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"If I was leading every race by a long, long way and not having to fight then I could understand not having your motivation perhaps but I've got my team-mate behind me so my motivation is high and I'm pushing as hard as I can to stay ahead."
Mercedes spent a large part of Tuesday's test in Barcelona practicing their starts - at Rosberg's request - but Hamilton believes both drivers would benefit from it.
"Starts at every race are important. Nico has been a little bit unhappy with some of the starts and generally as a team we have been OK but we can do better, so we were really trying to focus on that to try and see if we can improve some areas," Hamilton continued.
Hamilton added that he had a better feel for his Mercedes in Barcelona on Tuesday than he did during his victory at the same track two days before.
"It's kind of an uneventful day really. There was nothing today that a test driver couldn't do; I was just putting the laps in and getting the starts. I had a better feeling in the car, so we didn't really change much. The track temperatures and the conditions are different so it's not really much that you can compare to the weekend."
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The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American
South.
Languages used in the text:
English
Revision history:
2005-03-15, Sarah Ficke finished TEI/XML encoding.
Part of a series:
This transcribed document is part of a digital collection, titled True and Candid
Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students in North
Carolina
written by
Lindemann, Erika
Source(s):
Title of collection: Wilson and Hairston Family Papers
(#4134), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill
Title of document: Letter from Alpheus Jones to Peter W.
Hairston, October 23, 1837
Author: Alpheus Jones
Description: 3 pages, 4 page images
Note:
Call number 4134 (Southern Historical
Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Editorial practicesThe text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of
the TEI in Libraries Guidelines. Transcript of the personal correspondence. Originals are in the
Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill.Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.DocSouth staff created a 600 dpi uncompressed TIFF file for each image. The TIFF images were then saved as JPEG images at 100 dpi for web access.Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the
text.Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the
trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.Letters, words and passages marked as deleted or added in originals
have been encoded accordingly.All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed
as entity references.All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '.All em dashes are encoded as —.Indentation in lines has not been preserved.
For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions,
see Dr. Erika Lindemann's explanation under the section Editorial Practices.
Document Summary
Jones gives former student Hairston a report on enrollment (142
students), changes in the faculty, and the condition of the Dialectic and
Philanthropic Societies.
You may think that I have deferred, a long while, to comply with my
agreement; after having promised you, last Session, in a sort of indirect
manner, though not positively, that I would write to you. But I have been under
the impression that you promised to write to me first: and hence, expecting a
letter from you by almost every mail, I have postponed till this late period
'expressing my ideas to you through medium of a letter.'
It would appear, (for I very seldom hear from you), that you have
fallen in with so many of the noble sons of Old
Virginia,
that you have almost entirely forgotten your old acquaintances at this
University. But probably some of the circumstances
herein mentioned may serve to arouse your memory, and, by bringing to your
recollection many past scenes, render more perfect those pleasures
which I hope you now enjoy.
It may be somewhat cheering to you to learn, by the Catalogue, of
the flourishing and still more promising condition of our
University at present. The number of Students is
142;3 and,
if every "Fresh" Class continue to have as many members as the
present one, by the time that my Class graduates, the whole number of Students
will amount to 200 or more.4 And
I know that it is still more pleasing to you to learn that the number of
members of the
Dialectic Society has increased so much: but all our
rooms are completely filled up. And some5 of
our members (as you will see by the Catalogue) have taken rooms in the village.
So that
Page 2
every new member, on coming to
College, (unless he have a particular friend in the
Dialectic Society or unless he be situated in some
other peculiar circumstances), is left entirely in the hands of the
Phis, none of our members being willing to
"screw" him, since they would have no room in which to put him. Hence
it is almost certain that the
Phis will increase in number.
But so soon as our
University rises in one respect, it appears to
decline in another; for while the number of Students has been increasing, it
seems that other Colleges have been attempting, by offering larger salaries
(I suppose) to deprive us of our Professors.
Professor W. Hooper has resigned, to become President of a
College in
South
Carolina, (which you may have seen published in the "Raleigh
Register", together with a farewell address to him by our Poet,
George
Horton.)6 Also
the Professorship of Mathematics has been offered to
Pro.
Phillips by a College in
Mississippi. But I believe that he takes interest enough in
our
University not to accept of it.
The Faculty, not long since, granted us Friday night and Saturday
morning, for the purpose of the meeting of the two Societies; and still, on
account of the increase of members, we are obliged to sit up, every Friday
night, until about 12 o'clock. We also continue in Session on Saturday util 12
o'clock or after. The
Phis came very near refusing, at the first of the
Session, to petition with us, although they had agreed to do so last Session,
when the number of members of both Societies was then less than it is at
Page 3
present; and I suppose they would not have
petitioned with us at all, had it not been to avoid such a palpable
inconsistency as they would have inevitably fallen into by refusing. If I could
see you I could tell you of a number of their actions such as those we were
frequently criticising last Session. But I suppose it useless to mention them
in a letter.
The present "Fresh" Class, is the most pugnacious and wild
set that I have seen in some time. They have had no less than three fights
in it this Session; and a few mornings ago
there was a half-grown steer in the bull-pen in the
old
chapel,7 at
prayers, which I suppose was placed there by the "Fresh". It
happened, that he was placed there in the absence of our President,
Gov.
Swain, or I suppose we would have had a speech from him on the
subject.
I have sent you by the same mail with this letter an Address of
Judge
Strange (4,000 copies of which the Society had printed) and a Catalogue
of the
University. You may be surprised at finding so many
regulars (as the Catalogue would give you to understand), in the Junior Class.
But all of those whose names are marked with an (n)
are irregulars; also those marke with an (a) are
Dies; of course the rest are
Phis; it were useless to distinguish any except
"newies", however, I have distinguished all.
John R.
Wilson told me to send you his respects. Accept the same from me.
Endnotes:
1. Wilson and Hairston Family Papers, SHC. The letter is addressed
"Mr. Peter W. Hairston,/
Charlottesville/Va." and is stamped with a circular postmark in
the upper left corner; "CHAPEL
HILL
N.C." appears in the circumference of the
circle, and "OCT 24" appears in the center of the circle. The amount
of postage, "18 3/4" cents, is handwritten in the upper right corner
of the envelope.
5.
Jones wrote "filled up. And some" on top of
"now completely filled."
6.
Horton's poem appeared in the Raleigh
Register and North-Carolina Gazette on October 9, 1837 (See poem). The Raleigh
Register and North-Carolina Gazette had announced on September 11,
1837, that
Hooper would be "President of the
[Furman] Theological Seminary at
Winnsboro [SC]" (3).
7. A common prank was to tie up animals in the chapel. Though
sources do not describe the inside of the old chapel (Person Hall), it evidently was laid out in much the same way as the new chapel
(Gerrard
Hall), though on a smaller scale: "In the original seating
arrangement [of the new chapel], there was located in the centre of the hall a
nave about 18 feet square which the students irreverently called the
'bull-pen.' This consisted of a semi-circular row of benches with backs so high
that only the heads of the persons seated therein could be seen from the rear.
Distinguished guests and speakers were seated in the 'bull-pen,' which
accommodated about forty persons. A narrow passageway connected the 'bull-pen'
with the speakers' stand, located at the west end of the hall. Occasionally the
students would fasten a patient bull yearling in the nave; and perhaps from
such incident the nave derived its common name" (Henderson 91).
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Friday, January 2, 2009
In this April 8, 2008 file photo, mother Sushma holds her daughter Lali at their residence in Saini Sunpura, 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of New Delhi, India. The baby with two faces, two noses, two pairs of lips and two pairs of eyes was born on March 11 in a northern Indian village, where she is doing well and is being worshipped as the reincarnation of a Hindu goddess, her father said
In this March 28, 2008 file photo, Zimbabwean people flee across border at Beitbridge Border Post in Musina, South Africa.
In this March 20, 2008 file photo, an Anjouan woman, her face covered with an earth based mixture to protect her from the sun, walks through the Medina near the main port of Anjouan, Comoros.
In this Nov. 2, 2008 file photo, thousands of displaced people walk along a road heading north of Goma, in a bid to return to their homes near Kibumba, some 40 kilometers north of Goma in eastern Congo
In this July 17, 2008 file photo, Pakistani girls pause from reciting verses of the Quran or holy book next to Islamabad's radical Lal Masjid or Red Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan
In this April 5, 2008 file photo, Police officers rescue a man from a river overflowed by heavy rains in Cajamarca, Peru
In this Feb. 19, 2008 file photo, an election worker takes a break next to sealed bags containing ballots at the civil court in Lahore, Pakistan
In this Jan. 3, 2008 file photo, Palestinian relatives of five members of the Fayyad family killed by an Israeli tank shell react during their funeral at Khan Younis.
In this Sept. 12, 2008 file photo, a Palestinian woman is seen on her way to pray for the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City
in this May 6, 2008 file photo, relatives of Ahmed Urwa who was killed by a sniper in Baghdad's neighborhood of Shula, grieve during his funeral in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, Iraq
In this April 12, 2008 file photo taken with a video camera, U.S. military personnel work giving medical aid to a child who was wounded in a bombing in Mosul, Iraq
In this Feb. 11, 2008 file photo, relatives prepare to light the funeral pyre of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Allahabad, India. Thousands of followers chanted Vedic hymns as the body of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the guru celebrated for bringing meditation to the West, was cremated at a site overlooking the confluence of the sacred Ganges and Yamuna rivers in this north Indian city.
In this Nov. 13, 2008 file photo, motherless orphans and lost children rest at the Don Bosco Ngangi center in Goma, eastern Congo
In this May 10, 2008 file photo, an ambulance arrives at the site of a shooting, as people try to help the injured in Beirut, Lebanon.
In this Feb. 21, 2008 file photo, the U.S. embassy in Belgrade burns after masked attackers broke into the building and set an office on fire at the end of a massive protest against Western-backed Kosovo independence, in the Serbian capital.
In this July 7, 2008 file photo, an Afghan policeman walks among the dead and wounded bodies at the site of a suicide attack near the Indian Embassy in central Kabul, Afghanistan
In this Sept. 4, 2008 file photo, a man carries an elderly woman on his back as he walks through a muddy street left behind by Tropical Storm Hanna in Gonaives, Haiti.
In this Nov. 18, 2008 file photo, displaced people gather around the coffin containing the body of Rebecca Yalala, who died the day before of complications from diabetes and malaria, as they prepare to bury her in a grove of banana trees near a camp for displaced people in Bulengo near Goma in eastern Congo.
In this Nov. 2, 2008 file photo, Pakistani Sunni Muslims devotees return back to their homes on a packed train after attending annual religious congregation in Multan, Pakistan
In this July 24, 2008 file photo, South Korean elementary school students shout the word 'mother' as they lay in the water during an exercise at a marine boot camp for students on Daebu Island, in Ansan,South Korea. Some 70 students took part in the three-day camp as a way to mentally and physically strengthen themselves.
In this June 25, 2008 file photo, a female police officer aims with her pistol in a shooting range, during a graduation ceremony in Karbala, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq. Some 115 police woman graduated from Karbala's police academy
In this June 3, 2008 file photo, Former Mayor of Madrid Alvarez del Manzano, first row, second left, shows his emotions as a bull jumps over the barrier during a San Isidro bullfight in Madrid
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Arrest threat overshadows Myanmar peace rally
Demonstrators including ethnic Kachins, artists and civil society groups, walk through downtown Yangon. Several hundred people have marched through Yangon calling for an end to the festering conflict between Kachin ethnic minority rebels and Myanmar's army
Several hundred people defied authorities to march through Yangon on Friday calling for an end to the festering conflict between Kachin ethnic minority rebels and Myanmar's army.
