments section about the objects that has been steadily enhanced since the yale astronomer frank schlesinger published the first version in 1930. the version of 1991 was the fifth in order, a version that implied a considerable enhancement of the comments section, to a little more than the size of the catalogue itself. this most recent edition, in addition to several previous editions, was compiled and edited by ellen dorrit hoffleit of yale university.although the abbreviation for the catalog is bs or ybs, citations of stars indexed in the catalog use hr before the catalog number, after the catalog's 1908 predecessor, the harvard revised photometry catalogue produced by the harvard college observatory. the original harvard photometry was published in 1884 by edward charles pickering, which contained about 4,000 stars. following its release, pickering promoted a broader stellar survey that would include stars from the southern celestial hemisphere. this photometry work was carried out by solon i. bailey between 1889 and 1891, leading to the publication of the revised harvard photometry in 1908. the new catalogue contained stars down to magnitude 6.5 in both hemispheres. the work was then continued by john a. parkhurst up through the 1920s.
chen zhuo (fl. 3rd century) was a chinese astronomer who lived in the three kingdoms period (220–280) of china. he served as an imperial astronomer in the state of eastern wu (222–280). he collected the works of earlier astronomers of the han dynasty and combined them into a single system. his star catalogue listed 1,464 stars in 283 constellations. his works were lost over the course of history, but information on his system of constellations survives in tang dynasty records, notably by qutan xida.
in astronomy, durchmusterung or bonner durchmusterung (bd), is the comprehensive astrometric star catalogue of the whole sky, compiled by the bonn observatory (germany) from 1859 to 1903.the name comes from durchmusterung ("run-through examination"), a german word used for a systematic survey of objects or data. the term has sometimes been used for other astronomical surveys, including not only stars but also the search for other celestial objects. special tasks are the celestial scanning in electromagnetic wavelengths which are shorter or longer than visible light waves.
the guide star catalog (gsc), also known as the hubble space telescope, guide catalog (hstgc), is a star catalog compiled to support the hubble space telescope with targeting off-axis stars. gsc-i contained approximately 20,000,000 stars with apparent magnitudes of 6 to 15. gsc-ii contains 945,592,683 stars out to magnitude 21. as far as possible, binary stars and non-stellar objects have been excluded or flagged as not meeting the requirements of fine guidance sensors. this is the first full sky star catalog created specifically for navigation in outer space.
the index catalogue of visual double stars, or ids, is a catalog of double stars. it was published by lick observatory in 1963 and contains measurements for 64,250 objects, covering the entire sky. the database used to construct this catalog was later transferred from lick observatory to the united states naval observatory, where it became the basis for the washington double star catalog.
the new catalogue of suspected variable stars (nsv) is a star catalogue containing 14,811 stars which, although suspected to be variable, were not given variable star designations prior to 1980. it was published in 1982.
the ppm star catalogue (positions and proper motions star catalogue) is the successor of the sao catalogue. it contains precise positions and proper motions of 378,910 stars on the whole sky in the j2000/fk5 coordinate system.
it is designed to represent as closely as possible the iau (1976) coordinate system on the sky, as defined by the fk5 star catalogue. thus, the ppm is an extension of the fk5 system to higher star densities and fainter magnitudes.
which accurate proper motions were known. names in the sao catalogue start with the letters sao, followed by a number. the numbers are assigned following 18 ten-degree bands of declination, with stars sorted by right ascension within each band.
in astronomy, stars have a variety of different stellar designations and names, including catalogue designations, current and historical proper names, and foreign language names.
only a tiny minority of known stars have proper names; all others have only designations from various catalogues or lists, or no identifier at all. hipparchus in the 2nd century bc enumerated about 850 naked-eye stars. johann bayer in 1603 listed about twice this number. only in the 19th century did star catalogues list the naked-eye stars exhaustively. the bright star catalogue, which is a star catalogue listing all stars of apparent magnitude 6.5 or brighter, or roughly every star visible to the naked eye from earth, contains 9,096 stars. the most voluminous modern catalogues list on the order of a billion stars, out of an estimated total of 200 to 400 billion in the milky way.
proper names may be historical, often transliterated from arabic or chinese names. such transliterations can vary so there may be multiple spellings. a smaller number of names have been introduced since the middle ages, and a few in modern times as nicknames have come into popular use, for example sualocin for α delphini and navi for γ cassiopeiae.
the international astronomical union (iau) has begun a process to select and formalise unique proper names for the brighter naked-eye stars and for other stars of popular interest. to the iau, name refers to the (usually colloquial) term used for a star in everyday speech, while "designation is solely alphanumerical" and used almost exclusively in official catalogues and for professional astronomy. many of the names and some of the designations in use today were inherited from the time before the iau existed. other designations are being added all the time. as of the start of 2019, the iau had decided on a little over 300 proper names, mostly for the brighter naked-eye stars.
uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by johann bayer.
it was published in augsburg in 1603 by christoph mang (christophorus mangus) under the full title uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. this translates to "uranometria, containing charts of all the constellations, drawn by a new method and engraved on copper plates". the word "uranometria" derives from urania, muse of the heavens and "uranos" (oυρανός) the greek word for sky / heavens. a literal translation of "uranometria" is "measuring the heavens" (to be compared with "geometry"-"geometria" in greek, literally translated to "measuring the earth").
