While most gamma proteobacteria have a single circular chromosome, Vibrionales have two circular chromosomes. Horizontal gene transfer is common among Vibrios, and in light of this genetic mobility, it is an open question to what extent the two chromosomes themselves share a common history since their formation.
Single copy genes from each chromosome (142 genes from chromosome I and 42 genes from chromosome II) were identified from 19 sequenced Vibrionales genomes and their phylogenetic comparison suggests consistent phylogenies for each chromosome. Additionally, study of the gene organization and phylogeny of the respective origins of replication confirmed the shared history.
Thus, while elements within the chromosomes may have experienced significant genetic mobility, the backbones share a common history. This allows conclusions based on multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) for one chromosome to be applied equally to both chromosomes.
In traditional dogma, bacteria have one chromosome and a number of smaller DNA entities, like plasmids, which are propagated across generations unlinked to the chromosome. However, when bacteria have two chromosomes, are they permanently paired or do these physical entities recombine frequently relative to genes on these chromosomes? Since 1998, it has been known that some gamma proteobacteria have two chromosomes [1–3]. This followed discoveries that various other proteobacteria, namely alpha proteobacteria [4, 5] and beta proteobacteria , could have multiple chromosomes as well. An initial debate occurred over whether the second Vibrio chromosome was really a 'chromosome' or whether it was merely a 'megaplasmid' [3, 7]. The arguments for considering the second replicon a chromosome centered on its considerable size, essential gene content  and consistent stoichiometry. We can now add to that a unique replication machinery [9, 10] that operates independently but in a coordinated fashion  with synchronous termination and thus consistent stoichiometry [12, 13]. It is now accepted that most, perhaps all, Vibrionaceae (including the genera Vibrio and Photobacteria) have two chromosomes .
Genome analysis of the Vibrios rapidly uncovers variation even among closely related strains. Not only do the genome sizes differ widely , but even among conserved genes, there is incongruity among the inferred phylogenies. This is the well-accepted signature of horizontal gene transfer and homologous recombination. Gene organization also differs among sequenced strains, indicating large-scale genetic mobility. Individual genes and entire operons may be mobile among Vibrio[16–20]. In particular, Chromosome II varies widely in size and organization [14, 21]. Further, many Vibrio carry (and presumably exchange) plasmids. Though it may seem unusual to expect as large a quantity of DNA to be transferred as an entire chromosome, there is evidence that Vibrio have experienced a transfer on that magnitude even recently: The putative V. vulnificus hybridization leading to biotype 3 involves very large quantities of DNA being transferred among V. vulnificus strains to create a hybrid strain almost evenly split in contributions from biotypes 1 and 2 . However, the hybridization event involves loci from both chromosomes being transferred and appears to have preserved their associations with those chromosomes. As such, it does not appear to have been an exchange of chromosomal partners, but it raises the possibility that chromosomal exchange may have been an evolutionary mechanism within the Vibrionaceae.
The function of a second chromosome, and of multi-chromosomality in general, has been the subject of speculation [2, 14, 23]. That many of the genes on the Vibrio Chromosome II have specific environmental functions has been noted, and the role of the second chromosome in habitat adaptation has been tested experimentally . Xu et al demonstrated that when V. cholera was grown in an animal host (rabbit ileal loop) a general shift in gene expression favored up-regulation of genes on the second chromosome relative to the gene expression profiles in exponential growth in vitro. This experimental data paired with the gross similarities among the chromosome I from all sequenced Vibrio and the great diversity of chromosome II, suggests that the second chromosome represents a collection of accessory elements and might be mobilized wholesale leading to a complete shift in habitat or niche [2, 14].
'Vibrio phylogenies' that are built using MLSA or single-copy conserved genes typically use genes located on chromosome I [15, 24–34] with the exception of intra-specific typing schemes for pathogens [17, 22]. This is a side-effect of choosing stable, conserved, essential, single copy genes. However, it provides little assurance of representing the history of the entire genome given that Chromosome II is excluded from the analyses.
Given the high degree of mobility Vibrio genetic elements are presumed to have, it is possible that the two chromosomes have distinct and conflicting histories. There are currently 9 completely assembled Vibrio genomes available in the public databases and over 30 partially sequenced genomes. We explored these genomes to construct phylogenies for each of the two chromosomes using three approaches. First, single copy genes from each chromosome were assembled en suite and a phylogeny for each chromosome was inferred from these concatenated sequences. Second, the organization and gene content at the origins of replication of each chromosome (OriI and OriII for chromosomes I and II, respectively) were studied. Third, the genes from near the two chromosomal origins of replication were studied and their phylogenies estimated individually.
The inferred phylogenies for the two chromosomes are congruent (Figures 1 and 2) and contain the expected major features, such as Photobacterium being basal to the Vibrionaceae and V. fisheri forming the next most basal clade. There are no unexpected sister taxa. The results of this analysis are compatible with published multi-locus analyses. However, instead of using 6 or 8 genes commonly used in MLSA, this analysis included 142 genes from chromosome I and 42 from chromosome II. These single copy genes include a range of functions including metabolism, information processing, flagellar structure and cytoskeletal components; as such, they represent sampling points from various pathways and genomic sections from around the entire genome. The concatenation of these well conserved genes provides a shared signal for the chromosomes as a whole, despite only composing a small fraction of the entire genome. The genes included in the analysis are listed under Additional files 1 and 2. The chromosome I tree is easily rooted by the various other genomes included in the analysis. All of these other clades fell together along accepted taxonomic lines. The most closely related strains in the tree are the V. cholerae strains; that clade is effectively unresolved because the internal distances are too short. The chromosome II tree cannot be rooted in the same manner as chromosome I because there is no obviously available outgroup: the chromosome II of P. atlantica is not homologous to the chromosome II of the Vibrionaceae being analyzed. However, rooting it identically by using the information from the chromosome I tree preserves the branching order of each tree. Thus, the 'mean field' approximation for the phylogeny of the two chromosomes is congruent at the species level. There is insufficient resolution among V. cholerae strains and too few members of other species to make inferences at a finer phylogenetic scale.
Tree (Chromosome I). Inferred mean-field phylogeny of Chromosome I derived from a sampled concatenated gene sequence of single-copy orthologs distributed around the entire Chromosome I. The species tree is fully resolved and has 100% bootstrap support on all nodes outside of V. cholerae (1000 replicates). The list of genes and included locus tags is found in Additional file 1, supplementary materials.
Tree (Chromosome II). Inferred mean-field phylogeny of Chromosome II derived from a sampled concatenated gene sequence of single-copy orthologs distributed around the entire Chromosome II. The species tree is fully resolved and has 100% bootstrap support on all nodes (10000 replicates). The list of genes and included locus tags is found in Additional file 2, supplementary materials. Only closed genomes were included in this analysis.
The second method of analysis, studying the gene organization at the origins of replication (Ori), supported the finding that the two chromosomes share a single phylogeny at the species level. This method of analysis was more advantageously applied to chromosome II than chromosome I: Gene order in the region immediately surrounding the chromosome I origin appears too highly conserved between species to provide robust data on its phylogeny (Figure 3; expanded in Additional files 3 and 4). However, gene content is informative in that region suggesting that the species largely conform to the expected clustering even though the tree is not well supported (Figure 3). The difficulties are caused by a paucity of organizational changes that differentiate species at OriI - such as the inversion of three genes that sets apart the V. fisheri. Frequently, a change is unique to a sequenced strain and not shared by other members of its species. This can be extraordinarily disruptive of a distance estimate if the number of unique differences is large. In particular, at least three obvious saltations in the gene content introduce spikes of noise. In V. cholerae B33, an apparently mobile genetic region has imposed itself very close to the origin of replication. These 18 genes, almost as large as the region to be compared, interrupt an otherwise absolutely conserved region shared by the other Vibrio cholerae. A 9 gene region in Photobacterium sp. SKA34 contains several transposon and transposase genes. Similarly, 16 gene region in Vibrio splendidus MED222 interrupts an otherwise conserved region with a number of secretory system genes; it lacks apparent mobility elements which would explain its origin. Among the photobacteria, the flanking regions sometimes differ dramatically, as well, which disturbs the phylogeny with a very long branch, and the Vibrio cholerae appear to have inverted the entire region - but this would not impact a gene content analysis.
OriI and OriII synteny figures. The two origin regions of (A) Chromosome I and (B) Chromosome II. Open reading frames called in the annotated genomes are polygons pointing in the direction of their orientation. Colors label the open reading frames analyzed individually in estimating the phylogeny of the origin. The expanded figures with all labels are found in Additional files 3 and 4, supplementary materials.
Gene presence/absence data is more informative in the regions surrounding the origin of chromosome II, even though across the breadth of the Vibrionaceae, the areas adjacent to the origin of replication have been relocated to such an extent that it is not practical to reconstruct their movement from as few genomes as are currently available. This is not unexpected, given how thoroughly shuffled chromosome II is relative to chromosome I ; see also Additional file 5 to explore the global rearrangement of chromosome II. Within a relatively short distance of the origin, however, genes can be reliably identified as orthologous and used in a presence/absence analysis. The origin was extended in each direction by 10 kb. As described in the methods, a gene presence/absence tree was constructed and this led to a distance tree entirely consistent with the mean-field approximation across Chromosomes I and II (i.e. Figures 1 and 2).
