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Staples Soul
When you choose Staples Business Advantage®, you get much more than just a leader in office procurement. You get a supplier who is committed to being a good corporate citizen. Staples Soul recognizes the close connection between our success and our ability to make a positive impact on our customers, our associates and the planet. We believe Staples Soul helps to make us an employer and neighbor of choice, differentiates our brand, and allows us to grow profitably and responsibly.
We seek to develop a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities and customers we serve all over the world by embracing diversity in all its forms-race, gender, thought, and experience. We promote a culture of inclusion within our workforce and source products and services from diverse minority and women-owned businesses.
We work to make it easy for our customers and associates to make a difference by offering more sustainable products and services, operating our business in an environmentally efficient way, and helping our customers and associates take action to protect the environment.
We reach out to and support the communities in which our customers and associates live and work. We generate economic benefit through our stores and operations, and provide support for important community initiatives through Staples Foundation® and other company giving.
We strive to model integrity in all that we do and strictly adhere to our Code of Ethics and corporate governance practices. We seek to work with suppliers who share our values and expect them to follow our Supplier Code of Conduct. | {
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Community Rating System (CRS)
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) was implemented in 1990 as a voluntary program for recognizing and encouraging community floodplain management activities exceeding the minimum NFIP standards. By participating in the CRS Program municipalities can provide their residents discounts on NFIP insurance premiums.
City of Wheaton’s dedication to a very high standard of flood management garners enough points to enter the CRS Program at a Class 6 effective May 2018 providing 20% discount to flood insurance rates in Floodplains and 10% discount outside Floodplains
To put this achievement into perspective:
There are over 22,000 communities nationwide that participate in the NFIP.
Only 1,444 communities participate in the CRS Program
Only 66 of those communities are in Illinois
Only 27 of those communities are at class 6 or above
Only 12 communities are above the City of Wheaton and those are all Class 5! | {
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Pages
16/12/2016
NVIDIA 375.26 Driver released for Linux
Well, with increasing users on Linux, the hardware companies and developers are showing more interest in providing support for their devices, not to lose the competition in this fastly crowding race.
So NVIDIA has released new point update, NVIDIA 375.26 to their 375 series.Basically, this point update is focused on Bug fixes and support, we are not getting any new feature in there. Anyway, most of the latest NVIDIA cards were supported already and with this update now Quardo M3000 SE is also getting support.
There are some major/minor bug fixes found in the previous version are fixed so far.Regression has been fixed which was causing the prevention to the backlight on some notebooks from turning on after making a shut-down.
A major fix has been done with regression, with some GPU configuration the nVidia settings control panel was crashing, which is fixed now.
A long-standing bug causing NVIDIA X drivers not to detect AC/Battery hotplug events is now fixed with this update.
There are more fixes done with this update, you may get more details here on NVIDIA Drivers page. | {
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Soundproofing in Goldston, NC 27349
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Here at Prize Soundproofing, nothing is more significant than customer care. We appreciate your visions and standards, and we'll strive to guarantee that you are satisfied with our results. If you've got questions and concerns, we offer the right answers. We will be here to assist you. We can actually respond to the concerns and questions that you don't think of, as we understand what we're working at, and we will prepare for your needs. You need to put together the ideal decisions for the project, and we understand how to make it easier to do just that.
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At Prize Soundproofing, we know that you want to keep in your price range and spend less anywhere it's possible to. But, being economical should not mean that you compromise on superior quality on Soundproofing in Goldston, NC. We will guarantee that our money conserving efforts do not translate to a lower standard of excellence. Our aim is to guarantee that you get the finest products and a end result which lasts throughout the years. For instance, we take care to prevent pricey errors, get the job done quickly to save working hours, and be sure that you receive the best savings on supplies and work. Save time and dollars by calling Prize Soundproofing right now. Our company is ready to accept your call at 844-222-4922.
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Looking for a little more Soundproofing info, tips and tricks, and best practices? Click a tab above!
Check back regularly here for Soundproofing and home improvement tips and tricks to make sure you get the most out of your next Soundproofing!
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To make the best decisions concerning Soundproofing in Goldston, NC, you need to be informed. We make sure that you understand what should be expected. You won't encounter any sort of unexpected situations whenever you choose Prize Soundproofing. Start out by contacting 844-222-4922 to go over your venture. We're going to address all your concerns and questions and arrange the first meeting. We consistently show up at the scheduled time, ready to work closely with you.
Prize Soundproofing will be here for all of your Soundproofing in Goldston, Wyoming needs
When you're setting up a process regarding Soundproofing in Goldston, NC, there are lots of great reasons to choose Prize Soundproofing. We are the best choice whenever you need the best cash saving methods, the best quality supplies, and the top rate of customer satisfaction. We are aware of your needs and intentions, and we are there to serve you with our expertise. Contact 844-222-4922 if you need Soundproofing in Goldston, and we will work together with you to systematically accomplish your task. | {
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Gorgeous, Sensual Sexuality in Artistic Film and Photography
Tag Archives: spring
It’s March! I know that it’s still technically winter, but at least the beginning of March always signals that spring is slowly but surely on the way. As much as I do love winter, there are a lot of things to look forward to about its end… For example, in exactly two weeks, I’ll be able to ride my motorbike again! But also other lovely things like sun, cute dresses, no more big coats and boots, grass and trees and flowers… It’s a season of rebirth, so I wanted to make a video that somehow felt like the moments just before all of those amazing changes start to take place.
Pale Beginnings of Spring was shot and one of our friend’s houses out a little drive from Montreal. It’s gorgeous, spacious and has a lot of natural light, so they were kind enough to let us film… The white room, the white lingerie and the white light coming in through the large windows, reflected off the (lots of) snow made for this almost suspended feeling, like when you can tell that something lovely is around the corner, but isn’t quite there yet. That feeling is as old as time itself, and I think that experiencing it while also indulging in a really sweet blowjob feels like sharing that sensation with the one I love.
It’s always hard to capture these moments in words, but I think the video does quite an excellent job, so I hope you’ll let me know if it resonates with you in that way. It’s official… We’re on our way towards spring.
Even though Montreal’s weather has been bizarre to say the least this spring, we’ve had some nice days and we’ve started behaving like it’s warmer even if nature doesn’t actually want to cooperate. One thing I’ve always found kind of sexy is the feeling of cool tiles against my body. Our kitchen floor is tiled and it was a nice enough day, so we decided to enjoy this simple sensation with a beautiful blowjob for today’s update.
This is a really sweet, smiling video. It’s very sexy and sensual, of course, but there is a definite cuteness. I blame those turquoise panties… They really make the soft lighting come to a very nice focus point. There’s just something adorable about the two of us on the kitchen floor, being slightly goofy and enjoying such a basic thing… Just cool tiles on our skin.
Mike had quite an exceptional intense and long orgasm in this video, so you’ll get to watch me swallow and squeeze him for every last drop. Of course, you’ll only get a little view in the trailer… All the sweetness, the sexiness and the thrilling conclusion are available only in the full video. So, what did you think? Do you know what I mean about the cool tiles? Or cool sheets/pillows… Those are great too! 😉
I don’t know what’s gotten into, but these days I’m really enjoying being totally nude. Go figure? Maybe it’s the freedom of the motorcycling I’ve been doing lately, but I just want to share myself with the world! That’s exactly what I did in today’s update – Seductive Nude Blowjob in the Sun.
This kind of may look like an outdoor shoot, but it isn’t. Sorry, guys! We decided to set up the camera out on our beautiful balcony, then have the shot coming through the window, so it was like dipping our toes into the outdoors, in a way. And that’s always an intriguing though to discover in the spring, since it’s about to get very cold around here.
If you’re a member (and I hope you’re a member) then you’ve probably noticed a little change around the website. There’s a new layout and the titles are more descriptive so it’ll be easy to know what you’re getting before you watch the video or look at the photo set. Make sure to update your bookmarks to http://www.theartofblowjob.com/v1/members so you can access it quickly!
Asides from that, check out the trailer for this week’s video and then watch the full video for all the blowjob goodness! I’d love to know what you think of this angle/camera technique!
Spring feels like it’s finally more or less here (I don’t want to jinx anything!) and we wanted to really capture the beautiful sunlight we’ve been having on the nice days recently. Setting up the camera just so allowed for us to have a really gorgeous Spring Sunshine Blowjob, so that’s exactly what we called it. There’s something so special about shooting in natural light… I really think it just brings out the best in the look and the feel of our videos every single time.
Although a lot of the focus is on my face, the outfit I chose is pretty sexy in this one! It’s my gorgeous black lingerie dress with the crossed strings along the front (from a wonderful fan), beautiful black nylons, a lovely dark necklace and amazing stilettos (a gift from another terrific fan) as the icing on the cake! I opted for not too much makeup or doing anything fussy with my hair… I just wanted it to be a really sexy looking blowjob with my fresh, natural face. I like the contrast from what I’m wearing to the natural sunlight on my simply made-up face.
The cumshot is pretty great. You hear Mike telling me what to do a bit, just to make it perfect. It adds a little natural element, hearing him tell me exactly how to make him feel good. Seeing the cumshot in such perfect light and then seeing it almost shine on my face… Well, that’s pretty sexy. It glistens as I rub it into my skin with his cock, which really looks amazing. I think you’ll really like this one! You can check out the trailer, then watch the full video! I’d love to hear what you think of the sexy dark outfit/sweet light face duo.
The latest update is up on The Art of Blowjob! I hope you like fireplaces, babydoll lingerie dresses and blowjobs. Oh wait, I know you do. This is a variation of the Redtube request blowjob video, so it’s based on what you actually want to see. How convenient! This video is nice to watch on a day like today, when spring is still fighting against winter. Or, at least it is here.
This is what I’d call an extra sensual blowjob. There’s so much romance… It’s so cozy, and yet there’s still lots of passionate licking and tongue work. This is a very intense video to watch, and I’m really proud by how it turned out. I feel like the blowjob matches the fireplace in a way. Warm, intense, a little wild… You can see by the way Mike comes that it really worked. That’s one hell of a cumshot.
I know it may sound a little cheesy in a way to give a blowjob by the fireplace, but there’s a reason this is an old stand-by. All we’re missing is the (faux) bearskin rug! It’s sexy, it’s nice and warm and it’s the perfect ambiance to really get into the passion and excitement of the act. Have you guys ever had a fireside blowjob? Or any other stereotyped blowjob? Regardless, you need to check out the trailer and then the full video to see exactly how it all played out!
Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter if you haven’t already. It’s free and you get bonuses, freebies, surprises and discounts. Plus, more of my charming chatter in your inbox every week!
So, it’s allegedly spring. I say allegedly because, well… It doesn’t feel much like spring at the moment. It feels like Montreal is in the perpetual state of almost thawing out and then snowing just enough that everything freezes again. This is just such a tease. But much like every tease, it’ll come to an end soon, and then we get a few months of glorious spring and summer to tide us over through to the following year.
I tell you, there are few things more gorgeous than the first days here in Montreal when the weather is nice. It’s like everyone drops what they’re doing and comes out of hibernation to enjoy the beautiful weather. When the sun starts to shine, it’s like people everywhere are out and about, smiling at each other and picking up on this fun, wonderful flirty energy that wafts in the air.
There are so many beautiful parks in the city. I remember going on little picnics with Mike last year and seeing so many happy couples doing the same, even if it’s just sharing a cool drink on a bench and watching people walking their dogs. Seeing all the beautiful people of this city take off their slushy boots, their big coats, their scarves/hats/mits and show off their nice summer dresses, their smart casual outfits, their pedicures, their sunglasses…
Even though the winters are long here, when it finally gets nice out, it’s so easy to see why people love this city. | {
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Hello, I’m Terri Lowe.
Welcome to my website.
Here you will find a lot content based on my three favourite things: food, music and cats.
Don't forget to follow me on social media below.
If you'd like to collaborate with me, email [email protected]
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About Hello Terri Lowe // UK Music, Food and Culture Blog
A UK Music, Food and Culture Blog, based in Staffordshire. Often spotted on adventures in Manchester, Liverpool, London or Birmingham at the weekends, you can expect to see a little bit of everything from festivals to food and everything in-between. When not blogging, you can find me having a nice sit down with my three cats, Stevie, Kitty and Dot. Don’t forget to take a look at my ‘about‘ page if you’re interested in collaborating on any exciting opportunities that you think would be a good fit! | {
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NFL Betting Fans Note $60 Million Dollar Deal for Chiefs Berry
Eric Berry has yet to play a down in the NFL or impact NFL betting odds but the Kansas City Chiefs signed him to a six-year deal worth up to $60 million dollars.
Berry was the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft and he could be a superstar player but those who make an NFL bet are surprised by the amount of money being paid to a rookie safety.
NFL betting odds list the Chiefs as long shots to win the Super Bowl this season. Getting Eric Berry could be a great move for Kansas City as he was the one impact player in the NFL Draft. Paying him $60 million dollars though is another story. The NFL has a major problem with rookie salaries that they have to address and it could be that a lockout will be needed to change the system.
Rookies are getting way to much money in the NFL. It has been this way for years and many NFL owners are tired of it. The Chiefs paid Tyson Jackson a ton of money as a rookie and he has done nothing so far. He is not the only player who has failed to live up to his big contract. JaMarcus Russell was a major bust in Oakland but he got millions of dollars from the Raiders before he ever played a down.
When you really look at the contract that Berry received from the Chiefs you have to shake your head. He is going to be paid more money than a top safety like Troy Polamalu who has already proven himself in the NFL. That is not to say that Berry won’t be a great NFL player. He may turn out to be superb in the NFL but when players are paid before they even play a down it is a bad business decision.
Kansas City is a 70-1 long shot to win the Super Bowl this season but they do play in a division in which they could win some games. The AFC West has the San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos and even though the Chargers are heavy favorites in the division, they have yet to do anything in the playoffs. Kansas City could be a team that is worth taking with an NFL bet from time to time this season. | {
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Thank you, exactly what I was looking for.
I assumed that page was about using the console apps that come with Yii rather than creating new ones from the title. Perhaps it could be renamed to Creating Console Applications or maybe make a mention of it in the Entry Script page (where I first thought to look). | {
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markets
At the crossroads of industry, railroads and farm country Kansas City has long been a capital of the plains. In recent years, though, Kansas City and other agriculture hubs have seen technology chip away at their importance.
Since 1856, for instance, wheat has been traded on the floor of the Kansas City Board of Trade. In the old days, there would be a swarm of traders around the pits, shouting orders, making those crazy hand signals you've seen in the movies, but that will end later this summer. | {
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Welcome to The Global Music Education Initiative!
EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO A QUALITY MUSIC EDUCATION
Learning Music Starts with Singing and Dedicated Practice Makes Perfect
Hello Everyone, this is David Livianu. The mission of The Global Music Education Initiative is to Make It Easy To Learn Music for millions of children around the world who lack access to quality music education training and manuals. THIS is my contribution to helping young artists.
Any well respected and accomplished artist, {musician, dancer, singer or actor} needs an extraordinary well developed musical ear. The only way to succeed is to prepare seriously and practice quality exercises that will bring to fruition this important and vital skill, whether you are a singer or play an instrument.
The goal of this work is to bridge the educational gap between elite music academies and regular schools and accelerate the learning process for any young artist who is seriously interested in developing a professional musical ear and understand music.
The 1st audio educational resource is “Volume 1, 32 Lessons for Ear-Training with Solfege in 15 Major and 15 minor Scales”. This is a collection of 32 lessons, 7 parts each, with theoretical and practical exercises.
There are 14 tracks in each lesson.
A total of 448 tracks, 32 hours long. Each manual has 76 pages.
The required expertise is moderate.
The basic principle for developing a professional musical ear is: LISTEN, SING REPEAT!
This means that as you follow along the audio tracks, and read the music manual, you should listen intently to the musical example, then repeat it yourself by singing it, and keep repeating this process throughout the lesson.
Practice one lesson for 6 days in a row, then rest 1 day, and repeat the process for the next 31 lessons, 31 weeks. The SEVEN SINGING parts in each lesson are about 30 minutes long. You can practice any audio track, as many times as you need to.
The Ear-Training exercises are rooted in the Italian and French traditions of learning music with Solfege; it means, singing the 7 notes with Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si Do.
This is the established music teaching method in European, Latin American and Asian schools for the past 150 years. I am firmly convinced that it is the most successful and efficient method for developing a professional musical ear.
You can also use the alphabet method with ABCDEFGA, normally reserved for harmonic shorthand, though the results will be different.
The Livianu method advocates only the use of the fixed do approach, where each note has a unique and non-interchangeable name.
You do not need to sing the names of the sharps and flats, as the altered notes are intimated through intonation. I am confident that preparation, passion and quality music training will bring joy and success to young children around the world, using my simple exercises.
Anywhere! Anytime!
When download any of the 32 lessons as an audio album, you will receive a free copy of the corresponding music manual for that lesson, in printable PDF format, 76 pages. Send an e-mail to [email protected]
Listening to this material and practicing seriously along with the music manual, will help you develop a professional musical ear and learn music theory.
These practical exercises are the true foundation for developing a professional musical ear, including the theoretical knowledge about scales, intervals, triads, seventh chords and ninth chords, which are the precursors of learning harmony and counterpoint. | {
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Read More
Ten years later, the hairbrush has finally been returned to parents, Gerry and Kate, who vowed to do "whatever it takes for as long as it takes" to find their daughter, The Mirror reports.
And last week, British detectives working on the case revealed they're now pursuing a "significant" line of inquiry.
In an interview to mark the 10th anniversary of Maddie's disappearance, Gerry and Kate spoke of their enduring hope that one day a sighting or a breakthrough in the investigation will give them the answers they've waited a decade for.
Gerry and Kate McCann with an age-enhanced artist's impression of Madeleine (Image: PA)
Read More
Gerry, now 48, said: “Before Madeleine was taken, we felt we had managed to achieve our little perfect nuclear family of five.
"We had that for a short period and, almost the same way as if your child becomes ill or seriously ill, or has died, like many other families have suffered... then your vision is altered and you have to adapt.
“You adapt and you have a new normality. Unfortunately for us a new normality is a family of four. But we have adapted, that’s important.”
The three-year-old pictured on the day she disappeared (Image: PA)
Speaking about her twin children, Kate said: “One of our goals – while obviously ultimately finding Madeleine – was to ensure Sean and Amelie have a very normal, happy and fulfilling life and we’ll do everything that we can to ensure that.
"Obviously massive events like this cause a lot of reaction, a lot of trauma and upset. But ultimately you have to keep going, especially when you have got other children involved.
“I do all the present buying. I obviously have to think about what age she is and something that, whenever we find her, will still be appropriate so there’s a lot of thought goes into it. | {
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Cambridge Analytica is just the tip of the iceberg for Facebook's data issues
April 18, 2018
Transcript
A former director at Cambridge Analytica said that data on 87 million people taken from Facebook is just the tip of the iceberg.
Brittany Kaiser, who worked at the data analytics firm for four years, said that thousands of companies have been taking advantage of Facebook's open platform for years to scavenge for data.
There were multiple other apps that I was aware of, that were being built by Cambridge Analytica and likely thousands of other companies doing the same thing.
So for Facebook to only admit that 87 million individuals would have had their profiles compromised, I think it's really underestimating the The situation.
Cambridge Analytica was able to obtain that information on 87 million people thanks to an app called, This Is Your Digital Life.
But it wasn't the only app that the firm used, Kiser said.
At a UK Parliament hearing on Tuesday, she mentioned they made more apps Like one for a sex compass.
I know that we also had one for music, what's your music personallity and you answered questions about your musical preferences.
It might have been very small scale, I don't actually know but.
They were, in addition to the, This is Your Digital Life test.
Even though the team was small, Kaiser and Cambridge Analytica were able to amass data on millions of people thanks to these quizzes.
The way they put them together was also very focused.
Usually, we would have one of our heads of research or messaging
Or someone from the creative team that would put together some of the questions with one of our psychologists and then one of our data scientists would help make sure that the way that it collected data would be useful for our modeling. | {
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Firstly I should comment that process is important. The basic notion that an employee should have the chance to defend themselves is very important. There may be factors unknown to the employer.
However in the case linked above the employee, caught on film taking company property, has won $19,000 because of what I have to say is a very minor procedural point.
Basically the employer showed him the film of him removing company property and asked him to comment. Realising he had been caught, he refused to explain. Now the flaw the employer had was not stating the obvious “We believe this video shows you stealing from us”.
I’m appalled that such a minor procedural breach gets the sacked employee walking away with six months salary or so. If they had not confronted him with the video evidence at all that would be a different matter, but come on when your employer shows you a video of you removing company goods, you know what it is about.
The pity with this ruling is it lumps in the genuinely good employers who try their best to be fair, with the genuinely bad employers who do ignore employee rights.
Related posts:
This entry was posted on Monday, January 30th, 2006 at 9:27 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed. | {
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Violin Memory’s Funding Another Sign of Flash Frenzy
Data-storage chips known as flash memory keep shaking up sector after sector. The latest action is in corporate computer rooms, where a startup called Violin Memory sells boxes that are getting attention.
The closely held company on Monday will announce a $35 million funding round from investors that include Toshiba Corp.–one of the biggest flash memory makers, which put money into Violin last April–and Juniper Networks, the Silicon Valley networking equipment company. Chief Executive Donald Basile puts the money raised by the company to date at more than $110 million, including investments in a startup called Gear6 whose assets Violin bought last June.
Violin, which was founded in 2005 in New Jersey and recently moved near Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., isn’t trying to speed up storage inside servers. Rather, the company sells separate flash-based boxes that can supply data to multiple servers. | {
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Arlington sheriff reduces civil courtroom security
Arlington Sheriff Beth Arthur has told county judges that she will no longer be able to provide a deputy for civil cases in a circuit and general district courtroom effective Jan. 19.
Because two long-term courtroom security deputies have resigned and two others will be on extended sick leave, the office no longer has the personnel ... | {
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I deliberately use the word "wonky" because it has a squishy meaning, which is helpful, since I'm not sure what I want it to mean just yet! So, bear with me while I fumble around in the darkness, not knowing quite what I am doing just yet.
Here is the premise: Color, in a well-controlled production run, should vary according to some specific type of statistical distribution. (Math mumbo-jumbo alert) I will take a guess that the cloud of points in that ellipsoid of L*a*b* values is a three-dimensional Gaussian distribution, with the axes appropriately tilted and elongated. If this is the case, then the distribution of Zc will be chi with three degrees of freedom. (End math mumbo-jumbo alert.)
If you are subscribed to the blog post reader that automatically removes sections of math mumbo-jumbo, then I will recap the last paragraph in a non-mumbo-jumbo way. In stats, we make the cautious assumption of the normal distribution. Since I am inventing this three-dimensional stats thing, I will cautiously assume the three-dimensional equivalent. But, since this is virgin territory, I will start by testing this assumption.
A quick note about CIELAB target values and DE
This blog post is not about CIELAB target values and DE. Today, I'm not talking about assessing conformance, so DE is not part of the discussion. I am talking about whether the process is stable, not whether it's correct.
A look at some real good data
Kodak produced a photographic test target, known as the Q60 target, which was used to calibrate scanners. The test target would be read by a scanner, and the RGB values which were read were compared against L*a*b* values for that batch of targets in order to calibrate the scanners. When the scanner encountered that same type of film, this calibration would be used to convert from RGB values to moderately accurate L*a*b* values. Hundreds of thousands of these test targets were manufactured between 1993 and 2008.
I think the lady peeking out on the right is sweet on me
We know that these test targets were produced under stringent process control. They were expensive, and expensive always means better. More importantly, they were produced under the direction of Dave McDowell. I have worked with him for many years in standards groups, and I know they don't come more persnickety about getting the details right than him!
Dave provided me with data on 76 production runs of Ektachrome, which was averages of the L*a*b* values from 264 patches, for a total of about 20K data points. So, I had a big pile of data, collected of production runs that were about as well regulated as you can get.
I applied my magic slide rule to each set of the 264 sets of 76 color values. Note that I pooled at the data for individual colors of patches. General rule in stats: You don't wanna be putting stuff in the same bucket that belongs in different buckets. They will have different distributions.
Within each of the 264 buckets, I computed Zc values. Twenty thousand of them. I hope you're appreciative of all the work that I did for this blog post. Well... all the work that Mathematica did.
Now, I could have looked at them all individually, but the goal here is to test my 3D normal assumption. I'm gonna use a trick that I learned from Dave McDowell, which is called the CPDF.
Note on the terminology: CPDF stands for cumulative probability density function). At least that's the name that it was given in the stats class that I flunked out of in college. It is also called CPD (cumulative probability distribution), CDF (cumulative distribution function), and in some circles it's affectionately known as Clyde. In the graphic arts standards committee clique, it has gone by the name of CRF (cumulative relative frequency).
Here is the CPDF of the Ektrachrome data set. I through all the Zc values into one bucket. In this case I can do this. They belong in the same bucket, since they are all dimensionless numbers... normalized to the same criteria. The solid blue line is the actual data. If you look real close, you can see a dotted line. That dotted line is the theoretical distribution for Zc that 3D normal would imply. Not just one particular distribution -- the only one.
20,000 color measurements gave their lives for this plot
Rarely do I see real world data that comes this close to fitting a theoretical model. It is clear that L*a*b* data can be 3D normal.
More real world data
I have been collecting data. Lots of it. I currently have large color data sets form seven sources, encompassing 1,245 same-color data sets, and totalling 325K data points. When I can't sleep at night, I get up and play with my data.
[Contact me if you have some data that you would like to share. I promise to keep it anonymous. If you have a serious question that you want to interrogate your data with, all the better, Contact me. We can work something out.]
I now present some data from Company B, which is one of my anonymous sources. I know you're thinking this, but no. This is not where the boogie-woogie bugle boy came from. This complete data set includes 14 different printed patches, sampled from production runs over a full year. Each set has about 3,700 data points.
I first look at the data from the 50% magenta patch, since it is the most well-behaved. The images below are scatterplots of the L*a*b* data projected onto the a*b* plane, the a*L* plane, and the b*L* plane. The dashed ellipses are the 3.75 Zc ellipses. One might expect one out of 354 data points to be outside of those ellipses.
Three views of the M 50 data from Company B
Just in case you wanted to see a runtime chart, I provide one below. The red line is the 3.75 Zc cutoff. There were 24 data points where Zc > 3.75. This compares to the expectation of 10.5. This is the expectation under the assumption that the distribution is perfectly 3D normal. I am not concerned about this difference; it is my expectation that real life data will normally exceed the normal expectations by a little bit.
Another view of the M 50 data - Zc runtime plot
So far, everything looks decent. No big warning flags. Let's have a look at the CPDF. PArdon my French, but this looks pretty gosh-darn spiffy. The match to the theoretical curve (the dotted line) is not quite as good as the Ektachrome data, but it's still a real good approximation.
Another great match
Conclusion so far, the variation in color data really can be 3D normal!
Still more real world data
I show below the CPDF of Zc for another data set from that same source, Company B. This particular data set is a solid cyan patch. The difference between the real data and the theoretical distribution is kinda bad.
A poor showing for the solid cyan patch
So, either there is something funky about this data set, or my assumption is wrong. Maybe 3D normal isn't necessarily normal? Let's zoom in a bit on this data set. First, we look at the runtime chart. (Note that this chart is scaled a bit different than the previous. This one tops out at Zc = 8, whereas the other goes up to 5.5.)
A runtime chart with some aberrant behaviorthat will not go unpunished!
There are clearly some problems with this data. I have highlighted (red ellipse) two short periods where the color was just plain wonky. Some of the other outliers are a bit clustered as well. Below I have an a*b* scatter plot of that data (on the left), and a zoomed-in portion of that plot which shows some undeniable wonk.
Look at all the pretty dots that aren't in the corral where they belong
I'm gonna say that the reason that the variation in this data set does not fit the 3D normal model is because this particular process is not in control. The case gets stronger that color variation is 3D normal when the process is under control.
Are you tired of looking at data yet?
We have looked at data from Company K and Company B. How about two data sets from Company R? These two data sets are also printed colors, but they are not the standard process colors. There are about 1,000 measurements of a pink spot color, and 600 measurements of a brown spot color. One new thing in this set... these are measurements from an inline system, so they are all from the same print run.
First we look at the CPDF for the pink data. Yes! I won't show the scatterplots in L*a*b*, but trust me. They look good. Another case of "3D normal" and "color process in good control" going hand-in-hand.
Yet another boring plot that corroborates my assumptions
Next we see the CPDF of Zc for the brown data. It's not as good as the pink data, or the Kodak, or the M 50 CPDF plots, but not quite as bad as the C 100. So, we might think that the process for brown is in moderate control?
Brown might not be so much in control?
The runtime chart of Zc looks pretty much like all the others (I could plop the image in here, but it wouldn't tell us much). The scatter plots of L*a*b* values also look reasonable... well, kinda. Let's have a look.
Halley's comet? Or a scatterplot of variation in brown?
.This data doesn't look fully symmetric. It looks like it's a little skewed toward the lower left. And that is why the CPDF plot of brown looks a bit funky. Once again, we see that the CPDF of Zc values for a set of color variation is a decent way to quickly assess whether there is something wrong with the process.
But why is the brown plot skewed? I know the answer, but we're gonna have to wait for the full exposition in another blog post.
For the tine being, let me state the thrilling conclusion of this blog post.
The thrilling conclusion of this blog post
When a color producing process is "in control" (whatever that means), the variation in L*a*b* will be 3D normal. This means that we can look at the CPDF of Zc as a quick way to tell if we have exited the ramp to Wonkyville.
Monday, February 19, 2018
Someday I will write a blog post about how this guy Munsell laid the foundation for the ever-popular color space CIELAB, and came to be known as the Father of Color Science. He was also the father of A. E. O. Munsell, who carried on his work. I don't intend to write a blog post about how Albert became the father of A. E. O.
What I did not foretell in that blog post is that ISCC will be sponsoring the Munsell Centennial Symposium, June 10 - 15, 2018 in Boston. Or that I would be keynoting this event.
Exhibit A. Richard Hunter's book The Measurement of Appearance, on page 136.
Photo taken at the Color Difference family picnic
This is a family tree of proposed models for determining color difference. Note that the Munsell Color system is in the upper right hand corner, and all arrows come from that box. The only little boxes that are still active today are the two boxes labeled CIE 1976. A similar diagram is on page 107 of that same book, which shows a family tree of color scales. (I have an image of that in a previous blog posts about color difference.) Again, this shows a straight lineage from Munsell Color Scpce to CIELAB.
Is this reliable testimony? Richard Hunter was a fairly knowledgeable guy when it comes to color. I mean, he has his own entry in Wikipedia for goodness sake. CIELAB is (perhaps) the most widely used tool in the color industry. Since Hunter traces the lineage of CIELAB back to Munsell, then I feel pretty confident about putting Munsell on the shortlist of highly influential figures in the history of color science, at the very least.
But, that hides a lot of the fun stuff that happened between the creation of the Munsell color space and the ratification of CIELAB as a standard for color measurement.
What Munsell did
Munsell Color Space
Munsell's color space is based on some simple principles.
2. A physical standard produced with simple tools, simple math, and a defined procedure
Munsell described the procedure by which his color system could be developed from any reasonable set of pigments. The procedure included a way to assign unique identifiers to each color. As a result, all colors within the gamut of the chosen pigments could be unambiguously named.
3. Perceptual linearity
One of Munsell's secondary aims was to create a color space where the steps in hue, value, and chroma were all perceptually linear. Did he meet his goal? Stay tuned.
This color system was used to create the Atlas of the Munsell Color System, which was a book containing painted samples with their corresponding designations of hue, value, and chroma. This book was to be used as an unambiguous way to identify colors, and thus, to provide a standrd way to communicate color.
Munsell photometer and the gray scale
Munsell invented and patented a photometer which was capable of measuring the reflectance of a flat surface. Well, provided it was a neutral gray. The user would look into a box and see two things: the sample to be measured, and a standard white patch. The sample was illuminated with a constant illumination, and the white standard was illuminated with light through an adjustable aperture. To make a measurements, the size of the aperture was adjusted so as to match the intensity of the dimmed white standard and that of the sample. The width of the aperture, scaled from 1 to 10, was the Munsell Value for the gray sample.
A shoebox with some holes and stuff
Munsell used his photometer to mix black and white paints in steps from V = 1 to V = 10.
Maxwell disks and the rest of the colors
James Clerk Maxwell invented a creature called the Maxwell disk around 1855. I spent the better part of a day building my own set of Maxwell disks from colored construction paper as shown below. The cool part is the slit. You can slide two or more disks together, and rotate them so as to get any proportion of the colors to show. In the inset, I show the device that I adapted to rotate the disks. Again, the better part of a day was spent assembling a bolt, a couple of washers, and a nut. I first tried a cordless drill, and found it didn't spin fast enough to merge the colors. I had to use my old drill that plugs into the wall.
The Maxwell disks were the inspiration for PacMan
The picture below shows the results of day 3 of my dramatic reenactment of Munsell's landmark experiment. I selected red, green, and blue construction paper, and adjusted the size of the segments in order to get a facsimile of gray. When I saw that gray, I realized that this was four days well spent.
Me, geeking out on the creation of gray from Red, green, and blue
If I were to be doing this on a government grant, I would have spent another day or two actually measuring the sizes of the red, green, and blue areas. For the purposes of this blog, I will be content with just saying that red and blue are each one-quarter, and green is one-half. In other words, this green is half as strong as the others. Thus, Munsell would conclude that the chromas of this red and blue were twice that of this green. Munsell would also have measured this gray with his photometer. Another opportunity for me to get a little more grant money.
In this way, Munsell was able to assign values to the colors.
Perceptual linearity?
Linear in Value?
Since Munsell's original Value was measured as the width of an aperture, the amount of light let through is proportional to the square of the Value. Conversely, Value is proportional to the square root of the light intensity. The plot below compares this scale against today's best guess at perceptual linearity, CIEDE2000.
Munsell's original Value was kinda sorta close to perceptually linear
Note: The DE2000 scale in the plot above is based on Seymour's formula (L00 = 24.7 Log e (20 Y +1), where 0< Y < 1), which was first presented at TAGA 2015, Working Toward A Color Space Built On CIEDE2000. The height of the curve at the end shows that there are 76 shades of gray, based on DE2000. The Munsell Value has been scaled to that.
Is this perceptually linear? That depends on how gracious you want to be. On the one hand, the linearity is not lousy. Given the tools at hand, Munsell did a fairly decent job of making kinda linear.
On the ungracious side, Munsell merely took what he had handy (the size of the opening of his aperture) and used that. Lazy bum! Surely he would have known about the work of Ernst Weber (1834) and Gustav Fechner (1860) which postulated that all our perception is logartihmically based!
Really pedantic note: There is some confusion about how the gray scale was set up. My description is based on Munsell's description [1905], as well as comments by Tyler and Hardy [1940], Bond and Nickerson [1940], and Gibson and Nickerson [1940], all of which were based on Munsell's words and measured samples. But in a paper from 2012, Munsell described his assignment of Value as being logarithmic, following the Weber-Fechner law.
Linear in hue?
Munsell started this exercise by selecting five paints with vibrant colors: red (Venetian red), Yellow (raw sienna), green (emerald green), blue (cobalt), and purple (madder and cobalt). He then created paints that were opposite hues for each of these. The opposite hues were adjusted so that the balanced out to gray on the Maxwell disks. Thus, he had a set of ten colors with Value of 5 and Chroma of 5.
What's to say that these paints are equally spaced in hue? I am sure that Munsell selected them with that in the back of his mind, but four of the five are just commonly available, single pigment paints.
From the literature that I reviewed in the bibliography below, I could find no evidence that he put much time into psychophysical testing.
I'm gonna say that the hue spacing in the original Munsell color system is only somewhat perceptually linear.
Linear in Chroma?
Munsell's assignment of Chroma values is all based on simple ratios of areas on the Maxwell disks. Thus, in his original system, chroma is linear with reflectance. I did a bit of testing, comparing Munsell's proposition against DE2000. I will smugly state that our perception is not linear with reflectance.
But Munsell begs to differ with me. He performed some tests of this, and summarized his results in 1909:
These experiments show clearly that chroma sensation and chroma intensity (physical saturation) vary not according to the law of Weber and Fechner, but nearly or quite proportionately, and in accordance with the system employed in my color notation.
This paper seems to have been largely ignored by other color researchers. Deane Judd looked at the question of equal steps in chroma in 1932. His bibliography included Munsell's 1909 paper, but he made no mention of it in the text. The same with several of the papers from 1940 listed below.
My brief test suggests this is not true, and the people who were genuinely interested in the question who were aware of Munsell's suggestion ignored it. The graphs from the 1943 paper (Newhall, et al.) are decidedly non-linear in steps of chroma. Barring further evidence, I would say that the original Munsell Color System was not perceptually linear in chroma.
All in all, I'm gonna rate the claim that the original Munsell system was perceptually linear as "Mostly False".
What happened after Albert Munsell
Albert Munsell passed on in 1918, but a lot of work was done on the Munsell Color System by others after his death.
In 1919 and again in 1926, Munsell's son, A. E. O. Munsell submitted samples to the National Bureau of Standards. These were measured spectrophotometrically. The 1919 data was analyzed by Priest et al., and came along with some suggestions for improvement. They suggested that the Value scale be changed.
This challenge was taken up by Albert's his own son. In 1933, A. E. O. published a paper describing a modification of the function from which Value was computed. This brought value much closer into line with the predictions of CIEDE2000.
The Munsell Color System was largely ignored in the literature until 1940. At that time, seemingly everyone jumped on the bandwagon. A subcommittee of the Optical Society of America was formed, and the December 1940 issue of the Journal of the Optical Society in America published five papers on the Munsell Color System.
Why the sudden effort? Spectrophotometers were expensive and cumbersome, but were becoming available. The 1931 tristimulus curves were available to turn spectral data into human units. Several of the papers noted a desire to create a system which translated physical measurements into something that made intuitive sense.
The Munsell Color System seemed to be best template to shoot for, since it was "[l]ong recognized as the outstanding practical device for color specification by pigmented surface standards." (Newhall, 1940)
The efforts of the OSA subcommittee culminated in what has become known as the Munsell Renotation Data, introduced in the 1943 paper by Newhall et al. Inconsistencies of the original data were smoothed out, a new Value scaled was introduced, and a huge experiment (3 million observations) was done to nudge the colors into a system that looked perceptually linear. The final result is a color system that can indeed be said to be perceptually linear.
Oh what a tangled web we weave, from Newhall (1943)
I'm not gonna take up the rest of the story, from the Renotation Data to CIELAB. That's another long and interesting story, I'm sure. But I am running out of gas!
Conclusion
Here is the firmest entirely factual statement that I can make about this paternity suit involving Albert Munsell and the child named Color Science.
Munsell had a passion for teaching color, especially to children. He sought to bring order and remove ambiguity from communication of color. This passion brought him to create the Munsell Color System. This was not the first three-dimensional arrangement of color, nor was it all that close to being perceptually linear. But it had two great features going for it: It was built on the intuitive concepts of hue, chroma, and lightness, and it came with a recipe for building a physical rendition of the color space. As a result, the Munsell Color Space is both a concept for understanding color, and a physical standard to be used in practical communication of color.
The Munsell Color System saw a number of improvements after his death, resulting in the Munsell Renotation Data. This later became the framework for future development of a magic formula to go from measured specrta to three numbers that define a color. The CIELAB formula is the one that stuck.
I realize that my work over the past 25 years has given me a bias toward the importance of measurement of surface colors, and hence a bias toward thinking that CIELAB is important. The next statement is subjective, and based on my admitted biases.
I think that Albert Munsell deserves to be called The Father of Color Science.
Albert Munsell proudly showing off his very attractive John the Math Guy Award
On the other hand...
I would be remiss if I failed to mention a few other individuals, who might reasonably be on the podium with Munsell.
Isaac Newton - He invented the rainbow, right? Well, actually, he did some experiments with light and came up with the theory of the spectrum. Spectrophotmeters are designed to measure this.
Thomas Young - He first proposed the theory that the eye has three different sensors (red, green, and blue) in 1802. Hermann von Helmholtz built on this in 1894.
Ewald Hering - He proposed the color opponent theory in 1878. Light cannot be both red and green; nor can it be both blue and yellow. His three photoreceptors were white versus black, red vs green, and yellow vs blue. This is explicitly built into CIELAB.
It turns out that all of these are correct, but they are looking at different stages in our perception. Newton's spectrum is a real physical thing. The retina does have three Young-Helmholtz sensors. The cones are not exactly RGB, but kinda. And the neural stuff after the cones in the retina creates signals that follow Hering's theory.
So, maybe one of these gents should get the crown? I dunno... maybe I'll make a few more John the Math Guy awards?
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
This blog is a first in a series of blog posts giving some concrete examples of how the newly-invented technique of ColorSPC and ellipsification can be used to answer real-world questions being asked by real-world people about real-world problems for color manufacturers.
So, picture this scenario. I am running a machine that puts color onto (or into) a product. Maybe it's some kind of printing press; maybe it mixes pigment into plastic; maybe this is about dyeing textiles or maybe it's about painting cars. The same principles apply.
John the Math Guy really Lays color SPC on the line
Today's question: I got this fancy-pants spectrophotometer that spits out color measurements of my product. How can I use it to alert me when the color is starting to wander outside of its normal operating zone?
An important distinction
There are two main reasons to measure parts coming off an assembly line:
1. Is the product meeting customer tolerances?
2. Is my machine behaving normally?
Conformance and SPC (statistical process control). These are intertwined. Generally, one implies the other. But consider two scenarios where the two answers are different.
It could be that the product is meeting tolerances, but the machine is a bit wonky. Not wonky enough to be spitting out red parts instead of green, but there is definitely something different than yesterday. Should we do anything about this? Maybe, maybe not. It's certainly not a reason to run out of the building with our hair on fire. But it could be your machine's way of asking for a little TLC in the form of preventative maintenance.
Or it could be that your machine is operating within its normal range, and is producing product that is outside the customer tolerances. This the case you need to worry about. Futzing with the usual control knobs ain't gonna bring things in line. You need to change something about your process.
Use of DE for SPC
The color difference formulas, such as DE00, were designed specifically to be industrial tolerances for color. While DE00 may well be the second ugliest formula ever developed by a sentient being in this universe, it does a fair job of correlating with our own perception of whether two colors are an acceptable match.
But is it a good way to assess whether the machine is operating in a stable manner? I mean, you just track DE over time, and if it blips, you know something is going on. Right? Let's try it out on a set of real data.
The plot below is a runtime chart of just over 1,000 measurements of pink spot color that I received from Company B. These are all measurements from a single run. I don't know for sure what the customer tolerance was, but I took a guess at 3.0 DE00, and added that as an orange dashed line.
It sure looks like a lot of measurements were out of tolerance!
Uh-oh. It looks like we got a problem. There are a whole lot of measurements that are well above that tolerance... maybe one out of three are out of tolerance?
But maybe it's not as bad as it looks. The determination lies in how one interprets tolerance. Here is one interpretation from a technical report from the Committee for Graphic Arts Technologies Standards (CGATS TR 016, Graphic technology — Printing Tolerance and Conformity Assessment):
"The printing run should be sampled randomly over the length of the run and a minimum of 20 samples collected. The metric for production variation is the 70th percentile of the distribution of the color difference between production samples and the substrate-corrected process control aims."
TR 016 defines a number of conformance levels. (For a description of what those values mean, check out my blog on How Big is a DE00) It says that 3.0 DE00 is "Level II conformance", so the orange dashed line is a quite reasonable acceptance criteria for a press run. But a runtime chart is not at all useful for identifying those "Danger Will Robinson" moments. I mean, how do you decide if a single measurement is outside of a tolerance that requires 20 measurements?
If we want to do SPC, then we must set the upper control limit differently.
Use of DE for SPC, take 2
The basic approach from statistical process control -- the whole six sigma shtick -- is to set the upper control limit based on what the data tells us about the process, and not based on customer tolerances. It is traditional to use the average plus three times the standard deviation as the upper limit. For our test data set, this works out to 5.28 DE00.
The process looks in control now!
This new chart looks a lot more like a chart that we can use to identify goobers. In fact, I did just that with the two red arrows. Gosh darn it, everything looks pretty good.
But I think we need a bit closer look at what the upper limit DE means. The following pair of plots give us a perspective of this data in CIELAB. The plot on the left is looking down from the top at the a*b* values. The plot on the right is looking at the data points from the side with chroma on the horizontal axis and L* on the vertical.
The green dots are each of the measurements. The red diamond is the target color, and the ovoids are the upper limit tolerances of 5.28 DE00. (Note: in DE00, the tolerance regions are not truly ellipses, but are properly called ovoids. One should ovoid calling them ellipses, and also ovoid making really bad puns.)
Those are some big eggs!
The next image is closeup of the C*L* plot, showing (with red arrows) the small set of wonky points that were identified with the DE runtime chart. I would say that these are pretty likely to be outliers. But look at the smattering of points that are well outside the cluster of data points, but are still within the ovoid that serves as the upper limit for DE. These should have stuck out in the runtime chart, if it were doing its job), but are deemed OK.
Wonkyville
Now, listen carefully... If you are using a runtime plot of "DE00from the target color", you are in effect saying that everything within the ovoids represents normal behavior for your process. So long as measurements are within those ovoids, you will conclude that nothing has changed in your process. That's just silly talk!
Here is my summary of DE runtime charts: JUST SAY NO! Well... unless your are looking at conformance, and your customer tolerance is an absolute, as in, "don't you never go above 4 DE00!"
Use of Zc for a SPC
I know this was a long time ago, but remember the Z statistic from Stats 101? You compute the average and standard deviation of your data, and then normalize your data points to give you a parameter called Z. If a data point had a Z value that was much smaller than -3, or much larger than +3, then it was suspicious. This is mathematically equivalent to what's going on with the upper limit in a runtime chart.I have extended this idea to three-dimensional data (such as color data). I call the statistic Zc. This is the keystone of ColorSPC.
Now, remember back when I showed the CIELAB plots of the data along with a DE00ovoid? Didn't you just want to grab a red pencil and draw in some ellipses that represented the data better? That's what I did, only I used my slide rule instead of a pencil. There is a mathematical algorithm that I call ellipsification that adjusts the axes lengths and orientation of a three-dimensional ellipsoid to "fit" the data. Ellipsification is the keystone of ColorSPC.
Ellipsification charts in CIELAB
The concentric ellipses in the drawings above are the points where Zc = 1, 2, 3, and 4. That is to say, all points on the innermost ellipse have Zc of 1. All points between the innermost and the next ellipse have Zc between 1 and 2.
Zc is a much better way to do SPC on color data. Here is a runtime plot of Zc for this production run. The red dashed line is set to 3.75. That number is the 3D equivalent of the Z = 3 upper limit used in traditional SPC.
Finally, a runtime chart we can believe!
As can easily be seen (if you click on the image, and then get out a magnifying glass) this view of the data provides us with a much better indication of data points which are outside of the typical variation of the process. Nine outliers are identified, and many of them stick out like sore thumbs. Kinda what we would expect from the CIELAB plots.
I would like to update the previous paragraph based on conversations with Brian.
First, he wanted to reiterate something that I have said before, and which bears re-reiterating. Looking at a runtime chart of DE is the correct thing to do when you are doing QA -- if your question is "did my product meet the conformance criteria from my customer?" But his paper (and this blog post) show that DE is not the proper tool for finding aberrant data. Both are necessary and useful.
Second, he advocated something a bit different than what I said. Subtle, but important difference. I said "... but with DE measured from the average L*a*b* value". Brian advocated "... but with DE measured from the initial L*a*b* value". Brian is looking at the drift during a production run. The assumption is made that color was dialed in pretty decent at the start, but may be gradually changing over time.
Thanks, Brian!
It is interesting to note that the DE00ovoid in a*b* (on the left) is similar to the to the ovoid produced by ellipsifcation. Larger, and not quite as eccentric, but similar in orientation. This is a good thing, and will often be the case. This will not be the case for any pigments that have a hook, which is to say, those that change in hue as strength is changed. This includes cyan and magenta printing inks.
However, it can be seen that the orientation of the DE00ovoid in C*L* (on the right) does not orient with the data in orientation. This is soooo typical of C*L* ovoids!
So, DE00 from the average is a much better metric than DE00from target color. If you have nothing else to use, this is preferred. If you are reading this shortly after this blog was posted, and you aren't using my computer, then you don't have nothing else to use, since these wonderful algorithms have not migrated beyond my computer as I write this. I hope to change that soon.
Conclusion
For the purpose of conformance testing, there is no question that DE is the choice. DE00is preferred to ΔEab(or even DECMCor DE94or DIN 99).
For the purpose of SPC -- characterizing your color process to outliers -- the DE from target metric is lousy. The use of DE from average is preferable, but the best metric is Zc, which is based on Color SPC and fitting ellipses to your data.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Albert Munsell has been called the Father of Color Science. In the previous blog post, I looked at whether he earned that accolade through his crusade to put the Science into Color Science Education. I concluded that he would probably have to share this with Milton Bradley -- the board game magnate. I dunno, though. Saying that Munsell and Bradley are both of the Fathers of Color Science might get a bit weird for some.
Before I continue, Munsell is held in esteem by real color scientists, not just color science wannabes who write corny blogs on color in hopes of being invited to the real people parties. One of those cool people parties is the Munsell Centennial Color Symposium, June 10-15, 2018, MassArt, Boston, MA.
Here is a quote from the Introduction of Munsell's book A Color Notation System (1919). (The Introduction was written by H. E. Clifford. Evidently Clifford was his publicist. The world famous Color Science Model shown above is my publicist.)