it was the first atlas to cover the entire celestial sphere.
the washington double star catalog, or wds, is a catalog of double stars, maintained at the united states naval observatory. the catalog contains positions, magnitudes, proper motions and spectral types and has entries for (as of june 2017) 141,743 pairs of double stars. the catalog also includes multiple stars. in general, a multiple star with n components will be represented by entries in the catalog for n-1 pairs of stars.
zīj-i sulṭānī (persian: زیجِ سلطانی) is a zij astronomical table and star catalogue that was published by ulugh beg in 1438-1439. it was the joint product of the work of a group of muslim astronomers working under the patronage of ulugh beg at samarkand's ulugh beg observatory. these astronomers included jamshīd al-kāshī and ali qushji, among others.
the zij-i-sultani is generally considered the most accurate and extensive star catalogue up to its time, surpassing its predecessors, including ptolemy's work, abd al-rahman al-sufi's book of fixed stars, and the maragheh observatory's zij-i ilkhani. it was not surpassed until the work of taqi al-din and tycho brahe in the 16th century.
the serious errors which ulugh beg found in previous zij star catalogues (many of the earlier ones were simply updates on ptolemy's work, adding the effect of precession to the longitudes) induced him to redetermine the positions of 992 fixed stars, to which he added 27 stars from al-sufi's book of fixed stars (964), which were too far south for observation from samarkand. this catalogue, one of the most original of the middle ages, was edited by thomas hyde at oxford in 1665 under the title tabulae longitudinis et latitudinis stellarum fixarum ex observatione ulugbeighi, by g. sharpe in 1767, and in 1843 by francis baily in vol. xiii. of the memoirs of the royal astronomical society.
in 1437, ulugh beg determined the length of the sidereal year as 365.2570370...d = 365d 6h 10m 8s (an error +58s). in his measurements over many years he used a 50 m high gnomon. this value was improved by 28s, 88 years later in 1525 by nicolaus copernicus (1473-1543), who appealed to the estimation of thabit ibn qurra (826-901), which was accurate to +2s. however, ulugh beg later measured another more precise value as 365d 5h 49m 15s, which has an error of +25s, making it more accurate than copernicus' estimate which had an error of +30s. ulugh beg also determined the earth's axial tilt as 23;30,17 degrees in sexagesimal notation, which in decimal notation converts to 23.5047 degrees.


text:
Much has changed since France elected Emmanuel Macron as president in May, but a lot has stayed the same.
As predicted in the Friends of Europe report on France and the future of European defence published in April, Macron has expressed a strong desire to pursue European defence integration, both through the European Union’s institutions and via bilateral cooperation with Germany. He has reaffirmed France’s commitment to NATO, including the integrated military structure, strong bilateral strategic cooperation with the United States (even under the erratic Donald Trump), an active role in international security and achieving NATO’s two per cent defence spending guideline by 2024. However, his first steps in office have told a rather different story.
One of Macron’s first moves was to shunt widely admired Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian off to the foreign ministry ‒ a promotion in cabinet rank only ‒ and to clear out the powerful team that had helped Le Drian deliver growth in the defence budget and a pipeline of equipment modernisation. Casualties included the head of the arms procurement agency. They had fallen foul of the powerful finance ministry by extracting spending increases badly needed by the severely overstretched armed forces.
The new president’s first pick as defence minister, former MEP Sylvie Goulard, was a committed European integrationist and a strong Germanophile, but by her own admission no expert on defence. Some saw this as a signal that Macron wanted to take defence into his own hands. Others saw it as a deliberate downgrading of what was renamed ‘the ministry of the armies’. Goulard began by building strong ties to her German opposite number, Ursula von der Leyen, and telling the top brass and the defence industry she expected them to make European cooperation, especially with Germany, their top priority. By all accounts, she met some resistance, notably from the military-industrial complex.
Goulard lasted only a few weeks before resigning due to a probe into her centrist MODEM party’s alleged abuse of European Parliament funds ‒ earmarked for MEPs’ assistants but used to pay Paris headquarters staff. She was replaced by Florence Parly, a former Socialist junior budget minister, who knew even less about defence or EU integration, but had a track-record as a cost-cutter.
Far from increasing the defence budget, the government announced in July it would slash €800m in military spending from the 2017 budget ‒ a reduction of more than two-and-a-half per cent in mid-year and the largest cut in any ministry ‒ as part of a drive to meet its commitment to bring the deficit below three per cent of GDP.
When the chief of staff for the armed forces, General Pierre de Villiers, voiced anger behind closed doors to parliament’s defence committee and his barrack-room language was leaked to the media, Macron rebuked him publicly in a speech at a Bastille Day eve military reception, saying: “I am your chief.” De Villiers resigned the following week and was replaced by a general willing to implement the cut, largely by delaying equipment purchases. Confidence within the armed forces was at low ebb. The President drew criticism, notably from conservative media, prompting him to promise that defence spending would be the only post to rise in the 2018 budget, and to reaffirm his pledge to the medium-term two per cent goal.