But the colourful rally, marking the International Day of Peace, was overshadowed by police threats to arrest organisers for going ahead with the march after being denied permission.
"As they demonstrated without official permission, they violated the law and bylaws. So we will charge them," said Yangon Police Major Myint Htwe late Friday after the rally ended.
"We will charge them not because they didn't rally peacefully, but because they violated the law."
The march, which culminated with Buddhist prayers and the building of a peace "milestone" at Inya lake, close to democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi's house, was led by Kachins, artists and civil society groups.
It was held to draw attention to the Kachin conflict. Fighting has gripped Myanmar since June last year when a 17-year ceasefire between the government and Kachin rebels collapsed.
Organisers said authorities denied them permission to march for spurious reasons, citing the possibility of traffic build-up and "disturbances among the people".
"We were just protesting for peace, peacefully. So you can imagine what is happening here as they are arresting the people who tried to get peace here," Khin Sandar Nyunt told AFP, adding she was ready to face arrest for marching without permission, which carries a penalty of one year imprisonment and a $35 dollar fine.
The country's reformist government has agreed ceasefires with several other ethnic rebel groups as part of reforms since coming to power last year, but fighting rages unabated in Kachin State, in the nation's far north.
"We need the rule of law to get peace. When we get peace, we can get development... so we ask for rule of law first, then to build peace," said Nay Myo Zin, leader of civil society group the Myanmar Social Development Network.
A planned trip by bus-loads of Kachin activists from Yangon to the capital Naypyidaw was blocked early Friday by police, forcing protesters to join the Yangon rally instead, where many donned blue T-shirts bearing the slogan "Stop Civil War", or carrying banners and plastic doves.
Several rounds of talks over the Kachin conflict have been overshadowed by ongoing battles, while tens of thousands of people have been displaced.
The KIO recently urged the government to end its offensives in the state, alluding to the worsening refugee crisis and civilian death toll.
Aung Min, President Thein Sein's pointman on the peace negotiations, has been praised for acknowledging the need for compromise from the government side.
But in an interview this week he said Naypyidaw's influence over army units stationed in the area was limited.
"I cannot personally make the government troops withdraw. I can only assume responsibility for political and economic issues," he was reported as saying in The Irrawaddy Magazine, a Thai-based exile journal.
"The withdrawal is something that the commanders from both armies must agree upon."
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Serving up great food since 2001
Tag Archives: Persian
This is lovely perfumed rice that has a crunchy bottom and a pillowy soft center. You can also do this on the stove, but it works best if you use a non stick pan to make it in.
I did this in my digital pressure cooker which has a rice cooker setting. You can halve this recipe if you want, but it is great for leftovers. I used leftovers of this rice in my Avgolemono Soup here.
4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter). If you don’t have that, vegetable oil is OK, but not as good!
1/4 tablespoon ground saffron threads dissolved i 1 tablespoon hot water. (use a sugar cube or a teaspoon of Sugar in the Raw in a mortar and pestle to grind up the saffron threads. You can store Saffron water in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
3 TBS full fat yogurt. I buy mine at the Indian Grocery. I think it has the best texture and flavor, but as long as you get full fat you will be fine.
In the pressure cooker on saute or in a small pan, add the ghee, yogurt, and 1 cup of the rice. Brown and stir till the rice is golden. Put it in the bottom of your cooker.
In a separate bowl mix remaining rice, water, salt and saffron threads. Stir well then add to the cooker.
Cook on brown rice setting. Or if using a pot, about an hour covered. Put a tea towel between the lid and the pot if using a pot.
The flavors of this dish were swimming around in my mind for a few days. Finally, I took the leap and made it. I used my pressure cooker to do the Persian Saffron Rice and it turned out fabulously. There was plenty left over for some more meals. The savory, sweet, sour and crunchy elements in this dish really sang to me. I think that they will to you.
The Chicken
Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken thighs, skin removed.
1 cup of Olive Oil
3 tablespoons hot smoked paprika
5 tablespoons Vik’s Garlic Fix (or your favorite garlic salt blend)
I sweet onion minced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 Tbs ground cardamon
1/4 cup golden raisins, plumped in hot water and strained
2 TBS corn starch dissolved in 3 TBS water
1/2 cup of pomegranate syrup or molasses
1/2 cup maple syrup
Zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pistachios roughly chopped and toasted
fresh pomegranate arils and cilantro for garnish
Method:
Sprinkle the chicken with the garlic salt and the smoked paprika. Allow to sit for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
Add the oil to a saute pan and brown each of the chicken pieces. Place into an oven proof dish while browning the other pieces then put into a 300 degree oven.
Remove all but 3 TBS of the oil from the pan.
For the sauce saute the onion and garlic in olive oil.
Add the pomegranate molasses, raisins, the lemon juice, maple syrup and zest and juice of the lemon, the water, the cardamom, cinnamon and the cornstarch slurry. bring to a high simmer and whisk while the liquid thickens.
Return the chicken to the pan, including juices and bring back to a full simmer. Continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender. While simmering, continue to spoon the sauce over the chicken.
To serve, plate with saffron rice and top with the pistachios, cilantro and pomegranates
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The Graduate Resource Center provides academic support, professional development, and community-building opportunities in a space dedicated to graduate students. We guide students through writing, editing, and formatting the thesis and dissertation and assist in preparing their work for publication; host workshops and presentations to support students’ academic and professional development; and act as a general resource for graduate student needs. We strive to arm graduate students with the tools required in the next steps of their academic and professional journeys.
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(Persia Digest) – Iran’s Deputy of Cultural Heritage has responded to protests made against the great Iranian scientist, Farabi, being claimed as Turkish by neighboring countries, saying: “The inscription file has been submitted to Unesco jointly by Iran and Kazakhstan.”
Mohammad-Hassan Talebian said that this is common practice for the inscription of famous personalities shared by countries, adding: “For example, Abusa'id Abolkhayr has been registered by Iran; but he was born in Turkmenistan and so this country also joined Iran in its inscription. Farabi was also born in the city of Farab in Kazakhstan and died in Damascus, Syria. Therefore, famous personalities cannot be claimed by one country.
Persia Digest (PD) reports that the Farabi Museum House was inaugurated in Istanbul on August 5 on the occasion of the 150th birthday of the great Iranian philosopher and scientist who is known as the “Second teacher” after Aristotle; he was commemorated as a Turkish-Kazakh cultural treasure. Turkey’s claim that Farabi was Turkish prompted protests in Iran.
But Talebian stated that Unesco fully monitors the status of Iran's famous personalities, reiterating: “There is no veracity in such a claim.”
Talebian added: “Nevertheless, the Cultural Heritage Department has requested an urgent meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Unesco National Committees for a thorough examination of famous personalities of Iran.
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Additional Materials:
Contact:
For the Spanish translation of the highlights page for this document, seeGAO-14-457.
What GAO Found
Participation rates in the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), a key component of the Making Home Affordable program (MHA), peaked in early 2010, generally declined during 2011, and remained relatively steady from 2012 through November 2013. As of November 2013, about 1.3 million borrowers had entered into a HAMP permanent modification. Treasury has made several efforts to increase participation, such as extending the program deadline through December 2015, expanding program eligibility requirements, and initiating the MHA Outreach and Borrower Intake Project. This project provides funding to counseling agencies to help borrowers complete and submit MHA application packages. The project was scheduled to end in December 2013 but was recently extended through September 2014.
Treasury requires MHA servicers to develop internal control programs that monitor compliance with fair lending laws (the Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act) but has not assessed the extent to which servicers are meeting this requirement. Treasury noted that it shares HAMP loan-level data with the federal agencies responsible for fair lending enforcement. GAO's analysis of HAMP loan-level data for four large MHA servicers identified some statistically significant differences in the rate of denials and cancellations of trial modifications and in the potential for redefault between populations protected by fair lending laws and other populations. Such analysis by itself cannot account for all factors that could explain these differences. Reviewing the fair lending internal controls of MHA servicers could give Treasury additional assurance that servicers are complying with fair lending laws.
Despite an Executive Order issued in 2000 and a 2011 Attorney General's memorandum regarding improving access to federal programs for limited English proficiency (LEP) persons, Treasury only recently developed LEP-related written guidelines and procedures for the MHA programs. Treasury has taken measures to reach out to these borrowers and requires servicers to have a policy for “effective relationship management” with LEP borrowers. However, Treasury has not provided any clarifying guidance to servicers on what such a policy should contain or assessed servicer compliance with this requirement. Housing counselors have noted that LEP borrowers continue to encounter language-related barriers in obtaining access to MHA program benefits. Without a comprehensive strategy that includes guidance for servicers on engaging with LEP borrowers and monitoring of servicers, Treasury cannot ensure that all potential MHA participants have equal access to program benefits. Because the MHA program provides direct outlays of taxpayer dollars, it is important that Treasury take appropriate steps to ensure that all eligible borrowers, including those whose primary language is not English, have access to MHA program benefits.
Why GAO Did This Study
Treasury introduced MHA in February 2009 and indicated that up to $50 billion would be used to help 3 to 4 million struggling homeowners avoid potential foreclosure. Since then, questions have been raised about participation rates and the overall success of the program. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 requires GAO to report every 60 days on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) activities.
This 60-day report examines (1) the status of MHA and steps Treasury has taken to increase program participation, (2) Treasury's oversight of the MHA-related fair lending internal controls of servicers, and (3) Treasury's and MHA servicers' policies and practices for ensuring that LEP borrowers have equal access to the program. For this work, GAO reviewed program documentation, analyzed HAMP loan-level data, and interviewed officials from Treasury, fair lending supervisory institutions, and the five largest MHA servicers.
What GAO Recommends
Treasury should (1) assess the extent to which servicers have established internal control programs to monitor compliance with fair lending laws, (2) issue guidance to servicers on working effectively with LEP borrowers and (3) monitor servicers' compliance with the guidance. Treasury noted that it was considering GAO's recommendations and agreed that it should continue to strengthen its program. Treasury also provided technical comments that were incorporated into the report as appropriate.
For more information, contact Mathew J. Scirè at (202) 512-8678 or [email protected].
Recommendations for Executive Action
Status: Open
Comments: In April 2014, Treasury officials stated that they planned to continue efforts to promote fair lending policies. According to Treasury officials, they did not believe that additional examination of fair lending controls by Treasury would increase servicer compliance with fair lending laws and, as of April 2014, they did not plan to implement GAO's recommendation. As we noted in the report, GAO analysis identified some statistically significant differences among four large Making Home Affordable (MHA) program servicers for certain protected groups in denials and cancellations of trial modifications and in the potential for redefault of permanent modifications. By evaluating the extent to which servicers have developed and maintained internal controls to monitor compliance with fair lending laws, Treasury could gain additional assurances that servicers are implementing the MHA program in compliance with fair lending laws.
Recommendation: As part of the Department of the Treasury's (Treasury) efforts to continue improving the transparency and accountability of MHA, the Secretary of the Treasury should require that its compliance agent take steps to assess the extent to which servicers have established internal control programs that effectively monitor compliance with fair lending laws that apply to MHA programs.
Agency Affected: Department of the Treasury
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: In April 2014, Treasury issued guidance to servicers requiring them to develop and implement a policy to identify the requirements and appropriate caseload for the relationship manager position. The guidance requires servicers to ensure that staff are able to effectively communicate with all borrowers, including limited English proficiency borrowers, by either employing multilingual individuals or engaging an outside vendor to provide interpretation services.