The phylogenies estimated for each of the gene families near the origin support the estimations derived from the two chromosomes overall. This third method of analysis led thus to the same conclusion as the other two. Table 1 lists the genes studied at each origin, focusing on their gene phylogeny, while Table 2 specifies the longer annotation names for the genes used in Table 1 and the type of data (DNA or AA) used to create the trees. The genes within the Ori regions are naturally subject to horizontal gene transfer and mutational noise, like all other genes. Two of them are too conserved or too noisy to present a clear phylogenetic signal over the Vibrionales. In these cases, ALrT (approximate likelihood ratio test) and bootstrap support are lacking across the entire tree (2/28 genes on chromosome I, 0 on chromosome II). Many other trees have limited support for individual clades. Clades with less than 0.05 ALrT  support or less than 70% bootstrap support were reduced to polytomies. In addition, the long branch of V. cholerae sometimes distorts other elements in the tree. In 8/28 trees from chromosome I and 2/12 trees derived from chromosome II, removing the cholera clade from the tree also restored a topology consistent with the mean-field tree in the other portions of the tree where previously it had been inconsistent with the hypothesis (labeled B in the first column of the table). Finally, one clade (V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus, V. campbellii, V. harveyi) was reliably monophyletic but presented numerous permutations in its internal structure. At OriI 9/28 genes presented diverse variants in this clade; at OriII, 3/12 genes presented variability within this clade. Ignoring this variation, 16/28 genes from chromosome I and 10/12 genes from chromosome II confirm the chromosomal phylogenies inferred by the above methods (labeled A). Finally, the remaining two genes on chromosome I lead to inferences that conflict with the others by placing V. splendidus in the V. fischeri clade (basal to its expected position, see Figure 4). Genes in OriI show more variation in phylogeny but fewer genes are available for study in OriII.
Gene phylogenies for OriI and OriII.
All the genes analyzed are listed. The first column represents whether the estimated phylogeny was consistent with the hypothesized chromosome phylogeny (A and B, if removing cholera results in a consistent tree), inconsistent with the hypothesized phylogeny, or simply uninformative. The second column indicates whether all strains were represented for this locus and the third whether there were any clades outside the cholera clade at which the tree was a polytomy because of an uninformative or unsupported node. The fourth column includes cases in which V. splendidus is out of place in the tree (O) or where the V. parahaemolyticus/V. alginolyticus clade is not the same as in the consensus tree (X).
The genes surrounding the origins of replication otherwise identified by short names are described by their longer annotation names. In addition, the data (DNA or AA) used to create the trees is listed. This relates to the degree of conservation in the data; more conserved sequences require DNA trees to provide signal, less conserved sequences require AA trees to avoid excessive noise.
Aberrant tree. Tree inferred from the gene Asub on Chromosome I that is inconsistent with the trees inferred by other methods as described in this paper, including the trees for the individual gene phylogenies at other nearby genes. In this tree, the V. splendidus clade is found next to the V. fisheri clade, making it basal to its expected position. This tree is also referred to as "I" in Table 1, column 1. As shown, the tree is not fully resolved and branches with low support have been collapsed.
Rampant horizontal gene transfer and plasmid exchange might create doubt as to the fidelity of paired chromosomes to one another. Further, this genetic mobility can create serious difficulties for anyone reconstructing a phylogeny for something as large as a chromosome, just as they do for someone inferring organismal and species phylogenies. Here, these difficulties have been overcome by using a range of methods that operate at different temporal and genetic scales. At the smallest scale, a number of individual gene phylogenies were reconstructed. At an intermediate scale, the gene content of a conserved region was used to infer a phylogeny. At the largest scale, concatenation of predominantly chromosome specific genes (though they may, in other genomes, be transferred among the chromosomes) provided an estimate of the history of the whole chromosome. In each case, the observed patterns were consistent - though, while many individual genes do not present a conflicting individual history, they may not support the hypothesis for lack of signal.
This congruence between the whole of the chromosome and the origin of replication suggests that the region around the origin of replication is either too large to relocate or is difficult to transfer because of its specific function. Individual genes in this region may experience horizontal gene transfer - witness the inclusion of a mobile genetic region in V. cholerae B33. Individual genes also appear amenable to transfer, deletion and insertion.
More than being able to create a relative history for each chromosome, it appears that since the origin of the two chromosomes in the ancestral Vibrio, they have continued as a pair. This suggests that they have also followed the cell itself; that we have a consistent phylogeny for the Vibrio species themselves - at least, the ones included in this analysis. Further genome sequencing would allow a similar analysis to provide the 'definitive' phylogeny of the Vibrio, but at much greater effort per strain than for MLSA . MLSA schemes currently devised provide a mean field estimate of the phylogeny of Chromosome I; thus, as they are expanded to include increasing numbers of genes, those phylogenies are expected to agree with the phylogenies derived from studying the origins of replication. This suggests several genes that might be used in an MLSA of the Vibrionaceae, including Alpha, DnaN, and YidC from Chromosome 1 and ParA2 and GluP from Chromosome 2. These genes have potential primer sequences that are hypothetically capable of creating phylogenetic trees with the highest resolution and consistent signal so that they are comparable to the trees found in this study. It is a pleasing conclusion that separate MLSA schemes will not have to be executed for each chromosome independently.
Mean field approximation refers to the generalized phylogeny of the entire chromosome, regardless of differing histories. This was accomplished conceptually by means of concatenated gene trees for single copy homologous genes whose relatives are most easily determined and whose chromosomal affiliation is most certain. The restriction that the genes had to be single copy is meant to limit the analysis to orthologs while excluding paralogs. To select the genes for this analysis, a database of genomes was created. All the available Vibrionaceae (Vibrio and Photobacterium) genomes as well as an assortment of other gamma proteobacterial genomes (Additional file 6) were selected for analysis. All 62 genomes were broken down into lists of ORFs, which were entered into a MySQL database with their DNA and protein sequences as well as other identifying data. The entire suite of protein sequences were BLASTed against each other and the resulting hits were processed with orthoMCL v 1.4 to identify protein families . A significant parameter used in orthoMCL was an inflation value of 1.5. Genes representing single copy gene families on the different chromosomes were aligned , stripped of their gaps, concatenated, and 100 kb, chosen as individual random sites, was chosen as the input for PhyML .
Phylogenies for Vibrio and Photobacterium chromosome I and II were based on the complete and incomplete published genomes with P. atlantica and Shewanella sp. ANA3 serving as the outgroup. Initially, Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis was proposed as an outgroup for the chromosome II phylogeny. P. haloplanktis, unlike other sequenced pseudoalteromonads, has a second chromosome. However, that chromosome appears to have a distinct, plasmid-like origin of replication and a GC-skew that indicates unidirectional replication . It shares several genes with the Vibrio chromosome II, but it is unclear how, if at all, it might share a substantive phylogeny with the Vibrio chromosome II. It contains presumably essential housekeeping genes, despite its otherwise plasmid-like features and likely represents a second origin of multi-chromosomality within the gamma proteobacteria. As a result, though genes from P. haloplanktis chromosome I were used as an outgroup to Vibrionaceae chromosome I, genes from P. haloplanktis chromosome II were not included in any analysis of Vibrionaceae chromosome II.
Initially, only completed Vibrionaceae genomes were analyzed for phylogeny of chromosome II. The incomplete genomes were then added to the analysis; genes represented multiple times in these genomes were excluded from the analysis. Incomplete genomes of Vibrio cholerae B33, Vibrio harveyi HY01, Vibrio cholera MZO-2, and Vibrio angustum S14 were excluded from this tree because they appeared to be missing members of gene families shared by the other genomes, even quite closely related conspecific strains. Finally, all the selected genes were processed as above, under the assumption that in the incompletely sequenced strains, genes particular to chromosome II in the complete genomes remained on chromosome II. With significantly fewer taxa in chromosome II than chromosome I, comparison for phylogenetic congruence involved eliminating a given taxa from the comparison if it was missing from one of the trees, and only using taxa present in both trees.
The origins of replication were studied first in the complete genomes, where they are identifiable by GC skew, annotation, and common gene content and organization. In the incomplete genomes, orthologous regions were identified by both gene content and skew. When the expected gene families and gene order coincided with appropriate shifts in skew, the origin was identified. For unfinished genomes, the origin could not be used in this analysis if it was broken up over several small contigs, but when the entire region was readily assembled in an unmistakable fashion, those contigs were included in the analysis.
The gene families derived from the above database were used to identify orthologs. Four core genes present in virtually all the genomes immediately at the origin were identified and used to anchor the analysis. From their furthest start and stop codons, regions 10 kb (OriII) and 20 kb (OriI) stretching outward were defined. These distances were chosen to balance issues of signal and noise. Particularly for OriI, a shorter region was uninformative because there were too few differences in gene content. For both of the chromosomes, as the regions grew larger, genome rearrangements were encountered that would wash out any signal from similarities in gene content at the origins themselves.
The genes within the selected regions were labeled by family and this data was used to produce a list of genes present in each region. This data was used to produce a pairwise distance estimate.
These pairwise distances were used to construct a square matrix; neighbor.exe from PHYLIP  was used to construct a neighbor-joining tree (settings; 10000 jumbles, root, otherwise default).
The genes surrounding the origins of replication were grouped into families by similarity and synteny as detailed above. The phylogenies of the genes were estimated using PhyML-aLRT (settings; AA or DNA depending on data set, otherwise default) and strict consensus trees were created from the phylogenies. The individual gene trees were annotated with the necessary rearrangements to fit a largely resolved consensus tree. PhyML-aLRT was employed due to its ability to rapidly calculate the likelihood gain of all branches, allowing those without sufficient signal to be collapsed. As such, the cholera clade in particular contains insufficient divergence to be accurately resolved based on these genes.
The consensus tree arrived at by consensing the individual gene phylogenies estimated from genes near the origins of replication was compared to the trees derived from the other two methods. Common tools used for sequence and tree visualization included Dendroscope , BioEdit , and Artemis .
Funding was provided by The Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health (NSF&NIEHS), the Moore Foundation and DOE-Genomes to Life; computational support was provided by the Darwin Cluster at MIT.