Eager for action-man photo opportunities, Macron visited French troops in Mali, and made clear that Paris would maintain its Operation Barkhane against Islamist fighters across the Sahel region, as well as its active bombing and special forces role in the anti-ISIS coalition in Syria and Iraq.
Macron was winched from a helicopter onto a nuclear submarine where he stated his commitment to maintaining and modernising France’s nuclear deterrent. He said he would review and adapt Operation Sentinelle ‒ the military presence on French streets to guard public buildings, reassure the public and deter terrorist attacks. But the continued attacks by lone wolf Islamist militants make it hard to reduce the level of alert or take many troops off the streets.
A joint Franco-German cabinet meeting in July endorsed ambitious plans both for launching ‘permanent structured cooperation’ (PESCO) on defence in the EU by the end of the year and for a range of armaments cooperation initiatives. Paris and Berlin pledged to develop a joint next generation fighter aircraft, as well as to cooperate on a main battle tank, drones and other weapons systems. Such far-reaching projects have been aborted or come to grief in the past, but there does appear to be political momentum behind this renewed effort, not least because neither country can afford to develop such major systems on its own any more.
Macron’s rhetorical commitment to work with European allies was however swiftly contradicted by some of his first diplomatic and industrial initiatives. He summoned the rival leaders of Libya’s feuding factions to talks in France without involving Italy, the former colonial power in the North African state and the main recipient of refugees flooding unchecked across the Mediterranean from its shores, or Germany, the ultimate destination of many migrants. The President also announced his intention of nationalising the STX shipyard, which builds warships as well as cruise liners, to prevent it falling under the control of an Italian company. This was seen in Rome, and elsewhere in the EU, as an anti-European act of economic nationalism.
Four months into Macron’s presidency, the gap between high ambitions for European cooperation and the reality of spending cuts and headline-grabbing unilateral actions yawns wide. Things may settle down once the president feels he has asserted his authority at home and on the European stage. The real strategic and industrial choices lie ahead. Macron will need to be more consistent in walking the walk of European cooperation, and making the French defence establishment and military industries walk with him, if the Franco-German EU defence initiative is to bear fruit and not produce more disappointment.

lowercased:
much has changed since france elected emmanuel macron as president in may, but a lot has stayed the same.
as predicted in the friends of europe report on france and the future of european defence published in april, macron has expressed a strong desire to pursue european defence integration, both through the european union’s institutions and via bilateral cooperation with germany. he has reaffirmed france’s commitment to nato, including the integrated military structure, strong bilateral strategic cooperation with the united states (even under the erratic donald trump), an active role in international security and achieving nato’s two per cent defence spending guideline by 2024. however, his first steps in office have told a rather different story.
one of macron’s first moves was to shunt widely admired defence minister jean-yves le drian off to the foreign ministry ‒ a promotion in cabinet rank only ‒ and to clear out the powerful team that had helped le drian deliver growth in the defence budget and a pipeline of equipment modernisation. casualties included the head of the arms procurement agency. they had fallen foul of the powerful finance ministry by extracting spending increases badly needed by the severely overstretched armed forces.
the new president’s first pick as defence minister, former mep sylvie goulard, was a committed european integrationist and a strong germanophile, but by her own admission no expert on defence. some saw this as a signal that macron wanted to take defence into his own hands. others saw it as a deliberate downgrading of what was renamed ‘the ministry of the armies’. goulard began by building strong ties to her german opposite number, ursula von der leyen, and telling the top brass and the defence industry she expected them to make european cooperation, especially with germany, their top priority. by all accounts, she met some resistance, notably from the military-industrial complex.
goulard lasted only a few weeks before resigning due to a probe into her centrist modem party’s alleged abuse of european parliament funds ‒ earmarked for meps’ assistants but used to pay paris headquarters staff. she was replaced by florence parly, a former socialist junior budget minister, who knew even less about defence or eu integration, but had a track-record as a cost-cutter.
far from increasing the defence budget, the government announced in july it would slash €800m in military spending from the 2017 budget ‒ a reduction of more than two-and-a-half per cent in mid-year and the largest cut in any ministry ‒ as part of a drive to meet its commitment to bring the deficit below three per cent of gdp.
when the chief of staff for the armed forces, general pierre de villiers, voiced anger behind closed doors to parliament’s defence committee and his barrack-room language was leaked to the media, macron rebuked him publicly in a speech at a bastille day eve military reception, saying: “i am your chief.” de villiers resigned the following week and was replaced by a general willing to implement the cut, largely by delaying equipment purchases. confidence within the armed forces was at low ebb. the president drew criticism, notably from conservative media, prompting him to promise that defence spending would be the only post to rise in the 2018 budget, and to reaffirm his pledge to the medium-term two per cent goal.
eager for action-man photo opportunities, macron visited french troops in mali, and made clear that paris would maintain its operation barkhane against islamist fighters across the sahel region, as well as its active bombing and special forces role in the anti-isis coalition in syria and iraq.
macron was winched from a helicopter onto a nuclear submarine where he stated his commitment to maintaining and modernising france’s nuclear deterrent. he said he would review and adapt operation sentinelle ‒ the military presence on french streets to guard public buildings, reassure the public and deter terrorist attacks. but the continued attacks by lone wolf islamist militants make it hard to reduce the level of alert or take many troops off the streets.