"The attempt to express color relations by using merely two dimensions, or two definite characteristics, can never lead to a successful system. For this reason alone the system proposed by Mr. Munsell, with its three dimensions of hue, value, and chroma, is a decided step in advance over any previous proposition."
Here is another piece of evidence suggesting that Munsell may have been the guy that brought 3D color to a cinema near you. US Patent #824,374 for a Color Chart or Scale was issued to Munsell in 1906. His disclosure states: "It may assist in understanding the order of arrangement of my charts to know that the idea was suggested by the form of a spherical solid subdivided through the equator and in parallel planes thereto, ..."
Doncha just love drawings from old patents?
Fig. 2 above shows a page where the hues of the rainbow are arranged around the perimeter, with them all fading to gray at the center. This is but one page of color. Previous pages would have a brighter version of this, and subsequent pages would be darker. Fig. 1 shows a cut-away version of these pages assembled into a book.
So, he got the patent! Case closed. Munsell deserves to be the Father of Color Science.
Or did he patent the color space?
But... hold on a sec. Another part of the disclosure in the patent refers to "the three well-known constants or qualities of color -- namely, hue, value or luminosity, and purity of chroma..." In the patent biz, we would refer to that hyphenated word well-known as a pretty clear admission of prior art!
Clearly Munsell did not invent the idea of using three coordinates to identify unique colors. This is why I keep telling my dogs that you have to read patents very carefully to understand what is being patented. My cute little puppies are always ready to get out the pitchforks and torches after doing a quick read of a patent.
In Munsell's paper A Pigment Color System and Notation (The Journal of Psychology, 1912), he refers to a number of previous color ordering schemes by "Lambert, Runge, Chevreul, Benson, and others".
A slice of Munsell
So, I did a little investigation. Munsell also mentioned Ogden Rood as an experimenter in color. I dug out a book named Modern Chromatics, by Ogden Rood. I should point out that using the word modern in the title of a book may not be such a good idea if you want the book to be around for a while. This book was published a while ago, like thoroughly before Modern Millie, like in 1879.
The diagrams below are from Rood's book. They look kinda like representations of three-dimensional things to me!
Cross section of Rood's color cylinder and color cone
Not only does Rood's book predate the Munsell patent by about 30 years, but on page 215, he pushed the discovery of three dimensional color back by a full century: "This colour-cone is analogous to the color pyramid described by Lambert in 1772." That was soooo rood of him!
(That was probably the worst pun of my life. I apologize to the anyone whose sense of humor was offended.)
How about these other color systems?
I stumbled on a website called colorsystem.com which chronicles more color systems that you can shake a crayon at. Here is their list of the three-dimensional color systems which predate Munsell. Are you ready?
Benson touts this as both an additive color space and a subtractive one. Orient it one way and you get RGB axes. Orient it another, and you get (what I would call) CMY. He called them yellow, sea-green, and pink. I have used this trick in classes for years. I had no idea that it was invented so long ago.
So, including Rood's, we have eight different suggestions for a three-dimensional color space, all of which came before Munsell. Oh... wait, I almost forget the earliest one.
Robert Grosseteste, 1230
This gentleman deserves a bit of comment. The colorsystem entry on Grosseteste is a bit sparse, if you ask me. First, Grosseteste has to share a webpage with Leon Battista Alberti and Leonardo da Vinci. I would be honored to share a webpage with da Vinci, but colorsystem didn't mention that Grosseteste's color system was likely the first three-dimensional color system ever conceived.
I do not mean to malign the good folks at colorsystem (although that would be pretty much in line with my reaction to anyone who knows more than I do). I love their website. I think the whole cover-up of Grosseteste's three-dimensional color system was part of a bigger conspiracy to deprive him of his rightful place in the History of Science. In the words of David Knowles (in The Evolution of Medieval Thought, p. 281, "[Grosseteste] is now only a name ... because his chief work was done in fields where he could light a torch and hand it on, but could not himself be a burning flame for ever."
Roger Bacon, who was one of the thinkers that led our way into the renaissance, would become one of the burning flames kindled by Grosseteste. Thus, we see that Robert Grosseteste had two degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon, who was in the movie Apollo 13, which kinda had something to with with science.
Here is a quote from an in-depth study by some people who sound gosh-darn scholarly. The quote is pertinent to the debate over the first three-dimensional color space: "De colore [the paper from Grosseteste] dates from the early thirteenth century and contains a convincing argument for a three-dimensional colour space that does not follow the linear arguments that Grosseteste had inherited from previous philosophers..."
Back to the Munsell Color Space
It would appear that my original premise was far from being correct. Munsell did not create the first three-dimensional color space.
BUT!!!! The astute picture looker will notice something critical. Rood gave us color spaces that were a cylinder and a cone. Bezold also gave us a cone, and Grosseteste gave us a double cone. Lambert's was a pyramid. Mayer's was a triangular prism. Runge, Chevreul, and Wundt all provided spheres. The Benson color space is a cube.
Please do me the favor of scrolling up to the diagram entitled "A slice of Munsell". Please do me the favor of identifying the shape of that slice. This reminds me of the time when my shrink gave me a Rorschach test. Him: "What does this ink blot look like?" Me: "An ink blot." I failed the test.
Most of the drawings in Munsell's A Color Notation System depict his color space as being a sphere, but there are a few drawings like Fig, 20 (above) that show that his color space is irregular. In his own words, "Fig. 20 is a horizontal chart of all the colors which present middle value (5), and describes by an uneven contour the chroma of every hue at this level."
The last pages of this book are color plates that are slices from his Color Atlas. Note the distinct non-standard-shapedness of this.
Why was Munsell's color space groundbreaking?
We finally come to the unique and revolutionary feature: The Munsell Color Space is not a standard geometric shape. As shown below, the high chroma red hues stick out a lot further than the blue ones. It's hard to see this, but the yellow hues with the highest chroma are near the top, whereas the richest purples are nearer the bottom.
About Me
I am a consultant, working since 2012 as an Applied Mathematician and Color Scientist. I have been doing research in printing, color theory, and imaging since 1992. I currently hold twenty two patents and have authored over thirty technical papers. I am an expert on the Committee for Graphic Arts Technologies Standards, and am Vice President of Papers for the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts. Prior to my consulting, I was an applied researcher for QuadTech. Before that, I worked as a scientific programmer in medical imaging, satellite imagery, electron microscopy, and spectroscopy. I hold bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and in computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
I had a hobby job as a karaoke host, going under the name "John the Revelator", and before that my hobby job was teaching remedial math at a local university.
I would like to think that I am gifted at "edutainment".
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Full days at Nursery School
Monkey was 4 and half earlier this week, he is growing up fast and starts full time school in September – how has that happened? I find it hard to believe that he will be 5 in December. Very scary. But, it’s lovely watching him develop and become a real little boy. I’m sure that so much will change for us this year, I’m trying to prepare him (and if I’m totally honest, ME!) for the changes ahead. Our time together is precious, but I also want him to be aware of what lies ahead in September. So we’ve been trying full days at Nursery School.
Monkey has his 15 funded hours and loves going to Nursery School. He’s quite quiet and has one kindred spirit at school, I think they are pretty inseparable. He’s been going every morning and at Easter the children were offered the chance to stay all day. Of course, this isn’t funded. I decided that April was too early, and I couldn’t afford it either. But I had it my mind that after the May half term it would be a good idea to send him for a few sessions.
I’d got some funds put aside and decided that Tuesday and Thursday full days at Nursery School would work well for both of us. It would give me a couple of days to blog full on, and would give him a gentle introduction to what the future holds. He started last Thursday.
I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous. I wasn’t convinced that he’d ever used the toilets at school. We’ve had a number of frantic runs down the lane to get home because he was bursting. I was prepared for wet clothes. I had a quiet word with his key worker, but she assured me he did use the toilets. Oh ok, well he probably needs a little prompt about after lunch, I’m sure he hasn’t done a poo at school before! Monkey does like his privacy for that particular function!
So the day passed, no phone call with any issues. It was time to pick him up. He’s had a good day, a few wobbles during and after lunch, but he was reassured and has been fine since. He hadn’t wet himself. All was good. His buddy G doesn’t do all day sessions, so I guess that was something else to get used to.
I did notice a whiff, but thought he’d just trumped. We walked home and he was quite chatty. Then he dashed into the toilet and started to cry. Sorry Mummy. What’s the matter? Then I saw, bless him, he was covered in poo. It was quite a shock as he’d never had a poo accident, not even through potty training. Ok, never mind darling, we’ll get you in the shower. It was obvious that he’d been in a bit of a mess for a while.
I tried gently to coax it out of him. When did it happen? Why didn’t you tell anyone? Why didn’t you use the toilet? But I didn’t want to upset him any more or make it a big issue for going on another full day on Tuesday. Never mind, it will be ok.
We were off to Legoland on the Friday (more on that coming soon), so I couldn’t talk to school until Monday. Monkey and I had talked about the toilets at school and I asked him to show me where they were on Monday, just to try and reinforce the point. I had a quiet word with his actual teacher. I know all children have accidents, I do think a little more attention should have been given to a child on his first full day, but never mind. The issue was raised and I hoped Tuesday would go smoothly.
Well Tuesday came around, and Monkey had been to the toilet before school. The pressure was off. He had a lovely time, all was good.
Today, he hadn’t been to the toilet before school, will he remember to go at school? I’m nervous, anxious for him. We will see, fingers crossed!
Are you children having settling days before they start school? Or are your children at school, can you remember this process? Would love to hear your experiences too.
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About Over 40 and a Mum to One
I'm a Mum in my late 40′s with an 8 year old son. I had a busy life in Export Sales before my Monkey came along, but decided to become a stay at home Mum once he arrived. Now I enjoy writing my own family lifestyle and travel blog. sharing the adventures that we have as Monkey makes his journey through school. We have a cat called Brewster who makes appearances and I’m a mad Ferrari Formula 1 fan, so that expect to hear about as each season unfolds. We love reviewing days out, toys, games and books and would love the opportunity to look at anything that fits in with our family lifestyle. We are always out and about and offering an insight on the places we visit, with a passion for nature thrown in for good measure. If you like what you read please leave me a comment, I love to hear from people, and always try to reply. Enjoy the read.
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15 thoughts on “Full days at Nursery School”
Full days are a big deal. For us it was never an issue (which is a good and bad thing) as the boys were full time in nursery from six months as I went back to work. It will different for the wee girl and I plan on sending her when she’s three for a ‘school’ day at least three days a week from the start, but we’ll just have to see how she copes with that, another year before I have to do it! I hope Monkey had a good day today x #SSAA
oh lordy that is bad of the school i agree they could have given a bit more attention especially as you had a word. i hope he was not to put back by that but i am sure with time he will be in full swing. I hope you enjoy lego land we will be going there soon
Monkey will be absolutely fine, I think it is us as mum’s that worry more. The first few days of anything new are hard but children get over it quicker than us and usually adapt so well. My 2 both did full days (I dropped them off at 8am and picked up at 5pm) from 12 months old and it was hard for me at first but they seemed fine. I do envy your full blogging days though, when mine are at nursery it means I’m at work!! 🙁
My girls didn’t have the full days until they actually started in reception class properly….They just threw them in at the deep end and they coped with it! They were very tired and they both had a few accidents! It sounds like he’s doing really well!
Shame he had such a bad start but I’m sure things will improve. I think it is a good idea to get him used to full days although nothing can really prepare them for full time school. Reception year is hard but this will give him a great start!
My daughter had a few issues at nursery and I ended up speaking to the staff and organising for her to have a ‘special toilet cubicle’ that was hers which she chose with me. The staff ensured she used that cubicle until she felt more confident about going to the toilet on her own. To be honest and as far as I’m aware, she’s never been for a poo at school or nursery to this day-she waits until she gets home. I think that’s fairly common though.
My twins are just a few months young and started full days a couple of weeks back. They hate it! Especially Rhys, I always get tears when I leave. I’m hoping it’s just a learning curve cos it’s just awful. We’ve had a few toilet issues too. Must be so unnerving for them to go in front of other people they dont know. I hope he gets on well! xxxx
I was the one who cried when my twins first went to nursery! They started at 3 1/2 but only did afternoons for the first year then in Kindergarten we gradually built up additional full days throughout the year.
We have been doing the same thing, Ethan now goes for a full day on Monday, we will increase this in September to two days as he doesn’t start school until the april. Sorry to hear about the toilet issues, we have had a few but we need to wait for more one to one funding to be introduced, if agreed! Apart from that it sounds like it is all going well.
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Sometimes the slightest thought can inspire an epic road trip. Innocent seeming quotes like “I’m visiting my sister in South Carolina this summer, want to come with?” or “I bet Maine is nice” have taken us on thousand-mile plus journeys. Our recent Southwestern road trip was roughly outlined between appetizer and entree at The Bento Box. Clearly it doesn’t take much to get us dreaming up a new adventure. So when I heard “If you want to go to Glacier National Park, we’re in,” I immediately went to Google Maps to see what that would involve. I guess it’s kind of an addiction, but everyone needs hobbies.
The attached map shows a bit of what goes into our first stage of planning. Select a destination, see how much time you have, and then trace a line that has varied points of interest and preferably takes you to places you’ve never been. This sample route would nicely fill in a blank spot in our map as we’ve never taken a path this far north and neither of us has been to Montana or North Dakota. It would involve a one-way flight to Seattle and then returning to Chicago via rental car. Since National Parks are a favorite of ours, we’ve included five. I also threw in a stop at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, because I couldn’t pass within a hundred miles of the source of the Mississippi River without making a detour. At more than 2,800 miles, this one would blow away our current road trip distance record and require at least a week and a half (more likely two weeks) to maintain an enjoyable pace. Alas, for now it’s just a thought as we have plenty of these fantasy maps up our sleeves.
7 Responses to Fantasy Road Trip: Seattle to Chicago
Really interested in your trip as my son and I are planning to do the Seattle to Chicago drive in September this year. We shall be flying from the UK to Seattle and then back to the UK from Chicago. Looking for interesting places along the way. sadly we only have two weeks for the trip but hope to cover some of the less interesting areas quickly.
Sounds great! Depending on what route you’re taking, we highly recommend hitting the western South Dakota/Black Hills region. There are lots of National Parks and Monuments in a compact area. We passed through that area on a previous trip so we’re heading across North Dakota this time. Two weeks should be a good amount of time to explore. Stay tuned, we’ll try to keep everyone updated with our findings while on the road.
We have booked our flights. We are having a couple of days in Chicago before flying to Seatlle, but the rest of the trip has not been planned yet. I am leaving the route to my son and I will then sort out the logistics! I did a tour a few years ago that covered South Dakota, included a quick trip to Yellowstone, and many other tourist attractions in the area. I don’t know if my son is planning the ND or SD route. Flights were booked last week, so this week’s priority is to decide how long we should take to get from Seattle to Yellowstone and book some accommodation while there is still some available.
Enjoy your trip. I will watch this space with eager anticipation. Hoping to pick up some great tips and ideas of where to go along the way, route permitting! | {
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The Zone of Silence: Mexico’s Bermuda Triangle
In April of 2013 a curious diary began appearing on various internet sites discussing the paranormal. The diary was written by Héctor Álvarez, a park ranger at the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-designated protected area found near the intersections of three northern Mexican states: Durango, Chihuahua and Coahuila. Located in the Chihuahuan Desert, the biosphere encompasses over 1,300 square miles of rugged terrain and contains the habitat of many different types of animals ranging from the puma and mule deer to the desert tortoise and the sandhill crane. The latter bird species calls Mapimí home because of the large salt lake found within the biosphere preserve. Additionally, there exist over 400 different types of plant species within the confines of the park. The diary of Héctor Álvarez did not detail anything about the stark but beautiful natural landscape of the author’s workplace, however. It was written, presumably, to document what the ranger was experiencing while working the graveyard shift at the reserve. According to the diary, Álvarez reported to his superiors what he had been experiencing and they paid no attention to his reports so he decided to document things in his own handwritten accounts. The diary is full of strange encounters and unexplained occurrences. Álvarez wrote mostly of the unexplained lights he saw in the desert sky. While the park ranger saw his share of glowing orbs, he wrote most details about the flying colorful triangles he saw above the biosphere reserve. They measured about 6 feet across with colorful, prismatic borders that appeared to be on fire. The inside area of the triangles had shifting patterns of color that seemed to him to be an attempt at communication. Sometimes the triangles would appear alone or sometimes in groups of three. Álvarez tried taking photos of these flying triangles but each time he tried, his camera malfunctioned. In addition to the UFOs, the young park ranger also wrote about something bizarre that happened to all of the research station’s computers one night. The speakers on the computers blared a strange white noise, even those which did not have their power turned on. Immediately after this incident, the computers were no longer functioning. In the morning when a technician came in to try to fix the computers, he noted that all the motherboards appeared to have been subjected to high amounts of heat or radiation and were not fixable. Other diary entries mentioned paint patches changing colors on the walls of the facility, sometimes in triangle patterns. The diary entries ended on March 15, 2013. This was the last day anyone saw Héctor Álvarez. It was a mystery as to where he went as his car was still in the parking lot of the main facility of the reserve. He was never seen again.
A part of the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve has been christened La Zona del Silencio – or “The Zone of Silence” in English – and has drawn researchers and curiosity seekers for years. The first reports of anomalies and bizarre things happening in this area became public in the 1930s. Famous Mexican aviation pioneer Francisco Sarabia Tinoco claimed that when he flew his plane, nicknamed Conquistador del Cielo, over the area of this part of the desert his radio would not work and his instruments would go crazy. Magnetic anomalies and electronic equipment malfunctions have been reported from Sarabia’s time to the present day across this Zone of Silence. Some say that the mysterious properties of this region caused a US missile to crash here in July of 1970. The Athena test missile was fired from a US military base near Green River, Utah, with its ultimate destination being White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico. The missile never made it to White Sands but went hundreds of miles off course and impacted the earth in the Zone of Silence a few miles from where the biosphere reserve’s research station now stands. Although many local ranchers saw the flash of light and heard the noise of the wayward missile, it took the Americans weeks to find it in the desert expanse. In the meantime a group of locals had found it and watched over the crashed remains and when the Americans finally came, they participated in the extraction and clean-up efforts. Supposedly the missile had contained radioactive material and because great fuss had been made in its retrieval and the decontamination of the area that followed, locals got together to see how they could best exploit this incident to try to bring tourists to the region. It was then when the “Zone of Silence” got its official name and the world became aware of the strangeness of the area through local press stories that were picked up by international news media. According to the locals, the strange magnetic anomalies and atmospheric conditions of the Zona cause vortexes to be formed that stretch up through the upper atmosphere and out into space, thus drawing in everything from missiles to meteors to extraterrestrial craft. A year before the American missile mishap what was later known as the Allende Meteorite crashed into an area near the zone. For years locals have claimed that the Zone causes pretty much anything to fall from the sky and cite the many examples of meteorites found on the desert floor throughout the region. The claims of the weird atmospheric and magnetic conditions are also accompanied by local claims of observed mutations in flora and fauna, such as tortoise shells found in the shape of triangles and coyotes that grow to twice their normal sizes. Also, cactus has been found to change into strange colors, which has been substantiated by photographic proof. Could these natural aberrations be the result of radiation leaked from the American missile crash back in 1970?
In the late ‘70s when the biosphere research center was being built after the reserve had been declared a protected area by the Mexican government, rumors began to surface about the true intentions behind the creation of the reserve and the building of the facilities within the Zone. Locals claimed that NASA had constructed a secret scientific research center there not only to investigate the atmospheric and magnetic anomalies, but to study and communicate with possible extraterrestrials. The water tower near the main building of the park’s welcome center, the locals contended, was really a secret observatory. The supposed vortices found within the Zone of Silence, it is claimed, can be used to contact intelligences from other worlds and other dimensions. The alleged alien connection to the area has been supported by dozens of eyewitness observations of strange lights in the sky, like the mysterious triangles of the Álvarez diaries, and by on-the-ground encounters with strange beings in the desert. There have been about a half dozen reports of locals and tourists alike having encounters with tall, humanoid beings with long blonde hair and light blue eyes. In the Zone, these beings – always two men and one woman – have asked local ranchers only for water and speak perfect Spanish. In UFO lore, these beings are commonly referred to “The Nordics” and are generally described as a benign race of enlightened beings hailing from the Pleiades, the same star cluster as the nefarious greys, the stereotypically big-eyed, alien-looking race of extraterrestrials who abduct humans and conduct medical experiments on them. The trio of Nordics was once spotted by a scientist from the biosphere research center who had gotten lost while conducting research in the field. Tourists have also reported sighting these beings and always in helping or non-threatening situations. A Mexican New-Age paranormal research group called El Centro de Investigación de Antropología Cosmica de la Escuela Filosofica Lu Men – in English, the Reserch Center for Cosmic Anthropology of the Lu Men School of Philosophy – claims that the Nordics may represent members of what has been called the “Yellow Maya”, the people of the lost civilization of Tulum-Balaam who live below the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve. The small mountains in the Zone of Silence are really pyramids, the group claims, and other natural geological formations are really very ancient ruins. They have named this subterranean civilization “Magneto Tzen” which loosely translates to “The Land of Magnetism.” The Lu Men School of Philosophy people are not the only paranormally inclined individuals to visit the reserve in hopes of experiencing the high strangeness. Since the 1980s various other New Age groups and paranormal researchers from all over the world have held conferences and overnight stays in the Zone in hopes of experiencing something otherworldly. Adding to the overall strangeness, many researchers are quick to point out that the Zone of Silence exists on the same line of latitude on the earth as the Bermuda Triangle, the pyramids of Egypt and the sacred cities of Tibet.
Serious scientific researchers have a hard time pinning down exactly where the boundaries of the Zone of Silence are and the zone seems to shift over time. Many people visiting the area, even for extended periods of time, have experienced no strange activities whatsoever. Claims of increased magnetism, equipment failure and strange atmospheric disturbances have been seemingly difficult to quantify. Most of the serious scientific research in the area has been done in connection to the local flora and fauna and other aspects of preserving the desert environment, at least what has been made public. Locals, for the most part, appreciate the increased tourism and make money off of it, but at the same time the people seeking to experience something supernatural in the Zone of Silence are seen as a bit crazy or somewhat of a nuisance. What is really happening in this area may forever be a mystery or at least remain an open topic for the curious.
Yes a Ley line matrix here? would make an interesting point of reference for these vast anomalies.
If indeed there is a cross section within range? – I highly suspect we would find a Ley line \’triangulation Matrix\’- Which would certainly create a very large Vertical Vortex! Explaining its multi-dimensional experiences.
These near exact experiences of \’strange\’ phenomena exist throughout the Santa Rosa Mountain chain (I\’ve had several \’unexplainable\’ experiences there myself) Including countless time-loops and time-losses!)
The other Ley line matrixes within this mountain range, are in perfect equilateral cross sections of Ley Lines… The Santa Rosa Matrix is extremely complex. Within its matrix are several six to eight pointed stars, the exact measure of perpendicular crosses, triangulations as well as several different levels of the pyramid matrix… Which all have been found to be or add up to 7 (as in comparison to \”The Seven Sisters\” (The PLEIADEES of | {
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Is Rep. Dent a centrist or conservative? Depends on who you ask.
Colby ItkowitzCall Washington Bureau
Separate congressional ratings show two different Charlie Dents.
In one, the National Journal's annual vote scores, Dent literally falls in the dead center of his House of Representatives colleagues. His votes in 2012 make him 49.8 percent liberal and 50.2 percent conservative, according to the ranking.
But the American Conservative Union, which hosts the annual CPAC weekend of conservative celebrities, named Dent a "true conservative," giving him an 80 percent score based on 25 votes cast last year. By comparison, in 2011, he received a 52 percent from the organization.
Both groups' rankings were released Thursday.
The National Journal has a decades-old system of analyzing and weighing roll call votes to determine members’ ideology, as explained here. The ACU has been handing out its conservative scores since 1971 as determined by a handful of selected votes that can be viewed here.
Dent, the 15th district's Republican congressman - who chairs the U.S. House's caucus of moderate GOP members called The Tuesday Group - cast just five out of 25 votes deemed "not conservative" by the ACU.
Among them was voting not to eliminate federal funding for the Economic Development Agency, the Legal Services Corporation, National Science Foundation political science research and Community Development Block Grants.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey was more consistent. He received a 100 percent score from the ACU and was ranked the 4th most conservative senator by the National Journal. | {
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Led Zeppelin – Paris Par Excellence (Empress Valley EVSD-510)
Good Time Bad Times – Communication Breakdown / I Can’t Quit You / Heartbreaker / Dazed And Confused / White Summer – Black Mountain Side / You Shook Me / How Many More Times
Paris Par Excellence is one of the many releases of the Led Zeppelin Paris 1969 radio broadcast. Like the other releases, this was recorded straight off of the radio. Like the Wendy and no label releases this includes the comments made by the French DJ during the broadcast. And Empress Valley also has a slight cut after “I Can’t Quit You.” This release also is higher in volume than the others. The sound quality is excellent, however, and the packaging is nice. | {
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2019
Statute
2-3711.Kansas agricultural remediation fund; creation. (a) There is hereby created in the state treasury the Kansas agricultural remediation fund.
(b) All expenditures from the Kansas agricultural remediation fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the chairperson of the board or by a person or persons designated by the chairperson.
(c) On or before the 10th of each month, the director of accounts and reports shall transfer from the state general fund to the Kansas agricultural remediation fund interest earnings based on:
(1) The average daily balance of moneys in the Kansas agricultural remediation fund for the preceding month; and
(2) the net earnings rate of the pooled money investment portfolio for the preceding month. | {
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Carnival of the Mobilists #218
Was beginning to think that I missed it for this week. The 218th Carnival of the Mobilists is now up and my Nokia Bot’s piece gets featured in this one. Next week, the Carnival is here – and its also my birthday, I wonder how I’ll celebrate 😉 | {
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Cappucci to Shirley BOS: JBOS
has clout
By M.E. Jones, Correspondent
Posted:
11/09/2012 07:36:35 AM EST
SHIRLEY -- Reporting to the selectmen Monday night on recent activities of the Joint Boards of Selectmen, or JBOS, the advisory group representing Ayer, Harvard, Shirley and the Devens community on which he sits as their representative, Enrico Cappucci said a pressing question concerning the other board had been answered.
"First off, you've asked what are we doing here," said Cappucci. "We concluded as a board that it might be time to determine if we have any real authority."
To find out, JBOS sought legal counsel, hiring Attorney Ernest Hyde, of Shirley. As far as Chapter 498 goes - that is, state legislation that created Devens as an entity after the military base closed and under which MassDevelopment now holds the reins - the answer is that JBOS has no power, Cappucci said. "In the Reuse Plan... it didn't exist.
But JBOS was a creation of memoranda of understanding, or MOUs, he said, and those documents are "contracts, backed by case law," according to counsel.
Apparently, Hyde has opined that the MOUs Ayer, Harvard and Shirley selectmen and representatives of Devens agreed to established JBOS as a legitimate entity and set the stage for its range of motion.
As an advisory board to the state agency charged with redevelopment and governance of Devens until disposition is decided, JBOS has the authority to bring Devens issues to the table, Cappucci said. Contracts, for example.
"We were surprised to learn that MassDevelopment contracted with the Mass State Police and with the Harvard schools," renewing existing agreements without input from JBOS, Cappucci continued.
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"But we do have power" via the MOUs to demand that contract issues be aired in public. "Everything should be on the table, transparent," he said.
The towns and the Ayer-Shirley Regional School District should have had the opportunity to bid on those contracts, he said. The school district apparently wants to let bygones be and JBOS won't pursue the matter now. But there's concern for the future.
Adding to the vertigo, interest in participating waxes and wanes and lately has been low. Harvard selectmen have said they won't attend monthly JBOS meetings unless there's a crucial issue to discuss, and Ayer selectmen followed suit, voting four to one to limit attendance to times when something important comes up. Subjective realities, perhaps, but those who do attend are adamantly opposed to letting JBOS founder.
"George Ramirez comes to all our meetings," Cappucci said, citing a positive change. Ramirez is MassDevelopment's Executive Vice President for Devens Operations. While JBOS can't tell him what the state agency can or can't do, it can make recommendations, act as town crier, alerting municipal stakeholders when contracts to provide Devens services come due. JBOS can also facilitate a public process. JBOS can "demand" that "it's all on the table," Cappucci said.
JBOS Chairman Tom Kinch, of Devens, accompanied Cappucci. "Our real objective is to make JBOS a working body," he said. But first, the board needed to know what its purpose and authority was.
JBOS has taken decisive actions in the past, he went on, such as the formation of the Disposition Executive Board several years ago, when MassDevelopment began a process to consider early release from its long term but still temporary commitment to Devens. More recently, JBOS formed a sub group to help steer the public information process when redevelopment of historic Vicksburg Square came up for a vote in the three towns. Both initiatives failed.
"Our duty now seems clear," Kinch continued. JBOS is to be the advisor on all operations in the Devens redevelopment enterprise zone, and to serve as an information conduit between MassDevelopment and the towns. No behind the scenes deals, in other words, and no other such "regional body" exists, he said.
Balancing Act
Without JBOS, he said, each of the host towns would pursue its own concerns and the state agency would follow its own internal agenda. It is the opinion of legal counsel that "these are our duties and responsibilities," Kinch said, noting that all three towns signed the MOUs. "We want to be sure that's clear," he said. And that JBOS meetings are well organized and regularly attended by representatives of Ayer, Harvard and Shirley selectmen. "We see that as your responsibility," he said.
In an attempt to get JBOS back on track, a survey was sent out, and based on that information, a document was put together, Kinch told the selectmen, but "a couple of the towns refused to sign it." It was a frustrating experience and a waste of time. "Life's too short to go on like this," he concluded.
Cappucci said that's the point. Without JBOS, "we'll only find out about contracts after the fact," he said. "If we sit and partake in the process," the town gets a shot when they come up for renewal.
The hope now is that all the towns will come back to the JBOS table. To that end, JBOS must do a better job communicating, Kinch posited. He agreed to send advance agendas to town offices for posting on the town web sites.
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Friday, December 30, 2011
Sick as I've been this week, my writing muse will be the last thing to heal; nice again to have back issues of the E-Block to use. This one's from December 2008.
***
Recently on the TheologyWeb forum, a (reputed) Christian made the following charge against me regarding my explanations of the use of riposte in the Bible:
Ordinary believers are unable to discern the true doctrine of Riposte (insult) which requires JP Holding's Hebrew and Greek language skills to discern. He said of one protagonist "his knowledge of the Bible is essentially zero -- save what he reads of it in English." This contradicts the doctrine of perspicuity, which says that ordinary believers can understand the teaching of the Bible without needing a superior to tell them what it means.
This critic is not alone in making such appeals. One website discusses the "doctrine of perspicuity" thusly:
The question is asked, "Do you really understand the Bible? How can you be sure that what you think the Scriptures say is in fact what they do say?" These questions are directed not at the learned in the Scriptures, at ministers, professors of theology, and the educated, but at the common people of God, who place their simple trust and faith in the Scriptures as the Word of God. Such questions not only raise doubts in the minds of God's faithful people, which is in itself wrong, since the Bible stresses that the life of the
Christian is not one of doubt, but of faith. But even worse, these questions are meant to lead the people of God to the conclusions that after all the Scriptures are not understandable, contrary to what the church has always taught and thought. What is required to understand them is a great deal of education and learning, as well as intimate knowledge of the methods of interpretation and the historical and cultural conditions under which men wrote the Scriptures. The result of this is the conclusion that only the clergy, the favored few, are able to understand the Word and interpret it, while the laity, the ignorant masses of common folk, are really in the dark. Thus the door is opened to all sorts of corruption, heresy, and error, which is rampant also today.
In contrast to this, we wish to emphasize the Bible as we have it, and that means the King James Version, is perspicuous. Even a little child can read and understand the Word of God, as anyone with children knows.
I have received charges like this before, though not specifically mentioning the word "perspicuity," from others such as Mormon apologist Edward Watson, who insisted that the Bible was written so that "ordinary people" could understand it. In the past, my answer has been threefold:
That what was understood by "ordinary" people in the first century is not known to "ordinary" people today. The argument essentially shifts the goalposts to our "ordinary" knowledge without concern for what was "ordinary" knowledge of specific subjects for the authors of the Bible.
There is no sign of this doctrine in Scripture, and if anything, the opposite is indicated; for example, Peter acknowledges that Paul's letters are hard to understand at times (2 Peter 3:15-16), and there are several indications that believers are to mature in study and discipleship -- which implies that they begin in a state where they lack fullest understanding.
Related to 1), the Bible obviously requires a certain level of knowledge to understand; to start, we must be literate! We also must know the meanings of the words it uses. Once again, how we define "ordinary" can vary according to social circumstances.
I have now decided to look more deeply into this "doctrine of perspicuity" to determine answers to these questions:
Is this a true "doctrine," one adhered to by leading denominations?
Does it have a true Biblical basis?
Is it being properly used as an accusation against myself and, theoretically, other apologists who make use of Biblical scholarship?
To answer these questions, I sought out arguments and claims regarding this doctrine. The below represents a collation and summary of results. My conclusion is that my critic thoroughly misunderstood and misrepresented this doctrine, and that my own threefold reply is essentially correct, and is not at all in disagreement with those who do maintain a belief in the perspicuity (or clarity) of Scripture. Rather, the problem is one I have stated above: An inherent slipperiness in the defining of "ordinary" which has allowed it to be re-defined downwards by people like my critic.
Perspicuity: The True Doctrine?
It is clear that perspicuity was indeed a teaching of many early Church representatives. However, the origins of the doctrine also make it clear (or perhaps I should say, "perspicuous"!) that it was never intended to be used, as by my critic, against those who engage in serious exegetical or scholarly study.
In the church's earliest days, statements concerning the perspicuity of Scripture were made as a reaction to Gnostic heretics who claimed that "secret knowledge" (gnosis) was required to understand the Scriptures as they (the Gnostics) interpreted them. [1] The gnosis was mystically imparted to the Gnostic believer from outside; it was not received by study or via contextual exegesis.
Later, statements about the perspicuity of Scripture were made again as reactions, but this time by the Reformers as a counter to the Roman Catholic idea of a Magisterium. It is clear here as well that this was not a response to claims that one needed to engage in serious study to understand the Scriptures more fully. A frequently-used quote by Martin Luther speaks to this, from Bondage of the Will:
But, if many things still remain abstruse to many, this does not arise from obscurity in the Scriptures, but from [our] own blindness or want [i.e. lack] of understanding, who do not go the way to see the all-perfect clearness of the truth..."
This indeed I confess, that there are many places in the Scriptures obscure and abstruse; not from the majesty of the things, but from our ignorance of certain terms and grammatical particulars; but which do not prevent a knowledge of all the things in the Scriptures . . .
All the things, therefore, contained in the Scriptures, are made manifest, although some places, from the words not being understood, are yet obscure . . .And, if the words are obscure in one place, yet they are clear in another . . . For Christ has opened our understanding to understand the Scriptures . . .
And this is also found from one of Luther's Table Talks:
Dr. Jonas Justus remarked at Luther's table: There is in the Holy Scripture a wisdom so profound, that no man may thoroughly study it or comprehend it. "Ay," said Luther, "we must ever remain scholars here; we cannot sound the depth of one single verse in Scripture; we get hold but of the A, B, C, and that imperfectly. Who can so exalt himself as to comprehend this one line of St Peter: 'Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings.' Here St Peter would have us rejoice in our deepest misery and trouble, like as a child kisses the rod.
In other words, statements about the perspicuity of the Scripture were made against claims that the meaning of the text was inaccessible to readers by any other means than revelational authority. This is quite sensible, for of course the means whereby scholars and students seek to better understand the Bible are not restricted to those are granted revelation. Anyone may go to a library, or go to Waldenbooks, and find the same resources I or anyone else has.[2]
One commentator in particular put it well: "The main idea here is not that it is easy to understand, but that it is free of unnecessary complications." [3] The same commentator put forth what I find to be an excellent analogy:
...[W]e can properly talk about someone giving a clear presentation of quantum electrodynamics, even though most people would not be able to understand a word of what was being said. Why wouldn't most people understand a wonderfully clear and precise presentation on quantum electrodynamics? Because they don't have the necessary prerequisites.
The Westminster Confession of Faith, written in 1647, offers what may be taken as a "doctrinal statement" concerning the perspicuity of Scripture:
All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.
Notice that the Confession places limits on what is said to be "plain" - just "those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation." With this I have no dispute. My argument would be that the Bible is designed to be understood on multiple levels. There are plain truths concerning salvation that all may easily understand. However, there are also more complex background issues which must be understood to achieve a full-orbed understanding of the Bible's complete message and teachings. To use a Biblical metaphor, there is milk and there is meat.
In summary: Perspicuity is nowhere that I have found taken to mean that the average reader will never have difficulty understanding a Biblical text. Nor is it ever claimed that it means that we cannot learn more deeply about it than a "plain reading" allows. Thus it is that in Point 1 alone, my critic has failed in his accusation.
In order to make a distinction between the doctrine of perspicuity as expressed by my opponent, as it is referred to by such documents as the Westminster Confession, I will hereafter refer to the former as radical perspicuity.
Radical Perspicuity: A Biblical Basis?
In seeking Biblical justifications for radical perspicuity, I found very little that commended itself for the doctrine the way my critic understood it.
Deuteronomy 30:11 For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.At best, this could argue for the perspicuity of the Deuteronomic contract, and I daresay based on experience that the qualification of clarity for the people of the 14th century BC is implied. Questions about obscurity in the laws of the Old Testament are some of the most common in apologetics, because these laws address social conditions taken for granted in Scripture. However, it should be added that "too hard" most likely refers to the difficulty of performing the law as opposed to understanding its contents.
Our KJV Onlyist proponent of radical perspicuity, in addition to making an incorrect assessment of the meaning of faith, offered this reasoning:
The Bible itself claims perspicuity. Perhaps the clearest passage in this connection is one such as Psalm 119:105: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." A lamp or a light is that which shows the way, illumines the path of life which the Christian is called to walk. Such words of the Bible are a far cry from the assertion that the Bible is not understandable and leaves the people of God in the dark spiritually.
However, Ps. 119:105 certainly cannot be appealing to a canonical collection of Scriptures which, at the time of the Psalms, would be as yet mostly unwritten! Contextually, reference to the commandments in v. 104 indicate that the "word" in question is the Deuteronomic law. Beyond this, we cannot make any assumptions (since this Psalm has no authorial credit) about the level of discipleship and knowledge of Psalm 119's author. Light comes with understanding, and we do not know where this author's level of understanding rested.
I also found appeal to a text from Paul:
Phil. 3:15-16 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
This passage is not being applied correctly by radical perspicuists. Paul says that God will make things "clear" and this is not directly applied to Biblical exegesis, but rather to views held by Paul's readers.
Finally, there are a cluster of texts appealed to by radical perspicuosts that are much less specific, such as appeals from Hebrews to the Word of God as "living and active" or 2 Peter's "no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation." Texts like these neither affirm nor deny perspicuity in any sense. They affirm certain points about the characteristics of Scripture, but clarity is not one of the characteristics referred to.
In contrast, other texts are quite clear that growth in knowledge and understanding is expected of the disciples of Christ. The very word "disciple" implies a follower who will grow in knowledge and performance. Other texts clearly indicate stratification in understanding and knowledge:
Ephesians 4:11-12 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ .
Hebrews 5:11-12 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
And of course, 2 Peter 3:15-16 makes it clear that some Christians did not understand Paul's writings. The response to this by the KJV Onlyist radical pespicuist is instructive:
Peter himself says in II Peter 3:15-16 that some writings, especially those of Paul, are hard to understand. But notice that they are understandable nevertheless, and that Peter does not deny, but rather sets forth the truth of the perspicuity of Scripture.
This is obviously not an answer, but a mere denial of that to which 2 Peter 3:15-16 witnesses (clearly, Peter knew of some people to whom the letters' contents were not understandable), and it is only imagination that sees Peter "setting forth" a doctrine of "radical perspicuity" in a sentence that clearly denies it.
Summary: Clearly A Misuse It is apparent that my TheologyWeb opponent was incorrect. He did not understand the origins and use of the doctrine of perspicuity, and that it was never meant to be applied to situations in which scholarship and study enable a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Biblical text. The Bible itself indicates that disciples of Christ will have varying levels of maturity and understanding. Radical perspicuity, the position formulated by my TheologyWeb opponent and by the KJV Onlyist website, is false.
Notes
[1] "Belief in the perspicuity of the Bible is ancient, going back to Jesus himself, who reproached the scribes and Pharisees, for not understanding the plain meaning of the text. As a doctrine, the perspicuity of Scripture was expressed by many of the Church Fathers, who contrasted it with the mystical writings of the Gnostics, which only the initiated could fathom." Gerald Bray, The Clarity of Scripture, available here. Bray goes on to address more directly what would be closer to my view, which concerns greater knowledge of contexts. He says:
As always in such matters, there is some truth to what is being said here, though it has been greatly exaggerated. It is true that our knowledge has expanded enormously since the sixteenth century, and that we now know much more about matters of background detail, for example, than we once did. In many cases, we can also produce more accurate translations of the original texts. These are important gains, and we must recognise and accept them gladly.
However, it is a very different matter if we are considering the underlying meaning of the text as a whole...
Bray goes on to give an example of how knowledge of how Pharisees were "highly respected member[s] of the religious community" has led some to say that the Bible's portrait of them is inaccurate. He also gives the examples of "structuralism, deconstructionism and so on" as ideas foreign to the authors of Scripture. What Bray refers to, then, is the radical application of modern categories to the text. In the end, I say as Bray does: "Hardly ever does it make any real difference to the overall meaning."
[2]It will not here be my purpose to discuss or evaluate the Catholic idea of a Magisterium, or Catholic views on perspicuity. For my purposes, it is sufficient to know that statements like Luther's were a reaction to what they perceived to be untrue Catholic claims. Nor will I discuss to what extent the doctrine is applied (whether just to fundamentals or to secondary issues as well, which seems to be a major issue for the "Catholic vs. Protestant" incarnation of the debate), though I may do so in future research. My sole concern here will be with the larger question raised by my opponent, which is whether someone like a Christian apologist or teacher violates the sense of this doctrine by indicating that individual Christians need to "do their homework" about the Bible.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
This is one of those days when I'm particularly glad to have guest writer Daniel Ventress offer Part 2 of his review of Hawking's The Grand Design. Christmas morning, I spent 5 hours (3-8 AM) in the emergency room when my kidney stone made what seems to have been it's last move -- and I hope it's gone now. Then, late Monday, I began a 36 hour stint in bed with food poisoning. I just ate my first meal in over 40 hours a few minutes ago.
So needless to say, I wouldn't have been up for writing an entry anyway. So, special thanks, Dan. :)
***
Having reviewed the first chapter, we found Hawking and Mlodinow to be vastly ignorant of philosophy, and in the second chapter they extend this ignorance to history as they once again attempt to dabble in areas outside of their area of expertise. The thing that struck me as being particularly odd is how this book not only contains absolutely no footnotes or endnotes whatsoever, but does not even contain a bibliography. Such absence of reference is profoundly unscholarly and un-academic especially considering Hawking and Mlodinow’s frequent dabbling in areas in which they know absolutely nothing. In a breath-taking display of ignorance, bigotry, and historical illiteracy, Hawking and Mlodinow paint a picture of ignorant, simple-minded ancients who invented mythology, religion, and deities to explain the workings of the world and science arising from the astute deductions of the observant few:“In ancient times it was natural to ascribe the violent acts of nature to a pantheon of mischievous or malevolent deities. Calamities were often taken as a sign that we had somehow offended the gods… Ignorance of nature’s ways led people in ancient times to invent gods to lord it over every aspect of human life.” – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design, Bantam Books, p25
“…once grasped, the patterns made it clear the eclipses were not dependent on the arbitrary whims of supernatural beings, but rather governed by laws… The idea arose that nature follows consistent principles that could be deciphered. And so began the long process of replacing the notion of the reign of gods with the concept of a universe that is governed by laws of nature, and created according to a blueprint we could someday learn to read.” – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design, Bantam Books, (2011), p24, 26
Whilst this ‘just-so’ account of the origins of science and religion are comforting to those inculcated with the pernicious myth that the two are at odds with another, the views presented in the first three pages of their second chapter are entirely at odds with the facts. The claim that belief in gods arose from ignorance and that science arose from intellectual curiosity opposed to this ignorance is complete and total nonsense. Starting with their proclamation that science did not begin until the classical Greek period in Ionia, Hawking and Mlodinow display throughout their chapter they have no knowledge about history whatsoever.
The claim that belief in deities, and thus religion, began through ignorance is simply purely speculative. The problem with trying to explore the origins of religion is that religion pre-dates writing and thus evidence is scanty and largely non-existent. Thus Hawking and Mlodinow’s proposed explanation is nothing more than baseless speculation. Secondly, how one comes to belief in something is irrelevant to the truth of that thing. Even if Hawking and Mlodinow were correct, then at best they would show that the ancients believed in deities for faulty reasons, but would do nothing to show that their beliefs were actually false. This is known as the genetic fallacy, which is an informal logical fallacy where a conclusion is assessed solely on its origin, rather than by its merits. Now, such accounts might actually be true, but are completely irrelevant to the truth or falsity of the conclusion itself. As for the claim that ancient people were ignorant of the workings of nature, this is totally and wholly absurd. Ancient persons were fully aware of the regularity of nature, as evidenced by their mythology. Ancient mythology reflected how the people in question understood the world around them. Pagan religions revolved entirely around such natural phenomenon. For example, a frequently occurring myth amongst pagan religions were based on vegetation cycles, such as the murder of Osiris, or Persephone being kidnapped by Hades.
These myths are meant to represent cyclical natural cycles, such as the flooding of the Nile in ancient Egypt, or the general pattern of seasons. Ancient people attributing certain theological interpretations to these natural events do not in any way make them stupid or ignorant of the workings on the universe. On the contrary, these myths reflect the inherent understanding of the regularity of nature. We can, on the other reject these theological interpretations by using philosophy. For example, the notion of simplicity in explanation, Vis a Vis Occam’s Razor, is a philosophical principle. Most pagan religions needlessly involve a pantheon of deities, as opposed to a single deity. In fact, in certain mythologies, the gods are not even responsible for creation, such as in Greek mythology, were everything, including the gods themselves, nucleate out of a primordial chaos. Thus involving deities would seem superfluous if everything came into being on its own. We would then be confronted by two rival hypotheses, the creation of everything out of pre-existing primordial chaos, or everything being the creation of a single deity. We could continue to shave away unnecessary features until we are left with an explanation that explains the data and nothing more. Note how I have not made recourse to science or scientific explanations at all. Science indeed makes use of such a principle, but such a principal is neither uniquely scientific nor is it inadmissible in other contexts.
Hawking and Mlodinow make the entirely unwarranted assumption that such theological explanations are somehow at odds with scientific explanations. That is to say, they make a false dichotomy between natural law and teleology. The ‘laws of nature’ are purely descriptive, and most certainly do not cause anything as to suggest otherwise would afford them an ontological status wholly at odds with Hawking and Mlodinow’s self-chosen naturalism (as it would imply platonic realism.) For in order to stand in causal relations, laws of nature, such as the laws of physics, would need some form of concrete existence in order to have properties that allow them to exert influence over other things. Thus, under a naturalistic, materialist philosophical framework, the only available explanations for why the universe behaves in the way that it does is either down to physical necessity or blind chance. Whereas if we do not a priori presuppose naturalism, we can admit intentional design into our pool of live options. Hawking and Mlodinow have most certainly not made any kind of case for why we should accept naturalism, and so why we should reject intentional design from the pool of live options is anybody’s guess. This actually forms the basis for the teleological argument for the existence of God. Either the complexity we observe is the result of design, or it is the result of either physical necessity or chance. This is a purely philosophical discussion, and whilst science can certainly help us in such a discussion, it does not have the final say on the matter.
What then of Hawking and Mlodinow’s views on the history of science? Once again we find nothing more than overweening ignorance in fields about which the authors do not have the faintest understanding. They make no reference whatsoever to any kind of historical source and just continue to assert their just-so stories about history as if their word was the final matter on the subject. Well, as a student of history, I can tell you that it isn’t ‘just-so’ and that the word of two physicists is not enough to overturn historical facts. Hawking and Mlodinow cite a number of classical Greek figures, whom they believe embody the modern scientific ideal as close as possible.
“Thales first developed the idea that the world could be understood, that the complex happenings around us could be reduced to simpler principles without resort to mythical or theological explanations.” – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design, Bantam Books, (2011), p27
“According to legend, the first mathematical formulation of what we might call today a law of nature dates back to an Ionian named Pythagoras… the frequency… of a string is inversely proportional to the length of the string.” p27, 28-29
“Apart from the Pythagorean law of strings, the only physical laws known correctly to the ancients were three laws detailed by Archimedes… by far the most eminent physicist of antiquity.” – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design, Bantam Books, (2011), p29
Their revisionist scheme of the history of science continues much in the same vein. Extolling the virtues of various Greek philosophers and promoting them to the rank of ‘scientist’ or ‘physicist’ purely down to the fact that Hawking and Mlodinow agree with their philosophical outlook. They go on to reference Anaximander, whom they refer to as being the first to refer to “humanity’s first inkling of evolution” (Hawking and Mlodinow, p30) Empedocles, and also to Democritus, who postulated the atom and believed that everything was the result of the collision of atoms, and Aristarchus, whom Hawking and Mlodinow claim was the first to challenge the idea that we are not special inhabitants at the centre of the universe. Hawking and Mlodinow’s version of the history is so skewed and out of touch with reality that I scarcely know where to even begin. Perhaps the first order of business is to point out that astronomy is a practice that archaeological evidence shows pre-dated writing itself.
