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Lewis Yocum performed the procedure in Inglewood, Calif., in which a piece of ligament was taken from the 22-year-old right-hander's left leg and transplanted into his pitching elbow.
The Nationals said that Strasburg will be released from the hospital Saturday and begin rehab on Monday at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., near his home in San Diego.
"Everything went very smoothly and the reports were very good," Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said Friday night, before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"He'll start his rehab in a couple of days and we're very confident he will come back strong from this surgery," Rizzo added. "I really feel this is just a blip in what is going to be an outstanding career for Stephen."
Strasburg made his much anticipated major league debut on June 8 against Pittsburgh at Washington, when he struck out 14 batters in seven innings. He finished with a 5-3 record and 2.91 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 92 in 68 innings.
Strasburg was the first overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft from San Diego State. He signed for a draft-record $15.1 million.
In other news, the Nationals activated right-hander Garrett Mock from the 60-day disabled list Friday and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse and transferred left-fielder Josh Willingham from the 15-day to the 60-day DL.
Mock made just one start for the Nationals this season before going on the disabled list April 11 because of a ruptured right cervical disc that required surgery. He has made five rehabilitation starts in Washington's farm system with a 5.40 ERA.
Willingham, who is recovering knee surgery, has been out since Aug. 16 and will not return this season. He hit .268 with 16 home runs and 56 RBIs in 114 games. | {
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Dr. Wyatt shared her thoughts about Black women's sexuality as well as her research showing that women who were sexually assaulted during their childhood are twice as likely as other women to contract HIV/AIDS later in life.
Please address the stereotype that Black women with HIV must have "done something" -- such as being promiscuous -- to get it.
The majority of women with HIV are not IV-drug users. They are women who generally have one partner at a time. Many of the women who contract HIV did not know that their partner was engaging in risky behavior -- which is having unprotected sex -- with someone else. If they did know, they may have been economically dependent on him, or connected by marriage or children, so they did not insist on using condoms.
Women find themselves in relationships with men all the time that they think they can trust. They might decide to have unprotected sex in order to have children. Others may be in denial -- they might suspect that their partner has outside partners or is a drug user, but they have unprotected sex anyway. Or sometimes men don't want to use condoms and turn the tables on their women, insinuating that if they insist on using condoms, they must be the ones cheating. For many women the need to be in a relationship overrides the need to protect themselves.
Many people think that Black women are not exercising any control over their sex lives, and it isn't true; that's not how this disease is being driven. It's being passed along through relationships. Or it's being passed along by people with multiple sex partners who don't have health care or don't trust doctors or don't listen to their physicians when they tell them they're putting themselves at risk.
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Is there a racial double standard?
Absolutely! It all goes back to the original stereotype -- that Black women are "hos." ... More White women have health care or are more likely to come out of families with healthy patterns. They're used to going to the doctor, and they have access -- no matter their sexual behaviors.
Being forced to have sex creates this thought in the minds of many women that it's okay for their partner to tell them when to have sex, how to have it, and whether or not they can talk about it with him or anybody else. After all, that was more than likely the woman's experience when she was abused, and she may not have gotten psychological help to undo this damage.
A woman who has been abused -- and who hasn't sought some kind of psychological help for it -- often learns not to value her body, and this may cause her not to protect herself by using condoms. And you can't just teach people how to use condoms: They have to understand why they should: because their lives are valuable. Having been victimized, they may not feel that way.
If you have experienced sexual trauma, what steps can you take to heal so that you're not at greater risk for HIV?
The most important thing is that you must talk about your abuse with a trained professional. Feeling as if you can't control your body -- or that you are worth less than you are -- must be dealt with. Since most people who have experienced such abuse don't tell and don't have health care or access to health care professionals who are trained to deal with these issues, they never get the help they need. Many turn to drugs and alcohol -- ways of numbing the pain -- and this puts them at further risk for having unprotected sex. Talking to someone about what you experienced allows them to help you pick apart the myths and help you restore feelings of worth. And when you feel good about yourself, you don't put yourself in positions that will negatively impact your life.
Help is available if you are currently experiencing sexual violence or have experienced sexual abuse in your past. If you are in immediate danger, dial 911 now. Otherwise, consult a therapist; call 800-656-HOPE (4673), the toll-free hotline of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN); or chat with a trained expert via RAINN's National Sexual Assault Online Hotline.
Tomika Anderson is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has appeared in Essence, POZ, Real Health and Ebony magazines, among others.
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The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Tank Bag for BMW F 650, CS, GS, ST, Dakar
All Bikes
A map pouch with a zipper is on top of the tank bag. This tank bag can be used as a single map pouch (4,5 cm high), but also as a tank bag when you open the zipper on the side (13,5 cm high) with about 7 litres capacity. W = 24 cm; L = 28 cm.The tank bag will stay in place with 4 suckers (vacuum suction). You can carry the tank bag easily with the handle or with the shoulder strap. Waterproof material.However, if you ride in extreme continuous rain, a protective cover is very recommended as water can seep in the zips. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
The UT Administration has prepared the blueprint for the first heritage furniture museum to be set up at the Government Printing Press, Sector 18. Sources said the layout plan for the museum had been finalised at a high-level meeting of senior officers, which was chaired by UT Adviser Manoj Parida recently.
Under the plan, it has been decided that 100 items of furniture will be placed for display at the museum.
The Department of Culture will form a committee for the selection of the 100 items to be displayed at the museum.
The auction of heritage furniture designed by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret in the open market has received flak from art lovers. The heritage furniture is fetching huge amounts in auctions being held by auctions houses the world over. The museum will help the Administration stop further auction of furniture. The heritage furniture has been smuggled out of the city in the past, causing huge revenue loss to the Administration. The Government Printing Press was closed on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Museum to display vintage cars too
Besides the heritage furniture, the museum will also showcase vintage cars on the ground floor.
The design for the interiors of the ground floor will be prepared by an architectural studio and executed by the Department of Culture.
The department will contact owners of antique cars for displaying these at the museum.
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Five men wanted for New Year's sex assault turn themselves in
Five men wanted for New Year's sex assault turn themselves inGlobal News: Thursday, January 7, 2010 1:24 PM
Toronto Police have released pictures of the five men accused of sexually assaulting two women at a downtown hotel on New Year's Day.
P
Toronto police say the five suspects wanted in a New Year's Day gang rape of two women have turned themselves in.
The men surrendred just after 6 a.m. on Thursday. They are identified as Rozbah Bahri, 27, of Toronto; Parvez Bahri, 25, of Toronto; Said Serwary, 23,
of Toronto; Ahmad Ghafari, 23, of Hamilton; Omed Sarwary, 23, of Toronto.
Each is charged with two counts of gang sexual assault.
Now you are going to ask why this is going on here.
The photos were released because they had excellent photos of the guys and it was the best way to track them.
The cover is starting already. All of these guys are Iranian, Afghani.
What's going to happen is that the pictures are going to disapear.
The names are harder to get rid of, but they will cover that these guys are likely Muslim.
Why is this important? Because the ignoring of facts on this ONLY happens for Muslims. If you are caucasian, native, or chinese, vietnamese, etc the
media in Canada NEVER blurs this line. If the crime is done by a vietnamese immigrant they say so. If it is done by a Chinese Canadian they put it
in there, picture and all.
If it is a chinese minority muslim, they avoid mentioning anything and usually pictures start getting blacked out.
Here is an example of another person who is instead vietnamese. You may assume his nationality, ethnicity, picture and name (along with other
vietnamese criminals) have never gotten this sort treatment.
This content community relies on user-generated content from our member contributors. The opinions of our members are not those of site ownership who maintains strict editorial agnosticism and simply provides a collaborative venue for free expression. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Inside edition did a report recently on the opulent lifestyle of mega preachers. The whole thing is depressing. It’s depressing that people can con those who love them to that degree. It’s depressing that so many can be so clearly and obviously conned. But the most depressing part for me was when Kenneth Copeland did [Read More...]
This is an epic victory. In a major milestone for gay rights, the United States government plans to expand recognition of same-sex marriages in federal legal matters, including bankruptcies, prison visits and survivor benefits. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department will issue a memo Monday that recognizes same-sex marriages “to the greatest extent [Read More...]
Hemant posted this image from a recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute: And Hemant is right, we should pat ourselves on the back. Religion is diminishing, a result for which many of us have worked very hard. As the next generation becomes adults we will see the world bend more toward the side [Read More...]
Check out this screen cap from AnnKirkpatrick.com: There’s two really big parts: “Kirkpatrick for Congress” and “Donate”. This is done intentionally because most people don’t read the fine print. This is what is generally referred to as “Phishing” in the online scamming world. However, if you elect to donate through that great big donate button, [Read More...]
As the atheist movement grows we have begun to shun many of our own. Sometimes this is justifiable, sometimes it isn’t. In either case it creates resentment that prevents us from learning from one another. That infighting turns people away from atheism – including people who want to leave their church but worry about finding [Read More...]
You gotta be pretty desperate to impeach someone if this is what you have to resort to: This week, Rep. Nick Marshall, a Parkville Republican, filed articles of impeachment that allege that in signing an executive order allowing legally married same-sex couples to file joint tax returns in Missouri, Nixon ignored the state constitution. The [Read More...]
I got sent this photo by a friend of mine who still lives in Arkansas. This lovely billboard resides in Harrison which is about an hour from my hometown. Damn, they’re on to us. I knew the crazy idea that you can oppose racial inequality without opposing white people would only sell for so long… [Read more...]
Yeah, yeah, anti-discrimination laws are great and all. Discrimination is horrible and has no place in America. But what if our religion says we’re supposed to discriminate? Surely the law doesn’t apply to us in that case, right? The Kansas House will move forward with a bill that would give government employees the right to [Read More...]
I don’t think we have a case maliciousness here, but just a case of somebody who grew up in a racist environment (it’s no secret that the most racist circles in America, like the Tea Party, are overtly fundamentalist Christian) and mistook racial stereotypes for actual black history. This resulted in an attempt at diversity [Read More...]
I’ve heard some skepticism about this, but I think it’s a good thing. First, here’s what happened: Tom Phillips based his complaint on the Fraud Act of 2006, a British law that outlaws making a profit off of false representations. According to Phillips, this is precisely what the Mormon Church does — it uses statements [Read More...]
This about made me want to vomit. Term-limited State Sen. Don Barrington (R-Lawton) is a rigid, religious, law-and-order type who won’t brook any opportunity for the pro-marijuana crowd to get their voice heard in his Public Safety Committee. Johnson said she is discouraged that Barrington “will not hear SB 2116” because of “non-specific reasons including [Read More...]
Popular at Patheos Atheist
Google reader donations
Blogging is a significant portion of my income. I get paid per hit, but google reader hits don't count. Many who use google reader have said they'd like to just donate rather than click through to the posts. If you're one of those people, here's where you can do it. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Steve Jurvetson Quits Venture Capital Firm Amid Investigation
Steve Jurvetson, a founding partner of one of the best-known venture capital firms in Silicon Valley and a board member of Tesla and SpaceX, is leaving the firm after it began an investigation into his behavior with women, the firm told investors on Monday.
“As of today and by mutual agreement, Steve Jurvetson will be leaving DFJ,” said a confidential letter sent to investors in the venture capital firm, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and obtained by The New York Times.
It continued, “DFJ’s culture has been, and will continue to be, built on the values of respect and integrity in all of our interactions.”
The firm’s spokeswoman, Carol Wentworth, confirmed his departure, and a Tesla spokeswoman said he is taking a leave of absence from the Tesla and SpaceX boards “pending resolution of these allegations.” Last month, the firm said it became aware of “indirect and secondhand allegations” about Mr. Jurvetson and was looking into them. The acknowledgment came after Keri Kukral, a tech entrepreneur, wrote on Facebook: “Women approached by a founding partner of Draper Fisher Jurvetson should be careful. Predatory behavior is rampant.”
Heidi Roizen, an operating partner at DFJ, defended the firm last month. “I don’t need an investigation to state with certainty that this is patently wrong,” she wrote in a Tumblr post. She added that the firm had never received an official allegation of misconduct.
The inquiry is still going on. The firm did not say what in particular it was investigating, or comment on the timing of Mr. Jurvetson’s departure.
On Monday, he wrote on Twitter, “I am leaving DFJ to focus on personal matters, including taking legal action against those whose false statements have defamed me.”
Mr. Jurvetson has been a fixture in Silicon Valley. He was an early investor in Hotmail and other successful companies, and is seen about town with tech celebrities like Elon Musk and the cast of the TV show “Silicon Valley.”
His departure shows how allegations of sexual misconduct have continued to reverberate since detailed reports emerged over the summer about widespread sexual harassment of female entrepreneurs by venture investors. In Silicon Valley, the power dynamic is particularly stark.
Venture capitalists, who are almost all men, hold an extraordinary amount of power, controlling the money that start-up entrepreneurs need to try to turn their idea into the next billion-dollar company. The system largely runs on reputation and word of mouth. Venture capital firms generally have no human resources officials, and entrepreneurs are not employees of the investors.
Several high-profile men in the industry have stepped down from their jobs after harassment allegations, including Dave McClure, who founded the start-up incubator 500 Start-ups, and Tom Frangione, the chief operating officer of one of the oldest venture capital firms, Greylock Partners. Several other men issued apologies, sometimes while denying allegations of misconduct at the same time.
As more women in the technology and venture capital industries have come forward to discuss episodes of harassment and discrimination, some prominent women in venture capital have created a group called Female Founder Office Hours, which aims to pair female entrepreneurs with successful women in venture capital who can offer advice and support as they found companies.
“Creating more successful women in tech is a huge part of what needs to happen for the industry to change,” said Jess Lee, a partner at Sequoia Capital.
The venture industry’s trade association, the National Venture Capital Association, began a monthslong listening tour with founders and investors. In an interview in August, Bobby Franklin, the president of the association, said that he was spending more time on the harassment issue than anything else. “I’ve called for the first time in my four-year tenure a special board meeting to discuss this,” he said. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
This is officially the end of 00 era. He was the lone dragger for that decade. (You can put Sachin in any decade so he doesn't count).
He was our last hope of speed. Now we are doomed! Unlike the others he accepted the fact that you constantly get injured if you are a fast bowler. He didn't work around that issue, rather bowled faster and faster and faster. That's why he was so great. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Why So Serious About Church Membership?
The Church Of Christ is a global church. Why have people from different countries, cultures, and customs come into the Church Of Christ? What convinced them to leave their former religions, even the religion of their ancestors, and embrace this church? Why do they give such great importance to and take seriously their membership in this church? | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Mr. George C. Turek
Chairman Miller, Ranking Member Michaud and Committee Members. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the interactions between the VBA and VHA in the ordering and conducting of Compensation and Pension (“C&P”) Medical Disability Examinations (“MDEs”), as well as my recommendations to streamline the process and maximize staff resources to best benefit our veterans.
By way of introduction, my name is George Turek and I am the majority shareholder of Veterans Evaluation Services (“VES”), a veteran-owned company which provides outsourced C&P MDE services to both the VBA and VHA through two contracts. VES was founded in 2007 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of MES Solutions (“MES”), which was established in 1978 to provide Independent Medical Examination (“IME”) services to the commercial insurance and legal communities. MES was sold to a New York Stock Exchange listed company in 2011, at which point MES had the distinction of being the oldest and largest free-standing commercial IME facility in the United States. In 1978, as a young man, I sold my house and with a $5,000.00 profit, I founded MES. (Please see attached Exhibit # 1.) I thought I had started a business. Three-and-a-half decades later, I realize now that I had started an industry. When MES sold in 2011, VES was not part of the sale. We retained ownership of VES because we have a deep commitment to our veterans and were convinced that keeping VES family- and employee-owned would assure our veterans and the VA the very best in MDE services.
I have been asked to comment on several topics, one of them being comparing and contrasting the VBA and VHA MDE outsourcing processes. As noted above, VES holds two MDE contracts with the VA. (Please see attached Exhibit # 2.) One contract is with the VBA and is a single-source discretionary-funded contract. VES has held this seven-and-a-half region contract since 2008. The other contract is with the VHA, and VES has held this contract since 2011. In this contract, VES competes with four other contractors for overflow MDE work from VA Medical Centers (“VAMCs”) located throughout the world. As a result, VES as a contractor works daily with both the VBA and VHA, adhering to each agency’s differing requirements for the intake, scheduling, examination, diagnostic testing, processing, quality control, report delivery and invoicing associated with MDE services.
The differences are many between the VBA and VHA when it comes to processing MDEs. Below are some examples:
Although VBA regional offices send the actual MDE request, it is the VBA senior staff and the contracting officer in Washington, D.C., who set the monthly allotments. In contrast, the VHA Office of Disability and Medical Assessment (“DMA”) staff located in St. Petersburg, Florida, administers the VHA contract, but they do not dictate the number of MDE requests emanating each day or month from the individual VAMCs; that responsibility rests with each individual VAMC.
Although the VBA and VHA use the same computer system, CAPRI, they use entirely different appointment systems to request MDEs. The VBA uses CAATS to request MDE appointments. CAATS is highly automated and works seamlessly with VES’ computer operating system, with very little human intervention necessary. On the other hand, the VHA uses DemTRAN, which is very labor-intensive and in essence is nothing more than encrypted e-mails and requires the contractor to receive and manually enter, one-by-one, each individual MDE referral.
The VBA and VHA have two vastly different workflow processes to which contractors must adhere. The VBA workflow has some 15 steps, while the VHA workflow has 33 steps. This obviously complicates and adds additional cost and man hours to the processing of MDEs. By way of example, VES had to establish a designated team just to individually enter VHA referrals by hand. (Please see attached Exhibit # 3.)
Monthly billing is a computerized, one-step process with the VBA. One monthly bulk invoice is created on a spreadsheet and e-mailed to the VBA for all MDEs performed during the month. Payment is made by wire transfer within 20 days. On the other hand, with the VHA each case is billed separately and paid separately by each VAMC. What is a one-step process with the VBA is a 12-step process with the VHA, which results in significantly slower payments, mistakes, underpayments and overpayments, and can be extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming for the VAMCs.
Currently VES’ timeliness for a VBA case is 18 days, while our timeliness for a VHA case is 26 days, with much of the difference being directly attributable to the difference in workflow processes. The same agency – the VA – but with two completely different processes, one of which is highly inefficient. In our opinion, the VBA workflow process for an outsourced MDE is significantly more time-efficient and cost-effective than the VHA workflow process for the exact same case. At the end of the day, the more efficient the process, the more veterans that can be evaluated and ultimately receive their much deserved C&P benefits.
Although not an issue of processing, another issue the Committee should consider is the method of funding for outsourced MDE contracts. As noted above, VES’ contract with the VBA is discretionary-funded, whereas other outsourced MDE contracts are mandatory-funded. The reason this is significant is that a discretionary-funded contract (or an indefinite quantity contract) for MDE services makes it extremely difficult and costly for a contractor such as VES to develop and maintain a network of fully credentialed medical providers who are readily available, trained and experienced in conducting MDEs.
As a representative example, below is a chart of the MDE referrals VES received in 2013 from two different VAMCs, in two completely different geographical regions:
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
Jun.
Jul.
Aug.
Sep.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
10
24
125
364
8
5
0
39
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
352
697
775
17
14
48
For those Committee members who have run a business, you can easily see how difficult it becomes to plan, budget and staff for MDE services with such a widely fluctuating referral volume. Absent a reliable allocation of resources from Congress to fund these contracts, such as is the case with a discretionary-funded contract, the VA cannot establish a consistent flow of referrals to contractors providing MDE services. If contractors cannot count on a consistent flow of referrals during the term of a contract, it makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for the typical privately-held contractor to effectively manage and run their business. Ultimately this may dissuade such contractors from bidding on these contracts. The solution is simple: at least while there remains a significant backlog of veterans waiting to receive C&P benefits, Congress should pass legislation making all outsourced MDE contracts mandatory-funded.
I would like to share with the Committee some observations of the current MDE process based on 36 years of industry experience in facilitating Independent Medical Examinations (“IMEs”), which are the commercial equivalent to MDEs. In the commercial world, IMEs are part of the claims process, not the healthcare delivery system. This is a crucial point, which the Committee members who are medical providers should well understand. An IME is ordered by an adjuster in a claims department of an insurance company or third party administrator on an individual who has filed a claim for benefits (workers’ compensation, personal injury, long-term disability, etc.). The claimant is sent to an independent third party medical provider for the IME. Somehow and at some point, and I admittedly do not know the history regarding this, the VA decided to use its own medical providers, in its own medical centers, to render third party independent medical opinions. This practice is completely at odds with the standard in the commercial claims world. In fact, this practice is contrary to what all other local, municipal, state and federal agencies, such as the Social Security Administration, the Department of Labor, and the U.S. Postal Service, do when they are required to obtain an IME. In every instance the claimant is referred to an independent third party medical provider for evaluation. I know of no instance where a claimant would be referred to his own treating medical provider for an IME (other than possibly in a rural area where no other medical provider is available). In fact, in the commercial world, a claimant would not even be referred to a medical provider either associated or affiliated with the claimant’s treating medical provider, such as in a group practice or medical clinic. This is simply not considered proper protocol. Only a third party independent medical provider is capable of rendering an unbiased and objective opinion. These observations are based on years of working in the IME industry and having owned an IME company that provided services in all 50 states and numerous countries around the world, in most, if not all, benefit delivery systems. I have always thought it peculiar that the VA actually conducted MDEs on veterans within their own medical centers where they treat those very same veterans. I find it even more peculiar that both the VBA and VHA not only send veterans to VAMCs for MDEs, but they also send veterans to truly third party independent medical providers using disparate workflow processes. From the perspective of an outsider to the VA, albeit someone who is intimately familiar with the IME industry, this just does not make sense.
With the above in mind, and in light of the crisis facing the VHA right now with regard to providing timely medical treatment to our veterans, I would like to offer some recommendations regarding the C&P MDE process. There has in recent years been a substantial increase in total veteran enrollees for VA healthcare. There has also been a substantial increase in VAMC inpatient admissions and outpatient visits. The VA experienced an 80% increase in outpatient visits over a 10-year period, from 46.5 million in 2002 to 83.6 million in 2012, which begs the question: has the treating medical provider and associated support staff at VAMCs and outpatient clinics increased proportionately to accommodate this dramatic increase in patient population? From the looks of it, and based on what we see in the media, it appears that they have not.
Based on our experience at VES, on average it takes about three hours for a medical provider to review records, interview and examine a veteran, review diagnostic testing, and then enter the appropriate Disability Benefits Questionnaires (“DBQs”) into the portal, and it is reasonable to assume that VAMC-employed medical providers are spending a comparable amount of time on each MDE they conduct. Our information is that approximately 80% of all MDEs are conducted by VAMC-employed medical providers. Suffice it to say, therefore, that VAMC-employed medical providers are spending hundreds of thousands of hours each year conducting MDEs. In addition, clerical and other professional staff spend hundreds of thousands more hours to support the VAMC MDE process. Finally, diagnostic testing and laboratory work is often conducted on the veteran as part of the examination process. As a result, VAMC departments such as radiology, audiology, the blood lab, cardiology and ophthalmology are called on to provide diagnostic testing services in association with an MDE, which further strains the VAMC MDE process, as both treating medical providers and MDE medical providers vie for diagnostic testing time slots.
When you consider the fact that IMEs, which are the commercial market equivalent of MDEs, have historically been conducted by independent third party medical providers, and the fact that hundreds of thousands of man hours each year are being devoted by VA-employed medical providers to conducting MDEs, rather than providing much needed medical treatment to our veterans, one simple solution becomes obvious: immediately pass legislation to outsource all MDEs to private contractors utilizing community-based independent medical providers.
This solution serves to address two very serious problems confronting the VA today:
Veterans are waiting too long to receive medical treatment appointments at VAMCs; and
Veterans are waiting too long to receive C&P benefits because there is a significant backlog of MDEs waiting to be performed.
By outsourcing all MDEs to private contractors, VA-employed medical providers would be free to devote 100% of their valuable time to providing much needed medical treatment to veterans. Moreover, outsourcing of MDEs has been extremely successful, and private contractors have access to trained and experienced community-based medical providers, as well as the necessary support staff, to quickly reduce the large backlog of these cases. Outsourcing all MDEs would solve both problems: it would reduce the long wait time for our veterans to receive appointments for medical treatment at VAMCs by allowing VA medical providers to focus exclusively on providing medical treatment and it would facilitate the timely delivery of C&P benefits to our veterans by significantly reducing the backlog of MDE cases.
This Committee, as well as the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, has been grappling for some years with the long-standing backlog of C&P claims. Now, however, both Committees are confronted with an additional problem: the backlog of veterans seeking timely medical treatment at VAMCs. Ironically, the recommendations set forth above would, if adopted, have a positive impact on greatly reducing both the backlog of C&P claims as well as the backlog of veterans waiting for medical treatment at VAMCs. One of the most appealing aspects of this proposed solution is that it could be adopted and put into effect almost immediately; not in two or three or five years, but right now. The staff and physical assets are already located at the VAMCs in order to handle the additional treatment cases; they just need to be reallocated from MDEs.
In summary, my recommendation is to have the VHA focus on its primary responsibility – providing timely medical treatment to our veterans, and to have the VBA take full responsibility for what is essentially a claims processing function – referring our veterans to independent community-based medical providers for MDEs. Two problems: one simple solution.
I commend both the House and Senate for considering other measures to address the long-standing backlog of C&P claims, and fully endorse both H.R. 2189 and S. 2091, and in particular Sections 201 and 203, respectively. The title of both of these sections is the same: “Improvements to Authority for Performance of Medical Disabilities Examinations by contract physicians.” The proposal to expand the scope of the pilot program under the Veterans Benefit Act of 2003 is definitely a step in the right direction; however, I would suggest that it go further: why limit the number of VA regional offices allowed to outsource MDEs to 15 – why not allow all VA regional offices to do so? Allowing all VA regional offices to outsource MDEs to community-based independent medical providers, with mandatory-funded contracts awarded through the competitive bidding process (RFP), would serve to increase the number of resources available to the VA to reduce the backlog of C&P claims. Similarly, the proposal to allow medical providers licensed in one state to perform MDEs for the VA in any other state would likewise add to the VA’s resources and assist in reducing the backlog. We, therefore, support both pieces of legislation, although we would suggest that the pilot program be unlimited in its scope, and we encourage the Congress to adopt such legislation this session.
Thank you for the opportunity to address the Committee and share my thoughts and recommendations on these issues. VES and I stand ready and willing to assist this Committee as well as the VA in whatever measures are adopted to reduce and/or eliminate the long wait times for our veterans to receive much needed medical treatment and the C&P benefits they so justly deserve based on their service to our country.
Today Chairman Jeff Miller released the following statement after Rep. Phil Roe was elected by the Republican Steering Committee to serve as House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs chairman for the 115th Congress. | {
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Wynwood Walls 2011 Preview: New Retna, How & Nosm, and Gaia (Photos)
Put your mother-effin cans up. The Art Basel madness has already begun, and the streets of Wynwood are already benefiting. The Wynwood Walls public mural park founded by Tony Goldman and curated by Jeffrey Deitch is expanding from the Shepard Fairey, Futura, and Kenny Scharf pieces that are already there.
There's new work in progress by a growing roster of international caliber street kings including Sego and Saner, Nunca, avaf, Intersni Kazki, Neuzz, Gaia, and more. Here's a sneak peak of what's up so far. | {
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DJ Sabby & DJ SPHEctacula to #OpenYourCity with Heineken®
Heineken®, the world’s leading international premium beer, is urging South Africans to step out of their comfort-zones and explore their city.
It’s far too easy to get caught in a rut – socializing with the same people, in the same places, out of comfortable habit. But it’s often the spontaneous nights out when one tries something new that the unexpected magic happens. Finding hidden gems within your city and rubbing shoulders with a new crowd.
To kick-start the movement, Heineken® is staging a series of epic city explorations in October and November in Joburg, Cape Town, and Durban – and you will want to come along for the ride. Throughout the campaign, there will be other events to allow a wider group to experience their City while the campaign will culminate in something really special.
“When you open your city, you open your world, which is why we’re on a quest to inspire Heineken® fans to view their cities in a totally new light. We want to ignite the imagination of urban dwellers, by inviting people to explore their metropole by simply visiting new parts of their city to see what it has to offer” says Heineken® South Africa Marketing Manager, Themba Ratsibe.
In a break from the old routine, luxury vehicles will take Heineken winners on an incredible journey through their city, with stop-offs at a number of undisclosed (and unexpected) locations, for a night to remember. Gagasi FM’s SPHEctacula will host the Durban tour, while KFM’s the Flash Drive presenter, Carl Wastie will escort Capetonian guests. Jo’burg locals will be accompanied by YFM’s DJ Sabby.
Entering is easy
Want a ticket to ride? Social media is your playground. To enter, visit @HeinekenSA on Twitter or Facebook and search #OpenYourCity for more info. More tickets are up for grabs on your favourite radio stations, Gagasi FM, KFM and YFM so tune in to win.
If you aren’t in one of these cities you can still take part! Purchase any Heineken, use the unique code on the underliner/pull tab and you could stand a chance to win a once in a lifetime trip to Miami or other prizes including Uber vouchers or the chance to open your city with an Entertainer app subscription. | {
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How to plant a show garden
Peter Clay of Crocus reveals the secrets of successful show garden planting
There are two abiding principles that should guide anyone attempting a show garden: time is never on your side; and think backwards. Time is probably most important. Start as early as you can. We like to start preparing a year, or even two years, ahead.
Starting a year or more in advance with the plants is not just because they need to be big – as much as 5 litres for many perennials – but because it can give you more scope, particularly if you want to use something rare or unusual, like for James Basson’s M&G show garden this year, which was themed around a quarry in Malta.