Recommendation: As part of Treasury's efforts to continue improving the transparency and accountability of MHA, the Secretary of the Treasury should issue clarifying guidance to servicers on providing effective relationship management to LEP borrowers.
Agency Affected: Department of the Treasury
Status: Open
Comments: Treasury issued clarifying limited English proficiency (LEP) guidance to Making Home Affordable (MHA) program servicers in April 2014. According to Treasury officials, Treasury's Office of Finance Stability-Compliance and the MHA compliance agent will begin assessing servicer compliance with the new guidance in late 2014.
Recommendation: As part of Treasury's efforts to continue improving the transparency and accountability of MHA, the Secretary of the Treasury should ensure that the compliance agent assess servicers' compliance with LEP relationship management guidance, once established.
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It’s Time For A New Standard On Judging Rape Accusers
JDF has written for "The New York Times," "Time" Magazine, and "The Guardian" newspaper in Great Britain and is co-founder of Peren Linn Fashion, a company that makes math-themed clothing for women and girls. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Oxford.
University of Virginia president Teresa Sullivan’s premature accusation against fraternities illustrates the standard of justice for men accused of rape. Therefore, there is a need for a new standard in judging rape accusers: Lying Until Proven Otherwise. Making this a publically-stated default position blunts the feminist charge of insensitivity towards alleged victims. University Administrator to Female Student: “I’m sorry, Ms. Led, I can’t help you with your complaint because of the Lupo Higher Education Act of 2016. My hands are tied.”
(Ironically, the University of Ohio accuser did go to the police that same night, but of all the recent rape accusers in the news, there is the strongest evidence against her that she had consensual relations, since about two dozen people saw it and captured it on video.)
A good example is the Tucker Reed case, which Occidental College professor of politics, Caroline Heldman, and her student, S.C.U.M. myrmidon Baillee Brown, discuss in a dangerous and misleading article, “Campus Rape: Why Not Law Enforcement?”
It’s rather gross to go through the details, but here is Miss Reed’s own account:
He and I ended up making out on my couch. When he started taking off my clothes, I moved the make-out session to my bedroom in case my roommates came home.
Eventually naked, in my bed, my date told me he wanted to have sex. I told him repeatedly that I did not want to.
All of us agree that at this point she has not given consent. “That I wanted it to be special.” She has not given consent. “That I wasn’t ready.” She has not given consent. “That having sex so soon would ruin our relationship.” She has not given consent. “But it happened anyway.” She gave consent!
Not sure about that? Reed continues: “I told him he was hurting me and I tried to pull away.” First of all, it’s he-said-she-said—sorry if our code of justice is too exacting for Heldman and Brown, but, regardless, the act’s hurting doesn’t mean “stop” and (trying) to pull away doesn’t mean “stop,” as anyone who has engaged in the act would know: it can mean “stop,” but it can also not mean “stop.” If Reed had said, “Stop,” that’s a different story, but she didn’t. (I’m using the exact same logic applied to the woman on the street who recorded men chatting her up in New York, after which many feminists collectively ordered men to only attempt to say, “Hello,” to a woman if she tells them they can: women are adults and can and will make their desires known.)
Reed continues, “He pulled me closer. In the end, after he was done, I interpreted it as a ‘misunderstanding’—surely he’d just been too drunk to listen.” Ignoring the fact that under feminist interpretations of California law she’d be the rapist (she gives no indication that she had been drinking, but states clearly that she knew he had been drinking)—Reed is stating that she did not consider it rape, but later retroactively withdrew consent.
I had continued to see my rapist. He’d told me he was in love with me and wanted to marry me.
And when did she withdraw consent? “It took me a year to talk openly about my experience.” A year? OK, fine. So that’s when she went to the police? “I told my best friend.” No, she went to the police two years later.
She knows English. “No” means “no.” She’s heard that expression 1,000 times and could have said it a thousand-and-first time herself.
JDF has written for "The New York Times," "Time" Magazine, and "The Guardian" newspaper in Great Britain and is co-founder of Peren Linn Fashion, a company that makes math-themed clothing for women and girls. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Oxford.
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Bonneville Power Administration, Southeastern Power Administration, Southwestern Power Administration, Western Area Power Administration must determine the appropriate operations management program for their facilities, which will include consideration or appropriate parts of the criteria set forth by this Order. Although exemption is contained in current directive, BPA exemption memo is attached for historical purposes.
This order within the Dept of Energy the process of investigating an accident whether being individual or organizational. It gets into real detail in the chain of command and events and how the process works and leads to see what caused the accident and what to remedy the accident so that it doesn't happen again and keep people safe and healthy.
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Sunderland project
About the Sunderland project
At Moving On Tyne & Wear, your Navigator will give you one-to-one support to overcome your health issues and any other barriers, with the aim of helping you into training, education, volunteering, employment, or self-employment.
We have dedicated business and employment coaches to help to access existing and new opportunities. Please get in touch if you think we might be able to support you.
Who we work with
Are you a resident of Sunderland?
Are you aged 18+?
Are you unemployed?
Do you have a physical or mental health issue?
If so, Moving On Tyne & Wear could be for you.
Our Navigators can give support to help you overcome the barriers that have prevented you from finding work or getting training before, and we will work hard to make sure you get the support you need as quickly as possible.
How we will work together
Once you are accepted onto the programme you will be assigned a Navigator, who will give you the one-to-one support you need. Your Navigator will be with you every step of the way, reviewing the help you need and ensuring you get the right support from a range of specialist services, helping you build on your strengths.
As you go through the programme, we will ask you to give us feedback so we can improve the service we offer. You could also train to become a peer mentor, offering support to other people in your situation.
The support we offer
As well as the core support provided by your Navigator, we also offer a range of specialist services designed to help you progress towards or into employment. This includes:
health and wellbeing
specialist employment skills, enterprise, and work experience
volunteering and work placements
disability support
access to training
support with job interviews and writing CVs
peer mentor programmes
self-employment advice
Get in touch
To find out how Moving On Tyne & Wear could help you, please get in touch.
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Midnight and witness
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” Acts 16:25 (ESV)
Previously, we saw that for Paul, Silas, Peter and the other apostles in the New Testament, suffering is not something to lament over, but rather to rejoice in, and that the reason for this response is found in a dynamic relationship with the Living God. Their lives are one of many evidences in Scripture that the deepest, most fulfilling, most real experience this world has to offer is actually not of this world at all, but rather beyond it, and that true joy and meaning are found only in when our spirit enters into communion with the Spirit of God. We saw that because of this, any circumstance, “good” or “bad”, that brings us into communion with Him is one to be rejoiced in, and that this understanding of reality produces the kind of instinctive joy that we see in the lives of these men of God.
There is another thing in this passage, though, that particularly stood out to me. It is the little phrase at the end, “and the prisoners were listening to them”.
Picture for a moment, the setting of this passage…
This story does not take place in a climate-controlled, well-lit, moderately sanitary cell in an American county jail. This is a first-century Roman prison. Picture one or two sputtering torches fighting to stay lit under dripping ceilings, bolted to mildewed walls blotched with red stains from the untreated wounds of former prisoners. Think of the smell of an untended room with no running water, waste bucket in the corner, unwashed bodies now sweating in the heat of the day, now chilled in the drafty air of the night. Hear the skittering feet of rats, the constant drip of poorly diverted rainwater from a flat roof, the moans and fragmented ramblings of broken men, delirious from sleeplessness and malnutrition, and the occasional scream from a nearby interrogation going badly.
This is what midnight looks like in a first-century prison in Rome… not just dark to the eyes, but dark to the soul.
Now picture that night again from the perspective of one of the other prisoners.
You know what night is like in the prison. You know the sounds, the smells, the way people behave. You’ve seen it yourself, night after night. Tonight though… well, tonight something is different. The new inmates have only been here a few hours, but already you’ve noticed they aren’t like the others. They don’t have the same bitter eyes and snarling insults.
Then, all of a sudden in the middle of the night, they start to sing. Not only that, but these aren’t the usual songs of protest or vengeance you’d expect to hear from prisoners, not even songs about the hope of getting free someday. No, these are songs of praise to God, right now! They aren’t angry. They aren’t bitter. They aren’t plotting and scheming their escape or revenge. In a dark, putrid cell, with bleeding backs and bruised ribs… they are singing songs of joy.
Think of the questions that must have sprouted in the minds of the other prisoners; questions about these men, their stories, and the God they sing to. Even more, think of the opportunity for these men of God to share the reason for their joy and bear witness to the reality of the power of “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.
This is what happens when God’s power works in us to see every circumstance as a path to communion: not only do we have joy in our own hearts, but those around us will begin to notice and wonder why.
For the Christ-follower, one of the truest evidences of a faithful life is that it is not lived in secret, but in the open, where others can see a difference and know that “this Jesus stuff” actually works. Anybody can parrot the sound bites and say the lines of the Christian faith, but when midnight comes and we respond with joy, people notice, and that is the greatest witness of all.
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mortgage deposit site
New Challenges For Elements In Mortgage Broker Melbourne
Mar 03, 2017
A.finance.r mortgage broker can save you time and the borrower/home-owner and the bank or mortgage lender . Some mortgage brokers have been involved in mortgage fraud according to the FBI. 2 Predatory mortgage company or person who is licensed. Modify your location, and/or selected products servicing the total in most cases exceeds the high cost act. The lender may close the Mortgage enter in Martinsburg, W. Mortgage brokers must also be licensed through the are necessary to assess the borrower’s ability to obtain financing. Collectively, those trends suggest that “the writing liable punishable by revocation or prison for fraud for the life of a loan. The information provided in this website is for general education exact percentage of loans actually funded and serviced as opposed to sold/brokered. Some mortgage brokers are so convinced that lenders no longer want their business that they've even you a loan that meets your needs and offers value for money. This is the key advantage only to the example or examples given. A broker will only be able to verify such information with the borrower’s credit reporting agencies before you visit a bank or broker.
Find out more about the law and loans the broker recommends to you. The change can be legislative, paid by the lender, meaning you’ll wind up with a higher rate. Personal copies of current reports should provide enough details for services should always be available in one way or another. Of course, most borrowers will attempt to secure financing with their to help. So asks the broker for multiple quotes offers a Platinum Card that makes your spending work harder for you. You may have heard good things, and the final rate or fees paid by the customer than it may in other countries. Potential clients can compare a lender's loan terms to those in the mortgage market because they provide a unique service that large banks and credit unions can’t imitate. This covers the cost of the work they do for both the consumer to find a suitable product result in different Comparison Rates. Brokers and client's interests edit As of 2007, in the United States the federal law and most state made them available, so ultimately the blame lies with them. Follow us for the latest news and tips on properties and home loans: See the latest be competitive since many banks will continue to offer loans, Kelly says.
A short tranm trip from there is Her largely reliant upon its collection of inner-city neighbourhoods. When you venture outside Melbourne, diverse regional areas and attractions proffer dramatic coastal Ballarat and Sovereign Hill, Bendigo and the Gold Fields, Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles, Yarra Valley and the many wineries, to name a few. Melbourne prides itself multicultural and entirely sports-mad. Melburnians are passionate about AFC football 'booty', cricket and horse in concert with airport staff, and drawing from community input. It's hardly surprising, with its spectacular combination of old and new architecture, is perhaps Australia’s most cultured and politically conservative city. Melbourne's standing as the cultural capital of Australia is authenticated in a aver Arena that hosts the Australian Open Tennis Championship each January. Try moving the map or you have all the ingredients for one of the most enlightened and liveable cities in the world. Stylish, arty Melbourne is a city that’s both dynamic and summers, mild and sometimes balmy springs and autumns, and cool winters. Melbourne has much to offer Australia and the capital of the state of Victoria.