Contrary to Hawking and Mlodinow, attempted explanations of natural phenomenon being based upon observations and numerical data can be traced back to the Sumerian period, roughly 5,500 years ago. Ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Babylonian peoples had fairly accurate knowledge of agriculture, astronomy, mathematics, and even medicine in some respects. Not to say they had everything done and dusted, but Hawking and Mlodinow’s picture of ignorant simpletons stupefied by the workings of nature is simply wholly inaccurate. The Greek philosophers merely continued the endeavour that had long been established in human history, the effort of understanding the universe. Thales’ not making reference to “mythological explanations” is correct, however Thales, like other Greek philosophers, still believed in a supreme divine mind which gave order to the chaotic elements from which everything arose.
Hawking and Mlodinow claim that Democritus was the founder of atomism, when it actual fact it was Democritus’ teacher, Leucippus. However, this is only a minor blunder on their part. They falsely ascribe the philosophical notion of determinism as being part of atomism and in an incredible piece of irony, claim that atomist Epicurus opposed atomism on these grounds. I have to wonder how they managed to get things so completely wrong, when Epicurus was himself an atomist who, contrary to Hawking and Mlodinow, tried applying atomist principles to human behaviour. You can read more about Epicurus here: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epicurus/ Hawking and Mlodinow also claim Aristotle opposed atomism on the grounds that he could not tolerate the idea that human beings are composed of soulless, inanimate objects. This is, of course, incorrect. Aristotle opposed atomism because he believed that the ‘void’ postulated and required by atomism violated physical principles. However, Hawking and Mlodinow’s ignorance of history does not end here.“The Ionian idea that the universe is not human-centred was a milestone in our understanding of the cosmos, but it was an idea that would be dropped and not picked up again, or commonly accepted, until Galileo, almost twenty centuries later.” – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design, Bantam Books, (2011), p32
This is another myth that has been doing the rounds recently in New Atheist literature. It is, for one reason or another, been claimed that the earth being the centre of the universe is somehow a central aspect of religion. Furthermore, it is claimed that since it has been shown that the earth is not the centre of the universe, than mankind has lost the special, privileged position it once thought it had, and thus religion is bunkum. Never mind that this is completely untrue, with absolutely zero basis in fact whatsoever. Indeed, this is one of the more peculiar and jarring myths propagated by the New Atheists, and one that has proven to be particularly hard to suppress despite its palpable falsehood. First of all, even if this were a belief of ancient and medieval persons, how would the falsehood of this ideal at all lead to the falsehood of any particularly religion, let alone theism as a whole? Secondly, the idea can be falsified without recourse to science at all. After all, centrality is not equal to importance, and one’s location in physical space does nothing to determine how important someone or something is.
However, it turns out that this idea was not one held by geocentrists at all. Ironically enough, prior to the advent of Copernicanism, the centre of the universe was considered the dumping ground at the bottom. As Peter S. Williams notes in A Sceptics Guide to Atheism, a common objection to Copernicus’ theory was that it elevated humanity above its station and Galileo argued that the Copernican theory promoted humanity. (Peter S. Williams, A Sceptic’s Guide to Atheism, Paternoster, (2009), p128-132) Secondly, earth is significant, not because of its location in space (which is wholly irrelevant) but due to its location within the solar system. It inhabits a region known colloquially as the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ and even this special place is only one of around 200 requirements for the development of life. Earth is privileged in that it is the only planet in our solar system that contains not just life, but intelligent life, and is likely the only habited planet in the galaxy.
Hawking and Mlodinow, however, are quick to denounce the Greek natural philosophers for what they see as their two most egregious shortcomings:“As insightful as some of their speculations about nature were, most of the ideas of the ancient Greeks would not pass muster as valid science in modern times. For one, because the Greeks had not invented the scientific method, their theories were not developed with the goal of experimental verification… Also, there was no clear distinction between human and physical laws.” – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design, Bantam Books, (2011), p32, 33
That’s right, despite trumping religion (at least according to Hawking and Mlodinow) the Greeks are stupid in a different way. They didn’t have the scientific method, and they ascribed agency to the laws of nature. In what can only be described as one of the most bizarre and palpably untrue historical claims made in the book so far, Hawking and Mlodinow claim that the people in ancient and medieval times believed that unconscious objects were conscious and that this view was adopted by Christian philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas. Of course, it is a little unclear if they mean Aquinas adopted this view, or if they just mean he believed that the laws of nature arose from the intentionality of a personal agent. They do, however, attribute the former view to Kepler bizarrely enough.
I shall deal with the issue of the Greek’s lack of the scientific method first. This is only a problem if your chief concern is finding out HOW things worked, yet, as Hawking and Mlodinow themselves note, the ancients were more concerned with WHY. Hawking and Mlodinow take issue with the fact that the ancients believed that the laws of nature were intentional. However, instead of explaining what is wrong with this idea, they spend the next few pages badmouthing Aristotle, claiming that his theories had “little predictive value.” Hawking and Mlodinow continue to perpetuate historical fables with no basis in fact:
“The Greeks’ Christian successors rejected the idea that the universe is governed by indifferent natural law. They also rejected the idea that humans do not hold a privileged place within the universe… a common theme was that the universe is God’s dollhouse and religion a far worthier study than the phenomena of nature… Among the heresies [condemned by Bishop Tempier in 1277 on the orders Pope John XXI] was the idea that nature follows laws, because this conflicts with God’s omnipotence.” – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design, Bantam Books, (2011), p36
Hawing and Mlodinow still have not specifically outlined what is wrong with ascribing teleology to the laws of the nature, and, as we discussed earlier, the ancients and medievals did not think that humanity occupied a special place in the universe (although modern science has, ironically enough, shown that the earth is rather special indeed.) As for the rest of these claims, they are once again totally devoid of any familiarity with history whatsoever. Once again, their ‘just-so’ account of the Pope ordering the Parisian bishop, Tempier, to ban the idea of nature obeying laws is, as with their other attempts to dabble in the field of history, completely wrong.
What they are actually referring to are a series of condemnation between the 13th and 14th centuries, primarily those between the years 1210 and 1277. Roughly sixteen lists of censured theses were issued and put together into systematic collections. Whilst the condemnations of 1277 are linked to Pope John XXI, whether or not he actually supported them is unclear and has been disputed. Interestingly enough, among the teachings considered heretical were the physical treatises of Aristotle, whom Hawking and Mlodinow spent a good few pages badmouthing. Even more ironically, historians generally regard the condemnation of 1277 as being a step forward for science, as it allowed scholars to break free from the restrictions of Aristotelian science. So, despite their attempts to vilify the medieval scholars as being gullible followers of Aristotle, nothing could be further from the truth. Scholastic philosophers such as Duns Scotus and William of Ockham noted the flaws in uncritically accepting Aristotelian philosophy and so began developing their own ideas (notably the principle of parsimony, Ockham’s Razor.)
Hawking and Mlodinow attribute to the origin of the concepts of laws of nature “as we understand them today” (Hawking and Mlodinow, p37) to a number of 17th century thinkers, notably Kepler, Galileo, Newton, and in particular, Descartes. Hawking and Mlodinow, however, seem to think that such views presented problems for the teleological view of God’s divine providence, and whilst this did perhaps bother Newton, this view is simply mistaken. Hawking and Mlodinow, of course, take issue with Newton, Descartes, et al. finding ways to include God in the running of nature. Having come to the climax of their blatantly false historical revisionism, Hawking and Mlodinow proceed to finally define natural laws:“In modern science laws of nature are usually phrased in mathematics. They can either be exact or approximate, but they must have been observed to hold without exception – if not universally, then at least under a stipulated set of conditions.” – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design, Bantam Books, (2011), p 41
They then ask three questions: what is the origin of the laws, are there exceptions to the laws, i.e. miracles, and is there only one set of possible laws? Hawking and Mlodinow note that Descartes, Newton, Kepler, and Galileo all believed that the laws came from God. They then complain, however, that unless God possesses properties other than merely being the originator of the laws of nature, then employing God as an answer to question 1 merely one-ups the problem. Of course, the only property we need attribute to God in addition to being an intelligent designer is that He is the uncaused first cause.
Regarding the second question, Hawking and Mlodinow make the rather odd claim that Christians stood in opposition to Descartes in supposing that God intervened in the goings on of the universe. It is an odd claim because Descartes was a Christian thinker, yet this is only a minor error in comparison to their other blunders so far. As if to remind us of their profound and monumental historical illiteracy, Hawking and Mlodinow, make the following claim in answer to question two:“It is Laplace who is usually credited with first clearly postulating scientific determinism: given the state of the universe at one time, a complete set of laws fully determines both the future and the past. This would exclude the possibility of miracles or an active role for God. The scientific determinism that Laplace formulated is the modern scientist’s answer to question two. It is, in fact, the basis of all modern science, and a principle that is important throughout this book. A scientific law is not a scientific law if it holds only when some supernatural being decides not to intervene.” – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design, Bantam Books, (2011), p43-44Where do I even begin with such demonstrably false assertions? Their citation of Laplace as being the first to propose scientific determinism is, as usual, mistaken, and at odds with their earlier claim that the atomism of Leucippus and Democritus were deterministic. The context in which they bring up a quote by Laplace is also equally wrong. They seem to think that Laplace eliminated God entirely from the workings of the universe, when in reality Laplace really meant that no miracles are needed in keeping the universe going, a belief that is hardly controversial amongst Christians today. Sure, some Christians believe that God created the universe miraculously, but even they do not maintain that the regular goings on of the universe require God’s constant miraculous intervention. How this excludes the possibility of miracles or a “direct role for God” is not clear for if God is the author of the laws of nature, then surely He is free to intervene when He wishes?
Hawking and Mlodinow assert that scientific laws aren’t laws if a supernatural being can freely choose to intervene, but how this is so is never explained or argued for, it is just asserted to be true as if Hawking and Mlodinow’s word were enough to make this so. The law of gravity holds regardless of whether I let a ball fall to the ground, of if I choose to intervene to catch the ball. My act of catching the ball does not falsify the law of gravity, so why think that God acting in the world falsifies the laws of nature? Furthermore, the claim that the view that Hawking and Mlodinow espouse is a presumption of science is completely false. It is not at all a presumption of science as only are there are many scientists who are committed believers in God, many of whom specifically believing in the Judeo-Christian God. In reality, this is a philosophical issue that cannot be determined by science. Hawking and Mlodinow continue on, however, asserting that determinism can explain personal agency:“Though we feel that we can choose what we do, our understanding of the molecular basis of biology shows that biological processes are governed by the laws of physics and chemistry and therefore are as determined as the orbits of the planets… It is hard to imagine how free will can operate if our behaviour is determined by physical law, so it seems that we are no more than biological machines and that free will is just an illusion.” – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design, Bantam Books, (2011), p45
Once again, this is simply the result of sloppy philosophy. There is absolutely no amount of scientific evidence that suggests that determinism is true. Determinism is a philosophical position, and one that must be argued for, not merely assumed and lamely justified with the bare assertion: “science says.” Hawking and Mlodinow claim that “science shows” that humans are the helpless puppets of physical laws, and note experiments conducted where various sensations and desires can be simulated by stimulating the brain in different ways. Of course, how this proves determinism is not clear. For example, whilst a certain chemical might cause to feel the sensation I associate with love, this chemical does not cause me to love my girlfriend. Or a scientist might stimulate my brain in such a way that I strongly feel the desire to move my leg, but it does not follow that this stimulation will necessarily cause me to move my leg. These feelings and sensations need to be acted upon, and no scientific experiment has shown that our actions are the result of physical stimulus. We can readily defy sensations and desires, furthermore, this ‘just-so’ account does not account for our beliefs, the role our beliefs play in our decisions and actions and they do not account for consciousness.
The philosophical view that our mental states are the results of purely physical phenomenon is deeply problematic for the simply reason that no purely physical explanation of consciousness exists. Philosopher Jason Holt, himself a materialist, admits that this is a belief that is not widely held today:“Materialism is a nice theory. It’s simple, elegant, fruitful, coheres well with out body of scientific knowledge, and relatedly, anchors the mind to the physical world. But materialism has its pitfalls. Practically no contemporary philosopher believes it. I’m an exception.” – Jason Holt, The Machine-Made Ghost, from William Irwin, ed., The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the desert of the Real, Open Court, (2002), p68-69The problems with this purely philosophical view are legion, for instance, the problem of consciousness (as previously mentioned), Then there is the fact that such a view does not account for intentionality or qualia. Of course, true to their post-modernist philosophy, Hawking and Mlodinow go on to assert that it is still okay to go on believing in free will, since trying to calculate human behaviour via physical laws is too impractical and postulating free will is a good explanation for the apparently random behaviour of human beings. In other words, they are asserting that it is rational to hold to false beliefs if these beliefs are of practical, pragmatic benefit. Whilst such a view is once again asserted without argument, the main failing here is that such a view, ironically enough, would mean that it is rational to hold theism even if it were false, given that one of the pet theories of new atheism is that religion ‘evolved’ amongst humans for some kind of practical purpose.
Hawking and Mlodinow briefly discuss the third question by briefly referencing men such as Descartes and Einstein, whom Hawking and Mlodinow assert believed that the laws of nature were chosen for reasons of logical necessity. They, however, go on to say that answers to questions one and two will be left to further chapters, before repeating their bare assertion that miracles are impossible and that determinism is true. To sum up, this chapter is nothing more than an attempt at providing an account of the history of science in order to try and bolster Hawking and Mlodinow’s belief in determinism, yet they systematically managed to get just about everything about the history of science wrong whilst simultaneously making sloppy philosophical pronouncements under the pretence of being “scientific” when in actual fact they are nothing of the sort. What pains me more than their many egregious errors and palpable failures, however, is that there are probably a good number of gullible lickspittles and other mindless automatons will no doubt lap these falsehoods up as if they were fact. I truly weep for the world if the average person’s knowledge of history, philosophy, and science is this abysmally bad.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Yes, I know. I wasn’t planning another entry, but some spare time opened up, and this was too good to pass up waiting on. ;)
On 12/22, Mrs H and I celebrated anniversary #21, and Norman Geisler laid a new egg in his efforts to outdo the stereotypical Inquisitor of the cartoon world. His latest effort, titled “Licona’s Denial of Inerrancy: The List Grows,” repeats a lot of the arguments we have already refuted here, and we can sum by saying that no – he still doesn’t get that you can't “dehistoricize” a text that wasn’t meant to be historical; he still thinks he can prop ICBI's 300+ 'scholars" as a counter (in spite of: many NOT being scholars; many of those who are scholars being scholars in specialities unrelated to Licona''s thesis; many being deceased; two of them openly disagreeing with him on this issue -- which he doesn't want to mention -- and even one of them having gone apostate). So there's a lot not new there, and there's also (again) a lot directed specifically to Licona's views on Matt 27, which we do not share. So again, our own comments on that will be limited to what is relevant to us.
In contrast, shortly thereafter, Geisler also uploaded a rather whiny piece on our video “Geisler’s Christmas Carol,” and we’ll consider that as well, but separately; it’s title is, “Statements on the Pro Licona YouTube Video Attack on Dr. Geisler.”Geisler objects that he is concerned that "we have come to the point where onecannot critique a position" without being accused of bullying. But of course, it is much more than that Geisler has "critiqued a position." He has also brought his influence to bear in such a way that Licona has been denied speaking engagements, had to resign certain positions, and has lost income. Geisler himself may not have himself wielded the knife, but he did provide the sharpening service; he is not merely "critiquing". As is typical, bullies attempt to minimize the damage they cause ("I only pushed him down!") as though that in some way relieves them of their responsibility for the injuries they cause. It does not. The aggravation caused to Licona (and others) lies as a debt on Geisler's shoulders; so likewise he will receive his reward for any who are driven from reading Licona's works because of his self-centered crusade. Geisler may well expect to join those whose fate is to scrub toilets in the New Jerusalem.
In the essay towards Licona, Geisler continues to deftly avoid confronting us directly. He expresses awareness of our video, which he calls "offensive" (chuckle!) and claims was "produced by his son-in-law and friend who falsely caricaturing scholarly critiques of his view and wrongly claiming that we said Licona had sinned.' " I'm afraid part of that is too incoherent to comment on, but two points in reply. First, the production credit is part of a covering of an obvious mistake in which Nick Peters at one point was reckoned to be the producer of the film, not me. I have no idea how this mistake came to pass on the part of Geisler's supporters, since Nick is listed only as a voice, and the film credits clearly list Tekton as the film producer. That means me. The emendation to "son-in-law and friend" fails to obscure this mistake. Nick can not in any sense be called a "producer" of the film. That was and is solely my designation. Butperhaps Geisler felt that a student was an easier target for him to bully than a "wildcard" apologist who isn't cowed by his bullying tactics, is not in thrall to any person whom he can influence, and doesn't grant him any of the inertial respect he has gathered over the years (in my view, mostly undeservedly, and oblivious to the actually generally low-level and basic quality of his apologetics).
Second, it is a wonder to note that Geisler apparently understands the video isas grossly literalistic a fashion as he reads the Bible. What he apparently alludes to here is a scene in which the cartoon Licona asks why the cartoon Geisler posted all over town notices with Licona's picture that said, "Sinner repent!" Why Geisler takes this to mean that we think he literally called Licona a sinner I cannot imagine; next I suppose he'll think I meant to relate that he literally posted flyers all over town, literally kicked Licona 50 feet in the air (completewith cartoon sound effect), and literally had to use a stepladder to speak to Licona face to face. (Well...maybe he did have to do that literally; after all, this whole incident has made him into rather a small person indeed.)
So what of that flyer then? The phrase "sinner repent" was chosen in order to draw an analogy between Geisler and hellfire fundamentalist preachers who mindlessly demand that "sinners repent" and use bullying tactics. The point being, while Geisler has not called Licona a sinner, he has treated him like one -- and that cannot be denied save with the most skilled of rationalizations covered (as indeed in the video) by gratuitous "I love you brother"s that ring as hollow as a chocolate Santa.
Geisler then notes:
Even Southern Evangelical Seminary, where Licona was once a faculty member,condemned this approach in a letter from “the office of the president,” saying, “We believe this video was totally unnecessary and is in extremely poor taste” (12/9/2011). One influential alumnus wrote the school, saying, “It was immature, inappropriate and distasteful” and recommended that “whoever made this video needs to pull it down and apologize for doing it” (12/21/2011).
I find it odd that the office of the president was able to make such a comment on a video 7 days before it was released. Presumably this is a typo. In any event, all of this rhetoric is not supported here with any sort of reasoning why it is immature, inappropriate, etc. and I have news for Geisler and those who wrotethese things: "Because it gored my oxen" isn't a good enough reason -- and it will neither come down nor be the subject of any apology, unless and until Geisler undoes the damage he has done (and also, as noted, does an SR-71 wingwalk for me).
In light of his actions, Geisler's further request for a "reasoned reply to all the critiques that have been made" is itself more cartoonish that his Scrooge persona. This comes from a man who has deleted challenges containing just such replies from his Facebook page. Geisler is bothered by Licona's reported declination to read his critiques, and calls that "both unscholarly and insulting." Ihave read the critiques. I think Licona has better ways to spend his time. Thomas Howe was the first to issue anything that even approached a scholarly and viablecritique, and that was just in the last few days; Geisler, for the most part, has done little more than repeat the same authoritarian nonsense and panic polemic time and time again, and for the most part, he continues to do so here.
Yet again, his argument appeals to ICBI; and it is Article 13 and his use of it to which I would devote some attention next:
Article 13: “We deny that generic categories which negate historicity may rightly be imposed on biblical narratives which present themselves as factual. Some, forinstance, take Adam to be a myth, whereas in Scripture he is presented as a real person. Others take Jonah to be an allegory when he is presented as a historical person and [is] so referred to by Christ.” This makes it unmistakable clear that myths, legends, and embellishments, such as Licona allows in the Gospels,cannot be part of an inerrant (wholly truthful) book such as the Bible.
But hold on here. Apocalypse -- the genre in which Licona argued for the key text to be put -- is not a "generic category." Furthermore, the point of Licona's argument is that it does not "present itself as factual" once all the evidence is considered. It also attempts to argue that yes, there are good reasons for not taking the key text as literal, which is the very effort at a "hermenuetical test" Geisler says is required. If Geisler wanted to get it right, he would not sayLicona denied inerrancy, but that Licona tried and failed to offer a sufficient hermenuetical test for his reading to "pass" as a way to deliteralize the text.
Again, I must note for the record that I do not find Licona's arguments regarding Matt 27 persuasive. But I also find Geisler's arguments for a violation of ICBI even less persuasive. His attempt to draw an analogy between the biblical narrative and road signs (!) shows a remarkable lack of grasp of the complexity and richness of available genres and modes of expression in the Biblical world. Geisler is a hyper-literalist trapped in what N. T. Wright might call a hurricane offirst century literary production values. When he further insists that ICBI's framers were specifically out to stop the sort of thing Licona is doing, I can believe it - because if Geisler is typical of the framers, then they are mistaking Licona's views for something they are not, and made much the same mistake with Robert Gundry.And yet again, Geisler finds it necessary to thump the panic button until it breaks; he again uses the outlandish example of Mary Baker Eddy, having ignored a point I made here some time ago that Eddy's methods, unlike Licona's, could link to no precedent in first century literature. But Geisler, of course, simplyrejects out of hand as "not a suitable model" Licona's effort to use such literature -- not because he has shown that it is actually unsuitable (eg, per my challenge on the Gospels being Greco-Roman bioi), but merely on his authoritarian say-so.
I would next comment on Geisler's complaints about "counting heads." After his repeat appeal to the "scholars" of ICBI, he also rather questionably appeals to this:
Second, if the circle of scholars is rightfully broadened to include academicallycredentialed evangelical scholars, then the vote has already been taken, and it is not favorable to Licona. For after two years of discussion and scholarly interchange and at a regularly scheduled annual meeting of The Evangelical Theological Society (ETS), the largest group of evangelical scholars in the world, voted in 1983 with an overwhelming 70% majority to ask Robert Gundry to resign from ETS for “dehistoricizing” parts of the Gospel record, as Licona has done.
70% majority? Not quite. The vote was 116 to 41, with a far greater combined number abstaining. Geisler is not telling the whole truth here: It was only 70% of the voting group that he is referring to, not the whole membership of ETS.
Geisler then reveals the results of the "survey" we have noted here before (andwhich was effectivly critiqued by Max Andrews, and here as well, dismissed rightly as little more than an exercise akin to trusting Wikipedia). Not surprisingly, 76% of respondents voted against Licona, but given the loaded way he presented the matter, I would give that survey as much credence as i would the yes-no voting procedures on YouTube -- and for much the same reason: Insufficient indication of voting numbers (it is interesting that Geisler only presents percentages, and not number of votes -- what if only 100 people voted?), and no qualification of the voting population as qualified to assess the situation (as opposed to eg, voting as they did because they think aliens told them to vote a certain way). Geisler's "survey" is little more than a bad statistical joke.
I think an even bigger joke, however, is this commentary:
Furthermore, there is a latent but serious flaw in the contention that only aspecialized group of scholars are capable of determining what is meant by inerrancy. It is in fact a kind of scholarly elitism which denies the rest of the body of Christ have a valuable role to play in formulation what they are asked to confess. Or, to put it another way, it is a replacement of the Teaching Magisterium of the Roman Church with a Teaching Magisterium of biblical Scholars. This violates the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers and excludes the very people for whom the confessions or statements of Faith are made. And the history of doctrinal declension has proven that it begins in thepulpit, not the pews. It is generated in the seminaries, not in the sanctuaries.
Wowie zowie -- was Geisler trying to pack as much epic fail into one paragraph as he could with this one? If he was, it is one of the few things he's done right so far.
First: There's no "elitism" here because the sort of knowledge used by scholars to arrive at what is meant by inerrancy is available freely to all. If there is any "elitism" here, it is an elite of serious disciples -- and Jesus himself declared greater rewards for those who worked harder, and so to that extent, himselfindicated that an "elite" would exist -- one of merit and rewards -- within his Body. Paul also admonished Timothy to study to show himself approved -- and if we take that as exemplary, as I am sure Geisler does, then it is an examplewhich means we should all become the "elite".
Second: Despite Geisler's professions about "the rest of the Body of Christ," it is a brute fact that a body, as Paul says, has many parts. Not all can be the "brain" in the body. In fact I'd say most today want to be the backside in the Body of Christ, the part that remains seated. Still, there is no Biblical warrant for thisidea that everyone should have a say in formulating confessions. The appeal to the priesthood of believers is frankly inane; does this also make us all equallycompetent at evangelism, preaching, teaching, apologetics, and all else? If it does, then why doesn't Geisler just find a Christian vagrant down at the Salvation Army and have them write his next book? Why does he appeal to the "scholars" at ICBI if their being "scholars" (haw haw!) doesn't make any difference? Why read Thomas Howe's critique of Licona when a critique by Elmo P. Thudpucker, Christian motorcycle mechanic -- a member of the same "priesthood" as Howe -- can do the same job? Geisler has no warrant for making the formulation andunderstanding of doctrine an exception, save his own need to special plead his case.
In reality, the "priesthood of all believers" relates to one thing only -- our ability to directly engage in a covenant with God, and not rely on priests to broker the covenant apparatus for us. It doesn't make us all equals in ability or gifts.Geisler is merely begging an exception for an area of his concern.
Finally on the above, I wonder about Geisler's profession that it is the pulpit and seminaries that generate doctrinal declension. I'd like to see some stats on that, because it doesn't quite ring true. Joseph Smith was a barely educated teenager who could have done better Biblical exegesis with a bucket of KFC chicken bonesthan with his brain. Mary Baker Eddy, Geisler's fave whipping button for panic this round, didn’t have any serious education to speak of and was mainly self-taught. Jim Jones, head of the People's Temple, had a degree…in education. Ellen White of Adventism had no formal schooling.
Reaching back, we find that Arius, who started the Arian heresy, held some rankin the church. However, so likewise did his opponent Athansius; if this proves anything, it is that the pulpits and seminaries police their ranks and provide the counter for deviancies within themselves -- and ironically, it is Geisler who has called on the "scholars" of ICBI, and it is a scholar, Thomas Howe, who so far has provided the one reasoned and scholarly critique of Licona from Geisler's camp. Why didn't Geisler link up with someone in the pews to do this job? We may addthat the example of Arius, and any other before the modern era, won't really work anyway; in ages prior to mass communication, it could only be members of an elite class (like Arius and Athanasius) who, being one of the few literate people around (literacy being around 5-10%) had the knowledge, power, and ability to spread doctrinal declension. Joe Pew, circa 300 AD, had very little chance of getting his personal declension past the front door. So such examples as Arius would not adequately serve to prove Geisler' s point.
I'm sure that some heresies or declensions somewhere did indeed begin witheither pulpit or seminary, but apart from Geisler assuming what he wants to prove with Licona and Gundry, the only examples that come to mind are Murray Harris and Clark Pinnock -- and one can hardly compare their deviancy and influence to the prior examples. It appears that Geisler was so anxious to provide a snappy consonance that would stick in readers' memories ("seminaries/sanctuaries", "pews/pulpits") that he forgot to validate his claim.
In close on Licona, Geisler offers props for his upcoming book on the subject of inerrancy. One is tempted to wonder at times whether Geisler's attack on Licona is some sort of attempt to draw attention to this new book and give it an early sales boost; it would be a much better explanation for why Licona has been singled out this round, than Geisler's hollow retort that he went after a lot ofpeople in his book -- after all, he still hasn't gone after me, and still hasn't goneafter William Lane Craig, and using examples from his book will spoil a surprise for those he hopes will read it. Such a stunt would not be beyond Geisler or many other authors. However, we can just about guarantee that it will do nothing to further informed, reasoned, and intelligent faith of the sort that can withstand the attacks of modern critics.
That leaves Geisler’s commentary on our video, and there’s not much more to it; it's shorter by far. It preserves the original error stating that “a student has made a video” and repeats some of the same ox-gored complaints we noted earlier, though again, actual explanations of why the video is in poor taste, unkind,distasteful, etc. In all this, it is anonymous “Alumni” from Southern Evangelical Seminary who are quoted, though why anyone should give their opinions any credence is also not explained. Apparently, we’re supposed to submit like goodlittle authoritarian managed drones and shut up when some “alumnus” hasa hissy fit. So, here’s all I need to say, really, for example to the longest complaint:1) They used the classical Christmas Carol story in a very distasteful way….
No I didn’t. There, that’s as much argument as they provided. End of discussion, I win. But really, since they don't explain what the Dickens they mean by this, at least in what is quoted, there's no more response warranted than that.2) Like Dr. Geisler or not, he deserves respect. Furthermore, Dr. Geisler is far more accomplished than the youngens who made the video. Bah humbug is the best response to that one. Geisler has been giving up his“respect” with bells on these days, between the embarrassing incident with Caner and now with Licona. As for “more accomplished,” I’m not sure what that means. Has he written more books than I have? That’s true. But Danielle Steel has us both beat. Has he produced better apologetics than I have? Actually – no, he hasn’t. In fact his type of apologetics has done more harm than good when it comes to protection from the Ehrman hyenas.3) The video was sarcastic and put words into Dr. Geisler’s mouth. This showsnot only immaturity, but further strengthens Dr. Geisler’s position….
Sarcastic? That it was, and deservedly so; satire tends to be that way. after all. That’s an even exchange again. As for words in his mouth, unfortunately, we’re not told specifically where that was done, and yes, the ellipses is where the quote ends.4) He makes the point repetitively that those who support Dr. Geisler’s view are clones of Dr. Geisler, eluding that all who hold to the position that Dr. Geisler does are non-thinkers….
Really? I can’t recall where that point was made once, much less “repetitively”in the vid, and once again, unless it is hidden behind those triple dots, we’re not told how or when in the vid this happened. That said, I have said in other forums that Geisler does have a lot of “Kool Aid drinkers” behind him – I know because they’ve written to me.5) This video seems to mock inerrancy despite the fact that it tries to skirt that it is the main issue…..
Nope. It doesn’t mock inerrancy at all and it doesn’t skirt any issues but addresses them directly. Maybe they should try watching it again, and pay attention this time.6) Lastly, while he illustrates physical attacks on Dr. Geisler in humor, it is still depicting physical attacks. It also explicitly is threatening to take action against Dr. Geisler…. This is stooping to verbal threats and scare tactics.
Oh dear. Never mind that Mike Licona gets kicked 50 feet in the air; compared to that, all Geisler gets is a couple of snowballs to the noggin. Hey folks…it’s a CARTOON. Do these guys call ASPCA to complain about Wile E. Coyote?Finally, one of these poor souls is quoted as saying that they “reported thevideo to YouTube for a TOS violation” as being “like predatory behavior, stalking, threats, harassment, intimidation, invading privacy, revealing other people’s personal information, and inciting others to commit violent acts”.Now that’s the biggest laugh riot at all. These poor fellows need to get on some big boy pants, because what I offered was exceptionally mild compared to what those fundy atheists have to offer on YouTube. And heck, you may as well report your local editorial cartoonist for all those horrible drawings of Obama.
Really though, that's a good way to close off this one -- because it shows how Geisler's camp deals with these issues: By squelching competing voices with authoritarian bullying. But it won't work this time -- not for a Christmas Carol minute.
5) That he puts back all challenges to him that were posted on his Facebook page.
6) That he attend the scholarly conclave Licona was proposing.
7) And, while we're at it, I also want Geisler to videotape himself doing a triple backflip while wing-walking an SR-71 going at Mach 3. If I take down that vid, I have to replace it with something people will want to watch; and I figure since I'm asking the impossible of Geisler already, I might as well take it to the hilt.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
A reader inquired about this book, saying that a relative had abandoned their Christian faith because of it. The cover quotes a newspaper review as saying it is a "hip-hop makeover" of the Bible, a "stab at saucy kind of spirituality that's as bold as it is refreshing."
It's not hard to find words to describe this book; among them I'd say are idiocy, irrelevant, and what the hell was that supposed to be about? It's a collection of miscellany that is mostly personal anecdotes, and I am hard pressed to see what point the authors or collators were trying to prove, apart from their ability to relate manifest stupidity in poetic language. The writing styles (of some chapters) are about all this book has to it in terms of substance; the editors say that they asked their contributors to rewrite some Biblical book as they were led, and the result is not surprisingly as chaotic as a thunderstorm, and with quite nearly the same level of practical utility. How anyone could lose their faith over such a book is something I can't imagine, but perhaps objectivity and critical thinking has reached such an all time low that even nonsense like this can affect people adversely.
The substance? By example: The book of Ruth is mutilated for the sake of relating a barely coherent story (written in Shatneresque rat-a-tat prose) about someone's mother ill with cancer, and her funeral. At least, that was what the coherent part of it was about; other parts of the story seemed to serve little other purpose than page filler, as in this sample:
One evening, shortly after I returned from the States, I accidentally knocked over a small water glass. Though there was time to catch it, I felt unable to do so. I watched as it rolled off the table; it seemed to roll very slowly. I thought, it will break. It will break. It will break. And then I thought, no it won't. It will roll like that forever. When it landed in broken bits at my feet, I burst into tears, surprised.
And on it goes, worse than Hemingway on morphine. By a few sentences into each story the only thing that becomes clear is that each contributor could use some psychological counseling. At best this book is an example of how many have been fooled into thinking that if some idiot balls up a bunch of old newspapers and throws them all over a room, that is somehow "art".Another story tells of a man who drives a church bus which ran out of gas. This man simply waited with his bus until, so he thought, God would send someone to give him some gas or food. I suppose the authors take this to be some sort of meaningful story from which we are to take a thoughtful lesson about spirituality. I think we'd get more substantial messages out of an episode featuring cross dressers on Jerry Springer.
No doubt I'd be told I just don't get the point. Yes, I imagine I don't -- my standards are too high.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Updated 12/23/11 to reflect an update by Howe. Much of the update is directed to views uniquely held by Licona, and so not of my concern. However, much of what relates to my concerns remains the same.
***
It seems my vid "Geisler's Christmas Carol" has provoked a response by Dr. Thomas Howe, who I gather is not aware that it's me who is the creative impetus behind it. He has a few comments I'll respond to here, though I will also be skipping much that has to do with Licona's readings of passages that I do not agree with.
First of all, it is unprecedented that an author, including Matthew, would stick a piece of apocalyptic literature in the midst of historical reports...
No, actually, it would have had a great deal of precedent. Licona's original volume argued that this sort of thing did indeed happen; and as I learned from my study of mimesis, ancient writers did stick in non-historical sidelights for artistic effect (just not to the enormous extent argued by Dennis MacDonald). So this "all or nothing" perception of the ancient craft of writing is not arrived at by way of serious consideration of ancient literary composition, and requires a great deal more argument to establish.12/23: This as well, in spite of Howe's new quotation of Osborne expressing incredulity that Matthew might do such a thing. Authors did indeed do this without what we would call a "hint" -- an explicit indication. Indeed, in a high context society, the "hint" would be in the writing itself, an allusion the reader would be expected to recognize. (Though I reiterate, I do not agree Matthew did that in this case.)
By the same token, Jesus' own Resurrection was also unprecedented; and the logic Howe uses here is essentially the same as that of David Hume, who argued that the unprecedented experience of miracles counted as a strike against their historicity. That's not really a door we want to open in Christian apologetics.
Not only is it nearly impossible to know with any degree of certainty what the intent of an author was, it is even more difficult to prove one’s suppositions about an author’s intent.
I find it odd that Howe can say such a thing, since by this reckoning, we can have no idea what his intentions are by saying this either. But they are not said first from him anyway, for as he says further:
At one point, the ghost asks Geisler something like this: “Isn’t an author’s intent part of understanding the text?” The maker of the video has Geisler answering yes to this question. Unfortunately, the makers of this video did not bother to try to understand either Geisler or his position on such an issue, and Geisler has written enough that it would take far less energy to discover his position than to produce a video. Geisler would never have answered yes to such a question. All it would have taken for the makers of the video to understanding Geisler’s position would have been actually read some of his writings, especially his article on “Does Purpose Determine Meaning.”
Several points here.
First, I have in fact read Geisler's rather outlandish arguments in this regard from back when he was trying to turn Gundry into 7 layer dip, and consider them little more than an extended exercise in self-contradiction. Gundry rightly dismissed such shenanigans by Geisler, as I noted in a Ticker entry some months ago:
**
...Geisler offers what can only be described as an astonishing analysis in which he argues that the purpose and intention of an author shouldn’t be part of our interpretive exercise. Gundry is accused of confusing the “what” of a passage with the “why” of a passage and it is argued that one does not need to know a “why” in order to understand a “what”.
This is misguided for a couple of reasons. One is that the Biblical text was written in a high context society, in which the audience is frequently assumed to be in on the “why” Therefore, the lack of a “why” in a text is not sufficient argument to say that there was not one that was understood. Geisler offers the example of Ex. 23:19 (“you are not to boil a kid in its mother’s milk”) and notes that commentators have offered multiple speculations as to the “why” of this verse. But, Geisler says, “the children of Israel did not need to know why; all they needed to know was what it meant, and that is clear without knowing the purpose.” Really? The false step here is that simply because we do not know the purpose, this means that they did not know it. When evaluating a high context text, that sort of hypothesis is without basis. But even if it were not, it would remain that the law did have some purpose, even if it were not revealed to Israel at any point in its history by whatever means.
Geisler’s most disturbing comment in this regard is, “No method is legitimate if it goes behind or beyond the text to find the meaning.” This sounds more like an obscurantist KJV Onlyist attitude than something that would be said by a serious disciple. In essence, it forbids us to seek defining contexts of all sorts – whether they involve insights from anthropology, from linguistics, or even from genre study. It goes further than that: To read our Bibles, we have to be literate in a language, and we learned that language from somewhere “beyond” the text. Gundry rightly replies: “I refuse to separate the text from the author’s mind, as Geisler does. To make such a separation is to empty the text of any meaning except what we read into it…”
In all of this, I cannot help but think that Geisler was in a mode of panic and could not see the deficiency in his reasoning and the inevitable results of his statement. In no place did he provide a serious, legitimate answer to why midrash is not compatible with inerrancy (as Moo allowed that it was!); indeed he did not even rightly grasp what midrash was. His stance has even broader implications beyond the Bible: It undercuts arguments about the “intent” of the authors of the Constitution, for example. But the critical issue here is one of classification and intent, and Geisler’s professions about intent amount to a scorched earth policy with respect to exegesis.
**
A further irony is that those who say such things are also in no way able to assert, then, that Matthew would never insert a dash of apocalypse in an otherwise historical narrative -- they're no more able to discern intent than anyone else. Those who declare that we cannot know Matthew's intent undercut their own criticisms of Licona.
Second, Howe says that the question of the Ghost of Inerrancy Past was "something like this" –“Isn’t an author’s intent part of understanding the text?” I think "something like" is a rather generous way to put it. Here's the actual dialogue:
GIP: No. You see here. Does not inerrancy consider the intentions of the author?
NG: Well, yes...
So, no, the question was not exactly about understanding the text; it was about inerrancy. And I think it would be vain to argue that inerrancy doesn't take into account authorial intention: The ICBI statement quite clearly refers to this:
We affirm that the text of Scripture is to be interpreted by grammatico-historical exegesis, taking account of its literary forms and devices, and that Scripture is to interpret Scripture.
“Literary forms and devices” is something that can’t be considered without acknowledging awareness of authorial intention. The obvious answer then to the question asked of Geisler by the ghost is yes.
That said, we are assured by Howe that unlike in my vid, Geisler would never have answered “yes” to the question, as Howe puts it. Actually, I rather doubt that Geisler would have answered no, unless he found himself trapped and in over his head as he did in his exchange with Gundry. For example, I am quite sure that Geisler would argue vociferously against any notion that his “intent” in Chosen But Free could have been to enable others to become champion ping pong players. In turn, if Geisler disappeared and was unable to advise us, it would be entirely absurd to suggest that his intent in CBF was not (among other things) to respond to positions of James White. While some authorial intentions may be more obscure and difficult to discern than others, it is clear that to claim in a blanket fashion that author intent is not part of understanding a text, or that it is "nearly impossible to know with any degree of certainty what the intent of an author was," is simply abject, self-refuting nonsense.
In addition, since Geisler has repeatedly argued (whether soundly or not) that it was the intentions of the framers of ICBI to put a stop to the sort of interpretive work Gundry was doing then and Licona is doing now, he has already answered "yes" to the question Howe poses by his own actions.
Finally, we should note a statement in the ICBI’s statement on hermeneutics (or ICBH, written by JI Packer) which says, “The initial quest is always for what God’s penman meant by what he wrote.” He then goes on to say that one should not include attempts to go “behind the text.” In this regard it appears Geisler is in some way trying to conflate these two concepts, one that is allowed by ICBH and one that is not; alternatively, Geisler is arbitrarily deciding what he thinks is “getting behind the text” and what is not. Whatever the case, it seems again that this reveals that it is Geisler’s preferences, not ICBI or scholarship, that is deciding what is legitimate and what is not.
Howe goes on:
In defense of Licona’s claim, Licona and others have attempted to appeal to an analogy between statements in Revelation and the statements in Matthew’s Gospel. For example, some have argued that if we take Matthew’s statement literally, we would have to believe that Satan is a literal dragon. But this completely misses the point.
I don't know about "others" but the point of my analogy was nothing like that. Rather, it was:
1) Licona's argument is that Matt. 27:51-3 is a mini-apocalypse, like Revelation.
2) Given this view of his, accusing him of denying inerrancy would be like saying someone denied inerrancy because they didn't take Satan to be a literal dragon.Indeed, Howe's criticisms even fail to accurately represent Licona's argument, which indeed is that Matt. 27:51-53 is an apocalyptic statement -- not that it didn't occur as a historical event. If also it is apocalyptic, then to suggest this means that Matthew was not telling the literal truth is also a misguided claim. The view Howe proposes comes of a binary reading of the text derived from modern fundamentalism -- not from the sort of serious study of genre and composition Licona offered.
Even in the wildly fantastic statements in Enoch, one can only assume that Enoch believed that the events he describes actually occurred. Whether they occurred or not, Enoch presents them as actual events. Nowhere does Enoch say he did not believe his apocalyptic descriptions and symbols referred to actual historical events, so we can only grant that he in fact did believe this.
That may be so, but in apocalyptic, as is implied here, what is described in the text -- the symbols -- are "code" (to put it simply) for some other event. In that respect, Licona would say that indeed, the event Mathew intended to indicate by his "code" in 27:51-3 actually did happen: namely, it accentuates that God’s Son had just been killed (the literal event).
As a final aspect of this issue, the charge has been laid that I and others “do not understand” inerrancy. Actually, I understand it all too well, and it is summed up well by this user comment by “JediMasterJarrett” on the video, and my reply (both edited for grammatical clarity):
JMJ: Different understanding of inerrancy. Norman Geisler and others believe in an absolute inerrancy and verbal inspiration; God dictated to man word for word. Therefore they see everything in the Bible as literal. Mike Licona and others believe in an full inerrancy and plenary inspiration; God inspired the teaching taught by the authors which are wholly true. Which deals with the problem of phenomenal language (sun setting and rising) and other biblical problems that absolute inerrancy cannot answer.
JPH: A good way to put it. Another is that Geisler and Co believe in a 21st century form of inerrancy, while Licona believes in a 1st century form. Now I wonder which one would apply...
Geisler's views are an example of the absurdity that results from a 21st century view of inerrancy. Another is of the sort I noted in a review of The Jesus Crisis some years ago -- a book with criticisms of scholars that resemble in many ways those of Geisler and Howe -- showing that indeed I understand inerrancy as both sides see it all too well:
**
I've answered points claiming contradiction between Matt and Luke's versions of the Sermon on the Mount by noting that Matt's version is likely to be an anthology -- a collection of Jesus' teachings, organized by Matthew according to his purpose as the composer of a handbook of faith; whereas Luke is more on the historical side, and reports what was actually said on that occasion.
No big problem. Both writers were following standard literary and historical practices for the time. But Thomas insists that such an approach "inevitably leads to diminishing historical accuracy in the Gospels" -- for you see, Matthew 5:1-2 "indicates Jesus began at a certain point to give the Sermon's contents." And what of the literary-device explanation above? Thomas wonders, then, "why would (Matthew) mislead his readers" into thinking that Jesus made this full sermon on one occasion?
What is missing here: This was a normal practice for the day. No one would be "misled" into thinking this was a full sermon because no one would have thought it was meant to be recorded as such in the first place. But Thomas, clearly, does not agree, with comments like this in response to Blomberg's assertion that Biblical writers followed the typical practices for composers of the day: "Despite what the practice of ancient historians may have been, Matthew's intention to cite a continuous discourse from a single occasion is conspicuous. Was he mistaken?" "No matter what the alleged motives of the writers in so doing, that kind of action is fundamentally problematic at best and dishonest at worst." (!) The only difference between these comment and comments like C. Dennis McKinsey's "read the Bible like a newspaper" is that McKinsey is nastier in his formulations. And yet we are told that it is we who propose such solutions who are "run(ning) roughshod over the historicity of the Sermon's introductory and concluding formulas". You might wonder, of course, how Thomas suggests that we resolve the differences in the Sermon, and his answer is: By harmonization -- of an extreme, unnecessary sort. Put it this way: Did Jesus say, "Blessed are the poor" or "Blessed are the poor in spirit"? Thomas replies: He said both, and on the same occasion. Matt and Luke just chose to report one or the other: "Most probably Jesus repeated this beatitude in at least two different forms when he preached His Sermon on the Mount/Plain, using the third person once and the second person another time and referring to the Kingdom of God by different titles." Odd here how omission is not a sin; but commission is. I thought it was Matthew's intent to show he was citing a continuous discourse? If that is the case, isn't he "misleading" his readers by not giving a full report and leaving things out? **Understand that I am not saying here that the two types of inerrancy are poles apart on all issues. I expect they would agree on solutions to 85-90% of the standard “Bible contradictions and problem” produced by critics like C. Dennis McKinsey or Sam Harris. It is that remaining 10-15% that is the difference, and it is a huge, problematic difference. Explanations like Thomas' are contrived and absurd, and will do little to protect the flock from the critiques of our faith by the likes of Bart Ehrman, and I have for many years had to counsel Christians whose faith was in danger because they saw the weakness of such explanations. In offering these types of explanations, teachers like Thomas and Geisler are doing far more harm than good --- and that is a point I have been making repeatedly for many years now. I understand inerrancy -- very well.
In the end, I find it astonishing that such criticisms as these come from those who are acting as leaders in our churches and educational institutions. But as I also know well, there have also been, at the other extreme, atheists who make similar mistakes and argue in similarly outlandish ways; some (like the late Ken Pulliam) were even once fundamentalists themselves. The need is strong for us to cleanse ourselves of this sort of poor thinking if we want to protect the faith of future generations from those like Ehrman and Pulliam who have turned their evangelistic zeal in the wrong direction. | {
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Informamuse meets Doctor Roberto Garavaglia in Palermo at Hotel Addaura on 13 and 14 November. He is specialized in Electronic Payment Systems and in the evolution of the European regulatory framework for SEPA….Continue reading… | {
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JWTs are a no-brainer
January 5, 2016
Why? Well they’re self signed, so no storage is involved. Even if you are integrating systems, you don’t have to worry (too much) about “merging jwt-based authentication systems” – only then data that is contained on the tokens; but that was always going to be an issue.
Even taking into account the fact that user information may be stored in your tokens isn’t a problem since you’d need the server’s private key to decrypt them.
Why jwts are a pain in the butt:
Using them to store user information. When a user updates their account information, jwts need to be updated as well. Now, if we weren’t using jwts and everything was Session-based, we could do something where we update the security context while keeping the user online; piece of cake! But, if you’re using jwts, you’d have to invalidate that token and all information is stored on there so everything gets fucked!
Long story short. Use jwts but don’t store everything under the goddamn sun in your tokens. Plus, who in their right mind would want to send a “204 No Content” with a super-massive json header? | {
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DNM Refelction Point system is way to award points to our registred
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Note: You will earn the reflection points once you become member and logged into site
before doing an activity, The site admin can change the point system against activities at any time and same will be reflected to your account. | {
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MONTREAL - Quebec's law society is heading to court to challenge the way the provincial government goes about drafting and passing laws.
The Quebec Bar Association, along with the Montreal bar, said the current process is flawed and doesn't respect the Canadian Constitution, making the province's laws and decrees null and void.
In a motion filed last Friday and that names national assembly Speaker Jacques Chagnon and Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee, the bars state the problem is the laws are drafted in French and then translated into English only after the fact instead of simultaneously.
The bars argue legislators therefore never get to see the English version before a bill is passed.
According to an interpretation of Art. 133 of the 1867 British North America Act, while either language may be used in debates and pleadings, laws must be adopted in both English and French.
The bars say the resulting legislation deprives all Quebec litigants of the right to the same version of the law in accordance with constitutional norms.
In response, Valle told reporters at an event in her riding Monday the province intends to contest the bars' challenge and their opinions on tardy translations.
"I think it's important for citizens to know that laws are tabled, adopted and sanctioned in both official languages," Vallee said. "The Quebec government respects its constitutional obligations and, obviously, we do not at all share the opinions of the Quebec bar."
The bars gave the example of the adoption of a revision of Quebec's Civil Code, which was sanctioned in February 2014. The English version wasn't available until a month later.
"The English version ... is not the work of the legislator, but rather the result of the interpretation made by the translators of the national assembly," the bars wrote in their brief.
"It does not express the will of the legislator, because the legislator has never studied the English version."