a joint franco-german cabinet meeting in july endorsed ambitious plans both for launching ‘permanent structured cooperation’ (pesco) on defence in the eu by the end of the year and for a range of armaments cooperation initiatives. paris and berlin pledged to develop a joint next generation fighter aircraft, as well as to cooperate on a main battle tank, drones and other weapons systems. such far-reaching projects have been aborted or come to grief in the past, but there does appear to be political momentum behind this renewed effort, not least because neither country can afford to develop such major systems on its own any more.
macron’s rhetorical commitment to work with european allies was however swiftly contradicted by some of his first diplomatic and industrial initiatives. he summoned the rival leaders of libya’s feuding factions to talks in france without involving italy, the former colonial power in the north african state and the main recipient of refugees flooding unchecked across the mediterranean from its shores, or germany, the ultimate destination of many migrants. the president also announced his intention of nationalising the stx shipyard, which builds warships as well as cruise liners, to prevent it falling under the control of an italian company. this was seen in rome, and elsewhere in the eu, as an anti-european act of economic nationalism.
four months into macron’s presidency, the gap between high ambitions for european cooperation and the reality of spending cuts and headline-grabbing unilateral actions yawns wide. things may settle down once the president feels he has asserted his authority at home and on the european stage. the real strategic and industrial choices lie ahead. macron will need to be more consistent in walking the walk of european cooperation, and making the french defence establishment and military industries walk with him, if the franco-german eu defence initiative is to bear fruit and not produce more disappointment.


text: Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesClayton Kershaw may be the best pitcher of his generation ttp://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-brad-boxberger-jersey , but the Los Angeles Dodgers are underdogs for Tuesday's Game 1 of the World Series even though the three-time Cy Young winner will be on the mound.Per OddsShark, Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox are listed as -150 favorites (bet $150 to win $100) for Tuesday's game at Fenway Park, while the Dodgers are +135 (bet $100 to win $135).B/R Betting br_bettingWorld Series Game 1 odds are out 馃Dodgers (Kershaw): +135Red Sox (Sale): -150 1LuFuFnaAaThe starting pitchers will be under the spotlight in Game 1 considering Kershaw is still trying to shake the narrative he struggles in the postseason and Sale dealt with health concerns during the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros.Kershaw is a seven-time All-Star and five-time ERA title winner who 2014 National League MVP as a starting pitcher, but his career postseason ERA is a pedestrian 4.09 compared to his sparkling 2.39 mark in the regular season.The southpaw has done what he can to shed the playoff concerns with a 2.37 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in four appearances in this year's playoffs, but his resume is still missing a World Series title. He can set the tone for the Dodgers right out of the gate with an impressive performance and help them negate the Red Sox's home field advantage.Boston will counter with Sale, who was hospitalized during the ALCS and couldn't start Game 5. He toldJason Mastrodonatoof theBoston Heraldit was a belly button pierceing that caused him problems, saying "I had irritation from a belly button ring. Constantly taking it in and out caused irritation. Doctors and nurses at MGH were awesome. Things happen. You handle them. And keep moving forward."Despite the setback Daniel Descalso Jersey , Bovada (h/t OddsShark) listed Sale as the favorite to win the MVP after finishing the regular season with a 2.11 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. He narrowly edged teammates Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, as well as Kershaw:OddsShark OddsSharkOdds to win World Series MVP (BovadaOfficial):Sale +550Betts +600Kershaw/Martinez +700Machado +800Kimbrel/Turner +1200Jansen +1400Bellinger/Puig +1500Benintendi +1700Kinsler +1800Bogaerts +2000Taylor/Freese/Pearce +2200Kemp/Muncy +2500Bradley Jr. +3000Las Vegas believes the combination of Sale, home-field advantage, and an offense that led all of baseball in runs (876), hits (1,509), doubles (355) http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-ketel-marte-jerse , batting average (.268), on-base percentage (.339) and slugging percentage (.453) will be enough to top Kershaw and the Dodgers in Game 1. Texas Rangers star Bartolo Colon added another impressive accomplishment to his resume Tuesday, becoming the winningest Latin American pitcher in major league history.The Dominican Republic native earned his 246th career win against the Seattle Mariners, putting him one ahead of Dennis Martinez.MLB Network provided a breakdown of the top pitchers born in Latin America:MLB Network MLBNetworkCongratulations to Bartolo Colon on his milestone win! #MLBTonight U8xL6uJ2ZQColon is in his 21st season, having earned four All-Star selections and the 2005 American League Cy Young Award while spending time with 11 organizations.The 45-year-old has been up and down with the Rangers in 2018; he improved to just 6-10 with his latest outing and has a 5.18 ERA after allowing four earned runs in seven innings Tuesday.Still, the record was important enough for him to remain in the majors after finishing last year with 240 career wins."He just wants to win six more games, and then he will retire David Peralta Jersey ," former Minnesota Twins teammate Ervin Santana said of Colon in January, per Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press.The veteran tied Martinez on June 30 but was saddled with a loss in each of his next five starts.He got back in the win column Tuesday, though, and finally landed in the record books.