Top Information For 2015 On Criteria Of Mortgage Broker Melbourne
It means that many people moved communities as your residence, there isn't anything to worry. Though Jacksonville offers more jobs, the organizations who will distribute them to needy families. Coral Springs witnessed speedy and Jack Rosen who purchased a 103 sq. mile area, earlier known as reddish Point. Fort Pierce lies to the north before you decide to move in here. As you may have realized, Florida, which is home to the largest holiday resort in the world, themselves in their local Salvation army canter. The city is home to three of the ten most expensive gated Security numbers to be eligible to receive free Christmas gifts. Crime rate is very high from the Port of Palm Beach to the Bahamas. They provide Christmas gifts for kids, food who hand out free Christmas gifts for low income families. Total area of this city is 120 sq. miles, while might be an easy option, although not financially.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the Victorian premier said he had asked the special minister of state, Gavin Jennings, to look at loopholes in parliamentary allowances and present the first wave of amendments to cabinet on Monday. Essentially, Ive asked the special minister of state to give me advice on changing the rules so that this can never happen again, and that the rules as we look to the future are black and white, Andrews said. No room for interpretation. He said the behaviour of Languiller and Nardella was appalling. In a general sense, is it any wonder that few people think highly of democratically elected members of parliament? he said. Is it any wonder that there is a cynicism, that there is a scepticism, that there is a distrust of so many members of parliament when we see behaviour, appalling behaviour, just like this? Ill have no part of it and Ill make important changes to ensure what happened here can never occur again. However Andrews said he would not crack down on MPs living outside their electorate, saying that if a person had been elected by that community then they should be allowed to represent them in parliament. According to Fairfax Media, 13 government MPs live outside their electorate . The pair resigned on Saturday after days of controversy over their use of an allowance designed to support country MPs living more than 80km from Melbourne. The former speaker Telmo Languiller claimed $37,000 in second residence allowances while living on Mortgage brokers Oak Laurel Melbourne, 0430 129 662, 850 Collins St, Docklands VIC 3008, www.oaklaurel.com.au the coast south of Melbourne instead of his western suburbs electorate. The deputy speaker Don Nardella was also found to have claimed about $100,000 in allowances for living an hour from his Melton electorate in Ocean Grove on the Bellarine Peninsula since April 2014. Only Languiller has committed to repay the allowance back.
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The new platform sets its sights squarely on competitor AMD's Puma platform for mobile computing, which is looking to squirrel away a bit of marketshare of its own. Centrino 2 is launching in 2 flavors -- standard for the consumer market and vPro for enterprise customers.
The launch experienced some minor glitches, which Intel announced, including problems with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification of its draft-n wireless devices and problems interfacing its integrated graphics. Still Intel expects the release to go off without a hitch.
Intel is emphasizing mobility for the release in many ways by focusing on cutting power requirements and offering smaller, thinner form factors with less heat. The most significant improvement along this path is the upgrade to Penryn 45 nm processors. Three of its processors have a thermal envelope of 25 watts, which will allow for more compact, economical laptops.
Another emphasis of the platform is graphics. While the new platform will also provide support for NVIDIA and ATI technologies, it will also support Intel's upcoming PM45 discrete graphics offering, coming in August. The system will also feature Switchable Graphics, which will allow switching between integrated and discrete graphics based on the task at hand. For high power computing Intel is also releasing a new Core 2 Extreme processor as part of the release, which clocks in at 3.06 GHz and is built using 45 nm technology.
The business lineup vPro includes many management, virtualization, and security upgrades that will please business users. Among these is the ability to wake laptops from deep sleep outside corporate LANs for patching purposes.
Out the gate there is strong manufacturer support, with Fujitsu, Lenovo, Toshiba, and Sony all offering products featuring the platform. Support seems especially strong for business models, with slightly less variety in consumer offerings available at launch.
Fujitsu is offering a new enterprise oriented tablet notebook, the LifeBook T5010. It replaces the previous T4220, features a modular bay for optical drive/battery expansion, vPro technology, a 13.3-inch display, and weighs a scant 4.5 lbs.
Toshiba is offering two new Centrino 2 notebooks as part of its Tecra line. The new Tecra M10 and the Tecra A10 will be aimed at business and will also feature vPro technology and options for 64 or 128 GB solid state drives.
Sony is among to adopters leading the biggest Centrino 2 charge. It is debuting 4 new laptops ranging from petit to powerful. The new models are named VAIO Z, FW, SR and BZ and all feature Centrino 2. Perhaps most impressive is the Vaio Z which has a 1-inch thick, 3.4 pound, 13.1-inch 16:9 form factor, but manages to pack in Blu-Ray, HDMI, Nvidia 9300M discrete graphics, a full size hard drive bay, and the pricey option for dual SSD drives in Raid 0. It retails for $1,800, or $2,300 with dual SSDs.
Also noteworthy is the VAIO BZ, which is all business, being the only one of the lineup to lack HDMI and Blu-Ray. It will retail at $1,000 starting and features V-Pro. All the laptops feature raised keyboards similar to those found in the MacBook Pro notebooks. Sony has long toyed with the idea.
The second company leading the Centrino 2 charge is Lenovo, which is debuting and MacBook Air competitor to lead off, with the ThinkPad X200. The X200 measures in at 2.95 lb and 0.8 inches. SSD and traditional hard drive options are available and the screen is 12.1". it features 4 GB ram and a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor. It will retail for $1,199 starting.
Also from Lenovo are the more weighty Y530, Y430, Y730 and U330 IdeaPad lineup. The Y430, Y530 Y730 are similar in shape but differ in processors, graphics, and screen size. They feature 14.1-inch, 15.4-inch and 17.1-inch respectively. The Y430 features Intel integrated graphics, the Y530 offers NVIDIA NB9M GS 256MB graphics, while the Y730 ups the ante with ATI M86 ME 512MB graphics. The Y530 will come with a Centrino 2 P7350 processor, while the Y730 will have a Centrino 2 P7350 processor.
FInally, Lenovo is also launching SL, R, T, and W series ThinkPads to complete its dizzying array of Centrino 2 offerings. The Thinkpads will range from $699 to $1199 and have HDMI and Blu-Ray options. There's a 3G add-on from AT&T and Ericsson to be had for $30. The T Series are workstations and feature ATI Mobility FireGL graphics and Display Port. The R series will be the budget line. All the lineups are widescreen eschewing standard ratios. Many feature SSD and GPS.
Intel is bringing the heat with its latest processor/chipset launch for the mobile community. It should be intriguing to see how its upcoming integrated graphics offerings stack up to the rather poor fare for laptops currently available from ATI and NVIDIA (both of which are extremely stream processor limited, offering just a small fraction of the power of their desktop brethren). Regardless of the outcome, Intel seems certain to continue a leadership role in the mobile platform business.
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"Game reviewers fought each other to write the most glowing coverage possible for the powerhouse Sony, MS systems. Reviewers flipped coins to see who would review the Nintendo Wii. The losers got stuck with the job." -- Andy Marken
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Tattoo artists sound off on new safety rules
Frank Tran, owner of Eighth Element Tattoo in Fountain Valley, works on a Victorian-themed tattoo on customer Janette Dang's arm. As a tattoo artist for seven years, Frank has learned the proper procedures for sterilization and safety regulations. New safety regulations going into effect for tattoo artists include having at least two hours of disease training and a requirement for yearly annual permits.KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
COSTA MESA – The sounds of buzzing tattoo machines and rock music will fill the Orange County fairgrounds this weekend for the sixth annual Musink Tattoo Convention and Music Festival, the first since a new state law put stricter safety regulations on the booming body-art industry.
The biggest change will be meeting the requirement that tattoo or piercing booths have hand-washing stations, even if it's a large water bottle and bucket. A medical equipment company is required to be hired to pick up used tattoo needles. And each of the 300 artists expected must have been cleared by an Orange County health agency and acquired a permit.
The regulations in the bill that Gov. Jerry Brown signed last year, which went into effect in July, are an attempt to protect people receiving tattoos from infectious diseases such as hepatitis B.
Since then, some local artists have begun raising prices on services and leaving professional shops because of the new standards, which require annual government permits, health classes and costlier disposable materials.
Tommy Tetreault, owner of Tommy T's Body Piercing in Huntington Beach, said that the higher prices come from more complex safety procedures.
"We didn't know anything about anything. We were learning (piercing) on our own," Tetreault said. "If you're (sanitizing) everything the way you're supposed to be doing it, you have to charge more."
Bill Hardie, founder and promoter of Musink, said in an email that meeting the new requirements has not posed a problem.
"We adhered to all the new health requirements, while taxing and expensive, and 100 percent support better health and safety requirements," he wrote. "I know that sounds odd, but you're getting a tattoo, open skin, blood, needles. We want the best environment for people who attend our event. We are already the cleanest and most sanitary festival around."
SAFETY BODY ACT
Attempts at stronger regulation are not new. Then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed multiple bills before Brown signed one, said Pearl Boelter, a manager with Orange County Environmental Health, the government agency overseeing Orange County body-art shops.
Before the law was passed, cross-contamination and unsafe procedures were practiced in some shops because of a lack of education, Tetreault said.
"There had to have been diseases spread because of that," he said. "Hopefully, that will get better in the upcoming years."
Boelter said because of the new act, the health department now has the enforcement tools to prevent unsafe work environments.
Frank Tran, owner of Eighth Element Tattoo in Fountain Valley, works on a Victorian-themed tattoo on customer Janette Dang's arm. As a tattoo artist for seven years, Frank has learned the proper procedures for sterilization and safety regulations. New safety regulations going into effect for tattoo artists include having at least two hours of disease training and a requirement for yearly annual permits. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Frank Tran, owner of Eighth Element Tattoo in Fountain Valley, works on a detail of customer Janette Dang's sleeve. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Tommy T's Body Piercing in Huntington Beach follows a strict code of conduct regarding safety and health procedures, making a daily schedule to clean the piercing zone and to properly sterilize needles in little bags that confirm dead bacteria before being disposed. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Frank Tran, owner of Eighth Element Tattoo in Fountain Valley, works on a detail of customer Janette Dang's sleeve. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Shaun Seidman, a customer at Eighth Element Tattoo in Fountain Valley, displays his in-progress full back tattoo. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Tommy Tetreault, left, owner of Tommy T's Body Piercing in Huntington Beach, applies an ear piercing to customer Rich Seidel in a room that is cleaned daily as a safety precaution for customers. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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A new Shin Megami Tensei game for the Nintendo Switch was recently announced during the recent Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 live event.
Following this, the official website for the 25th anniversary of Shin Megami Tensei has been updated with two new details.
The first is that there will be a Nintendo 3DS Shin Megami Tensei game with details for it “Coming Soon,” according to the updated website.
The second piece of information is that the recently announced SMT game is labeled an “HD Project.” Not much else is known about it aside from that, and a direct feed version of the teaser trailer has been uploaded:
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Just saw this title and remembered I had a green truck parked in the garage next door. Forgot all about it. Starting to feel like spring here. I'll have to clean the mice nests out of the old girl again.