As a result, the bars noted there were three subsequent revisions in May 2014, December 2015 and December 2016 to correct mistakes.
The bars said they have tried over the years to find an out-of-court resolution that ensures Quebec respects constitutional guarantees.
That included a meeting last month, but the filing noted there was no solution.
In a motion seeking a declaratory judgment, the bars are asking the court to recommend the province be granted 18 months to set up a new translation arrangement.
As the matter is before the courts, the bars declined further comment.
OPINION The tight integration between oil companies, governments, and the rest of the economy has led to chaos in the oil markets recently and will have predictable effects in the months and years to come. Those makin | {
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This was the weekend for the Wander the West get together at Carizzo Plain. I got there but couldn’t find the dispersed camp, even though I went back and forth twice. It was raining and mucky, and I just chickened out. Headed for Morro Bay instead. I hope a good time was had by all, and I look forward to the reports.
I have a few mods to share. I made a campsite occupied sign out of plastic corrugated sign material. It is called Coroplast. It is lightweight and waterproof. It came with a flimsy metal stake for putting in lawns, but the Death Valley gravel wouldn’t let it penetrate. So now I just clip it to 2 one gallon water bottles. I am hoping this solves my ongoing problem with losing my site even though I paid for it. Unfortunately with a camper you take it all with you. And I don’t want to leave anything too valuable out to claim it.
With some leftover I made two turnbuckle covers that have screening to allow air flow without bugs. It really helps when the fan is sucking out to have cooler air coming in. I blatantly copied this but can’t for the life of me find it now. He used a picture frame and bungee cords. Mine is lighter and uses the existing slides to keep it in.
I also hung a cargo net I had leftover from my Toyota Highlander from the knobs on the sliding cubbies. It corrals my shoes yet allows opening the cubbies if necessary. I copied this from Bill Harr (Bill’s version). His is first, mine is next.
I also got pictures of the ironing board inside as a table, since I shared it on WTW but didn’t have a picture.
I also needed a better way to corral my step stool. I lost the carpeted area that held it with velcro when I installed the Dometic. So I made two loops through the heater vents with zip ties. That lets me use a bungee to connect around the step. I am really trying not to make any holes in my rig. Takes some creativity, but that is half the fun.
This was the first trip with the Dometic and I have to figure out how to pack it better. But I was so pleased with the way it operated. My secondary battery was a little low when I left, so it was having trouble coming down to temperature, plus I put warm drinks in instead of pre-chilled as advised. So I grabbed the ice chest just in case. But in retrospect, the ice chest rides well in the space, is velcroed down, and fits more cargo than the Action Packer I usually put staple food supplies in, so I will probably switch the ice chest to my food locker. If I pack it with interior containers, I would have the benefit of having an extra ice chest if necessary. Double win! Plus the nice flat, metal top could be cooked on if necessary due to poor weather (like this weekend).
So it was an interesting trip with some high points and some low points, but the adventure continues. | {
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Toskala was selected by San Jose in the fourth round, 90th overall, in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. Toskala turned heads with his stellar play in the 1998–99 season with Ilves of the Finnish SM-liiga, where he went 21–12–0 with a 2.14 goals against average, a 0.916 save percentage and five shutouts. The next season, playing a style that modeled after Markus Korhonen, Toskala played with Färjestad BK of the Swedish Elitserien and posted an impressive 2.59 GAA. Toskala considered quitting hockey to attend school full-time, until the San Jose Sharks enticed him to North America.[citation needed]
Toskala is the only San Jose Sharks goalie to record a multiple point game. He had two assists against Chicago on February 3, 2007.
In his first North American season in 2000–01, Toskala played for the Kentucky Thoroughblades of the American Hockey League (AHL). Splitting time with second-year pro and Finnish compatriot Miikka Kiprusoff, he played 44 games, posting a 22–13–5 record with a 2.77 goals against average and a 0.911 save percentage, quickly adapting to the North American game and played three games for Kentucky in the playoffs. The next year, after the team's move to Cleveland, he took over the starting role after Kiprusoff was recalled to the San Jose Sharks, and in 62 games, he went 19–33–7 with a 2.99 GAA and a 0.912 save percentage. That season, he led the league in games played and saves made (1,845). When Kiprusoff fell to injury, Toskala was called up to San Jose to serve as back-up to regular starter Evgeni Nabokov. Toskala received ten minutes of playing time in his first stint in the NHL, where he stopped the two shots he faced.
In the 2002–03 NHL season, after Evgeni Nabokov and the Sharks could not settle on a contract, Toskala served as Kiprusoff's backup. When Kiprusoff faltered, Toskala stepped in and played admirably, going 4–3–1 with a 2.35 GAA and a 0.927 save percentage. He earned his first shutout in a 25-save effort against the Detroit Red Wings. After Nabokov was re-signed, however, Toskala was sent back to the Sharks' minor league affiliate in Cleveland, where he struggled, going 15–30–2 with a 3.21 GAA and a 0.903 save percentage. Nonetheless, at the end of the regular season, the Sharks recalled Toskala, meaning the Sharks now carried three goaltenders on their roster. Since Nabokov was the established starter, Kiprusoff and Toskala fought for the backup position; Toskala "won" the battle when Kiprusoff was eventually traded to the Calgary Flames. Although playing in 28 games and posting a 12–8–4 record with a 2.06 GAA and a 0.930 save percentage, Toskala did not make an appearance in the playoffs.
2005–06 proved to be a career year for Toskala. He began as the backup to Evgeni Nabokov, but after a start on February 8, he posted a record of 17–2–2, leading the team to a playoff berth. Toskala's goals-against-average fell from 3.25 to 2.55, while his save percentage increased from 0.872 to .900. This earned him the nickname "The Finnish Horse" from Sharks broadcaster Dan Rusanowsky. Toskala's play earned him several accolades and relegated Nabokov to the role of backup goaltender. On February 27, the Sharks resigned Toskala to a two-year contract extension worth US$2.75 million. Toskala finished the playoffs with 2.45 goals-against-average and a 0.910 save percentage.
Since both Toskala and Nabokov were seen as number one goalies, the Sharks attempted to trade one or the other before the season began. No trade occurred, and coach Ron Wilson opted to alternate starts between the two. Through 71 games, Toskala played in 35 games, starting 31 and posting a 2.45 GAA, along with three shutouts. Nabokov received the nod after that, playing in San Jose's remaining regular season and playoff games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs subsequently signed Toskala to a two-year contract. He and goaltender Andrew Raycroft shared starts until late November, when Toskala's GAA and save percentage improved dramatically. He recorded two shutouts in December and the NHL named him best goaltender of the month.
Vesa Toskala suited up in a game for the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 10, 2008
On March 18, 2008, in a match against the New York Islanders, Toskala suffered an embarrassing blunder. On a Leafs power play, defenceman Rob Davison of the Islanders attempted to clear the puck out of his defensive zone. Taken from 197 feet, the shot bounced five times before eventually bouncing over Toskala's glove and into the net. It was only Davison's third goal in 187 career games.[1]
In the 2009 NHL regular season opener on October 9, 2008, the official scoresheet between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings listed Toskala as the Maple Leafs captain.[2] Coach Ron Wilson stated that the scoresheet was a mistake.[2][3]
On March 4, 2009, Toskala announced that he would be undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn acetabular labrum. The Maple Leafs claimed goalie Martin Gerber off of re-entry waivers to replace him.[4] For the first game of the following season, on October 1, 2009, Toskala was the Maple Leafs starting goaltender in an overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Toskala would lose his first four starts before being replaced as the Leafs' starting goaltender.
In late 2009, a prank he pulled on interviewer Zdenek Matejovsky received coverage from Finnish news and 424 000 views on YouTube (note: the original video was removed). Matejovsky, who doesn't understand Finnish, had been hired by the Finnish TV channel MTV3 to interview Toskala in English and have him respond in Finnish, but Toskala instead made a joke out of it and responded to the serious questions with humorous, unrelated answers. Matejovsky continued with the businesslike questions while having no idea what Toskala was saying.[5][6]
The Ducks then traded Toskala to the Calgary Flames for backup Curtis McElhinney right before the NHL trade deadline on March 3, 2010, having never appeared in net for the Ducks in his short stint.[8][9] He was reunited with his former Sharks teammate Miikka Kiprusoff in Calgary. On March 7, in his first game as a Flame, Toskala stopped 27 shots en route to a 5–2 victory. In his second game, he backstopped the Flames to a 3–2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. On June 6, 2010, it was revealed by Flames general manager Darryl Sutter, that Toskala would not return with the Flames for the 2010–11 season.
In June 2011, Toskala signed a contract to return to his hometown team Ilves for the 2011–12 season. With a decline in form and lingering injury at season's end, Toskala retired from hockey on October 2, 2012.[11] | {
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STOCKTON – Maybe it was the surge of adrenaline or the shock of being a passenger in a vehicle accident where people suffered severe injuries, but it wasn’t until the ambulance ride to the hospital that Krishneel Dass started feeling any pain at all.
He was still shaken up and in pain when he got to the hospital, but that’s not what he was worried about, he said. His injuries weren’t that bad, he thought, but there was one thing he was certain of: Whatever tests or procedures that awaited him would be expensive, and he didn’t have health insurance or enough money to afford expensive medical bills.
He told the hospital staff he needed to get up and go to the bathroom, then he slipped away.
“I limped out,” said Dass, now 24. “I was thinking financially. I wasn’t thinking in terms of what’s best for me.”
In foster care from the age of 13, he had already aged out of the system when the accident happened about two years ago. But he has health coverage, now, through a piece of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, which provides free Medicaid for former foster youth until they turn 26. In California, the coverage is known as Medi-Cal.
Before the change, former foster youth were receiving medical coverage only through the age of 21.
It’s a little-known piece of the health care reform law that went into effect at the start of the year. It’s something advocates say gives parity with a better-known aspect of the law that allows young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance policies up to the age of 26.
“It gives them a chance to get established in a job, or get an education,” said Caryn Romero, a program manager with Aspiranet, a nonprofit organization working with foster youth in San Joaquin County. “It helps them overcome obstacles that get in their way.”
The transition into adulthood is difficult for anybody, but even more so for former foster youth who don’t have the same family-provided safety net that others might have, she said. “They’re forced into becoming an adult at a much younger age.”
And foster children have often experienced neglect and abuse that can cause higher instances of physical or mental illness, said Fatima Morales, program manager at Children Now, an advocacy group that is trying to connect these young adults with the free health care.
“This is certainly a hard-to-reach population,” she said. They often move out of their home counties when they leave foster care, she said. And since they have already aged out of the system, they might not have heard about the changes.
The change in the law opened up free health and dental care to about 30,000 former foster youth in California, according to Children Now, which recommends former foster youth in San Joaquin County contact local county government to receive the health coverage. It doesn’t matter which county or state they were in when they were in foster care.
So far in San Joaquin County, 135 people have signed on for Medi-Cal through the program, said Frank Hernandez, an eligibility supervisor with the county. The county does not track how many former foster youth who are eligible currently live in the county, he said. But there have been ads on the radio and fliers passed out in efforts to reach them, he said.
Dass had kept in touch with Aspiranet and heard about the health care through the organization. Johnly Sen, 23, heard about it through Dass.
The two are former roommates and both were passengers in the same car accident.
In a separate incident, Sen injured his hand in a fall. “I walked away with three grand in medical bills,” he said. “And that’s a lot of money,” he said.
“I don’t think anybody thinks anything will happen to me. But it can.” | {
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Guests from Chicago and Philadelphia meet on Six Mile for an urban exchange
The best ideas for neighborhoods come from within. But sometimes it's okay to look over your neighbor's fence for a little inspiration.
This is also true for "neighbors" that are hundreds of miles away, in another city's neighborhood. And surprise, surprise, they're asking the same questions. Like, how can we do urban development differently? And how can we make sure more people have a seat at the table?
This was the impetus for a packed coffeehouse on West McNichols in Northwest Detroit on a recent snowy evening in December. Detroiters gathered for a special "speakeasy" for urban exchange, hosted by Live6 Alliance, Urban Consulate and Model D, with guests from Chicago and Philadelphia.
Sharing ideas by candlelight, between jazz and libations from Detroit City Distillery and Axle Brewing Co., a mix of locals and visitors spoke of ethical redevelopment, community engagement, and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs to create more vibrant, equitable cities.
Here's a recap of the three projects that were shared.
Ethical Redevelopment Salon (Chicago)
Carson Poole, PlaceLab Chicago
Since last summer, a group of Detroiters have been traveling to the South Side of Chicago to learn from artist and community developer, Theaster Gates. His work started with a few humble houses called the Dorchester Projects and expanded to larger edifices like the stunning Stony Island Arts Bank and the Arts Block with University of Chicago. From these projects, Gates and his team have gleaned 9 Principles for Ethical Redevelopment that they share and refine with input from urban practitioners from around the country. Carson Poole of PlaceLab joined us to share the principles and their real-world applications, like "Take stock of what is around you. Use what you have or is available at the time," and "Provide multiple access points and ways to participate" for residents to help shape their neighborhood.
In a world where the biggest investment hype is often recruited or imported, Gates' work reminds us to start from within.
Institute of Hip Hop Entrepreneurship (Philadelphia)
Tayyib Smith and Meegan Denenberg, Little Giant Creative
"The hip-hop industry was built by entrepreneurs who revolutionized the world of business," said IHHE founders Tayyib Smith and Meegan Denenberg of Little Giant Creative in Philadelphia. "Their creative economy continues to inspire and impact culture, social justice, and many other industries well beyond their respective communities."
Thanks to a 2016 Knight Cities Challenge grant, they're using the ethos of Hip Hop to connect nontraditional, ambitious young entrepreneurs with the resources, knowledge, and contacts needed to take their idea to reality. What does this have to do with neighborhoods? Everything. If we are to fill these city storefronts and buildings with the kinds of small-scale businesses that create local jobs and help communities thrive, we're going to need a strong pipeline of next-gen entrepreneurs who are socially conscious and deeply rooted in place.
American Street Feast (Philadelphia)
Michelle Freeman and Jermaine Jenkins, Witty Gritty
Sometimes the biggest challenge for neighborhoods is just getting neighbors together, to get to know one another, build trust, and share stories and ideas. Michelle Freeman and Jermaine Jenkins of Witty Gritty in Philly shared one example of a low-budget, high-impact community event to promote neighborhood unity and pride.
Convened by a coalition of partners in Philly's South/Old Kensington neighborhood, American Street Feast invited neighbors and business owners, young and old, longstanding and recently arrived, to share in conversation and a family-style meal to display the culinary traditions and creative talents of people who live and work in South/Old Kensington. What made this different than your regular old community block party? Two details we loved: First, they kept the invitations private, for local residents only, not for publicity. Second: They commissioned local artisans and printers to create custom-designed place settings. The result was a beautiful, multicultural, multigenerational event with an impressive attendance. | {
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Friday, August 30, 2013
Thank goodness the weekend is here. I feel like this week has been the longest ever lol.
I haven't been doing anything that makes me feel like that but I guess I have just been hanging for the weekend to get here.
I have got a lot that I want to do in regards to mainly getting the new & up-coming Dreamtime Designs Craft Challenge organised & also picking out & finalizing the all new Design Team. I am so excited :)
I have had more entries to the DT Call than I thought I would have & would like to thank all of you who have been extremely keen in wanting to become involved in my new little adventure. Without you guys, this wouldn't be possible. So thank you very much :) All of you have submitted some wonderful designs & I am truly finding it difficult to choose who I would love on the Design Team.
Which reminds me to remind you that there is only 3 days left for you to submit your entry to my DT Call if you haven't done so already. There is still enough time for you to get into your craft room & do what you do best in there. Go lock yourself away for a while & show me your 'Anything Goes with Ribbon' themed design & submit it to be in the new Dreamtime Designs Craft Challenge DT. You can enter here:
I have been working hard to try & ensure that our new challenges & this blog is like no other. After a week of putting some thoughts & ideas together, I am happy to say that we are going to be quite, quite unique from all of the others & this blog will not just be a 'stop over' just to see the new challenge for that month. To me & hopefully to you too, it will be much, much more than just a place to go for a challenge :)
I am trying to construct something different not only into the challenges but it's system that will go along with it. I can't ( or won't lol ) tell you much right now as you will have to wait & see on the 1st October. However, I will tell you this....
DDCC will be a fun-filled place where we can all get to know one another, where we can creep inside eachother's craft rooms, where we can offer advice & ideas to eachother, where we can come for support & discussions, where we can learn different techniques & other factors from one another etc. Most of all though...to have HEAPS of fun!
That my friends... is my goal :)
It is also my goal to find out exactly what you would love to find here.
What would you love to have happen here? What would you like to see?
What would you like help with? What would you class as FUN? :)
I would love to hear your feedback on this so please let me know in the comments so that I can build this around ALL of us. I can't wait to see your ideas :) Feel free to comment away :)
Also, if you see this blog changing with new additions etc then you will know that we are one step closer to achieving the one stop challenge blog :) Oh & btw, did you notice that I have changed the look of my blog? I haven't totally finished it yet but just wondering if you are ok with the font? Can you read it ok? Would love a little feedback on this. I would hate to think that you are having trouble reading my rambles lol. If it is too hard to read, I will change it back to the original font. No harm done & I promise I won't be offended.
Alrighty....talking about rambling...I will move on :)
Have you entered the blog candy yet? If not, please do so. Why?
Well, as promised, due to reaching more than 25 entries I am now adding blog candy number two :) So, now not only will there be one winner but now there will be two winners :)
What else can I tell you? Oh, that's right....I am having a 'Destash Sale'.
I have made a new photo album on my Facebook in which I am adding all the items from my stash that I no longer require. You can get to the album here.
If you see something you want simply write 'sold' in the comments section of that item. When you have finished 'shopping' let me know & I will PM you with the final total & payment details.
There is only a handful of items there at the moment but I will be adding more items tonight & over the weekend. In actual fact, I will be adding more items each time I find something that I don't necessarily need anymore.
So come on over & grab yourself a bargain.
Talking about Facebook...I am also hosting a giveaway this weekend :)
A few weeks ago I created these little Tilda Notelets.
They are 3 x 3 inches in size & there are four of them. They can also be used as gift tags if you like.
I was going to add them to my Etsy shop but decided that I would rather give them away to you :) You can enter the giveaway here.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Welcome back my friends & a cheery big welcome to all my new followers :)
It's so great to have you visit :) Also before I go on, thank you to all of you who have left me such lovely comments this past week. I still have a few of you to come visit but I will get there :)
I have a new design to share with you but before I do, I just want to let you know that there have been quite a few entries to my DT Call for the new upcoming Dreamtime Designs Craft Challenge. Thank you so much for your entries. You guys are making it so difficult for me to choose who I am going to have on my team. Such fabulous designs & I honestly feel priviledged that you are all keen to be part of the new design team :)
If you haven't entered to the DT Call & would like to, you can submit your entry here. There is still some time left for you to enter :)
There are a few entries to the blog candy too in celebration of the Dreamtime Designs Craft Challenge.
I had lots of fun playing with the Frantage...still using the toaster but I will get a heat gun soon lol. I used some Glossy Accents on her boots & necklace but I guess it's a little hard to see.
I have used a fair few new items & supplies that I have ordered over the last few weeks such as the Spellbinders Lacey Squares Nesties, Cottage Cutz Grass Border Die & the Inkadinkadoo Garden Flower stamps.
I added some beads, ribbon & lace from my stash. While I was in there hunting around I found that cute little 'celebrate life' charm, the white flowers & spiral. I put them together & voila..a dangling charm lol.
I have stitched the DP's with my sewing machine (getting better at this lol...about time). Used my cloud dies & then gave them a little Frantage to add some texture.
Due to it being a Spring design, I thought I had better add some butterflies & on the right hand corner you will find a dragonfly too :) Found it hiding in my stash.
Do you like my bow? Goodness me...I tell ya...I really don't like working with organza ..it drives me crazy lol. I'm ok making the bows etc, it's when I have to cut the tails of the bow. Do you think I can ever get these straight? Takes me ages & many attempts lol. The tails get smaller & smaller lol. However, I got there in the end. I guess a little bit of persistence pays off :)
It wouldn't be one of my designs if I didn't add just a few lil' pearls, now would it? lol I also frantaged the fence & added a little bit of Stickles to the flowers, butterflies etc.
All in all I had a lot of fun creating this design especially colouring the Bestie :)
Top Tip Tuesday #108 - Initials (L=Lace / W = White Cardstock)Tip: When using stamps that are not clingy, simply double over some sticky take to the back of the stamp & stick to your stamping block. It holds it in place nicely.)
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Thank you for popping in to see me & welcome to all my new followers :)
Wow! It has been a very busy week for me. I am really looking forward to the weekend. Have you got anything special planned? I am hoping to just sit at my craft desk & design the weekend away :)
I want to thank all of you who have so far entered my blog candy in celebration of the new & upcoming Dreamtime Designs Craft Challenge. If you haven't already entered you can do so here.
When it has reached 25 entries I will then add more :)
There are also a few wonderful ladies who have entered the Design Team Call which I am very pleased about :) I am looking for a quite a few designers so if you would like to know more, you can find out about it here. I would love to have you part of the team :)
I am really excited about the new challenges & the Design Team & there is a lot of organizing to do so that I can get things in order & prepared for all the fun that is about to happen :) So, I will try to be here as much as possible & will also let you know the adventures as they happen :)
If you would like to help out, it would be wonderful if you could post the DT Call badge on your blog for me & link it to this one. It would really help spread the word for us. The more DT ladies I have, the more inspiration you guys get when it comes to the challenges :) If you do place it on your blog, please leave a comment to let me know. I would be really grateful :)
Annnnywayyyy :)
Finally, I have a chance to show you my latest design.
I hope you like it :)
I actually coloured this cute lil' Easter Daisy & the Toadstool quite some time ago & decided that I couldn't just throw her away. So I created a nice little home for her instead :)
I can't remember right now where exactly I got the sentiment from but I will look into it if you need me to. I used the postcard Mini Backgrounds stamp from the Whimsy Sentiments Collection.
I got out me ole' favourite heart punch out & also used the DP's & cardstock from my scrap stash :) Love it when I can use them up :)
I have machine sewn this design, added some lace that I bought on Etsy last week & some lovely red ribbon that was in my stash :)
I also decided on cute little pink flowers using the C.C. Designs Five Point Flowers die. I added a little sparkle of Stickles to them & popped in a few little pearls.
I completed the design by adding my own computer generated title.
It was a lot of fun to put together & I achieved my goal in making the notepad re-fillable :)
Well, I had better go & get my Daughter organized for bed as she has a big day tomorrow.
She hasn't been happy for quite some time in her current school so we went & had an interview with the high school that is local to us & thankfully she was accepted :) Therefore, it is her last day tomorrow & her friends are putting a little farewell together during & after school. They are all heading to go ice skating tomorrow night & then staying at her friends afterwards.
Zoe is really excited but Mummy will be at home all alone lol. It's ok, there is plenty of designing & Dreamtime Design Craft Challenge organizing to do too.
So don't forget ladies to enter your submission to the DT Call. We would love to have you :)
Thank you for coming to visit & all the lovely comments are really appreciated :) I try very hard to get to all of your blogs & I will return the visit as soon as I can :)
Saturday, August 10, 2013
The weather here today has been lovely & sunny. It makes a change from all the cold, wet weather we have been having lately. But it's not really the weather you want to know about is it? lol
Well, today I am extremely excited to announce the arrival of the
Dreamtime Designs Craft Challenge.
The challenges will run on a monthly basis & will be open to anyone who creates anything craft. Whether it be a card, scrapbook layout, jewellery, a crochet item, etc..every craft is welcome :)
So, for you my dear friends & guests of my blog
I have some sweet candy for you to win so that we can celebrate :)
Prize One
Prize Two
As promised, due to reaching more than 25 entries I am now adding blog candy number two :) So, now not only will there be one winner but now there will be two winners :)
Today I am adding this candy into the basket.
When there are 50 entries, I will add some more :)
Prize Three
As promised, due to reaching more than 50 entries I am now adding blog candy number three :) So, now not only will there be one or even two winners but now there will be three winners :)
Today I am adding this candy into the basket.
All you need to do to be eligible to win:
* Become a follower (if you're not already)
* Post about my candy in your post / or place it in your sidebar & link it back to my blog
* Enter your name & blog link into Mr Linky below
* Please leave me a comment below to let me know you have done the above & would like a chance to win
* No candy only blogs please
The candy will run till 1st October which allows ample of time for much more candy to be added :) The winner will be announced shortly thereafter. I will ship worldwide.
Pssst...Did I tell you that our Dreamtime Designs Craft Challenge officially opens very soon? We kick off the first challenge on the 1st October & we hope that you would love to join us & participate with us. We would love that :)
Feel free to take our badge to put on your blog sidebar.
Don't forget to link it to my blog...we don't want you forgetting where we are :)
Monday, August 5, 2013
We didn't do anything special, just hung out at home. I did however get some designing done. I finally completed this design that I am about to show you & another that will be posted either tomorrow or the next day :)
I have been updating my Etsy store this week. They have changed the look of the items page & I have had to update it so it looks 'cleaner' as things have been thrown out of whack a little. I still haven't got it all done but will be doing more this week. I will also be re-taking photo's of some of the designs with my new camera :)
Here is one of my latest designs :)
Introducing the Big Eyed Bestie Tin Girl from the Besties of Oz range.
Over the last few weeks or so I have been receiving new supplies that I have ordered :) I guess I have been going a little crazy with spending money but oh, it's been such a long time since I treated myself lol.
One of those new supplies was the frantage that I have used on this design. Hmmm, I think I overdone it a bit lol It was a lot of fun but I have to get myself a heat gun. The toaster just doesn't cut it lol. I like how it turned out though.
I also had a whole heap of fun colouring her in :) The Copic colours were really easy to work & blend with.
I used a doily that was given to me as a freebie when I got one of my orders off Etsy. Don't you just love it when that happens :) It was the perfect size too which made me even more happy :)
I also bought two new white desks which I have added to my craft studio so that I could make a 'C' shape work area. I found that I wasn't using my sewing machine much due to having to pull it out all the time, but now I find it easier as I have put it on one of the new desks :) So, you can see, I have machine sewn this design. I still have to practice a lot more so that I can achieve better straight lines lol.
I couldn't find a sentiment anywhere either here or on the net that would relate to the Tin Girl & the Wizard of Oz theme. She needed to see the Wizard for a heart, right? lol Anyway, I got busy on my laptop & created a sentiment myself :) I used the Whimsy Stamps Mini Postage Die to cut it out. Sentiment problem - fixed! lol
Would you believe I actually had a Wizard of Oz themed DP in my paper stash? lol I couldn't believe my eyes lol. I felt sooo blessed to say the least :)
The heart embellie I have had in my stash for quite some time, which I didn't even buy. I think my Daughter had it for something & she was going to throw it out one day, but I snagged it. Someone's trash is someone's treasure, right? lol Besides you never know when a Tin Girl starts wishing for a heart :)
As you can see I mounted this design onto a canvas....& lookie look look.....
I made my own stand :) What do you think?
You can just about see it in this pic though lol.
It took a lot of thought on how I was going to accomplish it but I got there in the end. It is very sturdy too :) My canvas designs can now stand up all on their own lol :) Very happy with this accomplishment :)
I have accomplished quite a lot this week, not with just my designing but also with slowly getting my craft studio looking a lot better than what it was :) Just a few more final touches & new additions & I will be extremely happy.
(My Tip - Use a toaster for frantage or embossing if you don't have a heat gun :)
-----------------------------------------
Oh & just a little bit of info for you....
I am thinking of doing a candy giveaway each fortnight.
What do you think? Would you like that?
Would you prefer specific items like stamps or actual online shop vouchers?
Let me know as I will be starting this very soon. I would love some ideas from you, my wonderful visitors, as to what you would prefer as it will be you that it will be on offer for :) So, feel free to give me some ideas in the comments :)
Well, I had better be off. I've got to link up the challenges yet...which as some of you would know...is a challenge all by itself lol.
Monthly Challenges
My Winning Designs!
Celebrating my...
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Unless otherwise stated all content is by Lisa. Please do not copy my work for submission for publication or contests. However, please feel free to copy/lift my card toppers or layouts for your own personal use. Thank you so much. | {
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TONIGHT'S STORYLINESNashville and Edmonton wrap up their 2008-09 regular-season series tonight at the Sommet Center with Nashville holding a 2-1-0 edge in three games thus far. The last meeting came on Super Bowl Sunday at Rexall Place, where Nashville improved to 10-1-0 in its last 11 games against Edmonton thanks to a stellar, 32-save effort by rookie netminder Pekka Rinne. In the current 11-game stretch, the Preds have scored four-or-more goals on seven occasions. The last Preds-Oil game in Nashville came 54 games ago on Oct. 30. That night, Nashville used multi-point efforts from Shea Weber (1g-1a) and Ryan Suter (2a), in addition to Rinne’s first win of the season, to top the Oilers for the sixth consecutive time on Sommet Center ice. Since going winless against Edmonton on home ice in six games from 2000-03, Nashville is 7-1-(0)-1 in its last nine times hosting the Oil.
Martin Erat (3g),Weber(2g-1a), J.P. Dumont (1g-2a) and David Legwand (3a) and all have three points in three games against Edmonton this season… Weber has nine points (5g-4a) in 12 career games against the Oilers, and had the game-winning goal back on Oct. 30.
Vernon Fiddler, an Edmonton native, has nine points (4g-5a) in 12 games against his hometown team, and has 20 points (8g-12a) in 27 games against the two Alberta teams. In 259 games against the rest of the NHL, he has amassed 69 points (34g-35a)… As a Predator, J.P. Dumont has 15 points (5g-10a) in 11 games against Edmonton… This season, Rinne is 2-0-0 with a 1.61 goals-against average and a .961 save percentage against the Oilers… Jason Arnott, who was an All-Rookie Team member and Calder Trophy runner-up as a member of the Oilers in 1993-94, has 20 points (8g-12a) in 25 career games against his former team. Arnott amassed 239 points (100g-139a) in his first 286 NHL games with the Oilers from 1993-98 before being traded to New Jersey along with Bryan Muir on Jan. 4, 1998 for Valeri Zelepukin and Bill Guerin.
Milestones attained against the Edmonton OilersMartin Erat - Passed Greg Johnson and Scott Hartnell for third on the franchise’s all-time goals list (94) on Dec. 28, 2008 at Edmonton. He had his only career hat trick on March 4, 2008.Vernon Fiddler - Most assists (2) in a game on February 19, 2008.Scott Nichol - Most assists (2) and points (3) in a game on February 19, 2008.Jerred Smithson - Played his first game as a Predator on November 8, 2005.
RECAPPING SATURDAY’S HISTORICAL VICTORYThe Predators put a significant dent on the franchise record books with Saturday night’s 8-0 victory over the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. Not only did the win set the record for largest margin of victory, but concluded a stretch of three games were Nashville scored 17 goals (Feb. 24: 4-1 win vs. Chicago, Feb. 26: 5-3 win vs. Phoenix, Feb. 28: 8-0 win vs. Detroit) – the highest since it tallied 18 in a three-game stretch from Feb. 18-21, 2004 (Feb. 18: 7-3 win vs. San Jose, Feb. 20: 3-2 OT win at Anaheim, Feb. 21: 8-2 win at Phoenix). Other records set or approached include:- The eight-goal performance tied for the third-highest in Predator history, and was the most goals since Jan. 5, 2007 in a 8-3 win at Chicago.- The five-goal opening frame was the first time in team history it scored that many goals in a first period, and tied for the second-most in a period. A five-tally period was last hit in the second period of that same Chicago game on Jan. 5, 2007.- The first period was also the first time since Nov. 25, 2006 vs. Detroit that the Predators scored five consecutive goals in a frame.- Nashville’s third, fourth and fifth goals of the first period came in a span of 1:24, the fastest in Sommet Center history and second quickest three goals overall.- Goals No. 1-4 came in a span of 5:03, the fastest four goals on home ice, and second-fastest overall.
PREDATORS CLOSE STELLAR FEBRUARY WITH FOUR STRAIGHT WINSThe Predators both started and ended the month of February with season-high four-game winning streaks, and went 10-4-1 for 21 points. The 21 points is tied for the second-most in a single month in franchise history, previously attained in November 2006 when Nashville went 10-2-1. The club record for points in a month is 22 set in January 2004 when the Predators went 10-4-(2)-0. Nashville started February 2009 in 14th place in the Western Conference, eight points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. When the calendar turned to March, it was in ninth place, just one point from a playoff spot and two points from sixth in the conference.
PLAYER QUICK HITS- For the first time in his career, Joel Ward has goals/points in three consecutive games (3g-2a), including back-to-back one-goal, one-assist performances. Ward has five multiple-point games this season.- On Saturday, Cal O’Reilly became the first Predator to register a point in his NHL debut since Rich Peverley did it on March 4, 2007 at Anaheim.- Dan Hamhuis has three assists in the last three games, giving him nine points (1g-8a) in the last 17 games. That doubles his offensive output from the previous 35 games (2g-7a).
RINNE TIES SINGLE-SEASON SHUTOUT MARKRookie goaltender Pekka Rinne turned aside all 30 shots he faced on Saturday vs. Detroit to record his sixth shutout in his 35th appearance of the season, tying him for second in the league in that category and tying the franchise record for whitewashes in a season set by Dan Ellis in 2007-08. Rinne (6 in 2008-09) and Columbus’ Steve Mason (8 in 2008-09) are the first goaltenders to post five or more shutouts in their rookie seasons since Evgeni Nabokov (6 in 2000-01) and Luongo (5 in 2000-01) did so.
Rinne went 9-2-1 in February, tied for the most wins in the month with Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo. The Kempele, Finland native’s 1.72 goals-against average and .944 save percentage also ranked among the league leaders for the month. Overall, Rinne ranks third in the NHL in both goals-against average (2.15) and save percentage (.926). When he gets three-or-more goals in offensive support, Rinne is 11-0-1.
ARNOTT NOTCHES EIGHTH CAREER HAT TRICKJason Arnott scored goals No. 24-26 on Saturday, brining him within two tallies of last season’s total, and six shy of a career-high 32 attained in 2005-06 with Dallas. It was the 16th hat trick in franchise history, and the first on Sommet Center ice since Arnott posted his first three-goal game as a Predator on Dec. 22, 2007 vs. Los Angeles. Nashville’s captain now has five goals during a three-game scoring streak, and has 15 points (10g-5a) in his last 14 games. Ten of his goals have come in 17 games since the All-Star Break. Overall, J.P. Dumont has assisted on 16 of Arnott’s 26 goals.
PREDS PK CONTINUES TO ROLL AT HOMEThe Predators have not allowed a power-play goal on home ice in seven consecutive home games, killing off all 20 chances against in that span. It is the second-longest such streak in franchise history, second only to a nine-game stretch from Dec. 13-Jan. 17 where the penalty kill extinguished 30 consecutive opportunities against in that stretch. Nashville’s home PK is ranked second in the league (88.9%), having gone 61-for-64 (95.3%) in their last 20 games.
Overall, the killers have been perfect in five straight, and in eight of their last nine to move up to fourth in the NHL (84.1%).
TEAM QUICK HITS- This is Nashville’s final game against a Canadian team in 2008-09. The Preds are 4-10-0 against teams from north of the border this season.- After claiming 25 of their first 29 victories by two goals or less, the Predators have won their last two games by a combined 11 goals. Nashville is 15-7-4 in one-goal games and 23-6-1 when scoring three-or-more goals. It is also a league-best 15-0-1 when leading after one period and 25-6-2 when scoring the first goal of the game.- Nashville’s nine shutouts are tied with Columbus and Florida for the most in the league.- In the last three games, Nashville’s power play has gone 3-for-11 (27.3%). It had gone 1-for-18 (5.6%) in the five previous games.
TOP FORWARDS CONTINUE TO PACE OFFENSEEven in the absence of third-leading scorer Martin Erat last game, the Predators top two lines continued their recent roll – the line of Jason Arnott between Steve Sullivan and J.P. Dumont combined for three goals and six assists, raising its total in the last six games to 10 goals and 15 assists. Nashville’s record to 27-14-2 when one of Nashville’s top four point-producing forwards –Arnott, Dumont, Erat and David Legwand – score, and of Nashville’s 46 goals scored since the All-Star break, those four have accounted for 22 of them (47.8%). - Legwand brought his season goal total to 17 with a marker last game. Just twice in his nine-season career has he scored 18-or-more goals. Legwand has scored in three consecutive games for the second time in his career and first since Nov. 1-4, 2007. He has five goals in the last six games at the Sommet Center, and a team-leading 13 of his markers have come on home ice. The club is 12-3-0 when he scores.- Dumont has assists in four straight games (6a), tying the longest streak by a Predator this season. His career high is a five-game streak, attained twice last season.- Sullivan’s three-assist performance on Saturday was his first three-point game since Jan. 27, 2007 at St. Louis (2g-1a) and his first three-helper game since Dec. 23, 2006 vs. Los Angeles. He has eight points (4g-4a) in his last six games.
WEBER BACK ON TRACKShea Weber has registered a point in four consecutive games (3g-2a), a career high for the fourth-year blueliner. Prior to the current streak, he had been held to just one point (assist) in his previous 14 outings. Weber registered his first career “Gordie Howe Hat Trick,” with the goal being his 17th, tying a career high in addition to tying him for second among NHL defensemen in goals. The Predators are 12-3-0 when he scores a goal, and Weber is the only NHL defenseman with more than 30 points and 140 hits.
Series Notes:3/4/08: Martin Erat registered his first career hat trick - and the Predators' first on the road since 1999 - as Nashville won its eighth consecutive game in the series, 5-1, at Rexall Place...1/3/07: Alexander Radulov notched the first two-goal performance of his career to lead Nashville to a 5-2 win at the Sommet Center... 11/8/05: Scott Hartnell's game-winner with 23 seconds remaining capped a stretch in which the teams scored three goals in the game's final 1:55 of Nashville's 3-2 win at the Sommet Center... 1/18/03: Vladimir Orszagh's extra-attacker goal with 1:02 remaining knotted the contest at 2-2, and Andy Delmore scored in overtime (3:35), giving Nashville a 3-2 win.
Recent Nashville Predators Games
Last 5 NSH Games: 4 - 0 - 1
Last 10 NSH Games: 6 - 3 - 1
February 28, 2009: Nashville Predators 8, Detroit Red Wings 0 at Sommet CenterThe win set the record for largest margin of victory,and the eight-goal performance tied for the third-highest in Predator history, and was the most goals since Jan. 5, 2007 in a 8-3 win at Chicago... The five-goal opening frame was the first time in team history it scored that many goals in a first period, and tied for the second-most in a period. A five-tally period was last hit in the second period of that same Chicago game on Jan. 5, 2007... The first period was also the first time since Nov. 25, 2006 vs. Detroit that the Predators scored five consecutive goals in a frame... Nashville’s third, fourth and fifth goals of the first period came in a span of 1:24, the fastest in Sommet Center history and second quickest three goals overall... Goals No. 1-4 came in a span of 5:03, the fastest four goals on home ice, and second-fastest overall....Rookie goaltender Pekka Rinne turned aside all 30 shots he faced to record his sixth shutout tying the franchise record for whitewashes in a season set by Dan Ellis in 2007-08. Jason Arnott notched his eighth career hat trick... The Predators were perfect on the penalty kill at home for the seventh straigh game... J.P. Dumont tied a career high with three assists... Joel Ward and David Legwand extended goal streaks to three games... Shea Weber notched his first "Gordie Howe Hat Trick." GOALS BY PERIOD SHOTS BY PERIOD GOALTENDER PPNSH 5-1-2 - 8 14-6-3 - 23 Rinne (W, 0-30) 1-3DET 0-0-0 - 8 11-14-5 - 30 Conklin (L, 4-9), Osgood (4-14) 0-2
February 26, 2009: Nashville Predators 4, Phoenix Coyotes 1 at Sommet CenterWith 47 shots on goal, including 19 in the first period, the Predators tied 2008-09 marks for shots in both a game (previously hit Nov. 25 vs. St. Louis) and a period (previously attained Jan. 28 at Vancouver)... The three-goal margin of victory tied a high last reached Jan. 10 in a 4-1 win over Chicago....Martin Erat put a career-high nine shots on goal, with five of those coming in the first period, both highs for a Predator this season. It was also tied for the fourth-highest shot output in franchise history.... David Legwand, Jason Arnott and Joel Ward all scored goals for the second straight game... Nashville was perfect on the PK for the sixth straight home game... Martin Erat notched his fourth assist in two games... J.P. Dumont posted an assist for the third straight game... Jordin Tootoo had a season-high 12 PIMs... Ryan Jones led all skaters in hits with four ...Nashville also reached the 30-win mark for the fifth consecutive campaign, doing it in four more games than last season, but only one more than in 2003-04 when it made the playoffs for the first time. GOALS BY PERIOD SHOTS BY PERIOD GOALTENDER PPNSH 1-1-2 - 4 19-15-13 - 47 Rinne (W, 1-26) 0-2PHX 0-1-0 - 1 10-10-6 - 26 Bryzgalov (L, 4-47) 0-1
February 24, 2009: Nashville Predators 5, Chicago Blackhawks 3 at Sommet CenterNashville posted its first five-goal game the first without the aid of an empty-net goal since Nov. 23, 2008 in a 5-2 win at Carolina. Prior to the third period, Nashville had not scored four goals in a period since another come-from-behind win at Montreal on Dec. 1, 2007. It was the club’s first third-period markers in six outings. It was only the second time in the last 45 games that the Preds have posted more than one power-play goal. It was Nashville’s fourth win of 2008-09 when trailing after 40 minutes – Chicago held a 3-1 advantage after two periods.... After going nine games without a point, Martin Erat became the first Predator to post three helpers in a period (third) since Peter Forsberg did so on March 3, 2007... Nashville’s top four forwards – Jason Arnott, J.P. Dumont, Martin Erat and David Legwand – combined for nine points (3g-6a)... Arnott scored with his 22nd goal of the season in the second period – 14 of his season total have come in that frame.... Dumont’s goal and assist were his first points at the Sommet Center since Jan. 10 vs. Chicago... Legwand posted his ninth third-period goal and 15th goal of the season to start the rally.... Joel Ward scored his second career game-winning goal... Pekka Rinne recorded his seventh win in nine tries in February... Shea Weber scored for the second straight game, his career-best seventh power play goal... Ryan Suter set a career high with his 32nd point of the season. GOALS BY PERIOD SHOTS BY PERIOD GOALTENDER PPNSH 0-1-4 - 5 9-7-13 - 29 Rinne (W, 3-32) 2-6CHI 0-3-0 - 3 7-14-11 - 32 Huet (L, 5-29) 0-2
February 21, 2009: Nashville Predators 1, St. Louis 0 in overtime at Scottrade CenterNashville wrapped up its six-game season series with St. Louis with a 2-2-2 record. Four of the six games went to a shootout/overtime... Nashville claimed its first 1-0 decision in overtime since Feb. 9, 2002 when Denis Arkhipov scored 2:45 into OT in a win at Columbus... It was Nashville's fourth OT/SO game in six contests... Nashville improved to 8-4 in extra time... Shea Weber scored his team-leading fourth game-winning goal, the 32nd goal by a d-man this season and eighth game winning - four of the eight have come in overtime... Nashville was perfect on the penalty kill for the fifth time in six games... Pekka Rinne picked up his fifth shutout of the season with a 30-save effort... Ryan Suter tied a career high with his 31st point of the campaign (assist)... J.P. Dumont notched his third assist in three games... Joel Ward played a career-high 20:19... Jerred Smithson tied a career high with four shots. GOALS BY PERIOD SHOTS BY PERIOD GOALTENDER PPSTL 0-0-0-0 - 0 9-12-9-0 - 30 Mason (OTL, 1-22) 0-3NSH 0-0-0-1 - 1 6-8-7-1 - 22 Rinne (W, 0-30) 0-1
February 19, 2009: St. Louis 2, Nashville Predators 1 in overtime at Sommet CenterNashville fell to 4-4-1 on the back-end of back-to-back games... Steve Sullivan scored for his second consecutive game, giving him three goals in two games... Jason Arnott posted an assist for the second straight game, giving him points in eight (5g-4a) of 10 outings... Pekka Rinne held the opposition to two goals or less for the sixth time in eight February starts... Ryan Suter led all skaters in ice time at 28:52, his highest total since the third game of the season... Radek Bonk played 22:48, his highest total as a Predator... Shea Weber and Jason Arnott both put six shots on goal... Nashville was a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill, keeping the opposition's power play at bay for the fourth consecutive game. GOALS BY PERIOD SHOTS BY PERIOD GOALTENDER PPNSH 1-0-0-0 - 1 12-9-8-0 - 29 Rinne (OTL, 2-36) 0-3STL 0-1-0-1 - 2 7-10-12-7 - 36 Mason (W, 1-29) 0-3
Nashville Predators Injuries, Transactions
MAN-GAMES LOST TO INJURY:167
INJURIES/SUSPENSIONS C Scott Nichol is out indefintely with a concussion sustained Dec. 9 vs. Vancouver.D Alexander Sulzer is out 4-to-6 weeks with a separated shoulder sustained on Jan. 28 at Vancouver.C Radek Bonk is out two weeks with an upper-body injury sustained Feb. 21 at St. Louis.RW Martin Erat is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
PREDATORS CLOSE STELLAR FEBRUARY WITH FOUR STRAIGHT WINSThe Predators both started and ended the month of February with season-high four-game winning streaks, and went 10-4-1 for 21 points. The 21 points is tied for the second-most in a single month in franchise history, previously attained in November 2006 when Nashville went 10-2-1. The club record for points in a month is 22 set in January 2004 when the Predators went 10-4-(2)-0. Nashville started February 2009 in 14th place in the Western Conference, eight points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. When the calendar turned to March, it was in ninth place, just one point from a playoff spot and two points from sixth in the conference.
STEVE SULLIVAN RETURNS TO PREDATORS LINEUPSix-hundred eighty-seven days passed between games for Nashville forward Steve Sullivan, as a back injury kept him out from Feb. 22, 2007 vs. Montreal to Jan. 10, 2009 vs. Chicago. He missed 142 straight regular-season games and 11 more playoff contests during that stretch, but his return made him just the third player in the post-World War II era to miss more than 600 games, then return to action (Jim Peplinski, Calgary and Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh).
Sullivan joined the Predators via trade from Chicago on Feb. 16, 2004 for a 2004 second-round pick (Ryan Garlock) and a 2005 second-round pick (Michael Blunden), and Nashville went 88-46-16 in 150 games with the 5-9, 173-pound right winger until he was sidelined on Feb. 22, 2007, and 82-60-18 in 160 games without him from that point to his return Jan. 10, 2009. Nashville produced 3.23 goals-per-game with Sullivan, and 2.70 without him during the respective stretches.
SHEA WEBER PLAYS IN HIS FIRST ALL-STAR GAMENashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber participated in his first career All-Star Weekend Jan 24-25 in Montreal, becoming the fifth Predator - and first Nashville draft pick - to represent the club in the league’s mid-season classic. The Sicamous, B.C., native did not disappoint, as he kicked the weekend off in Saturday’s Skills Competition by finishing second in the Hardest Shot Competition with a 103.4 mph blast. It was the third hardest shot in competition history. In Sunday’s game, he led all Western Conference skaters in ice time (22:16) and was a +1.
The 6-4, 230-pound blueliner has ranked among the defensive league leaders in goals (17)all season, in addition to being second on the Predators. He leads the team in plus/minus rating, hits and shots on goal – the third-highest total among NHL d-men. Weber is also tied for first on the club in power-play goals and game-winning goals.
Nashville’s third choice, 49th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft held at the Sommet Center, Weber posted a pair of multi-goal games in the season’s first half, and notched a career-high four points (1g-3a) against Columbus on Oct. 18.
RINNE BACKSTOPS ROOKIES TO VICTORY IN THE YOUNGSTARS GAMEPekka Rinne became the seventh Nashville Predator to appear in a YoungStars Game during 2009 All-Star Weekend in Montreal, and led the Rookie team to a 9-5 victory over the Sophomores. The 6-5, 206-pound netminder, drafted in the eighth round (258th overall) of the 2004 Entry Draft, stopped 19 shots, including 12-of-13 in the third period.
The Kempele, Finland native has been solid in his first full season in the NHL, ranking among the league leaders in goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts. Rinne posted his first three career whitwashes in a five-game span from Dec. 1-20 and became the second Predator to earn First Star of the Week honors on Dec. 8 after earning a pair of shutouts while allowing just two goals on 83 shots – neither of which came at even strength - in the previous seven days. The Kempele, Finland native opened the week on Dec. 1 in Buffalo with his first NHL shutout, stopping all 30 shots in a 2-0 win. Three nights later, he backstopped the Predators to a 3-2 win over Colorado with 19 saves. Dec. 6, he completed the week with a 1-0 win over Minnesota with 32 saves as the Predators scored their lone goal in the third period.
THREE PREDATORS PROSPECTS SELECTED TO THE 2009 AHL ALL-STAR CLASSICMilwaukee Admirals, and Nashville Predators prospects Cal O’Reilly, Mike Santorelli and Cody Franson played in the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic on Jan. 26 in Worcester, Mass. It was the first career selection for each player.