BCK conceived of the project, generated the methods and drafted the manuscript. LC performed the final version of the analysis for each section and participated in writing the manuscript. SC performed an initial version of the first two analyses. DG developed the database for the research and reviewed drafts of the manuscript. MFP contributed ongoing critical review of the research aims and methods, extensively reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.


As pre-election pressure mounts from congressional Democrats and Republicans, a new report suggests that the White House is drafting a timetable that calls for the Iraqi government to assume more responsibility for security in the war-torn country.
The report in Sunday's New York Times said the head of the U.S.-led Multinational Forces in Iraq and the U.S. ambassador to Iraq were working on a plan that probably would — for the first time — outline milestones for disarming sectarian militias and meeting other political and economic goals.
The blueprint, to be presented to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki by the end of this year, would not threaten Iraq with a withdrawal of U.S. troops, according to the report.
The White House said the article was not accurate. Benchmarks have been part of the U.S. policy in Iraq for months, said Dan Bartlett, a top aide to President George W. Bush.
"Implicit in that is that if they are not achieving the benchmarks, we are going to have to make changes accordingly," Bartlett said, adding that troop withdrawals or other dramatic changes in U.S. policy are not being contemplated.
Republicans and Democrats urged the White House on Sunday's talk shows to step up the pressure on Iraq's prime minister to accomplish the very same goals mentioned in the Times article: calm sectarian violence and increase security.
Senators from both parties expressed wavering confidence in al-Maliki's ability to come to grips with the rising bloodshed.
They said he was the "best horse" for now to support. But they agreed that if no political solution can be found between warring Shiite and Sunni sects, peace will never be achieved.
Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the leading Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the Bush administration must pressure the Iraqis to make political compromises on power and oil resources.
"If they don't want to do that, if they're going to have a civil war, we have to tell them, `You're going to do that without us,"' said Levin, who wants to see U.S. troops begin to leave Iraq by the end of the year.
So far, 79 U.S. soldiers have died in October, making it the deadliest month in 2006 and one of the worst since the war started.
Sen. John Warner, the committee chairman, said setting a withdrawal timetable would be disastrous because it could leave a security vacuum that terrorists would fill. But Warner, a Virginia Republican, has said a change in course may be necessary if the security situation does not improve soon.
"I think we have no other course but to give him our confidence and our support," Warner said.
But Warner also expressed concern that even al-Maliki's recent talks with sectarian leaders had not lead to a cessation of hostilities. He said al-Maliki must give more authority to the Iraqi army. "It is their job, not the U.S. coalition forces' to subdue and get rid of these private militias," he said.
Sen. Joseph Biden, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he had little confidence in either al-Maliki's ability or willingness to force a political solution to deal with militias competing for control of territory.
"Without giving the Sunnis a piece of the oil action, without following up with what they've already done under their constitution ... I don't know how he can do much of anything. I don't even think his inclination is to do much of anything," said Biden, a Democrat of Delaware.
The committee chairman, Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, said pressuring al-Maliki may not work because he does not have much clout. "We keep saying, 'Go to your Shiites and get them straightened out, or the Sunnis, or divide the oil. And al-Maliki is saying, 'There isn't any group here that wants to talk about those things,"' Lugar said.
Still Lugar said of the Iraqi prime minister, "I think he's probably the best horse to ride on in the situation."
Sen. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, said the president should take a harder line in dealing with Iraqi leaders: "I think you have to be more blunt. I think you have to say, no young American is going to die and give their life or limb for Iraqi politicians who refuse to compromise. They have to want democracy for themselves as much as we want it for them."
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Friday that U.S. officials were working with the Iraqi government to develop projections as to when they think they can pass off various pieces of responsibility for both security and governing.
Lugar, Warner, Biden and Levin appeared on "Fox News Sunday." Kerry was on ABC's "This Week."


What Makes Pensioners So Happy?
How can a pensioner be truly happy? Well, if recent research were to be believed, they would do well to move to London, book a few holidays and take up a new hobby - ideally playing video games.
Over the past three or four years, a range of organisations, including the Office for National Statistics (ONS), have surveyed older people and asked them about happiness. The results make for interesting reading. According to the ONS, pensioners - along with teenagers - are the happiest people in the UK. Given that people of pensionable age make up around 20% of the country's population, that's a pleasingly large number of happy folk.
Stannah, a British manufacturer, spoke to a thousand people aged 65 and over, and discovered that the happiest of them (by some way) lived in London. The survey did not detail why Londoners were having such a great time, but it may be linked to having lots of other people close by, and plenty to do. This is borne out by a different study, published in the Daily Mail in 2013, in which pensioners cited spending time with grandchildren, socialising with friends and pursuing hobbies as the key to a happy retirement.
Meanwhile a study from North Carolina State University in the US suggested that pensioners could gain happiness simply from staying indoors and playing video games: the researchers spoke to 140 people over 63 and found that the ones who habitually played video games were happier than those who didn't. Given that the ONS study mentioned above found that teenagers (who are often criticised for spending too much time playing video games) are, like pensioners, among the happiest people around, perhaps the teens are onto something and the entire nation should be spending less time at work and more time gaming.
Treat others, as you would wish to be treated.
When asked for their key regrets, the subjects most frequently claimed that these were having spent too much time worrying about silly things, having married the wrong person and not having travelled enough.
Interestingly, there was broad agreement about what makes for a happy retirement, with finding a passion (perhaps a hobby or pursuit), reading and walking coming at or near the top of the list. Other suggestions included being open to trying new things, and travelling.
So it seems that everybody can learn a thing or two from today's pensioners, who are happier and more fulfilled than most. Keeping in touch with others, having an absorbing hobby and walking are all helpful in the pursuit of happiness, and if all else fails - play video games.


Oil or Herb Vaporizer Which One to Use?
Vaporizer is a device that heats up certain substance/matter onto a high temperature (around 188° C) causing that way active ingredients to melt into a fume (vapor) you then inhale. This way of consumption of medically active chemical substances-inhaling them- is definitely the safest one. Extract concentrator causes thermal separation of useful substances in the extract solution, often under a vacuum. Thin and very turbulent layer of extract solution separates within heated device on solution and useful substances in the maximum amount. Produced vapor again drops into the condenser and within extracting process it can be reused again as a regenerated dissolvent.
Simply put, active ingredients will get released thanks to certain high (and constant) temperature as a fume you will then inhale through a tube/pipe. As within this process there is no actual burning of anything, there are barely any negative by-products. Fume is actually much cooler than smoke but more effective than smoke which means that in the end you are using less material (oil or herb).
People have used for ages herbs for healing, primarily burning them because that was a sure way to get active ingredients from various herbal mixtures. However, through time, people have discovered that burning is not the only way to get those active substances: same goal can be achieved by evaporation, keeping herbs almost intact, and protecting our health from negative side-effects of burning process; it is known fact that when you burn herbs, besides active substances you also get tar, ash, carbon-monoxide and carbon-dioxide, as well as many other gases and elements that can increase possibility of getting cancer.
Some of vaporizers state that they can be used only with glycerin. This doesnt affect your choice of matter you will use-herb or oil but simply that your vaporizer uses dissolvent, most often propylene glycol or glycerin that has a function to act as an element that will attract water to dissolve your substance of choice into a vapor during heating. What will turn substance into vapor is an atomizer. In some vaporizers atomizer is integrated element within metal base or tank made of plastic or glass-in this case atomizer is usually called cartomizer.
Vaporizers use two heating processes to create vapors: conduction and convection. In the case of convection, oil or herb will not come in contact with atomizer, but it will be placed on so-called polyfill matter, heated by the air, that will create vapors with active substances. Vaporizers using convection usually come with a cartridge.
In conduction vaporizers, oil or herb will be put on a metal that will be heated and this heating will cause releasing of active substances. These vaporizers usually contain wick (made of silicon material) and a metal coil (made of aluminium, nickel or steel), often placed within a smaller bowl (usually made of ceramic) that is located within a tank or a chamber. These vaporizers will create smoke if you burn them dry, so you might find it useful to first saturate wick with an extract first. You can fill the tank with extract and let it drip inside. If you use denser matters (such as wax, dry herbs etc.), lid on the tank should be kept open.
Because the majority of vaporizers use same basic unit (often battery operated), they are not just very similar visually, but also use almost same elements and charger batteries. This means that very often when you get one vaporizer, you will be able to use it for oil and herbal vaporizing.
It is a relief to know that majority of vaporizers on the market have been FDA tested and approved for use, so you should have no health risk using one or other. However, in order to be sure that you are doing everything right, you should first read instructions carefully and make sure that battery is completely charged so that it stays alive longer.
Atmos Raw vaporizer is easy to use and produces very clean and fresh taste, no matter if you are using oil or herbs. It is great to use because you can switch from herbs to oils without need to change tanks, and this definitely ads to its versatility and simple usage.
ThermoVape vaporizer is versatile in a sense that it has numerous different elements that allow you to vapor both herbs and oils-but in different combination of elements and kits, that can be rather confusing/demanding for often use. Positive side of this vast majority is the fact that at the end all of the optional elements are used on the same body/battery.
The Encore Vaporizer is also for use with oil and herbs. It is stated that it will reach optimum operating temperature (for vapor creating) within just 10 seconds. It is easy to use because you dont have to switch between different kits for oils and herbs-you can use it all on the one same device, simply by adding oil attachment and you can enjoy in popular oil vapors, such as orange, clover, berries, ginger, etc.