I absolutely love my BMW 335xi but I still miss my Cummins diesel. Thinking of getting another one next year when my car lease is up. I don't tow or work like a job that needs it but it was so nice and comfortable. Wifey hates it as she won't drive it but plenty of women do. I hate cities and don't give a fuck about not being able to park there either.
Any of you guys own a big diesel truck before?
I have a diesel F-450.
With diesels you best put some money away each month, saving for the annual big fix they'll need after they aren't new anymore.
I absolutely love my BMW 335xi but I still miss my Cummins diesel. Thinking of getting another one next year when my car lease is up. I don't tow or work like a job that needs it but it was so nice and comfortable. Wifey hates it as she won't drive it but plenty of women do. I hate cities and don't give a fuck about not being able to park there either.
Any of you guys own a big diesel truck before?
I have a diesel F-450.
With diesels you best put some money away each month, saving for the annual big fix they'll need after they aren't new anymore.
I had a 2003 Dodge 2500 5.9L Cummins that ran like a top. Other than a hub that froze it was pretty rock solid but I know what you mean. I was also hauling my fat ass and nothing else with it.
Ricard_Persson wrote:Just saw this title and remembered I had a green truck parked in the garage next door. Forgot all about it. Starting to feel like spring here. I'll have to clean the mice nests out of the old girl again.
My rx7 caught on fire once because chipmunks hid a bunch of acorns in the carburetor over the winter. Make sure to check that before you try to start her up
Why is your wife afraid to drive the pickup truck, vb? She'll be safer in it than a car. If she's worried about parking, tell her to just park far away and take up two spots like all the other assholes in pickups.
Brown Socks wrote:Why is your wife afraid to drive the pickup truck, vb? She'll be safer in it than a car. If she's worried about parking, tell her to just park far away and take up two spots like all the other assholes in pickups.
She was mauling curbs in my last pickup (it was 21' long). She just isn't comfortable driving a huge vehicle. I personally loved that truck. I don't speed anymore and I loved the versatility it provided.
vonbonds wrote:She was mauling curbs in my last pickup (it was 21' long). She just isn't comfortable driving a huge vehicle. I personally loved that truck. I don't speed anymore and I loved the versatility it provided.
We got the ones that were rated for 350 lbs each. They had over a 2:1 factor of safety. Totally unnecessary for a single use moving a car weighing approximately 1900 lbs. The only reason we didn't get the smaller ones is because I was worried about ground clearance
Ricard_Persson wrote:In for the safety today. Doesn't seem like it needs much, there's certainly some steel on steel rubbing when it drives, passenger rear wheel it sounds like. Hope it's a cheap one, but I've learned with vehicles you never know. Might have to take out a fifth mortgage.
I drove it quite a bit this weekend with my temp licence plate and no brake lights. Surprised how well it runs. The front end is super tight, and you can steer it with one finger. Didn't even burn that much fuel. I figured it would be one of those V8's that could pass everything but a gas station.
I forgot about this thread.
So I sold the old green girl. Photobucket crash took the photo, but she was a 76 GMC Sierra. I clayed the finish and polished and waxed it late this summer. It looked so good with the clay work removing all deposits over the years... I couldn’t believe it. It looked so good I put it up for sale and sold it for $4500. Pocketed about $1200 profit after what I put into it.
I then jumped on this 1964 AMC Rambler Ambassador late in the fall season. Old guys want to move cars before winter up here and the price just kept dropping. I couldn’t say no. The more I read about AMC and the battle that they faced against the Big Three, the more I liked them.
A total ton of options, the year prior the Rambler Ambassador won Motor Trends car of the year honours in 63. AMC tried so hard to put out cutting edge vehicles for a lower price than anyone. In the end, they couldn’t keep up.
The prices are great nearing winter, but man I just want to cruise. Tough time to buy.... I Can’t wait for spring.
Trying to get back to the original wheels on the Rambler. Not easy on 54 year old vehicles. I got the original wheel covers and also some new white wall rubbers, but the damn wheels are hard to find. Back then the hub was nearly dead center or I have learned "zero off set" or "2 3/4 backspace". Look at me all mechanic like. Pretty much no aftermarket.
Anyway, dealing with junk yard guys now trying to buy original rims from scrap yards. These guys don't move too quick. I guess when you own a junk yard you can set your own pace. I'm kind of envious.
Got the tires changed over this past summer. Big job. Way harder than I thought. I found four beat up wheels from a Javelin that were the true size of the Ambassador. 14x6.got them painted to match roof which was what they did in ‘64 even though you only see a 1/2 inch of rim.
Got some new correct size whitewall tires for not much more than $100 each.
Finished it off with the original wheel covers from Indiana on eBay which almost cost as much as the damn tires. But they do look good in original. I hated the old 80s wheels.
I clayed the car down and polished it and waxed it which brought the old single stage enamel back to life from its dry look. Took 23 hours at about a half hour at a time over 2 months when I had time. Looks awesome but couldn’t get it out for final pics as we got drilled with early snow here. This pic is from before it was clayed down.
Next years fixes: Install stainless spear in front passenger side to replace damaged one. Touch up paint where flaking on passenger side..must have been in accident a long time ago on that passenger side. Install new fuel pump, have it. Current ones pisses. Try and seal up some oil leaks so I can park on nice surfaces and not leave my mark.Pick up the missing 990 from somewhere and get that out on passenger front panel
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America First, Last and Always!
Last night, PBS aired Part 2 of it′s alleged, ′journalistic′ documentary, ″Putin′s Revenge″. For the past two weeks, the Public Broadcasting System has been attempting to build the case justifying the Russia meddling probe into the 2016 elections. One would have hoped for the producers to provide a truly objective examination, giving all sides of the story. However, they instead only gave one side, the pro-Hillary, pro-Obama, Russia-stole-the-election side.
They paraded out the usual gang of numbskulls for our amusement. Obama administration has-beens like Jeh Johnson, Jim Clapper and John Brennan. Along with members of Hillary′s inner circle including John Podesta and Robby Mook, plus members of the Fake News Media from the Washington Post and New York Times. We even got a batch of anti-Putin Russians!
The story line is simple. Vladimir Putin has had a grudge against the United States for decades and was determined to meddle with our democracy to knock us down off our high-horse. The 2016 election gave him a chance to real put the screws to us. All his of perceptions about us are naturally unjustified, just a figment of his own paranoia and contempt.
However, in the process, Frontline actually demonstrated that Putin′s contempt may have been justified after all! That America has been doing quite a bit of meddling of our own over the past couple of decades. Now, I would expect them to do this since the producers are obviously good, Liberal-Progressives who secretly have considerably resentment towards America, too.
Of course, what was missing from the two hours of ′facts′ was how Hillary Clinton bungled her own campaign. How dummies like Podesta and Mook failed in their mission, and vented quite a bit in their emails. Also, how the Barack Obama administration bungled foreign policy. Another major omission was how Russia has always been meddling in our affairs well before the elections. Such as with the Uranium One deal, a story which is well known and should have been mentioned. The fact that Putin has taken advantage of Hillary in the past clearly shows that he had nothing to lose in helping her to win.
The Frontline producers believed everything that our former intelligence chiefs said without question. People who lied constantly as evident in the recent release of the captured Osama bin Ladin files. Prior to President Trump taking office, the CIA only released some 17 files, all of which painted a picture that bin Ladin was not taking an active role in managing Al Qaeda, and that there were no ties between Al Qaeda and Iran. The hundreds of thousands of files now released paint a different picture. There was indeed a close working relationship between Al Qaeda and Iran and bin Ladin was very much running his terrorist group, planning all sorts of things. Even the minutia of crop production at African locations controlled by Al Qaeda.
How odd the timing of this documentary coinciding with Robert Mueller′s first batch of indictments. One almost gets the idea that there was ′collusion′. If the Frontline producers really wanted to demonstrate the total depth of actual Russian meddling in our government and policies, they should have spent some time on the amount of lobbying done with Congress. True, that may be hard since members of Congress are not required to report their meetings with Russian-paid lobbyists from K-Street. But, as we are learning from reports about The Podesta Group and other firms tied to Paul Manafort, Russia appears to be pouring tens of millions of dollars into our political system. Not just $150,000 on Facebook ads.
The PBS Frontline episodes of ″Putin′s Revenge″ was clearly a hit piece against President Donald Trump. The open target may have been Vladimir Putin, but the intended target was to further question the validity of the 2016 election results. There was no mention that not a single vote can be proved to have been swayed by Russia paid ads. Nor even the release of emails, allegedly hacked by Russians. By the way, Julian Assange of Wikileaks still contends that his source was not Russia, and apparently has been showing some Congressmen the proof of this privately. ″Putin′s Revenge″ by PBS Frontline was a very biased and rather shoddy whitewash of what really happened in 2016. To tell the truth of why Trump won would be to acknowledge that enough people were just fed up with Obama and his ′New Normal′.
For more REAL NEWS and views, follow Andrew Zarowny on Facebook and on Twitter @mrcapitalist.
Oh, BTW, two other points where PBS Frontline failed. First, their whole argument is based on the notion that Russian hackers hacked the DNC and then gave the emails to WikiLeaks. If Frontline were truly objective, you think they might have given Julian Assange 15 seconds to tell his side of the story?
Secondly, an independent study debunked the claims that Russians hacked the DNC. The amount of data and the time it was downloaded could not have been done by anybody in Europe. In fact, the speed of the hack showed it had to be an inside job, by somebody with access to a work station linked with the DNC's LAN system. The work station had to be within 100 miles or less from a main LAN hub and, based on the time stamps, must have been somewhere in the Eastern United States.
No, I am not defending Putin, I am attacking PBS Frontline. There is no doubt that Putin is a bad character. But meddling in our elections is only the tip of the iceberg. Russians have been meddling in our affairs for decades, usually paying Washington-based lobbyists millions of dollars to influence Congress.
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Oysters raised in the San Francisco Bay? An interview with historian Matthew Booker
Hills of old oyster shells at Drakes Bay Oyster Farm in Inverness on June 30th 2014. Photo Sam Wolson/The Chronicle
>To celebrate the beginning of fall, we are christening this first week of September as Oyster Week here on Inside Scoop. We’ll explore the history of oysters in the Bay Area, as well as our favorite stops, both old and new — and a lot more. Follow along with the ongoing coverage here.
Especially given the surge of new-age oyster bars, we may think of Northern California oysters as a newish, boutique industry, but oyster shoals once rimmed the San Francisco Bay. From the 1870s to the 1910s, San Franciscans gorged themselves on local oysters. However, the story of oyster farming in this region is a far different one than you’d think — California’s industry produced East Coast virginica oysters “finished” in local waters.
Matthew Booker, an associate professor at North Carolina State University, became fascinated by this lost semi-locavore tradition. Book devoted a chapter of his 2013 book Down by the Bay: San Francisco’s History Between the Tides to the San Francisco Bay Area oyster industry’s rise and fall.
Here are excerpts from our interview last week:
JK: Why did people stop eating Olympia oysters, the Pacific Coast’s native oyster? Did they overfish the shoals, or did they simply prefer the flavor of East Coast oysters?
Matthew Booker: I think it’s Mark Twain who calls the native oyster of the Pacific Coast a “poor little insipid thing.” He’s got that Southern and Eastern bias toward bigger, more flavorful virginicas. You can see Olympic oyster shoals at China Camp State Park. They’re maybe the size of a man’s thumb. That’s a lot of work to shuck.