Santorelli, a sixth-round choice (178th overall) of Nashville in 2004, was selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Month for December after notching 23 points (8g-15a) in 14 games, and helping the team to a record-tying 12 wins in the month. At the time of a recall to Nashville just one day after he was picked to play in the game, he was tied for second in the AHL with 41 points (13g-28a). O’Reilly, a fifth-round pick (150th overall) by the Predators in 2005, ranked second on the Admirals roster, and tied for seventh in the AHL with 38 points (6g-32a) in 35 games when selected. The Toronto, Ont., native topped the circuit with 18 assists on the power-play and his 32 helpers placed him second in the league when the team was announced. Franson, a third rounder (79th overall) by Nashville in 2005, amassed 21 points (5g-16a) in 31 contests at the time of his first career All-Star Game selection, good for second second among club blueliners and tied for seventh among AHL defensemen.
ARNOTT PLAYS GAME NO. 1,000Predators captain Jason Arnott hit the 1,000-game milestone vs. the New York Islanders on Dec. 20, becoming the 232nd player in league history reach the mark. Arnott started his career in Edmonton (1993-93), playing the first 286 games (100g-139a-239pts.) of his career there, before moving on to New Jersey, where he would play 304 games (97g-124a-222pts.), and win the Stanley Cup in 2000. The Collingwood, Ont., native was traded to Dallas at the 2002 trade deadline, and played the next 236 games of his career with the Stars (79g-104a-183pts.), until signing with Nashville prior to the 2006-07 season.
WEBER NAMED NHL’S THIRD STAR FOR OCTOBERShea Weber was named the NHL’s third star for the month of October, after leading all d-men in scoring for the month. Washington Capitals left wing Alexander Semin was named the first star and the New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was named the second star for the month.
Weber led all NHL defensemen in scoring with 11 points (4g-7a) and posted a +5 rating in 10 games during the first month of the season, helping the Predators to a 5-4-1 record. He set career individual game highs with three assists, four points and a +5 rating in a 6-3 victory over Columbus Oct. 18 and tallied the game-winning goal, an assist and a +2 rating in a 3-1 victory over Edmonton Oct. 30. Weber also has earned a dramatic increase in ice time, going from a career-high 19:30 per-game average last season to 24:24 in 2008-09, including a season-high 28:46 in a 3-1 victory over Dallas Oct. 11.
UPCOMING MILESTONESWade Belak - TEN games shy of 500 career NHL games.Greg de Vries – SIX points shy of 200 career NHL points.Martin Erat - ONE goal shy of 100 career goals, SEVEN assists shy of 200 career assists and EIGHT points away from 300 career points.Steve Sullivan - FIVE games away from 750 NHL games.Ryan Suter - EIGHT games shy of 300 career NHL games.
MILESTONES ACHIEVED IN 2008-09Jason Arnott – Notched his 800th career NHL point with a goal on Jan. 28, 2009 at Vancouver. Played his 1,000 career NHL game on Dec. 20, 2008 vs. NY IslandersWade Belak -Notched his first assist/point as a Predator on Dec. 4, 2008 vs. Colorado.Radek Bonk - Notched his 300th career assist on Feb. 18, 2009 at Detroit.J.P. Dumont - Posted his 400th career NHL point with a goal on Oct. 17, 2008 at Columbus. Appeared in his 600th career NHL game on Oct. 15, 2008 at Dallas.Martin Erat - Passed Scott Walker (96) for sole possession of second on the franchise's all-time goal-scoring list on Jan. 28, 2009 at Vancouver. Passed Kimmo Timonen for second on the franchise's multi-point games list (61) on Jan. 13, 2009 at Toronto. Passed Greg Johnson and Scott Hartnell for third on the franchise’s all-time goals list (94) on Dec. 28, 2008 at Edmonton.Dan Hamhuis - Notched his 100th career assist on Feb. 3, 2009 vs. Phoenix.Patric Hornqvist - Notched his first career assist/multi-point game on Oct. 25 vs. Los Angeles. Scored his first career goal on Oct. 15, 2008 at Dallas. Played in his first NHL game on Oct. 11, 2008 at St. Louis. Ryan Jones - Scored his first career goal and notched his first ever assist on Oct. 15, 2008 at Dallas. Played in his first NHL game on Oct. 11, 2008 at St. Louis.David Legwand - Passed Kimmo Timonen to become the franchise's all-time leader in assists (223) on Feb. 12, 2009 vs. St. Louis. Appeared in his 600th career NHL game on Feb. 5, 2009 vs. Anaheim. Passed Kimmo Timonen to become the franchise's all-time games played leader (574) on Dec. 4, 2008 vs. Colorado.Scott Nichol - Played in his 400th career NHL game on Dec. 8, 2008 at St. Louis.Cal O'Reilly - First career NHL game/first NHL point/assist on Feb. 28, 2009 vs. Detroit.Antti Pihlstrom - Scored his first career NHL goal on Dec. 8, 2008 at St. Louis. Notched his first career NHL assist/point on Dec. 4, 2008 vs. Colorado.Pekka Rinne - Earned his first career NHL shutout (30 saves) on Dec. 4, 2008 at Buffalo.Jerred Smithson - Played in his 300th career NHL game on Feb. 19, 2009 vs. St. Louis.Ryan Suter -Posted his 100th career point (assist) on Feb. 12, 2009 vs. St. Louis.Barry Trotz - Coached his 750th NHL game at Vancouver on Nov. 4, 2008. Joel Ward - Scored his first career goal on Oct. 11, 2008 at St. Louis.Shea Weber - Played in his 200th career NHL game on Jan. 6 vs. Colorado. Posted his 100th career point with a goal on Jan. 10 vs. Chicago.Greg Zanon - Played in his 200th career NHL game on Feb. 6 at Minnesota.
NASHVILLE REMAINS AMONG THE NHL’S ELITE SINCE 2005-06Since the National Hockey League reconvened for the 2005-06 season, the Predators have remained among the league leaders in both total wins and home wins (totals as of games playedMarch 1).
TROTZ PASSING SOME NHL LEGENDSWith 801 games spent behind the Predators bench, and 355 wins since 1998-99, head coach Barry Trotz is passing some NHL Hall of Famers in games coached and victories with a single NHL Franchise. On Dec. 23 vs. the Florida Panthers, Trotz passed Punch Imlach’s 770 games coached with Toronto from 1958-69, moving him into ninth on that list. He is now TEN games from eighth on that list. Since then, he has move past Sid Abel (Detroit), Jacques Martin (Ottawa) and Bryan Murray (Washington) on the wins with one franchise list. He is now in nith place on the victories list, and SIX away from legendary Boston bench boss Art Ross who sits eighth.
As of the 2009 All-Star Break, Arnott was 20th among active players in goals (346) and 22nd in points (799). He is also 16th among active NHLers in power-play markers (125) and tied for 19th in game-winning goals (54).
12 players have been signed as free agents (Arnott, Bonk, de Vries, Dumont, Ellis, Fiddler, Koistinen, Nichol, Pihlstrom, Smithson, Ward and Zanon). Of those 12, FOUR had not played an NHL game before joining the Predators (Fiddler, Koistinen, Pihlstrom and Zanon).
THREE (3) players have been acquired through trades (Belak, Jones and Sullivan).
HOME GROWNThe Predators currently have 15 players on the roster that have played every one of their NHL games in a Predators' uniform. Martin Erat, Vernon Fiddler, Dan Hamhuis, Ryan Jones, Kevin Klein, Ville Koistinen, David Legwand, Cal O'Reilly, Antti Pihlstrom, Pekka Rinne, Alexander Sulzer, Ryan Suter, Jordin Tootoo, Shea Weber and Greg Zanon have played all of their career NHL games as Nashville Predators. Dan Ellis played in one NHL game with Dallas before signing with Nashville.
FIRST-ROUNDERSThe Predators have seven players in the lineup that were drafted in the first round, three of whom were drafted by Nashville: David Legwand (2nd overall, 1998), Dan Hamhuis (12th overall, 2001) and Ryan Suter (7th overall, 2003) Jason Arnott was chosen seventh overall by Edmonton in 1993, J.P. Dumont was selected third overall by the New York Islanders in 1996, Radek Bonk was chosen third overall by Ottawa in 1994, and Wade Belak was tabbed 12th overall in 1994. | {
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The Time of Death
When a Muslim is near death, those around him or her are called upon to give comfort, and reminders of God’s mercy and forgiveness. They may recite verses from the Qur’an, give physical comfort, and encourage the dying one to recite words of remembrance and prayer. It is recommended, if at all possible, for a Muslim’s last words to be the declaration of faith: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.”
Upon death, those with the deceased are encouraged to remain calm, pray for the departed, and begin preparations for burial. The eyes of the deceased should be closed, and the body covered temporarily with a clean sheet. It is forbidden for those in mourning to excessively wail, scream, or thrash about. Grief is normal when one has lost a loved one, and it is natural and permitted to cry. When the Prophet Muhammad’s own son died, he said: “The eyes shed tears and the heart is grieved, but we will not say anything except which pleases our Lord.” One should strive to be patient, and remember that Allah is the One who gives life and takes it away, at a time appointed by Him. It is not for us to question His wisdom.
Muslims strive to bury the deceased as soon as possible after death, avoiding the need for embalming or otherwise disturbing the body of the deceased. An autopsy may be performed, if necessary, but should be done with the utmost respect for the dead. | {
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Progress In The States & Localities
Posted on November 22, 2016
While the presidential election was a disaster and other candidate elections just so-so, progressives did very well in 2016 by enacting policies through ballot initiatives. Here is a summary: Civil Rights and Liberties California... | {
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On April 17, 2013, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued an updated Provider Self-Disclosure Protocol that many viewed as an attempt to make the process somewhat more “user friendly.”[1] Regardless of whether that was the aim – or if it was achieved to some extent – the reason the update is of particular interest to us is that it has a section which contains specific guidance on the disclosure of conduct involving excluded employees or contractors. The original protocol, however, was silent on the topic.
By most measures, the OIG’s protocol for self-disclosure is still an onerous one. Providers are required to conduct an internal investigation and present its findings in the form of a detailed provider self-disclosure narrative. The narrative must include, among other things, a complete accounting of the investigation itself, the conduct involved, the corrective efforts taken, the damages incurred, and how that amount was determined.[2]
II. Additional Requirements
In addition to these general requirements, disclosures relating to excluded employees or contractors has to include the following additional information:
Who was excluded, their job duties and the dates of employment or contract
The screening that was done before and/or during the employment or contract
Why or how the screening process failed
The corrective actions that have taken
A calculation of the total amounts claimed and paid by Federal Program
The revised protocol also requires that all other employees be screened through the OIG list of excluded individual employees[3]
III. Calculating the Cost
It is also significant that the revision contains guidance for calculating the damages. While the OIG holds fast to the notion that all services directly provided and individually billed by an excluded individual are overpayments, it recognizes that quantifying services that were not billed separately can be problematic. In such cases, the guidance suggests that the amount paid should be estimated by taking the total cost of employment or contracting and multiplying by the federal payor mix (by unit if possible, or by the entire entity if not). According to the OIG, that amount should then be used “as a proxy” for the amount paid “for purposes of compromising OIG’s [Civil Monetary Penalty] CMP authorities” in a settlement.
IV. Final Thoughts
The revision of the Provider Self-Disclosure Protocol is important from the perspective of exclusion screening for three reasons. First, it strongly suggested that self-disclosures are the OIG’s preferred avenue for resolving issues arising out of exclusion violations. Second, it provided a methodology for approaching the difficult issue of computing the value of indirect and bundled services. Third, but perhaps most notably, it significantly raised the profile of issues related to conduct involving excluded persons and entities. This can sometimes have enforcement implications and serve as a sort of warning to the industry, and that appears to have been the case.
Paul Weidenfeld, Co-Founder and CEO of Exclusion Screening, LLC, is the author of this article. He is a longtime health care lawyer whose practice has focused on False Claims Act cases and health care fraud matters generally. Contact Paul should you have any questions at: [email protected] or 1-800-294-0952.
[1] Originally issued in 1999 in an attempt to encourage self-disclosure, the process has been viewed with skepticism from the outset and has met great favor as a resolution option.
[2] In return, the OIG states it may reduce CMP’s to 1.5 times the loss. In addition, the OIG may still be required by a Memorandum of Understanding with DOJ to refer the matter for civil or criminal prosecution. Furthermore, entry into the program does not constitute a “public disclosure” under the False Claims Act. These considerations help explain the lack of popularity of the program.
[3] Dep’t of Health and Human Servs. Office of the Inspector Gen., at 9. | {
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Number and ages of children in your household:
Number and ages of adults in your household:
Who will be the Primary Care Giver?
Is this your first experience with a pet?
YES
NO
Are your current pets primarily kept:
Inside
Outside
Both
Information about your pets:
PLEASE LIST ALL PETS:
Pet #1
Breed:
Sex:
Age:
Spayed/Neutered?
Declawed?
Pet #2
Breed:
Sex:
Age:
Spayed/Neutered?
Declawed?
Pet #3
Breed:
Sex:
Age:
Spayed/Neutered?
Declawed?
Pet #4
Breed:
Sex:
Age:
Spayed/Neutered?
Declawed?
Pet #5
Breed:
Sex:
Age:
Spayed/Neutered?
Declawed?
Please list all previous pets (owned within the last 10 years):
Pet #1
Breed:
Sex:
Age:
Spayed/Neutered?
What happened to this pet?
Pet #2
Breed:
Sex:
Age:
Spayed/Neutered?
What happened to this pet?
Pet #3
Breed:
Sex:
Age:
Spayed/Neutered?
What happened to this pet?
Pet #4
Breed:
Sex:
Age:
Spayed/Neutered?
What happened to this pet?
Pet #5
Breed:
Sex:
Age:
Spayed/Neutered?
What happened to this pet?
What type of identification does your pet/pets have?
What type/brand of food are you currently
feeding or are you planning on feeding
your pet(s)?
Information about your references:
Veterinarian's Name:
Veterinarian's Phone:
Veterinarian's Address:
Do we have permission to contact your veterinarian to verify vaccination history of your current or past pets?
YES
NO
Behavior Information
We will attempt to provide you with an honest evaluation of the temperament on any animal we have to place. Do you realize that often times the complete history of an adoptable animal may not be known and you may encounter some behavioral problems?
YES
NO
Are you willing to work with us on correcting these problems?
YES
NO
Bad dog/cat habits that I just can't tolerate are:
Information about Care and Training
Where will this animal be kept during the day?
Where will this animal be kept at night?
Is there someone home during the day?
YES
NO
How long will this animal be alone during the day?
Do you own a crate?
YES
NO
What type of Heartworm Preventative will you use or are you currently using?
A new pet needs time & effort to allow for adjustment to its new home. How long seems reasonable for this?
What do you consider to be a valid reason for giving up a pet?
If your living situation was to change for example, move to a property that did not allow pets, marriage, college, etc., what would you do with your pet?
Have you ever relinquished a pet to an animal shelter or rescue group in the past?
If so, why?
YES
NO ---If YES, please explain:
By clicking the "Submit" button I certify that the information provided on this form is true and correct, and that I am financially and physically able to care for this animal. I understand that proper food and veterinarian care can be costly and I am able to meet these requirements. Home checks are made on a random basis following the adoption. If upon inspection we find information contained in this application to be false, we retain the right to remove the animal from your premises without a refund of moneys paid.
(If you DO NOT receive an email regarding your application within 24 hours then it DID NOT send, please |email here|) | {
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God's Way Of Looking At It
God's way of looking at it
Is that human beings are liers
And they will lie because they know that they can get away with it
Human beings are not that honest
When it comes to being honest to themselves and their friends
But human beings will never admit that they are wrong to anyone
Because they believe that they are always right
Even if you say that you can't compare apples to oranges | {
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Access
We have bathroom facilities for disabled diners on the ground floor of Thai Orchid and there is one high step to gain access to the restaurant from the footpath.momospice customers will be required to climb two flights of stairs | {
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Play My Shyt Dot Com – Social Media Outlet that Rewards Members for Playing, Promoting and Networking with other Music Professionals
PlayMyShyt.com is a social networking site which has a broad range of evolutionary features and helps music individuals promote their music by access to playing and sharing audio and video from most major social media outlets like Youtube, Soundcloud, Worldstar and more.
Willingboro, NJ, United States – April 26, 2017 – “Play My Shyt” is a new social media site with a wide range of evolutionary features which helps social networking sites for music. This social media site is set to assist individuals in promoting their music by giving playing and sharing audio and video from top major online social networking outlets like Youtube, Soundcloud, Worldstar and more.
Promotion is one of the inevitable processes for the music industry in this digital world to stay in the competition. With the evolution of social media networking, promotion aspects also change accordingly. The recent survey states that “promotional activities carried via social media are more effective than online web based promotions.” using social sites to promote your music are one of the top methods for marketing, but only effective if someone is actually pressing play.
PLAYMYSHYT gives music individuals the opportunity to stay with their most popular social networking site and thereby connected with their favorite artists/producers/DJs etc. PlayMyShyt also helps users to the network along with promoting their social media as they rank up from an ‘Associate’ to ‘The Don.’ Most may prefer spamming Facebook and twitter timelines all day with their new song, however, picking the right online social media site like ‘Play My Shyt’ to promote your audio and video still should be a no brainer.
RoyalG, The Founder of Play My Shyt said, “You can begin to create your profile and share your music posts with the world, we have plenty of extras to be added this year (Mixtape Uploads, Live Video Streaming, and Torrents for maximum exposure). He further said, “Creating a Music Profile on Play My Shyt is innovative, and gives listeners a more attractive and fan-friendly view when compared with the traditional means of sharing via the most popular social networking sites like Facebook or other social sites that may not be music oriented. Trust me; your efforts will be rewarded as we build this network.
“Most music professionals will tell you their soul purpose for being on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram are to remain personal with their fans. This is the Social Media site for it!” – says East Coast Music Producer – Young Gentleman.
Creator and Founder, Web and MMA (Mobile Media App) Developer ‘RoyalG’ created a site focused on networking and promoting, which provide a social media outlet for both major and independent music professionals. This social media site may be the new social media headquarters for the music world. Apart from uploading and sharing, there are also various ways to collect points as well, liking/disliking and commenting on another patron’s music.
PLAYMYSHYT.COM offers discounts for new customers and current users to purchase points (for those that want to get right to work without limitations) with various packages ranging from 11k-250k points. This social networking site for Music is here to become the industry leader, by making it easier to market and promote your media. The need to flood Facebook, Twitter and other Top 10 social networking sites with music links are now a thing of the past.
The music based website and mobile application expose its users’ with dedicated manner. The media site ‘PlayMyShyt’ can be utilized for both major and independent use. Sharing your music with those who are looking for your music is essential. Users can create and promote their profile for any media related posts (but not limited to) Singles, Instrumentals, and DJ Mixes, etc. (Share from major sites like Vimeo, Youtube, Worldstar, Soundcloud, etc.). Under those categories alone several sub-categories are available which cover the majority of music outlets which are key for the promo. | {
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Welcome to the British Farming Forum. The forum for agricultural discussion on all farming topics. You will have to register before you can
post. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
I see [The Lake district] as one of the most depressing landscapes in Europe. It competes with the chemical deserts of East Anglia for the title of Britain's worst-kept countryside. The celebrated fells have been thoroughly sheepwrecked:
Re: Monbiot on Newsnight
That one sheep per hectare must have one hell of an appetite to do the damage it does! On the northern fells around Caldbeck the sheep numbers have been cut drastically and it's nothing but an overgrown mess. I never bothered to look at the 700 odd comments but I would hope most of them have more sense than he does.
Re: Monbiot on Newsnight
Originally Posted by Raider112
That one sheep per hectare must have one hell of an appetite to do the damage it does! On the northern fells around Caldbeck the sheep numbers have been cut drastically and it's nothing but an overgrown mess. I never bothered to look at the 700 odd comments but I would hope most of them have more sense than he does.
Re: Monbiot on Newsnight
I guess that's the point. Nature would reclaim it as forest. What farmers hate the most is the bit in between. The bit with the brambles and pioneer tree species that they see as an untidy mess. I've got a bit of that. How I have to fight the urge to flatten it all and make it look all square and nice. Don't know the guy and don't know what he's on about but I do know that what most farmers I know abhor is the mess that nature makes when it takes over and starts the reversion to woodland. I'll have to look at that bramble patch the rest of my natural probably and think what I could graze, hatch or plant on there. Maybe my grandchildren will walk through a woodland someday.
Re: Monbiot on Newsnight
Don't get me started - I had a letter form the Welsh Ass Government yesterday: apparently we (everyone in Wales) have to ask permission before we harrow on anything other than improved grassland. We have to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report if we want to do anything on anything other than improved grassland or arable - Seems they want the whole country to be covered in scrub (need permission to cut that as well)!.
Re: Monbiot on Newsnight
Looking at the details of his book, this is a softener for that, clearly. But there is something hugely arrogant about someone who sees food production as an irrelevance; apparently wants the country transformed into one huge wildlife / adventure park where he can go kayaking, etc., yet still wants to eat... Presumably he wants to push food production onto other countries, where, if it is a bad thing, it will reduce other places to desert. But that's OK, is it?
The big problem with people like this is that they talk so passionately and persuasively whilst missing out the awkward bits, like; where is food actually to come from; or how wealthy would Welsh sheep farms be if there were no subsidy, but they were paid at true market value for their produce; or even, do we actually want to live and bring up our families in a small intensely populated country occupied by wolves?
I would suspect the problems with landslides is more to do with the design of the road and its cuttings than with sheep. Maybe we should just do away with the road and let it revert to nature...
I would want to look at his figures very carefully, too. The way in which he has missed out relevant parts of the subsidy system and who or what it ACTUALLY subsidises (I mean, you could equally well make an argument to say that the farms are actually paid in no small measure for conservation, meaning that payments would have to increase if there were fewer sheep and more conservation) suggests that you cannot take the figures he quotes at face value.
Some of the worst damage to upland that I have seen has been a result of treeplanting disrupting drainage on the lower slopes and turning the hilltop into a bog as it backfilled, over the course of years, with water, so trees can cause as many problems as they solve; it isn't as simple as he suggests.
Re: Monbiot on Newsnight
This is what happens when "Re-wilding" takes place. Wolves were re-introduced in the Alps and the Haute-Pyrenees. The ecologists/apologists are apparently "surprised" the fluffy little wolfies are not staying where they were released.
Taken from "Pleinchamp"
The prefects of Aube and Haute-Marne will allow the slaughter of stray dogs (maybe wolves) after repeated attacks of sheep flocks in border operations in two departments.
"From Wednesday and for one month, game wardens and lieutenants louveterie have the opportunity to shoot the dogs wandering state during night patrols around the sheep farms in four districts of the two departments," it was said to the prefecture of the Haute-Marne.
Aube and Haute-Marne experienced since the end of May 2013 more than two dozen attacks herds causing death by slaughter or euthanasia due to serious injury, fifty sheep.
Many of these attacks were classified "not excluded Wolf" by specialists of the National Office for Hunting and Wildlife which however, could not confirm this hypothesis, the absence of DNA traces found on site. Three wolves have been identified since April 2011 in the Vosges forest distant a hundred kilometers from where attacks in Champagne.
In the Vosges, wolves killed 139 sheep in 72 predations in 2011 and 80 in 40 attacks the following year."These large-scale operations are also intended to provide new information on the type of canine responsible for these attacks, " sources said the prefecture.
In June already patrols responsible for identifying or frightening predators had circulated in vain for ten days around sheep farms in Haute-Marne.
According to the law, a dog is considered in a state of wandering if it is, outside a hunting action or custody or protection of a herd or flock, not under the effective supervision of its master, a distance exceeding one hundred meters.
Re: Monbiot on Newsnight
Originally Posted by swedehurler
The same Monbiot who advises people not to buy from farm shops, only from supermarkets as they are more hygenic.
And on Friday it was all over the front page of our local paper that the "technical problems" that have closed the bakery and delicatessen of the Tesco branch in town (but not, surprisingly, the rest of the shop which must use the same storage areas and loading bays?) are the brown whiskery Norwegian sort... | {
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It provides a grip for riddling a bottle of glowing wine manually in the traditional champagne generation method. | {
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Dutch government to define its position on Boeing
A significant part of the opposition political forces of the Netherlands believe that government should decide on the political position regarding Boeing-777 accident, without waiting for the official results of the investigation.
They sent a corresponding request in the letter to the Cabinet of Ministers, reports UKRINFORM correspondent with reference to the Dutch De Telegraaf publication.
"In a letter to the government, D66, CDA, Green Left, Group Bontes / Van Klaveren and the Christian Union parties, say that they want clarity about the media reports that the government is allegedly acquainted with the satellite images, which can determine the cause of the disaster," writes the newspaper.
The publication also recalls that the Security Council of the Netherlands plays a major role in the crash investigation. The Dutch Security Council presented the previous report on the circumstances of the tragedy in September, and a final one should be published during the year.
As reported, the German weekly paper Der Spiegel published information that after analyzing the evidence, the Federal Intelligence Service of Germany concluded that the pro-Russian fighters caused the Malaysian aircraft Boeing-777 accident in the east of Ukraine. According to the German intelligence service, the terrorists shot down the plane with the help of the Buk missile system taken from one of the Ukrainian military bases.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated that terrorists shot down the plane from the installation of non-Ukrainian origin.
Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte has repeatedly said that the Netherlands would not make any conclusions about the crash until the investigation is completed.
It is to be recalled that Malaysian Boeing-777, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down by insurgents in the eastern Ukraine on July 17. 298 people were on board, 196 of them were the citizens of the Netherlands, all of them died. | {
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Electrician MEAR57419 - Leeds
Here at Mears Group our vision is to make a positive difference to the communities we serve.
We do this by improving homes, improving communities and improving lives and our approach is based on the development of outstanding partnerships with employees, clients, tenants, customers, their families and the wider community.
With staff of all ages and walks of life, a job with Mears has a rewarding impact on the lives of others and your own life. With offices across the UK, a job at Mears could be just around the corner.
We are now seeking to appoint an Electrician to join us to cover Leeds.
Within this role, you will install, service and maintain electrical systems and appliances in domestic and commercial properties to a high-quality standard in accordance with the current Edition of The IET Wiring Regulations.
The successful candidate will be able to install, repair, inspect & test electrical installations and have the ability to fill in correctly, the appropriate Electrical Certificate or Electrical Condition Report for the type of work being undertaken.
Qualifications required:
• City and Guilds 2360 Parts 1 and 2, or • NVQ Level 3 Including AM2, or • City and Guilds 2330 Levels 2 and 3, or (from Sept 2011) • City and Guilds 2357 Including AM2 • City and Guilds 2392 – Fundamental Certification, Inspection and Testing • City and Guilds 2391 (or to have shown competence in the area of Inspection & Testing electrical installations, in accordance with Guidance Note 3 of the IET and have a good knowledge of a variety of electrical installation work. Or to have been assessed by such persons as the NICEIC for the role of Qualifying Supervisor) or • City and Guilds 2394 –Initial Verification and Certification of Electrical Installations, and • City and Guilds 2395 – Periodic Inspection, Testing and Certification of Electrical Installations, and • City and Guilds 2382-10/12 or 2382-20 (17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations) and the • City and Guilds 2382-15 or to have proof of having taken an TBT or an update course (subject to holding C&G2382) encompassing the 3rd amendment to BS7671:2008
Candidates for this role must hold a full UK driving licence
A written technical questionnaire will be part of the interview process.
Please refer to the full job description upon applying
Once you join the family, you'll have online access to a range of voluntary and flexible benefits, including...
• Training and development • Mears Advantage - Allowing you to save money on everything from weekly groceries, to your annual family holiday • Mears Assist - A confidential hotline open to all colleagues, providing support on a wide range of personal and work-related issues. • Long service and additional holiday leave - Colleagues who stay for a period of time at Mears are rewarded for their service. • Seeing first-hand the impact you have on the lives of the people you support
Mears Group PLC and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunities Employers
This is a Blue Octopus Recruitment Ltd vacancy who are operating as an employment agency. Once you have clicked to apply for this vacancy, we will then send you more information on the role including a copy of the application form via email. | {
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Author: Simon Thompson
Meet the Devs returned this October with a trip to University of Birmingham (OK, so I didn’t have to travel very far…).
This time, we focussed the day as a workshop on cloud and Spectrum Scale, Dean Hildebrand (IBM Research, Master Inventor, Senior Research Scientist) was in the UK speaking at another event and we were lucky enough to catch him for a meet the devs. We were also joined by John Lewars (IBM, STSM) who flew in pretty much for the day, and also MTD usuals, Ulf Troppens and Dan Kidger.
For those not familiar with Dean, he worked on pNFS, AFM and the OpenStack integration when they were all part of IBM Research. I’ve been lucky enough to know Dean for a couple of years and he was extremely helpful with getting the right contacts when I was developing CLIMB (www.climb.ac.uk) a few years back and using Spectrum Scale as an infrastructure.
Well, the 2016 UK May user group has finished. It has been a lot of work getting here, and a lot of organisation to get our first 2-day event up and running. Jez commented at the start of his talk on how far the user group has come – six years ago it was 12 people in a room with a bad Skype link, and now we over 100 attendees, nearly 30 speakers and two packed days of user talks, IBM talks and sponsor talks. We even had a VP or two along this year to hear what everyone had to say. We were amazed how fast we “sold out” (we’re free to attend!)!
First, a note of thanks, to Claire O’Toole, our group Secretary (and OCFer!) and Ulf Troppens, our IBM development liaison for getting the event together. And also to all the speakers for coming along, talking to us, listening to us and allowing us to challenge them for the future. We brought together speakers and users from across the globe – three continents (and that wasn’t just the IBM speakers!).
We had attendees from across the whole “Spectrum” of sectors, research institutions, VARs, finance and media, and hopefully the attendees were happy with the programme we put together. It was also great to see some of the L1 support guys from the UK – a great opportunity to put a face to a name. This year was the first time we’ve put together a two-day programme and hopefully people learned new things, found it useful and maybe most importantly, that we’ve inspired some people to look at new features of Spectrum Scale, try things out and upgrade from 3.5!
This year we returned to the IBM Client Centre at IBM South Bank, chatting to some of the speakers, it was the first time they’d been to IBM South Bank, and for some their first visit to London – I hope we impressed them with our event!
A bunch of us met up for an informal dinner and drinks the evening before, which was a great way of meeting people, and checking that the IBM speakers flying in had all made it … Claire and I didn’t have to make any contingency plans for the agenda which was nice!
This year we filmed many of the talks, and we’re hoping to post videos from the talks over the next few weeks – we need to cut them down and plan to fix up the slides, in the meantime, many of the slide decks are already posted on the presentations page.
Day one started with myself and Claire opening the meeting and handing over to Doris Conti (Development Director for Spectrum Scale) to give us our keynote talk. Doris mentioned that she wants the people at the user group to each year to say “Wow” about what they have been doing over the past year, there’s certainly some areas where I think that is the case.
Ulf followed on bringing us an overview of the development priorities for 2016 and was followed by Markus giving us a sneak peak of the next GUI release coming this summer. Just before lunch, we finished with the first of our Sponsor talks – Ray from Seagate talked on Spectrum Scale and IoT, some interesting deployments using Spectrum Scale for Windows as an ingest target for CCTV systems.
After lunch, we were met with another sponsor talk. Jez from ArcaStream talked on their Python API and gave a short demo of it in use. Our first user deployment talk, Dave from MilkVFX gave a fascinating overview of their deployment of AFM between their London and Cardiff offices (and their showreel video got a round of applause as well). Next up, a sponsor talk, Mo from NetApp spoke on the E series systems and how they can be deployed for HPC file-systems.
Our second user deployment talk came from Pam at NCAR, talking on their massive deployment changes happening this summer. The final pre-break talk came from IBM with a deep dive look at the Hadoop integration of Spectrum Scale and how the new transparency layer works. Check-out the slides for details on accessing your POSIX file-system data from your Hadoop workloads!
The final set of talks began with a sponsor talk, with Darren from Mellanox giving an overview on how fabric cards could be used in the future to support storage systems. Another two deep dive technical sessions followed, with Robert talking about the Transparent Cloud Tiering product coming later this year, and then Mathias spoke on Problem Determination, the new features in the 4.2.1 release and the new mmhealth command.
We wrapped up the day on time and then many of us headed down to Namco Funscape in County Hall for the evening social event. The bumper cars and bowling proved a massive hit along with the pool and table tennis tables. Ulf and I even checked out the rollercoaster simulator!
Day two started a little earlier – we figured most people would already be in London, and it was great to see pretty much everyone make it for the 9:30 start, even with the evening social ….
We kicked off the morning with parallel break-out sessions, with a well-attended talk on licensing from David, and an equally well attended sponsor talk from Laurence at OCF talking on Scale out NAS. I was surprised at how few people (OK only me!) have faced the PVU to Socket conversion … the take-away is to start the process early!
Lunch saw the IBM Client Centre people reset the rooms back into a single space for our afternoon slots. Doug asked for a few minutes to present the results of day 1’s survey – how much storage we looked after in the room, and how many people do it … We found amazingly that its 2.9PB/person!
Vic from DDN brought us another sponsor talk, covering adventures in AFM, and looked at their Imperial College London deployment and the massive effect link latency can have on AFM throughput. Gaurang followed up talking on OpenStack integration, covering the Cinder driver and also the object on file work and gave a demo of using object on file with the Manilla driver to have file-based access to a file whilst simultaneously having access to the same file via Swift. The session was wrapped up with Madhav speaking on IBM Life Sciences and how Spectrum Scale can be used to underpin the demanding research needs of the life sciences areas.
Time for another break, followed by Michael from Lenovo, a sponsor talk, clarifying a few post Lenovo divesture myths and talking about development of the GSS solution and how they are still working closely with IBM to deliver the product. We closed the talks with Sven talking about IBM research giving us an insight into what is being thought about for the future and also on some major performance developments which have been driven by major contracts that have a benefit to all.
Doris provided us with some closing remarks and thoughts on the day before Claire and myself wrapped up the day. For me, it has been a great but tiring few days. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback so it was well worth it!
Oh, and we event started discussions about finding a bigger venue for 2017. We’re still hoping to bring together a meet the devs later this year and also hope to coordinate another (much!) smaller user group meeting towards the end of the year.
Finally, a note of thanks to the sponsors for the event, without their support we couldn’t have made the evening event happen.
In January I took over the advocate role for the Spectrum Scale UK user group from Ross Keeping and was asked to join the ‘Meet the Devs’ in Oxford on February 24th, 2016. ‘Meet the Devs’ is an informal meeting with about 20 customers and partners. Typically there are 3-5 topics which will be discussed. This format was new to me, so I was very interested to travel to Oxford. Rick Welp of the IBM Manchester Lab volunteered to come to Oxford to help with the transition. In addition I was accompanied by Simon Lorenz and Stefan Schmidt of the Mainz Development team.
Well, 2016 has begun, so I thought I’d take a look back at a year with Spectrum Scale. Actually, at the start of 2015, Spectrum Scale wasn’t even a term we were using – GPFS or Elastic Storage were the names we all had in our heads. I’ve heard various rumours about if Elastic Storage was ever meant to be used generally, if it was for the ESS server only, or the code name for the rebranding we eventually came to know as part of the Spectrum portfolio of products. Still, back at the start of 2015 things were different, the System X and GSS Lenovo divestiture was only just completing in the UK and protocol support for non native GPFS access was just an idea on a roadmap (unless you bought SONAS).
This week was Computing Insight UK (CIUK) (formerly MEW), which is an annual HPC conference organised by STFC. For those not familiar, its like ISC or SC. Just on a much smaller scale – its a very different show to the major international events and I like being able to walk across the show floor (in 2 minutes) and also knowing ~60-70% of the people there… (and playing which sales person has changed vendor this year is a fun game).
As part of the programme for CIUK, we got a 2 hour “UG@” meeting in, but still we had a packed agenda. Although I’ve been chair of the group for a while, this is the first proper UK general meeting that I’ve been involved in organising so it was with a little trepidation that I took on booking the agenda! Luckily I have Claire to help – organising telecons, chasing me and others to help make sure it works on the day. | {
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I'm not too upset with this decision and it really doesn't matter who's given the job if the club doesn't give them a roster to be successful. Kinda think the Reds got to their Top 3 and then got stuck with the only one who didn't decide to remove themselves. Kinda been a theme in this coaching search which leads me to believe ownership has no actually plan to be successful...and once people saw this, they said thanks for the chat and walked..
I'm not too upset with this decision and it really doesn't matter who's given the job if the club doesn't give them a roster to be successful. Kinda think the Reds got to their Top 3 and then got stuck with the only one who didn't decide to remove themselves. Kinda been a theme in this coaching search which leads me to believe ownership has no actually plan to be successful...and once people saw this, they said thanks for the chat and walked..
Yeah, this hiring feels like an all in move with analytics driven baseball.
Absolutely. It speaks to a cheap organization that has no plan and simply tapped the son of an internal senior front office guy. David Bell may be a great manager, but he won’t be successful as this team simply has no plan and no clue where to start.
Is there any reason to believe Bell is at the forefront of baseball analytics, besides the fluff piece Indiadad posted?
He was hired by the Giants, an esteemed organization that gets it right more often than not, because of his analytics ability to run their player development using the wealth of analytic information available to them.
He was hired by the Giants, an esteemed organization that gets it right more often than not, because of his analytics ability to run their player development using the wealth of analytic information available to them.
So what did he accomplish there in terms of antalytics and improving the farm system?
Hopefully when Baileys contract expires they use that money to keep it a record year in spending.
If that is the case Girardi must not have been really interested and wanted his name out there for future openings and/or he didnt like the rebuild, plan, or commitment from the owners.
Girardi might be waiting for the Cubs job to open up next year. Maddon will be in his last year of his contract and Maddon and Epstein are supposedly not getting along all that well. If they don't get past the WC next year Maddon will probably be gone anyway. I'm surprised Girardi wasn't interested in the Angels
It just sucks the Reds had a legit opportunity to get Girardi and they let it slip away. So Cincinnati | {
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This past weekend, I read G. Neri‘s Chess Rumble, illustrated by Joshua Watson. Got my copy at the newspaper where I work. Couple times a year, they hold a huge book sale with proceeds going to charity. The books are sent from publishers hoping for media exposure. I made it to the sale three hours late, so I was thrilled to see Chess Rumble hadn’t been snatched up.
11-year-old Marcus suffers great loss: the death of his sister and his father’s detachment from the family, following the death. Daddy didn’t tell stories no more. Just sat by hisself at that dang chessboard till all the ghosts in his head chased him away forever.
After his parents split up, Marcus is left to be the man of the house. Spirit-broken and angry, he lashes out, fighting with his younger twin brothers and raising a fist to his mom in a heated discussion. When taunted by a bully at school (He got called Fattie in front of some girls) he not only raises his fists, but he uses them, too.
On the verge of getting kicked out of school, Marcus meets the Chess Man (CM), a tough older dude, who apparently sharpened his chess game while serving time in jail or prison. CM challenges Marcus to fight his battles on the chess board.
Through lessons learned from CM — about life and chess — Marcus gains a new confidence within himself, and he learns the value of thinking ahead and defeating his problems by having a game plan.
After reading Chess Rumble, I realized my 6-year-old son and I hadn’t played in awhile. I pulled out the ol’ chess board and we played a few rounds. As we played, I advised my son in the same way CM had advised Marcus: “Don’t blindly move your pieces around the board,” I told him. “Identify my King, your target. Think ahead a few moves. Make a plan.” Then I beat my son like a dusty old rug. Three times.
This free verse story is told in first-person. It’s a quick read, and I enjoyed it very much. I wish there were books like this when I was a kid. And I gotta give G. Neri his props for so successfully capturing the voice of a troubled 11-year-old, African American male from the hood. Marcus’ language is street, conversational and real. He talks just like I did at 11-years-old, and often still do.
Watson’s acrylic illustrations are strong and bold, full of emotion, and have a graphic art quality about them.
Teens (and for the sake of conversation let’s include tweens ages 10-12) are newly indepenent thinkers, yet not ready to fly solo. Some blame the underlying tension and conflict between teens and parents on a generation gap – but I think it has more to do with them wanting to make decisions on their own and us wanting to guide them in the direction we know may work out best. An ounce of prevention and all that jazz.
And like its readers, YA is a pretty mixed bag. Some books are so edgy they may singe your eyelashes, while others are so mild and sweet, you wonder if there are any unjaded teens out there to enjoy it.
Dealing with such a huge range of books can make it hard for parents to know what their teen is reading, much less know what to buy them as gifts. If you’re anything like me, you’re thinking gift card!
Still, it can’t hurt to know what’s out there. And since YA by African American authors mix and mingle with all YA, it’s sometimes harder to find the books revolved around characters of color. So here’s a microcosm of what’s out there, from the sweet to the upper.
I’ve even created a rudimentary chart to help somewhat decipher “edgy” from sweet. Key thing to remember is that sweet vs. upper is about content. That means that sweet YA can be read and enjoyed by both younger and older teens, while upper will contain content that a parent may want to check first for younger teen readers.
Last week I discovered a quote from Lenore Hershey, the former editor of McCall’s and Ladies Home Journal magazines, where she in her sage wisdom advised us, “Do give books – religious or otherwise – for Christmas. They’re never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal.” Now of course, I agree with her words, as both an author and a reader. In this day of gift cards, I love to receive a gift card to Borders or Barnes & Noble. Armed with my gift card, I drive to the store thinking about what books I want to read, have heard about, and what treasures lay waiting for me to discover them. The gift card is a blank slate for me to make myself happy. Bookstores, and libraries, are my amusement park.
SD Girl is polling young adult authors for their December blogs. We were asked the following questions:
What WAS the one gift you had to have? Did you get it? If so, how much did you relish the gift? If not, how did you feel about that?
As a teen, I wanted to fit in with my classmates and dress just as nicely as many of them but I also wanted new books for Christmas. So I asked for clothes and I received some. Not the Guess jeans and Skidz pants that were expensive and fashionable though. But I also asked for music because I was a big New Edition fan growing up along with Salt ‘n’ Pepa, The Boys and a few other singers.
But the books were what I really wanted. And received. Imagine under the tree, boxes and boxes with tags addressed to me. Heavy boxes filled with books. And I was happy. Boxes filled with Sweet Valley High and Babysitters Club as far as the eye could see and my mother’s wallet stretched! Christmas 1987, in addition to other books I received a thesaurus because I was famous for using the same words over and over. Can you believe I still have that thesaurus? The cover has tears in it as I carried it with me to college, the pages are yellowed and I no longer use it thanks to Thesaurus.com, but it sits on my bookshelf still.
Christmas 1988, I received a cassette player walkman with auto reverse. Boy, you would have thought it was an Ipod, lol. There’s a picture of me lying on my bed with the headphones on while listening to my Salt ‘n’ Pepa tape and reading a book. This was the year I received Manchild in the Promised Land by Claude Brown as a gift. I want to say this is the first “heavy” book that I read. This is a book that I’ve read several times since I first received it so many Christmases ago. I remember that it was a book I skirted around for a few months, but one day I picked it up and was hooked before the first chapter was even ¼ done. I kicked myself for not reading it first because it was more than just a book. It was an educational experience for me to read that book.
Clothes come and go as the styles and trends change. Skidz, Cross Colors, and Marithe Francois Girbaud are no longer fashionable replaced by Sean John, Phat Farm and a host of other labels, but books are timeless. Books make the perfect gift as they are lasting treasures. Books can be rediscovered and passed along to share with others. Books can be discussed which is why book clubs are so popular these days. After an outfit ceases to fit you or be in style, it’s useless, but a book keeps on feeding your soul after you read the last words.
Recently I picked up a copy of Hill Harper’s Letters to a Young Brother. I purchased it only because my wife chased me through the book store, repeating, like a broken record, “But I think you’ll like this book. But I think you’ll like this book. But I think…”
I didn’t want a celebrity book. I wanted to read something profoundly inspirational, surely out-of-bounds for dippy and shallow, Hollywood eye-candy types. Most celebrity picture books, in my opinion, are simply bad. Best thing about them is that they end at 32 pages. But Harper’s book was YA. I wouldn’t be able to escape after 32 pages.
I was wrong! Totally wrong. Hill Harper, star of CSI:NY, is a graduate, magna cum laude (which means the brotha’s real smart), of Brown University, and has a Harvard law degree. And he writes well, too.
In his introduction, Harper writes about a book that inspired him — Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. In that book, Rilke responds to questions presented to him by a young man seeking advice. In the same way, Harper hopes to inspire and serve as a mentor to young people by addressing questions posed by those he’s met in his travels.
In all honesty, I’ve only read as far as the introduction. But in those few pages, I’m already impressed and inspired. Through the example of his own grandfathers, Harper lays out the importance of fathers, grandfathers, uncles and older brothers mentoring young boys through the maturation of manhood. Harper’s message, one of emporwerment though education, a strong sense of purpose, compassion, confidence and humility, is timely. In an age where popular culture (gangsta rap, reality TV, music videos, Paris Hilton) offers no productive direction, and when more African boys are more destined for prison than college, this is the kind of book that is needed.
Again, I’ve only begun to read this book. But if the introduction serves as a foundation on which to build, this book stands on solid ground. And, like me, the author is an Iowa native. Can’t go wrong there.
To everyone out there that send an email or nominated an author or just posted a comment — THANK YOU!
Quite frankly, we’ve gotten more suggestions than I ever imagined we’d get. And what a great mix is it — pbs and middle grade, YA and chapter books, historical fiction and sci-fi, serious books and funny books.
Also, if you sent a message via email but didn’t get a response, don’t worry — we got it. Just like those that gave suggestions on the website, you all are automatically entered into our February drawings as well!
Please keep on coming back to the site; we’ve got some great things coming that we hope will keep your attention until February 1st.
About Us
The Brown Bookshelf is designed to push awareness of the myriad of Black voices writing for young readers. Our flagship initiative is 28 Days Later, a month-long showcase of the best in Picture Books, Middle Grade and Young Adult novels written and illustrated by African Americans.
You can read more about the founders of The Brown Bookshelf here. | {
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On Friday, Security Council members unanimously adopted SC Res. 2254 on Syria.
It calls for a ceasefire and diplomatic settlement to the long-running conflict – launched by Obama in March 2011 for regime change, using ISIS and other terrorist groups as imperial foot soldiers..
Washington’s key objective remains unchanged. Although SC resolutions are binding under international law, history shows they’re regularly breached or ignored unaccountably. America, its key NATO partners, Israel and Middle East regimes notoriously flout binding international law with impunity.
SC Res. 2254 may prove as empty and ineffective as all previous attempts to resolve Syria’s conflict diplomatically. Credit goes to Russia for trying.
It calls for all parties in Syria’s conflict to “immediately cease any attacks against civilians.”
The only elements guilty of these high crimes are ISIS and other terrorist groups – so Friday’s vote changed nothing on the ground.
Groups excluded from resolution terms include ISIS, Al Qaeda and Jabhat al-Nusra. Various other terrorist elements operate in Syria. Moscow listed 160, failing to list them with ISIS and the others, a glaring omission because of US obstruction.
Resolution terms call for opposing sides (excluding named terrorist groups) to convene talks in January under UN auspices – initiating a political process toward establishing “inclusive and non-sectarian governance” within six monthsby Syrians alone.
The aim is drafting a new constitution (likely not much different from the overwhelmingly approved current one in February 2012 by national referendum), as well as holding new elections in 18 months.
Following SC 2254’s adoption, John Kerry’s comment rang hollow, saying it’s time “to put an end to indiscriminate bombing, torture and the bloodshed.” Progress made so far “gives us grounds for encouragement.”
He ignored why Obama launched war in the first place, supporting, not combating ISIS and other terrorist groups – now escalated with heavier bombing of Syrian infrastructure and government targets, along with unknown numbers of US combat troops on the ground with more coming, an entirely illegal offensive, naked aggression by any standard, along with imperial partners.
Sergey Lavrov struck a positive note, despite knowing huge obstacles lie ahead. He called Friday’s vote the way forward “for the formation of a broad front against terrorism on the basis of the UN Charter, with the support of all on Earth who are opposed to terrorism, including the army of Syria, the Kurdish militia, and the armed forces of the Syrian patriotic opposition.”
More than once Lavrov explained no so-called moderate opposition exists. All anti-Assad elements are terrorists. Including any of them in peace talks assures failure – Washington the biggest obstacle of all.
“The air force of the Russian Federation, at the request of the legitimate government of the Syrian Arab Republic, is contributing to the completion of this task,” Lavrov added.
Only Syrian-led inclusive dialogue can put an end to untold suffering,” he stressed – maintaining the nation should remain secular, unified, undivided and multi-ethnic.
“Only the Syrian people are to decide on their future, including the fate of President Assad. This is an answer, included into the resolution, to (counter) attempts to enforce outside will on the Syrians,” Lavrov stressed.
The fight against terrorism must be consistent and not opportunistic in nature, whether it be in Syria or anywhere else. Attempts to separate terrorists into good and bad are unacceptable.
The resolution stresses the need to provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people… It must be provided in strict accordance with the guidelines of the United Nations, enshrined in General Assembly resolutions and the decisions of the Security Council, including the principle of the consent of the host government.
Since late October, foreign ministers from 18 nations (US-led NATO ones, Russia, China and regional states), along with EU and UN representatives met twice in Vienna – to help establish a roadmap for peace in Syria, deplorably without Damascus’ involvement, impossible to achieve without its participation.
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.
It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.
Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article. | {
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Nutrition Advice, Meal plans, Online Cookbook with easy to make recipes and nutritional breakdown plus 24/7 support and coaching
Join Team GFWK!!! Have the confidence to run that 5k/10k or even half marathon! I will be by your side all the way! Or why not join a mud run which we will complete as a team!
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Are you looking for a Personal Trainer in Knutsford?Are you looking to lose weight fast or get toned?Are you struggling to get motivated to exercise?Do you need advice and guidance on nutrition and how to maintain a healthy, balanced diet?