Zema Pro from Got Vape has also got some great reviews thanks to the possibility you can use it both for the oil and herb vaporizing. It comes with different chambers for oil, herbs and e-liquid, but each one of them are easily attached to the solid metal body. It is compact vaporizer (just 4 inches tall) that makes it easy to carry around and use with either of possible elements (oils, herbs, e-liquid). It even makes a stylish little accessory!
At the beginning of the article, it was mentioned that you can use vaporizer for burning oils or for burning herbs, and that this will affect your choice of vaporizer. However, final conclusion to be made is that majority of manufacturers these days make their vaporizers to be multifunctional: you can use them both for oils and herbs, with just a simple chamber switch. We have mentioned few quality options to investigate before making your final choice.


I heard some people say that wearing pants and suits is haraam because it is an imitation of the kuffaar. Is this true?.
Allaah has forbidden the Muslim to imitate the disbelievers, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) spoke very sternly concerning that, as he said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (4031) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood.
The prohibition on imitating the kuffaar applies only to that which is exclusively theirs and which is not common to them and the Muslims.
What explains the meaning of exclusivity is that if the person who does that action is seen it would be said of him that he belongs to the group which we are forbidden to imitate. This can only apply to actions which are not done by anyone but that group. As for actions which are common to them and the Muslims, it is not correct to say that doing this is regarded as the forbidden type of imitation, because this action is not exclusive to them.
Based on that, the rulings on things that are only forbidden because they are imitation of the mushrikeen vary according to time and place, and according to different traditions and customs.
If that kind of clothing in a particular country is worn only by the kuffaar, then it is haraam for the Muslim to wear it in that country, but if in another country it is worn by both Muslims and kaafirs, then it is permissible to wear it in that country. Nowadays, wearing pants or suits is not exclusive to the kaafirs; rather they are worn by Muslims in most countries and they do not think that wearing it is imitation of the kaafirs, because it is not exclusively theirs.
Based on this, wearing it is permissible and there is nothing wrong with it.
We have previously quoted a fatwa of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas which says that it is permissible to wear pants and suits, and it is not imitation of the kuffaar. See the answer to question number 105412 and 105413.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the guideline on the issue of imitating the kuffaar?
Imitation of the kuffaar may be in appearance, clothing, food and other things because it is a general word which refers to a person doing something that is done exclusively by the kuffaar, in such a way that whoever sees him would think that he is one of the kuffaar. This is the guideline. But if the thing has become widespread among both Muslims and kaafirs, then this imitation is permissible, even if it was originally taken from the kuffaar, so long as it is not haraam in and of itself, such as wearing silk. End quote.
Majmoo’ Duroos wa Fataawa al-Haram al-Makki (3/367).
He was also asked: what is the definition of imitating the kuffaar?
The definition of imitating (the kuffaar) is when the imitator does something that is exclusive to the one being imitated. So imitation of the kuffaar means that a Muslim does something that is exclusively theirs. But with regard to that which has become widespread among the Muslims and is not a distinguishing characteristic of the kuffaar, this is not imitation, and it is not haraam on the grounds of imitation, unless it is haraam for some other reason. What we have said is the implication of these words. Something similar was stated by the author of al-Fath [Ibn Hajr], when he said (10/272): Some of the salaf regarded it as makrooh to wear the burnoose, because it was the clothing of monks. Maalik was asked about that and he said: There is nothing wrong with it. It was said: But it is the clothing of the Christians. He said: It was worn here. End quote.
Ibn [Ibn ‘Uthaymeen] said: If Maalik hadquoted as evidence the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) when he was asked what should the pilgrim in ihram wear? and he said: “He should not wear a shirt or a turban or pants or a burnoose…”, that would have been better.
In al-Fath (1/307) it also says: If we say that it is forbidden (i.e., purple saddle pads) because it is imitation of the non-Arabs, that is for a religious reason. But that was one of their unique characteristics at that time, when they were kuffaar. But now that it is no longer one of their unique characteristics, this meaning no longer applies, so it is no longer makrooh. And Allaah knows best. End quote.
The purple saddle pad was a kind of thick blanket that the rider put beneath him on the horse. For more information please see the question number 21694.


Find the answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding Flymo grass trimmers. If you can't find what you are looking for , you can always ask one of our experienced customer service team members.
Q. Why does the line on my electric grass trimmer keep snapping?
1) Ensure that Genuine Flymo spool and line are being used. Genuine Flymo line comes in a black and orange plastic box. Some competitors offer universal trimming line which fits a number of brands grass trimmers, and often provide inferior quality trimming line.
2) Frequent line breakage can be the result of the cutting head being taken too close to objects, such as walls, paving edges, and fences etc. The cutting line must be allowed to rotate freely and the correct diameter cutting line should always be used.
3) Once opened, trimming line can easily become brittle if it's left in cold conditions for example, in the garage over the cold winter months. During these months it is advisable to remove the spool and line and store it in a cupboard, or somewhere warmer.
Q. Why do some grass trimmers have a straight shaft and some have a bent shaft?
A - Straight shafted grass trimmers are generally better for getting under bushes and hedges. Some grass trimmers have bent shafts to reduce manufacturing costs, i.e fewer components. Straight-shafted trimmers require a gearbox on the end of the shaft; these expensive parts increase the cost of the product. Curved shaft grass trimmers are often fixed length, whilst straight shafts allow the user to adjust the working height of the trimmer, for a more comfortable working position.
Q. How does the feed mechanism work?
A - Most Flymo electric grass trimmers have auto feed. This doesn't mean it feeds automatically at full speed; it works on centrifugal force on starting and stopping. When starting, the spool is allowed to rotate, allowing about 10mm of line to be fed out from the spool. The line in turn is cut to its operating length by the line limiter (the cutter in the safety guard).
Q. How do you change the grass trimmer to an edger?
A - Putting the electric grass trimmer into edging mode is simple. All you need to do is press the locking button and the head can then be swivelled easily to edging mode.


Advertising: A tool used to get people's attention and to get people to do, buy, or believe something.
Association: Referring to popular values or showing popular images in an ad, so that consumers will transfer their good feelings about the image or value to the advertised product. Values that may appear in association ads include: popularity, beauty, family, patriotism, wealth, physical fitness, the outdoors, and fun. Critical thinking question: What does this product actually have to do with the associated image or value?
Behavioral Advertising: When a company directs internet advertising to a computer based on what sites the users of that computer have visited. For example, if you use your computer to search for information about sports, you may receive more ads for sports-related products.
Brand: The personality of a product or company that is created through its advertising and marketing.
Call to action: The part of the ad that tells consumers what to do. A call to action can be express ("call now!") or implied ("our phones are open now").
Claim: Information about how a product or service works, what it contains, or what benefits it provides. Examples include statements that a pill will cause you to lose 30 pounds, or that a product is environmentally friendly. Advertisers are required by law to be truthful, and most advertisers work hard to comply with this law, but remember that ad claims generally are not approved in advance by any government agency.
Consumer: Someone who buys and uses products and services.
Disclosure: Language in an ad that is intended to qualify a claim. When an ad's headline states that a pill makes people lose weight, but a small print statement at the bottom of the page states, "when combined with diet and exercise," that second statement is called a disclosure. Try to read all of the language in an ad before deciding what it says.
Fear appeal: Showing a product or service as a solution for something people worry about, like bad breath, or acne, or body order. Critical thinking questions: How worried do I actually feel about this problem? Will this product really solve this problem?
FTC: Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency. The FTC developed the Admongo.gov program.
Games: Presenting a commercial in the form of a game, to let consumers spend time with a product and become more knowledgeable – and more loyal – to it. Game advertising can be in many places, including on packaging and websites.
Humor: Making consumers laugh to catch their attention and make an ad more memorable. Critical thinking question: What happens if I separate the humor from the actual product?
Hype: Using words like greatest, fastest, best ever, amazing and incredible to get consumers excited about a product. Critical thinking question: Greatest, best ever, or most incredible according to whom?
Licensing: Paying a fee for the right to use an entertainment character as a part of advertising. For example, some foods companies pay license fees for the right to feature popular cartoon characters on their packaging, in the hope that kids who like that character will be more interested in the food.
Logo: A symbol or graphic design that identifies a product or company. Over time, a logo can become an association ad, if the company does a good job of linking its name or logo to a value, such as "quality," or "good value for the money." Critical thinking question: What does this logo say to me, and why do I think this?
Must-have: The technique of portraying a product or services as something that consumers must have to be happy, popular, or satisfied. Critical thinking questions: What can this product really do for me?
Packaging and labeling: A product's outer wrapping and the other information distributed with it, such as package inserts. Packaging and labeling, like other forms of advertising, are designed to appeal to the target audience.
Placement: The process of distributing ads. Advertisers put their ads in media that they think will best reach the intended target audience, consistent with budget limitations.
Point of view: The advertiser's perspective on and opinions about the product or service being advertised. For example, a shoe company's point of view might be that consumers need a different pair of sneakers for every sport, and that their shoes are the best. The various elements in an ad are selected to reflect the advertiser's point of view. Critical thinking questions: Who is responsible for this ad? Do I agree with their point of view?
Prizes, sweepstakes, and gifts: Offering the chance to win a prize or a gift to make consumers more interested in a product. Consumers who see a promotion for a prize or gift should keep in mind that the advertiser's cost for a prize, or to run a sweepstakes, is included in the sale price. Critical thinking question: Would I want this product even if there was no prize?
Product placement: Arranging for product or service’s name or image to be used in a television show, film, or game. For example, a character might mention the product name; the product may be used as a prop; or a billboard for a product might appear in the background of a film or game. Sometimes the advertiser pays for the product placement, but other times the advertiser provides the product for free.
Point-of-purchase advertising: Advertising that appears inside stores, including signs on the shelves or at checkout, special product displays, and samples.