Choosing wisely
The other thing about show gardens is that you have to embrace uncertainty: make it part of the plan. Some plants will not flower in time; some plants won’t work as well as the designer had thought, or even at all. Some plants will die and whole batches may be wiped out. And the designer will always want a plant that never appeared on their original list.
Bear the vagaries of season and climate in mind. Choose some plants that you think probably won’t flower in time, and some you think might flower a bit early. Give yourself options: have key plants that you really want to use, but have some fallbacks as well.
Remember that planting a show garden is not like a normal planting. Plan on planting pot to pot. Assuming your basic mix of pot size is predominantly 3 litre with sprinklings of 9cm and 5 litre. Your planting density is 30 per m2 versus 3 per m2 in a garden. We tend to grow about 7-8,000 plants for a show garden, in a mix of sizes. Bigger is usually better, so we grow a lot of 5 litres, but don’t underestimate the importance of 9cm to give you your magical interludes and solutions for tight corners and edges.
Make sure you have a plan B and ideally, C and D. If there is a key plant, I always split production and get another good grower to do a batch. Sometimes a UK grower, but increasingly I go south. In 2016, for Andy Sturgeon’s Telegraph garden, I foolishly suggested we abandon most of his initial plant list and voyage into the unknown. I was a great fan of Olivier Filippi and his catalogue of unusual Mediterranean varieties, so in September 2015 we went to Montpellier.
Olivier only sells his plants as 9cm plugs, which is fine – unless you want a 5-litre flowering plant by May! The only way this was going to happen was if I could change the climate and cheat winter in the UK. I persuaded one of our shrub growers in Spain that all his life he had wanted to grow perennials for Chelsea and the mad experiment began.
Visit your plants
Managing your expectations and evolving your ideas are really important as a designer. To that end I encourage designers to come to the nursery as much as possible to see how their plants are doing. Many find this terrifying as it always seems like nothing is going to flower in time and almost always they succumb to plant envy, and think that the plants we are growing for another garden are better than theirs.
Andy Sturgeon’s Telegraph Garden 2016, which won Best in Show. Photo: John Campbell
Make your mind up early
It’s paramount that we eliminate as many decisions at the showground as possible, because decision making takes time and slows momentum. Our mantra is that all decisions are taken before the show, none at the ground. To this end we lay out the garden precisely beforehand so that it is possible to walk the garden and feel the spaces, and we lay out all the big trees and shrubs as per plan. This means that you have plenty of time to choose the best side and position for all the big pieces, so there are no discussions required at the showground. Damage to vulnerable rootballs caused by repositioning in situ can be avoided.
It also gives designers the confidence that their design is going to work. Invariably you realise that less is more. The difference between the best designers and the less experienced is their use of empty space: too many gardens at Chelsea are overstuffed, and it can be better to take one or even more of the big pieces out. The most extreme example of this process is the mock up we did for Dan Pearson MSGD’s Chatsworth garden in 2015 (see videos atwww.crocus.co.uk/chelsea2015/d...). Not only did we mark out the garden to scale, but we created the levels, positioned 200 tons of stone, laid out the stream, created the actual lining, turned on the water and craned five-ton trees into position. Had we not done this, we wouldn’t have been able to build the garden in time, and Dan would not have been able to focus on the sublime planting that ensued.
Trust your team
For success, your planting team should planting early and finishing early. If you don’t do that, the plants won’t look their best, and the planting may have been compromised. You can have the best plants in the world, but if they are over planted or haven’t had a chance to relax and assume a natural, dreamy state, you are likely to lose points. The construction team have to buy into this idea, but it can be difficult to have this shared purpose when you have different companies doing construction and plant supply. It is understandable that each will view their tasks as separate, and if the construction is taking a bit longer than planned, the planting is held up. At Crocus, we do both, and this gives us an advantage.
For Chelsea, we always aim to start planting on the last Monday of build-up, a week before Press Day, and finish on the Friday. This means that when the assessors start coming round on the Sunday, they are looking at a finished garden, with the parts knitted into a living whole. Our planting teams are usually made up of two planters and one helper. The planters have to be exceptional plantsmen or women and prepared to work incredibly hard.
At Chelsea, momentum is nearly as important as painterliness. Agonising endlessly over a small corner of the garden eats up precious time and spreads a sense of impending doom throughout the team. About a month before we start planting, I send the team a bit of background on the design, together with visualisations of the garden, reference shots that I have found – and, of course, the plant list. This gives them the chance to research plants they haven’t used before and begin to get their head around the palette.
Dan Pearson MSGD’s Laurent-Perrier Chatsworth Garden, Best in Show at Chelsea 2015. Photo: John Campbell
Practice makes perfect
Dress rehearsals are incredibly valuable, so we also have one or more planting days at the nursery. This is to enable the designer and planting team to share a united vision for the garden and experiment with actual combinations without any pressure. Of course, it’s never perfect, and things change once the planting unfolds, but it gives the team confidence and momentum. Discipline is also crucial. On the rehearsal day, we make sure that the planting team and designer know how we will manage the daily supply of plants. This is a boring but important detail and is about ensuring that the plants are in the best possible condition. All too often you see plants being delivered to the showground too early and sometimes waiting for six or seven days before they are removed from the trollies and planted. In this time, they may be stressed from lack of water, have grown too tall for the space and become misshapen, or even been shredded by a hailstorm or torrential rain.
Too many trollies also means that the planting team get confused, panic and order more. We only deliver twice per day, and one member of the planting team is designated to issue the instruction. This has to be made by 3.30pm on the previous day for an 8.45am delivery and by 11am for a 4pm delivery. We keep a spreadsheet at base camp which is updated daily so that every night the planting team can see what sizes of each plant they have growing on at the nursery. This avoids them getting to Friday and screaming for more 5-litre Euphorbia ceratocarpa when they used them all on Tuesday.
‘Thinking backwards’ and planning every possible detail so that you never take major decisions at the showground is absolutely crucial. That could be the difference between Silver Gilt and Gold. But they won’t win you ‘Best in Show’ – only a really good design will do that. So strive, above all, for an original idea. They are always in short supply. | {
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From this small village perché, one peers over tiled roofs and through cypress trees into the flat valley below.
Above the town, on the former site of the feudal castle, is an unusual Stations of the Cross with mosaics fixed to the rocks. | {
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Category: Get more website traffic
Edit Photo Online marketing strategy Online marketing strategy is a must! What??? You don’t just put up a website and they will come? NO… Really? Haha… That is what everyone is told to believe and by whom? The answer is easy: webmasters that don’t know how to market on the Internet. Here you will […]
I know everyone wants to get killer website traffic, that is obvious so how do you do it? Well in this blog post I will show you about what we call matched URLs (domain name). First let’s look at how Google determines who is going to go on the front page of a Google search. […] | {
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“To deny modern technology to inmates today for the simple reason that it was not available to inmates in past generations is an argument that proves too much,” Ellison wrote in his scathing response this week. | {
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HERE has been one of New York’s more prolific arts organizations since 1993, and today, stands at the forefront of the city’s presenters of daring, new, hybrid art.We are currently accepting submission for HEREart’s 2012 exhibitions. Our deadline is September 30, 2011. For more info, please visit: http://here.org/programs/here-art/HEREart provides emerging and early career visual artists and curators access to space at an active, well-located multi-arts center. We feature 5-6 exhibitions each year that creatively work with our unique spaces and engage audiences with artwork specially curated to function within a busy environment. This focus on interactive space naturally leads HEREart to function as the center of our community of artists.HEREart’s location as an entryway to our theatres ensures a diverse and eclectic audience will experience the art. HEREart embraces its alter ego as a lobby for HERE’s performance spaces and encourages our artists to react and respond to this with their exhibits. HERE is a very appropriate place for today’s active and interactive visual art: art that often moves, makes noise, and physically engages the viewer. HEREart seeks to snag these passers-by and engage them in a dialogue with the space in which we move.HEREart is invested in supporting artworks of all media and various content (painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, collage, media), but we concentrate on new work that in some way addresses the special conditions of our space.Every exhibit at HERE is a site-specific installation that stretches our understanding of the words “art” and “performance,” creating a multi-layered experience for our patrons that sticks with them as they move from one space to the next. | {
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Common sense thoughts on health and conservative medicine from a family doctor in Washington, DC.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
"The health care problem no one's talking about"
As the U.S. Senate inches closer to passing its version of a health reform bill, general internist Thomas Bodenheimer and colleagues from the University of California, San Francisco argue convincingly in the December issue of the Journal of Family Practice that expanding health insurance coverage without expanding of primary care capacity will not lead to improved health outcomes. In addition to a shrinking supply of family physicians, they identify eight additional "barriers" to patients accessing primary care services that must be addressed if health reform is to achieve its potential:
1) Panel size - family physicians, especially those in rural locations, are caring for more patients than they can effectively manage.
3) Distance - many patients live too far from the nearest family physician to access regular primary care.
4) Medicaid/Medicare issues - Medicaid and Medicare fees are often considerably lower than those of private insurers, in some cases, paying physicians less than the actual cost of providing services. Consequently, many practices limit the number of patients with these types of insurances that they accept.
5) After-hours care - is often unavailable.
6) Scheduling - most practices are unable to schedule timely (same day or next day) appointments for non-acute issues.
7) Virtual visits - insurers do not pay for patient encounters via telephone or e-mail, leading to missed opportunities or unnecessary office visits for equivalent services.
8) Troubles with team care - although registered nurses, pharmacists, medical assistants, and other allied health workers that can be trained to perform routine medical tasks and free up physician time, most insurers do not acknowledge (or pay for) non-physician services.
There is no single solution to all of these issues, nor will every solution be right for every practice or every community. But the recent experience of Massachusetts in providing universal health insurance coverage tells us that making primary care more affordable will not make it more accessible; in fact, it is likely to do the opposite. As Dr. Bodenheimer and colleagues conclude, "Unless Americans have greater access to primary care, we fear, the U.S. health care system will undergo significant change without substantial improvement." Regardless of whether a health reform bill passes Congress before Christmas, policymakers must understand that they remain very far from the finish line.
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About Me
I am a board-certified Family Physician and Public Health professional practicing in the Washington, DC area. I am also Associate Deputy Editor of the journal American Family Physician and teach family and preventive medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
I am paid to provide independent editorial and medical consulting services to the American Academy of Family Physicians, John Wiley & Sons, and WebMD. However, the content of this blog reflects my personal views only, and does not represent the views of any academic institution, publisher, Business Health Services, or the AAFP. | {
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I’m so used to being insulted by this person’s surrogates that it’s fascinating to watch the words come directly from his mouth. G. Steve Pigeon defends himself and takes a swipe at yours truly:
…whatever the bald guy is who likes calling people names and is just a rude and unsuccessful, jealous politician himself who ran for office and was completely, um, uh, no one would elect him to be a dog-catcher, you know he loves to call other people names.
Generally, it would be a privilege to be insulted by Pedro Espada’s patronage hire. Certainly I dish it out, and definitely I can take it. But Mr. Pigeon, you have it all wrong, sir.
Just like the “truth” isn’t defined by how you rebut what Sam Hoyt or Dennis Ward say, my life isn’t defined by any of the personal insults you hurl at me. On the other hand, when I call you a tinpot Machiavelli or a douche, these are categorically and objectively true tidbits of information. When we point out that some recent “reforms” you’ve championed have actually cost the taxpayers more, I am writing things that are objectively true and verifiable.
But back to the insults.
I won’t say never, because I’ve probably slipped here and there, but I cannot recall a single instance where I’ve ever attacked or criticized a political figure for their personal appearance. Not even Domagalski. In Steve Pigeon’s case, I can say I have never launched an attack on his person. This is because I don’t give a shit what he looks like – he could look like Adonis and still be a detestable political figure.
Like most adults, I’m concerned with merit (or lack thereof) – not a politician’s body habitus or characteristics. My distaste for Steve Pigeon stems from his actions – not his looks, so it’s quite telling that the first thing he goes for is to call me “bald”. There is no seriousness there, no substance there, no merit there – just a schoolyard bully who grew up to be an asshole of a political albatross. Unsubstantive, meritless non-seriousness is also how he conducts his politics.
Now, certainly I may be rude, as Mr. Pigeon suggests, especially towards political figures who have little or no objective merit as such. He is correct that I was an unsuccessful politician. Dreadfully so, in fact. So? I tried. I made Mike Ranzenhofer think and defend what amounted to an 18-year record of failure, stasis, and hypocrisy. I didn’t have the money, time, or resources to do it right, but I gave it a shot. But it’s also true that I have no aspirations to political office. So, no – I’m not “jealous” of anyone – especially not MIke Ranzenhofer or his successor, Ray Walter, and my failure as a politician is that, only.
And what would you say I’m jealous of? I’m jealous of people pulling down less than $50 large per year to keep Chris Collins in check and administer only 10% of the budget of the political unit for which they legislate? Maybe that’s how his mind works.
Dog-catcher? I would hope that no one would elect me dog-catcher, mostly because (1) I don’t like dogs; and (2) I am not qualified to be dog-catcher.
Just like Hormoz Mansouri and Jack O’Donnell aren’t qualified to help run the water authority.
So, I’d love the opportunity to interview Pigeon someday and invite him to make these charges to my face and we can have a back-and-forth about what really matters – not my hairline, but stuff like, for instance, “reforms” in the State Senate notwithstanding, we still have a three-men-in-a-room troika dictatorship. I’d like to hear Mr. Pigeon explain why he thinks we need a State Senate at all, if the aim is good government rather than personal political power. I’d like him to defend the growth of the Erie County legislative staff in the name of so-called “reform”.
I don’t care if Pigeon likes what I write about him or his political allies. What matters is that he – and they – read it and thinks it important and influential enough to discuss, and comment on so hatefully.
The question was a simple one from one of the least-respected journalists in America. What media do you read in order to keep up on important issues of the day?
If asked that question, any one of you would have a simple answer – Buffalo News, local TV news, CNN/FNC/MSNBC/CNBC, BBC World News, Time/Newsweek, WSJ, NYT, the Economist – pick a couple and wait for Katie’s next question.
But someone who doesn’t listen, doesn’t think, and just answers for the sake of giving an answer would get defensive and say “all of ’em”. Every. Single. Media. Source. It’s like my 8 year-old in mid-Jonas-Brothers distraction.
When Russian aircraft come into US airspace, the jets that are scrambled to intercept come from Alaska? She has nothing to do with it.
Alaska borders Canada? She’s defending those points as being evidence of her foreign policy experience? No wonder McCain wants to push tomorrow’s debate off to October 2nd and push the Veep debate off to an undisclosed location at an indeterminate time.
Palin’s star is fading as fast as she can speak, and the “suspension” of the campaign, (which involves ads running throughout the country, McCain surrogates bashing Obama on TV, Palin posing at Ground Zero) is almost universally mocked as a gimmick and a joke. This rabbit McCain pulled out of his hat was a dud. McCain is running out of time, and out of rabbits. | {
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Hillary Clinton only rational choice for Sanders’ supporters
Hillary Clinton only rational choice for Sanders’ supporters
Zachary Kolodny
POSTED
Sanders’ ideas will be reflected in Clintons’ plans regarding voter ID laws, college tuition making her only option for his followers
During the 2016 democratic presidential primary, I, along with many other young people, strongly supported Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton. I continue to believe that he was the superior candidate in the democratic primary.
Unfortunately, my candidate and the candidate of a large portion of UTD students lost the primary. Despite my disappointment in this result, I believe that Clinton is the candidate best able to carry on Sanders’ work.
All of Sanders’ progress will be lost if Donald Trump is elected to be president of the United States. Trump has openly called for the privatization of the healthcare services provided by the Veterans Affairs Administration, a vaguely defined ban on immigrants and blocking remittances from Mexican workers to blackmail Mexico into paying for a wall along the border, among several other horrid proposals.
Those of us on the left who supported Sanders must make a very hard decision. In our first-past-the-post electoral system, a vote for a minor party candidate, even one who might be closer to our own views (i.e. Jill Stein), is essentially a wasted vote. It only serves to split the left-wing and centrist vote, subsequently making it easier for Trump to be elected.
Unlike Trump, Clinton believes that we need to end “tough on crime” policies. She has proposed a more humane treatment of non violent drug offenders and an end to for-profit prisons. Clinton supports steps to end police violence, which includes in part the formation of national standards on the use of police force, investing in research on implicit bias and matching funds from the federal government for police cameras.
She also has a detailed and vigorous plan for defending the LGBT community. Her plan consists in part of banning conversion therapy for those under the age of 18, funding law enforcement training which focuses on interactions with the LGBT community and lifting impediments to transgender individuals being able to have their preferred name on identification.
She is opposed to voter ID laws, which have served to harm minorities and supports automatic voter registration, a position that Sanders strongly agrees with. She also wants to enact legislation that would ensure that every American would get at least 20 days to vote. Most importantly, Clinton wants to pass a new version of the Voting Rights Act that would end the current era of voter ID laws.
In addition, Clinton will not only defend the Affordable Care Act, but she also plans on instituting a public option. This would add competition to the healthcare insurance market, forcing private healthcare insurance providers to provide more affordable plans.
In a nod to young people and Sanders, Clinton has proposed a plan in which students coming from families that earn up to $125,000 a year receive tuition-free college at in-state public universities.
While Clinton is not anywhere near perfect, she is someone who we as progressives can push and pressure to do the right thing (we got her to oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership). From racial justice to the environment to student loans, Clinton has detailed proposals, which will make life better for all of us. Thus, as painful as it might be for some progressives, the only rational choice in this election is to vote for Clinton.
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The Mercury publishes news, opinion and feature articles of interest and importance to the UT Dallas campus and community, with primary emphasis on news that most directly and immediately concerns students. | {
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A healthy stool is medium brown. It should never be green, or yellow, regardless of how many green or yellow foods you eat! You may not care about the color, but you WILL care about the symptoms and discomforts that come with these green and yellow stools, so watch this video to learn what causes […]
Other programs treat the symptoms of Candida, and not the cause, making their results temporary, incomplete, and often, unsafe. This unique program eliminates the CAUSE of Candida, eliminating it completely and permanently.
Methyl Vitamin B-12–used correctly, as described in “Unique Healing” can help eliminate fatigue, depression, sugar cravings, alcoholism, nicotine addictions, drug addiction, symptoms of M.S., and others, while you are healing your bowel with this unique healing program. Try this crutch!
When taken correctly!, Unique Healing Colloidal silver can SAFELY eliminate fungal, bacterial. and parasitic infections, and eliminate the symptoms caused by them–cramps, bloating, gas, diarrhea, dehydration, sinus infections, bacterial infections, fatigue, insomnia, brain fog, and many others. Using this crutch as you heal with this program is a necessity for your success.
Why this unique program of healing your bowel and body eliminates neurological conditions (autism, ADD, PANDAS, Tourette’s, etc) in a way that “crutches”–diets, supplements, vitamins, drugs, exercise, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, etc.–can’t.Misunderstandings about these conditions are also covered, their understanding of which is critical to your success in eliminating them. Aggressive, safe, and very effective crutches […]
The two causes of gas and bloating, why this program eventually eliminates them for good, and how to immediately eliminate gas and bloating while you are healing your bowel and body with this UNIQUE healing program, are covered in this video.
A description of how this unique program eliminates sleep problems, including but limited to, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, sleep apnea, snoring, nighttime urination, and night sweats. This video explains how a healthy bowel and body, as created in this program, eliminates these conditions, and it recommends “crutches” to use to reduce these problems […]
Why this unique program of healing your bowel and body eliminates cancer and cancer deaths in a way that “crutches”–diets, supplements, vitamins, drugs, exercise, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, etc.–can’t.Misunderstandings about cancer are also covered, their understanding of which is critical to your success in it. Aggressive, safe, and very effective crutches you can temporarily use to […]
Why what you eat/your diet, is a “crutch” that may temporarily help you look and feel better, but it does not heal you. Diet cannot take you to a place where you are effortlessly free of symptoms, weight problems, addictions, and disease, as this program can.
Why this unique program of healing your bowel and body eliminates addictions (alcohol, drug, nicotine, sugar, exercise, etc.) in a way that “crutches”–diets, supplements, vitamins, drugs, exercise, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, etc.–can’t.Misunderstandings about addictions are also covered, their understanding of which is critical to your success in eliminating them. Aggressive, safe, and very effective crutches you […] | {
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Salvador is the 3rd biggest city in Brazil and definitely the most colourful. We ended up flying there after we worked out it was going to be a 44 hour bus ride to get there...which based on how frequently we seem to end up near the sloshing toilet on the buses really didn't seem like a good idea!
Salvador is an awesome city. It boasts African culture in terms of the people, music and food. Many African slaves were bought over from West Africa during the 16th century up until 1888 (when slavery was officially banned in Brazil), to work in the sugar and tobacco farms. When we walked around the locals were always asking us where we were from and would get really excitable when they found out we were from South Africa - some were even surprised that we were not black?!We were 'fortunate' to meet another South African there, whose opening line was "Hey, Howzit, are you okes from the West?" Anyway he talked about the money he had at his disposal and how he wanted to invest, bulldoze and develop the Salvador coastline....We managed to eventually politely (or not so) excuse ourselves
Food there is so good - it is completely different to the rest of Brazil. One of the main dishes known as Moqueca was recommended to us. The only problem is at the restaurant we went to there were 20 different types of this dish with not one having a word in the description which we understood or even recognised. We eventually asked them for their recommendation (which happened to be the most expensive) - called 'Polvo' and to my amusement See also: horrorSee also: revulsionour food arrived with some enormous octopus tentacles. I managed to squeeze one down, but Mark polished off quite a few!
While in Salvador we spent quite a bit of time on the beaches, walking around the old town which has amazing architecture, and of course eating! Mark had a killer game of beach bats with some of the locals. They are well into beach bats, and take it very seriously. They have special fibreglass bats, emblazoned with what could be mistaken for a "coat of arms".
After Salvador we headed inland to a place called Lencois, a mountainous town with cobbled streets and many 19th century buildings
. From here you are able to do hikes and all sorts of other activities. The town is an old diamond mining town, whose boom slowed down after it was discovered that South Africa was rich I diamonds - much to the De Beers delight and the chagrin of the Lencois locals!We ended up doing a 3 day hike with 2 French girls and a Scottish guy with an English accent. It was relatively tough with a lot of walking over large rocks and very slippery terrain. I soon realised that there are people with worse balance that me! I watched the Frenchies slip and fall every couple of steps. The hike was beautiful and each night we slept in caves or overhangs along the river. The guide was great and probably cooked the best food I have ever eaten on a hike. Only problem was the gap between meals which was way to long for Mark and I - we ate like 2 rabid dogs around a small bowl of Epol. | {
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Kazakhstan finalizing its DBK sukuk debut
Kazakhstan is finalizing its debut sukuk which will be issued by the Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) in the Malaysian market. The DBK, which is 100 percent owned by the government of Kazakhstan, is working with HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to manage the ringgit-denominated issuance which is effectively a quasi-sovereign offering.
According to Timur Omarov, Head of Financial Education at the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the central bank, the decision for DBK to raise funds from the Malaysian market was finalized during the visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to Malaysia in April 2012 where he had discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak………………………………………..Full Article: Source | {
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Lenovo’s new Thinkpad X131e Chromebook can take licking, keep ticking
But the rugged new Chromebook's price reverses the trend toward cheaper hardware.
The last few months have given us a steady trickle of new hardware running Google's lightweight Chrome OS: Samsung's ARM Chromebook and Acer's C7 Chromebook delivered Chrome OS for $249 and $199, respectively. Those releases finally gave us Chromebooks with prices that were roughly in line with their capabilities. Today, Lenovo is getting in on the fun with its own Chromebook announcement, but while the Thinkpad X131e Chromebook promises "a rugged design for the classroom environment," you'll pay $429 per laptop to get that extra durability.
Like the Acer C7 Chromebook, the X131e Chromebook is a Chrome OS-equipped version of an existing Windows laptop, also (somewhat confusingly) called the X131e. Google's announcement doesn't include hard specifications aside from mentioning that the laptop uses an Intel processor and has 6.5 hours of battery life. But the $619 Windows version of the X131e includes a 1.4GHz Intel Core i3-2367M, 4GB of RAM, an 11.6-inch 1366x768 screen, a 320GB 7200RPM hard drive, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a mobile broadband option—we assume that Lenovo will go with more or less the same specs for the Chromebook version. Its ruggedness means it weighs quite a bit more than the other 11- and 12-inch Chromebooks Google is selling: it's a hefty 3.92 pounds, compared to three pounds for the C7 and 2.4 pounds for Samsung's ARM Chromebook.
There's no denying that building a $249 or $199 laptop is going to result in some compromises when it comes to build quality, so it's nice that schools (especially schools with younger and perhaps less conscientious students) will have the option to buy something a little more sturdy. There's also no denying that $429 is a big jump up in price, especially for the price-conscious education market. Many who are in the market for a fleet of Chromebooks may simply opt to get a pair of C7s instead of a single X131e.
The X131e Chromebook will be available to educational institutions and businesses starting February 26. As of this writing, Google has no plans to sell this device directly from its Chromebook site or through consumer retail channels, though it's possible that Lenovo will sell it to end users through its own site.
But the $619 Windows version of the X131e includes a 1.4GHz Intel Core i3-2367M, 4GB of RAM, an 11.6-inch 1366x768 screen, a 320GB 7200RPM hard drive, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a mobile broadband option—we assume that Lenovo will go with more or less the same specs for the [$429] Chromebook version.
That's almost a $200 savings. Obviously a Windows license accounts for some of the difference, but there must be hardware cuts as well. Otherwise, buy one of these plus a copy of Windows and you'll come out ahead.
But the $619 Windows version of the X131e includes a 1.4GHz Intel Core i3-2367M, 4GB of RAM, an 11.6-inch 1366x768 screen, a 320GB 7200RPM hard drive, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a mobile broadband option—we assume that Lenovo will go with more or less the same specs for the [$429] Chromebook version.
That's almost a $200 savings. Obviously a Windows license accounts for some of the difference, but there must be hardware cuts as well. Otherwise, buy one of these plus a copy of Windows and you'll come out ahead.
OEM windows licensing is similar to refurb windows licensing - it costs more to not get damn stickers on your computer (intel, windows, lenovo 3x3, etc...) then it costs OEMs to license windows. It certainly does not cost them what they charge you!
If their pervious X100 series models are anything close to this. Then this laptop only carries the "X" in its name for makreting reasons. In on way in hell is this laptop even close to the build quality of a real X.
I have a few X120's And the damn keyboards keep dying. I was even offered once that they'll send me a keyboard and I could field replace it. I said sure. But then the tech support tells me. If they send me the part. My warranty will now be void..... HELL NO. I sent the damn thing back on their dime.
But the $619 Windows version of the X131e includes a 1.4GHz Intel Core i3-2367M, 4GB of RAM, an 11.6-inch 1366x768 screen, a 320GB 7200RPM hard drive, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a mobile broadband option—we assume that Lenovo will go with more or less the same specs for the [$429] Chromebook version.
That's almost a $200 savings. Obviously a Windows license accounts for some of the difference, but there must be hardware cuts as well. Otherwise, buy one of these plus a copy of Windows and you'll come out ahead.
If the C7 is any indication, these will come with a special locked-down BIOS that will prevent booting of alternate OSes. We're trying to get a review unit in from Lenovo and will check on that, though. :-)
My only question is do you really get 6.5 hours from the Intel chip like you do the ARM?
The battery in this laptop is almost certainly bigger than the 30WHr battery included in the ARM version, though a quick sweep of the spec sheet reveals no mAh or WHr rating for the Windows version of the X131e.
This looks "Nice", but once you cross the $300 barrier there are plenty of choices to look at. Newegg (for example) offers over 25 different new notebooks under $400 (over 120 if you count their refurbs.).
If the C7 is any indication, these will come with a special locked-down BIOS that will prevent booting of alternate OSes. We're trying to get a review unit in from Lenovo and will check on that, though. :-)
On every ChromeBook i've seen, Google has lived up to their promise to force the manufacturer to include a way to flip it into "developer" mode, where a different OS can be installed.
If the C7 is any indication, these will come with a special locked-down BIOS that will prevent booting of alternate OSes. We're trying to get a review unit in from Lenovo and will check on that, though. :-)
On every ChromeBook i've seen, Google has lived up to their promise to force the manufacturer to include a way to flip it into "developer" mode, where a different OS can be installed.
My impression is that the latest models use a key combo during boot rather than a physical switch to get into developer mode.
Ah, here is the info on the developer mode for the various chromebooks: | {
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... a miscellaneous hodgepodge of various thoughts, loosely held together by the fact that they're all emanating from a single mind. A lighthearted look at the world, a great place to waste a moment or two of your life.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Snail Mail and Ostrich Attacks - the Animal Post
In case you hadn't seen this news article, the term "snail mail" is now more truthful than ever. I think the US postal service is a little better... sometimes it seems I receive things before they're even sent. Once I received a letter (ok, a billing statement) which had a postmark date earlier than the billing date on the inside of the envelope. Then again, the year I was in WPI in Worcester, MA, I had a letter from my then-girlfriend (ok, she's still my girlfriend, although now we're also married), from Birmingham, which took nearly a month to arrive (it was strange when I received subsequent letters, asking about the content of that one, before it arrived). When it did, I noticed that one postmark on the letter (it had more than one) was Denver, CO - now I know I'm not a geography major, but I'm pretty sure Denver isn't quite "on the way" from Birmingham, AL to Worcester, MA.
Speaking of snails, what did the snail say when it was riding on the back of a turtle? "Wheeeeee!" (That's not an original; I heard it from a cruise director, who offered other ones, like: "Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? Great food, no atmosphere.")
Hide in a thornbush - the ostrich won't be as senseless as to run into a thornbush; instead it'll sit there and laugh at the silly human.