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As a master personal trainer, I am confident that I can provide you the best solution to suit your needs, within the fastest time frame possible. I also have set values ensuring my clients receive the best value for their money. Not only do we work together to improve your fitness, I also provide you with enough knowledge to completely transform your lifestyle for the better. Once the programme is completed you will have the skills and confidence to continue your training, but I will still be available to provide support where required, a service that not many personal trainers will offer.
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For more information or to book a free consultation, please call 07713 899709. I look forward to working with you soon!
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"Remaining part of the salary will be paid when sufficient funds are available," TIFR registrar Wing Commander (retd) George Antony said in a letter.
The government-run Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), among India's premier research institutes, will pay only half the net salary for February to its staff due to fund crunch, an official said Thursday. The announcement was made by TIFR registrar Wing Commander (retd) George Antony in a letter to the staff Wednesday, the official told PTI.
"Due to insufficient funds, all staff members and students and post-doctoral fellows of TIFR, its centres and field stations will be paid 50 per cent of the net salary for the month of February immediately. Remaining part of the salary will be paid when sufficient funds are available," the letter said.
Despite getting just 50 per cent of the salary, the staff and fellows will have to bear deductions as per their full salary.
"All deductions will be calculated on full salary and will be deposited to respective authorities as per rules," the communication from the registrar said.
When contacted, the registrar declined to comment.
A former staffer said the pay cut decision will impact the around 3,000 employees, students and post-doctoral fellows of TIFR in Mumbai and other centres.
Noted historian Ramachandra Guha said TIFR is in a perilous state. "The perilous financial state of one of Indias finest scientific research institutes," he tweeted.
Another twitter user said the government should explain why this (salary cut) has happened. "If this is the condition of TIFR, then what will be the future of education in our country?" he said.
A tweet appeared to question the motive for shortage of funds to TIFR. "There goes another piece of prime real estate. I suspect that's the real game going on - just like the cantonments. TIFR will be asked to move out. Magically, funds will reappear. In a more remote location." it said.
TIFR is a national centre of the Government of India under the umbrella of the Department of Atomic Energy, and a deemed university since 2002, awarding degrees for master'sand doctoral programmes.
The institute was founded in 1945 with support from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust under the vision of Dr Homi Bhabha. It carries out basic research in physics, chemistry,biology, mathematics, computer science and science education. The main campus is located in Mumbai, with centres at Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | {
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PORTABLE CHILLERS
Scanair Portable Chillers – A liquid cooling system on caster wheels that can be relocated from one application to another with relative ease. It can be used to cool one or more heat generating devices. In the printing industry, a chiller not only removes the heat generated by the friction of the printing rollers, but cools down the paper after it comes out of the ink drying ovens in the process. Portable Chillers are manufactured with small chilled water tank with evaporator and process pump, refrigeration system to cool the water altogether fitted in to one bracket the chilled water at decided temperature will be pumped in to the process in a closed loop system the heat will be absorbed by the chilled water and come into the tank. It will be recirculated for various applications as detailed given below.
Portable chillers will maintain the temperature range from 5˚ C To 30˚ C ± 1˚ C. capacity from 450 Kcal/Hr to 150000 Kcal/Hr from 0.5 LPM To 120 LPM with different flow capacity. Water or other liquid from the chiller is pumped through process or industrial equipment specially for NMR Magnet Analytical NMR’s come in three kinds of magnetic field generation, electromagnetic, permanent magnet and superconducting. Electromagnetic field generation was a great interest to us. The coils consume 10’s of KW and must be kept at constant reproducible temperature. High flow and precise temperature control are very important. NMR is a phenomenon which occurs when the nuclei of certain atoms are immersed in a static magnetic field and exposed to a second oscillating magnetic field. NMR spectroscopy is routinely used by chemists to study chemical structure. Definition: a measure, by means of applying an external magnetic field to a solution in a constant radio frequency field, of the magnetic moment of atomic nuclei to determine the structure of organic compounds. This technique is used in magnetic resonance imaging.
Plasma Etching is often described as “the fourth state of matter”. The first three states solid, liquid, and gas plasma etching technology can remove organic and inorganic contamination, increase wet ability, increase bond strength, and remove residue. If effective surface treatment is critical to the efficiency of a process or the reliability of a product, plasma technology may be the best answer. Thermal loads are a few hundred watts for lab systems. Precise temperature control is not important. Temperature is normally 20˚C. Cooling passages are small but pressures are not high, 5-10 psi or 50. Cooling passages within a single device are – 3/16” diameter and 3” long.
Portable Industrial Chillers
Plastic Injection Molding Process by which plastics granules are compressed in a mold through heat and pressure to form an end piece. A chiller is used to cool the molds in order to have the plastic release. Rapidly cooling the mold solidifies melted plastic allowing it to be released. Portable chillers ideal and most suitable for a wide spectrum of applications in industries like Pet Blowing, Aluminum Die Casting, Laser Welding, Ultra sonic Welding, Induction Hardening Machine, Blister Packing, Pouch Filling, High Frequency Welding Machines, R&D Labs, Rotary Evaporators, Medical Equipment, like MRI, CT , Pet Scan, Electronic Micro Scope, Distillation process, Cryogenic compressors and other sensitive medical systems etc., Those Machines need to be cooled in presided Temperature to reduce the cycle time and product quality, productivity. Scanair Portable chillers are designed new generation styled and built aesthetically to match the modern trend in equipment manufacturing.
Flexibility of design and product adaptability. Portable Chiller units are individually constructed to meet your exact specifications and available in 0.25 Ton To 10 Ton Capacity and Vertical, Horizontal, or Remote systems available. | {
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[BN] the know
West Seneca police want to question son of apparent homicide victim
Carol Quinn, 77, was found dead inside her apartment over the weekend from an apparent homicide. *** Primitivo Cruz, 45, was charged with harassment, following an argument with his mother about a week ago and an order of protection was issued against him.
Related Articles
As West Seneca police investigated the suspicious death of Carol Quinn in her West Seneca apartment Saturday afternoon, one of her sons arrived for a visit, even though a court order of protection had been placed against him for allegedly harassing her a week earlier, police said.
Primitivo Cruz, 45, cooperated with police and answered their questions. He then left the Burch Avenue apartment building.
But Monday, he was described as “a person of interest” in his 77-year-old mother's death, which now has been labeled a homicide, following an autopsy in the Erie County Medical Examiner's Office.
“We didn't know what we had at the time,” West Seneca Police Chief Daniel M. Denz said Monday. “The son walked up the street after the first officers arrived at the scene. He was briefly interviewed and released. Since then, some things have come to light. We want to ask him some questions about items at the scene and whether anything is missing or if he would know a motive.”
Shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday, police responded to Quinn's first-floor apartment in a two-story brick building to check on her welfare. Relatives in Pennsylvania requested the check because they had been unable to reach her for a couple of days.
When Quinn did not answer the door, officers found another way into the locked residence and discovered the slain woman, Denz said in appealing for the public's assistance in locating Cruz. Authorities have said the woman was found in the living room.
A retired Buffalo school teacher's aide, Quinn was seen as a grandmother figure and neighbor who often sat outside in a wooden chair with her little white dog, Sabre, at her feet. She recently had opened her modest home to Cruz, “a drifter” who lived with her on and off, officials said.
But about a week ago, Quinn apparently could no longer tolerate her son's behavior. She called the police for help.
“He was arrested for harassment and removed from the scene,” Denz said. “There was an argument. It was minor in nature. An order of protection was issued.”
Cruz, who goes by the nicknames “Primo” and “Chico,” went to live with friends on the Kenmore-North Buffalo border, but he has since moved out, and police have been unable to locate him.
In the days after West Seneca police arrested Cruz, Quinn told a young neighbor who regarded her as a grandmother what had happened.
“Do you know why the police were here?” Quinn asked the young neighbor.
“No, why?” the boy answered.
“Because my son was drunk. He was loud and hiding in the basement,” Quinn responded, according to the boy's mother.
Police have not released a specific cause of death.
“At this point, we're looking at multiple causes,” said Capt. Michael Boehringer, West Seneca's chief of detectives. There is no evidence of a shooting, but police would not say anything more about the possible cause of death.
Besides losing their friend, neighbors talked about the shock of an apparent homicide in a neighborhood where the worst thing happening usually is somebody speeding down the street.
“This is just crazy,” neighbor Paul Schloerb said. “It's really a quiet neighborhood. Nothing like this happens here. ... If there's a maniac out there, I'd like to see him caught.”
Alishia Weikle, who lived in the other first-floor apartment across from Quinn's, said she called her “the gatekeeper” of their apartment building.
“She'd lived in each of the four apartments at one time or another. She knew everything that was going on. I would take her shopping to Tops, and my prize would be a can of Pepsi,” Weikle said. “When my boyfriend texted me that she was dead, I didn't believe him. I'm still in shock.”
A widow, Quinn also has a daughter, Cindy, and two other sons, Dave and Jim, according to Brian Russer, a close family friend who accompanied relatives to the West Seneca police station Monday.
“It's horrible for the family,” Russer said. “She was a phenomenal woman.”
When one of her sons arrived at her West Seneca apartment Saturday night and learned she had been found dead under suspicious circumstances, he tore off his muscle shirt and began a very public display of grief. | {
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Tag: hero
Greasy, delicious and convenient. Americans love getting takeout, whether picking it up or having it delivered. And it’s a $30+ billion industry. We all have our go-to options —pizza, subs, burritos and Asian food are among the traditional favorites. Is your mouth watering yet?
We all know takeout isn’t the healthiest food. Enjoying it every now and then is okay, but eating it too often could hurt your wallet and your waistline.
Let’s transform Takeout
Instead of getting takeout, try healthier dishes that you can make at home . It’s a change that can improve your health and may save you money. And the best part? You can satisfy still your takeout cravings while maintaining a healthy diet.
I spoke with Pat Salzer, Registered Dietitian and Workplace Wellness Support Coordinator with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, about tips and tricks to make it happen.
Be Prepared
Why do we love takeout food so much? It’s easy. Instead of having to worry about making food, it’s already done for you. Want to make home-cooked meals easier? Get prepped.
The first step is meal planning. Salzer suggests planning meals for the week during the weekend and stocking your kitchen with the right ingredients. Meal planning helps you make sure you have what you need ahead of time.
When it comes time to cook, you will already have all the ingredients you need to get started. I even prefer to cook two or three meals at once to save time. That’s called batch cooking.
Looking for some great recipes to get started? Here are some of our personal favorites:
Change the Norm
For many people, getting takeout at the end of the day is simply a habit. People become so used to ordering food that it becomes part of their routine.
Salzer said that making cooking at homethe norm will make it much easier to avoid getting takeout. This goes back to the idea of planning your meals ahead and having the winning ingredients ready to go. Start small by planning to eat home-cooked meals most days of the week.
Get the Family on Board
Change is much easier with the support of those around you. Instead of going at it alone, Salzer suggests getting other members of your household to eat home-cooked meals with you. Ask others to help with planning meals for the week,and keep each other accountable with sticking to the plan to eat what you cook. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, your significant other or the whole family, making meals at home that everyone will enjoy is a fun way to start a new healthy habit.
Easy swaps and additions for your favorite takeout food
Want to cook more at home but not ready to give up your beloved pizza or subs? Some simple swaps and additions can help you enjoy the food you love at home, in a healthier way.
If you’re a lover of subs and sandwiches, try making a sandwich at home on whole grain bread. If you can’t imagine a Friday night without pizza, try a homemade pizza with a side salad to help fill you up with veggies. You can also try adding greens or fruit as a side to make-your-own tacos or burritos. Salzer recommends that fruits and vegetables make up half of our plate at any meal.
For more tips on finding healthy meal alternatives, check out our guide on how to avoid drive thrus, which features much of the same greasy fare as takeout.
There is no better place to have a picnic than on Lake Ontario. You can see Niagara on the Lake, and on a clear day, you have a full view of Canada! The beach is rocky but there is always plenty of driftwood to sit on and enjoy the view. There is a large grassy area, picnic tables and pavilions as well. This hidden gem is set back from the road and most people drive right by it.
Further east on Lake Ontario is Hamlin Beach State Park. This park also offers sweeping views of the lake, beach swimming (when it is warm enough!) and great picnic facilities including pavilions. While you’re there, explore the self-guided trail of the Yanty Creek Marsh.
Highland Park may be known for the Lilac Festival in the spring, but there’s plenty to see all summer long in this park. Not only does it have plenty of places to sit in the grass or at a picnic table, but in the early summer, the trees are still flowering and bringing in a wonderful smell. Also, within the park is Lamberton Conservatory, which is full of large palms and ferns, as well as little button quails that run around your feet.
Head south to visit Stony Brook State Park. Enjoy a day in the park with a picnic and an adventure on the hiking trails. You can also go swimming in the natural pool, fed by the stream that is always refreshing.
Less than an hour from Stony Brook State Park, Harriet Hollister Park is another beautiful spot with picnic tables, biking trials and a pavilion. This park comes with a breathtaking view of Honeoye Lake and the Rochester skyline in the distance. Sixteen miles of hiking, biking and even cross-country ski trails are available.
Located on the western shores of Canandaigua Lake, Onanda Park park offers picnic tables, a small beach, a swimming area, and a lake view. The park also features numerous hiking trails across the street. Trails can be found that are close to the stream, as well as more challenging hills that give you views of the multiple waterfalls upstream.
At the southern end of Seneca Lake, Watkins Glen State Park is a perfect place for a relatively flat hike. You may get a little wet from the spray from the absolutely gorgeous waterfalls, but it is well worth it. They also have ample picnic tables to use after your hike.
A short drive from Syracuse, this park offers an incredible view of Skaneateles Lake. Make it an even better trip by stopping at Doug’s Fish Fry for take-out to eat on the benches in the park. After your picnic, you can walk down the pier that stretches out into the water. The park also has a public beach that is open during the summer.
Named for its two glacial lakes, Green Lakes State Park has plenty of pavilions and picnic tables throughout the park, offering sun or shade depending on what you like best. After your picnic, enjoy a leisurely walk around the lakes or enjoy a swim in the blue-green waters.
It’s the closest thing you can get to being at the ocean within an hour’s drive from Syracuse. The sand dunes and miles of beach are beautiful with good sized waves for jumping or boogie boarding. There are plenty of picnic tables to use and a nice new playground. You can get ice cream at the pavilion after a long day at the beach.
This park has a large picnic and cookout area with a lot of tall shady trees. You can feel the breeze coming off Oneida Lake, which makes it a very pleasant place to spend a summer afternoon. Plus, there’s the beach!
I’m obsessed with my popcorn popper. My hot-air wonder has been popping healthy treats since before I met my hubby and had kids – even before I got the now-elderly feline.
You come to my house, I serve you popcorn. You invite me to your house, I come with popcorn.
My friends mock me for my love of air-popped popcorn. But they lust after salty chips and fudgy ice cream, while I happily embrace my popper and bag of popcorn kernels.
It’s my simple solution to healthy snacking.
“Swapping out junky treats for air-popped popcorn is a simple change that can lead to a healthier tomorrow,” said Patricia Salzer, registered dietitian, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “One cup of popcorn is about 30 calories – if you don’t add gobs of butter and other unhealthy stuff!”
It’s not the only simple solution to life’s healthy living problems. Consider these 50 small healthy changes that can make a big difference, and visit ExcellusBCBS.com/LiveFearlessNation for more on how to make small changes – one fearless step at a time. Help spread the word with family and friends and inspire others to be part of this Fearless Nation.
Eat better
Invest in an air popper! (Are you surprised this is tip #1?) You, too, can be mocked by friends for snacking on nothing but popcorn. But, get this. One of those friends ran out a few years ago and BOUGHT HER OWN POPPER! It changed her life.
Banish the Oreos to the highest of shelves! Exile the double fudge ice cream to the back of your freezer! Out of sight, out of mind, right?
Wash and cut-up raw veggies and coax them to the front of your fridge. When you’re looking for something quick to eat, you can grab and go. For an added treat, dip them in a hummus or a yogurt mix.
Swap out the cookie jar for a bowl of apples. Apples are guilt-free because they have just traces of fat and sodium and no cholesterol. The skin of the apple is loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants.
Ditch the “I need to get Vitamin D” excuse for excess sunbathing. Don’t risk getting skin cancer. Consider eating foods high in the vitamin, such as tuna fish, salmon and fortified milk. The vitamin is critical to having strong and healthy muscles and bones.
Race your kid. Run outside with the little ones, climb that tree, jump rope and kick the ball. When I’m low on steps for the day, I race my kindergartener around our yard to boost my activity totals.
Stand up! More than half of your day is likely spent sitting. Too much sitting is linked to heart disease and other serious issues. Sit all day at work? Set a reminder to stand every hour. Stand when on a conference call or eating lunch. Or, try a walking meeting with co-workers.
Wake up 10 minutes earlier for a quick workout. I’m currently hooked on a 12-minute Tank Top Arms Workout on YouTube. My co-worker swears by the free workout app, Seven, for — you guessed it – seven-minute workouts.
Time strapped in the morning? Squeeze in a few push-ups (on toes or knees) before you brush your teeth.
Keep refilling the water bottle or glass of water. That’ll get you extra steps – especially from added bathroom breaks!
Skip the email! Get up, walk to your co-worker’s desk and have an actual conversation in person.
While watching TV, stand, stretch or squeeze in exercises.
Schedule a gym date with a friend. You’re more likely to go if you have a buddy holding you accountable.
Feel better
My neighborhood is full of big weeping willows and other park-like, mature trees. A creek winds through my yard. A walk around my yard or street is the perfect stress buster, since being in nature is a great mood booster. Here are other ideas to help you stay sane:
When you’re outside, look up! The sky can be beautiful and a great distraction from your troubles.
Gardening – Fixing up your yard or tending to rows of tomato plants can help reduce stress.
Breathe … deeply. It’ll help distract you from your thoughts and might actually help you (really) relax.
Power Pose! Stand tall with your hands on your hips! Or, flex your muscles! Do whatever pose makes you feel powerful for two minutes. It might boost your confidence before a job interview or another high-pressured event.
Exercise to . . . relax? It’s a real thing. Exercise can decrease stress levels while stimulating the feel good chemicals in your brain, called endorphins.
Pen thank you notes. Focusing on the good things in your life, such as how others have helped you, can make you feel happy.
Write only happy thoughts. Journal about what makes you feel good. It’s the same idea behind #33. Gratitude can boost the positive emotions that make you happy.
Call a friend. Connecting with good friends can prevent you from feeling lonely, offer companionship and boost your overall mood.
Smile! I mean a real, full-fledged smile that leaves crinkles around the eyes. Smile your way out of your crabby mood.
Hey road-ragers: Get a stress ball. Instead of shrieking at the car in front of you, find other ways to alleviate stress.
Sleep more
I took an amazing nap the other day. It was Sunday, and I was up early with the kids. After a morning of chasing them around, doing errands, laundry, etc., I was cranky and exhausted. Then I took that amazing 20-minute nap. I woke feeling unusually refreshed and pleasant!
Read a book. When I’m struggling for shuteye, I grab the Kindle and read until my eye lids start to droop. It. Works. Every. Time.
Quiet your racing mind. One large sleeping roadblock is your obsession with your to-do list, your workload, your kids, etc. But meditation can help calm your mind and relax. Sleep.org has tips for meditating before bed.
Skip the booze. I’m really sorry about this one. The wine before bed might help you quickly doze off, but you might not get a restful night’s sleep. Everyone’s body is different, so listen to yours in deciding if and how much to drink before bed.
Exercise during the day. When I run, I sleep. Doing aerobic exercise for at least 10 minutes and you might have a more satisfying slumber.
Losing weight is…well, hard! Eat healthy, be more active…you know the drill. But getting started and sticking with it are two of the hardest parts. So, what if you had someone to keep you on track, was always available, and never said no? Would it also help if they were one of your best friends?
Taking “steps” to be active
In 2015, the U.S. Surgeon General encouraged people to be active and walk more.“ Strong evidence exists that physical activity has substantial health benefits,” according to “Step it Up! The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities.” “Walking is an excellent way for most Americans to increase their physical activity.“
It’s a simple formula. One overweight adult + one overweight dog = one really good reason (and motivation) to lose weight together. One easy way to get started would be to just go on regular walks together a few times each week.
The Wake-up Call that Saved Brad’s Life
A walk or a run can be great exercise.
Brad, a 6-foot-6-inch former athlete, had a wake-up call in his mid-30s. His doctor said he was at risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke, because of his weight and lack of exercise. He adopted Buddy, a black Labrador retriever. ”The energetic dog became Brad’s running buddy and ticket to better health. “ (More on the story of Brad and Buddy.)
Couch Potato to Athlete – The Story of Eric and Peety
Eric, a 57-year-old salesman from Spokane, Washington, says “a plump dog named Peety helped turn him from a couch potato struggling with obesity into a slim athlete.” Eric weighed 330 pounds. He lived by himself and would often eat two extra-large pizzas (consuming potentially thousands of calories) for dinner. He spent more than $1,000 a month in medications for type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
One month before Eric was due to have weight-loss surgery, he was advised to eat a whole-foods diet AND to rescue a dog. The thinking was that having a dog might force Eric to get outside and be more active. (Maybe he’d even meet other people?) Peety, a 7-year-old border collie/Australian shepherd mix, “came into his life and changed it forever.” More on how Eric and Peety changed each other’s lives (Their video.)
The Tale of Otto the Bulldog
Otto the Bulldog started taking longer walks and lost 15 pounds.
“Typically you can’t get an English bulldog off the couch, let alone walk more than 50 feet,” says Brittany, a digital marketing manager from Rochester, NY. “Ever since he was a puppy, Otto, our 6-year-old English Bulldog, has enjoyed going on walks.”
As he grew older though, Otto’s vet wanted him to drop from 65 to 55 pounds. Brittany gradually extended their typical route. “We often forced him to take breaks, just to catch our own breath!” Combining longer walks with better food, Otto has dropped down to 50 pounds, has a softer coat and is happier than ever. “No need for a Fitbit® alarm – Otto reminds us to walk every day with a long, dragged out whiny mumble. What a great way to unwind after work, talk about our day, and get our steps in as a whole family.”
Set up a routine and stick with it
The philosopher Lao Tzu had a saying that went something like, “The journey of a 1000 miles begins with one step.” If you’re just getting started, go for shorter walks, gradually increasing them as you feel comfortable. It’s important to set up a routine. Try walking at the same time every day. Dogs like routine and will likely come and encourage you on those days when you may not feel like it (just like Otto).
Also, if your friend or neighbor has a dog, maybe you can walk together.
Nutrition is also an important part of the puzzle.
“If food were in front of your dog all day, they would likely keep eating. We often have the same instincts.” says Janette Westman, a workplace wellness consultant at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “A dog’s food is controlled by their environment. The owner puts it out when it’s time to eat and controls the amount. We could create a similar environment for ourselves. By reducing how much food is constantly in front of us, we could be less tempted to snack all day long as well. Also, planning ahead is another way to make healthy eating easier.”
You can also try modifying some of your habits using the “Five Rules for Eating” from Stephen Cook, M.D., MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. If you do choose to snack during the day, there are healthy options that can give you a boost between meals. Try keeping a banana, apple, or a handful of almonds handy. Pat Salzer, a registered dietician for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, has suggestions for healthy snacking throughout the day.
Don’t already have a “workout” buddy?
Consider adopting/rescuing a dog. Check with your local animal rescue organization if interested in pet adoption. Some will allow local volunteers to come and walk their dogs. That can also be an option if you’re not quite ready to adopt.
Please consult with your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise regimen for yourself and a veterinarian for your furry friend.
Becoming a parent stirs up a lot of fears. Will I be a good caretaker? Who will take care of my child when I go back to work? How do you keep one of these things alive? You meanwe can just take them home?!
And that’s just the stuff you talk about publicly.
The Creepiness of Children’s Music
One of the secrets I’ve harbored in the deep recesses of my mind is a disdain for kids’ music (and those weird music videos!). The chipper, high voices. Bright primary colors. People singing while wearing spandex.
I’ve tried to get on board. I attended a newborn story time at our local library,* where they handed out lyrics to kids’ songs and taught interactive movements. A totally cool idea, and very helpful for someone like myself who hasn’t been around kids that much and has no idea where to start with such things. Story time was met with marginal success: my baby slept on my lap while I sang and clapped. My mind kept wandering along with the ridiculous lyrics we were singing. The song “Hickory Dickory Dock” reminded me of a Hickory Farms summer sausage gift basket. Ants marching one by one in the house are usually met with the sole of my shoe, because I’m the resident exterminator. And spiders? During a discussion of “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” my brother texted, “I hate spiders. Why would I sing about them?” Well said, sir.
Then the time of reckoning arrived. A beautiful, innocent, googly-eyed baby staring up from the crib, longing for some parental interaction. When I opened my mouth to croak out something, I didn’t know what to sing other than “Happy Birthday.” That experience showed me the need to create some playlists that wouldn’t be too terrible to sing along with over and over again. Because what is more fun in life then creating your own soundtrack?
The Positive Effect That Music Has on Children Makes It A Must
Studies have shown that music can have a really positive impact on childrens’ development.
It’s just that the entire universe-altering shift to parenthood is so overwhelming that it’s hard to let all facets in at once and the preordained music playlist, well, sometimes it just hurts. So you try to preserve some small semblance of your past that you want to share with your little one.
Playlists That Don’t Suck
There is nothing revolutionary here and obviously you can put any music you like on your soundtrack. I’ve been known to sing the jingle from the Cellino & Barnes commercial when desperate. Sleep deprivation causes things like an inability to remember your once-favorite songs, the words to the ABCs or those melodies earmarked for kids. I’ve found it helpful to have playlists queued up so I can spend more time interacting with our little one instead of racking my brain for songs to sing.
When I moved off campus my junior year of college, I was excited to have an actual kitchen to cook in and a place to eat that I didn’t have to share with hundreds of other students.
That feeling quickly faded when I remembered how much time and money it takes to cook and grocery shop when you’re a broke college student and also going to classes, club meetings, working and seeing friends.
Staying up late was normal for me. Some nights I’d leave work at 1:30 a.m., or I was up late studying or hanging out with friends. There was no way I was going to take the time to cook myself an actual healthy meal. Even if I wanted to cook, I probably didn’t have anything in my fridge to make it.
I saw fast food as my only option.
Drive-Thru Voodoo
Frequenting fast food drive-thrus became a regular habit for my friends and me. They were the only places open late at night and the cost seems cheap when you can get a meal for only a few dollars. If I did go to the grocery store, I’d buy chips or microwaveable meals that were easy to make. I probably used my oven a handful of times over an entire semester.
But the truth is, with a bit of planning, broke college students and young professionals can eat healthy without spending a lot of time or money. Pat Salzer, registered dietitian and workplace wellness consultant at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, shares eight tips to help you save time while eating healthy on the cheap.
8 Tips for Healthy Eating on a College Student’s Budget
Have group meals. Find friends who like to cook and make your meals together. Having a group of people working together to make dinner is more fun than cooking alone and will help you avoid fast food restaurants.
Don’t grocery shop when you’re hungry. This might seem like an obvious tip that you’ve heard a thousand times, but it’s true! When you’re hungry, your willpower goes out the window. Everything will look good, especially the things that don’t take long to make.
Buying in bulk isn’t always a good thing. Bulk can be good if you know that you’ll eat all of it. However, it’s not worth buying large quantities, especially produce, if you’ll just stress about not eating it all before it goes bad.
Have a plan when you shop so you’ll get what you need and only what you really need. You won’t overspend if you stick to a grocery list. This strategy might also help you avoid filling your cart with junk food—like those little pints of Ben & Jerry’s chocolate fudge brownie ice cream that I love so much!
Be realistic about what you will eat. I would always buy Greek yogurt because I knew it was healthy. Only problem was, I don’t like Greek yogurt. I tried to force myself to like it, but it wasn’t happening. The yogurt would sit in my fridge until it hit the expiration date and then I’d have to (thankfully!) throw it out. There’s no point in spending your money on something that you know you won’t eat.
Prepare big batches of healthy, delicious foods that’ll leave you with lots of leftovers (and unlike in tip #3, you know you’ll eat it). Whatever you make for dinner, you can also eat the next day for lunch. It’s also a good way to keep yourself from overeating at a meal if you know that you need to save some for the next day.
Buy fruits and vegetables that are in-season. Not only will that sweet Red Delicious apple you bought in the fall taste better, but it’ll likely be cheaper, too. Try different types of produce—you might be surprised by what you like! I was shocked (shocked) to learn that I actually liked the taste of broccoli!
If you’re like me, you ended the year celebrating the holiday season just a little too much and you’ve started the new year looking for the perfect gym to undo the damage of rich desserts and not enough activity.
Finding the right fitness facility can be tricky if you’re looking for more than just the lowest-cost option.
A treadmill is great for running in the winter months.
“You need to assess your fitness goals before selecting the best gym for you,” said Janette Westman, workplace wellness consultant, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “Do you want a basic gym with treadmills for a daily run or walk, for example, or do you prefer one with a variety of classes or state-of-the art equipment to keep you motivated?”
My needs as a gym buff have evolved over the years. When I was a broke, recent college graduate, I went with the cheapest option. All I needed was a place to run in the winter—at the lowest possible price!
Select a gym close to your job.
As I earned a little more, I gravitated toward facilities that also had early morning spinning classes. But once I had kids and was paying daycare bills (yup, I was broke again!), I gravitated toward the free workplace gym.
Given my holiday weight gain, I’m now also hunting for a fitness facility to use on the weekends, when I don’t want to trek into work to work out. I’m considering a gym or a facility that also offers classes, such as kickboxing.
Westman, a former personal trainer, offers the following tips for finding the right fitness facility in the new year:
Location: People often stop exercising because they lack the time. If you exercise after work, select a gym close to your employer. Weekend warriors in the battle against the bulge may want a facility close to home.
Hours of operation: The gym should be open when you plan to exercise. Early birds, for example, may need a fitness center that opens at the crack of dawn to allow for the 5 a.m. swim before work.
Classes: Ask if classes such as spinning and yoga cost extra. If you’re solely interested in classes, a studio instead of a fitness facility may be a better option.
Equipment quality: Ensure the cardio and weight machines are clean and in good condition.
Staff: Are staff members friendly and qualified with the right certifications? You may want a gym with fitness trainers and dieticians to help you get healthier.
Free trial pass: Test the gym during the times you’ll likely exercise. Is it too crowded? Are the classes, equipment, and atmosphere right for you? Are showers and changing facilities up to par? Is the parking convenient? Will you feel comfortable asking staff for advice or posing questions, such as how to use unfamiliar equipment?
Cost: Ask if the gym will waive the enrollment fee so that you’re only responsible for the monthly dues.
Important Tip: Some health care insurers may offer a benefit that helps pay for a gym membership. Be sure to check your policy to see what’s available to you. Don’t leave money on the table!
Being a teenager and going through high school can be difficult. There are classes to keep up with, sports commitments and demands for your time from family and friends. And, for Brittany McNair, a cancer diagnosis.
McNair was diagnosed with osteosarcoma June of 2005, the end of her freshman year of high school. She went to the doctor after not being able to walk and after several tests, found out that she had cancer in her right leg.
The former three-sport athlete went from running daily for soccer and indoor/outdoor track to relearning how to walk. She didn’t think she’d run again.
The high school years are a time when your peers are constantly judging you. Because chemotherapy treatments caused her hair to fall out, McNair feared having her picture taken or being asked to remove her hat. She also learned to get creative to avoid the dreaded hospital visits. (More on that later.)
With the help of friends, family and a local nonprofit, McNair found a way to keep some of the normalcy of her teenage years. Her family also emerged stronger and closer as a result of it.
Brittany McNair on her 16th birthday while in the hospital for cancer treatment.
A Visit to Her Hospital Room
In August of 2005, surgeons replaced the bones in McNair’s right leg with a metal prosthesis. At the same time, they removed her calf muscles and performed knee replacement surgery on that leg. She was 15.
As she recovered in the hospital, McNair received a visit from Lauren Spiker, executive director of 13thirty Cancer Connect, formerly known as Melissa’s Living Legacy Teen Cancer Foundation. Spiker had formed the organization three years prior after her daughter, Melissa, died of cancer, and was running it from her home.
On the wall at 13thirty Cancer Connect is Melissa’s request of her mother before she died, “If you have learned anything from me through all of this, do something with it to make a difference – to make things better.”
Spiker explained her daughter’s request.
“When Melissa was going through treatments for cancer as a teenager, we noticed that there weren’t many support groups for teenagers or young adults.”
Spiker visited McNair in the hospital to invite her to join their support groups, including a popular pancake breakfast at Spiker’s home with other teenage cancer survivors. A few weeks later, McNair participated in a photo shoot for a brochure for the organization. From that day, McNair has continued to attend 13thirty Cancer Connect events.
“13thirty Cancer Connect helped me in ways I couldn’t even begin to describe,” said McNair. “I’ve made lifelong friends there, and I am so thankful for them.”
The organization welcomes individuals ages 13 to 30 who have cancer and their families. A few years after McNair joined the group, 13thirty Cancer Connect began offering fitness classes to give people who have been diagnosed with cancer a chance to exercise with the supervision of a physical therapist and get their strength back.
Friends on the field
McNair was lucky to have friends who worked hard to keep her connected to high school (and all the drama!).
Her soccer teammates and their families took turns decorating and filling a box of goodies for McNair to have before she went to the hospital for chemotherapy on Fridays. She found the box on her front porch every Thursday.
“I would be in the hospital all weekend and my teammates would give me everything from candy to DVDs in that box,” said McNair.
McNair’s favorite? A barf bucket. (The chemotherapy made McNair pretty sick!) It was decorated with different words and phrases related to barfing.
After her diagnosis, one family gave her a laptop to help her keep up with school, but she also used it to keep up with her friends and high school happenings.
“AOL Instant Messenger was the big thing then, and I would be on my laptop all the time talking to friends so I was kept in the loop,” said McNair.
Her friends also would visit her at home and in the hospital. As often as she could, McNair would go to basketball games to watch her sister cheer, and she’d also sit on the bench and help her coach during soccer games.
A birthday to remember
McNair really wanted to be in school with her friends on her 16th birthday on Dec. 23, 2005. Usually her birthday falls during winter break, when there’s no school, but that year was an exception.
On the morning of her birthday that year, McNair’s mom – Jennifer Arnold – noticed that her daughter felt hot. So Arnold took her temperature. If McNair had a fever, that meant she’d have to go to the emergency room and would automatically be in the hospital for 24-48 hours. When Arnold came back, McNair’s sister was in the room.
“I didn’t think anything of it,” said Arnold. “I figured they had just been talking before Brittany’s sister went to school or something.”
Arnold looked at the thermometer and it read a normal temperature. Arnold made McNair take her temperature again, but this time she didn’t leave the room.
“The thermometer said she had a fever just like I thought,” Arnold said. “Brittany’s sister took her own temperature, and the girls tried to trick me!”
McNair’s friends ended up visiting her in the hospital and celebrated her birthday there.
It wasn’t the first time her friends or family were willing to intervene on McNair’s behalf.
“I don’t know why it was such a big deal.”
When McNair walked into the school cafeteria to take her regents exam, the proctor wouldn’t let her in because she was wearing a hat.
“I don’t know why it was such a big deal,” said McNair. “I guess they were worried I was going to hide notes in my hat or something.”
McNair refused to take off her hat. She didn’t want to tell the proctor that she was embarrassed of her bald head. Eventually, one of her friends stepped in and explained why McNair wanted to keep her hat on. The proctor let her into the cafeteria to take her test.
After she sat down, a different proctor also asked her to remove her hat. Again, she refused. This time, a math teacher intervened and said that she could keep her hat on.
That night, Arnold attended a basketball game to see Britany’s sister cheer. The same math teacher approached her and apologized. He hoped that her daughter did well on the test.
“Brittany hadn’t told me that anything had happened at the regents test so I was trying to think of what could have possibly happened,” said Arnold, adding that she was also thinking , ‘Well I’d be more concerned that she didn’t do well because of all the work she hasn’t been doing.”
It wasn’t the first time McNair fought requests to remove her hat.
Learning to embrace her bald head
Like most 16-year-olds, McNair was eager to get her driving permit. She went to the DMV to take the written test and after passing it, stood in line to have her picture taken for her license. The photographer told her to remove her hat. McNair refused.
“My dad started arguing with the people at the DMV to let me keep my hat on and eventually they did and took my picture,” said McNair. “After that, when people looked at my I.D., they were confused to see that I was wearing a hat.”
McNair was determined to learn to drive during her sophomore year. Since she was still relearning how to use her right leg, used two feet instead of one to apply the brakes or use the accelerator.
“Looking back on everything from when I was diagnosed and going through chemo, I would tell other people going through the same thing to take pictures and rock the bald head,” said McNair. “Those are the two things I wish I had done.
Non-traditional Christmas
Arnold thinks back fondly on Christmas that year. It was a few days after McNair’s birthday fever and she was still in the hospital. She and her husband agreed to bring both McNair and her sister three presents to open at the hospital; they could open the rest when McNair returned home.
“My husband and I made two trips from the hospital to the house and back to pick up more presents because the girls didn’t want it to end, they were having so much fun,” said Arnold.
Brittany, her father (David), and younger sister (Alexis) on Christmas Day. Alexis is now a Pediatric Oncology nurse at Golisano Children’s Hospital. She was inspired by the nurses who cared for Brittany.
When McNair came home on New Year’s Eve, her parents said she and her sister couldn’t open the rest of their presents until the next morning. They wanted the girls to have that feeling of waking up and seeing presents under the tree.
“The girls went to bed at 3 a.m. on New Year’s Eve and then woke up a few hours later to open presents,” said Arnold. “It wasn’t a traditional Christmas, but we made the most of it and that’s what made it so special. “
Changing the family dynamic
Mother and daughter smiled and laughed as they recalled those special memories. “Brittany’s cancer diagnosis definitely changed our family dynamic for the better,” said Arnold. “We’re all incredibly close and I love it.”
Brittany with her mother, Jennifer Arnold in September 2016.
McNair, now an avid runner, made her athletic comeback October 2014 running the Bandana Bolt 5K at Seneca Park, thanks in large part to 13thirty Cancer Connect’s fitness program. Her mom joined her for the race as a fellow runner.
“With this new awesome fitness program that I’ve been doing for a couple years now, I’m slowly regaining my strength in my leg, regaining confidence and regaining the old me that was that former athlete,” said McNair.
Living in upstate New York, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll end up trying to learn to ski or snowboard at some point. In my case, I had a boyfriend who grew up near a ski resort and raced his entire life, so I really didn’t have an option not to ski.
I started learning to ski at the ripe old age of 22. I clicked my boots into my first pair of skis as he showed me the ropes at our local ski hill, Toggenburg, in Fabius, Onondaga County. I was not a stellar student and a wee bit apprehensive. But after about six weeks, I perfected my “wedge”—the beginner stance in downhill skiing.
Feeling confident that I could handle anything with my practiced wedge, we ventured out to Utah with six friends. On our first day, we went to Snowbird, an absolutely beautiful ski resort. At 11,000 feet, it’s a big mountain! By comparison, the elevation at Toggenburg is 2,000 feet. As the skiing newbie, I trusted my crew of friends and my then boyfriend (my first mistake) as we started the first run at The Summit and a trail called the Cirque Traverse. The sign screamed “Cliffs Ahead-DANGER!” which should have been a big clue that I was in way over my head.
The Cirque Traverse was basically a single track trail at the very top of the mountain with a steep cliff to the left—not my preferred way down. To the right and my only way down was what skiers call a “bowl.” A bowl is basically a big, wide open, ungroomed, snow-covered cliff. Super!
Needless to say, there were a few choice words thrown around. I asked my beloved boyfriend, “How do I get into the bowl?” His answer: “You jump!”…. “I WHAT??!!!”
I figured my time on this planet was likely over. So, being the last one standing, I jumped into the bowl with my awesome wedge stance and was met with a lot of soft, fluffy snow. I had a blast, but I’m not sure I left much snow on the mountain. I quickly learned that the wedge stance works great on our hard, eastern coast snow, but it wasn’t the thing for thigh-deep powder skiing! After a lot of laughter and many falls later, I made it to the bottom and decided I’d let my boyfriend live.
This is a picture half-way down the upper Cirque bowl:
I married that nutty guy and had two kids who were also bitten by the ski racing bug. Over the past 15 years, we’ve spent a lot of time traveling around New York state and enjoying many of the local ski areas!
How to Get Started in Skiing and/or Snowboarding
Skiing and snowboarding are both excellent options to get you outside and active during the long upstate New York winters. Snowboarding is different from skiing in that you strap both feet into a single board to get down the hill. It melds skateboarding, surfing, skiing and sledding all into one.
Required Equipment
For skiing: skis, ski boots, bindings, poles, goggles and a helmet.
For snowboarding: a snowboard, snowboard boots, bindings, goggles and a helmet.
To go down the hill, you also have to get to the top beforehand! Depending on the ski area, you’ll be brought to the top by a chairlift, t-bars or tow ropes. Bigger ski resorts, like Whiteface in Lake Placid, have a gondola lift. Chairlifts and gondolas let you sit and rest while going up the hill and allow for a pretty, scenic view.
How to Know Which Downhill Trails to Use
The downhill trails vary from beginner to expert. These markings tell you the difficulty of each trail and are the same at all ski areas:
Ski areas are now going beyond traditional ways to get down the hill and are even providing terrain parks to challenge skiers and boarders with different obstacles, such as jumps, rails and half pipes. I’m in awe of people who ski and board in the terrain park, because they make it look so easy! If I attempted any of these, I would definitely be on the ground and all of my equipment strewn around me on the hill—what we call a “yard sale” in skiing.
New York State has more than 50 ski and snowboarding areas. Most provide equipment rentals and lessons for skiing and snowboarding. These can be group lessons or private lessons. All you need to bring is yourself and your winter coat, snow pants, gloves, hat and a wallet.
In upstate New York, there are a number of excellent areas where you can ski and snowboard.
A little more local to Utica includes:
A little to our south, The Catskill Mountains have:
For me, there’s nothing better than arriving at the top of a mountain on a crystal clear, sunny day in winter and enjoying the view! Even after my husband and kids have ditched me and are racing down the hill, I am completely content to take my time and enjoy the scenery. I’m glad that I added skiing to my winter activities and learned to ski. It gets me outside and exercising with my family and I’m able to experience some of the most stellar views in our state.
If you are looking for something fun to do during our long, snowy winters, head to your local ski/snowboard area. Just be prepared to fall.
I’m a bit obsessive about looking for new ways to save money. When I buy a new car, I research it to death. Consumer Reports® is my friend. I work hard for my money and I want to stretch every dollar so that I can save for retirement, take nice vacations and be able to buy gifts for my loved ones.
Don’t get me wrong; I know that you get what you pay for, but if making smart choices puts money in my pocket, I’m all for it.
Take health care. There are lots of ways you can save on prescriptions, “earn” money by practicing healthy behaviors or get health care services for free. Here are a few things I do to keep more money in my pocket.
Healthy Is as Healthy Does
Be healthy. Earn $$. Does your insurance company have a way for you to earn money for practicing healthy behaviors? Mine does. I can earn up to $500 a year and my spouse can, too, for completing a health assessment, recording how much I exercise daily and practicing healthy behaviors, e.g., not smoking. (Many health plans cover smoking cessation programs; New York has a Smokers’ Quitline.)
Money for the gym. Some insurers may offer a benefit that helps pay for a gym membership or kits to workout at home. Check your policy to see what’s available to you.
Weight-loss help. My company also offers a free weight management program. Last year, I decided to bite the bullet and lose the extra 20 pounds I’d been lugging around the last 15 years. Thanks to the program’s support and tools, I met my goal. I’m delighted that I can now wear clothing that’s two sizes smaller and that losing the weight means less stress on my knees. Under your health insurance plan, you may be eligible for weight-loss counseling. Many companies offer weight-loss programs and classes in nutrition.
Free Is Better
No-cost services. Most insurance plans cover flu shots at no cost. Some companies offer free flu shots to their employees and even provide them in the workplace. The cost of not getting sick? Priceless.
For a list of no-cost preventive health services specific for adults, women and children, check out HealthCare.gov. All Marketplace health plans and many others must cover specific preventive services without charging a co-pay or co-insurance, even if you haven’t met your yearly deductible. However, these services are free only when a doctor or other provider in your plan’s network covers them.
My company provides an annual free health screening that uses a simple blood test to check my cholesterol and lipid levels. I have the results sent to my personal physician so she has a copy.
If I meet my yearly goal, I get an extra $20 in my biweekly paycheck. That’s $520 a year to offset my health insurance premium. By participating in the screening, some employees have been alerted to serious health problems, such as diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Those who have taken the knowledge to heed are working with their personal physicians to improve their health.
Medicine Meets George Jetson!
FaceTime your doc. The Jetsons was one of my favorite childhood cartoons. The space-age TV cartoon with its video phones seemed so cool and so far out of reach. Today, talking “face to face” via smartphones and computers is commonplace. Even a doctor visit by Skype™ or FaceTime is possible. Last year, my insurer began offering a telemedicine benefit. If I have a minor illness or injury and can’t see my personal physician right away or it’s after hours, I can talk with or video conference a board-certified doctor who participates in our telemedicine program. My plan’s co-pay for the telemedicine visit is not only less than a doctor visit or urgent care center co-pay, but a lot less than I would shell out for an emergency room visit.
The cost of an emergency room visit for a minor condition like a sinus infection, for example, can be 15 times the cost of a telemedicine visit, according to research from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. Unless you have a serious medical emergency, who wants to wait for hours in a crowded ER and be exposed to who knows what germs?
Convenient? You bet! I’ve used telemedicine twice—once for a cut on my thumb that was slow healing and again for a skin rash. Because I used FaceTime, the doctor could see my cut and rash. Both times, the doctor faxed the prescriptions to my local pharmacy where they were available in an hour.
I wish telemedicine had been around when my son was a child and subject to frequent ear infections. I remember taking him to the ER for an earache in the wee hours of the morning. How much easier it would have been to use telemedicine instead of waiting for hours for the ER doctor to examine him. (“Cry louder, Andy, maybe that will get the doctor in here sooner.”) Did I mention it was in the middle of winter so we not only had to go out in the dark of night, but also had to bundle up and fight the snow?
Even if your health plan does not offer this benefit, you can still use a telemedicine service. If you’re paying out of pocket, check to see how much a one-time visit will cost. Considering the convenience and time saved, it may be worth it to you.
Of course, seeing your personal physician is preferable, but if you can’t, telemedicine is a great alternative.
So, do as I do. Get a pill minder and fill it every week. Then, I don’t have to wonder, “Did I take my pills this morning?” If I’m not sure, I might skip that day’s dose or take a double dose—either way could be harmful to my health. So, if it’s Tuesday and my pill “slot” for that day is empty, I have one less thing to worry about.
Consider generic drugs. I’m also one for using less expensive store brands, say Wegmans paper towels over Bounty. Same holds true for prescriptions. If I can get a generic alternative to its brand name counterpart, count me in.
Generic drugs are as safe and effective as the brand, but usually cost less. The difference in co-pays can be substantial, especially if you have a chronic condition, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Next time you visit your doctor or pharmacist and are placing or refilling a prescription, ask if there is a generic alternative. You might want to try the substitution for a month to make sure the generic version is right for you. Most insurance plans have pharmacy benefits representatives who can help you find ways to get your prescriptions at the most economical cost. (Here’s what the FDA has to say about generics: Savings From Generic Drugs.)
Have your prescriptions delivered to your home.Home delivery of your prescriptions is not only convenient but may save you money. Often, you can fill three months’ worth of prescriptions for the cost of two. Check with your insurance company to see whether they offer this benefit and if you would save money The savings can really add up—I like to figure out how much on a yearly basis. So, if my co-pay is $25 and I’m getting 12 months of pills for the cost of eight, I’ll be ahead by $100 a year. Cha-Ching!
Talk Is Cheap
Avoid unneeded tests, drugs, and services. Smart health decisions start with a discussion between you and your doctor. A nationwide initiative developed by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, Choosing Wisely promotes conversations between doctors and patients about the most appropriate care based on an individual’s situation.
In the meantime, here are five questions to ask your doctor before receiving any treatment, procedure or medication:
Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Do I really need this test or procedure?
What are the risks?
Are there simpler, safer options?
What happens if I don’t do anything?
How much does it cost?
The Gift of Health
Ask for healthy gifts. I’m at a point in my life where I don’t need more “things.” In fact, I’m trying to get rid of stuff. So when family members ask me what I’d like for my birthday or Christmas, I suggest gift certificates to my massage therapist or yoga studio or gift cards I can redeem for yoga apparel.
What Ways Do You Save?
Use our Comments section to tell us and other readers how you save money while staying healthy.
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About Us
We know that a health and wellness blog can mean so many different things to people. For us at A Healthier Upstate, it means sharing health and wellness expertise, news and trends for every phase of life—from fertility and pregnancy to raising kids to end-of-life issues, while creating a network of support. We hope our educational resources, know-how and practical tips will help readers become the best version of themselves.
We look forward to growing a community of active readers who are excited to share in the journey to create a healthier upstate New York. | {
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Animated map shows the most religious states in America
Gallup interviewed nearly 175,000 residents across the country in 2016 to determine how religious people were in each state. Over 480 interviews were conducted in each state with more than 1,000 interviews in most states. Based on the interviews, people were classified as "very religious," "moderately religious," and "nonreligious." | {
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I could really use one on sand blotter layers under slabs and their effect on moisture testing and reequilibration of slab moisture.