Public service announcement (“PSA”): An advertisement by a government or non-profit organization. Television and radio stations often air these for free.
Repetition: The technique of repeating a message or idea so consumers are more likely to remember it. Critical thinking question: Is this product better than others, or am I simply more aware of it?
Sales and price references: The technique of suggesting that the price is low, or lower than usual, to increase consumer interest. Examples include percent off sales, use of descriptors such as "low," and "buy one, get one free" promotions. Consumers should remember to compare the product price to other, similar products to ensure that they are getting a real deal. Critical thinking question: Is this product worth what it costs?
Sense appeal: The technique of using images and sounds to appeal to one or more of the five senses. For example, an advertiser might use the sounds and images of a hamburger on a grill. Advertisers carefully choose the best images and sounds to put in their ads. Critical thinking question: Is this an accurate representation of what is for sale?
Slogans or taglines: Short phrases, repeated in ads that say something the advertiser wants consumers to remember.
Special or scientific ingredients: The technique of giving a product or one of its ingredients a special name that suggests that it must be new and effective. Critical thinking question: Is the ingredient really special – or is this just an example of creative advertising?
Sponsorships: When a business pays to get its name used in connection with an event (the “Acme Race”) or a location (the “Acme Stadium”).
Target audience: A group of people to whom advertising is directed. The process of creating an ad to appeal to a target audience, and of placing it in a location where the target is likely to see it, is called targeting.
Testimonials and endorsements: When a celebrity, person, or expert talks about his or her own experience with a product. Keep in mind that advertisers chose what goes into their ads, and will only use positive endorsements and testimonials. Also, celebrities who appear in ads have usually been paid for their appearance.
Viral or Word-of-Mouth Marketing: An ad – often in the form of a funny message or video – that is intended to be spread from person to person, either in formal or informal social networks. Critical thinking question: Is this an ad? Do I really want to pass it on to my friend?


Spicy chorizo paired with creamy cabbage? Yes, please! This tasty and low-carb combination of the two is topped off with a lemony gremolata for a kiss of citrus flavor.
Fry the chorizo in butter in a skillet over medium heat. Keep warm until serving.
Shred the cabbage using a food processor, mandolin or sharp knife.
Sauté cabbage with remaining butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally for a few minutes, until cabbage is golden brown.
Add heavy whipping cream, and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat, and let simmer until the cream is reduced. Season with salt and pepper.
Add parsley and lemon zest before serving with the fried chorizo.
This amazing meal is delicious as is, but it also pairs perfectly with a green salad. Want even more variety? Go ahead and substitute pastrami, smoked turkey or cold cuts for the chorizo.
I'm not seeing a serving size for this dinner or most is this dish 1 serving.
I read 4 servings above, or do you mean something else?
Looks like supper to me.
This sounds great had to look up gremolata. Had no clue. I would say 1 sausage is enough for me to start with and if I need more I'd have it.
Four servings seems reasonable. That's about 6 ounces of meat, 1/4 cup cream, and 6 ounces (before cooking) of cabbage per serving. 10 grams of carbs per serving seems OK, although these are the types of carbs that shouldn't raise blood sugar too much, especially given the fat content.
I actually cooked this and it taste great, however I was still hungry after eating my portion (serving) what should I do?
How safe is "cooking cream" they are the one that can resist High temperatures?
The sausage looks great with the creamed cabbage, chorizo was recommended, the sodium content is through the roof!
I just googled chorizo and it said the sodium content was over a 1235 mg I did similar searches and the lowest I found was 700 mg.
I just made this. Used fresh kielbasa, store brand. Delicious. Sodium content was 590mg.
What about the sugar and other additives in the Chorizo (or any type of sausage, for that matter)? It's very, very difficult to find sausages without ingredients that are no-go for low carbers.
Aidell's Chicken Apple Sausages are great tasting and have only 3 carbs each. The sodium is moderate for sausage at 640g and they have 12g protein each. I find them very satisfying and they would go well with the cabbage.
I do wish these recipes stopped talking about cups its an entirely meaningless measure! I can't use these recipes and I am a paying member feeling cheated!!
Buy a mixture of ground meat, add fat and your choice of spices, cook as patties.
Gareth, oz always make me having to use a converter, as we use the metric system... this app is not just for your country so have a little patience and just get a converter on the Internet.... you'll use it a couple of times and then you'll get the hang of it just like the rest of us have to with your system. Good luck!
Gareth.. it gives the option for US or Metric.
I made this last night. I didnt really like the creamed cabbage.. sticking to just sauteed cabbage with butter and pepper.
I'm in the UK can anyone recommend a sausage low in carbs that's sold over here? I have access to Morrison's, Tesco, Marks and sparks and Lidles - I have found Morrison's sell Cup measures which offer cup size and ounces.
what is the main source of carbs in this recipe ?
The creamed green cabbage was delicious. Thank you for the recipe. So last night I prepared Brussels sprouts using the same recipe and they were delicious too! I did add garlic to the fresh parsley and lemon zest for the Brussels sprouts.
I was skeptical about the creamed cabbage and only tried it because of the positive comments here. Boy, am I glad I did! It really was delicious! I cooked the sausage on the grill so, in order to have some pan drippings to add flavor to the cabbage, I fried a slice of prosciutto in butter first. The resulting cabbage was fantastic. Thank you for these recipes. Keep 'em coming!
Had this tonight for dinner. YUM!
Fyi: added some nutmeg, and I found it delicious.
Looks delicious but it's waaay too high in salt. I know you can have salty food on keto but any health benefits are surely outweighed here by the avalanche of salt in this one?
Made this tonight for dinner and what a keeper I have found!! This was amazing. Yes it was high on sodium, but I will just flush out the ol system with a bit more water. This recipe has so many possibilities so glad I found it!
Gareth, a cup is an official US and maybe British measure, equal to 8 liquid ounces, 16 Tablespoons (Tbs), 237 mL. The 25 tsp (teaspoons) of parsley in this recipe would be equal to 1/2 cup (actually 24 tsp.) Which would certainly easier and quicker to measure. If you are in a country that has cookery stores you might find a Pyrex glass 8 oz, 1 cup measure for liquids or a set of dry measuring cups from 1/4 up to one cup which would certainly make these recipes easier for you.
You can select at top of recipe U.S. or metric which will give you grams.
Hungry with dense meat only sausages and all that butter to.cook with as well? 😃🤣 Perhaps have an extra sausage if still hungry. But also make sure the other two meals of the day are as they should and substantial. Good luck!
It is not easy to find HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM in our country, what is the alternative? Can I use, Allpurpose cream?
Use a cream with the highest amount of fat you can find and it should not contain any added sugar.
Just give weights and then there no mistakes! Cups and tablespoons are simply traps!
Take a deep breath, Gareth, and click "metric."
I'm sure you have found a solution a year later but in case anyone else in Ireland or UK, M&S have 97% pork sausages and Lidl have german style bratwurst which are low carb..
Can I replace the butter with Ghee in all of these recipes?
You can, but be aware that butter may smoke or burn where ghee would not.
The only way I could go around the issue of misleading measurements, was to buy an extremely convenient kitchen scale. Mine was fairly inexpensive and it weighs any type of food or liquid in grams, ml, ounces and pounds. It has made cooking following any kind of recipes a breeze! Hope this helps!
Can I use Italian sausage instead?
As mentioned in the ingredient list, you can use any high quality sausage. Just watch for added sugars and corn syrups or other fillers.
This is good after a 24 hour fast. I make 2 servings and I add 1/2 c (125 ml) full fat sour cream instead of heavy cream and the same of medium heat salsa. It adds carbs but if you are strict you should be Ok . I also only use one sausage for me because I find 2 a bit much. If you make your own sour cream from heavy cream it would lower the carbs as well.
I dont usually eat Cabbage but this is a winner!! My family love this dinner and it is quick and easy.
I mix up meal plan ideas, fried some chicken thighs, in butter of course, poured off oil put in cabbage and fried, adding oil as it cooked. use turner to get bits of chicken on bottom added a half cup of whipping cream, I only cooked about a half cabbage to have for lunch and dinner, let that cook down. My daughter came in see what was going on at the sounds from the first taste. Try it. Most have been cooking these recipes to know how to adjust to them, go for it and enjoy. everyone about these mainly because I have so much fun with them.
Made it today, absolutely delicious. The only thing I've changed is I boiled sausages before grilling them.


His mind was filled with negative thoughts and fears concerning the job for the whole week before the job interview. He was sure he would be rejected. On the day of the interview he got up late. During the interview he was tense, displayed a negative attitude, and felt hungry because he did not have enough time to eat breakfast. All this distracted his mind and made it difficult for him to focus on the interview. His overall behavior made a bad impression, and consequently he materialized his fear and did not get the job.
Jatin applied for the same job too, but approached the matter in a different way. He was sure that he was going to get the job. During the week preceding the interview he often visualized himself making a good impression and getting the job.
He got the job because he made a good impression. Of course he had also the proper qualifications for the job, but so had Avinash.
So what does one mean by Positive thinking?
Positive thinking is constructive thinking. It involves considering real solutions, problem solving, objectivity, logic, and honesty rather than ruminating, dwelling on the past, obsessing over an issue, or wishful thinking.
We can be positive or negative, enthusiastic or dull, active or passive. It is a personal choice that we exercise and once this choice is made it guides us throughout our lives.
Hence if we have a negative attitide it is going to be a guiding force throughout. The first step in changing our attitudes is to change our inner conversations.
Answer the following statements by circling true or false.