Grab a long pole and hold it in front of you; they further go on to suggest that if you know ahead of time that you're going to be under ostrich attack, you should carry something with you, since you don't want to be trying to find something while the ostrich is bearing down on you ("Time out, Mr. Ostrich; I need to find a long, pointy, stout stick to keep you at bay"). They suggest a thorny acacia tree branch, just don't get something flimsy enough that the ostrich can break it.
Play dance floor (see the third article tip for elaboration on this point).
Ostriches, like young children, like shiny, man-made things. So don't wear jewelry, eyeglasses, or similar articles. Of course, if you're not wearing your glasses, I suppose your risk of ostrich encounter goes up since you can't see where you're going. If, like me, you have one of those heads that God has finally perfected and is removing all that hair that covers it up in order to show His handiwork to the world, you might want to wear a hat so it's not so shiny up there.
Anyway, just some tips to keep in mind in case you plan to encounter an ostrich. Have a great day! | {
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www.journalgazette.net
Associated Press
Vatican Swiss guards march toward the St. Peter's Basilica on Monday at the Vatican before Pope Francis' Christmas day blessing.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017 1:00 am
Pope urges peace in Mideast
Associated Press
VATICAN CITY – Lamenting “the winds of war” blowing around the world, Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Monday called for a two-state solution to find peace in the Middle East and prayed that confrontation can be overcome on the Korean Peninsula.
The pope took particular aim at areas of global tension where President Donald Trump is playing a critical role. Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has ignited new violence in the Middle East, while confrontation with North Korea over its nuclear tests has escalated tensions in Asia.
“The winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline,” the pope said in his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and to the world”) Christmas message and blessing from the central balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square.
About 50,000 faithful packed the square.
As Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, the pope depicted suffering reflected “in the faces of little children,” citing war and other tensions in the Middle East and Africa.
He asked for peace for Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and prayed “that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders.”
Francis also prayed for an end to confrontation on the Korean Peninsula and that “mutual trust may increase.” | {
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This site is supported by its members, vendors, and administration. Vtcoa.com is in no way affiliated with Daimler Chrysler. Dodge, Viper,Ram SRT-10, the Viper logo and likeness are registered trademarks of Daimler Chrysler. The contents of this site are owned by Vtcoa.com and may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the Administrator. | {
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The Shattuck Center on Conflict, Negotiation and Recovery brings together policy practitioners, academics, students, and others to come up with new ideas on how to end conflict or speed the recovery from war. Based at the School of Public Policy at Central European University, the center runs open research collaborations aimed at widening the range of people involved in public policy issues around violent conflict and in providing opportunities for students to engage in current problems.
Shattuck Center Fellow AlHakam Shaar and former SPP Assistant Professor Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick have written a fascinating article for Al Jazeera on how drone technology is being used in Syria. “Drones are not only powerful tools that enable citizens to challenge official news reports, they also provide a completely different perspective on what is happening in Syria,” said Shaar.
Aviation engineers Abdulrahman and Amr Shayah from Aleppo are calling for parachutes to be used to distribute aid rather than bombs to the city. "These engineers believe there's a safe way to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Aleppo, who have been suffering under a siege for over 100 days," said Shattuck Center Fellow AlHakam Shaar. | {
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A critique of Tesla
Tesla Motors is wasting time, energy and money by not opening independent franchises, according
to Keith Crain, the editor-in-chief of
Automotive News.
In a
column, Crain says the electric-car company is making a mistake by relying on a small number of
company-owned stores. His comments are in line with many auto-industry veterans who have practical
concerns about Tesla’s approach.
"When I buy a product, I want a retailer nearby where I can get service and satisfaction," he
said. "If there isn't a service outlet nearby, it is up to the manufacturer to make arrangements to
provide service. If you care about customers, you have to be able to take care of them when they
need help."
Tesla officials have said that their retail model is the most effective way to sell an emerging
technology to a customer base that needs to be educated about the product.
This strategy has led to fights with traditional dealers in several states who see Tesla as a
threat to a system in which most cars are sold by independent franchises.
Last week, Tesla
reached an agreement with Ohio dealers that will allow it to have no more than
three stores in the state.
Crain thinks Tesla and its customers would be better off if the company worked with 40 to 50
dealers to set up stores.
"The franchise system works for the manufacturer, and, more important, it works for the
customer. It lets a manufacturer use capital for better things than setting up factory-owned
dealerships," he said. | {
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besterMe
besterMe
OnlineOffline
Behind your Development Project
We are a fast growing Software Development and IT Group, with offices in Vietnam, driven to accommodate you with intelligent IT solutions.
Our programmers are always seeking new ideas and innovations in order to create quality products and services for our clients and partners, empowering them to achieve their maximum potential. Our simple and clear objectives has given us a reputation as a trustworthy partner of technology services, provide clients with high quality results in the most cost-effective manner, with delivery on or ahead of schedule. In a short span of time, we have accumulated extensive experience by serving wide range of clients.
Today's fast-paced global economic environment has stressed the importance of global sourcing. To compete and thrive, you need outsourcing solutions that deliver sustainable bottom line savings and top-line growth. With nearly a hundred skilled professionals in our hands and a huge talent pool available, we are determined to continue providing excellent products and services to more global customers. We stand behind your development project all the way from inception to its success. | {
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Sunday, July 31, 2011
We packed up camp this morning and went down to the beach. It was not a long journey - about half a mile across the state park. We had the sand to ourselves when we got there although a few other people arrived once the lifeguards 'opened' the beach.
While we were swimming, Exile #4 called me over to show me a butterfly floating on the surface. It turned out to be alive but injured. We brought it to dry land, but I suspect its flying days were already behind it either way.
The rest of our short beach visit were filled with normal lake-beach summer activities but all too soon it was time to leave and head home.
By the way, I have updated the picture from yesterday and the text-formatting from the last two days. Emailing in posts from my phone is a great option to have - but a little basic.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
We had a busy day sorting out some unfinished business in western New York. This evening we've been preparing s'mores on a campfire - an excellent activity for a summer night.
The evening was briefly interrupted by hearing about a missing three year-old. Of course we know that almost every case like this results in the safe return, that word 'almost' is enough to strike fear into any parent. She was found safely after what I'm sure felt like an eternity to her parents.
Friday, July 29, 2011
We've successfully set up camp. There is something very satisfying about arriving at an empty patch of land and creating a temporary home. Many years ago I walked most of the Pennine Way with two friends. We carried our tent on that occasion - even more of a sense of achievement in that case - but I'll settle for this one.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
We've been trying to work out what we need to take in terms of car seats on our trip back to the UK. This involves researching pertinent laws on both sides of the Atlantic. It also involves knowing the height and weight of the kids.
Weight is no problem thanks to the fancy digital weighing scale I bought to monitor my recent weight-loss. Height is always a problem.
So, when I saw a measuring scale on the wall at go! last weekend, I saw an opportunity.
So now you know - and, more importantly, so do I!
Incidentally there is a non-zero risk of a break in normal blogging service over the next couple of days, but I think you know I'll do all I can to try to avoid that happening.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
I guess I make no secret that when we go off on a hike I am always hoping to see a beaver or a fox or a cedar waxwing or a bluebird or something.
Well, on Sunday we did a quick circuit of the Vlomankill Trail at Five Rivers and we saw nothing...well nothing of that kind. Did that mean we had a dull time?
What do you think? There was plenty for Exile #3 to write about - stunning damselflies, various flowers, a huge log wedged under a bridge (presumably by some impressive flood waters) and evidence of a squirrel's dinner.
And on top of that, the shady spot was perfect for a late afternoon stroll.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
It's been frustratingly quiet at the hummingbird feeder for a while. When we first put it up we had lots of visits - mostly around dusk when it was impossible to get a decent picture. More recently they deserted it for the flowers that are blooming just beyond. Then, at the weekend they started being seen at it again and I finally got set up to get a picture. Once again I'm stunned by how tiny these birds are.
Yesterday's news about Amy Winehouse's death has been on my mind today. I was slow to appreciate her talent - seeing a tabloid mess more than a musical tour-de-force before we moved out here. A few years ago, however, we saw her performing live on TV out here and I was completely captivated. Back to Black is her at her sassy and vulnerable best in my opinion. If you don't mind a profanity and a slang drug reference I recommend this version but here it is in its US radio-friendly version.
Monday, July 25, 2011
On of my facebook friends who lives in Nicaragua wrote this from the UK yesterday:
We've been talking about our trip 'home' for the last few weeks, now we are here, we are talking about when we go back 'home'
I know that feeling - I'm sure we will have exactly those conversations in both places as we prepare for and journey back to the UK next month. She went on to suggest that they were suffering from 'third culture' shock". I had to look it up.
Today I got a hint that Exile #3 may indeed be a TCK. First I discovered this on the fridge - she called it a 'crazy Union Jack'*!
Then she went and fetched the new swimsuit she chose today.
Yep.
* And yes, thank you to all as pedantic as me - I know it is actually a 'crazy Union Flag'!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
I doubt if anyone is going to part with good money to watch this special event. Fortunately I'm bringing it to you for free!
A few weeks ago we decided it was finally time to redecorate the dining room. As we prepared to get started it looked like this:
We were reasonably confident that we would be able to strip the wallpaper and paint in a reasonably short length of time.
Of course we hadn't reckoned on this happening as we tried to remove the well-glued wallpaper from the wall-made-of-paper:
Yes, the brown patches are where the paper on the drywall panels peeled away with the wallpaper on half of one wall (and in a few other patches) resulting in some anguish, fevered web searches and some cursing of American building methods.
Fortunately, after finishing the stripping and applying a coat of primer I discovered that I am a dab-hand with joint-compound (a.k.a. mud) and the goes-on-pink dries-white stuff that I chose was a big hit with the kids - it looks quite striking - especially in the tub.
We finished the painting last night and this morning we put the room back together.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Some time ago we went a coupleof times to an indoor play place in Glens Falls called Explore! Sadly our visits and blog-plugs were not enough to keep it going but the last time we went they had a small exhibit from the World Awareness Childrens' Museum which they said were currently homeless but hoping to open again soon just down the street - and indeed they have.
They call their interactive exhibition space "go!" and it is a small but wonderful museum packed with things that have the potential to open up an interest in the world beyond the immediate experience of upstate New York kids.
This is what we got up to:
Planning our next trip:
Trying on some Indian clothes:
Getting a taste of Japan (not sure why but you may need to click for the full effect):
Marvelling at the huge wedding kimono:
Worrying about the tiny Chinese foot-binding shoes:
Loving art made by children from around the world:
And some dancing:
As well as drumming, rowing a dragon boat, designing money, wondering at the candy with worms and ants embedded in it, buying and cooking dinner in an African village, some shadow puppetry and making friends with a very cute little toddler.
It was well worth the hour's drive!
* This was taken today but the real air temperature probably peaked at around 95°F - quite hot enough!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
A former colleague was in town today because he's over for the closing on his house which he left to return to the UK recently. We had a very convivial lunch at Brown's in Troy after which he asked if anyone wanted some 110 to 220V step-up transformers to save them from an untimely trip to the land-fill. We brought very few electrical items with us but I had one that I had recently been itching to use again so I jumped at the shock of being offered such a currently desirable item.
So this evening I've been enjoying acquainting my old MIDI synthesizer with my new MIDI controller (Rock Band Pro Guitar controller) and making an unholy racket.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
It's Day 4.190 - and you know what that means? It means it's time for some music!
Firstly, from a local band that I've heard before but never really listened to, a slice of wonderfulness discovered thanks to Spotify's arrival in the US. It's Phantogram with Mouthful of Diamonds. This is a live version. The recorded version is also wildly good.
I received my copy of They Might Be Giants' new CD "Join Us" today. It includes a track called Canajoharie which is a place about an hour west of here on the Thruway. But what I have to share with you is this recording of these New Yorkers doing a cover of a song from a band from the north of England. Pure joy in a small round room:
Monday, July 18, 2011
We've been undertaking what we thought was a small DIY project over the last week or so. It started badly and went downhill from there, but we're beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and believe it will work out OK. I'll share the whole story once it comes together!
The picture was taken with a cell-phone the other day - these sunsets are spectacular and short-lived!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Although we have been hearing reports that there have been shark sightings at some of our local beaches, we were pretty sure we would be safe visiting Albaniana's back-yard pool this afternoon.
We were both right and wrong as it turns out. We had a very good and safe time and both the air temperature (mid-nineties) and water temperature (low-eighties) were perfect for the occasion - but we did see a shark.
E5N1 was taking no chances*.
* He did in fact spend a good deal of his time in the pool in this inflatable chair inherited many years ago from his cousin.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
I discovered the other day that my US colleagues had no idea what a 'lie-in' is. I was astonished. Nor, it seems, is there a simple alternative phrase. Let me demonstrate what a problem that is by doing this post with and without the phrase.
US readers please struggle through this:
The kids had a pretty lazy day recovering from their late night last night, but after being allowed (by the kids and our schedule) to stay in bed a little longer than usual to catch up on much-needed sleep, Exile #2 and I had a very busy day. The first task was to trim the shrubs at the front of the house "before it gets too warm" yeah - well, we managed to get the job done but it was already roasting in the mid-morning sun.
UK readers don't bother with that, read this instead - you'll get exactly the same information:
The kids had a pretty lazy day recovering from their late night last night, but after a welcome lie-in, Exile #2 and I had a very busy day. The first task was to trim the shrubs at the front of the house "before it gets too warm" yeah - well, we managed to get the job done but it was already roasting in the mid-morning sun.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Exile #2, inspired by The Moth and our camping trip, suggested an evening of stories around the camp-fire. So tonight, that's just what we did. It was a small group but we had a great time telling stories loosely based around the topic of "Summer".
The kids joined in - the girls managing to recount some stories rather well. E5N1's idea of a story was...well, like this:
Once upon a time there was a monster.
All the children came to the monster.
He ate them all up.
In a sequel, the monster had a stomach-ache and then was eaten by a bigger monster so it was something of a cautionary tale all around.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Each day when I get home from work the kids have plenty to tell me about what they have been doing. Yesterday they had been visiting our friends' farm and swimming in their pool, today I bring you photographs of baking and building.
The baking is not edible - it is salt dough food for the girls' American Girl dolls. They found some pictures in a catalogue and decided to create some of their own accessories. Now that they can count their pocket money and read the prices, this is much less of a hard-sell for us!
As for the building, Exile #3 was the block balancer and Exile #4 was delighted with her Magnatile creation. As for E5N1, he managed to resist the temptation to knock them down - probably equally impressive!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
It's been something of a normal work day today with little to report on the blog. I took this picture just after we left Christman Sanctuary on Saturday. It is always a surprise to find ourselves in farming country - most of the places we go around here are either town or trees. We knew from trips to Cooperstown and other places that as you travel west there are rolling hillsides of farmland. It turns out that you don't have to go too far to see the transition starting.
About the Exile
The Exile began on January 10th 2007 (Day 0) when the_exile (that's me) accompanied by Exile #2 and our two daughters (Exile #3 and Exile #4) moved from the UK to New York State in the USA. Since arriving we have had a son known as Exile #5/Native #1 (or E5N1) - dual nationality is a wonderful if cumbersome thing.
January 11th 2008 was Day 1 + 1 year - and I decided on the shorthand 'Day 1.001'.
Get the Exile by Email
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About Me (and other things)
the_exile
Thank you for reading
I hope you enjoy reading these observations and stories from our everyday life.
For those who know us, it's nice to know that you are keeping up with what we are up to, forgive the absence of personal information and names etc. and I'm sorry that you have to read this to get our news.
For those we don't know personally, welcome! I hope you find something to amuse or inspire, some insight into the process of settling in having moved abroad, or whatever it is you came looking for.
To all: feel free to leave a comment, it's nice for me to know you're out there. | {
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[1.7.10] Mazes (Kasslim) Mod Download
This mod generates pyramids into the world, currently only inside deserts and jungles. Inside these pyramids you will find a stack of randomly generated mazes. And on top of those mazes, there is of course a treasure.
The pyramids are unbreakable, but in the treasure room there is a teleporter. This teleporter will teleport you outside, and when you use it for the first time it will change the unbreakable blocks of the pyramid it?s in into their (breakable) vanilla state! | {
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Erdogan sacks Turkish central bank governor
Erdogan sacks Turkish central bank governor
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sacked Turkey’s central bank governor, raising fresh concerns about the independence of the rate-setter at a fragile time for the Turkish economy.
Mr Erdogan used a presidential decree, published in the early hours of Saturday, to remove Murat Cetinkaya from his job a year before the end of his four-year term.
He will be replaced by Murat Uysal, an economist who spent much of his career at the state-owned Halkbank before becoming one of the central bank’s deputy governors.
The move by the Turkish president, who had recently complained that high interest rates were “hurting” the country, was announced three weeks before a monetary policy meeting, when the bank is expected to begin a cycle of easing.
Turkey is battling to overcome an economic downturn that followed last year’s currency crisis, which wiped 30 per cent off the value of the lira.
Mr Cetinkaya’s sacking could unnerve international investors who were already braced for turbulence amid reports that Turkey will take delivery of a controversial Russian air defence system next week, a move that could trigger US sanctions.
Saturday’s sacking prompted warnings about the erosion of the bank’s independence under Mr Erdogan, a critic of high interest rates who has tightened his grip on Turkish institutions since taking to taking the helm of an all-powerful executive presidency in June 2018.
Durmus Yilmaz, a former central bank governor and a senior member of the opposition IYI party, questioned the legality of the sacking, arguing that it was at odds with “an integral aspect of central bank independence”.
Paul McNamara, a fund manager at asset manager GAM, described the sacking as “an extraordinarily stupid thing to do.” He added: “I think the lira’s going to do very badly on Monday.”
Many investors had clamoured for the removal of Mr Cetinkaya after the central bank pursued an erratic approach last year. The bank at first refused to raise interest rates as the lira plummeted to a series of historic lows last summer, as a row with Donald Trump over a jailed evangelical pastor ignited investor concerns about the health of the Turkish economy. But it went on to raise rates to 24 per cent in September.
The bank won praise for keeping rates on hold as the economy has slumped, enabling the country’s soaring inflation to gradually come down from a peak of 25 per cent in October to 15.7 per cent last month — although investors were alarmed by its unorthodox use of currency swaps, which disguised a plunge in net foreign reserves.
Markets were already expecting a small rate cut at the next meeting of the bank’s monetary policy committee on July 25. Some now think that Mr Erdogan will seek to impose a much sharper cut.
Speaking at a press conference in June, the Turkish president said that high rates were “hurting us” and restated his unorthodox belief that they were the cause of high inflation.
“In spite of the fact that high inflation is here as proof of my opinion, unfortunately, some people around me also defend the opposite opinion,” he said. “But I believe, we will solve this also through elaborations and discussions.”
He promised that a “decisive” solution would soon be introduced.
Mr McNamara said that the removal of Mr Cetinkaya would be seen as a signal that the Turkish president was no longer willing to tolerate the slow growth that analysts see as essential to rebalancing the Turkish economy.
“There’s going to be the assumption that they’re going to abandon the policy of keeping interest rates high and not pushing loan growth,” he said.
“If they’re going to try and short circuit the recession by trying to pile more loans into a weak economy, that’s the scenario where things can start to go quite seriously wrong in Turkey.”
Tim Ash, an emerging markets strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, described the changes at the bank as “idiotic.” Writing on Twitter, he said that the central bank’s credibility was already “shot to hell.” He added: “This move just takes it back further.”
Mr Uysal, the new governor, is a former banker. He studied economics at Istanbul University before pursuing a masters in banking and insurance at the city’s Marmara University, where he specialised in inflation targeting.
Before joining the central bank as deputy governor in 2016, he held senior positions at the state-owned lender Halkbank and Halk Asset Management.
The central bank said that Mr Uysal, would “continue to independently implement monetary policy instruments focused on achieving and maintaining its primary objective of price stability in line with the duties and responsibilities granted to him by law.”
Mr McNamara said that the new governor would have to “come out with something really pretty punchy” in the coming days in order to reassure the markets
<strong>Warning!</strong> Will constitute a criminal offense, illegal, threatening, offensive, insulting and swearing, derogatory, defamatory, vulgar, pornographic, indecent, personality rights, damaging or similar nature in the nature of all kinds of financial content, legal, criminal and administrative responsibility for the content of the sender member / members are belong. | {
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This exciting, three-dimensional sculpture of Michelangelo’s famed Vatican ceiling is wrought with the same painstaking care that the artist himself would have shown. Exclusively for Toscano, our artists have taken one of the world’s most replicated images and masterfully reproduced it in two parts. Authentically sculpted in bonded natural marble, the pieces are designed so that the hands of God and Adam line up in perfect accord. A museum-quality focal point for mantelpiece or library table, this beloved work of art takes on new dimension in its sculptural form and becomes an instant family heirloom.
In the arts of painting, sculpture and architecture the Tuscans have always been among the best, and Florence was the city in Italy most worthy to be the birthplace of such a citizen to crown her perfections. Thus in 1474 the true and noble wife of Ludovico di Lionardo Buonarotti Simone, said to be of the ancient and noble family of the Counts of Canossa, gave birth to a son in the Casentino, under a lucky star. The son was born on Sunday, 6 March, at eight in the evening, and was called Michelangelo.
Michelangelo, was placed with Maestro Francesco da Urbino to school. But the boy devoted all the time he could to drawing secretly, for which his father and seniors scolded and sometimes beat him.
About this time Michelangelo made friends with Francesco Granacci, who though quite young had placed himself with Domenico del Grillandaio to learn painting. Granacci perceiyed Michelangelo's aptitude for design, and supplied him daily with drawings of Grillandaio, then reputed to be one of the best masters not only in Florence but throughout Italy. Michelangelo's desire to achieve thus increased daily, and Ludovicoy perceiving that he could not prevent the boy from studying design, resolved to derive some profit from it, and by the advice of friends put him with Domenico Grillandaio that he might learn the profession. At that time Michelangelo was fourteen years old. The author of his Life, written after 1550 when I first published this work, has stated that some through not knowing him have omitted things worthy of note and stated others that are not true, and in particular he taxes Domenico with envy, saying that he never assisted Michelangelo. This is clearly false, as may be seen by a writing in the hand of Ludovico written in the books - more info | {
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The Obama Administration has approved the first deep-water drilling permit since last April’s Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, in the face of rising political and legal pressure to reopen the Gulf to oil exploration as crude oil prices rise.
The administration’s has decided to grant a permit to Houston-based Noble Energy Inc. to restart a well located about 7o miles southeast of Venice, La. in 6,500 feet of water. After a year of federal foot-dragging, posturing , court orders, contempt of court orders this is a milestone of sorts. On Friday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said huffily, that he would not respond to political pressure to issue new offshore permits.
The American Petroleum Institute said “This slow-moving process continues to stifle domestic production and puts thousands of jobs at risk in the Gulf and around the country.” Senator David Vitter (R-LA) said he won’t release a hold he has put on the president’s nominee to head the Fish and Wildlife Service until the Interior Dept. issues at least 15 new deep water permits.
The administration’s moratorium on deep water drilling was lifted last October, but in spite of Industry innovations to prevent the kind of damage that resulted from the Deepwater Horizon spill, has dithered and fussed about safety and capabilities and possible accidents, and made it fairly clear that they are interested in discouraging petroleum production by putting both coasts, the eastern Gulf coast and the Alaska coast “off-limits” for the next seven years.
This is not the action of an administration that wants to see that the American people have the energy that they need. One must conclude that in their determined pursuit of a fantasy of a green energy economy, they are attempting to force Americans to accept their notions.
A study by economic consultants Verso Economics says that Scottish government support for the renewable energy sector is costing more jobs than it creates. It said that 3.7 jobs were lost for every one created in the UK as a whole, and that political leaders needed to engage in honest debate about the issue. The Scottish renewables sector is dependent on subsidies from the rest of the UK. Across Europe, countries are dumping their renewable energy efforts, as financial realities force budget realities.
Obama, we are told, does not change his mind. His ideas are set in concrete. If he said in 2008 that he wanted to”bankrupt the coal industry,” he still does.
The nonpartisan General Accounting Office (GAO) has found a massive amount of government waste as a result of way too many people doing the same things. Why are we not surprised? They have identified 34 areas where Congress can make significant savings. The GAO study was ordered in an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) attached to last years’ debt limit resolution. Coburn estimates that it could be as much as $200 billion — the “mother lode of government waste.”
“This report confirms what most Americans assume about their government,” Coburn said. “We are spending trillions of dollars every year and nobody knows what we are doing. The executive branch doesn’t know. The congressional branch doesn’t know. Nobody knows.”
Coburn predicted that the findings would “make us all look like jackasses” and would contain enough actionable information to “keep Congress busy for the rest of the year.”
Eight federal agencies oversee 80 programs to provide “transportation for the transportation disadvantaged.” 23 of these programs The agencies don’t often track transportation costs from other program costs, but 23 of these programs were allotted $1.7 billion in 2009.
The Department of Transportation funds more than 100 “surface transportation” programs overseen by five different agencies (and 6,000 employees) at an annual cost of $60 billion. “The current approach to surface transportation was established in 1956 to build the Interstate Highway System, but has not evolved to reflect current priorities in transportation planning.”
At least five departments, eight agencies, and more than 24 presidential appointees have been tasked with coordinating an effective defense against a biological terror attack, at a cost of $6.5 billion. But, the report concludes, “There is no national plan…and the U.S. lacks the technical and operational capabilities required for an adequate response.”
Ten agencies oversee 82 distinct programs on “teacher quality” at an annual cost of more than $4 billion. “There is no government wide strategy to minimize fragmentation, overlap or duplication among these programs.”
Federal data centers grew in number from 432 in 1998 to more than 2,000 in 2010, cost up to $450 million annually. The government could save between $150 billion and $200 billion over the next decade by consolidating these centers.
Nine federal agencies operate 47 job-training programs,44 of which overlap with at least one other program. These programs cost $18 billion in 2009, but GAO found that because they duplicate each other, little is known about their effectiveness.
Twenty federal agencies run 56 programs designed to promote “financial literacy,” but nobody knows how much they cost because agencies do not have an estimate for spending on “financial literacy.”
Here’s the full report from the General Accounting Office, if you want to be surprised at government waste or conversely, have your worst suspicions confirmed.
I posted this map of shale formations in the U.S. about ten days ago. Note the Marcellus Shale, the biggest of the red areas. The subsurface area comprises about 50 million acres, and the economic outline encompasses an area of about 18 million acres. That’s big.
The United States consumes 22 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas per year — estimates for recoverable reserves are that it will produce something in the neighborhood of 489 trillion cubic feet. Recent reported recoveries suggest that this may be very conservative. The Marcellus will provide more than 20 years of consumption for the entire country, as well as more than 100,000 new high paying jobs which are being created in an economically depressed rural area of Pennsylvania.
American natural gas was in long term decline prior to the advent of significant production from the new Shale programs. The rise of production from the Shale Fields beginning in 2006 changed everything, and we are now seeing increasing production, a halt to imports and decreasing natural gas prices. What’s not to like about that?
U.S. Monthly Gas Production
A few encouraging facts from Gregory R. Wrightstone. You might want to keep them in mind when you hear the pronouncements from the EPA, Interior, DoE, and all the varied bureaus and offices of the Obama Administration.
The Obama administration recently told Congress that accelerated permitting and financial incentives have helped to fuel a booming interest in developing wind, solar and geothermal power on public lands, but continuing and future development will depend on a strong commitment and dependable incentives from Congress.
Read that again. Because the government is giving away permits and grants and startup money people are interested in developing inefficient power, but if Congress doesn’t keep supplying the commitment in the form of loan guarantees, the grant program, and permitting that is deliberate, careful and on time — whoa.
Wasn’t there something about permitting in the Gulf of Mexico that is so far overdue that a federal judge is having to issue demands to Salazar to act within 30 days or face the consequences? | {
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Library Record
Images may be protected by copyright or other restrictions. Non-Educational/Scholarly use of objects within the National World War I Museum and Memorial is strictly prohibited unless signed consent is obtained from the Registrar. If you would like to reproduce a work you have found in our Online Collections Database, please contact the Registrar at [email protected].
The online collections database is supported by the David T. Beals III Charitable Trust, the Hall Family Foundation, the Missouri Arts Council, Sprint and the William T. Kemper Foundation. | {
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Animal Padre's
Christians Against All Animal Abuse "Christ’s redemption is for the whole of creation!"
Newsletters
A Selection from the
Spring 2005 Issue
Legalised Drug Mafias Referred To As Pharmacologists!
When, O when, are the public going to open their eyes to the mass
corruption in animal tested pharmaceuticals, and the deadly lliason that
exists between them and the NHS funded by the tax payer? Jesus said: ‘By
their fruits you shall know them’ and it doesn’t take much intelligence
to realise that those who will – without a qualm of conscience – torture
or condone animal Treblinka’s will not hesitate to lie through their
teeth. I tell you: it’s not the down and out parasites or thugs of
society we need to oppose as much as the cold and calculating
pharmaceutical giants. Many of the latter would put Stevenson’s Dr
Jeckyl & Mr Hyde out of the contest. And if you doubt their influence in
society just read this account in yesterday’s Daily Mail:
“G. P. BANS CHILDREN FOR NOT HAVING THE MMR JAB”
GP Dr. Michael Duggan has struck off 2 children from his list because
they did not have the MMR jab. He wrote to parents to say that because
his surgery had missed vaccination targets, it had lost out on funding
which had 'adversely affected' his own pay. Indeed his Manor House
Surgery is in Stevenage, Herts. | {
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No longer incoming but maybe Ill get some Christmas Cheer I always hear about. I am a Brand New smoker so these are some of the first i have purchased. would you recommend Christmas cheer for a new smoker that is still only smoking aromatics?