lowercased: stacy revere/getty imagesclayton kershaw may be the best pitcher of his generation ttp://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-brad-boxberger-jersey , but the los angeles dodgers are underdogs for tuesday's game 1 of the world series even though the three-time cy young winner will be on the mound.per oddsshark, chris sale and the boston red sox are listed as -150 favorites (bet $150 to win $100) for tuesday's game at fenway park, while the dodgers are +135 (bet $100 to win $135).b/r betting br_bettingworld series game 1 odds are out 馃dodgers (kershaw): +135red sox (sale): -150 1lufufnaaathe starting pitchers will be under the spotlight in game 1 considering kershaw is still trying to shake the narrative he struggles in the postseason and sale dealt with health concerns during the american league championship series against the houston astros.kershaw is a seven-time all-star and five-time era title winner who 2014 national league mvp as a starting pitcher, but his career postseason era is a pedestrian 4.09 compared to his sparkling 2.39 mark in the regular season.the southpaw has done what he can to shed the playoff concerns with a 2.37 era and 0.79 whip in four appearances in this year's playoffs, but his resume is still missing a world series title. he can set the tone for the dodgers right out of the gate with an impressive performance and help them negate the red sox's home field advantage.boston will counter with sale, who was hospitalized during the alcs and couldn't start game 5. he toldjason mastrodonatoof theboston heraldit was a belly button pierceing that caused him problems, saying "i had irritation from a belly button ring. constantly taking it in and out caused irritation. doctors and nurses at mgh were awesome. things happen. you handle them. and keep moving forward."despite the setback daniel descalso jersey , bovada (h/t oddsshark) listed sale as the favorite to win the mvp after finishing the regular season with a 2.11 era and 0.86 whip. he narrowly edged teammates mookie betts and j.d. martinez, as well as kershaw:oddsshark oddssharkodds to win world series mvp (bovadaofficial):sale +550betts +600kershaw/martinez +700machado +800kimbrel/turner +1200jansen +1400bellinger/puig +1500benintendi +1700kinsler +1800bogaerts +2000taylor/freese/pearce +2200kemp/muncy +2500bradley jr. +3000las vegas believes the combination of sale, home-field advantage, and an offense that led all of baseball in runs (876), hits (1,509), doubles (355) http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-ketel-marte-jerse , batting average (.268), on-base percentage (.339) and slugging percentage (.453) will be enough to top kershaw and the dodgers in game 1. texas rangers star bartolo colon added another impressive accomplishment to his resume tuesday, becoming the winningest latin american pitcher in major league history.the dominican republic native earned his 246th career win against the seattle mariners, putting him one ahead of dennis martinez.mlb network provided a breakdown of the top pitchers born in latin america:mlb network mlbnetworkcongratulations to bartolo colon on his milestone win! #mlbtonight u8xl6uj2zqcolon is in his 21st season, having earned four all-star selections and the 2005 american league cy young award while spending time with 11 organizations.the 45-year-old has been up and down with the rangers in 2018; he improved to just 6-10 with his latest outing and has a 5.18 era after allowing four earned runs in seven innings tuesday.still, the record was important enough for him to remain in the majors after finishing last year with 240 career wins."he just wants to win six more games, and then he will retire david peralta jersey ," former minnesota twins teammate ervin santana said of colon in january, per mike berardino of the pioneer press.the veteran tied martinez on june 30 but was saddled with a loss in each of his next five starts.he got back in the win column tuesday, though, and finally landed in the record books.


text:
The majority of tavern clocks were manufactured in New England, primarily in Boston. Joseph Nye Dunning of Burlington, Vt. and Abel Stowell of Charlestown, Mass. were makers of tavern clocks.
In the late 19th Century, similar production examples were introduced in the form of the "School House Clock". The values of these later clocks are significantly lower than early examples.

lowercased:
the majority of tavern clocks were manufactured in new england, primarily in boston. joseph nye dunning of burlington, vt. and abel stowell of charlestown, mass. were makers of tavern clocks.
in the late 19th century, similar production examples were introduced in the form of the "school house clock". the values of these later clocks are significantly lower than early examples.


text: Pha Tat Luang is a gold-covered large Buddhist stupa. Generally regarded as the most important national monument. Vientiane, Laos.

lowercased: pha tat luang is a gold-covered large buddhist stupa. generally regarded as the most important national monument. vientiane, laos.


text:
In a perfect location from which to explore and enjoy all that York has to offer this 4 bedroom 4 bathroom property with Minster Views is a perfect choice for your time in York.
Through the building’s secure entrance door and up a flight of stairs to the first floor. On the first floor of a beautifully converted building, your lounge and kitchen area are located with plenty of seating and dining tables easy pulled out to accommodate your group to sit down and enjoy a meal together. Going on to the 2nd floor is a king size bedroom and ensuite and a Double bedroom with ensuite.
The 3rd floor mirrors the 2nd floor with a king size and double bedroom both with en-suites.