1. I believe others cause my feelings.
2. I'm always telling myself I "should" do this or that.
3. I constantly criticize myself.
4. I think I must do everything perfectly or not at all.
5. I'm always apologizing for one thing or another.
6. I feel like I'm carrying the world on my shoulders.
7. I'm really hard on myself when I make mistakes.
8. I bend over backwards to please others.
9. I "scare" myself into action by imagining horrible things that will happen if I don't do something.
10. I tend to look on the negative side of things. My glass of water is always half empty instead of half full.
11. It's hard for me to forgive and forget. If someone hurts me, I tend to cling to that feeling.
12. I often feel helpless. There are so many things in life I can't do.
What the points suggest: 1-3: You generally feel good about yourself. Keep up your positive way of thinking. 4-6: The mental miseries may be gaining on you. Take time to renew your positive traits. 7+: Challenge yourself to change your way of thinking. You are at the moment indulging in too much negative thinking.
Next article would incorporate approaches or ways of increasing one’s positive thinking.


A/N: There has been quite a change of plans across a lot of my stuff at the moment. FIRST: Privileged Victim has been taken down and will be converted to a Harry Potter story. More information will be given in the next chapter. SECOND: This story is nearing its end: there are three chapters (including this one) left. I will not be making a Part 4. This story will finally end. Finally.I KNOW this chapter is short, but that's the way my outline panned out. Sorry.
"So there's one of Riddle's horcruxes in my mind?"
Snape nodded gravely in response to Harry's question. Harry crossed his arms.
"Well? What's the plan? How do we get it out?" Harry asked. Snape folded his hands together and leaned forward on his desk.
"There's the problem. Yes, we can get it out. It will take a lot of manpower, but we can banish it." Snape explained.
Harry raised his arms in question. "Then let's get to it! I don't see the problem."
"The problem is that you are not prepared." Snape said. "To remove and destroy the horcrux in your head, we must either kill you -"
"- or send in a team of at least five experienced Legilemens into your mind scape to destroy it."
Harry blinked. "Ah. Having five people in your mind can't be very healthy."
"Not in the slightest." Snape agreed. "Fortunately, you are naturally skilled in the art of Occlumency. I have already spoken to Albus; we will attempt to rid you of the horcrux in about a week. If we work hard today, you will be ready for it."
"Alright. What do I have to do?" Harry asked. His professor drew his wand.
"It's a similar technique to before. You must locate the horcrux, take all your memories and feelings, and move them away. It is hard to put the technique into words, but you will catch on. Meanwhile, I will inspect the horcrux further. Are you ready?"
Harry shifted into a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. He nodded.
The Quidditch Tournament turned out to be a blast.
Because he had practiced with professionals and made his professional debut, when he played amongst his peers and against the youth players from the other teams, it all seemed so easy. Their movements were slower, their decisions easily predicted and they all seemed to shy away from him, knowing that he possessed a lot of skill.
Every game was played on the same day, but an hour time limit was put in place to move things along. The Hogwarts first team played through Beauxbatons and the Ballycastle Bats like they were toddlers. On the other end of the tournament, the Falmouth Falcons were having a similar run of form, showing off their youth team. It was a well known fact that while the Falcons were not doing the best in the league, they had the best youth academy in the world; but because it had been established so recently, their best players were only sixteen or seventeen, nowhere near their prime. But rumor had it that a big investor was interested in buying out the club.
And they weren't just rumors. After Hogwarts were declared champions of the tournament (beating the Falcons 683-230), Harry had been announced top scorer and Player of the Tournament, with over 600 points overall throughout the three games, and then they had all met up in the Great Hall. Fleur, Viktor, Harry, and Angelina bantered about the other's quality of team as usual when their agents approached them.
"Viktor, Harry." Ivanova greeted in his strange accent. "As you predicted, many scouts were sent along with the teams participating. We have been speaking with them and have found some very tempting offers we think you'd like to consider."
"Let me guess." Harry said, sitting down and motioning for his friends and agent to do so as well. "They all want Viktor and I, but they can't afford our wages."
"Right you are." Joseph cut in. "You two have every right to ask the amount of money that you've set. But all the teams either have a full squad or are too poor financially to pay for you. Except for one."
"Falmouth?" Viktor asked. Ivanova nodded.
"The rumors turned out to be true. The Falcons have just been taken over by the head of a very wealthy and ancient family." He explained.
"Does Greengrass ring a bell?" Harry asked. Joseph nodded as though he'd just been reminded of something he'd forgotten.
"That's right. I think. Anyways, that family has put in millions upon millions of galleons into the Falcons to try and make them a European powerhouse. Their scout is here and would like to speak with you. If you're interested, we can meet him now."
Viktor glanced and Harry, who nodded. They then left their friends to eat dinner and followed their agents out of the Great Hall. McGonagall was in the hall, chatting animatedly with a very short but stocky middle aged man. When they approached, the man beamed and held out his hand.
"Hullo, boys! Jim Holmes, head scout and coach for the Falmouth Falcons. It's an honor to meet you both; you two flew excellently out there. World-class stuff."
"Thank you, sir." Harry said respectfully, shaking his hand. "So, you're here for our signatures, then?"
The man chuckled. "I've just been talking to your head of house, and she said that you have experience with professional Quidditch contracts. Let's step aside. Ma'am, if you could find us a place to talk, that would be lovely."
McGonagall nodded quickly, turning on heel and walking down the hall. She settled on a familiar classroom that was not in use, and they stepped inside, Harry's face growing warm at the memories this place held. Harry and Viktor sat down across from Holmes with their agents beside them. McGonagall watched dutifully from behind.
"These," Holmes said, taking out two pieces of paper, "are your potential contracts. You are both being offered 100,000 galleons a month to train and play with our team."
Viktor whistled appreciatively. Holmes grinned at him.
"While it is true that we are a mid-table team, with our new cash injection, we are looking to buy out many of the best players in the world and get their signatures as well. The Falmouth Falcons are going places in the future, and we'd be honored to have you in our ranks while we go through this change."
Harry took the contract and brought it closer. It was a rather lame one, with simple words and did not have as many questions as his national team's contract. Harry looked at Joseph with a question in his eyes.
"He's met all of your demands." Joseph said. "Now it's up to you to accept."
Harry looked at Viktor, who was having a similar discussion with his agent. Holmes smiled at him.
"I know this is a big decision to ask of you now. You may have time to think; I was just very excited to meet and talk to two of the best players in the world. Not to mention that Harry will be the youngest player in professional Quidditch if he signs this contract."
Viktor turned to Harry. "I have no qualms with this move. Harry?"
"Me neither." Harry's face split into a grin. "Let's do it."
And with that, they signed their names at the bottoms of their respective contracts with a flourish.
The next morning, Harry groaned and fell back on the grass at the same time as Fleur, Angelina, and Viktor. Hermione looked on from her spot under a tree in amusement.
"It's pretty fun to watch you guys wear yourselves down and pass out." She said cheerfully. Harry chuckled from his spot on the floor.
"Sorry if I'm pushing you guys too hard." Harry said, sitting up. "It's just that we know the Third Task will be the most dangerous, and there were no clues for this one. I want to be prepared for anything."
Viktor cracked his neck. They'd focused exclusively on the stunning curse this practice, and so all of them sported bruises all over their bodies as well as persistent headaches. "We know, Harry. We just want to survive, like you."
Harry stood up, his limbs protesting. "Great. You guys can hang out here if you'd like. I'm going inside for breakfast."
As he turned, he heard footsteps and Angelina fell in line with him.
"Hiya, Ann." Harry said. Angelina smiled weakly at him.
"Hey. I just wanted to really thank you." She said quietly. Harry stopped and turned. It was not like Angelina to be quiet and solemn like this. She continued.
"You've really made me a better witch with all of these sessions." She said, and then looked down. "And I'm not mad at you anymore for doing that thing with Fleur. I know neither of you weren't in control."
Harry smiled at her, but inside felt guilty once again. Fleur and Harry had spoken to no one about their most recent bout of sexual activity, and Harry almost regretted not telling Angelina. But at the same time he knew that would be the last straw and would cost them their friendship.
"It's fine; no need to thank me or apologize. I'm sure we'll do fine in the Third Task." Harry assured her. Suddenly, Angelina burst into tears and wrapped him in a firm hug. Harry stood still for a moment before hugging her back.
"Harry, I know I'm the worst out of all the champions." Angelina sobbed. "I almost got killed in the past two, plus in our tryouts. I'm sorry about being the weak link."
"You are not the weak link." Harry said fiercely. "You are brave, smart, powerful and amazing in every way. You are the perfect example of what many girls younger than you want to be. You will survive the Third Task and we will all be champions."
Angelina sniffed against his chest and looked up at him, longing to press her lips against his. But, of course, she knew that would be the worst idea imaginable. Instead, she settled for another long hug.
"Thank you, Harry. You're a good friend." Angelina said softly. Harry smiled and patted her back.
"Don't mention it, Ann. And I can't believe you just friend-zoned me!" He said in mock sorrow. Angelina sniffed but rolled her eyes at his antics.
"Oh well. Trust me, I wouldn't friend-zone you unless I had to." She said, blushing. Harry smiled shyly and they walked in companionable silence to the castle.
"Please sit down, Harry." Dumbledore said respectfully to his student. Harry did so, looking around the room. Other than Dumbledore, Snape sat in a chair next to him, and a tall, thick dark-skinned man stood in the corner.
"So, we're getting that pesky soul-piece out of my head now?" Harry asked casually. Dumbledore nodded.
"Where are the others? I was told there would need to be at least five Legilemens to banish it." Harry asked mildly.
"Two more are on their way. This is Kingsley Shacklebolt, a close friend. He is high up in the Auror ranks."
"Who are the two others?" Harry asked. His question was answered when the doors opened behind them.