Here is what I just got:
I apologize about the size I just got this camera phone and it may not be the best quality either but my future pics will be better again sorry for the large pic
I'm waiting on some money to come on. Sometime after this economy picks up I'm pretty sure that if I got a large order these days, I would face I haven't purchased anything for a few months now. It's just hard to justify when I have things I haven't gotten to yet, as it is. But, I do enjoy seeing what others get. So, anybody else have some goodies to share?
No longer incoming but maybe Ill get some Christmas Cheer I always hear about. I am a Brand New smoker so these are some of the first i have purchased. would you recommend Christmas cheer for a new smoker that is still only smoking aromatics?
Christmas Cheer is a straight up Virgina blend which most people seem to either love or hate. I find that the natural sweetness is a bit more welcoming if you're moving over from aromatics but others think it tastes like hay. | {
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Forum: Naturally Aspirated Tech
There aren't many cars that are N/A power, but here is a forum dedicated to those guys who want to make all motor power! | {
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Sunday, October 13, 2013
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
With 2013 being the 35th anniversary of my all time favorite, Halloween, I wanted to update my filming locations for the series, which have been scattered throughout my blog. I will update these pages as I add new locations and cast or crew.
For other locations from the Halloween series, click on the link below:
Million dollar question - where is the hospital from H3? I've never been able to find info on this location. The scene when Shamrock robot kills the girl's father and then blows himself up in parking lot while Dr. Chalis looks on, etc. Let me know if you are aware of this location. Thanks!
I found the hospital a few months ago. It was the Pacoima Lutheran Medical Center in Sylmar. See http://www.ohmb.net/showthread.php?17635-Halloween-filming-locations-master-list&p=1329793&viewfull=1#post1329793
THANKS! Great work- Love It! I remember the premier 33 years ago- Tonight!
I was young enough to be VERY nervous about seeing this in the theater- So when I saw "Northern California" (which is where I was), "October.. Saturday the 23rd"... (which was TOMORROW)... well, it was at that moment that this flick became one of my ALL-TIME favorites...
I went to see this at the theater and it scared me something terrible. I was only 11 at the time but it was terrorizing 4 me in 82. It is now one of my favorite Halloween films. I watch it every year around Halloween; and the soundtrack is amazing. I believe the music adds more of a fear factor to the movie. I see some of the movie locations on the internet, and it's great. THX for the additional movie locations. | {
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Ian Wright Celebrating England Penalty Win Was Every Fan Last Night
Ian Wright Celebrating England Penalty Win Was Every Fan Last Night
Fans across the nation showed their excitement yesterday (July 3) when England beat Colombia in the World Cup, but Ian Wright’s reaction tops them all.
Those watching held their breath as Eric Dier stepped forward to take the crucial penalty, with Arsenal legend Ian Wright holding his head in his hands in the ITV studio.
Dier’s goal ensured England progressed into the quarter-finals, with pubs and living rooms across England bursting into celebration, knowing the penalty shootout curse has well and truly been booted away!
Ian Wright’s hilariously fantastic display on camera, as he flew up from his chair with a look that can only be described as pure, unadulterated joy, was literally every England in that exact moment.
Watch it here:
Wright grabbed fellow presenter Lee Dixon as he cheered, and Gary Neville, who was also present in the studio, couldn’t resist getting involved – throwing his arms around the pair and starting a group celebration.
Wright continues to throw his hands in the air and cheer, literally jumping for joy at the result.
The studio setting turns into chaos, with papers being thrown around and the presenters too busy cheering to focus on anything else.
ITV
Wright claps and praises the sky – I’m surprised he didn’t actually fall to his knees – while Lee Dixon and Gary Neville begin to regain some sort of composure.
Wright notices the team have to get back to presenting, but can’t resist one last clap before sitting down.
His reaction was the perfect mirroring of most England fans last night as they sent Colombia home with a 4-3 win on penalties – England’s first knock out win in 12 years.
I couldn’t be prouder of @england – a victory in a penalty shootout! You have well and truly earned your place in the final eight of the #worldcup and you should know the whole country is right behind you for Saturday!
Come on England! W
I couldn’t be prouder of @england – a victory in a penalty shootout! You have well and truly earned your place in the final eight of the #worldcup and you should know the whole country is right behind you for Saturday! Come on England! W | {
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The profits from each purchase you make is matched as a donation to Earthjustice, a non-profit that fights to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, protect people's health, advance clean energy, and combat climate change.
About Big Orange Cat Designs
Started by environmental advocate, filmmaker and artist Miranda Loud, Big Orange Cat Designs offers clothing, accessories and original art that inspires conversation and connection. Our designs celebrate the natural world and the animals sharing this planet. Enjoy browsing our sustainably-made products and gift ideas for people who love animals, whimsy, beauty and color. 100% of our profits are matched in 2018 by an independent donor as a gift to the non-profit Earthjustice.org. To read more about their crucial legal work representing the environment, please visit https://earthjustice.org/our_work.
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Elegant design and soft fabric. The juxtaposition of the bluebird motif on the different hues gives an ethereal feel to the scarf. I got this scarf as a gift for a friend who liked it a lot.
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I have long been an admirer of watercolor, so I was naturally drawn to this pillow. I love throw pillows and it's rare to find something that is this unique and beautiful in its simplicity. I chose the velveteen material, and it is so soft to the touch (my daughter and I have little fights during movies as to who gets to cuddle it). It is of a much higher quality than I see in stores, and after many months it shows no wear (I chose the white color).
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These are adorable, stylish capris. The material is really high quality and you won’t have any embarrassment bending over in them (I was even doing squats at the gym with no problem) and thick enough to have a nice amount of compression. | {
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On this week’s podcast, Wolfe discusses an “underlying problem” in American politics, which he calls a “penchant for despotism, for something resembling populism; a search for quick answers; an almost visceral turning away from thoughtfulness, from reason, from understanding that politics is just simply not capable of satisfying people’s immediate emotions.”
Image
He does turn his attention to President Donald Trump. “He’s tapping into deep currents in American cultural and political life,” Wolfe says. “Yet he’s so extreme, and he possesses such exaggerated features of those tendencies, that you could also say that he’s unique.”
Nadja Spiegelman visits us this week, to discuss two newly published books by Lucia Berlin, “Evening in Paradise: More Stories” and “Welcome Home: A Memoir With Selected Photographs and Letters.” Spiegelman talks about encountering Berlin’s work and falling in love with it “in that deeply personal way — ‘This writer is mine, this writer is speaking to me, no one else will ever understand the depth of the love that I feel for this’ — that I think Lucia Berlin’s writing sparks in so many people.”
Also on this week’s episode, Alexandra Alter has news from the publishing world, and Dwight Garner, Parul Sehgal and Jennifer Szalai talk about the books they’ve recently reviewed. Pamela Paul is the host.
Here are the books discussed by The Times’s critics this week:
We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to [email protected].
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Prompt Enter the operating system oracle process id for this concurrent request
accept v_spid
Prompt Getting the sid
SELECT SID,SERIAL#,LOGON_TIME FROM V$SESSION WHERE PADDR IN
(SELECT ADDR FROM V$PROCESS WHERE SPID='&v_spid');
prompt Enter the session id for this concurrent request
accept v_sid
prompt memory usage for this session
SELECT A.SID,A.USERNAME,B.VALUE,c.name FROM V$SESSION a,V$SESSTAT B,V$STATNAME C WHERE A.SID=B.SID
AND B.STATISTIC#=C.STATISTIC# AND C.NAME like'%memor%' and a.sid='&v_sid';
prompt resource usage for this session
SELECT A.SID,A.USERNAME,B.VALUE,c.name FROM V$SESSION a,V$SESSTAT B,V$STATNAME C WHERE A.SID=B.SID
AND B.STATISTIC#=C.STATISTIC# and a.sid='&v_sid' order by b.value;
prompt this session waited on
select sid,event,wait_time,state from v$session_wait where sid='&v_sid' order by wait_time;
prompt current sql executing by this session
select a.sid,b.sorts,b.executions,b.loads,b.parse_calls,b.disk_reads,
b.buffer_gets,b.rows_processed,C.sql_text from v$session a,v$sqlarea b,V$SQLTEXT C
where a.sql_address=b.address and b.address=c.address and a.sid='&v_sid';
prompt sql which is taking more than 3mb in shared pool
prompt nosql should take morethan 1mb in shared pool.
prompt please ask the developers to tune the following sql statements
select name,
namespace,type,sharable_mem/(1024*1024) sharablemem,loads,executions,locks,pins,kept from v$db_object_cache
where SHARABLE_MEM>3000000;
prompt sort segments using by this session
SELECT s.username,s.sid,s.osuser,s.process,s.machine,u.extents, u.blocks,u.tablespace FROM v$session s, v$sort_usage u
WHERE s.saddr=u.session_addr order by extents;
and s.sid='&v_sid'; | {
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Pages
1.12.2011
Why I Like Tuesday
Today was such a good day. =) No power outages, no rain and few frustrations. I didn't even break anything today!
I woke up just after 0500 to the sound of my phone ringing. Before I even picked it up, I knew it had to be my husband. He's the only one brave enough to call me that early. ;-) Lol! Just kidding. I'm always nice to him when he calls. Even if it is at o'dark thirty. =) It was so nice to hear his voice. It sounded like he was in a pretty good mood too. Although, I probably would be too if I received a birthday package from family that included pictures from Christmas, white chocolate-covered Oreos, buckeyes, Butterfingers, granola bars, the Bourne Trilogy on DVD, a silly book, various other treats, a laptop cover (made by yours truly), a card (also from me) and one very awesomely decorated 8.5x11 sheet of paper saying "Happy Birthday." ;-)
I kid. You should have heard him going on and on about this package. You would have thought he'd won the lottery. I guess in the grand scheme of things he did... But you get my point. We (me and my SILs) sent the package while I was in NC. I couldn't believe all the stuff that they'd gathered for him! It's good thing I was there, though. They probably would have put all of that stuff into 2 boxes and I fit it all into 1. Oh, the skills of an Army wife. I digress. By the time we'd gotten the package together, we realized that we didn't have a card for him! Myoh-so clever SIL, Anna, grabbed a sheet of paper off the printer and some markers. Yes, my husband got his very own handmade/colored birthday card. =P Since we had to print off some pictures, I decided I'd buy him a real card. Apparently this card sparked some emotions but I won't say which one(s). I wouldn't want to hurt his reputation as a rough-and-tough Soldier. ;-)
After we talked about the package, he totally picked at me. I politely asked if he thought it would be okay for me to get a DVR. {I have secretly been dying for one for months and just realized that our cable carrier offers one. Score!} He proceeded to mock me, as any good husband would do. "Daddy, can I get a snow cone??" *sigh* I love my husband. And, of course, he said yes. I mean, who can say "no" to a DVR that only costs $10 extra a month? Hard to beat. We then got onto the topic of last night's BCS Championship game. My husband dared to ask if I watched. Um, hello?! Of course I watched it! He asked if it was such a great game like everyone who had the chance to watch it while working said it was. It was a good game, but I had mixed feelings about it. Mr. Cam Newton supposedly took/received money for recruiting but was "cleared" of it. And the Ducks' uniforms were just hideous. Cue the hubby dying in laughter.
Me: What?
Joe: You are such a girl!
Me: Um, yeah...
Joe: Here you are talking about what a great game it was and all this other football stuff and then, "their uniforms were hideous!"
Me. *sigh* Yeah...I know...
Joe: I got the perfect combination when I married you. [said while laughing, of course.]
Awwwww. Hands off, ladies. He's all mine! Who has conversations like this at 5 am? I mean, really? We talked for 30 minutes and pretty much the whole time I was laughing. Here I am at 5 am, laying in bed in the dark, cracking up and talking to my husband. I was having serious flashbacks to when we were in college and dating. Now, he never called me at 5 am (he knew better even then) but we did have our fair share of late night pillow talks. It was a wonderfully perfect 30 minute phone call. I can't wait until he can pick at me in person. =)
After our gab fest, I went back to sleep... And slept for about 3.5 hours. I was shocked to realize that it was 0930 when I woke up. Woops! Before I knew it, it was 1100! This day practically flew by. I made a phone call to the cable company and arranged to pick up my DVR! =D I was so happy. When I got to the office to switch out my box, I was sadly reminded that people here aren't as friendly as they are back home. I opened my car door to realize that the guy parked beside me was trying to get in his car. He politely stepped back, but when I said "I'm sorry, excuse me," he said nothing. =( Back home it would have been a "Oh, it's ok. Have a good day" or something like that. *sigh* Anyway. I exchanged my box and came outside to two Soldiers walking in. I smiled at one of them (I just really like seeing Soldiers...it's odd) and he smiled and said, "Good afternoon." Seriously, that made my day. =)
Then I had my weekly run to the commissary. I honestly hate that I'm there so much. I just haven't figured out how to not be there every week. *sigh* Shopping in bulk is not my forte. Yet. The rest of my afternoon was nothing special, but the weather was so nice today that I couldn't really be upset about anything!
Plus, God and I had a pretty good chat last night about my crappy attitude as of late. After talking to my bestie and doing my Bible study, I realized that there was only one reason for my attitude: I wasn't trusting God like I should be. You see, there are times (many, many times) in my life where I think "I got this. I don't need help." Since Joe went back after R&R, I think I've had that mindset. I've struggled with the lack of communication, especially that first week. Yet, I refused to talk to God about it. I refused to say, "Hey, I'm really struggling here and I need Your help." Why? Human nature. And, quite simply, I know that Satan doesn't want me to ask for God's help. I've really been letting Satan get to me lately...without realizing it and that's what scares me most. For a while, I was really good at recognizing when he was pushing my buttons and whispering lies in my ear. Lately, I haven't been because I haven't been relying on God like I should be. It all came to a head last night. Once again, I realized that I don't have to do this on my own! God is willing and more than able to help me - to guide me - through this.
Wouldn't you know it that my attitude was a bazillion times better today!? Imagine that. =)
And tomorrow, I'm going back to the museum. I'm looking forward to taking a dive back into the world of history. =) Oh, AND I get to meet a bloggie friend next week! And hey, this donut is lookin' better and better everyday.
11 comments:
Meeting bloggie friends is the BEST! I've met several ladies that have had the misfortune of being sent here to Fort Drum. I figure that seeing my smiling face is at least one thing for them to look forward to ;)
I felt the same way about the bcs game. I am from Alabama and I HATE CAM NEWTON, and this state is nothing but how wonderful and great he is. Yes I am an alabama fan and yes I am glad the state got the championship two years in a row, but I wish the duck had won. I am a big duck fan, we had on our gear and expected a win.. when they find out his dad took anything they will strip him of everything just like they did with reggie bush. Oh well.. Off that high horse now :)
How/where did you get your donut of misery? I am going to need one soon.. And I would like to have one so once I get over the "hump" I can start the count down.. | {
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White Beauty Daily Lightening Face Wash
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8 THEBIGISSUE9–22JAN2015
“I couldn’t bat, I couldn’t bowl, I
couldn’t field, but I could sledge,
and I think I held my place in the
team on this basis.”
Surprising no one, Prime Minister Tony
Abbott on the strengths he showed as
a pugilistic cricketer during his student
days at Oxford. A bit of light-hearted
banter, sure, but sledging? It’s just
not cricket, and should be left where it
belongs. In parliament.
– ABC
“Way back when – you know
’20s, ’30s, ’40s, ’50s – people got
married a lot right out of high
school because they’re trying to
have sex, so they want to lock it
up and get married. They were
maybe rushing into marriages
that they’re not vetting out,
versus today, people are getting
married a lot later.”
Marina Sbrochi, author of Stop
Looking for a Husband (2011), on
the reason divorce rates may be going
down: more people are getting married
in their thirties. The oft-quoted statistic
that 50% of marriages end in divorce
was a projection based on statistics
from the early baby boomer generation
that has not held true.
– Huffington Post (US)
“Once humans develop artificial
intelligence, it would take off on
its own and re-design itself at an
ever increasing rate. Humans
who are limited by slow biological
evolution, couldn’t compete and
would be superseded... I think
the development of full artificial
intelligence could spell the end of
the human race.”
Famous astrophysicist Stephen
Hawking on his concern that smart
robots, most likely voiced by Scarlett
Johansson, could spell the end of all of
us. Happy New Year everybody!
– BBC (UK)
“It has nothing to do with The
Beatles at all. Let It Be is a bunch
of garbage. As I say in the book,
[Phil Spector] puked all over it.
I’ve never listened to the whole
thing, I’ve only listened to the first
few bars of some things and said,
‘Oh, forget it.’ It was ridiculously,
disgustingly syrupy.”
The Beatles’ sound engineer Glyn
Johns, while promoting his book
Sound Man, on what sound producer
and convicted murderer Phil Spector
did to the album Let It Be (1970). Let
it be, Glyn.
– NME (UK)
“One thing that is quite
interesting to me is how poor
Western governments are at the
moment – and I don’t exempt
mine from this – how poor they
are at understanding what’s going
on in the world.”
Former UK PM Tony Blair on the
general knowledge score of current
Western governments. Those
governments, including the one led by
‘the other Tony’, must be glad Blair is
still around to tell them what’s really
going on.
– Vanity Fair (US)
THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT SOME
STUPID DALAI LAMA WON’T COME NEXT,
WHO WILL DISGRACE HIMSELF OR
HERSELF. THAT WOULD BE VERY SAD. SO,
MUCH BETTER THAT A CENTURIES-OLD
TRADITION SHOULD CEASE AT THE TIME
OF A QUITE POPULAR DALAI LAMA.
The Dalai Lama, whose real name is Tenzin Gyatso, conceding it may
be better for the title to die with him than be passed on to some Dumb
or Dumber Lama. Buddhists believe each Dalai Lama is reincarnated in
the body of a child identified by Buddhist priests in Tibet.
– Time (US)
HEARSAY
WRITER RICHARD CASTLES » CARTOONIST ANDREW WELDON
“It’s just tomato sauce
with dirt in it.”
A child explaining to her friend at
a picnic what barbecue sauce is.
Overheard by Rachel of
South Melbourne, Victoria.
EAR2GROUND
PHOTOGRAPHBYCHRISTOPHERFURLONG/GETTYIMAGES;CARTOONBYANDREWWELDON | {
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The View from the Black Box: Charlie Victor Romeo Lives in the Moments Before the End
Louis C.K. has a great bit about people who moan and groan about the inconveniences of air travel. "I had to sit on the runway. For 40 minutes!" they'll say, to which he responds, "Oh my God, really? What happened then? Did you fly through the air, like a bird, incredibly? Did you soar into the clouds, impossibly? Did you partake in the miracle of human flight?"
There's something highly unnatural, and undeniably wonderful, about the way we so casually step into these winged metal shells and emerge, just a few hours later, half a world away. But human flight is a miracle of science, and every once in a while, because of engineering issues or even just a stray Canada goose, the promise of science can stumble. At that point, something more natural and human takes over — the response of the pilot and crew means everything. That's one of the ideas at the heart of Charlie Victor Romeo, a taut, effective little picture whose dialogue consists wholly of transcriptions of actual cockpit recordings, most of them from flights that ultimately crashed. (The movie takes its title from the code used for "cockpit voice recorder.") The film is an adaptation of a play first staged in New York in 1999, and it was shot in 3D on bare-bones sets with a small group of actors. That setup may sound too resolutely conceptual to be emotionally effective, but the movie's restraint — its refusal to overdramatize events that are inherently dramatic — makes it feel immediate and vital. Charlie Victor Romeo shows us how much of life's weight and meaning can be packed into one second of thought or action; it's a work of shivery intimacy.
What can go wrong on any routine flight? You probably don't want to know, but Charlie Victor Romeo will give you some idea. The picture, co-directed by Robert Berger, Patrick Daniels, and Karlyn Michelson, dramatizes the final minutes leading up to six aircraft disasters, minutes in which flight crews scramble to gain control of their planes, attempt to navigate using old-school methods after all of their electronic instruments have failed, and even, in one case, get up to pee. A rotating cast of actors plays the various crew members, mostly pilots and copilots, with the occasional flight attendant popping in. (All scenes take place in the cockpit; no passengers are heard or shown.) Much of what these pilots say, to one another or to ground control, sounds fairly benign: "We still got ice." Other times, a sense of urgency seeps through their surface calm: "We don't have any controls, not even the basics." In one case — a moment so fleeting you could almost miss it — a pilot suggests to a flight attendant, with a casual bit of slang, that she might survive what's about to happen, but he probably won't. It's possibly the most moving, the most devastatingly human, moment in the film.
Film Details
Interstitial slides provide, in stark white letters on a black background, the grim fatality statistics (in most of the instances dramatized, all passengers and crew were killed) and the ultimate explanation for each disaster. For example, "Static ports left taped over by maintenance crew" — you may not know, technically, what that means, and yet you know what it means. Another case is tragically straightforward: "Multiple bird strikes." One goose flying into an engine is bad; more than one can spell disaster, a mark of just how vulnerable we are when we're lucky enough to be up in the air.
Charlie Victor Romeo is a tense experience. It leans heavily on our sense of apprehension, our knowledge that in real life, the events depicted resulted, for the most part, in death. There's a huge risk here for exploitation, even the unintentional kind: These are the words of real people who are about to die. At one point, we hear the voice of a flight attendant urging passengers to hold their babies tightly. Does that step over the line of what we want to know, or should know, about the moments before a tragedy? Possibly. But Charlie Victor Romeo treads respectfully, with a sense of honor and discretion, around the dead; it's a somber movie that, in the end, is really more about life, and about how much nerve it takes to keep us clumsy, wingless humans up in the sky. The 3D effects are subtle, and the picture works well enough on the small screen. But I'd urge you, if possible, to see it in a theater. By the end, you might be grateful for the presence of other souls aboard. | {
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Versatile
Safe
Gain environmental benefits
Eliminate protective oils
Non-contaminating to products
Increase worker safety
Lower carbon footprint
What is Corrosion?
“Corrosion is an irreversible interfacial reaction of a material (metal, ceramic, polymer) with its environment which results in consumption of the material or in dissolution into the material of a component of the environment.” IUPAC - International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.
What is ESD?
Electrostatic discharge, or ESD, is an exchange of electrons between materials, often from the buildup of electrons on resistive materials which then discharge through conductors. This can be damaging to small electronics or delicate microchips. | {
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Post navigation
Motorists flocking to newly-opened I-580 express lanes in Alameda County
Motorists took nearly 1.9 million trips on Interstate 580’s new express lanes in Alameda County in the first four months the lanes opened to vehicle traffic earlier this year, according to a recent report.
The $345 million project opened on the notoriously congested Tri-Valley corridor in mid-February to solo drivers, who pay an extra toll to use the lane, and to carpoolers, who can drive for free.
The first full month of operation saw around 549,000 trips along the east- and westbound lanes, growing to 647,000 trips in May — an 18 percent increase from March — according to a report presented to the Alameda County Transportation Commission on Thursday.
Tess Lengyel, ACTC’s executive director of planning and policy, said motorists are already seeing the benefits. Average hourly speeds in the express lanes are estimated to be between 10 and 33 mph faster than the average hourly speeds in general purpose lanes during the morning rush-hour commute, according to the report.
So far, Lengyel said there’s been a bit of a learning curve to using the lanes correctly. The majority of motorists — or around 67 percent — were either carpool or HOV-qualifying vehicles with a valid FasTrak Flex tag, or single-occupant cars with either a flex or standard FasTrak tag, which is required to use the lane. The remaining 33 percent either had no tags or invalid tags, according to the report.
“It’s a new system, so people are just getting familiar with the lane,” she said, adding that the agency has been seeing more people adopting the correct toll tags.
Drivers paid an average toll of $1.55 to use the westbound lane and $2.40 to use the eastbound lane in May, and have generated over $2 million in total revenue since the lanes opened, the report said. It remains to be seen, however, whether that revenue will cover the costs of operating the lanes, Lengyel said… (more) | {
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Additional Information
Our handbuilt villas blend modern chic with all that is traditional in Mozambique. The creature comforts you would expect from a luxury boutique resort are there, set off by locally sourced wooden beams and traditional artwork beneath a thatched jekka roof.
Wander down to the pristine white beach and welcoming azure sea beyond. Lounge around on plump cushions on your daybed, or tan in private and cool off in your sparkling plunge pool. Dine on your deck, or sip champagne in your beachside Sala as the sun goes down. Lie in your bath and gaze at the view, or shower beneath the stars. Do whatever you want to do. Our villas are a welcoming place to stay. You may not want to leave them at all.
You’ll have a dedicated Mozambican host to look after you during your stay. They’ll take care of all your needs, including serving your meals, arranging activities and joining you on excursions . They are part of Azura’s commitment to the community and upliftment of the country’s people. Many of them have very little in the way of formal education, but they have a genuine warmth and friendliness, and will delight in looking after you. | {
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Search the Site
NEUROSURGICAL ASSOCIATES, LLC
Certified Neck, Back & Spine Surgeons in Salt Lake City, Utah
It is our privilege to assist you in treating your neurosurgical difficulty(s). Please take a moment to read the following information about neck, back and spine surgery.
You have been referred for neurosurgical evaluation and treatment. Neurological surgery is a very demanding specialty and we must limit our continued treatment to neurosurgical problems. Other difficulties, medications, and questions should be directed to your primary care physician.
As back and spine surgeons in Salt Lake City, Utah, we are specialists, and we follow patients during their preoperative assessment, surgical treatment, and postoperative management. Generally, postoperative follow-up is for a period of three months. Then, patients are referred back to their primary care physicians for any further care.
If an emergency arises after hours or on a weekend, one of our physicians is “on-call” at all times. In severe situations or when in doubt, go directly to the emergency room at Intermountain Medical Center or your nearest hospital emergency room.
Please call the office at least three full days before your prescription runs out allowing our staff the opportunity to collaborate with your provider. When calling for prescription refills please give your name, birthdate, daytime phone, the name of the medication and the name and phone number of the pharmacy you utilize. These will be called into pharmacies typically between 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please, pay close attention to your medication supply.
Patient and family phone calls are returned at the end of the day or early the following morning, except in urgent situations. Please, let our staff know the context of the call.
Many patients require the temporary use of narcotic pain medication during neurosurgical treatment. These are dangerous, addictive drugs, we are very careful in prescribing them. Narcotic pain medication is for the postoperative phase only. After this time, office re-evaluation will be required for further treatment, medication refills, etc.
We accept most insurance plans. However, you must verify with your insurance company if the physician and the hospital are participating with your plan, as well as your specific insurance benefits. We will bill your primary and secondary insurance for you.
We are honored to assist in your neurosurgical treatment. The treatment provided you will be the latest and best presently available within the scope of the accepted standards of care. | {
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Title
Author
Year
2018
Abstract
Obesity is a worldwide health problem due to its epidemic proportions and high risk for other metabolic disorders, such type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. It is generally accepted that a chronic low-grade inflammatory state is at the pathogenic core of obesity. High-fat diet-induced obesity features of hyperleptinemia, hyperinsulinemia, fat deposition, glucose intolerance, central and peripheral inflammation, as well as central and peripheral leptin resistance and hypothalamic leptin signaling compromised. Obesity also features of the impairment of prefrontal cortex, and impairment of leptin-induced regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and synaptogenesis, which has been considered to be associated with the incidence of neuronal degenerative diseases, cognitive decline, and depression. Some plant-derived triterpene saponins are anti-inflammatory and inhibit the NF-κB signaling. Those triterpene saponins are potential therapeutic agents for the obesity-associated inflammation to be determined. Natural extracted triterpene saponins, ginsenoside Rb1 and teasaponin, are used in this PhD research project. Ginsenoside Rb1, extracted from Ginseng, has anti-inflammation effect and anti-obesity effect. However, it is unclear whether it has the effect of anti-obesity-associated inflammation and whether it can address the above listed features issue of obesity. Teasaponin is an active compound of tea extract, has been demonstrated to ameliorate obesity, reduce inflammation and improve central leptin sensitivity in obese mice in our previous study. Tea consumption improves cognition and increases brain activation in the prefrontal cortex. However, little is known on the ability of teasaponin on recognition memory and its effect on leptin signaling in the prefrontal cortex of high-fat diet-induced obese mice.
Recommended Citation
Wu, Yizhen, The effect of triterpene saponins on hypothalamic and cortical leptin sensitivity in obese mice, thesis, , University of Wollongong, 2018. https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses1/308 | {
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Chase, So You Can’t: Update on 5/24 – The Other Shoe Drops
Chase, So You Can’t: Update on 5/24 – The Other Shoe Drops
[Disclosure: I may earn compensation if you click on any external links].
A few days ago, Doctor of Credit reported that his sources (and as posted on DansDeals Forum and Reddit) confirmed the “5/24” rule from Chase went into effect a few days ago. Briefly, the 5/24 rule from Chase means that if you have opened up 5 of any card (read: from all banks, not just Chase) within a 24 month period, you will not be eligible to open a new card, even if you check out on their other approval factors. Many data points seem to indicate that this is indeed the case for many cards.
This first started over a year ago with the Freedom, Sapphire and Slate cards. Doctor of Credit reported that March and April would be for business (Ink) and then co-branded cards, respectively. March and April came and went, but we all hoped to skate by unscathed. Not so anymore.
Multiple data points indicate that the following cards fall outsidethese new rules:
British Airways
IHG
Hyatt
Fairmont
Disney
Amazon
AARP
Does this mean that these cards will be exempt forever? I’d imagine if Chase gets its way with the co-brand relationships, then no, these cards will fall under the 5/24 rule as well. For now, it seems like we’re safe. No promises on how long…
Moving forward, what are my best options?
Well, there are a few scenarios. I reviewed some of these here, but considering the cards that are okay and those that are not, let’s review.