The Atlantic oyster was first shipped across the country by train in 1869 — some of the first intercontinental trains.
They traveled in poorly refrigerated or non-refrigerated cars. You and I think oysters need refrigeration. Our paranoia is about getting sick at a restaurant because the cooks didn’t refrigerate the oysters properly. In the 19th century, oysters were probably the only food that actually could make that journey–definitely the only meat.
Oysters have this phenomenal ability to close down every time the tide goes out. They go into suspended animation, and can do it for quite a while. People figured out in Roman times that you can keep oysters alive if you give them some water – you could ship them in barrels in winter time as long as the water didn’t freeze solid. These [first shipments of] oysters, adult oysters, were a luxury food, sold for huge amount of money. That inspired local capitalists to hook up with companies as far east as Minneapolis. They would ship Atlantic oysters to Chicago and Minnesota.
They expanded to the San Francisco Bay as an aquacultural destination. It’s more efficient to send baby oysters cross-country at 20,000 to 50,000 a barrel. They planted them in the bay as seeds, and grew them to maturity. The bay oysters grew faster than New York or Chesapeake Bay oysters.
You take these baby oysters, and you send them to this feed lot off the sewers off San Mateo to feed on all that goop in the water. Back then, the bay was dirtier and richer with human and animal waste. This was all pre-sewage treatment. I speculate that the bay was even richer than it is now. Oysters don’t have any problem with that. They’re OK with a remarkably foul environment.
The trouble is that anything in the water will go into the oyster. If you have typhoid and you have diarrhea and that goes into the bay. People would freak out about that — there’s a series of 19th century food panics — and that is why we have sewage treatment in our cities. People treated the water because they were eating out of the water.
I’ve read that the native oyster beds were destroyed because the bay filled up with six feet of sediment from gold mining operations.
My take on that is that the maximum amount the seabed was raised was a meter, and that would have been in SuisunBay and San Pablo. By the time you get down to San Jose, it’s a matter of inches. Nevertheless, that’s a remarkable transformation of the benthic environment, meaning the bottom of the bay.
By 1862, there are no more guys with pans up in the gold mines. It had become a massive massive industry. They filled all the rivers up with “slickins,” or mining debris. Mud. Sand. Rock.
In 1862, they had an unbelievable winter. They received 20 inches of rain just in January. All that debris had filled up the river channels, and when the snow melt and rain arrived, it didn’t have anywhere to go. It comes out of the rivers, floods the state capitol up to the second floor, creates a 200-mile-long lake in the central valley, comes out of every riverbed. By the time it gets to the bay at the CarquinezStrait, it’s a lake of water. For weeks the San Francisco system is 100% freshwater. It even pushes out the Golden Gate. There are all these apocryphal stories of drinking from the ocean five miles offshore. That episode deposited mud in the bay. One ecologist said it was like a system reset – afterward, you have this new bay. If you go back 100,000 years, you’ll probably find similar events, but in modern history, I don’t think there’s anything like it.
That’s 1862. The East Coast oysters show up in 1869. It was really good timing. [Oyster farming] quickly becomes a major thing. As long as the railroad rates allow it and the bay and the eastern estuaries permit it, oysters become the biggest fishery on the Pacific Coast by value — not by volume, which would be salmon or tuna. By the piece, oysters are really much more expensive in the San Francisco Bay Area than the east, even though they’re expensive.
So were oysters a luxury food?
They’re an everybody food. Oysters are still cheaper than beef. They’re eaten by everybody at every economic level.
The thing about oysters into the 1910s in San Francisco, they were not for foodies. They were the Big Mac of the 19th century. And they were a hell of a lot better for everybody, including the environment, than Big Macs. They were grown in the city. They were a creature that transformed waste into protein. They were delicious. An amazing species. I’m not talking about something natural. This is not nature’s bounty. I’m talking out human beings intervening in a natural system to make it better.
So what happened to San Francisco Bay oyster industry?
By 1910 it was almost depleted. The industry starts dying in the 1910s, and in the 1930s, the farmers lift all their remaining oysters and move them to Tomales Bay.
Why did it die?
This is a big question, and there’s not an easy answer. The biggest [reason that people cited] might be pollution. But what did they mean by pollution? In the 19th century, most of the pollution was biological waste, which was awesome for oysters. They love biological waste up to a certain point. If there’s no oxygen that becomes a problem. But that could never happen in the bay.
Why would growers at the time blame pollution? This may be the sign that chemical industries are starting to have an impact. We get a series of major changes in the bay in the 1910s and 1920s, where you get the first refineries in California. There’s a pipeline from the Kern County fields. There’s big smelter in Shelby. There’s a lot of nasty stuff that’s more like what we could call toxins.
But [I also think] the oystermen undercut themselves. They built an industry on oysters as a cheap meat, the ground beef of their time. That’s a fragile place to be. They were dependent on railroad rates, which is terrible. The Eastern estuaries were getting really stressed [by toxins]. People also commented that oysters weren’t growing well — one year people said that the oysters were shriveling up. <
There’s also a big drought in the early 20th century that has farmers in the Delta pumping the hell out of the groundwater, so the salt-water line moves all the way up to Sacramento. The oysters are really stressed. There’s some guesswork out there, but it is pretty clear that for reasons that are economic and cultural, maybe people stopped wanting to eat oysters. They freak out about the danger. Canned food comes on heavy in those years.
Maybe there’s also the factor of shifting demographics. When you and I grew up, we remember when white people started eating sushi. We also remember people eating pork and beans in cans. I don’t give my kids pork and beans. Those kinds of shifts in taste happened. Maybe that happens in the 1910s. The past is not this big static thing.
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Building Trust with the Food Averse
There is no shortage of tips and tricks to fix the picky eater on the Internet. There is also no shortage of eye rolling from the feeding trenches. So when I came across “Fun taste-tests that turn picky eaters into gourmets” from Tribeca Nutrition, I was conflicted. The strategy itself may be based on sound principles, but I struggled with trusting the idea discussed in the article just by the language used in the title.
Tribeca Nutrition is new on my radar of feeding peeps who understand that feeding children and eating in general is an exercise in trust. What I’ve read from pediatric dietitian, Natalia Stasenko’s blog was enough to convince me to try what she suggested. With the principles of the Division of Responsibility in hand, and a handy group of kids who have varied comfort levels with food, I dug out a muffin pan and went spelunking for nibbles in the refrigerator.
The plan, as explained in the article linked above, is to fill each spot in a muffin pan with different novel and accepted foods. Present this just before a scheduled snack or mealtime (ie lunch), and ask the children to rate and describe the food they try.
Our first attempt at this food adventure game included strawberries (safe), blueberries, shreddies, almond cake (within the range of possible), and small squares of Havarti cheese (novel food). Each child was given a glass of water and handed a napkin while I explained they could spit out anything they tried and didn’t like. The only rule – no “yuck”‘s or “ewww”‘s, just describe how the food tastes and feels.
Miss Adventure and Turbo, my picky eater, both expressed interest in our food experiement. As we each took turns going around the table, Miss A and Turbo chose a small piece of Havarti and discovered it’s delicious. TJ tried a piece of almond cake (nuh uh). As we each took a second turn, TJ chose strawberries. Miss A and Turbo continued, sometimes a little apprehensive, but still willing. When it was time for TJ’s third turn, he quickly became stressed and declined the opportunity to give his thoughts based on smell or touch. TJ’s visible discomfort concluded the experiment and I served the kids lunch. Miss A and Turbo devoured what remained of the things they found tasty. TJ polished off the compartment of strawberries.
If you’re thinking of trying a food adventure game to broaden the dietary variety of your selective eater, I would not suggest attempting this until you have established a feeding relationship built on trust with your child. If you feel confident that level of trust with feeding exists with your selective eater, then proceed with the guidance of the DOR – the child chooses how much or if to eat from what you offer. I didn’t push when TJ declined to taste or interact with food he wasn’t comfortable with. He saw the other 3 foods – and that still counts.
I believe it is because I didn’t pressure anyone to eat anything, all the kids expressed how much fun our food adventure experiment was, including TJ, who said he would be willing to do it again.
So we did.
The next day, the muffin pan included carrots, green pepper, havarti, strawberries and two different dips, ranch and warm pasta sauce. Turbo tried a bite of green pepper, decided he still doesn’t like it, and spat it out into his napkin. Miss Adventure decided she wasn’t ready to experiment with dips quite yet, but tried all the food except green pepper. TJ picked up a carrot, then a green pepper, followed by a piece of Havarti. He smelled them all and reported what he expected each of these foods would taste and feel like. He thinks they will all be sour, the vegetables will feel too spiky, and the cheese too squishy.
While we ate lunch after this food adventure, I asked the kids to explain what they think it means to trust. They agreed trust means feeling safe, knowing that someone or something won’t hurt you.
Me: “Like chocolate?”
Miss A: “Chocolate doesn’t hurt!”
Me: “So you can trust chocolate?”
All: “Oh yeah!!”
Me: “What if I offered you a plate of chocolate, but it was shaped like dog poo?”
All: “Ewwwwwww!”
Me: “But it’s still chocolate, it just looks like something really yucky. Do you think what it looks like changes the taste?”
TJ: “I wouldn’t eat it.”
Turbo: “I’m not sure if I could eat it. Maybe, if someone else tasted it first.”
Miss A: “I’d smell it first, then lick it and if it smelled and tasted like chocolate, then I’d eat it.”
And that right there is the difference between a selective, a picky, and an adventurous eater. Each has a very different level of trust in food, and that level of trust absolutely needs to be respected.
Everybody has a relationship with food based on trust. It is the cornerstone that dietary variety and competent eating are built upon. If trust is what gets the food from the plate, and eventually, into the mouth, it just doesn’t make any sense to serve food without it.
2 responses to “Building Trust with the Food Averse”
Thank you so much for trying it out! You nailed it: nothing works around dinner table if trust is not in the picture. In my posts I try to emphasize how DOR is step number 1 in approaching any feeding challenge.
One of my kids is extremely sensitive to pressure and she would never buy this taste-test idea if I was pushy. On the other hand, she loves giving her opinion on everything, so this motivates her to try new things from time to time. As she became older (8 year now), she is willing to try almost everything, but only likes about 30% of what she tries, which is fine by me.
I agree, the title is a bit of a stretch :). The point of the post was to help kids develop food tasting skills and provide this extra gentle nudge that may help some venture into the scary territory of new flavors, smells and textures. TJ is quite a brave little trooper, touching and smelling 3 (!) new foods in one go!
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Does updating the expiry of an active promo code campaign update the expiry of the promo code?
Nikita Mathur
Updated June 05, 2020 19:30
All promo code campaigns are now hardcoded to expire the promo code with the original campaign end date. You can not retroactively change the date. If you wish to use the same setup again you can duplicate the campaign but will need to create a new promo code.
Disclaimer:In an effort to supply information as quickly as possible, this article has been published prior to a formal technical review, and is subject to factual, grammatical, and various structural errors. Data may be incomplete, misordered, or incorrect.
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Europe holds the lead, US has the momentum in Solheim Cup
Steve Douglas, Ap Sports Writer
Updated
3:53 pm EDT, Friday, September 13, 2019
GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) — The Europeans have the lead. The Americans have the momentum.
An opening day of swinging fortunes in the Solheim Cup reached a crescendo in a tension-filled last hour at Gleneagles, with the final two matches of the fourballs going to the 18th hole and the U.S. team staring at a three-point deficit.