The first person to walk in was a young woman on the shorter side, with bright pink hair and dark eyes. She was pretty and obviously fit. Then walked in a man whose identity surprised Harry.
"Remus?" Harry asked, taking a long look at the man. The werewolf looked the same as he did in his third year; bedraggled, as though he didn't have a home. As usual, he had dark circles under his eyes.
"Hello, Harry." He said quietly. Harry crossed his arms.
"Before I let him waltz around in my mind, I do believe I have a bone to pick with you." Harry said quietly. Remus suddenly seemed to age ten more years.
"Harry, I'm sorry that I knew Sirius was innocent the entire time and never told you. I tried to make the Ministry see that, but there was never any doubt that he'd never take my word for granted -"
"I'm not talking about that." Harry interrupted him. He stood. "I know that even Dumbledore tried to convince the Wizengamot, but they were too far under either the Minister's or You-Know-Who's thumb. I'm not pissed about that. I'm just wondering where you've been for the past year."
Remus shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Harry. I've been mourning Sirius's death and have been running errands for Dumbledore."
"Don't try and fool me, Remus." Harry said, sounding exasperated. "I know about your little Order of the Phoenix. Oh, don't look so surprised. No one told me, but your Order was public knowledge back in the day and it only makes sense that you'd continue and do things like round up his followers and send them to Azkaban. I know that you've been having to run errands for them, like convincing the werewolves to join our side. I respect that. I just wonder where I factored into your equation."
Remus stayed silent in guilt while Harry pressed on. "I didn't factor in at all, did I? Where were you when I needed you?"
"As I said, I was mourning Sirius' death on my own." He said wearily. Harry glared at him.
"And you don't think that I was grieving too?" Harry growled. "I don't care that have self-pity about being a werewolf. But just because you're a werewolf doesn't mean you couldn't send me a letter."
Remus had no response to that and so stayed quiet. Harry took a deep breath and turned back to Dumbledore. "Right, then. I'm ready for old Voldy to get out of my brain. Do the others need to be briefed yet?"
"Remus, Nymphadora. Please sit down." Dumbledore invited. "Lemon drops?"
"Don't call me that, and no thank you." The young woman said, tossing her hair and turning it green in the process. She grinned at Harry. "Hello, my name is Tonks and today I'll be rummaging through your mind."
"Not exactly." Snape cut in. "Today, us five will enter Harry's mind scape and attempt to destroy the dark force currently nested within it."
Remus knit his eyebrows. "Won't that be dangerous and incredibly painful?"
"For me, yes." Harry said. "But me being in pain isn't that big of a deal, is it, Remus? I can handle it."
The werewolf shut his mouth and looked at his shoes as Dumbledore gave him an imploring look. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Snape and I have trained for a bit and he deems me ready for this process. I've got the method down. I'm ready when you're ready."
Dumbledore drew his wand, as did the others. "Prepare yourself, Harry. This will be painful."
Harry sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "Affirmative."
The others drew their wands. "On the count of three. One. Two. Three. Legilemens."


The COO of the Georgia Technology Authority drives substantial value through privatizing infrastructure and managed network services.
The Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) manages the delivery of IT infrastructure and managed network services to 1,300 state and local government entities across the state of Georgia. GTA promotes an enterprise approach to managing technology services by establishing statewide policies, standards and guidelines based on industry best practices and federal requirements. GTA develops and manages the state's official website, which provides information and services from more than 115 state agencies and links to city and county government Websites.
Dean Johnson is the Chief Operating Officer for the GTA. Johnson has co-led the move to privatize infrastructure and managed network services for the state of Georgia since 2008. He is currently leading an effort to evolve the current operating and service delivery models to take full advantage of the strong foundation built over the past six years and apply lessons learned along with today's industry best practices in outsourcing. CIO Insight contributor Peter High discusses with Johnson how he helped save the state $181 million, how he assisted in laying the groundwork for privatizing certain IT services and his take on big data initiatives.
CIO Insight: How do you work with the CIOs in various jurisdictions across the state?
Dean Johnson: GTA has established several councils and forums, structured specifically to invite CIOs' input, engage in discussion about solutions and offer information about available services. We meet regularly with agency CIOs and have found that building and maintaining positive working relationships with the customers we serve and understanding their business needs to be one of the keys to our success.
CIO Insight: You also helped spearhead the creation of Georgia Enterprise Technology Services, saving the state $181 million in the process. What was the idea behind this?
Johnson: A comprehensive assessment by an independent third party in 2007 documented alarming shortcomings in the state's ability to comply with IT best practices, refresh aging equipment and software, and address growing threats from hackers and cyber-criminals. In addition, GTA and other state agencies found themselves unable to compete with the private sector in recruiting and retaining knowledgeable and experienced technicians. The third-party assessment recommended outsourcing daily operations to private-sector service providers.
GTA went to the market in 2008 to source IT infrastructure services and managed network services on behalf of the state of Georgia. The Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) program sought to transform the state's IT operations into a modern day, well-run IT enterprise by turning to private-sector leaders in technology service delivery.
The GETS program has achieved its goals and objectives, and we remain on track to save the state $181 million over the life of the contracts. We have modernized the state's IT infrastructure to allow better management of IT resources to meet the service obligations to Georgia's citizens. We have a secure, reliable, recoverable enterprise operating environment which we can continue to enhance and mature.
Even as we achieved success, over the life of the contracts, technology has continued to evolve and change in a dramatic way as have the business needs of our customers. As an example, cloud computing did not exist as a viable technology service for the public sector in 2007 when GTA laid the groundwork for our privatization initiative. Mobile computing of the kind we take for granted today remained in its infancy. As these and other innovative technology services emerged and proved their business value, GTA found itself constrained in the ability to respond and adapt to these changes in the technology marketplace.
To make it easier to adopt new and cost-effective technologies more quickly, in 2014, GTA decided to modify its service delivery model, launching the Services Integration Initiative (SII). The SII involves dividing the technology services we deliver into smaller, manageable pieces (called service towers) and then managing these individual service towers in an integrated way on our shared services delivery platform. As part of the SII, GTA recognized the need for an experienced Multisourcing Service Integrator (MSI) who is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the delivery of technology services to state agencies across multiple service towers through multiple service providers. Through a competitive bidding process, GTA introduced the role of an MSI and realigned existing IT services contracts to facilitate transition to the new model of service delivery. The first stage of transition is to be complete in August 2015. Ensuring faster availability of innovative technology services to state agencies isn't the only goal of the SII. Our new model will also drive continuous improvement in service delivery while bringing greater transparency in both costs and consumption.
CIO Insight: I know that big data initiatives have been used to identify further savings opportunities. Please highlight your approach to big data analytics.
Johnson: The most important big data initiative involving analytics is our work to ensure the accuracy of our asset management and configuration management data that underpins our enterprise service desk and feeds our chargeback system. GTA hired Blazent to help us validate and verify the data. We have data feeds coming from 19 different data sources; all of this data is being leveraged, compared and analyzed to ensure its integrity. The use of Blazent tools within our shared services delivery environment has helped our asset management data and configuration management data become the source of truth within the key systems we rely on to meet the needs of our customers. Our Multisourcing Service Integrator (MSI) is using this data to strengthen the foundation for the enterprise service desk and chargeback system. Having accurate and reliable data enables GTA to proceed with confidence as we introduce new services.
CIO Insight: What trends particularly excite you as you look several years out?
Johnson: For nearly seven years, GTA has been laser-focused on transforming the state's IT infrastructure and managed network services environment and has developed a more secure, reliable, recoverable enterprise as a result. We have moved from a Cap-Ex to an Op-Ex model and we have created greater transparency and visibility into state spend for the IT services we provide. We now have established a well-run, modernized enterprise that is currently meeting the IT business needs of the state. We are now taking full advantage of the solid, stable foundation and creating much more flexibility and adaptability within the GETS services we provide. We are establishing a shared services delivery platform where the day-to-day tactical operational duties will be handled by our Multisourcing Service Integrator. GTA will continue to focus on the strategic duties of sourcing the right services to meet the ever-changing business needs of our agency customers while staying in line with the market, both in terms of solution and price. Through proper operational governance, GTA will govern, manage and oversee the services we source to ensure we maintain proper alignment with the business and the market. The future looks bright as GTA continues to collaborate through partnerships with both the agencies we serve and the companies we hire to deliver the services on the GETS platform.


Best lead paragraph of the New Hampshire primary: “I expect to live long enough to hear a woman running for president asked what she would do if she found herself pregnant” (Ellen Goodman).
This is the year that the abortion issue was supposed to disappear from the political radar screen. “Divisive issue,” “find common ground,” “an issue on which reasonable people can disagree.” George W. Bush, leading contender for the Republican nomination, has made a specialty out of not saying much on the issue — or, more specifically, not reminding the general audience that he wants a constitutional amendment outlawing abortion. But since the rhetorical firepower on the Republican side is strongly pro-life — Alan Keyes and Gary Bauer double-teaming the wishy-washy pro-lifers, and Steve Forbes swooping down in Iowa to take advantage of the zealous pro-life voters there — it’s b-a-a-ack.
Still, there has been rather more significant political news lately than what television pundits invariably describe as “New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary.” For one thing, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision helpful to campaign finance reformers by upholding a limit on campaign contributions in Missouri. The majority opinion, written by Justice David Souter, said, “There is little reason to doubt that sometimes large contributions will work actual corruption on our political system and no reason to question the existence of a corresponding suspicion among the voters.” Justice John Paul Stevens argued, in contradiction to the court’s barmy 1988 decision in Buckley vs. Valeo, “Money is property: It is not free speech.” At last, a justice with enough sense not to squat on his spurs. The anti-reform Republicans keep saying to one another, “I’m sure YOU couldn’t be bought for $1,000.” I’m sure they couldn’t, but that’s not the kind of money we’re talking about. The financial industry spent $100 million last year in its successful effort to get Congress to knock down the ban that goes back to the Depression barring banks and securities and insurance firms from merging. In order to defeat the Patients’ Bill of Rights last year, a coalition of health, insurance, and business groups spent $30 million in the first six months. For that kind of money, you can buy a whole Congress. Just who do you think is giving all the soft money and why? Last year, the R’s House campaign arm alone raised a record $17 million in soft money, while the D’s raised $16 million. Beloveds, those are not $1,000 contributions.