If you are not over 5/24…
Travels internationally (all classes of service)
If you are just getting started and have 0 cards:
Chase Freedom or Chase Freedom Unlimited – This is a great no fee card which is a powerful earner of Ultimate Rewards (UR), especially if this is your first card. Conventional churning wisdom would tell you to apply for this and another Chase card, but if you have no credit history, go for one at a time, and this is an easier approval than other premium cards.
Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer – Because you can transfer points from the Sapphire (or Ink Plus) to United, this is a good card when it’s at the highest bonus of 50,000. Currently at 30,000 (that’s why no link has been provided) Rumor has it that chase will up this bonus to 70,000 in June.
Chase Ink Plus – This is a business card. If you have a small business, I’d even recommend getting this before the Sapphire Preferred. Sign up and bonus categories earn greater.
You could fill your last two slots with Southwest (which are best for domestic airfare), or the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton cards. Just depends on what uses you have.
Travels domestically (coach)
Chase Freedom or Chase Freedom Unlimited – This is a great no fee card which is a powerful earner of Ultimate Rewards (UR), especially if this is your first card. Conventional churning wisdom would tell you to apply for this and another Chase card, but if you have no credit history, go for one at a time, and this is an easier approval than other premium cards.
Chase Southwest Premier – This card is currently offering 50,000 points after $2,000 in spending. If you get this with the Plus, you’d be on your way to earn the vaunted Companion Pass which is crucial for saving tons of money on domestic traveling.
Chase Southwest Plus – This card is currently offering 50,000 points after $2,000 in spending and it will go a long way towards the Companion Pass.
These two categories are very similar because of the flexibility URs provide. For this last slot, I’d go for British Airways (even though it’s outside 5/24) or the Ink, if you have a small business.
If you are over 5/24… Or close
Interestingly, the cards which currently fall outside the 5/24 rule are a lot of Chase’s hotel co-branded products. As a churner, I’d say go for two at a time if you can handle the spending.
British Airways – Very good for domestic short-medium haul traveling in most of the continents where One World has partners. Currently at 50,000 points for spending $2,000 and then 25,000 more for spending a total of $15,000 in a card member year.
Chase Hyatt – One of the best hotel credit cards in the business, offering 2 nights at any category Hyatt worldwide, as long as there is availability. Using this at high category hotels is highly recommended. Spending is also really low at $1,000 in three months.
Chase IHG – The sign up bonus fluctuates between 50 – 80,000 points (currently at 70,000). The sign up can be stretched for several nights or just 1 or 2 at a top tier IHG property, but the best part about the card is the annual certificate. You pay the annual fee of $49 and it can be used at any IHG. Great deal.
Chase Fairmont – This card was a recent acquisition of mine, having had most of the Chase products in the past 24 months. The sign-up is two nights at any Fairmont hotel (most are pretty expensive). The only catch is that there are black out dates–usually around holidays. See them here. If you have a specific use, then go for it, otherwise, hold off.
Hopefully this helps you prioritize your applications if you fall in, or outside the 5/24 rule. As we move forward, I’ll continue to update this page with cards that fall into the 5/24 rule.
-The Miner
[Disclosure: I may earn compensation if you click on any external links]. | {
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About Black Bears
The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) is the most common bear in the United States and the smallest of the three bear species found in North America. The last known grizzly bear in Colorado was killed in 1979 and while it is possible that a few secretive grizzlies remain in Colorado, it is increasingly doubtful with each passing year and it can be assumed that any bear you see is a black bear, regardless of its’ color.
The estimated statewide black bear population was updated in 2012 to around 16,000 animals. The estimated population in North America is around 900,000.
Although classified in the order Carnivora, they are omnivores, eating both plants and animals. Black bears are intelligent, creative and resourceful. Bears in general have the highest brain-to-body mass ratio of all carnivores and black bears are inquisitive, adaptive, intelligent animals that show insight and planning. They are remarkably tolerant of people. Bears are generally shy and wary, and prefer avoiding people as much as possible.
BLACK BEARS AT A GLANCE
Color: In southwest Colorado, 90% of black bears are some shade of brown. They may be cinnamon, honey-colored, reddish, blonde, black or brown. Individuals may change color drastically from year to year, or even in a period of months. See photos of color variation of local bears
Size: Black bears average three feet tall when standing on all four feet and five to six feet tall when standing upright.
Weight: On average, adult male bears weigh 275 pounds and females 175 pounds. Depending on the time of year, food supply and gender, they may weigh anywhere from 100 to 450 pounds. They are typically at their thinnest in early spring and at their highest weight in late fall. People tend to overestimate the size of black bears.
Sense of Smell: Astounding. Their sense of smell is seven times better than a bloodhounds and 100 times better than a human’s. They live by their noses and can smell chicken cooking on an outdoor grill from many miles away.
Eyesight: Keen, similar to humans. Bears see in color, have good close-up vision and their night vision is excellent.
Attributes: They can run in bursts up to 35 mph, climb trees with great ease and are strong swimmers. Black bears are incredibly strong. They are shy, their normal response to any perceived danger is to run away. Bears have great memories, handy for remembering the locations of food sources and they have remarkable navigational abilities. Black bears have individual personalities. They are not nocturnal animals, but use the evening hours to avoid people. They are slow reproducers.
Lifespan: Black bears can live 25 years in the wild, but rarely live that long. Bears in hunted populations rarely live to be ten years old, often living only four to five years. | {
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Australia vs India Live Streaming 1st T20 Cricket Match
Vs
Description
Australia vs India Live Streaming: Australia will play against India for 1st T20 in India tour of Australia tournament. This T20 is scheduled to play on 26 January, 2016 at : 07:38 GMT. Venue for this cricket match is: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. India tour of Australia begins from January 12, 2016 and ends on January 31, 2016.
If you looking for Australia vs India - India tour of Australia free live streaming link, then you have come to the correct place. You can watch a live online stream of Australia vs India - India tour of Australia right here as we provide link to the official streaming source. There is no need to look around internet or search plenty of websites. The links and sources to see this game completely free online for all India tour of Australia matches - Australia vs India can be viewed here.
Tickets for India tour of Australia are available for all Australia and India matches online. Purchase Australia vs India game tickets and watch cricket action as it happens at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.
How to watch Australia vs India Online - India tour of Australia
This match will be telecasted on Sky Sports 1 tv channel as Sky Sports 1 is the official broadcaster for India tour of Australia. | {
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The story I'm getting is that it barely appears before the LXX, and the NT seems to introduce a new usage (in place of other words for love).
BDAG wrote:this term has left little trace in polytheistic Gk. lit. ... Its paucity in gener. Gk. lit. may be due to a presumed colloq. flavor of the noun
Nygren wrote:the double spell cast upon us by tradition and language is broken as soon as we realise that Eros and Agape have originally nothing whatever to do with one another
(Really, nothing? Perhaps nothing except semantic domain overlap?)
Leon Morris wrote:You can find it a few times in the Old Testament, where as a matter of fact it seems to mean pretty much what eros means; it seems as if when the translators of the Old Testament into Greek came up against a word for romantic love they avoided eros because of some of the associations it had in the areas in which they lived, and so they used another word, and they dug up agape. It's used in one or two writers with a biblical slant, and that's it. It is not found in the whole, vast range of Greek literature before the New Testament, other than just these few, odd places. But in the New Testament, it is the characteristic word for love. If you come up against the noun 'love' in your translation of the New Testament, it is a stone cold certainty that the Greek is 'agape.' That is the one word that the New Testament writers use for love.
Moulton+Milligan in 1930 wrote:Ἀγάπη is in any case a back-formation from the verb, replacing the older ἀγάπησις, and originating doubtless in a restricted dialectic area.
Moulton & Milligan have your answer there. It's a back formation from the verb ἀγαπάω. At the point of the LXX it was a recent coinage--if you look at LSJ, you'll see the LXX is the first entry. LSJ orders citations by date, so you know that everything that comes after the first citation is equal in age or newer.
Now...if you want information about its etymology, you can go to the etymology ἀγαπάω--*αγα is a old Greek intensifying prefix and the root *πα likely meant something like 'protect' in the context of similar Sanskrit formations and the Greek verb ἐμπάζομαι. The reconstructed IE root is *peh2. That's all from Beekes (2010), but the reconstruction isn't viewed as confident. | {
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Migos Tour Bus Pulled Over, Three Charged for Drugs
Busted!
Migos may ride a little differently after this one. They found themselves held up by the police after someone tipped authorities off about possible illegal substances in the group’s possession.
The cops hauled off with 26 ounces of codeine and Xanax alongside a little less than a pound of weed after they stopped Migos’ tour bus this week. Pulling the group’s bus over in North Carolina, authorities caught three entourage members slippin’.
In connection with the ounces of illegal drugs, NC officers arrested one person, who is still unnamed, for felony possession of marijuana and misdemeanor possession of codeine. Meanwhile two others, who are also unidentified, were cited for marijuana, codeine and Xans.
According to TMZ, Quavo and Takeoff were in the clear during the bust, leaving the stop without any trouble. Offset was reportedly not at the performance nor on the bus at the time of the search.
While the group left North Carolina unbothered, the Georgia natives should really be more careful. Around this time last month, reports that they were being accused of inciting a dangerous riot sparked. According to Page Six, Albany Basketball & Sports Corporation, owners of the Washington Avenue Armory, is suing Migos for “encouraging, cheering and inciting the patrons to fight” during a performance which took place about three years ago. The concert in question took place in Albany, New York and resulted in numerous concertgoers getting harmed.
Damages
Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Just within NY’s statue of limitations for filing personal injury and property damage claims, the suit is the result of a March 2015 concert gone terribly wrong. Quavo, Takeoff and Offset allegedly agitated fans by arriving late (with a crew “that appeared intoxicated, wreaked of marijuana and reportedly under the influence of other controlled substances”) and under the influence of weed and alcohol themselves.
The documents insinuate that had the trio not prompted fans to “fight, ‘give them hell’ and kick a**,” there would have been no violence. As the suit — which is seeking damages for a yet-to-be-revealed amount — puts it, the “riot” started by the rap group “caused patrons to be stabbed, robbed, beaten, severely harmed and injured as the defendants continued to incite a select group of individuals to continue the onslaught of attacks, assaults and destruction of the premises.”
The allegations also state that Migos skipped out on a meet-and-greet, which fans paid for prior to attending the show. The meet-and-greet supposedly started 9 p.m. but the group arrived hours later. Aside from being late, the rappers’ behavior was found to be unacceptable.
“Despite the severity of the incident the defendants were seen laughing and egging the crowd on as metal gates were ripped from the ground and thrown into the crowd,” the paperwork goes on.
Though the amount is undisclosed, it is assumably six figures or more. The company’s leaders allege that the fiasco lead the venue to lose its liquor license and acquire bills for canceled shows and fixing property damage alongside garnering tons of bad publicity.
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Why All The Dan Brown Hate?
I just recently read and enjoyed Dan Brown’s latest book, Origin. I noticed that a couple of times I had a bit of awkward guilt when I told people that I enjoy Dan Brown. But after a while, I thought: Why? Why do I care? I’m just going to go out there and say it: I love reading Dan Brown books, and I am not ashamed! They are fun, entertaining, and some of the best page-turners I’ve ever read. Dan Brown sure knows how to end a chapter on a cliffhanger, and make you read another 50 pages when you’d planned to go to sleep.
Basically, I feel like Dan Brown gets a lot of unnecessary slack. It takes me reading a new book or stopping and thinking just how much I enjoyed Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code to remember this. There are always lists of books such as ‘100 Books to Read Before You Die’ that include The Da Vinci Code, which results in a lot of angry comments from people claiming it shouldn’t count.
So why do so many people claim to hate Dan Brown?
Of course, there was the giant scandal that was the release of The Da Vinci Code. It’s fiction, people! I was around 15 when I read The Da Vinci Code and I loved it! It was one of the best adventure books I’d read to date and I loved learning about the history of places that Langdon visits on his travels. But even as a teenager, I was well aware that the whole Holy Grail thing was just fiction. A lot was clearly made up for plot, because that’s how fiction works!
Dan Brown takes real-life locations and often objects and then creates fictional stories based on them.
It’s really not a hard concept. Michael Crichton did similar things. When reading a Michael Crichton book, you’re definitely going to learn some fun things, while also being aware that he has created various things for fictional entertainment. For example, in Jurassic Park, the setting is Costa Rica. The book opens with a whole lot of interesting facts about the island of Costa Rica and the animals that live there. However, then the book goes on to be about genetically engineered dinosaurs. Which is clearly fiction.
Many people say they don’t like Dan Brown’s writing, or that they think it’s poor. Well here’s the thing: he sells millions of copies of each book, so clearly a lot of people enjoy his writing enough.
There’s a very impressive skill that Dan Brown has, and that is creating tension and the need to keep reading. As previously mentioned, his books are some of the strongest page-turners I’ve ever read. They also have one of my favourite things: tiny chapters. I love books with tiny chapters! It makes me feel so much more accomplished as I whiz through them, and also, more often than not I actually do read them faster as the whole “I’ll just read one more chapter … oh this next one is only 3 pages, I’ll just read another chapter…” mentality kicks in.
Dan Brown clearly puts a lot of research into his novels. He travels to the places he mentions and researches even the tiniest things so that he can throw it into a sentence by way of explaining a location, character, or even some non-essential dialogue.
If anything, they’re slightly formulaic. This can be seen in the way that Langdon is sent to a certain location, or asked to attend a conference, shit goes down, and he must essentially save the world/humanity etc. All of this with the help of his eidetic memory and his knowledge of symbols. There is also always a female companion of some sort. Similar to James Bond, Indiana Jones and Doctor Who.
But hey, if you’ve got a formula that works, keep it!
Thoughts on Origin (Robert Langdon #5)
I gave this book a 4/5 stars on my Goodreads. Basically, this book was so close to getting a 5, as I absolutely loved most of it, until around the three-quarter mark. I feel like there was such a gigantic lead up to things for the whole book, it also destroyed the climax a little bit. That being said, the climax was still entertaining and fun, and the rest of the book ended well for me.
As Robert Langdon is so clearly based on Indiana Jones, there are always certain things that are always guaranteed. Mostly, there will be an attractive female who will go on the adventure with Robert Langdon. These characters are not necessarily love interests, but there’s always some kind of attraction. In this case, the female lead was a character called Ambra Vidal. I must say, she’s probably my favourite of these characters. She was smart, but not so smart that it’s thrown in your face, she was entertaining, she got stuff done, but also, she had an amazing job. I loved Ambra, and I wish I could meet her in real life!
I will definitely be continuing to read Dan Brown’s books as they come out as I always know that by reading them, I am guaranteed a fun, suspenseful, page-turning adventure novel, set in awesome locations. And there’s nothing wrong with that! | {
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Shooting Challenge: 24 Retro Shots That Took Us Back… Vote For Your Favourite!
It’s Gizmodo Australia Shooting Challenge prize time! There are some amazing photos in this bunch of entries, now we need you to vote on who wins the Samsung Galaxy Camera!
Note: In the interests of fairness, voting has been restricted to one per user, based on cookie and IP.
IMPORTANT
Voting closes at 10am on Thursday, August 1
Prizes
Styled to look like the old Olympus Pen F from the 1960’s, the brand-new Olympus PEN E-P5 is a retro masterpiece. Packing the same 16-megapixel Micro Four-Thirds sensor from the beloved Olympus OM-D, the E-P5 is really something to behold. The new Olympus Pen E-P5 is slimmer and smaller than the OM-D, but retains much of bigger camera’s fantastic functionality.
The new, top-of-the-range E-P5 is also packing a high-resolution, 3-inch tiltable touchscreen on the rear with 1.03 million dots so that your image preview looks as gorgeous as the subject matter. Focus peaking on the E-P5 also makes an appearance, showing you exactly where the optimal focal point for your image is before you snap it. It can manage all this thanks to a souped-up new processor inside the camera that makes everything much snappier.
The E-P5 also packs better Wi-Fi connectivity than ever, with an app now allowing you to view, sync and shoot images remotely from a tablet or smartphone, effectively setting your photos free.
The new Olympus E-P5 is the perfect addition to your digital life, and we’re excited to give two away over four weeks to Gizmodo Shooting Challenge faithful. You’ll be playing for an Olympus E-P5 single lens kit, which includes the Olympus PEN EP-5 body in silver, with an Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm II wide-angle zoom lens. The prize pack is valued at $1199, and we can’t wait to give them away!
We had an amazing number of entries into this week’s competition and the race is going to be a close one. Check out the images and vote on your favourite!
This Week’s Entries
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Ben Shaw
Spent all weekend racking my brain for something, only to come home and notice this little guy on my desk, a gift from a friend’s recent trip to India. Desaturated the background a bit hoping I could make “messy desk” stand in for “busy Mumbai St”.
Sony Rx100, f2.8 @ 1/30 ISO500
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Brett Harrison
I took this shot on Sunday of my sons footy team playing in brilliant sunshine but on a ground that was appallingly muddy.
It’s slightly blurry, slight overexposed, and has a footy field so soaked you can see a seagull has stopped to watch the game as well. I rounded the corners and It reminded me of photos my parents took of my brother in the 1970’s.
You just don’t see these conditions anymore on the footy on TV, you have to go local to go retro.
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Brett Masters
These are a couple of my old loved cameras that fit the retro theme to a T. The spectra hasn’t been used in a long while, the Canon FT is still excellent, solid, heavy body, though because it takes film it doesn’t get used as much as it should, impatient for results!
The photo was taken down my local, I needed a setting that matched the charm of the cameras.
I used my Panasonic DMC-FZ200 with tripod and macro mode to shoot. 500 ISO, F2.8, 1 sec exposure.
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Carlie Dalitz
Duet. The old and the new. I love the concentration on 6-month-old Lucinda’s face as she adds interesting harmonies to Dad’s 12-bar-blues. This moment is best seen and not heard 😛
Taken on Nikon D40, edited in Lightroom.
ISO 800, 55mm, f/5.6, 1/10 sec.
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Christopher
In the middle of vacation and remembered the retro photo contest so I snapped a picture of this war era truck after several strong drinks.
Cole Barnett
Growing up I spent a lot of time in and around the water, and this shot of an old rope swing dangling over the river brings all those memories of summer by the water with family and friends back into my mind.
Taken on my Pentax K-30 on Saturday with the iso at 100 and f/5.6 at a modest 1/100th of a second.
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David Di Troia
This is our old Stacked Hi Fi setup. Bought in the early to mid 80’s. we later added a CD Deck [Yamaha]. I only ever use it to play vinyl. When lit up and in a dark room it looks pretty cool especially he graphic equalizer.
Too the shot on my iphone 5, with the default camera app, with the grid and HDR options enabled but no flash. Used a LED light behind to give some extra light. then cropped and edited in Camera+ used the Lo-Fi filter a bit to darken it.
It’s a bit cramped in there so it was hard to get a better shot. Please note that AKAI and TEAC at the time were name brand Japanese manufacturers, and not the re-badged crap they are today. I believe you can still find some of their products overseas.
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Gabriel Feng
I have some of these old coke glass bottles and old fan at home that I thought would be retro enough. Whats more this is shot using an Asahi SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 lens circa 1972.
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Gethin Coles
A last minute scramble to submit something had me reaching for the most retro bit of camera kit and the least retro member of my family. This is Pepper, and she made me show her how the camera worked. After clicking away for 5 minutes she said: Can I look at the pictures? It was hard for her to grasp that there was no screen to see what she’d just photographed, let alone the concept of film and delayed gratification. Whilst I was at it thought I’d throw in a nod to the next generation: camera implant anyone?
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Ian Robertson
Nikon D800
Tokina 16-28 F2.8
8 Seconds, F16, ISO 160
Adobe Lightroom
These are 300B triode valves, first manufactured in 1938 and often used in high end audio amplifiers. I had to be very careful shooting these, as they are quite expensive and they balance precariously on their ends. One wrong move and they could have all ended up in pieces.
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Jack Ross
Olympus OM-D E-M5, M Zuiko 15-50mm lens, ISO 1600 with flash
Nothing beats retro more than playing your old consoles, and if it’s going on display, nothing beats Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Unless it’s the mega drive, with Sonic the Hedgehog. Or even the Ol’ Atari 2600 with 32 games in 1! Which, quite literally, was the only game I ever had on that as a kid.
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James Smith
This is a shot that I took of my son over the weekend. He’s just turned 4 months old and I really wanted to capture some great images of him. I was lucky enough to have a friend who lend me his D800 to use. It was a RAW shot that I’ve edited in Aperture to give a retro feel.
Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikon Nikkor 50mm
Aperture: 1.8
ISO: 2000
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Jorge Archila
I totally forgot about the shooting challenge this week, so I grabbed my camera and went hunting for something retro. There’s nothing retro in my house, so I drove over to my gf’s house who’s parents have mounds of cool retro stuff everywhere, including this fully working vintage phone (which I think has a face) and took a few snaps with my Canon 500D. Basically wanted to focus on the dial wheel, so I set my 50mm lens to f1.8 at 1/60 at ISO400. Then I did a few layers of filtering in Lightroom 4 to give it that retro sort of look.
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Joshua Irving
Taken with a Nikon D3100 With kit lenses 18-55. Read the brief about the Atari 1600 and decided to do something similar with a different console. Always played on one of these whenever I had the opportunity and still play the games regularly now.
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Mikey Yeung
It’s the final hour of the final day of this round of entry. I want the damn camera that Gizmodo is offering. I want it bad. I need something to submit, and my wife says “Noooo don’t take a photo of meeeee…” so what can I do? I have nothing retro on hand besides these glasses and my bedsheet, so I did a double exposure combining an emo self portrait with the texture of my bedsheet. I think the look is retro but seriously, what the hell is retro? Anyways, clock is ticking.
Phillip Jenkins
For this challenge, I didn’t have to look to far. I captured my sons empty sandpit and abandoned play items in the rear yard. I believe that it captures the idea that children once played for hours outside, rather then the digitalised entertainment now found indoors.
Shot hand held at this low angle and processed in Lightroom 4. Gave it a desaturation, added grain, a little split toning and a light leak feature. I haven’t attempted this style before, so thank you for what I learnt in shooting and processing.
Sony A65, SAL1650, 16mm, ISO200, f4, 1/100sec.
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Rhett Leech
I wanted to shot something cinematic with my beloved Sankor 16C 2x anamorphic projector lens. I got an idea from the “Run Run” LG TV ad with the samurai riding a horse on the beach. I wanted to stage two street samurais (hoodies with katanas) fighting on the beach, but with the weather bad there was no chance i was going to convince my friends. So I went out to Lake Eppalock in the bad weather with a Frankenstein lens combo in hand to plan and frame the unlikely shoot. Well while I was there I like the shape of a tree by the waters edge and remembering your retro comp I went screw it putting a TLR in the tree and snapped this shot. To create this shot I attached a old 16mm 2x anamorphic projector lens to the front of a USSR zeiss clone using a specific clamping solution from Vid-Atlantic. This setup requires both the attached and taking lenses to be focused together, which is lots of trail and error. In post I vertically squeeze by 50% to correct the aspect. Because shooting this style creates a unique soften image I followed a youtube tutorial to apply a grunge look to bring back detail. I love the end result of anamorphic but the time and effort means I never actually do it.
Robby Dalitz
Bath time. Loving the water in this pic and the hand reaching towards the rubber duckie. This scene could have been seen any time from when rubber ducks were popularised by Jim Henson in 1970 until now – pretty retro right?
Taken on Olympus OM-D E-M5
ISO 500, 21mm, f/4.1, 1/60 sec
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Roger Stonehouse
Retro Games! My favourite sort! Can’t beat that old school feel when you boot up an old cartridge and see the games flicker on screen.
These electronics were made to last. The TV in this shot was my parents’ old 12″ triniton, I think it’s as old as I am. It still works well! Also my very own Super Nintendo is still chugging along (I got on it my seventh birthday).
Rojith Stanly
My prized MJ cassestte that I bought when I was 13.
Its the ‘greatest hits’ and you can play this all day without forwarding a track.
Best part is it still works like a charm.
Any MJ fans out there? Vote for me!
With the retro theme, I thought of walkman first but the cassette has a bit of personal touch. I gave the photo a vintage look in PS Express. My name is slightly visible on the cassette. I used to lend them to friends and ensure I got it back. But now I wouldn’t 🙂
Shot on Canon 500D, manual mode, ISO 400, 18-55mm kit lens, I wanted to give a soft blur to everything else and highlight the cassette.
My dad’s first camera was an Olympus and he always raves about it. Also, his photos can prove it too. I would love to have the PEN E P5 as my walk around camera as my DSLR can get a little tiring.
I believe this is a great camera and love the retro look with all the innovative features. Another big(!) plus, I love all the stylish leather accessories that I can get for this camera. Want one, yes please!
Have a nice weekend guys!
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Sebastian Figg
Canon 5D mk3 with canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro.
Photo of an old Polaroid 640 I brought when I was in america late last year, I found it in a charity store (called Goodwill) and wondered what it had seen in its life since it was made? How many hands has it passed through before it came to mine?
I like this photo because of its simplicity, relating to how simple the cameras used to be compared to what they are now.
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Simon Sheldon
This is a kind of double retro, not only are the scales retro the photo was taken on film (that’s why there is no Exif data). This was taken at the Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne, very early saturday morning at my favourite vegetable stall. The camera was my Canon VT rangefinder, with an early serenna 50mm 1.8. The film was Illford XP2, set to 400ASA, exposure was 60th of a sec at f2.0.
The Canon VT is an unusual camera, it has a trigger film advance built into the base for taking rapid shots.
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Tony Rashleigh
Meat Safe before power!
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Zachary Chow
Took this photo of an old truck named Simon in the wee hours of the morning when driving to Sydney from Melbourne. I used an Olympus OM-D E-M5 with the 12-50mm kit zoom. I’m new to photography so I don’t know any techniques. Just pictured this scene and shot! 🙂
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About the Author
A self-professed gadget lover and nonsense talker geek, Luke Hopewell sits in the editor chair at Gizmodo Australia. He loves anything that switches on, does internet or goes fast. He picked up a Best New Aussie IT Journo Award in 2010 and if you stick around long enough, you’ll find Luke on your telly, too. | {
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The Days of Our Ridazz.
NOTE: All timestamps are in the future because WE are in the future. The care takers of Midnight Ridazz.com reserves the right to remove, edit, move or delete anything for any reason. None of the opinions expressed on these boards represent the Midnight Ridazz nor can anyone purport to speak on behalf of Midnight Ridazz.
"Creative sharpie tattoos have given way to repetitive penis drawings. Stenciling shirts on rides grew to just splattering the crowd with paint. Pizza box fires immediately stamped out by the masses have become burning piles of shopping carts. The F.U.N. that C.R.A.N.K. MOB, pizzawolf, and others brought to Midnight Ridazz has become self destructive. FUNarchist Bike Movement is reintroducing many classic LA bike culture rides to remind us of the fun of friends, biking, creativity, and being silly! And the excitement of getting people on bikes, exploring new places, and meeting new people. FUNarchist Bike Movement isnít about recreating the past. Itís about stepping back in line with a culture that has potential for growth. So that one day bikes can out number cars on the streets of LA. And we can all have Too Much FUN getting there. -FUNdictator 2012 PS. fuck bike time. Funarchist Bicycle Movement."
"Itís about stepping back in line with a culture that has potential for growth. So that one day bikes can out number cars on the streets of LA."
-What / who's culture do we speak of?
-And safe streets for whom?
Essentially, it would be nice to have some clarity on this continual attitude toward "other" behaviors. To keep reading and hearing this narrative over the years about a past time or a way of being, does not do justice to the racial and classist elements that existed at that time (and still do). Moreover, it doesn't account for the reality that a far more privileged group was condemning others (explicitly or not). In the past latin@s were targeted (eg Kushtown), many times indirectly and subtly, about their behavior. What has never been discussed fairly is how one group rarely did things that were substantively different than the other (pizza boxes vs shopping carts, really?); It just seems as if one behavior is sanctioned, so to speak. Many long-term respected ridazz have affirmed this sentiment off-line as it were. And here, again, we keep getting this point presented whether overtly or not, that we need to return to that "culture".
Was that past the golden age of inclusion and a high point for racial discourse nor acceptance / acknowledgment of white privilege in the bike scene? Has it ever felt like in order to have F.U.N. you had to be like such and such group. Many might not see the problem, but there is a real internalization that occurs when POC want to have F.U.N., in that we have to end up becoming like you. An image, way of being, was so hyped, pushed, presented and manufactured around town. It may not be as much of problem, except that the variations get relegated to not of the F.U.N. variety. It creates pressure none the less, and it pushes people to feel like they have to dress the part, etc. Over the years of watching POC mold themselves into that image, while this narrative was being kicked, had me wondering if the pressure to be included was part of it.
L.A., esp, Latin@ and black culture had an identity, we've been having FUN. We didn't need glitter, leotards, shaving cream, and tall bikes. Do your thing, but why continue to present it as if others have threatened your monopoly on F.U.N. And even more troubling is that it seems to be equated with culture. It seems unfair and alienating to suggest that there was a time when we we're ever in line with a "culture". Can that suggestion be offensive? Maybe cultures were ignored. If the FUNarchist qualm is valid and some culture was present, have we asked ourselves if there is a colonizing element in all this? Did we ask what the locals wanted? Did we do outreach? Or did we just take over the/their streets? And then,lets be honest, in many instances the local's behavior were condemned. Did we really try to understand others, or did we just act like they were wrong?
There is a strange relation to what has been occurring in the bike scene that seems to dabble in the area of that white savior mentality. Somehow we were going to bring the city what it has always needed -- "so that one day bikes can out number cars on the streets of LA". Clearly, you're just fighting for what they want, right? Clearly, not just what "you" think is good for them. I've wondered are we unknowingly pressuring a new culture upon some? Is there a colonizing element to that? Is there something wrong in that?