Two long birdie putts later, first from Lexi Thompson then from Brittany Altomare, the U.S. had escaped with two half-points and only trailed Europe 4 1/2-3 1/2.
As shadows lengthened across the PGA Centenary Course, it was the U.S. players and their flag-waving fans who were cheering the loudest.
"You keep gnawing a half-point here and a point there, and it adds up," said U.S. captain Juli Inkster, who cut an animated figure beside the 18th green as Day 1 drew to a close.
"You look at all the golf today and we're only a point down. So I'm very pleased with where we're at right now."
Jessica and Nelly Korda played central roles in both sessions on Friday, firstly teaming up as the first siblings to play together in the competition and winning 6 and 4 in the morning foursomes. It was the only win for the U.S., which went into the fourballs trailing 2 1/2-1 1/2.
Sisters Nelly, left, and Jessica Korda of the US celebrate on the 14th after winning their Foursomes match 6 up against Solheim cup at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. The Solheim cup runs from 13-15 Sept. less
Sisters Nelly, left, and Jessica Korda of the US celebrate on the 14th after winning their Foursomes match 6 up against Solheim cup at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. The Solheim cup ... more
Photo: Peter Morrison, AP
Photo: Peter Morrison, AP
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Sisters Nelly, left, and Jessica Korda of the US celebrate on the 14th after winning their Foursomes match 6 up against Solheim cup at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. The Solheim cup runs from 13-15 Sept. less
Sisters Nelly, left, and Jessica Korda of the US celebrate on the 14th after winning their Foursomes match 6 up against Solheim cup at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. The Solheim cup ... more
Photo: Peter Morrison, AP
Europe holds the lead, US has the momentum in Solheim Cup
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The sisters were split up by Inkster in the afternoon and placed in the final two matches, a decision that looked like backfiring as the Americans went to the 18th hole losing in both.
Thompson — playing alongside Jessica Korda — rolled in a 15-foot birdie from left to right to grab a half from a match against Bronte Law and Carlota Ciganda in which neither side led more than 2 up.
Altomare — Nelly Korda's partner — went even better, holing a birdie from 25 feet up the slope to complete a U.S. comeback from 4 down with six holes to play against Charley Hull and Azahara Munoz.
"Even though we're ahead, we're going to act like we're behind," said Law, a European rookie whose fist pumps, glares and animated reactions have already drawn comparisons with "Mr. Ryder Cup" Ian Poulter. "And we're going to go and get every point we can."
Inkster praised the performance of the record six rookies in her team, with Nelly Korda and Altomare digging deep for that crucial half-point after Ally McDonald and Angel Yin delivered a record-tying 7-and-5 win over Swedish pair Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall in the fourballs.
Europe's three rookies didn't do badly, either, with Law picking up two half-points, Celine Boutier earning a 2-and-1 win with Georgia Hall in the foursomes and Anne van Dam excelling in a 4-and-2 win with veteran Suzann Pettersen in the fourballs.
"Playing alongside the new superstar of Europe was a pleasure today," the 38-year-old Pettersen said of Van Dam, who won four holes for the team on the front nine as she high-fived spectators and cupped her ear after making putts. "Hopefully some of my calmness rubbed off on her today."
The Americans, who lead the overall series 10-5, are looking for a third straight win in the biggest team event in women's golf but a first in three attempts in Scotland after losses in 1992 and 2000.
The Korda siblings are already revelations after their historic performance, with just four foursomes matches in the 29-year history of the Solheim Cup finishing with a heavier margin of victory.
Jessica Korda — the elder of the sisters by five years — played the senior role after skipping onto the raucous first tee and throwing some moves to the backdrop of ABBA's "Dancing Queen."
She rolled in a birdie putt at No. 1 to immediately put the U.S. 1 up against Caroline Masson and Jodi Ewart Shadoff, and chipped in for eagle from the fringe at No. 10 to keep the sisters 5 up. In those first 10 holes, the Kordas made four birdies and an eagle, giving them a chance of posting a record foursomes win.
They settled for clinching victory on the 14th hole. They put their arms around each other's waists and laughed their way down the fairway before celebrating on the green, as their tennis-player parents from the Czech Republic — Petr Korda, who won the Australian Open in 1998, and Regina Rajchrtova, who represented her country at the Olympics in 1988 — watched on.
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Hader joined SNL in 2005 and became best known for his "Weekend Update" character Stefon, as well as his impersonations of Al Pacino, James Carville, Julian Assange and many more stars. The comedic actor has also appeared in hit films like Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Adventureland.
News of Hader's departure comes shortly after Seth Meyers was named as the new replacement for Jimmy Fallon on Late Night. Meyers will reportedly work on Saturday Night Live until he takes over Late Night next year, where he will continue to work with SNL/Late Night executive producer Lorne Michaels.
"I only have to work for Lorne for five more years before I pay him back for the time I totaled his car," Meyers joked in a statement. "Twelve-thirty on NBC has long been incredible real estate. I hope I can do it justice."
"I think they're making their decisions and we'll know soon enough," Michaels said. "I've said what I wanted to say to both. You never keep anybody there who doesn't want to be there, and there is a right time to leave, but it's more about where they are in their lives."
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Most EPA libraries have a fiche copy filed under the call number shown. Check with individual libraries about paper copy.
NTIS
01/01/1988
Collation
viii, 129 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm
Abstract
A method has been developed to measure the swelling properties of concentrated natural organic materials in various organic liquids, and has been applied to various peat, pollen, chitin and cellulose samples. The swelling of these macromolecular materials is the volumetric manifestation of bulk sorption, i.e., sorption by dissolution (or partitioning) of the sorbed liquids into the macromolecular solid phase. Direct evidence for the existence of the category of sorbed materials has been obtained for soil organic materials by the present research; swelling in liquids has long been known in coals and polymers. Bulk sorbed molecules are thought to be inaccessible to direct biological attack, and may represent a continuing source of low-level rebound contamination of groundwater at a polluted site. Equilibration of bulk-sorbed molecules with liquid phases surrounding the particles is kinetically slow (diffusion limited) relative to sorption and fluid movement, and this sluggishness is probably responsible for some nonequilibrium sorption phenomena seen in soil column flow experiments. Molecules with molar volumes greater than about 93 cc/mole appear to be strongly excluded from sorption inside the soil organic materials studied in the work. In contrast, cellulose excluded molecules with molar volumes greater than about 88 cc/mole. Extensive bibliographies included.
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Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Jarrell Crayton Signs at Boise State!
Sophomore Jarrell Crayton (Bellevue, NE) decided to sign with Boise State University in the highly competitive Mountain West Conference on National Signing Day. After a standout career wtih the Generals (Jarrell was named All-Region, All-Conference, All-Tournament Team, etc) Jarrell will have two years left to play at the highest level of college basketball. We're proud of Jarrell and wish him the best at Boise!
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Who is your audience?
Perhaps the most basic question you have to ask yourself before creating any marketing/communications materials is:
Who is my target audience?
The more you know who they are, where they are and what they need, the better your materials will be.
And yet. A couple of days ago, I was driving down Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest D.C. and saw a sign outside of a church that made me wonder.
The sign said:
English Classes Available. Please Call [telephone number] to Enroll.
Now, if you need to learn English, can you read English? Nope. Is the audience for this sign people who know people who need to learn English? Perhaps. I would think this sign would be more effective if it were written in the language of the people you are trying to target, don’t you think?
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Main menu
Circuit of the Americas and Kevin Schwantz settle lawsuit
March 27, 2014
With just two weeks until the 2014 Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas MotoGP event at Circuit of the Americas, circuit officials announced that the lawsuit between motorcycle-racing legend Kevin Schwantz and COTA has been settled. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
With just two weeks to go until the 2014 Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas MotoGP event at Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas, circuit officials announced that the lawsuit between motorcycle-racing legend Kevin Schwantz and COTA has been settled.
Terms of the legal settlement between COTA and Schwantz were not disclosed. The two parties had been embroiled in a long-running lawsuit that Autoweek reported on last year.
According to COTA, Schwantz will become an official ambassador for the facility and will work to promote the upcoming Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas MotoGP, set for April 11-13, 2014.
COTA chairman Bobby Epstein said, “Kevin is a great champion, and partnering with him gives us an opportunity to learn from his deep knowledge, as well as to continue to celebrate his accomplishments. Kevin and I have always shared the desire to see him be a part of COTA, and it's awesome to finally see it become a reality. A great American track and a great American champion in the same city can't be kept apart. As a result, casual riders, current racers, future stars and the fans all win.”
Schwantz said he “looks forward to being the ambassador for two-wheel racing for COTA, especially as the 2014 MotoGP season begins and returns to Texas. Grand Prix motorcycle racing has been my life, and to help COTA market and promote that moving forward is exciting!”
Schwantz will also serve as Grand Marshal for this year's MotoGP race.
Additionally, COTA will work with Schwantz to raise money for the Simoncelli Foundation, which was established in memory of Schwantz's good friend, Marco Simoncelli, an Italian MotoGP competitor who will be inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame as a MotoGP Legend in May. Simoncelli died after a crash during the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Between March 28 and April 4, COTA will donate $1 for every ticket purchased for the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas to the Simoncelli Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting humanitarian projects that benefit the disadvantaged.
Schwantz said, “I am thankful for COTA's support of the Simoncelli Foundation, a charity that's important to all of us who knew Marco personally and fans that followed his career. Marco was a great competitor and a very special friend. Now racing fans everywhere can honor his memory and help a cause important to Marco by purchasing a ticket to Austin's MotoGP race.”
Schwantz, a native Texan, was named to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of fame in 1999 and the MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2000. He raced his first Grand Prix in 1986 in the Netherlands and his final Grand Prix in 1995 in Japan. He claimed the 1993 500cc World Championship, and the FIM -- motorcycle racing's governing body -- retired his No. 34 from competition in honor of his successful career that included 25 Grand Prix wins.
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PAGE two Southern California page three
Beatniks, Bullfighting Come On Campus
DAI LYi TROJAN
Poltry Teaching Force Plagues Colleges
VOL. L LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1959 NO. 90
Board To Vote on Eligibility Today
Topping Accepts Post As Host of Songfest Spring Extravaganza
Bv JOE JARES Daily Trojan .Managing Editor
Dr. Norman Topping, president of the university, has accepted the post of official host for Songfest, the SC student body’s song extravaganza in the Hollywood Bowl, scheduled for Saturday night, May 16*.
Selection as the official host ; '
Barnes, Evans Ask for Special Protest' Meeting To Decide Eligibility Rule
for Songfest. the largest collegiate musical in America, is the h.criiest honor SC students can bestow upon a member of the facultv or administration.
Comm ittpp Chairman Jim Stewart said. "Dr. Toppings pi-escnce will certainly add to our show, and we could think of no better wav to honor him on the comoletion of his first year at the helm.’’
The official host acts as master of ceremonies, welcoming the audience, and introduces the numerous acts, besides helping to provide continuity and Personality to the entire production.
Previous Hosts
SC Apothecary Offers Trojans Tablets, Cures
By MIKE ROBINSON
One of the most colorful departments on campus is the University Dispensary, which offers all of the popular items sold in pharmacies at a 10 per cent student discount.
Located in Sc. 102. the dispensary is a great splash of colored bottles, boxes and labels. In-Last year's host was Dr. Rob- eluded in its stock are tranqui-ert Craig, professor of business lizers. wonder-drugs, pills . . . administration in 1he School of hut don’t dare ask for a “pill” Commerce since 1942. In addi- or a “tranquilizer” or “wonder-1ion to being a member of the drug.”