We could go the the BVI and study sand up close.... Maybe pour a bottle of beer on it and see how long it takes to dissipate. We could write off the trip, the hotel and the beer!!!
I have worked on projects where half the building is placed on a sand blotter and half was not. I was able to do core testing and moisture testing and see the effects first hand under exact conditions.
The biggest problem with a sand blotter (I think) is the fact that it removes the vapor retarder from direct contact with the slab. Doing this allows any moisture that penetrates the vapor retarder to accumulate and spread under the slab.
A 3/4" hole in a vapor retarder in contact with the concrete slab will not be a problem. A 3/4" hole in a vapor retarder under a blotter layer can be devastating.
How about a video of why one takes the slab surface temp... And then Wagner can sell a laser thermometer.
How about a video on light weight concrete/gypsum concrete moisture testing.
How about a video going over the error factor in Wagner probes. With many new adhesives going above 90% rh I forsee contractors saying that a test while high is within the plus minus error range.
How about a video on moisture content of laminate wood flooring.
Nice job Jason and Wagner! Nice videos! I'll be fielding questions at the bar tonight that weren't answered by Ardex, they went over the RH a bit quickly and left guys wondering about proper depth and where to place probes, and a couple guys were at break saying the probes would be great for commercial work, but residential sure wouldn't use them. I talked a bit to those guys and will work on them some more. Even placing a couple probes will help them immensely!!! I'll just send Jason the bar bill for my time spent discussing RH probes.
Anyway we went into Ardex's training room and who do I see but Peter working on a top secret concrete issue.... (I'll deny I saw him if anyone asks)... so we chatted a bit and I asked him out to dinner with us. Hopefully he can come, he was working on a pretty cool project in typical Craig fashion, with nuts and bolts and hammers and bags of stone together with micrometers and precision measuring equipment... | {
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Published in Print: February 29, 2012, as Educators in Search of Common-Core Resources
Educators in Search of Common-Core Resources
From left: Tamara Reavis, Dan Englender, and Janice Nolan are among the District of Columbia teachers and administrators who meet each month to discuss the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Educators nationwide say they are frustrated by a lack of curriculum materials.
As states and districts begin the work of turning common academic standards into curriculum and instruction, educators searching for teaching resources are often finding that process frustrating and fruitless.
Teachers and curriculum developers who are trying to craft road maps that reflect the Common Core State Standards can find themselves in a dispiriting bind: Their current materials fall short, and there is a dearth of good new ones to fill the void.
“Teachers are struggling, and very few people are helping. Almost nothing is available for them to use,” said Aaron Grossman, a former 5th and 6th grade teacher in Nevada’s Washoe County district who now works at the district office writing curriculum.
Many school leaders are finding a rough road as well.
Greg Netzer, the principal of Van Horn High School in Independence, Mo., said he hasn’t heard much from his district about new curriculum. Teachers at his school have banded together to search for material to inform course development and meet weekly to discuss and share what they’ve found.
Tamara Reavis, an official in the District of Columbia state superintendent’s office, takes part in a monthly meeting of a task force set up to carry out the Common Core State Standards in the district’s
classrooms. Educators nationwide are frustrated by what they say is a scarcity of curricular materials
aligned with the English/language arts and math standards.
—Andrew Councill for Education Week
“There seems to be very little out there, or it’s just not in places we can find it,” Mr. Netzer said. “To say we are prepared for common core would be a misconception.”
Such frustrations are widespread. A report last fall by the Washington-based Center on Education Policy found school districts divided about how much curriculum change was truly required and reluctant to move forward with common-standards implementation, in part because of inadequate guidance from their states. In an Education Week webinar on the common standards last summer, the question most frequently asked by the 1,600 participants was where to find instructional resources for the new standards, which cover K-12 English/language arts and mathematics and have been adopted by all but four states.
Ironically, educators’ frustrations take shape during an unprecedented buzz of activity to build knowledge about the standards and prepare resources for them. States and districts are bringing educators together to discuss the fundamental shifts demanded by the standards, which were unveiled in 2010. Advocacy groups and architects of the standards are holding workshops and posting documents and videos on the Web to illustrate new ways of thinking about and teaching what many now call simply “the core.”
But those messages have yet to reach everyone, and the resources and discussions taking shape online can be tough to locate.
Not everyone supports the new standards, however. And some educators who don’t are quite content with the complications of the current landscape.
“People at my school are looking for new stuff, but I just sit in those meetings and nod. I’m not getting involved,” said a Colorado English/language arts teacher who asked that her name be withheld to avoid sparking the ire of her school’s leaders. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s better if we just keep doing what we know works, instead of jumping at every new thing just because someone decides it should work.”
Assembling Resources
The states that have adopted the standards—and districts in those states—have been responding to the need for knowledge and resources in a variety of ways. Ohio’s model curriculum for the standards is drawing attention. Sample instructional units and other resources on New York state’s engageny.org website have been widely used. Officials from the largest school districts have been meeting, through the Council of the Great City Schools, to help one another craft curricula.
Educators from across state lines are flocking to resources that Kansas created to help teachers evaluate the complexity of texts. Through “summer academies” that convened teachers from across the state, the Kansas education department began to build a storehouse of model lesson plans and other resources forged by its own teachers.
“We wanted to carve out a space for teachers to say what they’ve created or found useful,” said Matt Copeland, an English/language arts and literacy consultant to the state education department. “It’s wonderful. But it can be a double-edged sword, because teachers can be overwhelmed with information.”
Sharing news of its resources with a national organization of state English/language arts coordinators generated a “buzz” about the site, Mr. Copeland said, and Kansas watched other states pick up and build on its work. “We saw what a great opportunity for state collaboration it was,” he said.
Louisiana, one of the states that made use of Kansas’ text-complexity work, teamed up with Kansas last month for a webinar on that topic hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers, which helped spearhead the common-core initiative with the National Governors Association. Within three weeks, it had been viewed by 2,200 people, according to the CCSSO.
Subject-matter groups have been creating resources for teachers. The National Council of Teachers of English, which has taken a neutral stance on the new standards, has issued a series of four books that guide teachers in lesson planning for the standards and highlight stories of how teachers thought through their own approaches. The organization has also hosted webinars and offers expert members as consultants to schools.
The NCTE has also joined with the International Reading Association, the two national teachers’ unions, and other groups to form a coalition that will provide policymakers and practitioners with the “informed, independent, and, when possible, collaborative perspectives” of teachers on the transition to the new standards, said Barbara Cambridge, the director of the NCTE’s Washington office.
The major mathematics education groups formed the Math Common Core Coalition, which is building resources into its website, including guidance on choosing or writing math curricula and a series of explanatory videos featuring lead writers of the math standards.
The coalition’s website also includes widely used links to two other projects by architects of the math standards: the Illustrative Mathematics Project, which offers examples of tasks for each standard in each domain and grade level, and draft math “progressions,” which describe how knowledge builds through the grades in each topic.
A Valuable Gap
Even as such resources can help educators shape curriculum, they can’t address the need some feel to have lesson plans available immediately, said Mike Shaughnessy, the president of the Reston, Va.-based National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, one of the Math Common Core Coalition members.
“Teachers want something right away, but I say, ‘Look, this is going to take some time. We have to stay the course.’ Lots of folks are working on this, and there will be some good things,” he said. “But it will take some time.”
The schism between demand and supply, however frustrating, is productive, said Michael D. Casserly, the executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, a Washington group that represents the nation’s largest school districts.
“This period has value, even though it appears chaotic, because it forces people to get into the guts of the standards and what they mean,” he said. “The weight of the lift involved here is so substantial that it’s not realistic to think there are going to be extensive materials out there just yet.”
Some of the most abundant and easiest-to-find resources for the common standards come from the major educational publishers.
McGraw-Hill School Education, for instance, has produced supplements that teachers can use with their existing reading programs to meet the common standards, said Dan Caton, the division’s president. It is also writing new reading programs based on the standards, he said.
On the math side, McGraw-Hill has revised such programs as Everyday Math and also published new ones based on the standards, such as the elementary-level My Math, Mr. Caton said. In addition, the company has created explanatory materials that are intended to “unpack and demystify” the standards for teachers.
Education companies have been dogged by skepticism about how truly their materials embody the common standards, however. Many issued statements within a month or two of the standards’ final release, claiming their materials were “aligned” to or “compliant” with the common core.
One teacher told Education Week that the publisher of his district’s basal-reader program sent information to the district explaining how each lesson in the program reflected the standards. But when he and a colleague studied and compared them, the two concluded that “what we had on our hands was something entirely different, that it wasn’t just a matter of rejiggering things.”
The teacher asked that he and the publisher not be named to avoid damaging his district’s relations with the publisher.
Mr. Caton said McGraw-Hill has been careful to make distinctions between materials that were created to bridge gaps between existing resources and the common core and those that were “built from the ground up” to reflect the standards.
Lead Writers Expand Role
The chief writers of the common standards are playing an expanding role, meanwhile, in building the storehouse of help for the standards. One, William McCallum, a University of Arizona math professor, is leading the Illustrative Mathematics Project and sharing its progress through his blog. Another math writer, Jason Zimba, is co-leading work on the draft progressions.
Mr. Zimba and two of the lead English/language arts standards writers, David Coleman and Susan Pimentel, launched a new website last month, achievethecore.org, through the New York City-based nonprofit they founded, Student Achievement Partners, that will serve as a repository of sparingly chosen free resources. ("GE Foundation Gives Grant For Common-Core Work," Feb. 8, 2012.)
Among the website’s starting stock of tools are guides to “close reading” and creating text-dependent questions—both key emphases in the new standards—and a delineation of the core areas of math focus in each grade. Mr. Coleman said Student Achievement Partners will work with teachers across the country to develop and post additional resources.
It includes explanatory materials about the standards, such as guides for parents, implementation workbooks for state policymakers, and resources that bear directly on teaching, such as instructional tools being created by math and literacy “design collaboratives” and tried in eight states, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (The Gates Foundation also helps underwrite coverage of business and innovation in Education Week.)
“We’re trying to share high-quality resources as widely as possible,” said Chris Minnich, the interim director of the CCSSO’s standards, assessment, and accountability initiative. The organization won’t be crafting instructional materials, said Margaret Millar, who co-leads the group’s common-standards work, preferring instead to focus on being a convenor of state officials, teachers, principals’ groups, and professional-development groups for those purposes.
The two groups of states that are designing tests for the new standards are also working on instructional resources, but few are complete. The Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, has produced content frameworks that could guide teachers and curriculum developers. It plans an online resource center that will hold an array of tools, such as model instructional units and released assessment tasks.
The other state test-design group, the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium, is working on its own version of a digital library, including written and videotaped instructional exemplars and training to help teachers understand and use formative-assessment techniques.
Later this year, the Council of the Great City Schools plans to release guides to help teachers “scaffold” the standards for English-learners and use response-to-intervention techniques in teaching the standards, Mr. Casserly said.
Much of the push to produce common-core resources is—and should be—about changing teaching, said Barbara A. Kapinus, a senior policy analyst at the National Education Association.
“Many conversations about ‘creating resources’ are really about professional development,” she said. “What we need is not a bunch of lesson plans online. It’s not a simple matter of step A, step B, then step C.
“Teachers really have to monitor kids’ progress and understand the development of their thinking,” Ms. Kapinus said. “It’s a complex array of skills, not just ‘finding the main idea.’ Many teachers have not been teaching kids to do the things that these standards require, so they don’t know how. What we need is really responsive teaching, and support for that.”
Coverage of “deeper learning” that will prepare students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world is supported in part by a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, at www.hewlett.org.
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The Massachusetts Operational Service Division (OSD) has asked BTEA again to promote the 3 Tradespersons Statewide Contracts. They want to identify union contractors available to bid on some small to mid-size state contracts for trade services required by state facilities.
Interested in this opportunity? If you are, please read over the flyer below!
Kindly be advised that the Massachusetts Operational Service Division (OSD) has informed the BTEA about Tradespersons Statewide Contracts coming March 1st! The aim is to provide regional coverage for trade services required by state facilities. This process will begin by soliciting bidders for the services below (UNSPSC codes in parentheses):
Boiler Services (72-15-10)
Drain Services (70-17-18)
Electrician Services (72-15-15)
Fencing (72-15-40)
General Contractors (72-11-11)
Generator/Turbine Services (72-15-43)
Glass/Window/Doors (72-15-24)
HVAC/Sheet Metal Services (72-15-12)
Painting Services (72-15-13)
Plumbing Services (72-15-11)
OSD will be posting this initial Tradespersons Statewide Contract TRD01 bidding opportunity by March 1st in COMMBUYS, the state’s online procurement portal. TRD01 introduces this first wave of Statewide Contract trade categories, with many additional trade categories to be posted in the coming months. Attached is an informational flyer on TRDO1.
Interested in this opportunity? If you are, please follow the steps below so you are notified when the procurement process begins.
If you are new to COMMBUYS:
Interested vendors must take action toward becoming a Statewide Contractor by registering as a vendor in COMMBUYS. Set up a COMMBUYS business profile – free of charge – to be able to receive solicitation notices in your areas of interest; submit quotes; and, if awarded a contract, transact business with the Commonwealth and other public entities. For assistance, download the vendor registration job aid. For businesses that may be eligible to participate in the Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP), be sure to review the SBPP application job aid.
To receive updates about the Statewide Contract TRD01 bidding opportunity:
This step is critical to receiving additional information. Interested TRD01 bidders must acknowledge the bid in COMMBUYS to receive future TRD01 email updates from COMMBUYS. Notifications will include the posting of the TRD01 Request for Response (RFR) documents, expected over the next few weeks. To acknowledge the bid, vendors must login to COMMBUYS, navigate to the TRD01 posting (Using the Advanced Search, enter TRD01 in the Bid Description field), and select “Yes” on the Acknowledge Receipt and View Solicitation window.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us or the Operational Services Division directly and speak with either the COMMBUYS Help Desk or Contract Manager Betty Fernandez at (617) 720-3133.
Large buildings and high energy buildings must better ASHRAE 90.1 by 10%
There is no standard energy code nationwide, so states use a various codes depending on their local regulations. With this change, Massachusetts will join other states like Vermont and Washington who are notably efficient under the 2015 codes, while California and Florida continue using 2012 codes.
The map above depicts state by state residential energy codes. Massachusetts will switch from blue (IECC 2012) to green (IECC 2015) with these changes. | {
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Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Acreo AB, a Swedish Research Institute developing broadband technologies and a partner in several European Union projects relating to broadband technology, has tested Alloptic's Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Networks (GEPONs) technology in its National Broadband Testbed. The testing was part of a program led by Ericsson LME, who acted as systems integrator for the Alloptic equipment and provided the passive network infrastructure. http://www.alloptic.com/ | {
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Montenegro
Featured Publications
The United States Institute of Peace’s Truth Commissions Digital Collection is part of the Margarita S. Studemeister Digital Library in International Conflict Management. The collection contains profiles of truth commissions and substantive bodies of inquiry from nations worldwide - offering general background information on the composition of each body, links to the official legislative texts establishing such commissions, and each commission's final reports and findings.
As concerns grow about Bosnia's post-war recovery, USIP presents its fourth report on recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina and various options the U.S. government, Europe and Bosnia could pursue to prevent a return to violence there. In his paper, author Jim O'Brien, who served as the presidential envoy for the Balkans in the 1990s, cautions against taking a big initiative in Bosnia to head off a future crisis, but rather advocates taking on many, smaller battles that will ultimately...
Ted Feifer and Mike Lekson of the Education and Training Center/ International conducted the Institute's sixth workshop on negotiation skills in multilateral diplomacy for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, May 14-16, 2008. | {
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Creating an interdiff
Last updated February 18, 2015.
What is an interdiff and why it is useful?
An interdiff is a text file in patch format that describes the changes between two versions of a patch. Using interdiffs is a best practice that saves time and reduces tedium for reviewers by allowing them to focus on just the changes introduced in patch iterations. You should supply one whenever you update a significant patch in the issue queues (it will be ignored by the Drupal.org Testbots, so make sure that you always upload the full patch too).
Why using interdiff and not just simply diffing two patches?
An interdiff tells you whether lines removed in the second patch were added in the first patch, and similarly, whether lines added in the second patch were removed in the first patch. Simply diffing the two commits does not provide this information, forcing the reviewer to consult the original patch or current source to determine whether this is the case.
Make interdiff ignored by the testbot
If you use .diff extension for interdiff add do-not-test before the .diff. Final pattern will be interdiff-[issue_id]-[old_comment_number]-[new_comment_number]-do-not-test.diff.
For example: interdiff-999999-91-92-do-not-test.diff
If you already have the patch created, try switching back to the main branch and creating the new branch from there and then applying the patch. Otherwise you will get conflicts trying to apply the updated patch to the updated code (from the original patch). | {
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"Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Communication."; Thesis advisor: Yanan Ju.; M.S.,Central Connecticut State University,,2014.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-37).
"Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in International and Area Studies."; Thesis advisor: Ghassan El-Eid.; M.S.,Central Connecticut State University,,2013.; Includes bibliographical references...
"Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geography."; Thesis advisor: Cynthia Pope.; M.S.,Central Connecticut State University,,2014.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-128).
When World War II ended, the economic infrastructure of the United States remained intact, allowing her to emerge from the war as the world's leading economic power. It was there that the devastated countries of Europe looked to obtain the...
Democracy--Morocco; Islam and politics--Morocco; Morocco--Politics and government--21st century
In most Arabs and Muslims countries, the 1990`s witnessed a vibrant movement by individuals and groups that advocate through non-government organizations (NGO) good governance, transparency and the rule of law. NGOs can be defined as non-civilians...
Tourism-oriented non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are becoming increasingly relevant as an alternative and legitimate source of development aid to many developing countries since the turn of the twenty-first century. Many NGOs based in the...
During the 1980's, Latin America was one of the major concerns of the U.S. foreign policy. Countries like Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Colombia had unstable governments and civil war created a clear and present danger to the national security of the...
Attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) is clearly on top of the agendas of most countries. All countries find it more difficult to stay competitive without FDI, which sustains growth: financial capital, management skills, technology, access to...
The introduction of the Euro on 1 January 2002 created a new element of uniformity and extended the capabilities of the European Union. Through a lengthy process of trials, failures, and breakthroughs, which spanned from the European Union’s...
"Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Science in International Studies."; Thesis advisor: Shen Xiaoping.; M.S.,Central Connecticut State University,,2014.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves...
"Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Data Mining."; Thesis advisor: Darius M. Dziuda.; M.S.,Central Connecticut State University,,2014.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-64).
Charles de Gaulle, who knew his people well, once said: "Every Frenchman
wants to benefit from one or several privileges. It is his way of affirming his
passion for equality".
Charles de Gaulle understood what his people were like. From the times...
"Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in International Studies."; Thesis advisor: Evelyn Phillips.; M.S.,Central Connecticut State University,,2013.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves...
"Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Art in International Studies."; Thesis advisor: Peter A. Kyem.; M.A.,Central Connecticut State University,,2013.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-54).
In Africa, and especially the Great Lakes region of the continent, conflict between groups and nations has been on the rise for some time. This has led to the displacement of people and massive loss of lives and property. The conflict is also a...
Normally public opinion about the Islamic religion is often negative. The Muslim people are seen as violent oppressors of women. Although it may be true in some countries, the fact is Muslim people represent a variety of societies and communities...
This study describes the difference between elementary mathematics education in Russia and the United States. What can we learn from Russian mathematics education? The thesis presents that the main source of Russian achievements in mathematics...
The purpose of this study is to compare kindergarten teachers' perspectives regarding literacy education in S. Korea and the U.S.A; the need for literacy education, who drives that need, the level of expected achievement, teaching time, teachers'... | {
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Swimsuit Favorites
It’s no secret that I love one piece swimsuits. My friends always cringe when I say that I’m wearing one instead of a bikini, but I absolutely love the feeling of not being self conscious in a swimsuit – especially if I’m drinking or eating at the pool. I got a TON of questions about where I got my new favorite suit from when I posted a photo on Instagram this weekend – so I’ve decided to dedicate a whole post to it.
This suit was only $27 from Forever 21, but unfortunately it’s one of those pieces they stock in-store and don’t have online. In lieu of this, I’m sharing my tips for finding a one piece that’s flattering and sexy, since they seem to still have a bad rep.
I’m currently the proud owner of 3 one piece swimsuits – and I usually opt for them over my bikinis for various reasons:
Being in a swimsuit in front of other people can be a hard thing – while I fully appreciate and support the self-love movement, I’m just more comfortable in front of people I don’t know when my stomach is covered up
One pieces are more statement-making than a bikini – sure, it seems like that’s contradicting my first point, but I think it takes a confident person to pull off a swimsuit that’s traditionally been dubbed as matronly, and when you’re not busy worrying about sucking in your gut every 5 seconds, your swagger definitely rises a few notches
YOU CAN EAT IN ONE PIECE SWIMSUITS AND NOT HATE YOURSELF! I love grilling out at the pool and of course – indulging in poolside beverages. I tend to bloat whenever I eat something as healthy and as small as an apple, so I love that one pieces offer enough support and distraction around my midsection to take away from this problem
Now that I’ve convinced you how amazing this type of swimwear is – here are some tips to keep in mind when shopping for your own:
Opt for thicker fabrics with a busy print – this will disguise any areas you’re uncomfortable with
Look for suits with interesting details – like cut-outs, lace up tops, off the shoulder necklines, exposed backs, etc. This keeps your look less swim team practice – more fashionista
As much as you may hate the idea at first, opt for a smaller cut bottom and higher cut on the hips – you might feel like a Kardashian, but I promise you that this cut will be the most flattering and elongate you from head to toe | {
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Workers set up a bamboo scaffolding at a construction site in Shanghai, April 13, 2016. Photo: JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images
A Chinese flag is seen in front of the financial district of Pudong in Shanghai, Jan. 19, 2016. Photo: Reuters/Aly Song
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China will report its first-quarter gross domestic product data at 10:00 p.m. EDT Thursday, and analysts expect the world’s second-largest economy to have grown at a record low pace of 6.7 percent in the three-month period ending March 31. If the predictions bear out, it would be the slowest quarterly growth the country has witnessed since the first quarter of 2009, when the economy, reeling under the effects of the financial crisis, grew 6.2 percent.
“We expect first-quarter real GDP growth to edge down to 6.7 percent year on year from 6.8 percent in fourth quarter, with modestly slower growth in both secondary and tertiary sectors,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts said in a report.
In 2015, China’s GDP growth slowed to a 25-year low of 6.9 percent, as uncertainty over the central bank’s monetary policy, drops in exports and factory overcapacity hit investor sentiment. Beijing’s decision to shift the economy’s gears from manufacturing to consumption also adversely affected last year's GDP.
However, recent economic data has offered a sliver of hope, suggesting that the country’s battered economy may be heading toward a semblance of stability.
In March, for instance, China’s exports rose 11.5 percent year-on-year in dollar terms — the first increase in nine months and up from a 25.4 percent decline in February. Additionally, inflation — as measured by the consumer price index — held steady at 2.3 percent, while the official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index, a key gauge of economic activity, rose to 50.2 last month from 49 in February.
Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund also upgraded China’s growth estimate by 0.2 percentage points to bring it in line with the lower end of Beijing’s forecast of 6.5 to 7 percent GDP growth in 2016.
“If there is any disappointment in the GDP figure, markets will expect more stimulus to be carried out by the central bank in order to achieve their targeted 6.5 to 7 percent growth. Any sign of weakness could probably lead to more room for monetary policy, for example, another round of reserve ratio requirement cut,” Margaret Yang, a market analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore, told Channel NewsAsia. | {
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Keywords
Reduced administration fees when taking this property through cavender sales and lettings- This stunning period property has been finished to an extremely high standard throughout. The ground floor offers three large reception rooms, modern kitchen ...
A wonderful opportunity for students to rent a lovely four bedroom house, finished to a very high standard. Offered to the market on a furnished bases and ready to move in at the end of August. To view, please call us to book your appointment for the ...
411
Inspired by London are proud to present a brand new modern 4 bedroom apartment in the heart of Farnborough over looking Meads Shopping centre. Do not miss this opportunity to have it all right on your door step.
Perfectly positioned in the town centre a four bedroom maisonette for rent. This property boasts good size rooms with natural light . Within walking distance to all shops, leisure amenities... ** Property Reference: 355487 **
Located within a mile of Walton and Weybridge town centres and within the catchment area of many local schools, Leaders are proud to present this spacious four bedroom apartment situated in a secluded and tranquil area of Oatlands Village. The ...
4
This superb and huge 1481sqft four double bedroom maisonette is located just yards from 'The Epsom Downs' home to the Derby. The property is split over three floors, with the ground floor comprising of a large entrance hall with office(suitable as a ...
** students welcome ** A spacious 4 Double Bedroom Two Story maisonette with large kitchen diner, recently refurbished and part furnished to a high standard. Short walk to local shops and transport links. £103.85 p/w per Tenant.
**Temporary Student Discount - 50% Off on Tenancy Set Up Fee** *student property for 2018/2019*A four bedroom student property ideally located for the main gate of rhul. The property boasts a very large double room, a further large double room., one ...
**Temporary Student Discount - 50% Off on Tenancy Set Up Fee** *student property for 2018/2019* A unique split level property comprising of 4 double bedrooms all benefiting from en-suite bathrooms with shared communal kitchen. The property is within ...
411
This Three/ Four bedroom maisonette is situated within a short distance walk of local shops, amenities and Surbiton mainline station. The first floor comprises a spacious lounge/bedroom, large kitchen/breakfast room and modern bathroom. Second floor offer | {
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About
Learn more about musician, concert accordionist Iosif Purits, including his successful career
Born into a family of acclaimed Russian classical accordionists, Iosif Purits is renowned for his effortless mastery of the instrument and profound musical sensitivity. He is a prizewinner of thirty international competitions, and boasts a truly international career with appearances at concert venues including Carnegie Hall (USA), Wigmore Hall (UK), Vienna Konzerthaus (Austria), George Western Recital Hall (Canada), and The Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory (Russia).
Iosif will commence this season with a 22-date tour across Russia and Siberia in trio with cello and guitar, culminating in a recital at the Vienna Konzerthaus for Jeunesse. In Autumn 2018 Iosif’s solo programme features his own groundbreaking arrangement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, which will be showcased in recitals across France, Israel, Slovakia, and the UK. Iosif’s innovative klezmer ensemble Puritz Band will perform recitals across Russia, including the 30th Moscow International Accordion Festival. In duo with cellist Cecilia Bignal, he will premiere new works by Freya Willey-Cohen, William Marsey, and Liz Morrison, for ListenPony in London and Cardiff.
Iosif came to prominence as recipient of the coveted Royal Academy of Music Patrons Award offering a Wigmore Hall debut to the most outstanding student across all instrumental departments, and prize-winner of the Arts Club Karl Jenkins Classical Music Award. He was the BBC’s first ever Introducing Classical Artist which led to showcase performances on BBC Radio 3, the Cheltenham Music Festival, Latitude Festival, and Southbank Centre.
Iosif’s extensive repertoire ranges from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier to Messiaen’s Dieu Parmi nous and Lindberg’s Metal Work. Distinguished not only as a solo performer but also as an enthusiastic chamber music collaborator, he has established duo partnerships with cellist Cecilia Bignall, guitarist Andrey Lebedev, and clarinetist Mikhail Mering.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Purits seeks to bring together the head and the heart as a arranger. He believes that every arrangement should retain the core of the composer’s idea but offer a distinct perspective on the music. In this capacity, his arrangements, including Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata, Bach’s Goldberg Variations for guitar and accordion and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Suite for clarinet and accordion have been showcased to critical acclaim at the Wigmore Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, the Two Moors Festival, and Moscow Philharmonic Hall.
Iosif was the first ever Russian child to win the under-12 category at one of the most prestigious accordion competitions in the world in Klingenthal (Germany) where 13 years later his repeat success in becoming the winner of the main category at the 50th anniversary competition was described as “ensuring his place in history”. At the age of 8 Iosif entered the International competition «Classica Nova» in Germany where he became a prize-winner. Since then his numerous awards have included seventeen 1st prizes at international contests such as Competition of Accordionists in Сastelfidardo (Italy), Arrasate Hiria (Spain) and Trophee Mondial (USA).
Iosif was awarded a full scholarship for postgraduate studies at Royal Academy of Music where he studied under Owen Murray and graduated with Regency Award in 2017. He was a student of Friedrich Lips at the Gnesins Academy of Music and Andrey Ledenev at the Moscow Schnittke College of Music. He is grateful for the support he has received from the ABRSM, Hattori Foundation, Drake Calleja Trust, Spivakov Charity Foundation, New Names Charity Foundation, the Future of Russia Foundation. | {
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Kangaroo Wrestling Camping Game
Kangaroo Wrestling Camping Game
This Game is meant for older campers.Decide for yourself if it is appropriate for your younger campers or not.
Preparation:
Mark off a 8 or 10 foot diameter circle
Notes:
This can be fairly rough, but there's not much risk of injury.
Instructions:
Leader numbers off campers.All campers stand around the circle in any order.Leader calls out two numbers and those two campers enter the ring to wrestle.Before entering the ring, each kangaroo must cross his arms over his chest and hop on one foot.A kangaroo loses if:
second foot touches the ground.
arms come uncrossed.
steps out of the ring.
Wrestling is done by bouncing into each other - no grabbing with hands. | {
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The flavor with a kick!
Pika Sauce is an all-natural pepper based sauce crafted to enhance the taste of every meal. With its healthy and flavorful kick, Pika Sauce is poised to become
the leading alternative to today’s most common table condiments.
Pika Sauce is the perfect product to pour over anything.
Testimonials
“Just got my pika and already ate 1/3 of the jar….addictive!”
-Ricardo Cao Trillos
-
“Pika Sauce goes great on anything. I have dreams about how amazing it is.” | {
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William Gibson likens the erosion of privacy to being absorbed by a 'benign Borg', and talks about how technology drives change... albeit in a random way.
In this clip, William talks about...
How social media is like Star Trek's the Borg
"It's like a benign Borg absorption. I can only imagine that social media will literally invade our dreams... we haven't been there before, but we'll like some things about it and we won't like other things about it. We didn't really decide to go this route. If technology is the change driver - and nobody's deciding what technologies are going to emerge... it's random, in the way that evolution is."
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Comments
To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted.
By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines. | {
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Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.
The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.
But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack…
What G & U are talking about:
Alpha Instinct is the debut novel in the Moon Shifter series. It is an interesting blend of urban fantasy within a somewhat contemporary romance. Although Gikany and Una enjoyed it, there are some issues we hoped are simply “debut-itis” factors.
Sometimes a novel will warm you up and slowly get you into the world and the “conflict.” This is not one of them; we begin with Ana facing off with the rival pack adjacent to hers. Alpha Instinct wastes no time in showing that pack politics are not all they are cracked up to be. Gikany and Una enjoyed the weight of politics and the war of perceptions and prejudices that seem to permeate the world that Ana lives in. The idea that there is a overall council that governs the pack is very interesting as it is balanced between the notion that a pack (and most importantly its alpha) must be able to protect their own. Going to the council for assistance is truly a double-edged sword – they may help you, but if in the process of helping you, they feel you are unable to be a pack, they will then assimilate you into other packs. The distrustful feelings that permeate the interactions between different established packs and between humans and packs add to the drama and mystery of who the “big bad” is. The “whodunit” aspect of the novel is gripping and was well woven into the overall pace of the novel. The reader ends up suspecting everyone, which keeps you on pins and needles until the very end.
Two great examples of the overwhelming reality of prejudices are the relationship of Ana and Vivian and between Ana and Kaya and her son Matt. Ana is a wolf shifter and Vivian is a young jaguar cub. Ana treats Vivian as if she is her own child, not just one of the pack, which is an oddity. Since Vivian is a jaguar, the fear that Ana would reject her or worse, kill her for trespassing, forces Connor to keep her a secret from Ana. Combine this with the friendship Ana has with Kaya and Matt Dunlauex (two humans), and you can see Ana’s perceptions change. She didn’t realize that her friendship with the Dunlauxes was mutual, nor what the friendship would mean to her and her pack. Watching the development of Ana and Vivian’s close bond and the continued friendship between Kaya and Matt gives the foundation in the novel for the future books that will show this pack is one that wants to change the insufferable weight of prejudice in this world.
We have enjoyed novels with more than one POV (point of view). However, you can have too many in one novel. Alpha Instinct is a prime example of a novel with way too many POVs. After much discussion, Gikany and Una feel that the enemy POVs were unnecessary and bogged the novel down. The information gleaned in them could have been conveyed in a different matter without changing POVs and slowing down the story. There were some instances that were just not necessary (for example, we have the POV of a big bad that dies…which made his previous POVs completely unnecessary – we don’t NEED to connect to him… he’s the bad dude, we won’t feel pity for him, not that he deserved any…creepy dude that he is). The “big bad” can be conveyed just fine through the eyes of our heroes and heroines. We do have four POVs of our good guys group and that was okay since two will be our “couple” in the next novel.
Another issue is our lack of connection to the main couple. They had a previous attraction to each other and then Connor split…for no reason that Ana could see. We are just expected to accept that they are intended bondmates. But we never truly felt the connection between them. It was as if the preexisting relationship/interactions was the justification. But since we didn’t experience it, the relationship between the two main characters in the book was hollow. It seemed like a cheat to get out of having to develop the main characters and most importantly their connection to one another. As the reader, you just do not feel the emotional ties between them.
The shapeshifter mythology was slightly lacking. We know they are packs, some of the natures of shifters, but we do not get any background or foundation on how the mythology is based or how it works. We just have to accept the dribs and drabs of information as they come to us. It’s shallow and somewhat vague. Perhaps in the next novel, more of the nature and mythology will come to light. Plus we have a stronger connection to the couple in the next book because we have watched them meet and interact in this book. The foundation is laid and we cannot wait to see what transpires between Liam and December.
All in all, this is an enjoyable read but it did lack the depth and convictions that the foundation a more polished novel would accomplish. The transitions between scenes were a little jumpy, due in large part to having too many POVs. We had stronger connections to the supporting characters than the main characters. But all that withstanding, Gikany and Una look forward to reading Primal Possession due out later this year and recommend you pick up Alpha Instinct.
3 responses to “Review: Alpha Instinct”
It is enjoyable, don’t get us wrong, but the foundation has truly been laid for the next book and we are REALLY eager for it. Sometimes with series the first book is a set up and that is the feel we got from this book. Did we enjoy reading it, yes, but it left us drooling for the next book.
[…] Posted by Gikany-Una on Aug 28, 2012 in 3.5 stars, paranormal romance, Rating B, reviews | 2 comments | Tags: G-U Review, Katie Reus, Moon Shifters, shifters, Signet Primal Possession Author: Katie Reus Release Date: Sept. 4, 2012 Publisher: Signet Moon Shifter #2 ISBN: #978-0451237781 Genre: Paranormal Romance Format(s): Paperback (362 pgs), e-book Book Source: Publisher About the book: To protect her, he will unleash the beast within… As his pack’s second-in-command, lupine shifter Liam Armstrong gives orders and takes what he wants—until he meets red-headed, blue-eyed December McIntyre. Liam knows the human beauty is his intended mate the moment he sees her, but December is far too strong-willed to accept his protection. December, whose brother is the town sheriff, has every reason to mistrust shifters after one killed her youngest sibling. But the forceful and handsome Liam has gotten under her skin in a way she hadn’t thought possible, and the desire she feels for him is almost too much to bear. When a radical hate group targets all humans known to sympathize with paranormal beings, December is attacked in her bookstore. Reluctantly, she turns to the only one who can help her: Liam. And he is going to take her to places within herself she never knew existed. What G & U are talking about: Primal Possession is the second release in the Moon Shifter series by Katie Reus. Gikany and Una had a few issues with the previous book, and we are happy to say that some of those issues were absent in this book. There are a few pet peeves in the novel but overall we enjoyed it and thought it was good. In Alpha Instinct we were introduced to December and Liam. Ever since their meeting, Gikany and Una have been eager to read this book. We enjoyed their interactions and the obstacles that they would eventually need to overcome and we could not wait to see it play out. In Primal Possession we see it play out and although it doesn’t go exactly as we thought, it was still enjoyable. Their interactions were heartfelt and intriguing. Their passion and desire for each other was palpable. We would be doing a disservice if we did not mention that Liam and December’s romance just steams off the pages (Una had to wear contacts so her glasses didn’t fog up). However, we felt there are a few moments where December seemed a bit weak, always listening and doing as her brother or Liam directed. Though she would rankle, she still would go along with them. However at the end of the novel she seemed to have gained some strength in her backbone. There is a scene…it’s a total spoiler so we won’t tell you it, but it was just brilliant! With December’s past overshadowing her and Liam’s protective instincts going “stupid”, it was satisfying to see them work it out. The pace of the Primal Possession was simple and flowed nicely. It’s not overly complex; the clues are there to figure most of the plot out. However, it is the interactions and the mythology of the world that keeps us fascinated. The introduction of the Fae was thoroughly intriguing. We were surprised at how powerful they are and we are eager to see what type of role they will play. Also, with the mention of vampires, we are anxious to see them play a part in this series as well. Gikany and Una enjoy how in the Moon Shifter series that the world isn’t just unwrapped and handed to us. We are slowly immersed as if on a need-to-know basis. It helps to give the paranormal an air of mystery which we enjoy. Thankfully there were not too many point-of-views (POVs) in this novel. It was very easy to follow and those POVs we had were integral to the plot and character development. We loved how we are given the foundation and introduction in Primal Possession for the couple in the next book, Mating Instinct. If you are interested there is a teaser chapter at the end. One element that is mentioned and seems to be an ingrained issue is the reoccurrence of men leaving to “protect” their woman or for their own good. Your mate is in danger and you leave so she will be safe, just seems so idiotic (which, Erin, a female shifter so eloquently points out). We cannot wait to see Erin’s story, by the way. Even with the few pet peeves, we liked Primal Possession better than Alpha Instinct. Gikany and Una enjoyed Liam and December’s story and look forward to reading about Jayce and Kat’s story in Mating Instinct. Considering what transpired in Primal Possession we may receive third degree burns from just holding the book! As preparing for this review, we found that there is a 1.5 novella in the Moon Shifter series. Needless to say, we are going to pick it up and check it out. However, we didn’t notice anything while reading Primal Possession that hinted at us missing something. So feel free to jump in with Alpha Instinct if you enjoy paranormal romance, and especially hot shifters. Their Rating: Liked it – recommend (B+) Enter to Win: Contest from Aug. 28 – Sept. 2, 2012 Purchase Info: Primal Possession: Moon Shifter #2 Reviews in the Series: Alpha Instinct (Book 1) […]
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About My Blog
WELCOME to my blog! At That’s What I’m Talking About we discuss and review urban fantasy and all things romance, with some other fun topics tossed in. We welcome diverse romances and promoting #ownvoices authors. I hope you will stay and visit for a while!
While we attempt to keep our posts PG-13, the material reviewed and discussed is intended for adults (18 years and older). Please consider this if you choose to read and/or follow my blog. Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Reading!
Jen Twimom
Disclaimer
About our reviews: The reviews posted here are the writer's own honest opinion of the book, not a judgement on the subject matter or author. We read for pleasure and at the request of authors and publishers. We do not receive compensation for our reviews, other than the copy of the book to read for the review. The source of the book is listed with each review. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information.
Broken after being cast out by his mentor / foster-father / master, Hugh D’Ambray barely lives. However, when his loyal men, the Iron Dogs, come to him with stories of how they are being hunted down and picked off, Hugh finds a spark of ...
tagged:
iron-covenant-series, kate-daniels-series, and urban-fantasy
Share book reviews and ratings with Jen (That's What I'm Talking About), and even join a book club on Goodreads. | {
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Aides To Brazil's President Say Trump Didn't Discuss Scandal-Tainted Hotel When They Spoke
Donald Trump's organization said Tuesday it was pulling out of managing a Rio de Janeiro hotel after it came under investigation. Hours earlier Trump and the Brazilian president spoke — but aides told BuzzFeed News they didn't discuss the scuttled deal.
Aides to Brazilian President Michel Temer told to BuzzFeed News that Donald Trump did not mention his business interests wen the two spoke on the phone earlier this week.
The phone call came before the Trump Organization announced it was canceling a management deal with a a Rio de Janeiro hotel whose construction has come under investigation.
Prosecutors are also investigating a second Trump hotel in Rio — along with other properties that are not connected to Trump at all — under the suspicion that people were paid bribes to steer state funds into the projects.
Temer called Trump, according to the advisers. After the call, the Brazilian government issued a statement to the press saying that Trump and Temer agreed to disclose a common economic agenda in February.
On Wednesday, the Trump transition team said it a statement that the president-elect and Temer discussed "discussed the importance of continuing strong relations between the United States and Brazil" and "condolences on the tragic death of members of Brazil’s Chapecoense soccer team in an airplane crash." | {
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Putnam Bans Non-Essential Water Use
ByHeather Brandon•Oct 1, 2013
Lead in text:
Putnam has banned non-essential water use as of today because the water level in the Little River is low. Residents may not water lawns and gardens or wash cars, and they are urged to conserve water for showers and household cleaning. No rain is expected for several days, which means the ban could last a week or longer.
Beginning today, Putnam residents are banned from watering lawns and gardens, washing cars and other non-essential water uses. The Putnam Water Pollution Control Authority instituted the ban because the water level in the Little River has fallen below a level that lets the town produce water under state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection regulations, according to a news release from Public Works Director Jerry Beausoleil. | {
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On Monday, Roland Martin, host of “NewsOne Now,” and the Straight Talk panel (featuring Rev. Carlton Lee, Erika Totten and Michael Melton) discuss the build up of resentment of how police have conducted themselves in the wake of the recent police shootings, what effect the protests are having and if the protests are leading to change in this country.
Location
Booking Info
Michael E. Melton is a published author and frequent lecturer on topics pertaining to intellectual property law. Click the link below to find out how to book Michael as a guest speaker for your upcoming event. | {
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News tagged: Savvius
We’ve all experienced web pages that load slowly or time out. But what’s even more annoying is a laggy or choppy VoIP call or live video stream. After decades of improved network technologies, ever-increasing bandwidth and speeds, why are we still having problems, and what should network engineers do about it? Chris Bloom, a technology evangelist at Savvius provides some answers.
VanillaPlus is the world-leading resource covering digital transformation for the communications industry. VanillaPlus brings you exclusive News, Expert Views, and Event Reviews. See Interviews from CEOs, CTOs, and COOs who are successfully transforming their business today. | {
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KJ are hitting the sneaker pimps NYC show w/ Shiro and old skool graff legend A.Charles
Special guests for the show: Kendrick Lamar, Stash more tbc at Irving Plaza.
We will be exhibiting 12 pix for sale from celeb/ street photographer Geoff Johnson, all shot exclusively for the KJ, all, as in 100% proceeds to Tohoku orphans. | {
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GM Issues 3 New Recalls Which Impact Millions
GM Issues 3 New Recalls Which Impact Millions
DETROIT, Mich. (CNNMoney) — Still smarting from controversy involving a faulty ignition switch, General Motors announced three new recalls involving another 1.5 million vehicles.
The biggest of Monday’s recalls affects 1.2 million of its popular crossover SUV models that need to have the wiring for their seat-mounted side airbags fixed. The models involved are the 2008-13 Buick Enclave and the GMC Acadia, along with the 2009-13 Chevrolet Traverse and the 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook.
Those vehicles have a warning light that reads “Service Air Bag.” If a customer ignores the light it can eventually result in the non-deployment of the air bags and other safety features in case of a side impact collision.
Spokesman Greg Martin said the company is not aware of any injuries caused by the problem.
Separately, 64,000 Cadillac XTS full-size sedans from 2013 and 2014 are being recalled to fix a problem with overheating brakes that has been responsible for two fires.
And it is also recalling 303,000 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans to rework the material on the instrument panel to improve the safety of unbelted passengers who hit it during an accident. The full-sized vans are typically commercial vehicles not sold for passenger use.
GM says there are no injuries related to the three new recalls. | {
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I've been sifting through threads seeing the overall opinion of the Dunlop AT20's general performance, and reading their winter performance ratings.
Obviously they "work", but living in Maine I am a bit concerned about the tires ability to handle the conditions.
Anyone have experience with these in pretty nasty winter conditions? They only have 1000 miles on them now, but I'm looking through A/T tires for a possible replacement. I could use them this winter and also next spring for getting back into the woods fishing.
I've been sifting through threads seeing the overall opinion of the Dunlop AT20's general performance, and reading their winter performance ratings.
Obviously they "work", but living in Maine I am a bit concerned about the tires ability to handle the conditions.
Anyone have experience with these in pretty nasty winter conditions? They only have 1000 miles on them now, but I'm looking through A/T tires for a possible replacement. I could use them this winter and also next spring for getting back into the woods fishing.
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I bought my 2006 4Wd DC w/ the Dunlop ATs at the tail end of a Vermont winter. That was enough for me.
I ran them through the summer but swapped out for snowflake rated All Terrains for one season. We drive a lot on dirt roads and tow. The snowflake rated tire was ok.
Last year I went with a dedicated studded tire (Firestone Winterforce) on the advice of folks here and will never go back. The best $400 bucks ever spent. I picked up a spare set of rims for a winter set.
I bought my 2006 4Wd DC w/ the Dunlop ATs at the tail end of a Vermont winter. That was enough for me.
Last year I went with a dedicated studded tire (Firestone Winterforce) on the advice of folks here and will never go back. The best $400 bucks ever spent. I picked up a spare set of rims for a winter set.
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Yeah, sounds as though I should seriously consider it. I suppose if I got a spare set of rims I could swap them back on in the summer and get the tread life out of them.
It is a shame that I did not figure this out before purchasing the truck.
If your on the coast any dont venture out much to the mtns, you can skate by, your TRAC/VSC might be busy. When you look at other Tacomas, many run them all year.
If you want to go w/ better tires, your call.
A better set of 'A' traction rated A/Ts or even H/Ts will work much better in all conditions year round. No rim/tire change over each season.
Or for ulimate winter driving, snow tires on cheap steel rims and use the OEM tires/stock rims in summer. Sure you got to do the changeover, but its easy, takes care of rotation, and both sets last longer. Agree w/ Simon's Mom... best $500 I spent on the truck, will be putting on for winter #6 before we know it.
I bought my '06 used. It came with the Dunlop tires. I do much off roading and winters are bad here. I put on BFG Long Trail T/A. I have used these tires for years on other off road vehicles. They last long, trouble free and are quiet on the highway. My 2 centavos.
Im keeping my at20s for the dryer 8 months or so , they didnt fail me last winter, but i thought they were lacking, so i bought a winter set of tires. Look for ones with mountain/snowflake symbol if you go A.T., or go pure winter tires like a blizzak.
It's that 2% or so winter driving on ice ,on a hill that makes a winter set worth having, rest of the time on snow going skiing you know there is that extra margin of safety.
I just checked Tirerack.com to see if they had a winter package with steel wheels. They didn't list any steel wheels for winter packages on my truck.
There ARE steel wheels for 16" 6-lug Toyotas, right?
Oh, and I was thrilled to see the availability of TPMS...for only $300+ for a set of four. I do like having the TPMS installed, though I wish it displayed actual pressure and not just an idiot light. I need to see whether you can 'reprogram' the system yourself, or if a dealer actually has to do it. That would suck having to take it to the dealership twice a year to have the system reprogrammed to take the seasonal set of wheels and tires.
I'm putting a set of studded winter tires on mine this year (next month when I have some extra cash. The ice and hills can be really bad here on the East coast. 4x4 with studs should be able to get me anywhere this winter.
I just checked Tirerack.com to see if they had a winter package with steel wheels. They didn't list any steel wheels for winter packages on my truck.
There ARE steel wheels for 16" 6-lug Toyotas, right?
Oh, and I was thrilled to see the availability of TPMS...for only $300+ for a set of four. I do like having the TPMS installed, though I wish it displayed actual pressure and not just an idiot light. I need to see whether you can 'reprogram' the system yourself, or if a dealer actually has to do it. That would suck having to take it to the dealership twice a year to have the system reprogrammed to take the seasonal set of wheels and tires.
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My 4x4 tacoma came stock with 16" steel rims and I have used them for my steel rim set. 00-06 Tundra steel rims will fit as well. I see them on craigslist or ebay cheap. You will need diff lug nuts though than what is used on the stock alloys.
I'm putting a set of studded winter tires on mine this year (next month when I have some extra cash. The ice and hills can be really bad here on the East coast. 4x4 with studs should be able to get me anywhere this winter.
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Yes sir, that is what I went with last winter, Firestone Winterforce studded from tire rack shipped to my door. It was hard to find them last winter for awhile due to the law changes in Quebec. I finally got some online, everyone local was out by Nov!! These tires were awesome & the braking amazing.
I think I'm going to swap out my Dunlop's for Michelin LTX AT2's before the snow starts flying. It's either that or I'll grab a set of dedicated winters and live with the Dunlop's until they need replaced. Still not sure which way I'm going to go. It would be nice to just go with the AT's and forget about needing new tires for at least 3-4 years. The tread life on them is nuts, at least based on what I got out of the LTX AT's I had on my previous F-150.
I do know that I've read enough about the Dunlop's to figure that they aren't going to be all that great for our winters and if there's one thing I'm big on, it's having good tires. My old LTX AT's got through the winters just fine and that was the old tread design on a vehicle without traction control and whatnot. Truth be told, on most days I could keep it in 2WD and not worry. I suspect the new AT2's will do as good and likely better.