Again, what culture do we really speak of? And why is it worth saving? Why should we give a fuck about that culture? Did you give a fuck about other people's culture before you glittered bombed their neighborhoods? Or like the paint splattering jerks you speak of, are you just that former representation? Are they essentially burning pizza boxes at your front door? Your ability to push against that behavior is something of a privilege, to be able to commit oneself to massive amounts of rides, creativity, and leisure are privileges.You'll be able to counter the threats to "your" culture. Sometimes others only have the energy and privilege to adapt.
And sure, we all can grow, push ourselves, and aim for amazing new collective potential. Some will focus on burning pizza boxes, others might focus on shutting down the pizza industrial complex :P
GIVE PIZZA CHANCE
I'm saving this thread. A lot of good points were brought up but at the very least give the original poster a chance to respond, because, and this is really irrelevant, but he's been a pillar of "this" community, the Midnight Ridazz world, and a friend to you Mark for a few years, and your views align a lot more than just this thread would like to indicate.
respond to what?
I'm down with pizza.
Well, I guess I'd argue that I'm not sure pizza can be racist unless it had the power to benefit from its prejudices.
Whatevs, I debated about posting this but its been something some of us have been talking about for years. Posting as such doesn't make much of difference, this is really one small part of whats on my radar, whether people disagree or not. I think sometimes we need to acknowledge the multiple narratives.
I come to respect what the various groups have contributed. There are real challenges that I think would be unfair to ignore on all ends. Multiple narratives will tell a fuller story of what has happened in the past decade. This is just one part of them, that if no one else has reason to post or agree with, then, fuck it, I did. I know where it comes from and the many conversations I have had within the bike scene and outside.
To some the above might resonate to others it may not. The question is whether we can move forward to that potential collectively and in a way that is open to some of the realities outside the bike scene?
I mean if pizza is the end, then right on. This will just be added to the database for LAPD to examine.
I see your point and don't think you are completely wrong, but I also think boiling it down to "racism" (or even classism) is too simplistic. I think, amongst other things, there is also the tension between what is basically a "pop" culture vs. various subcultures....
If we're talking about what is going to get people out on bikes, big, flashy rides clearly are not the only (or necessarily even the best) way. But they are a way. Faster rides also do it. Nerdy rides do it. Stoner rides do it. Daytime rides by nonprofits do it. There are many ways. That each constituency thinks theirs is the best and natural way is just, well, natural. Otherwise they wouldn't do it that way.
As to which way is preferred or given dominance, well, the history of MR plays into that (it started as a "party ride"). As do a lot of other things -- including, yes, race, class, etc. But, in the end, the flashy rides have to be more flashy because, well, they are flashy rides. That's how they work. I don't value them more, personally, and given lackluster attendance lately I don't think other people do either. Many "big" rides are not much bigger than many "small" rides. They just sometimes still seem bigger because they are more flashy. Bigger isn't really better anyway (at least, not for the kind of riding I like to do).
That all being said, I don't live in a value-free world. I do think some actions are creative and some destructive. And I don't think it has anything to do with race; I can name rides led by either white hipsters or people of color that typify each extreme. And I think that is what Pizzadude was trying to get at. His particular examples might've been somewhat ill-chosen in this respect (though I must admit I didn't catch the references; I'm a bit out of the loop on who is doing what), and maybe it wasn't 100% innocently so. But I know that wasn't the intention.
Myself, when someone talks about the rise of destructiveness and divisiveness in the bike community these days, I certainly don't think of Kushtown (or whomever). My mind goes to the rise of the "bike punk" archetype, which I see as imported from other towns rather than homegrown and pretty boring creatively and culturally. I already know what it looks like. And their form of inclusiveness is indeed rather normative. I'm not trying to start any beef here, but that's my reading of it. Certainly, other people seem excited about all that. More power to them.
Really!
Because, in the end, I don't see it as an either/or but rather a both/and kind of situation. People should certainly be a little less quick to judge those different than themselves, and we can all (including certainly myself!) perhaps do a little better at that. But, at the same time, I think we can cut someone trying to do something ambitious here a little slack, can we not? I think he's trying to add to the options, not shut them down.
Ugh. Now I am feeling pretty much instantly bad about getting down on any particular group. Sorry about that. I guess I just see it a little bit like the situation with hardcore punk. It tends towards reduction and "purification" rather than expansion and inclusiveness. That doesn't necessarily mean its a bad thing, even though it is admittedly just not quite my bag. I dunno. I get on my high horse sometimes. In the end, my point was trying to be: do your thing.
just to note, I didnt use racism or say it boils down to classism, but I did say there were classist elements in the past. Also meant that in the past Kushtown was targeted. I think there are mistakes we made as a whole, or at least things we could have done better. I have no interest in shutting anyone down.
"Culture" is a loaded word. And most of my original post was asking about how we're supposed to think about that concept. How do we think about that concept given the realities of white privilege, class, and the like?
Its provocative, sure, but its not supposed to shut anyone down either.
If pizzadude wants to call it racism, that his use. Im not saying anything about racism.
Transplants are responsible (almost 100%) for the Leotardization(just made that word up I think) of bike rides in L.A., think about it.
Somehow they found each other, bought bikes at their nearest goodwill, and started throwing those glitter sprinkled rides(which I really enjoy every now and then). Again, think about it.
What's with burning shit, really? I never saw the point but, I guess some people think it makes them look cool or it goes with their homeless chic look(since bums set trash cans on fire on cold nights).
I can sense somebody coming back to L.A. to save us poor people from boredom.
Just my half a cent.
Well, you were the one who introduced the issues of race and class into the discussion. I assume this has to do with the examples he gave of what has replaced what he views as classic/valued bike "culture." I don't know what (if anything) specifically he is referencing when he talks about splattering paint or burning shopping carts or drawing penises, so I can't comment on the possible racist/classist judgments being made there.
Yet both because I have talked to him before about this and because of just how it read to me in itself, that didn't seem to be what he was doing. Rather, he was bemoaning what I agree is generally a lack of conceptual ambition in most rides today. Whether that is something to bemoan or not is definitely a matter of opinion. But I personally think its existence is a matter of fact. And it can be seen across races and classes (as can its opposite, when it appears).
And I am not sure where you are going with the argument that leisure is a privilege of the white man. Because, as you say, people of color were having fun before the white man came along with his glitter bombs (and which, ironically, is mostly associated in my mind with a specific woman of color).
So while I don't disagree that there are complicated issues of race and class tied up in Ridazz culture, I just don't see this specific series as particularly indicative of those problems. Again, possibly this is ignorance on my part. But it mostly seems like a negative reaction to an evangelical tone of delivery. And my point really was that that is just the typical tone for these types of events. Every big, crazy ride is the biggest, best, craziest ride ever. And that's cool, if that's what one wants. And it often seems like that is what people are most excited about. ("Exciting" things get people "excited.") But I don't think that is what people value most these days. So, yeah, the people (white or not) that organize these things DO have to make an argument for their relevance. That doesn't push other options to the side, necessarily. Nor is it a form of colonialism.
Listen, you brought up a point that I think is quite valid about the bike scene at large and I thought it deserved an earnest response. But really what I am saying is that I just think you do your argument a bit of harm by attaching it to this. I don't see it here. Sorry.
what triggered me to resist posting in the first place was that the use of "a culture" that has the potential for growth. Its as if the fact that we have so many more kids riding, pockets of small rides not even related to this site anymore on any given night.
And to posit this idea of "culture" is full of problems that I figured, fuck it, I'm going put this discussion out and see if it has a place in our scene.
JB, Let me also point out that like most attempts at challenging dominate culture we rarely have the recipe but rather tactics. Anyone who claims to have "the way" is suspect. However, there should be room for acknowledgment / room for issues like white privilege, class, and race. I mean, if FUNarchist is not just a play on (A), then there's usually room to acknowledge these issues in such circles.
On colonialism, there ways to colonize without militarism and there are ways we can push ourselves to think about the ways we can colonize given the ways, for example, we posit "value" on certain cultures and push for those we want to see more. Thats why i said, I wonder about this a lot, as a person within it. Maybe Im unfairly picking on a grammatical issue, but I do think that these issues are relevant in our scene.
I think we do more justice to honor that history presently, then to harken to a time where, like now, cultures were ridden through as if they were only backdrops to a more specific "bike culture".
So i want to add that even as a POC i have to understand how internalized white supremacy might affecting projects Im in, especially when I enter the world/areas of locals who are far more oppressed than me. Its not easy, but I think its a huge step if we acknowledge it and acknowledge it in our scene. Maybe our potential will go beyond just getting more folks on bikes.
maybe pizzadudes will find allies in the struggle if we continued to focus on the ways in which we reclaimed traffic space, and start to move beyond that in the way we think about punishment, justice, the police, and the state. We didnt ask them for our right to take to the streets, but still we ask them to exercise their monopoly on what is crime, punishment, and violence.
Just to clarify something and try to separate the larger part from, i guess, F.U.N. I don't think I said FUNarchist was or has been being racist or had classist issues. In my OP I was referring to the idea of going "back to a culture". I wondered, well, which one, and lets not forget we, as a whole, had other issues than ride style back then.
They/them/whoever they are create F.U.N and on that level, I'm not really interested; thats their speciality. They do it, and they figured out how to do it well. Anyhow, Im more interested in something outside pizzadudes. I think, maybe I'm wrong, we've reached a point where we can ask: what are we (group rides / bike culture/ pizzadudes) bringing into "communities"?
As one local union organizer told me about a different project, "there's a worry we're just eco-colonizing the area". There's a moral issue in the environmental movement that is very powerful. You have people who have a vision for sustainability, ecology, etc, that they believe due to its value and urgency, trumps the interests of residents. And some think that there is no social justice element in it, even though POC have largely been those destroyed in the process of destroying this planet. In short, they have control of a process that is large enough to fill their plate, so that they are able to ignore more the pressing needs of residents, which i think is to do that ecology trumps the past injustice to people.
Another extreme is the problem of trying to get people in other countries to care about the corporate issues while they're trying to avoid being killed. We have microcosms of that in our local communities. And i think it plays out when we treat the bike as an end and not as a tool.
Another aspect that was asked about is this idea of leisure and privilege. Again, in other circles (though I know it occurs here) we've talked in general about this Burning Man issue. Basically, a group of people invest months of energy and resources to pretty much party and develop their thing (culture?). Im not a burner, so i don't get it. Thats a sensitive issue, i know, because most really think they're doing something way more powerful in creating that way of life. Outside the philosophy of it all, when you have people in your communities struggling, this kind of activity and the resources poured into "that", starts to poke at the questions of: "what culture" and "for whom"? This is a kind of privilege many people i know could never take part in.
In a way, take that concept of a "Burner" and that whole movement, and imagined they collectively decided to just setup in some community and then claimed, "yo, we just want to talk and do bikes, bikes, bikes". As a resident it might not be unreasonable to think, well, I think you're bringing more than just bikes to the table.
With that, I think it can be harmful, in general, when we push for "a culture", and then posit that it is "that" culture, for whatever reason, has the potential for growth, even if that is limited to getting more people on bikes. Outside the quote from the profile, thats not an usual sentiment, so thats why I decide to use that instances to ask: what are we talking about in all this?
Overall, i think group ride are awesome, and great outreach tools; they bring people together. Are there ways we can be more conscious of that interaction with communities, in both what we can draw from it and acknowledge how we might be influencing it? It is here that I meant to say, I wonder if we could have done something differently in the past, and even now. With our various more community based regular rides, I think we get the community to show up. Its at that moment, I think we can error in trying to replace it with a different notion community, rather than finding out about the one we're in and trying to support that one.
As JB asked, well what can we do? I think we can start by asking our locals that question, or the people who show up to our rides. I think FMLY ride started along those lines, Im not sure where they're at now. But i recall they tried to find out about a community they were interest in first, and approached it as, "and we have this amazing bike thing we do, do you want us to do it here?". Maybe not that simple or accurate, but in a small way different than what we have done in that past, i think.
Multiple people have access to this account but I wrote that culture crap. It was meant to be followed by a list of rides we are hosting. I believe seeing that list of rides would answer your first question about culture. Your second question about safe streets is odd since I didn't mention that. Did you just copy/ paste an old writing? In any case, I withdraw my former statement and submit thisÖ
ďYo! Iím tired of leaving rides I co-founded because people are about to ruin my clothes/ costume by throwing paint or because I donít want to risk arrest for people making a stupidly big fire. Please cut that shit out on the rides Iím about to hostĒ.
Ps. FUNarchy has nothing to do with anarchy so we arenít ruining anarchy for anyone.
Given how this has triggered comments like 'white cheese is the right cheese', quit complaining, and no one gives a shit because we're busy having fun, I think it would be better to just be more straight-forward about what triggered the response to Funarchist making that statement.
The statement coming from this group was disappointing because I know that residents have given them a break as they've developed their style of culture within the neighborhood. I know theres a network within the Funarchist circle, so not everyone resides at the same place. Given what Im sure some of them already know about the parallels between Funarchist qualms toward those who might impose their kind of fun on its culture, and how folks in the community felt about the situation when they posted up in their hood, it just triggered, why would they keep saying stuff like that?
even if this refers to a conceptual art aspect, it already implies that the "bemoaning" is as if, for example, the increase of POC on bikes doing whatever they hell they want to do has no potential for growth. I wondered, does that mean the Ovarians have no potential or conceptual aspects in their rides?
Instead it is stated as if we're gonna get reminded what culture has potential from this group. Funarchist tried to diffuse the situation by suggesting its really just isolated to their rides and how people treat them. I guess that indignation is ok. But a different indignation is just complaining, calling people racist, and nothing to think about because people are too busy having fun. thats fine, i'll leave it alone from here on, i think I've said what I could to explain my part. i hope they have a successful series,they're really not my battle.
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In retrospect, I probably let my frustration get the best of me in the OP. I tried to present it more as "we", than "you", and I used "fuck" a couple times. I guess the tone was a bad move on my part. I had hoped it would have been a point to just give voice to some issues that exist in our communities and just ask if maybe we're making mistakes by trying to develop/posit culture/community within communities, and focusing on something we've tried calling bike culture/community. Moreover, why do we continue to create divisions when we know we have a strong influential voice?
The rise in what i think of as cyclist indignation has been something really strange to me. As an emerging powerful voice, ive been wondering if we could instead try to understand our communities better? Can we more intentionally help serve those community needs instead of the needs of a more abstract bike community? What kind of potential lies there? I think some are toying with that idea. The NELA art ride comes to mind, and of course Ovarians. But I lost that ability to have that conversation, and I'll accept that I screwed up.
I am still not sure what point you are trying to make, but I am now pissed off that you had to bring two amazing entities that did not ask to be included in your insane banter that tops crazy penis, poodles, and big fat gay al combined. Members of those entities, Ovarians Cyclists and Spoke 'n Art, did not ask to be included in this ranting of yours. So keep them out of it unless they speak for themselves.
You can whine about the angelopes all you want. That in itself amuses me. However, you just crossed the line by bringing something real into the discussion that did not ask to be there.
As you should well know by now, the Los Angelopes are just a figment of our imaginations. They post on facebook and go on trips to SF in the name of Ridazz without ever mentioning it here, except by "bikeowski" in last minute in attempts to find a ride. They don't really exist. Sure, you may see a posting for a ride once in a while that will invite the MR community at large into it's imaginary circle for a moment to share this elusive thing called "F.U.N." , but you won't remember anything the next morning. Furthermore, absolutely not one of them is a "P.O.C" as the "O.P." has most definitely differented himself as being one. Even though a lot of them happen to look Latino, African-American, or other minority races, they are merely the WHITE DEVILS that are plaguing the needs of the community bike scene at large... Just like BURNING MAN.
If the Ovarian Cyclists or the people who organize Spoke 'n Art have strong opinions or also agree that, "the FUNarchist postings on MR are non-inclusive and colonizing the culture of all the other bike communities", then please allow any of those members to do so on their own will.
Lastly, please shut the fuck up.
Thanks.
P.S. - I will take any criticisms of my post on another thread, email, phone call, or in-person discussion based on reality.
Iíve just been skimming but Iím confused by the talk of residents and communities not liking us but being accepting for now and us not being accepting of others coming into our group and having their fun. Am I reading that right? Do you even know who is posting this? Iíve started many of the paint fights. Iím asking myself to cut that shit out. And the other paint throwers know me and can throw paint on me if they donít like my statements. Have you really asked residents in my/our communities what they think? Because they are telling me differently. You question us (bikers?) even having a culture separate from everyone else then say we (bikers?) have a strong collective voice? I guess I shouldnít be skimming this if I actually want to reply. Try being even more straight forward(?).
First, thanks for replying. Ive been super worried after Joe's post that this was going into another direction.
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"Iíve just been skimming but Iím confused by the talk of residents and communities not liking us but being accepting for now and us not being accepting of others coming into our group and having their fun. Am I reading that right?"
No, im not saying that. Im not saying anyone is being excluded and unable to have their fun. I dont think Ive said people dont like you; you're obviously well liked. I think thats the positive aspect to this whole thing that Im trying to talk about--you have influence and draw power. As such your statements have that much more potential weight to influence others and how they perceive themselves and other groups.
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"Do you even know who is posting this?"
Let me point out that I could have made a huge mistake in my last post by, yes, assuming that I know you, or who you are. I tried to avoid that assumption throughout but I felt really pressured by some of the responses to give a better idea of why i was triggered by you. I was hoping to just isolate my personal experience, and just take the statement as something in itself. But again, it was never really supposed to be about you. Can i take a step back then and just accept that I fucked up in that assumption? And in that way, I apologize.
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"Iíve started many of the paint fights. Iím asking myself to cut that shit out. And the other paint throwers know me and can throw paint on me if they donít like my statements"
At this point I understand that there can be this more self-referential, or isolated play on the statement, thats why I felt like I wasn't trying to talk about you specifically. I did have to admit why it triggered me. In a way it doesn't matter whether "you" said it or not. i was trying to get past that and say, its a kind of an attitude or sentiment that seems to be playing out in other areas.
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"Have you really asked residents in my/our communities what they think? Because they are telling me differently."
im not sure what this refers to. I dont doubt people affirm or like what you do. As I said, you do that stuff well. I guess what Im suggesting is that when something amazing comes to town, it easy to see how people can love it. Im not questioning that. Im wondering whether that appreciation can keep us from asking whether we're understanding the value of the other cultures we're influencing, and if we might be (indirectly) changing them.
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"You question us (bikers?) even having a culture separate from everyone else then say we (bikers?) have a strong collective voice? "
yes, Im saying that we're creating a bike culture that has a strong collective voice. And I tried to piggyback off your claim about culture and potential. My worry is that "a" culture can be built and then placed into communities. It doesnt happen in a vacuum, i get that.
Here's an example that i think makes sense. Take some of the more recent developments with cyclists approach to police treatment and the indignation it arouses at times. It comes across as something new for some (how could you treat us this way?), when underprivileged communities have been experiencing that kind of treatment (and worse) for a long time.
Now, what worries me in that, is that our new found voice is used to help get our way, so to speak. So that when bones are thrown our way, we think, "yay, bike community progress, thanks for the support pd". But what happened to the realities that occur outside our "bike community", so to speak?
It can get complicated more so by the emerging voices and what communities and backgrounds they come from, so that as advocates or whatnot are also projecting a reality that is not inclusive of another's. Hence, if we move forward given a more class based reality (im not trying to argue what that is here) or lets say culture, and have a small empowered group making decisions for multiple communities, then are we dabbling in a kind of colonizing?
Whats tricky is that bike community, so to speak, doesnt emerge from some void. Its a collective, i think, of various community members. It seems to be taking on a kind of shape however, that dominate voices can win out, and dominate "cultures" can win out. In that way, I would rather us given us the new level of empowerment, try to talk about the ways we might be playing into dominance--again, your statement.
If that fair?
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"I guess I shouldnít be skimming this if I actually want to reply. Try being even more straight forward(?)."
I tried to note that my frustration probably got the best of me in the OP. And its not just frustration with what you said, but what I feel is going on at times that has nothing to do with you. I cant be any more straight forward regarding you because its not about you in any more way than Ive pointed out.
Mark, your tone is not what makes your posts problematic, and neither is the frustration that may drive it. The problem is that you are trying to take some really complex and sometimes contradictory social facts and cram them into a by-the-numbers Victim Studies 101 framework. And if generating narratives is your actual project, this may work for you; but as a way to actually understand any of it it's doomed to fail. This is where critical thinking comes in. I hope.
I think you're misinterpreting the pizza box and shopping cart. From what I see of FUNarchist's profile they just want to stop the escalation of getting more and more destructive and get back to presenting more fun to those who travel the streets of SoCal. It's all good from what I see.
I can't speak for FUNanarchist but I believe by culture they mean an all-inclusive bike community, and not just with regards to race, religion, social status, etc, but also all-inclusive for the various sub-cultures of cycling. Bringing back old rides of various speed and length is why I figure that.
And, clearly, safe streets for ALL. I don't see any hint of exclusions there.
Mark's not trying to lead shit, he's just OPENING HIS MOUF. Even FUNarchists themselves have come in to try and understand. Working towards an understanding is good thing. Dismissing Mark's statement as bullshit, is bullshit. Mark has some valid points that he wants to bring to attention. And dismissing these things is what IS ALREADY HAPPENING, and is exactly why he's bringing this shit up. His concerns are real, whether you like them or not. Agree with them, or not, he's not fabricating the bullshit he sees, like Loser1 did all the time.
On the contrary, Dak, some of his concerns are very likely imaginary--in more than one sense of that word. And if he presents them as facts, he and they will be rebutted just as they ought to be. Dot Com.
Bullshit. You can't tell someone how they see the world. Their perception is just as legitimate as anyone else. I just happen to agree with his concerns because I see them myself. Is it because we're drinking the same truth juice? I want to know where you get your rose colored punch.
I can't? Not even when they're adumbrating their view of the world right in front of me, and doing so in a way that seems to invite discussion--like, let's say, doing it in an Internet discussion forum? Not even then?
Their perception is just as legitimate as anyone else.
Well, that seems to contradict everything I've ever observed, heard, or read about human nature, but I'll bear that in mind next time I'm trying to debate a flat-earther about geography.
I don't understand the anger in response to Mark bringing up Spoken Art and the Ovarians. Both make a point of interacting with the community, and the Ovarians make a point of providing to the community, participating in the communcity, and that's a good thing...which is the only reason they were brought into the conversation.
I'm happy Mark brought up this conversation, although it may be misplaced as a direct response to FUNarchist. As someone pointed out, it's not a new conversation, but it's always a valid one. Just because we are a subculture that likes to think of itself as challenging mainstream culture doesn't mean we don't unwittingly fall into certain dominant culture-dictated patterns.
The one challenge I have for Mark is this: Why does every bike ride have to necessarily interact with a particular neighborhood or community? As long as a ride or a group of ridazz is not doing the neighborhood or community harm - which is in and of itself a complicated conversation, especially when you speak of things like gentrification or like being a tourist in/through a "different" community - isn't it okay that a ride is just a ride? Despite what MR says, every time we get on a bike, especially in groups, it's absolutely a political statement, and one which I wholeheartedly support. (As long as there's no glitter.)
No, you can't. You rather poke holes in writing style and technique, rather than come up with facts backing up your own beliefs. My points stand, though I could have been more elaborate and comprehensive. But then again, some smart-ass will just criticize the wordiness.
And yes, you rather belittle a flat-earther's belief with condescending bullshit than actually prove the world is round.
Can't win with someone always trying to win. I thought this was a discussion.
"privileging onegroup and their type of fun over another group and their type offun isdead on."
Anyone want to challenge thisor are we done here?
There's nothing there to challenge, yet. It's difficult to write a thoughtful rebuttal to a string of postcolonialist buzzwords. Perhaps md2 would be kind enough to tell us exactly *what* sorts of Other fun he believes are being marginalized , so that we can meaningfully get on to the whethers, hows, and whys?
If you are asking me to explain, I would be happy to. One example is precisely the example that FUNarchist brought up: One of the Westside rides culminated in burning shopping carts. Many of the rides involved throwing copious amounts of glitter that will run into the ocean. Many of the rides involve tagging. But these rides are held as bastions of FUN, whereas the Kushtown ridazz were regularly referred to as thugs or described using other barely-hidden racialized language.
Happy to discuss further, but I would prefer not to be responded to with the same sarcasm as Mark was or dismissed as too simplistic. If you disagree with me, please engage me with respect and as an equal.
FWIW, the only thing I give a shit about in the list of things that have happened on the Westside rides is the stupid ass glitter. The only reason I would potentially care about tagging or burning the shopping carts would be the potential to affect others on the ride by attracting the attention of the cops.
I'm asking Mark to provide examples, not of privileged fun but of Other(ed) fun. And, come to think of it, to give us his thoughts on how that sort of fun ought to be regarded, by the "privileged" or anyone else.
But since you brought it up, I disagree with your assertion that tagging, setting shit on fire, and leaving party favors behind are really held up as "bastions of FUN," or even that they're mostly seen positively by people in The Bike Scene other than the ones doing them. As far back as the early C.R.A.N.K. Mob rides,that sort of thing was being called out and criticized--sometimes right here in the (then very much alive) MR forum. And (granted, this is just anecdotal, but) when I hear about those kinds of things occuring on popular rides, it's rarely in the context of "did you hear, it was so awesome" but rather "this is why I/we don't go on party rides anymore."
I got the sense that Borfo was challenging my statement, so I wanted to add some more detail for him.
I'm not trying to be absolutist, I understand that there were challenges to the Westside rides. However, I stand by my comparison of the overall acceptance of one group / rides / fun as compared to another.
I don't think every ride needs to. As I mentioned to JB earlier in the discussion, I think there are different tactics. And yes, if anything I hope that one day Roadblock will just finally change the "Ridazz is" to include protest and political.
Generalizations are slippery. Period.
Generalizations about any group will have exceptions ... and more often than not. The generalizations about standout behavior always come down to a minority of individuals engaging in behavior that lots of lazy people prefer to conflate with the unremarkable behavior of the larger group.
While I have attended way fewer rides than many of you I have "tasted" all sorts of rides and have experienced them from many different perspectives.
I have seen just about everything on bike rides and parties with people who I ride bikes with. I've seen or been close to, every negative, hedonistic, stupid, and childish behavior mentioned above. And 99% of the time, it is a minority of people engaging in those activities. Often a very small minority. Yet whatever the the group, club, organization, class, age group, etc.. most people prefer to make generalizations and believe them.
I think its in our nature to stereotype and make generalizations about groups.
Its a short hand that helps us filter lots of information and make quick decisions without knowing an individual first hand.
Even though we all know at this point, and every person is an individual, Regardless of race, class, religion, job, sex, orientation, privilege, appearance, uniform, politic, ability, etc etc etc...
Even the most bigoted, chauvinistic person will admit that they have met somebody that defies the stereotype they hold on to.
Individuals as a whole are super fucking unique and complex and there is always much more below the surface than we time, energy or mental capacity to acknowledge.
The demographic of the Ridazz Cuture has expanded and evolved to be much more reflective of LA as a whole, and in that, has absorbed some of the very tensions, problems, and challenges of race, class, and privilege present in the larger culture.
Its an incredible opportunity for us, to continue to sustain, grow, and continue to inspire a social movement around bikes.
or it can be an opportunity to calcify previously held beliefs by continuing to generalize people as groups to avoid knowing them as individuals.
The choice is up to us. Whatever happens here eventually is by our collective doing as we engage in public events, those that show up, participate, and set the tone, will be the ones that set the direction for our grow and/or demise.
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That said, Its fucking RAD that FUNarchist is dumping energy into creating rides that seek to emulate the FUN and energy that inspired so many people to fall in love with riding a bike in the city. The poof will be the response and execution but I am really excited about the prospect.
And obviously a nerve has been struck somewhere in here which can only be a good thing for waking up the sleeping giant.
ride around....find a lone cyclist...yell "FRIEND FRIEND FRIEND"....introduce ourselves, escort that person to their destination and try to recruit them for future rides...pretty simple concept....whoever leads this....please do it old school style....no hijinx, no bullshit...just riding and escorting.....
We must hangout with different people then: "And (granted, this is just anecdotal, but) when I hear about those kinds of things occuring on popular rides, it's rarely in the context of 'did you hear, it was so awesome' but rather 'this is why I/we don't go on party rides anymore.' "
I've heard some might proud recounting of incidents mentioned or hinted at in this thread.
I'd say self-policing is important if we want sustainability, I've done it and may have to do it again. Vandalizing things is not proactive.
As far as deeper cultural and social ramifications in regards to organized bicycle rides/events I'm fuzzy on that one. I never felt like any groups was being excluded except all those "fixed only" rides, well no I take that back there was some Star Bellied Sneech antics I've seen here and there it can't be helped though, it's people. However, the bicycle scene or movement or what ever you want to call it has come from nothing to something huge in what 10 years or so? More good than bad out there that's for sure.
I'm just saying I'm pro bike and pro fun and pro pizza, sometime all at once.
Nothing against self-policing insofar as it reimagines how to deal with such issues without resorting to the same institutions.
Not saying people are excluded from rides (though it has happened, but why are we obligated, ya know?).
Recycling bottles and cans with a shopping cart and a cape, isnt too different than no cape. Sometimes we just need to recognize and respect that some have been doing that way before it was turned into an artform. Though it empowers one group, another group still has no idea that the world has even changed in that regard. Sometimes we just give voice to what others have and are doing, and remind that "they" too have had potential, and will grow, and will not always be ignored.
The bicycle may be a revolutionary act for some of us, but for others its just how its always been. Straight-up, Im down with pizza and doing crazy shit in the sewers and such, who hasn't wanted to be a Ninja Turtle?