Clinton has the surest sense of the political polar north — that is, dead center — that I’ve ever come across. And that means that the most interesting political development of the month, if not the decade, is Clinton’s astonishing shift on trade. At the annual summit of the real movers and shakers (I’ve always wondered why the conspiracy theorists haven’t caught onto this one) at Davos, Switzerland, Clinton tacked almost against his policies of the past seven years, or at least in amelioration of them. To an audience of national leaders and the world’s corporate elite, Clinton, the devout free trader, said, “I think those who heard a wake-up call on the streets of Seattle got the right message.” He went on to urge more open decision-making on trade issues, to make globalization work for the poor, to include trade unions (John Sweeney of the AFL-CIO was at Davos — a first), and to include NGOs. That’s government-speak for “nongovernmental organizations” — the human-rights groups, the humanitarian groups like Doctors Without Borders, environmental groups, etc.
Clinton’s argument was that if the economic elite — which has created, managed, and benefited from globalization — does not listen to the concerns of those left out, protectionism will return. “Don’t leave the little guys out,” he warned. Since the gap between rich countries and poor countries keeps growing — and in fact the World Bank just completed a study reporting that global poverty is increasing — the simplest first step is to simply forgive Third World debt. Much of that is still a holdover from loans for what turned out to be totally inappropriate technology that often screwed up the environment as well, leaving the Third World less than grateful.
Molly Ivins is a former Observer editor and a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Her new book, with Observer editor Louis Dubose, is Shrub: The Short and Happy Political Life of George W. Bush. You may write to her via e-mail at mollyivins@star-telegram.com.


I have long been interested in physics as (working toward) a description of absolute truth and, as a consequence, have had a number of discussions with people with religious and metaphysical beliefs far from mine own. These conversations often turn toward ontology, the study of existence vs. non-existence. It seems to me that the fundamental ontology in physics is characterization of mass/energy.
For example, when textbooks work through solving basic quantum mechanics problems, they describe the case where the wave equation equals 0 as the "trivial" case because it means that the particle doesn't exist. If a particle has a non-zero wave function, then it also has an energy (even if not entirely well defined) described by the Hamiltonian operator operating on that wave function. Similarly, the creation and annihilation operators represent the "creation" or "annihilation" of a particle by adding or removing a unit of mass/energy to the system. Even within a Newtonian system, for an object to have an effect it must have either mass and/or energy.
Granted, field theories appear to be an exception in the sense that the magnetic, electric, induction, displacement, etc. fields are often treated as real entities that do not have any intrinsic energy. Nonetheless, texts often explicitly warn students not to be concerned with the "reality" of these fields but to use them as a descriptive tool. Modern theories that incorporate virtual and exchange particles do away with these fields and suggest a description more in line with the mass/energy paradigm.
Recognizing that there is not universal consensus on the point, in what sense does the philosophical foundation of physics imply that existence is contingent upon the "posession" of mass/energy?
Equivalently, does it make sense to say that something may exist without mass or energy?
However, this is not terribly profound philosophically for two reasons. First of all, it doesn't answer the question about whether, say, mathematical objects exist. An equilateral triangle "exists" in the sense that you can write down a logically coherent set of properties for that triangle (unlike a triangle with three right angles), but it cannot exist in that it cannot possibly be instantiated exactly (because of quantum mechanics, atomic nature of matter, etc.). Philosophically (or semantically) controversial categories of existence remain just as controversial.
Secondly, we can identify things like a cold spot as existing, which actually have less energy than their surroundings; or like a printed triangle, which has the same energy as many other configurations of ink on paper. So although you need mass and energy as a substrate, it is convenient to make distinctions about what exists on the basis of no difference in energy or a reduction of energy. These sorts of distinctions tend to be richer and more complicated than whether or not there is any matter at all, and so the insight that no matter and no energy is nothing does not get one very far.
I wish you luck with this, but I think you're going to find the gap between physics and metaphysics to be unbridgeable. Absolute Truth is not the domain of physics.
That being said: from a philosophical perspective, to exist is reducible to possessing causal efficacy; in other words, for something to be said to exist, it needs to be capable of having some kind of detectable effect on something else.
So, the question for a physicist would then be: is it possible for something to possess causal efficacy without having mass or energy? I don't see how this would be possible, but I'm not a physicist.
So, I suspect that the answer to your question (Does the philosophical foundation of physics imply that existence is contingent upon the "posession" of mass/energy?) is "Yes"-- but I stand prepared to be corrected by a physicist.
I can't really say I've read many philosophers who have spoken directly about matter or energy, at least, in the intertwined sense the physicist speaks of them. However, many philosophers speak of substance, although they might not speak of it in the precise manner I think you are looking for.
Philosophical determinism certainly speaks to Newtonian physics to some extent. See also this in depth SEP article for an interesting read. Quantum mechanics, as it stands, actually speaks against determinism, and the implications for belief in such a notion are outside the scope of my knowledge.
Some philosophers, such as Immanuel Kant, have offered explanations for the necessity of space and time in physics.
You might be interested in looking at the course list of Columbia University's M.A. in the Philosophy of Physics. Also check out the brief Wikipedia article on the Philosophy of physics if you haven't already.
Frege was of the opinion that there must be a realm of mathematical objects. Hence, according to this view, mathematical objects exist, but they do not have energy or mass in the physical sense.
This actually makes more sense than one might think.
For example, it is undeniable that the programming language Java exists. After all, many thousand people make money everyday writing programs in that language. Java is a member of the infinite set called "context free languages", hence also this set does exist. And so forth.
Note that a programming language is not the same as the software that implements it, or the books that describe it, just like a cake is not the same as a recipe for baking it. Hence the argument "a programming language exists physically in the form of bits on some hard disk" does not hold water.
Ein drittes Reich muß anerkannt werden. Was zu diesem gehört, stimmt mit den Vorstellungen darin überein, daß es nicht mit den Sinnen wahrgenommen werden kann, mit den Dingen aber darin, daß es keines Trägers bedarf, zu dessen Bewußtseinsinhalte es gehört. So ist z. B. der Gedanke, den wir im pythagoreischen Lehrsatz aussprachen, zeitlos wahr, unabhängig davon, ob irgendjemand ihn für wahr hält. Er bedarf keines Trägers.
I am not a physicist, mathematician, or philosopher, but my common sense tells me that dead brains can’t have thoughts. The source of all thoughts is electrochemical activity, which is energy. I suspect that a super smart neuroscientist could pick out a number or section of the brain’s active neurons and credit them with the singular thought of a triangle. So – everything including thoughts must have energy to exist.
Supposing mathematical objects are real and not fiction - then they have no energy - they cannot as they are not in this world. Yet as ideas in our own minds they visibly have causal efficiency.
But we never see the bare mathematical 5, say; it is always incarnated within a mind. This is the position, roughly of fictionalism.
But given that your standard of truth is Physics - let me take an example from there: We never see the bare quark; Nature has arranged it such that we see them in triples. Their bare existence is only inferred. But existence, by general consensus has been awarded them. So, by analogy - can we say that although numbers are never seen on their own, but hosted by a mind in a human body - can we then award bare numbers existence. Perhaps not, but it is at least thought-provoking (if not provocative).
We can go a step further. Does thought or qualia have energy? Descarte famously divided thought from matter and philosophers struggled to put them back together again. Spinoza made an attempt where they were two modes out of an infinite number of modes of a substance that he identified as God.
In Islamic theology, the world is a creation of Allah and returns to him. Does energy apply to Allah? The theologians would say not - as energy is a created concept.
In Taoism, the Tao is eulogised and described. Does the Tao have energy? It has causal efficiency as it can be known and experienced; but also it does not - causal efficiency is a term from Western Philosophy and sits very uneasily with how the Tao is said to govern.
In physics, for a thing to exist it must interact, therefore it must have mass and/or energy. Using Einstein's famous equation e=mc^2, the two can be considered interchangeable. However, in philosophy, there are many things that exist that do not have either; Dreams, beliefs, opinions and equilateral triangles. All exist in the thoughts of the philosophers, and those thoughts require brains, which require mass and energy. So the question becomes, what does it mean to exist? And does that differ depending on who is asking the question?
What does it means "something to exist"? Intuitively you are asking if something is observable but this is different from something to exist. If something do not have energy and mass it will not participate in any of the known to us interactions and there is no way to observe it with the current technology, but even so it may exist, just we can not "see it" with our tools.
If you consider a volume of absolutely empty space without energy, mass or particles it exists but can not be observed because there is nothing there. So the short answer to your question is that the empty space-time itself exists without energy/mass. The long answer is that the Zero wave function means that the space do not contains any particles expressed by the QM wave equations, but still there may be other particles not described by wave equations. For example gravity field is not described by wave functions but still has energy, mass. According to Einstein's STO however the gravity fields permeates anywhere in the Universe and 'distorts' space-time. This is one of the biggest myths in physics and dilutes the very basic concept of empty space. So the confusion that something can not exist without energy mass comes actually from the STO not QM. Since we can not observe an "empty space" with current technology this is impossible to be proved of disproved.
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Why use a hadron collider to search for a“fundamental particle”?