King’s Square is seconds away which hosts talented street artists during the daytime or you can venture minutes out of the front door and explore the many historical, cultural and culinary sites within the City walls. Just ten seconds away is the famous Shambles, leading down to the unusually named Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate (one of the smallest streets in York). Continue down Foss gate and you are onto what is fast becoming known as ‘Restaurant Street and Bar street’, where there are many interesting eateries, ranging from Indian and Thai, to French, Italian, Polish and Tapas. Just minutes away is Betty’s tea room and the Minster from your door step.
You really can’t get much more central than this!
With parking on offer for £6.95 per day per car we have 2 spaces we can offer just 5 minutes walk from the property , Its a huge saving on the car parking prices in York .

lowercased:
in a perfect location from which to explore and enjoy all that york has to offer this 4 bedroom 4 bathroom property with minster views is a perfect choice for your time in york.
through the building’s secure entrance door and up a flight of stairs to the first floor. on the first floor of a beautifully converted building, your lounge and kitchen area are located with plenty of seating and dining tables easy pulled out to accommodate your group to sit down and enjoy a meal together. going on to the 2nd floor is a king size bedroom and ensuite and a double bedroom with ensuite.
the 3rd floor mirrors the 2nd floor with a king size and double bedroom both with en-suites.
king’s square is seconds away which hosts talented street artists during the daytime or you can venture minutes out of the front door and explore the many historical, cultural and culinary sites within the city walls. just ten seconds away is the famous shambles, leading down to the unusually named whip-ma-whop-ma-gate (one of the smallest streets in york). continue down foss gate and you are onto what is fast becoming known as ‘restaurant street and bar street’, where there are many interesting eateries, ranging from indian and thai, to french, italian, polish and tapas. just minutes away is betty’s tea room and the minster from your door step.
you really can’t get much more central than this!
with parking on offer for £6.95 per day per car we have 2 spaces we can offer just 5 minutes walk from the property , its a huge saving on the car parking prices in york .


text:
In the last few weeks, I have had several OBEs during sleep.
In one of them, (after about a half hour of astral adventures inside my house), I was in my dark kitchen, traveling back to my bedroom. As I passed by, the space over the cabinets had a light and something like a bubble light show projecting onto the wall.
In the other one, a few days ago, I was sitting (though out of my body) on the side of my bed. I was looking towards my dresser mirror which had an image of a beautiful cave set in a golden woodland area. I realized the cave was a doorway of sorts, and I was welcome to go into it. I am not sure why I didn't, but I started to lay back down in my body. As I did this I noticed that there was a gentle light coming from under my bed, illuminating the floor. I thought to myself "Oh, there's a light under my bed." Then I woke up.
I am a person who snores, so I wonder if I am actually losing oxygen and basically dying in my sleep, and coming back to life.
What's with the light coming from behind the cabinets and the bed?
I want to add that, on the same night that I saw the cave, I heard a (very quiet and far away voice) say: "You get to live your life. They need me here." I heard this right before I woke up.
Had another one last night. I recall that I was in my kitchen again (apparently my favorite hangout when out-of-body) and looking at the digital clock on the oven: 1:10. I was concerned (for some reason?) about the time. I was worried that my daughter, whose bedroom is upstairs, was not in her room. I went up the stairs and stopped near her door and looking down the stairs as if I were near the ceiling. I went into her room. Now, although it was dark I could somehow see in the dark. No, there was no light but I could see everything. I hovered over her bed and she was there, sleeping. I felt the warmth of her body and I saw exactly how she was positioned in the bed-- guys, it was so clear, no one can tell me this was a dream. I said to myself "OK, she's here." I briefly thought about giving her a kiss but didn't... instead, I guess I went back to my bedroom and went back to sleep... it fades from memory after that.
It's weird, and I could accept that it was just a dream, if it weren't for how absolutely clear she appeared in her room and her bed. I didn't just see her, I felt the warmth radiating from her body, I saw her breathing. Her hair was all spread out over the pillow. Some parts of it seem dreamlike but that part doesn't.
Very vivid experience you were having! I don't know much in the way of OBE's but every one I read is very fascinating. They are all very personal to the person and perhaps can have an insight to whats going on with them.
Hopefully someone with similar experiences to yourself comes on board for a chat and we can all discuss.
I appreciate you sharing this experience with us.
Your hunch may well be right that you are dying to a certain extent. My guess is that you suffer from sleep apnea. The snoring is a typical symptom. Most people think its just an awkward bedroom issue and treat it lightly. Don't make that mistake. Sleep apnea causes heart attacks, general lack of energy, and regularly kills people.
Please get yourself checked by a physician asap!
This happened to me and it triggered a burn-out from which I am still recovering a year later.
DennisMe wrote: Your hunch may well be right that you are dying to a certain extent. My guess is that you suffer from sleep apnea. The snoring is a typical symptom. Most people think its just an awkward bedroom issue and treat it lightly. Don't make that mistake. Sleep apnea causes heart attacks, general lack of energy, and regularly kills people.
I am very sorry to hear about this, Dennis. I’ve never come across sleep apnea and had no idea it could be so dangerous. It is very wise of you to suggest that this issue be checked out as soon as possible, especially in view of the words blue heard.
blue102 wrote: I want to add that, on the same night that I saw the cave, I heard a (very quiet and far away voice) say: "You get to live your life. They need me here." I heard this right before I woke up.