PC, what if the conversation is more about acknowledging a kind of experience? And rather than who is right or wrong, how can we move forward acknowledging those experiences without dismissing them? Its not like we're dealing with issues that require major intervention (like rape).
no doubt Im partial to viewing the world from a particular framework, but in this case, yes, Im only referring to a narrative, and not making an argument. As I noted multiple narratives will help tell the full story. As of now, the environmentalism (w/o social justice) + class/privilege reality = eco-ing our society, seems to be playing out in a way that largely dismisses, in short, the indigenous realities.
Instead it reaffirms and empowers the people who benefited from the injustice without addressing those who were abused the most.
I want to infuse the social justice element in it, not to exclude those from other class or privilege, but so that they can acknowledge it, and try to make choices accordingly. You might not believe how often, directly, and explicitly that is resisted.
Asking for permission is a delicate issue but can work out very well if proposed right. Also getting everyone on the same page before you ride out has helped FMLY RIDE. This, of course, won't work for everyone since FMLY RIDE is more specific to FMLY principles. We are always here to help others with their rides too though.
PC, what if the conversation is more about acknowledging a kind of experience? And rather than who is right or wrong, how can we move forward acknowledging those experiences without dismissing them?
Then it would make it all the more important that the "kind of experience" about which we're having the conversation be brought to the front and center of that conversation. Perhaps with...oh, I don't know...examples, hypothetical or otherwise? Because I think the only thing about the conversation so far that is perfectly clear is this: nobody actually knows what the fuck we're supposed to be talking about. And now that you seem to have reconsidered whether this thread was the place to start it, we don't even have FUNarchist and his/her expressed worldview to use as a point of reference. So, I mean, we're really adrift at this point. Help us out.
In the quote you replied to, I used "conversation" specifically about the example Stephanie brought up.
----------------
Bike culture / community - does it exist? If it does who is part of it, who is not (yet), but who is it for? What is the scope of it?
Here are three, hopefully PC worthy, topics that I think are playing out around us. Again, as a new influential voice, can the bike community have a stronger aspects toward thinking about these issues (not every f-ing group needs to). But it seems fine to at least talk about it?
1) day-laborer cyclist. They ride for many reasons we dont. Where do they fit into bike culture? When we "find" them and invite them into our "community"/ "culture", what does that mean for them? Is our only role to facilitate bike rides and space to work on their bike? but if we claim they are part of our community, what about their other needs?
2) bike infrastructure/advocacy. Yes, everyone needs safer streets/ healthier communities, and some more than others. But how do you make communities safer without attracting people who otherwise didn't want to live there because it was less safe? How much of a role do residents have in that development? Who are making the decisions for those communities? progress in eco-ing neighborhoods seems good, but who gets to keep it in the long-run?
3) Eco-culture itself and bike culture within it. This area creates a lot of infuriating aspects as it relates to (1). You get eco-events etc that play into this talk about ecology as a strong moral issue, which it is. Who really benefits from that "moral" and "social" empowerment? Do the people that pick up your metal, cans, bottles, cardboard, etc get to feel like they're amazing contributors to society? Do they feel revolutionary? What is their experience? Are they even acknowledge or included? Are they talked about as highly as others? More importantly, do they get to help develop the culture or will they just watch the world change around them?
"Bike culture / community - does it exist? If it does who is part of it, who is not (yet), but who is it for? What is the scope of it?"
There are multiple bike cultures in Los Angeles, and while they sometimes overlap, they are still distinct. There's the late night social party ride culture (aka the midnight ridazz), the roadie culture (Velo La Grange, L.A. Wheelmen, etc.), the utility / necessity cyclists (the bike commuters, the day laborers, etc.), the bike advocate culture (LACBC, Bikeside, etc.), the bike co-op culture (Bikerowave, Bike Kitchen, Bike Oven, Valley Bikery, etc.), the community cycling groups (the East Side Riders, Yo! Watts, etc.), and many others, all with different plans and goals.
Who is part of it? Who is not? Who is it for?
As far as I know, all of these organizations are open to anyone who wants to participate. If people are excluded, it's often due to miscommunication / oversight rather than intent. This may be because there is no single hub for all of these different communities. Maybe this would be an interesting project for someone to take on, as MR probably isn't the appropriate forum for that.
As for the eco-aspect, we ALL benefit from the moral / social good that is encouraging masses of people in the second largest city in the country to move, explore, recreate, commute, under THEIR OWN power, instead of driving around in vehicles that pollute the air and funds plutocrats and tyrannies and terrorists. Obviously, the bicycle is not a one-size fits all solution for every social ill, but in terms of allowing people to get around and have fun in a healthy and relatively non-destructive manner, a bike is a pretty good option.
MR is primarily about having fun on bikes.
If you want to advocate for change, there are plenty of other community organizations / coalitions that can help with that, but in terms of providing a community that's open to just about everyone regardless of race/class/color/creed/age/sex/orientation/etc., for fun night-time bike rides, the midnight ridazz have done a pretty good job. If you don't see a ride you like, it's not that hard to click the "add a ride" button at the top and add one that meets your needs.
The great thing about the midnight ridazz community is that EVERYONE is free to step up and help develop the culture they want to participate in.
If you want to be part of a larger community that's more than just goofing around on bikes at night, that deals with the challenges faced by L.A.'s communities, you can join any number of other groups (LACBC's "City of Lights" program is dealing with day laborer cyclists specifically), or you can click over to http://www.forumotion.com/ or any number of other places offering free forum websites and start your own.
" in terms of providing a community that's open to just about everyone regardless of race/class/color/creed/age/sex/orientation/etc., for fun night-time bike rides, the midnight ridazz have done a pretty good job."
hence my continual support and affection for MR. I dont talk to any of you about this on FB. I keep it real, suckas. I put there for the shit talking, vulnerability, and chance to wrong and all; I dont need facebook to save me from sack or crack or a crazy penis. | {
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Square 1 Hires VC Firm Management Team To Ramp Up Mid-Atlantic Business
DURHAM, N.C. – Rapidly growing Square 1 Bank is going to take a venture team oriented approach to expand its business in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Square 1, a startup focused on providing services and loans to venture capital firms and companies backed by venture capital, has hired the management team of Blue Water Capital to man its office in the Washington, D.C. area.
Blue Water, which has a portfolio of nearly 20 companies with most being high tech, is closing down its operations. The 11-year-old firm has some $100 million under management.
Joining Square 1 will be Henry Barratt, the founder of Blue Water Capital, along with directors Jamie Loving and Mark Costanzo. The three will operate out of McLean, Va., and look for startups and clients in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
Square 1, which was launched in late 2005, already has eight branch offices, is considering adding another, and has more than 800 clients. The bank also has more than $600 million in assets.
“This is something that is very much needed inn the Mid-Atlantic region,” Loving told WRAL Local Tech Wire. “We will be looking for companies that already have venture funding that need banking services and also venture funds that need services.”
Will Kelly, a former venture capitalist who runs the east division of Square 1, said the firm found it “exceptionally appealing” to be able to recruit a team from a venture firm.
“We’ve been looking to make a broader, bigger move in the Mid-Atlantic, and we’ve been looking for the right people,” Kelly said in an interview. “Any time we can hire a team, we’d love to do it. They are so very difficult to find.”
Square 1 followed a similar strategy in hiring Kelly and two others away from a Ironside Ventures, a venture fund in Boston, to lead its Northeast operations.
By hiring a team of VCs, Square 1 not only gains the expertise of people already in the industry as well as their extensive network of contacts, Kelly said.
“Not only do these three individuals have deep backgrounds in venture itself, they also have backgrounds in banking and in the high tech division of Anderson,” Kelly added about the Blue Water team. “They bring us a diverse skill set, all focused on the venture-backed community.”
Square 1, which is based in Durham, also has offices in New York, Austin, Texas, San Diego, Silicon Valley, and Seattle. It has more than 80 employees....
Copyright 2016 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | {
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Tullaleagan Guesthouse
The Tullaleagan Guesthouse, a unique Bed & Breakfast, is situated idyllically on the hills bordering the Lough Corrib. With its breathtaking views of the Corrib and the Connemara landscape, Tullaleagan Guesthouse offers its visitors a taste of the beautiful western countryside.
The Guesthouse lies about 6.8 km away from the lakeside village, Oughterard, which is known as "The Gate to Connemara".
The house has 7 comfortable "en suite" (shower and toilet) double bedrooms with enough space to place a 3rd bed in each room. Most guestrooms have a view over the Lough Corrib. Tea or coffee available in the room.
bedroom bedroomdining room
Breakfast Room & Breakfast
The guest dining/ sittingroom is a tastefully decorated room where guests can eat their breakfast in the morning or spend "time out" throughout the day.
Dinner - €30.00 per personMy meals are a mix between Irish and Swabian specialities. Cooking is my passion!
How you can find the GuesthouseStarting point:Galway -> N 59 towards Clifden -> Moycullen -> Oughterard-> Turn right at the Connemara Lake Hotel right (Glann Road) -> turn left at 6.5 km (Ballygally) -> the guest house is the second house on the right side | {
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How-To / Tutorials
Authentication is any process by which you verify that
someone is who they claim they are. Authorization is any
process by which someone is allowed to be where they want to
go, or to have information that they want to have.
The CGI (Common Gateway Interface) defines a way for a web
server to interact with external content-generating programs,
which are often referred to as CGI programs or CGI scripts. It
is the simplest, and most common, way to put dynamic content on
your web site. This document will be an introduction to setting
up CGI on your Apache web server, and getting started writing
CGI programs.
.htaccess files provide a way to make configuration
changes on a per-directory basis. A file, containing one or more
configuration directives, is placed in a particular document directory,
and the directives apply to that directory, and all subdirectories thereof.
SSI (Server Side Includes) are directives that are placed in
HTML pages, and evaluated on the server while the pages are
being served. They let you add dynamically generated content to
an existing HTML page, without having to serve the entire page
via a CGI program, or other dynamic technology.
On systems with multiple users, each user can be permitted to have a
web site in their home directory using the UserDir directive. Visitors
to a URL http://example.com/~username/ will get content
out of the home directory of the user "username", out of
the subdirectory specified by the UserDir directive. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Top Gulf Cartel Articles
By Richard Fausset
, This post has been corrected. Please see note at bottom.
Story
| Nov 4, 2013
| 2:55 PM
MEXICO CITY — While millions of Mexicans celebrated the Day of the Dead holiday in peace this weekend, violence erupted in numerous areas of the country as well, including a series of drug cartel-related gunfights Sunday in and around the border...
MEXICO CITY _ Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, top leader of the vicious Zetas drug-and-extortion cartel, was in a cell in Mexico City on Tuesday, awaiting interrogation and possible extradition to the United States.
Treviño, known as "40," was transported...
MEXICO CITY -- The capture of the top leader of Mexico’s savage Zetas cartel will likely have surprisingly little effect on the trafficking of cocaine and other illicit substances to the United States, or on the violence that has claimed tens of...
He was notorious for an assassination method known as “the cookout” – stuffing his victim into a barrel, dousing him with gasoline and roasting him alive.
Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, the Zeta drug cartel commander arrested Monday...
MEXICO CITY -- He allegedly raked in millions of dollars to give drug traffickers easy access to the United States. The cocaine flowed north, prosecutors say, and the money in his pocket bought him elegant houses and a couple of private jets.
Tomas...
MEXICO CITY — Four men were killed and five people seriously injured early Thursday at a bar outside the northern city of Monterrey when assailants burst in and opened fire on patrons, officials with the state government of Nuevo Leon said.
The...
The news just gets grimmer in Mexico as the drug war nears the end of its fifth year and claims more and more innocent lives. On Thursday, gunmen burst into a casino in the northern city of Monterrey and set fire to the place, killing more than 50 people,...
Abbott cited a "deadly shootout" involving "cartel operatives" last weekend in the town of Elsa, about 250 miles south of San Antonio, in which a Hidalgo County sheriff's deputy was shot three times. Sheriff's officials have said the deputy was wearing... | {
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Flash Volume 7 : Perfect Storm
Gorilla Grodd is after Central City’s Speed Force, but the one thing Barry Allen can’t outrun is the truth, and his nemesis knows a terrible secret about the Fastest Man Alive. As Barry battles Grodd, he loses what he prizes most in the world and must call in Wally West to protect Central City while he sets out to get it back. But with a new Flash protecting his city, will Barry be willing to cross lines he never crossed before? Collects The Flash #39-45, written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Carlos D'Anda, Dan Panosian , and Carmine Di Giandomenico , and cover artwork by Di Giandomenico. | {
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I believe this was the only combat jump made in Korea. This was Westmoreland's unit while serving during the Korean War. I don't know if he made the jump or not. The unit was reactivated awhile back, and is now part of the 101st Airborne Division. | {
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Unity 3D Games, Tools, Tutorials, +
Phones are ringing of the hook!
Well, technically, not phones obviously- but holy reddit batman, ProBuilder is holding the top spot on both /r/gamedev and /r/unity!
I am humbled, and thank you all for the support and great feedback- it’s been quite a first day! Even the sixbyseven forum is filling up quickly, including some amazing ProBuilder work from “ZEPH” already in the showcase:
The comments keep coming on Reddit, and new posts in the forums, and more notifications on facebook- it’s a great feeling to finally launch this site and watch it do so well! Unfortunatly, it’s 3am here and there is much to do in the morning, so forgive me if I drop contact for a few hours- back in a jiffy folks, and my since thanks, again, for the amazing launch of sixbysevenstudio.com! | {
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[1]Everybody is susceptible to tight hamstrings[2], from professional athletes to soccer moms. People who spend long hours sitting at a desk or who have rigorous training schedules can especially benefit from a “hammie” stretch or two (or three or four).
In the simplest of terms, the hamstrings are a group of three muscles that run from the “sit” bones and extend down to the knee. They dominate the back of the thigh and are responsible for flexing and bending the knee.
Your hamstrings can get shorter or “tight” when you sit too much or when you over train your quads without counter stretching. When this happens, the hamstrings begin to pull down on the “sit” bones, making the pelvis and hips tight and flattening the low back curvature in your lumbar area. This scenario can create the following ailments: | {
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Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.
Southeast Gardening: Get Ready for Fall
Autumn is a time of revival for gardens and gardeners alike. The humidity is gone, leaving the sky blue and the light bright. Annuals either are tired and ready to be pulled out or they have renewed vigor. With a little cleanup I give the garden another season of looking good. Best of all it's a time when I enjoy being out there.
I like to plant fall greens in the voids left by dead and dying summer annuals. There are two I always rely on. 'Brazen Brass' red mustard blends with any color, and it adds height to garden beds, growing into a 24-in vase of bronze foliage. 'Simpson Elite' lettuce is a brilliant lime green that injects the garden with fresh energy. Any flowers blooming nearby have more punch in the company of this lettuce, planted in a sweep of five or more plants.
Two groups of plants that always seem to improve in the cooler days of autumn are roses and salvias. I always grow an old-fashioned rose called 'The Fairy'. Rather than producing big buds on upright stems, it grows into a nice, 3- to 4-ft mound, with nickel-size scentless pink blooms in clusters all over the plant. The reason I love this rose is it takes zero care. I don't cut off the dead blooms. If I forget to prune or fertilize, it finds a way to prosper. Also I never spray for diseases.
In summer 'The Fairy' is the palest pink, almost white, but in autumn its blooms are vivid pink, as they are in spring. Underplanting with a sun-loving groundcover of purple heart (Setcreasea pallida) gives that area of the garden a finished appearance.
The salvias are groups of annual and perennial plants that are as tough as plants can be in the hot summer. Most bloom right through the most stressful weather, but in fall their flowers are bigger, and their colors deeper. My favorites for all-season flowers are scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea), Texas sage (S. greggii) and blue anise sage (S. guaranitica).
Other salvias wait until fall to bloom. These include pineapple sage (S. elegans), Limelight Mexican sage (S. mexicana 'Limelight') and Mexican bush sage (S. leucantha). No matter how much I enjoy plants that bloom all season, I like the anticipation I feel for fall bloomers.
Combining these flowering salvias with fall greens, such as mustard and lettuce, or kale and Swiss chard gives the fall garden plenty of color to be the season's finale. | {
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Toa Luja . My version of Chopperskull/ toa luja, A mysterious young warrior, from a small village on the out skirts of the main city of Tito- nui. He had to leave his village and his friend wulf after his village was destroyed by Bloodlust and Whiplash. Now he searches for someone to help him regain his villageand loved ones. No one nows if he will ever see his village or loved ones again. . | {
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} |
i wanna get into pump, im brrrrand new to it. are there any pump guns for REALLY cheap? all i see are 200-500$ dollar pumps..it discourages me a little
Yep! Find a used, Deluxe ACI Maverick or PMI Trracer. Same marker - both made by ACI. The "Deluxe" model has an adjustable velocity power-tube so you don't need to change springs to raise or lower your velocity.
$50 "ish". Constant air, gravity feed. I played with mine the other day and mowed muppets.
This is MADNESS! MADNESS? NO... THIS... IS... STOCK CLASS!The 15 BPS of the Ramping Electros desends upon you! Our paintballs... will blot out the sun!Then we will snap shoot in the shade!WTB a pair of PINK XL JT Team pants PST
I wanted to get back on my expeirence buying from these guys- great experience, I bought two basic T Stocks from these guys and they rocked, fast shipping, have a phone number to call for help and quality products.
__________________
Book of Linuss Chapter 1 verse 4 "If it has to be explained then it's not for you"
hey does anyone know what kind of threads does the PMI Trracer have or give me a link to find barrels for it? i looked on some of the web sites listed, but, i didnt see any that would really work for it.
thanx | {
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} |
Lender Products
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Using a consultative and collaborative approach, we excel in providing creative and customized solutions. Our underwriters evaluate and analyze the risk factors for each account and tailor their underwriting approach to recognize and address exposures particular to each insured. Our claim professionals provide prompt claim service focused on the unique nature of these products. Our seasoned staff understands all aspects of the lender products business and is open to new and emerging products in this evolving market.
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Information
Insurance coverage is underwritten by a member company of Arch Insurance Group Inc. This is only a brief description of the insurance coverage(s) available under the policy. The policy contains reductions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions. Full details of the coverage are contained in the policy. If there are any conflicts between this document and the policy, the policy shall govern. Not all coverages are available in all jurisdictions. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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· Sufficient technological knowledge to organize the project· Ensure technological team has clear actions and goals for work completion· Organize meetings· Ensure timely execution of deliverables· Ability to work independently and effectively as part of a team· Ability to effectively manage time, prioritize work, multi-task across many assignments and delegate | {
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According to the official website, Uki Atsuya announced that he is producing a sequel to Cencoroll (Cencoroll 2, tentative title). He is now working on the scenario and the storyboard, which is similar in length to the first one. | {
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Also on Monday Martin made his own Valentine's card to give to his wife. Su gave him plenty of materials to use and he put a lot of effort into making a beautiful card for his wife. You can see the pictures of him making it (along with some of Christine and her flowers) below.
Once Martin had made his card we asked for your help in suggesting what he could write inside. We had a bit of special help though from X-Factor star Marcus Collins. Take a listen to what Marcus suggested, and the rest of his interview with Martin and Su...
The next step of Su and Alex's challenge was to teach Martin how to give a lovely massage. So, they got the help of Claire, from Pampered2bits, to teach him a soothing massage to give to his wife. Su kindly volunteered to jump up on the table and let Martin practice his massage techniques on her. Listen to see if Martin managed to 'sooth' Su...
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You’ll continue to enjoy Heart and all of its great content and features! View our Privacy Statement for more details. | {
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Sincerely, I have a lot of doubts regard of the usage of spatial reference identifier (SRID). I chose 4326 because It's suggested in many documents :-P , then, for calculating the Italy's area, I chose 26591 as I saw in spatial_ref_sys table that it is related to that country and has meters as unit of measurement.
Calculating every country's area with this last SRID yields big gaps respect to the values in the shapefile.
Otherwise, using directly 4326 results, for Italy's area, in a small 33.1005615782892: | {
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} |
Good read. I was a bit concerned that he implies you can spread PCa cells in a biopsy, which some people want to use as a reason to not have one. I'll go with Dr. Walsh's opinion that the concern is unfounded. | {
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} |
The National Leader in Asset Management
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RTR Services, Inc is a full service national asset management company, providing complete coverage in all 50 states. | {
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} |
The three-time Tony recipient will discuss her latest role as Broadway's favorite matchmaker.
Bernadette Peters
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Three-time Tony recipient Bernadette Peters, who recently succeeded fellow Tony winner Bette Midler in the title role of Broadway's Hello, Dolly!, will be a guest on CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert February 5.
Peters will discuss her return to Broadway as well as her work on Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle, which premieres its fourth season February 16. | {
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A group will be visiting the Chocolate Factory in Dillsboro. The shop will be closed to allow us to have a class on truffle making. Please sign up at least a week in advance. Cost is $10; must preregister and prepay. The group will meet at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 21 at the Senior Resource Center. Space is limited so call to reserve your spot — 356-2813. | {
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} |
comment
Thundershowers with gusty winds could erupt on Saturday on a day that will see a mix of clouds with some sunshine.
The quick-moving thundershowers will mark the leading edge of an area of chilly air that will settle over the region after temperatures climb into the mid-60s Saturday, AccuWeather.com said.
Some of the thundershowers may also produce strong winds.
"Ahead of the storms, temperatures will jump into the 60s and 70s along much of the Interstate 95 corridor on Saturday, thanks to several hours of morning and midday sunshine," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said. "The warmth will provide the extra vertical push in the atmosphere for showers to quickly erupt and develop into thundershowers."
While the showers and thundershowers are expected to be brief, some locations may be hit by more than one downpour, AccuWeather.com said.
Sunday will be partly sunny with a chance of early morning and afternoon showers and a high temperature in the mid-50s.
Monday will also be partly sunny with showers possible before noon and a high in the mid-50s. | {
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} |
Foil Tape Bandage Sweater Dress - bebe Addiction
Style # 201995
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With a hot bold hue, shimmering trim detail and a heavy-weight bandage stretch that holds you in, this bebe cocktail dress is sure make a statement. Comes with full zipper at back and non-slip detail at neckline. Try it with a pair of well-heel ankle boots and duster earrings.
Rated 5 out of 5áby breezyray super cute!
Dress runs true to size & the color is hot! I was worried it would be too "barbie dress" but its not.
January 30, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5áby mcge1580 Great dress, not true color
Color is darker in person. I had to return because I was looking for something closer to hot pink. Unfortunate because it is a really pretty dress. I also thought it was shorter too
October 17, 2012 | {
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Illinois Tax to Benefit Equine Research, Education
Illinois horse owners polled in a statewide referendum on Oct. 7 approved an innovative new program that establishes an elective tax on horse feed products that will benefit equine research and education in the state.
Sponsored by the Horseman's Council of Illinois (HCI), the referendum that would set the five-cent optional tax passed by a small margin. Proceeds from the taxatio
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Featured Adoptable Horse
Rafahl
Rafahl has been ridden western and bareback with a hackamore or bridle. He has a bowed tendon so he is not totally sound but he still can be ridden lightly. Would make a good companion horse. Read More | {
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It's almost seven years since David Farr and Gísli Örn Garðarsson's highly physical version of Kafka's short story premiered at the Lyric, and it returns better than ever. If anything, this gruesome tale of a young Czech commercial traveller, Gregor Samsa, the sole breadwinner, who awakes one morning to find that he has turned into a giant insect, takes on an extra poignancy in a post-financial crash era.
In Börkur Jónsson's clever design, the split-level stage offers a downstairs that captures all the impoverished gentility of a family clinging to respectability, and an upstairs of strange perspectives. As Gregor's family increasingly fail to recognise the humanity beneath his outward appearance, we too look with skewed eyes, and immediately understand his confusion and isolation – something emphasised by Garðarsson's own desperate athleticism in the lead role.
The show's aesthetic – visual, physical and aural – is a big part of its success (the music is by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis), but so too is its openness to interpretation. At times it has the feel of a horror movie, with the family walking upstairs to face something loathsome in the attic; at others it seems like a political parable about the rise of fascism. It also offers itself as a family tragedy, as well as a story of how easily we come to torment those we love when they become a burden. Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir's Greta begins by defending her brother to her parents, but her neglect of him is more grotesque than their revulsion.
There are terrific performances from the ensemble, and if the show dips a little in the middle, it does recover itself and the last half-hour is heartbreaking. Not least in the way that it slyly suggests that the tragedy of Gregor Samsa will become the tragedy of millions in Europe who will be viewed as vermin to be exterminated.
• What have you been to see lately? Tell us about it on Twitter using #GdnReview | {
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Yes, there is interest in this machine and Chris knows it. However, at an anticipated price of about $2400-$2500 it will be a direct competitor to the Duetto, for which CCS is also the exclusive North American Importer. Maybe Chris plans to bring the 2B soon and that's why he recently raised the Duetto price to create some separation? There are many factors that play into the economics of importing and maintaining these machines, and I for one, respect Chris' considerations and decision on this.
Quick Mill is sending me one for test and evaluation. I will have it in a couple of weeks. I would like to compare notes with David before bring in a large quantity of them. There are several things to consider BEFORE placing an order for $100,000.00 dollars worth of inventory. First of all a machine that functions well at 230 volt is not guaranteed to work as well at 120 volt. Second thing that we always take into consideration is serviceability of the machine. Customers do not want to pack up a 75 pound machine and ship it back for service however there is a limit to what a customer is willing to do.
Quick Mill is sending me one for test and evaluation. I will have it in a couple of weeks. I would like to compare notes with David before bring in a large quantity of them. There are several things to consider BEFORE placing an order for $100,000.00 dollars worth of inventory. First of all a machine that functions well at 230 volt is not guaranteed to work as well at 120 volt. Second thing that we always take into consideration is serviceability of the machine. Customers do not want to pack up a 75 pound machine and ship it back for service however there is a limit to what a customer is willing to do.
Just an update...lots of work with QM to make sure this machine is the best it can be for the consumer. A bit done under the hood, stuff I suppose many will never see and the lengthy test of different coffees and roasts over weeks, plus soak tests to ensure it performs flawlessly. The latest is an improvement to the PID (the current one is the same as everyone else's and works fine), designed to make steaming even better) which the Italian/English translation isn't working too well for and I also trust no one. So a revised PID is being sent to me to retrofit to the machine I have. If it's as QM claim, then it should also improve steaming on the US machines with their undoubtedly lower power steam element. We on UK voltage don't have the same problems and as Chris says correctly, what works well in the UK may need tweaking for the US. Hopefully though this machines going to be as good as you can get for working well in both environments
I will then check it all out and revise the review/user guide accordingly.....so a little bit longer, but it's worth the wait. There are some subtle, but very good things about the machine and yes, by necessity, the review will compare and contrast to some extent between it and other rival dual boiler machines (well those I have reviewed).
Interestingly although Italian companies are not always easy to deal with, but I have found QM to be quite receptive compared to most and they seem to genuinely want to build a machine that is right....
Meanwhile, I must remember to put my MK1 Duetto back in it's box and store it away. ;-)
Just an update...lots of work with QM to make sure this machine is the best it can be for the consumer. A bit done under the hood, stuff I suppose many will never see and the lengthy test of different coffees and roasts over weeks, plus soak tests to ensure it performs flawlessly. The latest is an improvement to the PID (the current one is the same as everyone else's and works fine), designed to make steaming even better) which the Italian/English translation isn't working too well for and I also trust no one. So a revised PID is being sent to me to retrofit to the machine I have. If it's as QM claim, then it should also improve steaming on the US machines with their undoubtedly lower power steam element. We on UK voltage don't have the same problems and as Chris says correctly, what works well in the UK may need tweaking for the US. Hopefully though this machines going to be as good as you can get for working well in both environments
I will then check it all out and revise the review/user guide accordingly.....so a little bit longer, but it's worth the wait. There are some subtle, but very good things about the machine and yes, by necessity, the review will compare and contrast to some extent between it and other rival dual boiler machines (well those I have reviewed).
Interestingly although Italian companies are not always easy to deal with, but I have found QM to be quite receptive compared to most and they seem to genuinely want to build a machine that is right....
Meanwhile, I must remember to put my MK1 Duetto back in it's box and store it away. ;-)
... The latest is an improvement to the PID (the current one is the same as everyone else's and works fine), designed to make steaming even better) which the Italian/English translation isn't working too well for and I also trust no one. So a revised PID is being sent to me to retrofit to the machine I have. If it's as QM claim, then it should also improve steaming on the US machines with their undoubtedly lower power steam element. We on UK voltage don't have the same problems and as Chris says correctly, what works well in the UK may need tweaking for the US. Hopefully though this machines going to be as good as you can get for working well in both environments
That is interesting. Short of divulging proprietary information, how would describe the differences between this new PID and the one currently used? I mean, other than the parameters, assuming all it can control is the power to the heating element(s) -- what can one PID design do that another cannot?
OK, and here's a wild, long shot: Given your experience and familiarity with QM, if you had to take an educated guess about the timing of implementing these improvements and getting to the point of being ready to export (Chris' setting up for import is another matter) -- what would it be?
That is interesting. Short of divulging proprietary information, how would describe the differences between this new PID and the one currently used? I mean, other than the parameters, assuming all it can control is the power to the heating element(s) -- what can one PID design do that another cannot?
OK, and here's a wild, long shot: Given your experience and familiarity with QM, if you had to take an educated guess about the timing of implementing these improvements and getting to the point of being ready to export (Chris' setting up for import is another matter) -- what would it be?
With the PID the owner of QM asked me not to say anything yet, but as the new machines for the UK will probably come with this PID, I have to check it out. The current one I have is absolutely fine, but if this one makes it even better...then great.