We just had out first rain storm in 4 months. On my way home last night I went through a shallow puddle and my rear end hydroplaned. Scared the crap out of me. I'm sure the truck would have done better with some weight in the back, but these Dunflops are crap. They have got to go. Now, if I can only find that money tree.
I bought my truck in Maine with Dunlops on them. I've pretty much run in 4WD each winter since I have had it, but have finally upgraded to some BFG AT's. I can already feel the difference, and hopefully will actually be able to leave my truck in 2WD for part of this winter. If you have the cash now, I say upgrade them, but you'll probably be okay if you don't drive like an Ahole, and you use your 4x4.
I bought my truck in Maine with Dunlops on them. I've pretty much run in 4WD each winter since I have had it, but have finally upgraded to some BFG AT's. I can already feel the difference, and hopefully will actually be able to leave my truck in 2WD for part of this winter. If you have the cash now, I say upgrade them, but you'll probably be okay if you don't drive like an Ahole, and you use your 4x4.
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Yea, last winter we didn't get much snow here, but when we did I had no choice but to use 4x4. These tires are worse in the snow than in the rain. Toyota needs to come up with a better base tire. JMO.
Jeez everybody. I just bought my Tacoma but i've been driving a 03 4runner limited 4.0 for the last few years, and am amazed at the feedback of the Dunlops. They did absolutely fine for me. Replaced them at 43k..... they weren't even that bad.. coulda easily done 50k. I drove them 2 winters ago in the only real bad snowstorm we had from delaware to new hampshire and back with a motorcycle trailer and had no complaints. I've been in big fields doing hillclimbs in the snow. I lived in Pensacola for the last year and did a bunch of dune bugging in pretty soft sand there with no problems either. I drive rather "spirited" and never had any problems. They are super quiet and respinsive on the road, wet or dry, and perform rather well for a highway all season in snow and sand. I feel like everyone likes to bash any OEM stuff, no matter how good/bad it is and then a bandwagon starts. (these things never claimed to be mud terrains, people) For someone that does most of their driving on the road and wants quality ride there but wants to be able to get around in the snow or the occasional offroad situation the AT20's are perfectly fine. my 2 cents.
My AT20's have 11,000 miles on them and they look like they have 20,000 miles on them. There are different AT20s. There is one that has a treadwear rating of 500 and the junk ones on my Tacoma that have a rating of 300. Maybe the 500 rating ones are a much better tire. I know Dunlop makes some good tires, but I hate the ones Toyota put on my truck. JMO.
EDIT- Here's Tire Rack's page on the Dunlops. There's a big price difference between the two AT20s.
Jeez everybody. I just bought my Tacoma but i've been driving a 03 4runner limited 4.0 for the last few years, and am amazed at the feedback of the Dunlops. They did absolutely fine for me. Replaced them at 43k..... they weren't even that bad.. coulda easily done 50k. I drove them 2 winters ago in the only real bad snowstorm we had from delaware to new hampshire and back with a motorcycle trailer and had no complaints. I've been in big fields doing hillclimbs in the snow. I lived in Pensacola for the last year and did a bunch of dune bugging in pretty soft sand there with no problems either. I drive rather "spirited" and never had any problems. They are super quiet and respinsive on the road, wet or dry, and perform rather well for a highway all season in snow and sand. I feel like everyone likes to bash any OEM stuff, no matter how good/bad it is and then a bandwagon starts. (these things never claimed to be mud terrains, people) For someone that does most of their driving on the road and wants quality ride there but wants to be able to get around in the snow or the occasional offroad situation the AT20's are perfectly fine. my 2 cents.
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I couldnt agree more, I have almost 58k on my stock dunlops. They arent the best in snow but thats why I bought a 4x4. I ran the at20's on my 01' 2wd 5 lugger and got 90k out of them. Its quite simple when the snow flies put it in 4wd and SLOW DOWN. A/T's or H/T's wont stop any faster on snow/ice. If you want the most out of your tires braking abilities take out the abs fuse and control it the truck manually. Been doing it in OTR trucks for over 2,000,000 miles so far and zero accidents. | {
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Section Links
Home Health Agencies - Health Information Technology Toolkit
Home health agencies with robust e-health and health information technology (HIT) capabilities will improve the quality of patient care, in the delivery of health care overall, while positively impacting the organization’s bottom line. Key to this success is the use of a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) system.
Home health agencies can use Stratis Health’s Health Information Technology Toolkit for Home Health Agencies to implement a comprehensive EHR system, overhaul existing systems, or acquire individual HIT applications. The toolkit can help home health agencies effectively engage in e-health activities by optimizing the use of an EHR and facilitating information sharing through health information exchange (HIE) and other forms of HIT.
The tools focus on e-health functionality, people, policy, and processes for success in the home health agency environment. They can help you plan and make the right choices for your agency to achieve success in today’s health care environment.
Tools include:
Brief statement of purpose - know why and when to use each tool
Instructions for use – a guide for effective use of each tool
Option to customize – customize tools for your own needs and to help you perform tasks
Getting Started
The toolkit has three experience levels. Read through all the tools to understand how you should be planning your future actions to establish an enabling IT platform with interoperable EHR and effective HIE—and to know what your competition may be striving for.
Understand and determine your home health agency’s current level of experience with HIT and e-health projects. Develop an organizational strategy for advancing e-health based on using all of the tools for your agency’s experience level. Complete lower levels before proceeding to the next higher level. Construct your own timeline based on the applications, technology, and operational activities being undertaken. Each tool indicates how long it takes to implement.
Experience Level
Level 1:
For all organizations.
Level 2:
For organizations with more resources.
Level 3:
For organizations interested in advanced topics.
Overview
The Overview section introduces you to the structure and navigation of the home health agency toolkit and the documents within the toolkit. The tools within the home health agency toolkit are applicable to either a new HIT implementation or HIT replacement/upgrade effort.
A link to The Minnesota e-Health Glossary to help clarify terms or abbreviations. (1-page Word doc)
Inform
11
1. Assess
The Assess section provides tools to kick off the e-health planning process. The tools in this section include surveys, inventories, and assessments of your staff's current attitudes toward information technology, computer skills, and technical infrastructure. Use these tools to assess your organization's readiness for an e-health project.
2. Plan
The Plan section tools provide a basis for planning a successful e-health project. Many HIT vendors do not support planning, instead relying on the organization for the majority of planning. Investing the time and resources up front will mean spending less time and resources during implementation—and will reap greater value.
3. Select
The Select section provides the foundation for a solid HIT selection process by helping you understand the marketplace and conduct all aspects of vendor selection and contracting. The extent to which you need to review the marketplace depends on your overall IT strategy. If you are part of a corporate structure, the selection process may be performed for you. However, the assessment, planning, implementation, maintain, and optimize tools still will be important for you to use.
Use as an RFP template that can be customized to fit the need of the agency. (17-page Word doc)
Action
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4. Implement
The Implement section builds upon the previous tools to help you address the specific application, technology, and operational elements that have been acquired and will now be implemented. These tools help with the tactical issues to be addressed in any implementation, including sample project plans, issues logs, training plans, and testing plans.
5. Maintain
The Maintain section provides tools for ensuring that your e-health investment is meeting the goals established at the beginning of the project. Regular maintenance activities will ensure that your organization is getting the most return from its investment in e-health. The tools in this section highlight maintenance activities that should be incorporated into your operational activities.
Links the achievement of your goals with actual cost for a return on investment. (2-worksheet Excel spreadsheet)
Action
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6. Optimize
The Optimize section focuses on gaining optimal value from specific functionality within EHR and HIE. Fine tune skills and explore ways to improve the use of the EHR and HIE. The Optimize tools provide tips from users who have already made the journey—and recognize that the journey is ongoing.
Document all existing back up functions, emergency mode operations, and disaster recovery plans, and to plan for enhancements. (5-page Word doc)
Action
22
Feedback Welcome
In an effort to improve the quality of the toolkit, we are seeking your feedback. Toolkit documents that are under revision are marked as “Working Draft” while we update the documents. Please send your feedback for improvements to the toolkits to [email protected]. | {
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Description
Nandrolone Benefits
Nandrolone (19-nortestosterone) is an anabolic steroid. It is a unique drug because it does not sacrifice the quality of muscles over its anabolic property. Its non-conversion to estrogen makes it possible to form high caliber muscles. This compound prevents the process of water accumulation and fats storage in the muscle. Because of this attribute, the muscles formed are tighter, leaner and more solid. The absence of excess water and fats is an advantage since the body will not demonstrate compensatory mechanisms such as high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat and cholesterol deposits. Nandrolone is known to relieve muscle pain and speeds up the regeneration process of the muscles.
Nandrolone Side Effect
Because nandrolone is not broken down into DHT, the deleterious effects common to most anabolic steroids on the scalp, skin, and prostate are lessened to a degree; but is rather broken down to the much weaker androgen dihydronandrolone. The lack of alkylation on the 17α-carbon drastically reduces the drug's liver toxicity. Estrogenic effects resulting from reaction with aromatase are also reduced due to lessened enzyme interaction,but effects such as gynaecomastia and reduced libido still occur in larger doses because of other mechanisms. Other side-effects of abuse can include erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular damage, as well as several ailments resulting from the drug's effect of lowering levels of luteinizing hormone through negative feedback. Erectile dysfunction is attributed to the weaker action of dihydronandrolone in the penis since dihydrotestosterone is a known sexual modulator. | {
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Diabetic retinopathy — an eye condition that affects people with diabetes — is the fastest growing cause of blindness, with nearly 415 million diabetic patients at risk worldwide. The disease can be treated if detected early, but if not, it can lead to irreversible blindness.
One of the most common ways to detect diabetic eye disease is to have a specialist examine pictures of the back of the eye and determine whether there are signs of the disease, and if so, how severe it is. While annual screening is recommended for all patients with diabetes, many people live in areas without easy access to specialist care. That means millions of people aren’t getting the care they need to prevent loss of vision.
A few years ago, a Google research team began studying whether machine learning could be used to screen for diabetic retinopathy (DR). Today, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, we’ve published our results: a deep learning algorithm capable of interpreting signs of DR in retinal photographs, potentially helping doctors screen more patients, especially in underserved communities with limited resources.
Examples of retinal photographs that are taken to screen for DR. A healthy retina can be seen on the left; the retina on the right has lesions, which are indicative of bleeding and fluid leakage in the eye.
Working with a team of doctors in India and the U.S., we created a dataset of 128,000 images and used them to train a deep neural network to detect diabetic retinopathy. We then compared our algorithm’s performance to another set of images examined by a panel of board-certified ophthalmologists. Our algorithm performs on par with the ophthalmologists, achieving both high sensitivity and specificity. For more details, see our post on the Research blog.
We’re excited by the results, but there’s a lot more to do before an algorithm like this can be used widely. For example, interpretation of a 2D retinal photograph is only one step in the process of diagnosing diabetic eye disease — in some cases, doctors use a 3D imaging technology to examine various layers of a retina in detail. Our colleagues at DeepMind are working on applying machine learning to that method. In the future, these two complementary methods might be used together to assist doctors in the diagnosis of a wide spectrum of eye diseases.
Automated, highly accurate screening methods have the potential to assist doctors in evaluating more patients and quickly routing those who need help to a specialist. We hope this study will be one of many examples to come demonstrating the ability of machine learning to help solve important problems in healthcare. | {
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February 29, 2008
As any good search engine optimization company knows, in search, more so than any other medium, you have a very short window of opportunity in which to engage your prospect. The only way to get a solid competitive advantage in this arena is to utilize various techniques in order to make sure that you are giving a prospect exactly what it is that he or she is looking for. Otherwise, your prospect will simply click the back button and visit one of your competitors – a process that only takes seconds.
One way to gain a competitive advantage, of course, is to work on the website itself. Any search engine optimization company worth its salt will also be involved in conversion testing on your website – in other words, making certain that the visitors who arrive on your site are likely to take a point of action that eventually leads to a sale. Split tests, modifications in content, different color schemes, and numerous other variable elements can all have a measurable impact.
There is also another way that a quality search engine optimization company will seek to maximize the value of the prospects that find your website through search engines. In this case, however, it is using your company differentiators in the keyphrases that they target to make sure that the traffic that comes to your site is of a very high quality.
Gaining a Competitive Advantage with Differentiators
As more and more companies turn to organic search to gain a competitive advantage while promoting their products and services, it can be increasingly difficult to achieve high rankings for the generic terms that everyone in your industry is pursuing. While any ranking is ultimately attainable, eventually a search engine optimization company has to decide whether the effort involved is worth it, especially when it recognizes that you can get overall better results from the campaign by making sure that a very high percentage of people that are typing keyphrases into search engines are looking for exactly what you offer.
This is why your search engine optimization company should be able to leverage differentiators in your keyphrases to give you the best competitive advantage available.
What Keyphrases Will Work Best for Your Business?
Suppose that you are in an industry where companies can have a wide array of prices, approaches, customer service levels, and so on. Instead of targeting, from the outset, the general keyphrase that defines the industry (for example “email marketing”), a good search engine optimization company will take the time to help you gain a competitive advantage by realizing what is different about your company in order to a.) attract very highly targeted prospects who know what they are seeking and b.) reduce the competitiveness of the keyphrases they are choosing.
Let’s take a look at a high-end provider of email marketing that has advanced web-based functionality and focuses on the B2B market. This fictional business is seeking a competitive advantage by working with a search engine optimization company. We can safely assume that the percentage of people that type “email marketing” into a search engine who are looking for this exact type of company is anywhere from between 0 and 100%.
By looking into the popularity of other variations, however, we can see that it is nowhere near 100%. Phrases like “cheap email marketing” or “free email marketing” are very popular, demonstrating that many people seeking “email marketing” are not looking for exactly the service that the provider is offering.
Imagine that instead of targeting “email marketing”, a daunting task (that, even if achieved, assures that a high percentage of visitors that come to the site are not looking for the provider’s particular type of solution), the search engine optimization company takes advantage of the provider’s differentiators. In this case, the search engine optimization company would instead target phrases such as “business to business email marketing” and “web-based email marketing”. Suddenly the two objectives have been achieved – the provider knows that a much higher percentage of visitors that are typing these terms are actually looking for the right kind of company and the competitiveness of the phrases has also been reduced, leading to faster and higher rankings.
Using Modifiers to Give You the Edge
There are hundreds of modifiers that can give a competitive advantage by reflecting a company’s differentiators, including words such as “free”, “affordable”, “high-end”, “full service”, “proven”, “turnkey”, etc. The point is that by making use of your unique differentiators in the search terms you target, your search engine optimization company is already setting the table for your prospect before he or she even clicks over to your website. When the message that is seen on your site then supports the keyphrase that was typed, you now have an engaged visitor. This can mean more leads, less site abandonment, and better overall website performance.
Conclusion
Remember, your company is better than the others out there. Ask yourself why, and then tell your search engine optimization company to take advantage of these differences in your keyphrases to give you a competitive advantage in your industry. The subtle addition of a few seemingly minor modifiers can have a huge impact on your bottom line.
Author: Scott Buresh is the CEO of Medium Blue, which was named the number one organic search engine optimization company in the world by PromotionWorld in 2006 and 2007. Scott has contributed content to many publications including The Complete Guide to Google Advertising (Brown, 2008), Building Your Business with Google For Dummies (Wiley, 2004), MarketingProfs, ZDNet, WebProNews, DarwinMag, SiteProNews, ISEDB.com, and Search Engine Guide. Medium Blue serves local and national clients, including Boston Scientific, DS Waters, and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Visit MediumBlue.com to request a custom SEO guarantee based on your goals and your data. | {
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Hosea 5
VIN(i)1 "Hear this, O you priests and pay attention, O house of Israel. Give ear (listen)! O house of the king the judgment is about you. You have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor.
2 The rebels are deep in slaughter; but I discipline all of them.
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me; for now, Ephraim, you have played the prostitute. Israel is defiled.
4 Their deeds won't allow them to turn to their God; for the spirit of prostitution is within them, and they do not know the LORD.
5 The pride of Israel testifies against him, and Israel and Ephraim stumble in their guilt, and Judah stumbles with them.
6 They will go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them.
7 They are unfaithful to the LORD; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the new moon will devour them with their fields.
8 "Sound the trumpet in Gibeah, and the alarm in Ramah. Cry out at Beth-aven Go out, Benjamin!
9 Ephraim will be a desolation in the day of punishment; among the tribes of Israel I will reveal what is true.
10 The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark. I will pour out my wrath on them like water.
11 Ephraim is crushed, broken by judgment, because he willingly pursued idols.
12 But, I, was like a moth, to Ephraim,—and like rotten wood to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his disease and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to the great king; but he is not able to make you well or give you help for your wound.
14 For, I, will be as a lion unto Ephraim, and as a young lion to the house of Judah,—I, I, will tear in pieces, and depart, I will carry off, and none be able to rescue.
15 I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face; in their distress they will search me.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Hosea 5:1 The judgments of God are denounced against the priests, people, and princes, both of Israel and Judah, for their manifold sins.
Hosea 5:15 An intimation is given of mercy on their repentance. | {
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Cauvery panel orders Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from 21 to 30 September
The Cauvery Supervisory Committee, headed by Ministry of Water Resources Secretary Shashi Shekhar on Monday directed Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from 21 September to 30 September.
Despite the day-long discussions, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu failed to reach an agreement on the quantum of water to be released.
"They have not agreed. The two states are free to challenge this order in the Supreme Court when it takes up the matter tomorrow or they can agree with the order before the court," Shekhar told reporters after the meeting.
The supervisory committee, in its previous meeting on 12 September, had failed to arrive at any decision for want of adequate information which was to be made available by the river basin states.
Agitations in Karnataka over Cauvery dispute. PTI
It had asked them to provide the information by 15 September.
Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had submitted to the committee data about withdrawal of water, its utilisation, variation in rainfall and its impact on the actual run-off over a period of 29 years in their respective Cauvery basin areas, according to a source.
Besides Shekhar, chief secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry and Central Water Commission chairman are members of the committee, formed to implement final award of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
The Supreme Court had on 5 September asked Tamil Nadu to approach the committee over the issue.
On that day, the apex court had asked Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of water per day for a period of 10 days to Tamil Nadu to ameliorate plight of farmers there.
Karnataka will have to release 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu daily between September 21 and 30: Shashi Shekhar
Meanwhile, Karnataka, which is the upper riparian state, approached the Supreme Court on 11 September seeking modification of its order.
A day later, the court modified the order, reducing the quantum of water to be released to Tamil Nadu and other states to 12,000 cusecs per day until 20 September, when the SC will hear the matter again. Last week, the SC order had led to large-scale protests in Bengaluru. | {
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Attending a meeting from your mobile device is as easy as tapping a link in your invitation – the app will do the rest. The presentation will appear on your screen and audio will go through your headphones.
Host a meeting.
Schedule future meetings or launch an instant one. Invitations are as simple as sending an email or text message.
“GoToMeeting has quickly become an integral tool that is used at our company. It is cost-effective and essentially saves the company money and time by providing access from anywhere that internet access is available...” | {
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Venting about press, Trump has repeatedly sought to ban reporters over questions
President Trump speaks to members of the media outside the White House as he departs for the Group of Seven summit in Canada on June 8. The president takes issue with the tone of journalists’ questions, not the substance, aides say. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
President Trump has sought repeatedly to punish journalists for the way they ask him questions, directing White House staff to ban those reporters from covering official events or to revoke their press credentials, according to several current and former administration officials.
At various moments throughout his presidency, Trump has vented angrily to aides about what he considers disrespectful behavior and impertinent questions from reporters in the Oval Office and in other venues. He has also asked that retaliatory action be taken against them.
“These people shouting questions are the worst,” Trump has said, according to a current official. “Why do we have them in here?”
Until this week, the officials said, Trump’s senior aides have resisted carrying out his directives. They convinced him that moves to restrict media access could backfire and further strain the White House’s fraught relationship with the press corps, whose members the president routinely derides as “fake news” and “dishonest people.”
On Wednesday, however, newly installed Deputy Chief of Staff Bill Shine and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders took action against CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins, telling her she could not attend Trump’s open-media event in the Rose Garden because they objected to her questioning of the president earlier in the day.
The move revealed a fresh willingness inside the West Wing to execute the president’s wishes to punish reporters. It immediately drew a chorus of protest throughout the media, including from Fox News Channel, Trump’s favorite network and Shine’s former employer.
Sanders defended the administration’s approach to the press.
“President Trump is the most accessible president in modern history,” she said Friday. “He has done almost three times as many question-and-answer sessions with reporters as his predecessor, and we continue to provide access to the press in a number of venues and formats every day.”
Olivier Knox, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said the group would challenge any further efforts by Trump to curtail the access of reporters who offend him.
“In keeping with the spirit of the First Amendment, reporters who cover the White House should be free to do their jobs without the specter of reprisal from the government,” he said in a statement. “The White House Correspondents’ Association will pursue its mission of advocacy on behalf of a free and independent news media’s ability to chronicle the American Presidency.”
Trump often expresses fury with the way his actions and behavior are covered in the media. He tweets critiques of news coverage almost daily and has openly contemplated cutting off press access.
“Why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt? Take away credentials?” the president tweeted May 9.
During his campaign, Trump barred reporters from about a dozen media organizations — including The Washington Post, Politico and BuzzFeed — from being credentialed at his rallies, news conferences and other events, and from flying on the press charter plane.
The blacklisted outlets continued to cover Trump’s campaign, with reporters obtaining general-admission tickets to his rallies and traveling on commercial flights. The ban — an unprecedented action by a major-party presidential candidate — was lifted in September 2016, during the general election’s home stretch.
Trump told Time magazine in 2015 that if elected, he would allow news outlets he thought were unfair to him to keep their White House credentials, but he added, “It doesn’t mean I’d be nice to them.”
“I tend to do what I do,” he said. “If people aren’t treating me right, I don’t treat them right.”
As president, Trump has not stripped any news organization of its credentials at the White House, which is a public institution rather than a private campaign. But throughout his 18 months in office, he has privately discussed with aides retaliating against individual journalists, officials said.
Among those who have angered Trump are reporters from CNN, NBC News and The Post, officials said. Two reporters in particular have drawn the president’s ire on multiple occasions: Jim Acosta, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, and April Ryan, Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks and a CNN contributor.
Trump’s irritation has flared the most when he has been peppered with questions from reporters on formal occasions, such as Rose Garden announcements, or during what are known as press pool sprays, when a handful of journalists representing the White House press corps covers meetings or events in the Oval Office, Cabinet Room or Roosevelt Room. He also has taken issue with the questions posed to Sanders and other officials at White House press briefings.
Behind closed doors, Trump often has vented about these types of encounters. He has asked, “Is there nothing that we could do?” according to a former White House official.
Trump has told aides to revoke credentials, deny access to upcoming events or contemplate other punishments, but it was not always clear to them whether he was issuing an order or merely letting off steam.
In past instances, top advisers, including Sanders and former communications director Hope Hicks, would try to talk Trump out of taking action, according to officials with knowledge of the conversations. They argued that doing so would only give more attention to the questions he did not like and suggested that if he did not want to answer those questions, he should simply ignore them.
Furthermore, aides warned Trump that the press corps, made up of scores of news organizations with competing interests, would band together in protest.
Sanders and Hicks declined to comment about their interactions with the president.
Reporters routinely ask Trump questions about the news of the day, and many times the president answers — sometimes engaging in a lengthy back-and-forth on multiple topics. When he does not want to answer, he typically says “Thank you,” and staffers hurry reporters out of the room.
White House officials say Trump objects more to the tone of questions than the substance, saying he feels disrespected when reporters pepper him with questions in front of guests, particularly when a foreign dignitary is visiting.
“This president obviously isn’t afraid of questions,” counselor Kellyanne Conway told a gaggle of reporters Thursday. “We answer them routinely.” Rather, she said, the president objects to “the shouting and the pouting long after the press corps has been politely asked to leave the room.”
Earlier this month, as The Post has previously reported, Trump grumbled to aides about a question he was asked by Associated Press reporter Jonathan Lemire at his Helsinki news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Lemire asked whether Trump would, “with the whole world watching,” denounce Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. The president demurred and later complained to aides that Lemire had been called on, rather than someone more likely to lodge a softball question. Aides told the president that most journalists would have asked a similarly tough question.
In Wednesday’s incident, Collins was the pool reporter representing the five major television news networks in the Oval Office for Trump’s meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. As the two presidents sat in armchairs, Collins asked Trump whether he felt betrayed by Michael Cohen, his former lawyer and fixer, who had released an audio recording of one of their conversations. She also asked about his invitation to Putin to visit Washington.
Collins later said on CNN, “Those questions were questions any reporter would have asked, and I was there to represent all of the networks and therefore ask about the questions of the day.”
In the past, aides have argued to Trump that retaliating against a reporter would end up elevating that journalist to stardom, an argument that carries special resonance for a president loath to share the spotlight or help others profit.
That is what has happened with Acosta, whose frequent tangles with Trump and administration officials have helped raise his profile.
This month in England, Trump snapped at Acosta when he tried to ask a question during his joint news conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May.
“I don’t take questions from CNN,” Trump said. “CNN is fake news.”
Trump then called on John Roberts of Fox News, saying, “Let’s go to a real network. John, let’s go.” | {
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Deputy Mike Torode has been elected as the new chief minister of Guernsey.
The politician defeated Peter Roffey in the final round of voting, held as a secret ballot in the States.
Two other candidates standing for election, Jonathan Le Tocq and Bernard Flouquet, were eliminated after the second vote.
Bailiff Geoff Rowland made the announcement after the third ballot. Mr Torode defeated Mr Roffey by 24 votes to 22.
The election follows the political fall out over the tendering process for a new clinical block at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.
Laurie Morgan, the former chief minister, resigned with the Policy Council after a highly critical report by the Wales Audit Office (WAO).
It was asked to carry out an independent investigation following concerns that the Policy Council may have used its influence to encourage building firm RG Falla to withdraw, despite its bid being £2.4m lower than the one accepted.
The election of the remaining ministers for the Policy Council will be held on 7 March, and any positions created on committees and departments will be filled on 9 March. | {
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Originally Smoky Lake was known to the fur industry as Fort White
Earth. Settlement began in the late 1800s. In 1909 the first post
office was opened and the railroad opened in 1915. Designated a
hamlet in 1919; a village in 1923 and town status granted in 1962.
At one time it had the highest number of businesses per capita, and
included in Ripley's Believe it or Not.
On the first Saturday in October, the town is home to the "Great
White North Pumpkin Fair and Weigh-Off." | {
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} |
One of the questions I’ve heard most often from people with miserable sleep lives is this: How can I wake up rejuvenated, having slept deeply, and not need multiple cups of coffee just to be barely functional in the morning? The fact is, the answers are pretty simple.... | {
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Chapter 2 Central Cannon vs Screen Horse Defense 34
Chapter two deals with the perhaps the most played opening and counter in Xiangqi today: the Central Cannon vs Screen Horse Defense. There are 13 sections to this chapter. This is last section which deals mainly with black playing the screen horse variation with early 3rd Pawn Advancement. It is also a continuation of the previous upload on this opening.Again, the ECCO classification is slightly different, demonstrating some of its discrepancies. However, as it is said on other areas on my website, the ECCO is thus far the closest thing that would allow a decent compilation and sorting out of the xq openings. The breadth of this variation is tremendous and crazy and there are volumes written about it. However, GM Liu DianZhong introduces the most important variations as in the boards. Click here to go to the previous page in this section. Enjoy!
Click here for the next page , which deals with the Same Direction Cannons. Click here to go back to the content page or simply hover your cursor on the menu bar on the left over the openings section .
First created : 2nd Jan 2013Last modified: 2nd Jan 2013Acknowledgements:Mr Felix Tan for various advice on this section. Mr Chris Hankinson for various technical support. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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See README_FOREIGN.txt for details on how to build foreign resources
so that SICStus can call C++ code.
See README_RUNTIME.txt for details on building run-time systems,
including how to embed the SICStus run-time in C or C++.
For questions or comments, please contact [email protected]
/The SICStus Development Team | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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The Captain recommends -
17/10/2004
The Blacksmith & the Bookkeeper
Very nice 3 part article about the impact of technology on job descriptions, or even more generically of Schumpeterian creative destruction, shown specifically in the example of the programming trade which is being likened to that of the 19th century blacksmith. The author is trying to figure out why the bookkeeper has survived the blacksmith, and he identifies the higher and evolving share of hyper-human skills involved in bookkeeping as the main reason. Some of those skills are:
- creativity and imagination
- love and empathy
- subjectivity
- wanting, valuing, intending
- social skills
- hypothesizing
Very interesting also the readers' reactions, who obviously are mostly programmers, and who do not like one bit being likened to blacksmiths ... they don't really seem to get the concept of metaphors, do they. | {
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PAOK, under the charge of former Schalke coach Huub Stevens, were hopeful of reaching the competition proper for the first time following last week's 1-1 first-leg draw in Germany. Though they went behind to Ádám Szalai's opener, Stefanos Athanasiadis's equaliser and the dismissal of Jermaine Jones looked to have put them in the ascendancy. However, Julian Draxler and Szalai struck either side of Kostas Katsouranis to earn Schalke a 4-3 aggregate triumph.
The hosts were fortunate not to have fallen behind after just three minutes, Jacobo showing sharp reflexes to keep out Jones's close-range header. The two scorers from last week, Miroslav Stoch and Jefferson Farfán, both threatened before Schalke found a way through. Atsuto Uchida raced on to a raking pass, controlled the ball superbly and squared for Szalai to finish from close range.
Stoch was at it again soon after the interval, flashing a menacing delivery across goal which narrowly evaded Dimitris Salpingidis's lunge. It mattered not, though, for the Greek side were level four minutes later – Stelios Kitsiou provided the perfectly-weighted, defence-splitting pass, and Athanasiadis the rifled first-time finish.
When Jones was sent off for his second bookable offence in the 64th minute, it appeared to be advantage PAOK until Schalke went in front in slick fashion. Substitute Max Meyer, 17, played in Draxler with a delightful through ball and the No10 rounded Jacobo with his first touch before squeezing the ball in from a tight angle.
Though Lucas lacked the composure to convert a fine chance to equalise just moments later, the experienced Katsouranis was on hand to drag PAOK back into the tie when he deftly headed in from Stoch's free-kick. Stoch went close to scoring the elusive third, but Schalke rubber-stamped their progress courtesy of Szalai's simple finish following some excellent work from Draxler.
The CHAMPIONS LEAGUE and UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE words, the UEFA Champions League logo and trophy and the UEFA Champions League Final logos are protected by trade marks and/or copyright of UEFA. No use for commercial purposes may be made of such trade marks. Use of UEFA.com signifies your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. | {
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Search
Photo: Ryanne Lai Like last year, this years’ Barcamp Hong Kong attracted some amazing people. The sponsors have clearly grown too with big names such as Yahoo!, Adobe and Microsoft added to the pot. Unfortunately I missed most of the morning talks, including the HKSUA launch. I arrived just in time to catch the last […]
I had a great time at the Yahoo! offices today. It was great to see such a lively crowd. Following the spirit of BarCamp this turned out to be another great event. My talk was about 7 Ways To Write “Better” HTML, +7 ways it will benefit your online business, a bit of a mouthful, […]
The BarCamp tide has finally reached the shores of Hong Kong. The first ever BarCamp Hong Kong event will be held at, a no more fitting venue than, Yahoo!’s offices in Causeway bay on 15th December 2007. See you there!
Web designers and developers of all calibre should take this survey. It only takes a few minutes to complete and mostly consists of point-and-click questions demanding minimal brain power.Help yourself and help our profession by taking the Web Design Survey. I took it and so should you! | {
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Members of Duluth Schools' Health Services staff interact in partnership with the Educational Team to provide students with quality consistent health care and health management. School nurses and health assistants work together to meet the health needs of students in the educational setting. This team has a unique understanding of students' physical, social, and emotional health and the resulting impact on learning.
Health Services Offices
Each school is staffed by a Health Assistant (HA/LPN) during school hours. A Licensed School Nurse (LSN/RN) is available at buildings on a part-time basis, but is always available to the health assistant by phone. All School Health Offices have a 24/7 confidential voice mail system…Parents may leave a message at any time.
When to Contact your school health office:
• For any changes to your child’s health or for any significant conditions i.e. Diabetes, Seizures, Life-threatening Allergies with an Epi-pen
• When a student has a communicable condition (i.e., chicken pox, strep throat or head lice) so appropriate measures may be taken.
“They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel" | {
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Born in 1988 in Cologne/Germany Hugo Hoppmann is a graphic designer and art director who graduated from ECAL in Lausanne/Switzerland in summer 2011. Alongside his studies he interned at Bureau Mirko Borsche, worked for Berlin-based culture magazine 032c and found his own publication Better Mjstakes.
After a powerful one-year stint at Meiré und Meiré (working full-time on projects such as Kenzo, Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 032c, brandeins) he has now returned to independency, traveling the world in pursuit for new adventures.
One of my favorite venues in the city is the Stadtgarten restaurant and club alongside the beautiful parc of the same name. Highly recommended are the Cologne Sessions parties which take place in the legendary basement called Studio 672.
Café Duddel is a café and bar near University that looks like if it is hosting generations of students since decades. It feels like a kitchen, living room and saloon at the same time and in the smaller building in the back you can spend a whole day sitting on a cosy sofa smoking, drinking coffee and playing chess. In the evening there are sometimes small concerts or lections too.
The Kitchenette is a small but absolutely fantastic bistro which is run by my two favourite people who I know since I was born: Jean-Philippe Demougeot and Barbara Zander. Say Hugo sent me here! and get a drink for free!
Schrebergarten is an outdoor club that is located in a rail triangle. The dancefloor in the back of the areal resembles an enchanted garden with colourful lights sparkling in the top of the trees, only the trains passing by remind you of where you are. As it is all outdoor the club is only open in summer. | {
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If you’re looking for a way to manage you’re Cloud Computing this Christmas, here’s a pretty comprehensive list of all the apps from generic monitoring to providers own. You can find them all in the iTunes App Store (I didn’t take the time to link all of them, search by name in the app store and you’ll get it).
I’d like to ask, what features do you want in your mobile Cloud Management apps? We’re working on one in Digital Mines and would love to hear user feature requests.
We spend a lot of time thinking about where this industry is going – there’s so much hype, so many new entrants, and the term has become so generic it’s hard to pin down what’s relevant and what’s just PR. Based on our experience, what we’ve learned from talking to customers, and being keen industry observers, we’ve put together the trends we think will influence Cloud Computing in 2011.
Adoption: Cloud Computing is mainstream now and there are many solutions and plenty of providers to implement them. While developers have been the early-adopters, in 2011 IT Managers and IT Services Providers will move to utilising Cloud Computing within their service catalogue. 2011 will be the year businesses begin to adopt Cloud Computing in a serious way.
EcoSystem: The ecosystem of applications on top of base-level infrastructure and platform providers will emerge as a force controlling a lot of Cloud deployments. This year saw the ecosystem begin to solidify, with a couple of acquisitions, but a lot of startup funding. This paves the way for 2011 to be a big year for ‘value added providers’ in the Cloud. We expect a lot of innovation and a few more ‘Heroku’ like big wins. (Heroku was acquired by Salesforce for over $200m).
Public/Private & Hybrid Cloud: Public Cloud Computing (IaaS – providers like Amazon) has dominated the spectrum so far, and industry professionals spent much of the first half of 2010 arguing over the technical definition of ‘Private Cloud’. To us, a Private Cloud is an infrastructure which is controlled BY or FOR the users’ organisation and meets the core tenets of Cloud Computing – which are: self-provisioning, elasticity (bi-directional) and utility-based billing or metering. Virtualising an internal IT infrastructure is a step in the right direction, but it is not a Private Cloud. A large percentage of companies have already implemented virtualisation, and we will see this progress to Private and Hybrid Cloud Computing in 2011 as these IT managers seek better measure and manage their IT resources, and to take advantage of the Public Cloud for portions of their workload. Hybrid Cloud Providers will emerge in 2011 and this will be a hype space for a while as use-cases need to be demonstrated.
Infrastructure as a Service Providers: Amazon currently lead the charge and will continue to dominate in 2011, although we expect to see strong challenges, from both existing entrants like Microsoft and potentially other large IT companies not yet active in the space – IBM/SunGard/EMC/Cisco. It makes sense for the large infrastructure suppliers to enter this space eventually – despite the fight they have put up against it thus far – as customer demand is strong. Lots of local Cloud providers started to emerge towards the end of 2010 and this trend will continue, although it is hard to see how they can effectively compete at the commoditised layer of Cloud Infrastructure with the big players.
Hosting Companies: As traditional IT Companies start to move into Cloud Computing, so too Hosting Providers will move to offer more traditional IT services such as applications, communication and collaboration, and managed services. The hosting industry is changing – with platforms like WordPress and Salesforce small businesses no longer need basic web or application hosting; and on the other side large businesses like Amazon and Microsoft are competing for the ‘bread and butter’ business. Hosting Providers will start to re-brand their existing services as ‘Cloud Services’ to try and stay relevant.
Data Centres: The growth in the need for Data Centre space will not diminish with the growth in Cloud Computing. Quite the contrary – Cloud Infrastructure needs to be located in Data Centres – the change may be the smaller customers go with an IT provider (that resells Public Cloud space, or provides their own Private or Managed Cloud Services) so Data Centres see a reduction in customer numbers and a shift of power to the IT provider. Some Data Centre enterprises may acquire into the Managed Service space and become a ‘New Age Systems Integrator’ and compete with traditional MSPs and IT Service Providers.
Managed Cloud Providers: We see a new type of business emerging in 2011, that sits between Public and Private Cloud providers. A so-called ‘Managed Cloud Provider’ is one which delivers IT Infrastructure, from first customer meeting through to deployment, SLA implementation and technical support, on a mix of dedicated Private Cloud (on-site or co-located), Local Managed Cloud (infrastructure deployed and managed by the service provider for multiple clients) and Public Cloud resources. The industry will likely debate this heavily as the definition of Private and Public Cloud is barely agreed, but what matters is customer acceptance, and these IT companies that transform into Managed Cloud Providers already own a vast amount of the available customer base, and so they will win business regardless of industry experts acceptance of their offerings and marketing collateral.
Cloud Software: Already this area can be segmented into Cloud Enablers, Cloud Platforms and Cloud Management. Cloud Enablers are those companies whose application enables an organisation to offer it’s own Cloud Services. Enomaly, OnApp, Flexiant, Eucalyptus, Cloud.com, OpenStack, are just a few, and VMWare is entering the space with vCloud, which will test the mettle of the smaller independent software businesses. Cloud Platforms make up a lot of the EcoSystem mentioned above – companies such as Heroku and EngineYard, and we will see more in 2011. Finally, Cloud Management providers, like ourselves in Digital Mines, are businesses that build on top of commodity Cloud providers and virtualisation applications, and provide value-added services, such as monitoring, support, and managed services to enable Cloud Computing in organisations.
Disclaimer: This blog post is an opinion piece only and by no means exhaustive. We welcome discussion on any of the topics above, these opinions were formed based on our experiences in the industry, and we are more than happy to discuss them.
Cloud Computing was a headline leader again in 2010, but this year it was about new products, case studies, and emerging new technologies and ways to take advantage of them. We spend a lot of time in Digital Mines talking about and delivering services in this space, and as part of that we like to look back at the year that’s been, and analyse the activity. Cloud Computing is a hugely exciting space with daily developments, and it will continue to be for the foreseeable future. For anyone interested in the area, we hope the below summary information provides some guidance.
Definition: The term ‘Cloud Computing’ was a bandwagon in 2009 and everyone decided they were ‘Cloud Companies’, in 2010 the definition of Cloud Computing was generally accepted as being 3 layers – IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service) and SaaS (Software as a Service). While we feel it adds less value being so generic (the term originally emerged for the IaaS space – hence the word ‘computing’), we welcome that the area now has a definition.
Mainsteam Acceptance: Cloud Computing is now generally known and accepted as a service within business IT departments. However, it is not well understood and adoption is still low.
Startups: A vast amount of money poured into a large number of startups, purely doing ‘Cloud Computing’. Infrastructure Providers, Management Applications, Storage Systems – a whole new breed of IT company is being created around this new ecosystem.
Microsoft: Microsoft are investing heavily with Azure, and are moving into the general IaaS area with their latest server offering, Azure has yet to gain any measurable traction though, and is still an early stage service, trailing in features and innovation from Amazon Web Services. Hyper-V and System Centre Operations Manager are MS’s Private Cloud products and they ares selling them hard. While small ground was made 2010, momentum seems to be shifting their way.
Salesforce: The Force.com platform is gaining momentum, although we do not see a lot of interest – it seems to be primarily an extension for existing Salesforce customers. The buy of Heroku, and launch of Database.com could extend Salesforce into the main Cloud Computing arena next year.
Amazon Web Services: AWS has had another huge year. By all accounts, AWS is the industry leader by some distance. They continue to increase the pace of innovation, with regular new product introductions and feature enhancements. AWS appeals mainly to developers, due to it’s complexity, and Rackspace is winning here as it’s offering is much lower-level, but is easier for hobbists and IT managers to work with.
The Other Big Co’s: IBM, HP, Dell, Oracle/Sun – a lot of announcements but nothing concrete from these players. The typical not-invented-here syndrome and protecting the existing ‘tin sales’ may be what’s holding them back. We felt Sun had great potential to become a competitor with their Cloud plans, but these were shelved with the acquisition by Oracle.
EcoSystem: The Cloud Computing ecosystem is only beginning to emerge, with AWS as the primary platform for these applications. Heroku was the big winner this year with a 200m+ buy out. EngineYard, Cloudkick (acquired by Rackspace), Rightscale (raised an additional 25m in funding this year to bring it to 45m total), Digital Mines (that’s us!) and a few more are defining a new type of IT Company, building atop of giant, commodity infrastructure suppliers, and delivering a host of value-added services.
VMWare: VMWare made some big acquisitions this year in the drive to get away from deriving most of their revenue from the hypervisor (which is basically an nonchargeable commoditised piece of software now). They now have application offerings in platform (Springsource) and collaboration (Zimbra) and with ex-Microsoft employee Paul Maritz at the helm, it seems their strategy playbook is very similar to Microsoft’s own – ‘extend and dominate’. vCloud Director, their product to enable a VMWare based network of Cloud Providers, was launched and well received, but as yet not a lot of use cases have been shown, and parts of the product need further development.
Citrix Xen: Xen became an enterprise player this year, with statistics that a large number of the Fortune 500 are now using it instead of VMWare. Citrix have created an application stack for Cloud Computing – with Xen Cloud, Xen Desktop and Xen App and this year moved from developer into mainstream IT. VMWare still control the enterprise, but Citrix are becoming an able challenger.
Local IT Providers: Predictably, a large tranche of IT Providers, VARs and ISV’s, launched ‘Cloud Offerings’ this year. Some are partnering with Microsoft on BPOS, or Salesforce, others are investing in their own infrastructure platforms, and yet others are re-branding their existing services as ‘Cloud Services’. There will always be a need for these companies – the local provider of IT services – but in 2010, following the trend in 2009, they were under pressure to find new revenue channels as businesses stopped spending capital on IT resources and drove to reduce IT service costs.
Storage: Storage has to be mentioned as an area with a lot of activity this year. Servers and Networks continued their usual pace of development, but storage companies were funded, bought & sold, and many new entrants emerged with ‘value-added’ services such a local gateways to Cloud Storage & better synchronisation and collaboration. The storage space was ‘hot’ in 2010, with a healthy amount of user adoption, not just product and press releases. Noteworthy were the HP acquisition of 3PAR (after a fight with Dell) and Dell of Compellent. The Cloud Storage battle has yet to be fought, and new alternatives, methodologies and providers are emerging all the time. We think a Cloud Storage ‘format war’ is brewing and no clear contender has emerged – hence the amount of money being spent in the area.
Disclaimer: This blog post is an opinion piece and not to be taken as facts. Many developments and companies were not included in this post – it is not intended to be exhaustive – but merely to provide a short, useful snapshot of Cloud Computing in 2010. We welcome discussion on any of the topics above, these opinions were formed based on our experiences in the industry, and we are more than happy to discuss them.
State of the Cloud for November shows Rackspace gaining on Amazon – which I have to admit is surprising given the power of AWS. Linode is now probably the leading VPS provider, but I would not call them an enterprise class IaaS provider like Rackspace or AWS. All the rest are ‘also rans’ for now.
It would be interesting to get localised (country) demographics and see how local IaaS guys are stacking up against the big public clouds.
At Digital Mines we are building management software for Cloud Computing. We utilise commodity infrastructure, like Amazon Web Services, and present it to our users in ways that solve their needs.
So … click the link above to go to our Quora page and tell us what your needs are. Tell us about your pain points. Tell us what the killer features for Cloud Computing are to you. And hey – we might just build it for you – that’s our business after all!
Microsoft have launched Compute services on their Azure platform. The specs, and even naming, is the same as Amazon Web Services EC2, and the price is the same or higher in some cases.
We’ll support Azure on Digital Mines when we see user demand – personally I don’t see this being the catalyst to do that. Microsoft had an opportunity to disrupt here I think – and go with a Compute Usage model, rather than the pure VM model (pay only for CPU cycles you consume rather than for a VM that you pay for no matter what the usage is).
The US government is adopting Cloud Services, backed by Amazon Web Services. I’d love to see an EU-Cloud or IE-Cloud. I spoke to Enterprise Ireland about this almost a year ago – Ireland has a great opportunity to lead in this space and create a framework where public bodies can take advantage of Cloud Computing. | {
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Saturday, August 27, 2005
That eternal thing that keeps us up at night
I'm working on one of my freelance writing projects that involved interviewing a number of people working on a musical that's opening on Broadway this fall. The piece will ultimately be read by students, so at the end of each interview, I ask whoever I'm talking with if he or she has any words of advice for young people who are interested in the arts. This is what the director of the show had to say (this is unedited, right off the tape.)
I think the most important thing is to know why. I know that sounds funny. What I have learned, I guess, over the years is that people who stay in theater stay because there’s something about them, something key about them, that can only come alive when they’re working in theater. It’s not about the glamorous things, or whatever. There’s something that is just essential about yourself, and that you want to keep telling stories, and you want to keep making that contact, or you want to keep designing the world of the play -- because you know that you are in your place, you know you are what you’re supposed to be when you’re doing that.
I think most of us, not to get too psychological about it, I think most of us on some level know that eternal thing that keeps us up at night, you know, keeps us awake, keeps us getting up in the morning. Because frankly, it’s not a glamorous business. There are glamorous moments. But in the percentage of the time you spend on a show, they’re very minor. It’s not that. But satisfying your need to connect is why you get up and do it. The rest of it falls in place.
One of the shows that I've written, and have seen through productions both wonderful and disastrous, is about that same idea -- that you have to find that eternal thing -- to find your place, when you know you are what you're supposed to be when you're doing that.
I feel like I've been on a track, this same track, since I was fifteen or sixteen years old. The words of this interview really resonated with me -- it's satisfying a need to connect (a different show of mine contains almost those exact words.)
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Chrysler sale is on
Supreme Court refuses to block asset sale to Fiat
NEW YORK – The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday night declined to hear an appeal from opponents of the sale of Chrysler’s assets to Italian automaker Fiat, clearing the way for the government-backed transaction to take place immediately.
The order capped a hectic week in which creditors, dealers and others raced to block a deal that now appears destined to become a template for a similar bankruptcy involving General Motors.
Another important piece of Chrysler’s plan fell in place yesterday when a federal bankruptcy judge granted the automaker’s request to sever ties with 789 dealerships.
Together, the rulings allowed the Obama administration to get back on track with its plan to engineer a speedy restructuring of America’s struggling automotive industry, and turn Chrysler and GM into leaner global rivals.
“We are gratified that not a single court that reviewed this matter, including the U.S. Supreme, found any fault whatsoever with the handling of this matter by either Chrysler or the U.S. government,” the Treasury Department said in a statement.
Chrysler plans to sell most of the assets it deems valuable to a new entity run by Fiat and owned in part by the United Auto Workers and the U.S. and Canadian governments. Chrysler’s creditors would split the $2 billion government-provided proceeds from the sale.
A group of Indiana pension and construction funds had opposed that transaction, arguing that the Chrysler sale favored lenders who were much more junior to them. They were joined by consumer groups who complained that the sale would exempt the new Chrysler from past product liability claims.
But the government and Chrysler argued, along with Fiat, that the only alternative to the sale was a liquidation of the automaker, which would result in tens of thousands of job losses.
After four days of competing petitions and responses, the Supreme Court in effect decided to stay out of the case. The unsigned opinion said the “denial of a stay is not a decision on the merits of the underlying legal issues.”
The court said the challengers needed to demonstrate that at least four members of the court were willing to accept the case because it was “sufficiently meritorious” that there was a “fair prospect” a majority of the court would disagree with the lower court’s decision. They also needed to show the harm that would result if a stay were not granted.
“The applicants have not carried that burden,” the two-page opinion concluded.
The court made it clear that its decision affected only the Chrysler dispute: “Our assessment of the stay factors here is based on the record and proceedings in this case alone.”
The deal comes as U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur J. Gonzalez on Tuesday granted Chrysler’s request to shrink its sales network by a quarter. Rejected dealers must now take down promotional materials and billboards with the Chrysler logo. They are no longer allowed to offer repairs or services of Chrysler products as an authorized dealer.
The dealers are moving their fight to Congress. On Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Committee sent letters to GM chief executive Fritz Henderson and Chrysler President Jim Press, demanding answers for the “unwarranted” treatment of dealers. The House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee is to hold a hearing into the matter Friday. Congressional leaders introduced legislation this week to try to stop hundreds of General Motors and Chrysler dealerships from closing. | {
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