Blue, when I was having my first OBEs in the early '90s I used to stumble into warnings or obstacles, designed to keep me from seeking more of these experiences. One of the warnings came from my physical body itself, though it wasn’t as profound as the one you are reporting (“They need me here”). It was more of a selfish request (my body called out and said “Don’t go. Please stay and cry with me”), and it wasn’t in a quiet voice but in a moaning voice. So I’d take Dennis’ recommendation very seriously, and if you do not suffer from sleep apnea, then that’s fine. At that point one could actually consider the quiet voice as a soothing reassurance speaking to your physical body.
blue102 wrote: In the other one, a few days ago, I was sitting (though out of my body) on the side of my bed. I was looking towards my dresser mirror which had an image of a beautiful cave set in a golden woodland area. I realized the cave was a doorway of sorts, and I was welcome to go into it. I am not sure why I didn't, but I started to lay back down in my body. As I did this I noticed that there was a gentle light coming from under my bed, illuminating the floor. I thought to myself "Oh, there's a light under my bed." Then I woke up.
The light coming from behind the cabined and under the bed could be the energy field surrounding everything which is not usually visible to the naked eye, but can be seen when out of body or under other circumstances.
I was especially touched by the dresser mirror appearing as a doorway of sorts inviting you in, because I have very often used mirrors in my OBEs as a portal to otherworldly settings. In your experience I was also reminded of the inviting appearance of gateways and lights that NDErs report (which once again reminds me of Dennis' warning).
blue102 wrote: Had another one last night. I recall that I was in my kitchen again (apparently my favorite hangout when out-of-body) and looking at the digital clock on the oven: 1:10. I was concerned (for some reason?) about the time. I was worried that my daughter, whose bedroom is upstairs, was not in her room. I went up the stairs and stopped near her door and looking down the stairs as if I were near the ceiling. I went into her room. Now, although it was dark I could somehow see in the dark. No, there was no light but I could see everything. I hovered over her bed and she was there, sleeping. I felt the warmth of her body and I saw exactly how she was positioned in the bed-- guys, it was so clear, no one can tell me this was a dream. I said to myself "OK, she's here." I briefly thought about giving her a kiss but didn't... instead, I guess I went back to my bedroom and went back to sleep... it fades from memory after that.
This also sounds a very wonderful experience, especially the part relating to you hovering over your daughter and watching her during her sleep. Hanging out in the kitchen and looking at the clock is again something I can personally relate to, as I too used to explore the astral version of my house a lot, before I started visiting other settings by crossing various portals. It would be interesting to know whether your OBE actually took place at 1:10.
The reason you may find that some part of the experience were dreamlike and others didn’t could be because the differentiation among dreams, lucid dreams (dreams in which you know that you are dreaming) and full blown OBEs can depend on our level of lucidity, and it can happen that during what we would call an ordinary dream, we acquire the awareness that we are dreaming and become lucid (which makes the experience much more vivid and allows our critical mind to come into play) and then gain further lucidity and experience an OBE, with our mind awake (once again this can happen at varying degrees) and our body asleep. Many report shifting in and out of that special awareness we have during a full-blown OBE.
In the light of Dennis’ warning though, I will say no more on the subject until we hear that you are not suffering from lack of oxygen. Thank you so much for sharing these experiences.
Thank you all. I will definitely get checked out for sleep apnea (that could very well be why I ALWAYS feel tired and depressed)!!!
I really don't want to die just yet, lol.
"(that could very well be why I ALWAYS feel tired and depressed)"
Another big indicator for sleep apnea!
Please do get that checked out by a doctor though.

lowercased:
in the last few weeks, i have had several obes during sleep.
in one of them, (after about a half hour of astral adventures inside my house), i was in my dark kitchen, traveling back to my bedroom. as i passed by, the space over the cabinets had a light and something like a bubble light show projecting onto the wall.
in the other one, a few days ago, i was sitting (though out of my body) on the side of my bed. i was looking towards my dresser mirror which had an image of a beautiful cave set in a golden woodland area. i realized the cave was a doorway of sorts, and i was welcome to go into it. i am not sure why i didn't, but i started to lay back down in my body. as i did this i noticed that there was a gentle light coming from under my bed, illuminating the floor. i thought to myself "oh, there's a light under my bed." then i woke up.
i am a person who snores, so i wonder if i am actually losing oxygen and basically dying in my sleep, and coming back to life.
what's with the light coming from behind the cabinets and the bed?
i want to add that, on the same night that i saw the cave, i heard a (very quiet and far away voice) say: "you get to live your life. they need me here." i heard this right before i woke up.
had another one last night. i recall that i was in my kitchen again (apparently my favorite hangout when out-of-body) and looking at the digital clock on the oven: 1:10. i was concerned (for some reason?) about the time. i was worried that my daughter, whose bedroom is upstairs, was not in her room. i went up the stairs and stopped near her door and looking down the stairs as if i were near the ceiling. i went into her room. now, although it was dark i could somehow see in the dark. no, there was no light but i could see everything. i hovered over her bed and she was there, sleeping. i felt the warmth of her body and i saw exactly how she was positioned in the bed-- guys, it was so clear, no one can tell me this was a dream. i said to myself "ok, she's here." i briefly thought about giving her a kiss but didn't... instead, i guess i went back to my bedroom and went back to sleep... it fades from memory after that.