As for all the improvements and QC stuff, it should be in any machines that ship to the US as it will be in the UK machines at launch in early June. The company I do the review for and QM themselves want it to be right, hence not rushing. This is even down to written confirmation from the pump manufacturer that the pump mounting/installation is OK and approved. I'm guessing/hoping, that the only change that will be on the US machines is the use of a 1200W steam boiler element and of course alternate steam/brew heating on a 15 amp circuit.
I do have an idea for the US, that would allow you to have a 1400W element like us in the UK (even on a 15A circuit), but not sure if it's possible to implement it in this machine! You would then have same warm up time and steaming power as the UK. The simplest way would require a slight change in the way the machine is used, but I don't think that minor compromise would be an issue. The compromise would be that you don't steam milk while pulling a shot....but people don't anyway, in case it makes the autofill kick in, which of course then ruins the shot. People usually steam before or after the shot.
With the PID the owner of QM asked me not to say anything yet, but as the new machines for the UK will probably come with this PID, I have to check it out. The current one I have is absolutely fine, but if this one makes it even better...then great.
As for all the improvements and QC stuff, it should be in any machines that ship to the US as it will be in the UK machines at launch in early June. The company I do the review for and QM themselves want it to be right, hence not rushing. This is even down to written confirmation from the pump manufacturer that the pump mounting/installation is OK and approved. I'm guessing/hoping, that the only change that will be on the US machines is the use of a 1200W steam boiler element and of course alternate steam/brew heating on a 15 amp circuit.
I do have an idea for the US, that would allow you to have a 1400W element like us in the UK (even on a 15A circuit), but not sure if it's possible to implement it in this machine! You would then have same warm up time and steaming power as the UK. The simplest way would require a slight change in the way the machine is used, but I don't think that minor compromise would be an issue. The compromise would be that you don't steam milk while pulling a shot....but people don't anyway, in case it makes the autofill kick in, which of course then ruins the shot. People usually steam before or after the shot.
With the PID the owner of QM asked me not to say anything yet, but as the new machines for the UK will probably come with this PID, I have to check it out. The current one I have is absolutely fine, but if this one makes it even better...then great.
As for all the improvements and QC stuff, it should be in any machines that ship to the US as it will be in the UK machines at launch in early June. The company I do the review for and QM themselves want it to be right, hence not rushing. This is even down to written confirmation from the pump manufacturer that the pump mounting/installation is OK and approved. I'm guessing/hoping, that the only change that will be on the US machines is the use of a 1200W steam boiler element and of course alternate steam/brew heating on a 15 amp circuit.
I do have an idea for the US, that would allow you to have a 1400W element like us in the UK (even on a 15A circuit), but not sure if it's possible to implement it in this machine! You would then have same warm up time and steaming power as the UK. The simplest way would require a slight change in the way the machine is used, but I don't think that minor compromise would be an issue. The compromise would be that you don't steam milk while pulling a shot....but people don't anyway, in case it makes the autofill kick in, which of course then ruins the shot. People usually steam before or after the shot.
QM67 steam heating elements were upgraded to 1400W before CCS approved the machines for shipping, with the alternating heating don't see why the 2B couldnt use a 1400W steam element and 800W brew element.
QM67 steam heating elements were upgraded to 1400W before CCS approved the machines for shipping, with the alternating heating don't see why the 2B couldnt use a 1400W steam element and 800W brew element.
Because the rotary pumps RPM motor probably uses around 300W start up and 170W run current as opposed to the 48-52W of an Ulka vibration pump. I'm not totally sure but US voltage is 115V nominal?, so on a 15A circuit that might run a bit close for comfort. Of course though, if I'm wrong and you can run a machine that close to the maximum....great all the better, but I think the Rotary pump might be what pushes it over the edge. It's probably more a regulation thing, because to be honest the loadings are brief and not for prolonged periods e.g. perhaps 20 seconds or so, so the small % over would probably be fine....but it's laws and regulations that your resellers have to follow. I'm not sure exactly what they are, but I assume Chris would have had 1200W elements in the Duettos for a very good reason....unless that has changed in recent years?
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Saturday, February 20, 2010
An Apple a Day...
Well, we didn't end up going to the doctor on Friday night to follow up from Thursday's visit. I got ready to go, had a quick apple, brushed my teeth, got all dressed up (e.g. jeans, polo shirt, socks and Birkenstocks instead of sweat pants, polo shirt and flip flops), but then Leena called to confirm and the doctor said he was involved in something urgent and would not be free for his regular office hours. We fixed up for 12:30pm this afternoon.
This morning I got up, but the power went out between greeting Leena "good morning" and going to get my breakfast coconut out of the fridge. I was afraid we'd end up being late because the power was out so long I didn't know if I'd get a shower or not.
In any case, I skipped the apple, and we got ready to go and Leena called the doctor who said "come on over" and we did.
There you have it, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!
Anyway, he checked my blood pressure and pronounced it "normal". He checked it four times and said it was normal every time, just a day and a half after it was so high he was concerned. We discussed my previous experience with American doctors always making sure my sleeves are rolled up compared with Indian doctors always measuring blood pressure over the top of my sleeves. He said it shouldn't make any difference at all in the readings.
Based on my blood pressure being normal today, when my headache was barely there, nowhere near as bad as it was on Thursday, just hardly noticeable, that my headaches probably aren't caused by high blood pressure, though they make my blood pressure go up, as evidenced. He mentioned "cluster headaches" but now that I'm looking at the Wikipedia article, that doesn't fit at all. He also mentioned migraines, which I've had for years, and what I've had the last three weeks are very, very different (and as I found out on Wednesday, not mutually exclusive, either, but I could tell the difference in the two simultaneous headaches).
He also noticed my squinting. I've done that since I was a little kid, with my father the first to notice it years ago. That's the lazy eye thing and I squint in my left eye to avoid seeing doubles. I told the doctor that and how I used to do exercises then wore glasses for a year in high school, at which time my frequent migraines started. But it must've been worse than normal if he noticed it today but never noticed it before.
He recommended that we go see a well-known neurophsyiologist (or neurophysician or whatever the proper title was) who has more of a specialty in headaches and nervous system issues. He said that while Leena's family has been pushing us to go right away, no delays, we should take time, prepare a history of my health so we go with all the facts that'll help him diagnose the problem better, not just show up with try to remember all the issues off hand and out of order.
Leena's family may not agree with that, "see him today" but it doesn't matter, that doctor is out of town for the weekend anyway.
As we were saying our good byes to the doctor the alert from his building's elevator made its high pitched screeching, that even through two closed doors made me cringe in pain, and he noticed that and said "if the noise does that, you must see the neurophysician". | {
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RUSSIA'S ECONOMIC WOES PUT KREMLIN CUP IN JEOPARDY
Financial problems in Russia "mean" that the tennis
court "may not be ready" for the Kremlin Cup tournament
scheduled to start on October 19, according to Gennady
Fyodorov of REUTERS. Event organizers said that "they could
not afford the import duties" for the indoor surface being
shipped to Moscow this week, and are "hoping customs
officials will turn a blind eye." General Dir Yakov
Shakhtin: "I'm hoping the customs people will understand our
situation." The tournament has cut expenses for both the
women's and men's tournaments -- (scheduled for November 9)
-- including dropping the opening and closing ceremonies,
decreasing handouts of souvenirs, and "all but" eliminating
free VIP passes. Prize money remains at $950,000 for the
women and $1.2M for the men (REUTERS, 10/7).
TENNIS: Pilot Pen Int'l Tournament CEO Mike Davies
confirmed yesterday that after nine years in New Haven, CT,
the men's tennis tournament was sold for $1.7M to Austrian
investment group Kitzbuhel (HARTFORD COURANT, 10/9). | {
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alumni adjustments
West Campus
1990
Stefan Salim, ’96, San Jose, Calif., graduated from
medical school in May 2005. He was recently
appointed alumni president for the American
International School of Medicine. Phone: (408)
656-3177, e-mail: [email protected].
Dr. Dennis Cockrum, ’98, opened a second office
in North Idaho in March 2008. Dr. Cockrum’s
offices are located 60 miles apart from each
other and are both named Back in Health
Chiropractic. E-mail: drcockrum@ yahoo.com.
Choose your program
This site uses javascript for a variety of aesthetic functions, but still works if disabled. Most scripting used on this site is for hiding and showing sections of pages which are visible if javascript is disabled. | {
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iPad 3rd Gen Hands-on vs Android: Gaming
The showdown continues: the 2012 Retina Display-bearing iPad faces off against the ASUS Transformer Prime, this time bringing the two gaming-ready giants to the court for their next all-out hardware brawl. What we’re doing here is showing how these two prime examples of nicest and newest tablet hardware on the market for each of these two beasts’ operating systems, with the iPad running iOS and the Transformer running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich – these tied directly to the power of the units’ processors: the A5X from Apple and NVIDIA‘s Tegra 3 quad-core processor with 4-PLUS-1 technology. Who will be the victor in the gaming space? You’ll find that there’s no one simple answer to that question rather quickly.
The reason you’re not going to get one definitive answer as to which of these devices is better at gaming is that they’re running completely different sets of not only hardware, but software as well – the only real similarities between these two devices is their display technology, the fact that both units are considered tablet PCs, and the fact that the games they’re playing are made by the same developers.
We’ve got Pinball HD, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, and SHADOWGUN. There are a few things you should know about each of these games before you judge either device just on their looks – keep that in mind as you see either machine outshine the other. Also note that all of these videos have been filmed with a very simple setup including a stand for the tablet to keep it still and a tripod to keep the camera still, the camera being the fabulous Lumix GF1.
Pinball HD
Both machines perform undeniably excellent with this high definition pinball fantasy of a game, and indeed they should as the game is easily the highest rated pinball game on either market – the developers essentially having no rivals in the space as far as HD gameplay goes. What you’re seeing is a Wild West themed machine with sounds, lights, and special shots galore – and in fact you’ll notice we get the same bonus on both games in this set, shooting the bad guy, fancy that!
The Pinball HD game series does seem to fit the display a bit better on the iPad simply because it’s been tuned to work with a massive range of display sizes in the Android version. Outside of that one tiny factor, there’s really no telling which machine plays the game better here. This is due in part to the amazing processing power of both the A5X chip and the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, but a lot of credit must be given to the developers of the Pinball HD series as well for making such a versatile game – Gameprom for the win!
Asphalt 6: Adrenaline
Here you’re going to see the developer team behind the game, Gameloft in this case, giving quite a bit of favor to the iPad version of the game because ramping their graphics up to Retina-quality allowed them to be featured this week in the iTunes App Store – and who wouldn’t want that honor? So you’re not exactly going to see the most fantastic comparison here when it comes to optimization on the Transformer Prime.
That said, you will notice that both tablets are performing admirably as far as response time and ability to rock and roll with the car goes. You’ll see a few different elements depending on which version of the game you’ve got here – even the car has alternate graphics on the side – but the game is essentially the same, and both machines do bring a generous vision to the racing experience.
I’ve played Asphalt 6: Adrenaline from start to finish on Android, iPad, and OS X, and again you’ve got to give it to the developers for their ability to deliver at least a perfectly similar gameplay experience if not graphics display in each version – fun for everyone! At the moment though, believe it or not, the iPad here is the best of the bunch with its most most updated version of the game.
SHADOWGUN
This game is so very popular in the mobile gaming world that I’d be surprised if you’re reading this post without having played it yourself. Here we’ve got the most advanced version of the basic game for either platform, that being just SHADOWGUN for the iPad and SHADOWGUN THD for the Transformer Prime. This game has been developed by Madfinger Games in close collaboration with NVIDIA for the Android version so it’s set to do fabulously on Tegra 3 processors – you’ll also notice some added effects, more environment action, and even a few more bad guys in this version as well.
The game does appear to move just as smooth on both platforms – both platforms have a disadvantage when it comes to being able to run perfectly smoothly, that being the massive amount of extra pixels the iPad has to work with and the much more diverse environment of the game for Android. So who is the victor here? Let your eyes decide!
Facebook Exclusive: Grand Theft Auto III
An extended video you’re going to love the heck out of watching is the most violent and one of the most classic games out of the bunch: Grand Theft Auto III. This game is an anniversary edition of the original PlayStation masterpiece and has been optimized for the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core chip. That said, it looks pretty darn good on the new iPad as well. Have a look at this link: http://tinyurl.com/7pldtns!
Wrap-Up
When the iPad was first announced, Apple claimed that their new A5X chip would be out-doing the Tegra 3 by four times. I’m not so sure about that, as both setups do appear to be keeping up with one another quite nicely in this basic (and relatively unscientific) environment. The only real way we’d truly be able to see how the CPU and GPU chips in these machines perform against one another would be to have them running the same display, games, and operating systems. But therein lies the problem.
There’s no perfect way to compare single elements in machines without the rest of their components controlled and set equal. The NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor is made for Android and tuned differently for each of the now vast amount of machines it is made for, including the Transformer Prime, several other 10.1-inch tablets, and a variety of smartphones coming out soon. Apple’s A5X chip is made specifically for the iPad 3rd Generation, where there’s an A5 chip made specifically for the iPad 2, another different A5 chip made for the iPhone 4S, and yet another A5 chip made for the new Apple TV.
The only way you’re going to get an accurate comparison between these machine’s processors is to use their final builds in your everyday average lives. What you see above is a set of game demos that, though entertaining to watch, are not perfect indicators of the power of either machine we’re looking at at the moment. The Android and Apple environments are very different from one another, and it’s only you who can make an accurate assessment of what will be best for you.
That said, we’re going to keep trying our best to figure out how else we might keep the battle a-brewing! Next we’ll be comparing other GPU-intensive tasks like processing video – we’ll see how that goes when both machines bring on the 1080p video to the streets for a real all-out knife fight! | {
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Where Stuff Gets Rated
Look, I don’t know what this is except that the kind the press has is negative, but when the ostensible leader of the free world strokes out on the toilet trying to get the word out, I think we all owe him a retweet at least. 0.2/5 | {
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Pages
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Fueghan is back, and I suck at Atramedes
After what feels like ages, our illustrious leader is back. For the first time in ages there were 2 10 mans going! Though of course I was late so that wasn't ideal and I missed out on Magmaw who dropped my chest (gasp!) and fortunately it wasn't DE'd so that was a minor consolation, but of course Chimaeron still refuses to give me my bracers...
Melf also made an appearance yesterday, and was healing in my group. He must be back to normal because he was full of his usual comments which some I just let pass and others irritated me to high hell. But he is a good healer and I tolerate him because of that!
So I suck at Atramedes. I swear I am always in front of the flame but obviously I'm not because I'm still dying from sound. Shabadu did really well with gonging yesterday for the first time by himself, but I wish he would hold on just a little bit longer before he iceblocks and it goes to someone else... I died twice from that. Though most other times I died from sound. | {
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Sunday Times – Muslim says Straw made peerage offer
JACK STRAW has become embroiled in a row with a wealthy Muslim businessman who claims he was offered the prospect of a peerage not to contest the foreign secretary’s Blackburn seat.
The disputed conversation took place in Straw’s constituency flat during a private meeting in which the minister sought to dissuade Yousuf Bhailok from standing against him.
Straw was targeted by Bhailok, a former general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, because of his pivotal role alongside Tony Blair in the Iraq war.
Although Straw won a majority of 9,249 in 2001, he could be vulnerable to tactical voting in the coming general election. He is already being challenged by Craig Murray, the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan.
According to census data, the Blackburn constituency has the third highest proportion of Muslim voters in the country, at almost 20%.
The meeting with Straw took place on September 10 last year on the eve of Bhailok’s appearance before a parliamentary assessment board, which would determine whether he would be placed on a Conservative list of approved election candidates.
This weekend he said Straw told him he would not be suited to the life of an MP, stating: “Yousuf, it will be a hard struggle to win against me. You aren’t the type of career politician that it is necessary to have in the House of Commons.”
Bhailok added: “There is no doubt about the fact that he [Straw] mooted the fact that I was a potential peerage candidate. It has been mentioned before but it was mentioned in that conversation, so it had its implications.”
Bhailok, who described Straw as a “friend” whom he has known for many years, admitted that Straw made no direct offer. “I don’t think he was [so] crude [as] to suggest, ‘Yousuf you step down and the peerage is yours’.
“Jack was subtle in the sense that he mentioned, ‘You have been in the top of the list for quite a while and these things take quite a while as you know’.”
Bhailok emphasised he did his best to win the Tory nomination, offering to spend more than ?100,000 of his own money on a pre-election publicity campaign.
However, he lost out to a younger man, Imtiaz Ameen, for the Blackburn nomination, despite having shared a platform with Michael Howard, the Tory leader, when he made a headline-grabbing speech attacking the British National party in Burnley.
A spokesman for Straw confirmed that he met Bhailok on September 10 to hear him outline his plans to unseat him. However, he said the meeting was held at Bhailok’s request and he denied any suggestion of any impropriety by the minister.
“Mr Bhailok raised the issue of the peerage and Mr Straw made clear that these things are subject to rules. On no occasion did he say that Mr Bhailok was in line for one. He was in no position to make any offers like that and nor did he do so.”
Sources said Bhailok sent Straw a text message on September 14 implying that the minister had dangled the prospect of a peerage.
One source said Straw, who was not particularly close to Bhailok, “smelt a rat” and replied by text message repeating what he had said at the meeting and emphasising that strict rules governed the granting of peerages. The source added: “He kept these texts because he thought it was a slightly odd thing which had been raised with him.”
Straw’s account is supported by Mohammed Khan, the Labour deputy leader of Blackburn with Darwen borough council, who arranged the meeting in the flat and was the sole witness.
Speaking from Pakistan, where he is on holiday, Khan said: “Jack told him, ‘It’s your democratic right [to stand] but I’ve been here for 25 years’. Yousuf mentioned the peerage but Jack said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t promise anything to anybody’.”
However, Joe Smith, who was Blackburn Conservative association chairman at the time, said Bhailok told him of the alleged offer on two occasions. “He said Jack Straw offered him a peerage in order to persuade him not to stand. It’s as straight as that.”
Bhailok is now considering whether to stand in the Blackburn seat as an independent candidate. | {
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The anti-inflammatory effect of exercise
The main job of the immune system is to protect the body against infection and harmful stimuli. It does this by mounting an inflammatory response that involves activation of immune cells, increased blood flow to the damaged or infected tissue, and the release of specific molecular signals such as cytokines, all of which contribute to tissue repair.
Inflammation is therefore a vital homeostatic response. However many chronic diseases, including metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, have a significant inflammatory component. The discovery that exercise has anti-inflammatory effects has thus revealed an important additional health benefit of regular exercise.
Sedentary behaviour and inflammation
Sedentary behaviour increases the risk of development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and various cancers, all of which are linked with inflammation. Accumulation of adipose tissue, or body fat, associated with physical inactivity may be a biological trigger for development of this inflammatory state.
Adipose tissue is not merely a fat store; excess visceral adipose tissue deposits can be infiltrated by immune cells that release pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to chronic low-grade inflammation in the body that is associated with development of non-communicable disease.
How is exercise anti-inflammatory?
Exercise causes the release of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol from the adrenal glands, and the cytokine IL-6 from working muscles. These molecular mediators suppress inflammation, thus inducing an anti-inflammatory environment within the body.
Repeated bouts of exercise repeatedly induce this anti-inflammatory environment, in the long term lowering the risk of development of diseases that are triggered or exacerbated by inflammation.
Is there a downside?
Perhaps, if you are an elite athlete! Remember that inflammation is a vital response that protects us against infection. So, the downside of suppressing inflammation is the potential risk of mounting an insufficient immune response to viruses or bacteria.
It it is well-known that moderate exercise is associated with a decreased incidence of respiratory tract infection compared with sedentary individuals or elite athletes – see the ‘J-shaped curve’ below (Nieman et al, 1990).
However, the many benefits of regular high-intensity exercise to health reaped by elite athletes outweigh the potential downside of the increased susceptibility to minor infections.
The key take-home message is that exercise has anti-inflammatory effects which can lower the risk of development of diseases that are triggered or exacerbated by inflammation. | {
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Friday, December 18, 2009
The Light of the World - Matthew 5:14-16
Quote of the Day
May Christ, the Light of the World, shine through our lives every day of the year.
Nan Forehand
(14) "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. (16) In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven."
I want to share with you in the youtube video at the right one of the most beautiful examples of light I have seen. Mr. Holdman has created such a wonderful display of Christmas lights set to music. It is an awesome display not to be missed! I believe God gifted this man with the vision, desire and ability to share with the world something so beautiful. It is my privilege to share it with you. Mr. Holdman lives in Utah.
There is more than enough ugliness in the world. We have to share more beauty and light with everyone. We all need a reason to smile and to be amazed at such beauty some of us can't even imagine. This music and light display are God's gift to us through this talented and gifted man. Simply click on the youtube video at the right of this page entitled Music Box Dancer and enjoy!
Love, Nan
My beloved brother, Woody
Bearabbit
Gracie
Nan and some of the good will bears
Clematis blooms 2011
About Me
I've been married for 29 years to the love of my life, Allen, my soulmate. November 12th is our anniversary!! We have two wonderful children, four cats and a dog.
A masterpiece in the making, my colors are constantly being mixed and blended into the work of art God continues to craft with tender loving care.
I write poetry and Nan's Calendar as a way to glorify God and encourage others. Visit www.wordchimes.com to catch up on my poetry and be sure to stay long enough to enjoy much wonderful, inspirational poetry from some very gifted people. Writing is a God-given gift I cherish and gladly share.
YOUR COMMENTS
I value and appreciate your comments. This is an open invitation to leave a comment. If you receive encouragement and inspiration from anything written in this blog, God has been glorified. Praise his holy name!Your sister in Christ, Nan | {
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They would ask me what actors I saw in the roles. I would tell them, and they’d say “Oh that’s interesting.” And that would be the end of it.
--Elmore Leonard, in 2000, on the extent of his input for Hollywood's adaptation of his novels
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Jenny Hubbard's "Paper Covers Rock"
Jenny Hubbard is a poet and playwright, and has taught English in both high school and college for many years. Pat Conroy called Paper Covers Rock, her debut novel, “one of the best young-adult books [he's] read in years.”
Here Hubbard shares some ideas for director and cast of an adaption of Paper Covers Rock:
When I wrote Paper Covers Rock, I never envisioned it as a film, and I saw the characters as mish-mashes of real-life people I’d encountered in my ten years teaching at an all-boys’ boarding school. Were I truly fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to cast the movie, I would go with unknowns. But because this site's editor has invited me to play this alluring game, I’ll toss out recognizable names that breach the generation gap.
Since all well-made films start with an artful director, I'm going to be ambitious and choose Sofia Coppola for her crystal-clear vision and lyrical resonance.
The main characters in Paper Covers Rock are two seventeen-year-old boys (boarding-school preppy) and their twenty-two-year-old female English teacher (Ivy-League understated).
Alex, the soulful protagonist, might best be embodied by a younger-than-he-is-now Andrew Garfield, an actor who’s a little awkward, a little shaky. When my editor first read the novel, she pictured Joseph Gordon-Levitt. But my 14-year-old niece Elizabeth says to go with Patrick Adams.
“Compared to a novel, a film is like an economy pizza where there are no olives, no ham, no anchovies, no mushrooms, and all you’ve got is the dough.”
--Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin | {
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News
Where Are They Now: John Hawley
Fomer Sunderland man John Hawley was a recent guest at the Stadium of Light, appearing in the Black Cats bar.
The Yorkshireman shared anecdotes about his time at the club after he was brought to Sunderland by manager Ken Knighton in 1980.
Sunderland supporters are often stopping me to chat. They always remember my three goals against City at Maine Road and I certainly don’t mind talking about it
- John Hawley
Hawley averaged almost a goal every other game during his spell with the club, but admits his problem was the amount of games he played.
“My goals per season record is fantastic; it’s just a shame about my games per season ratio not being so good,“ Hawley quipped.
The striker kicked off his career at his hometown club , Hull City in 1972, before making the move to Leeds United six years later.
After two seasons at Elland Road and a fruitful time in front of goal, Hawley made the switch to Roker Park.
Despite only playing 25 games in red and white, Hawley is fondly remembered by Sunderland fans, most notably for his hat-trick against Manchester City that fired the team to the top of the league.
“Sunderland supporters are often stopping me to chat. They always remember my three goals against City at Maine Road and I certainly don’t mind talking about it.
“It was a fantastic feat to score the hat-trick that put the club in the top spot and have all the other club’s looking up at us.”
After two years with Sunderland, Hawley was found surplus to requirements, with both Gary Rowell and Stan Cummins enjoying a rich vein of form.
Arsenal paid £40,000 for Hawley’s services and he notched three strikes in 21 games before being loaned out to Leyton Orient and his former club Hull City.
He moved to Bradford City in 1983 after being unable to hold onto a first-team place with the Gunners and finished his career three years later with Scunthorpe United.
“Once I found out the manager didn’t want me it was an easy decision to move on, playing for Sunderland was a fantastic experience and I’ve many great memories but it was the right time for me to leave when I did.”
Fifty-eight year-old Hawley now plies his trade at the club where he launched his career; however he has swapped his football boots for suits as he works in the corporate hospitality division at the KC Stadium.
Hawley is at the hub of each Hull City matchday but he still finds time to get back to the north east every now and again, most recently he was at Sunderland’s home game with Manchester United.
“I’ve been back to the Stadium of Light a few times; it’s a fantastic venue.” Hawley added.
“I still think of it as a big privilege to have played at Roker Park, however marvellous the stadium is you could never underestimate the Roker roar.” | {
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POST DATE 9/12/2016 END DATE 10/18/2016
JOB DESCRIPTION
*
* Software Config Analyst 3/4
*
*
*
* Requisition ID:
16016606
*
*
*
* Location\(s\):
United States\-Florida\-Orlando
*
*
*
* US Citizenship Required for this Position:
Yes
*
*
*
* Relocation Assistance:
No relocation assistance available
*
*
*
* Travel:
Yes, 25 % of the Time
*
* Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is seeking an experienced Configuration/Data Management Analyst to support advanced engineering efforts leading to the successful development and integration of virtual and constructive distributed simulation and training systems for our world\-wide customers\. The qualified applicant will become part of Northrop Grumman's Distributed Mission Network team in Orlando, FL\.In this position, the analyst plans and coordinates preparation of project documentation, such as engineering drawings and technical plans and procedures to ensure customer contract requirements are met\. Reviews contract to determine documentation required for each phase of project, applying knowledge of engineering and manufacturing processes\. Maintains DAL and CDRL documentation records and provides reporting and metrics to Management and Mission Assurance\. Collaborates with team Technical Area Managers in the review and analysis of released engineering change data and coordinates changes with engineering, quality, mission assurance, and engineering data control activities\. Manages change records and facilitates ERB and CCB meetings\. Maintains the as\-built configuration records for hardware and software\. Maintains the CM repositories\. Assists with development of SW configuration documentation\.
*
* This requisition may be filled at a higher grade based on qualifications listed below\.
*
* This requisition may be filled at either a level 3 or a level 4\.Basic Qualifications for the level 3:
- US Citizenship required with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance with eligibility for Tier 1 security access\.- Bachelor degree with a minimum of 5 years of experience in configuration/data management experience\.- Ability to perform and compete tasks with minimal or no supervision\.- Demonstrated knowledge of CM principles, concepts, practices and standards\.- Experience working within defined engineering & development processes- Effective communication skills; good interpersonal skills; must be an effective team member\.- Willing to work extended hours occasionally to meet deadlines\.- Hardware/software configuration/data management experience\.- Good oral and written and presentation skills mandatory\.Preferred Qualifications:
- Previous experience in DoD programs\.- Previous experience with Six Sigma process improvement techniques\.- Experience with International standards organizations bodies \(i\.e\. IEEE, SISO, AS9100\)\.- Experience with SW release and Build process- Experience with commercial software configuration management products- Experience with SQL queries- Experience with SharePoint
*
* Basic Qualifications for level 4:
*
* - US Citizenship required with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance with eligibility for Tier 1 security access\.- Bachelor degree with a minimum of 9 years of experience in configuration/data management experience\.- Ability to perform and compete tasks with minimal or no supervision\.- Demonstrated knowledge of CM principles, concepts, practices and standards\.- Experience working within defined engineering & development processes- Effective communication skills; good interpersonal skills; must be an effective team member\.- Willing to work extended hours occasionally to meet deadlines\.- Hardware/software configuration/data management experience\.- Good oral and written and presentation skills mandatory\.
*
* Preferred Qualifications: | {
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Friday phrase: and now we can go to your frankfurter parties
With summer right here right now (even if it may be chucking it down while you’re reading this), thought turn to being outdoors, barbecues and so on.
Or maybe not. Sometimes, the dreams of easy get-togethers aren’t so easy – if you don’t think you’ll be invited in the first place.
We’ve all had moments of finding our own crowd – as well as moments on standing on the sidelines, wanting to join in, but being turned away.
So back to Dr Seuss, and the Sneeches that I referred to last time. Because the Sneeches come in two sorts: ones with stars on their bellies, and ones without. (At least, to begin with.)
Those stars. They show who belongs, and who doesn’t. But they can be changed. At a price.
Having grown up on relatively small amounts of Dr Seuss, ie The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (and nothing else), it was quite something to start discovering more of his writings.
And just how pertinent they still are, whether covering environment, persecution of difference, political opposition – or even just how cool it would be to invent your own extra month called Octember.
At the start of the weekend, I hope you’ll be included. I hope you’ll include others, if that doesn’t sound too moralising. And I hope you don’t get ripped off (as the Sneeches do), trying to get the signs that will help you fit in.
You may find you have more in common than you think.
===
Dr Seuss, The Sneeches
Then they yelled at the ones who had stars at the start,
"We're exactly like you! You can't tell us apart.
We're all just the same, now, you snooty old smarties!
And now we can go to your frankfurter parties."
You can read the rest of the story in full online, and there's also a cartoon version of the Sneeches. | {
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