it's weird, and i could accept that it was just a dream, if it weren't for how absolutely clear she appeared in her room and her bed. i didn't just see her, i felt the warmth radiating from her body, i saw her breathing. her hair was all spread out over the pillow. some parts of it seem dreamlike but that part doesn't.
very vivid experience you were having! i don't know much in the way of obe's but every one i read is very fascinating. they are all very personal to the person and perhaps can have an insight to whats going on with them.
hopefully someone with similar experiences to yourself comes on board for a chat and we can all discuss.
i appreciate you sharing this experience with us.
your hunch may well be right that you are dying to a certain extent. my guess is that you suffer from sleep apnea. the snoring is a typical symptom. most people think its just an awkward bedroom issue and treat it lightly. don't make that mistake. sleep apnea causes heart attacks, general lack of energy, and regularly kills people.
please get yourself checked by a physician asap!
this happened to me and it triggered a burn-out from which i am still recovering a year later.
dennisme wrote: your hunch may well be right that you are dying to a certain extent. my guess is that you suffer from sleep apnea. the snoring is a typical symptom. most people think its just an awkward bedroom issue and treat it lightly. don't make that mistake. sleep apnea causes heart attacks, general lack of energy, and regularly kills people.
i am very sorry to hear about this, dennis. i’ve never come across sleep apnea and had no idea it could be so dangerous. it is very wise of you to suggest that this issue be checked out as soon as possible, especially in view of the words blue heard.
blue102 wrote: i want to add that, on the same night that i saw the cave, i heard a (very quiet and far away voice) say: "you get to live your life. they need me here." i heard this right before i woke up.
blue, when i was having my first obes in the early '90s i used to stumble into warnings or obstacles, designed to keep me from seeking more of these experiences. one of the warnings came from my physical body itself, though it wasn’t as profound as the one you are reporting (“they need me here”). it was more of a selfish request (my body called out and said “don’t go. please stay and cry with me”), and it wasn’t in a quiet voice but in a moaning voice. so i’d take dennis’ recommendation very seriously, and if you do not suffer from sleep apnea, then that’s fine. at that point one could actually consider the quiet voice as a soothing reassurance speaking to your physical body.
blue102 wrote: in the other one, a few days ago, i was sitting (though out of my body) on the side of my bed. i was looking towards my dresser mirror which had an image of a beautiful cave set in a golden woodland area. i realized the cave was a doorway of sorts, and i was welcome to go into it. i am not sure why i didn't, but i started to lay back down in my body. as i did this i noticed that there was a gentle light coming from under my bed, illuminating the floor. i thought to myself "oh, there's a light under my bed." then i woke up.
the light coming from behind the cabined and under the bed could be the energy field surrounding everything which is not usually visible to the naked eye, but can be seen when out of body or under other circumstances.
i was especially touched by the dresser mirror appearing as a doorway of sorts inviting you in, because i have very often used mirrors in my obes as a portal to otherworldly settings. in your experience i was also reminded of the inviting appearance of gateways and lights that nders report (which once again reminds me of dennis' warning).
blue102 wrote: had another one last night. i recall that i was in my kitchen again (apparently my favorite hangout when out-of-body) and looking at the digital clock on the oven: 1:10. i was concerned (for some reason?) about the time. i was worried that my daughter, whose bedroom is upstairs, was not in her room. i went up the stairs and stopped near her door and looking down the stairs as if i were near the ceiling. i went into her room. now, although it was dark i could somehow see in the dark. no, there was no light but i could see everything. i hovered over her bed and she was there, sleeping. i felt the warmth of her body and i saw exactly how she was positioned in the bed-- guys, it was so clear, no one can tell me this was a dream. i said to myself "ok, she's here." i briefly thought about giving her a kiss but didn't... instead, i guess i went back to my bedroom and went back to sleep... it fades from memory after that.
this also sounds a very wonderful experience, especially the part relating to you hovering over your daughter and watching her during her sleep. hanging out in the kitchen and looking at the clock is again something i can personally relate to, as i too used to explore the astral version of my house a lot, before i started visiting other settings by crossing various portals. it would be interesting to know whether your obe actually took place at 1:10.
the reason you may find that some part of the experience were dreamlike and others didn’t could be because the differentiation among dreams, lucid dreams (dreams in which you know that you are dreaming) and full blown obes can depend on our level of lucidity, and it can happen that during what we would call an ordinary dream, we acquire the awareness that we are dreaming and become lucid (which makes the experience much more vivid and allows our critical mind to come into play) and then gain further lucidity and experience an obe, with our mind awake (once again this can happen at varying degrees) and our body asleep. many report shifting in and out of that special awareness we have during a full-blown obe.
in the light of dennis’ warning though, i will say no more on the subject until we hear that you are not suffering from lack of oxygen. thank you so much for sharing these experiences.
thank you all. i will definitely get checked out for sleep apnea (that could very well be why i always feel tired and depressed)!!!
i really don't want to die just yet, lol.
"(that could very well be why i always feel tired and depressed)"
another big indicator for sleep apnea!
please do get that checked out by a doctor though.