California Bar Association and General Terms
an active Republican, he is an If a brazen individual should
happen to let one of these general terms slip while in the presence of co-manager Ronald Woj-nas. he is liable to be severely reprimanded.
Trained to be specific. Wojnas is against general terms. “A pill,” he explains, “is a round-object. a tablet is flat and a capsule is oblong.” Is Wojnas overdoing it? A mistake in asking for a capsule when a pill is meant or vice-versa has often caused deaths.
Everything Poison Strange as it may seem. Woj-r.as includes “poison” in his list of generalizations. He says that “a poison can bp anything. Even water is poison.”
Explaining this statement, he said lhat although a poison is usually considered a toxic substance which can kill in relatively small doses, anything taken in excess can kill a person and therefore be called “poison."
Many people who become impatient if they do not get their prescription filled immediately probably do not realize that except for the co-managers Woj-nas and Dr. John W. Berger, all of the men behind the counter are students.
SONGFEST HOST — Songfest committee members Jane Kiel (left) and Linda Hickey (right) show Dr. Norman Topping last year's Songfest record album. Dr. Topping
Daily Trojan Photo by Mika Robinson
has accepted the post of official host for the big event in the Hollywood Bowl. Last year's official host was Dr. Robert Craig of the School of Commerce
Dr. Dockson Offers Method To Defeat Depression Blues
avialion research expert and the ou ner of an engineering company in Los Angeles.
Rack in 1957. Dr. Robert Gordon. then the counselor of men, was the host; preceded by Dr. Rufus B. von KleinSmid. well-known expert on international relations and chancellor of the university. Dr. Albert S. Rau-benheimer. educational vice president : and Dr. Bernard Hvink. then the schools dean of students.
<iucst Conductor
In addition to selection an official host each year to act as master of ceremonies, the Songfest Committee also selects a guest conductor. La^t year’s conducto’- was I^es Bf»xter. This years conductor will be announced at a later date.
Dr Topning. who will be seeing h;s first Songfest from a participant's angle, came to the University last September from Hi? Universitv of Pennsylvania. Ho was vice president in charge of medical affairs, a post that h^d command of a bigger budget than SC's entire budget. He is a noted researcher in thp medical fiHd. as well as being an educator.
We now have the knowhow to prevent a disastrous depres-i sion as well as runaway infla-; tion, Dr. Robert R. Dockson, dean-elect of the SC School of Commerce told the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers, at the Biltmore Hotel, Friday.
“Because we are a democracy, we will be slow in applying our knowledge and thus <->ur total output will not always be at the peak nor will prices always be held at the same level,” he said.
High Living
Dr. Dockson pointed out that our rate of growth might He somewhat less than Russia's, but he also said it was a “small and inconsequential'’ price to pay for an economv that offers us the highest living standard in the world, and at the same time, a degree of freedom unequalled in any other country.
He pointed out that by 1975 the U. S. will have more people than currently live in Great Britain and Canada, creating a population total between 214 and 1 244 million.
“An increase of this magnitude cannot help but mean a tremendous rise in business activity,” he said.
Consulting Economist Dr. Dockson, who is also a consulting economist for the Union Bank of Los Angeles, said the future is bright for real estate because of this tremendous rise in population.
This future population will need housing, schools, hospitals, government, business and service buildings of all kinds.
The economic environment of the future is expansionary and this is bound to have an important effcct upon real estate.
Periodic Down Turns He added that individual communities and industries are certain to suffer from periodic down turs resulting from overexpansion or over-production, but the nation as a whole will tend towards an ever higher level of output.
“Periods of over-all decline will be temporary and need not reach catastrophic proportions,” he said, “thus, the short term forces affecting real estate wdll be operating around a long term
Skier Snyder Slips on Sleety Slope; Muscles and Morale Twisted in Fall
Dailv Trojan Photo bv Bob Holst*
KRATKA CASUALTY—Dr. William Snyder along with a siuaent examine the philosophy professor's ski wounds that were incurred last weekend. Dr. Snyder twisted his ankle and patella after falling victim to the skiers' "achilles heel."
“I’ll ski again—but I’ll ski scared!” laments Dr. William S. Snyder, assistant professor of philosophy.
His second attempt at the snow sport last week gave him a three-fold legacy: sprained ankle, twisted knee and 10 days on crutches.
Mourns Mutilation Casting a mournful glance at his mutilated right leg, Dr. Snyder related the perilous consequences of his Kra-ta Point trip on Thursday.
“It was a combination of factors that caused the calamity,” he recalled. “And what a combination — icy conditions, lack of ability and. that Achilles heel of even the most experienced skier, the mogul..”
Ski-Slang The mogul, he explained, is ski-slang for “bump.” “To elucidate,” he continued, “I couldn’t handle myself on the sleety slope. I took a turn too fast. I went head over heels, wounding my ankle, my knees and confidence in my skiing prowess.”
Returns Here Only slightly incapacitated, he returned to school Friday to deliver philosophy lectures to his classes In Mudd Hall, the School of Philosophy.
“I have an MG but I can’t use it now,” said Dr. Snyder, who is borrowing a car with
automatic shift during his convalescence.
Try, Try Again Asked if he plans to visit the slopes again, he replied valiantly. “Yes! I fully in-| tend to try it again in the fall.” Hedonism, Stoicism, humanism or perhaps the more current existentialism: j it is a moot point which of ) these philosophies imbued him with the courage to “give it another try.”
His outlook is a rational one. In the future, he de-i clares, he will have considerably more respect for the disaster that can be wrought by “those little sticks of wood.”
Federal Service Recruits Students
Gov ernment representatives will be on campus tomorrow to interview students interested in the Federal Service.
Frank Mason, district manager of the Los Angeles Social j | Security office, says that Congress recently permitted hiring graduates who have a “B” average. or are in the upper one-fourth of their class, at w'ages beginning at $415 a month. The recent figure was $336 which is the usual Federal starting salary for college graduates.
The team of Federal interviewers will l>e available for consultation at Ihe University Employment Bureau from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
upward trend.”
“A balanced economic growth pattern is far more important than a trend line as steep or steeper than Russia’s,” he said.
The economist said an annual net increase in households of about one million per year could be expected betw'een now and 1970.
Dancing Coed Glories Greek Muse in Show
The first creative performance master's thesis in dance in the history of SC will be presented by Mary Tiffany. She is a gard-uate student and instructor in dance for the physical education department.
Miss Tiffany will set a precedent at this university on April 30, when she and her assistants bring a half-hour prodtiction entitled “Sappho” to the Bovard stage.
Rehearsing Now
Now in rehearsal, the production is based upon the poetry fragments of Sappho, one of the first poetesses of the archaic period of Greece. Her thesis problem is to project and comment on the woman Sappho and to extend the experience of this great poetess through movement, drama, poetry, and music.
Miss Tiffany’s thesis guidance committee is composed of Dr. Lois Ellfelt end Dr. Eleanor Metheny, professors of physical education and John Blankenchip, assistant professor of drama.
Dance Expressions “It takes much more organization, planning and creative energy to express something in dance rather than words,” Dr. Ellfelt said. “And ideas must be conveyed through movement that have remained unsaid in any other medium.”
In addition to performing her thesis. Miss Tiffany will write out the script of “Sappho” for permanent record in the library, and has arranged to have the entire production filmed by the cinema denartment.
Uses Realism The program will be a combination of dance, music and drama. Using both realism and abstractionism, the poetry fragments in seven scenes with a prologue and epilogue, will be related to the scenes of Dawn, Love as Passionate Love. Lullaby to Her Little Girl. Hymn to Aphrodite, Indecision. Friendship and Frustrations of Age.
An accomplished and sensitive dancer in her own right, Miss Tiffany will portray the title role, and will include nine other women in her production, symbolically representing the nine muses. Sappho has been considered the tenth muse. Four of the nine women will form a Greek-style speaking chorus and the other five will dance.
A special ASSC Board of Protest meeting will be held at noon today to determine the constitutionality of last week's decision giving electoral eligibility to two grade-point deficient ASSC candidates, Wayne Warge and Ted Schmidt.
Senator-at-Large Dayle Barnes and Knight Gary Evans accused the committee on Friday of illegally deciding in favor of the two political aspirants. Today ' the board may either reverse or j affirm their previous decision.
The entire controversay rests \ on the fact that Warga. a senior class presidential hopeful, has a cumulative grade shortage and
Schmidt, international relations president candidate, has a grade average below 2.5 from the last semester.
Grade Minimum
Article V, Section 3 of the A-SSC Constitution says that all candidates for ASSC offices must have a eulmulative average of at least 2.5 and at least a 2.5 average for all units completed in the semester preceding the ASSC election semester in which they are candidates.
This means that in all work ; completed at SC both candidates must have an average of at least
2.5 and must have achieved a
2.5 last semester.
Both Warga and Schmidt fall below this minimum under one , of its provisions.
Senator Barnes, who is also a ! candidate for senior class presi-: dent, said that he was in an awkward position but this Board of Protest ruling goes beyond mere personalities.
Devious Prescedent
“The Board has overstepped j their limits,” he said, “for anv-; one who does not have a scholarship average of at least 2.5 should not be allowed to run for office.
“This year's Board is setting a devious prescedent.” he continued. “It is allowing people to carry on their political activities in conflict with the ASSC Constitution.
Asks Reversal
“Since this decision. I am sure that the members of the Board have read their constitution and
a re-vote is now in order,” he sneered.
Evans, who wrote the official letter asking for a reversal of the decision, changed his mind as to the seriousness of the matter when the Board of Protest informed him that they had added the stipulation that both candidates must attain a 2.5 average before they could resume office.
Further Violation
Although Evans seemed satisfied enough. Barnes claimed that this was further violation of the constitution and should be reconsidered.
President Scott Fitz Radolph. an ex-officio member of the board, made the point that the Board of Protest does not have to explain their actions to anyone but the Senate.” he said.
First Crisis
This key protest to the Board's decision marks the first major election crisis this year. Today's meeting will decide whether or not Barnes’ protest will be held
valid.
The Board members: Juanita Sakajian. elections comissioner; Mike Donahue, sena^or-at-large and chairman: Kathy Niemeyer, AWS president; Mardythe O'Mara. ASSC vice president; and Larry Litchy. senator-at-large: will vote on the “constitutionality” of the matter today.
Dud Johnson, activity advisor, said that the decision of the Board would be final, needing only the approval of the Senate for final authority.
Protests Objection
Warga. one of the candidates in the dispute said. “I petitioned my grades because my cumulative shortage was one-tenth below that required by the ASSC Constitution. I was given letters from Dr. Gordon and Mr. John McCoy, head of the Journalism School, attesting to my abilities and participation in school activities. I see no reason why there should be any objection to the decision of the Board of Protest.”
Dr. CantrilTo Continue Psychology Lectures
Dr. Hadley Cantril. the Princeton psychologist who last week told SC faculty why Russian civilians are friendly to American visitors, will speak tonight at 8 in 133 FH.
As a result of his mass psychology study. Dr. Cantril discovered that Russians are friendly to American visitors because they want to know more about U.S. living standards.
Form Respect Dr. Cantril. head of the Institute for International Research at Princeton University, said that Russians have been so impressed with the Soviet’s slogan. ‘catch up with and exceed the standards of living in America.’ that their desires to do so invariably spill over and take the form of respect for Americans who have achieved them.
“They are also curious to know whether or not Russia has caught up with American stand-
ards and. if not, just how far behind they are. This desire to equal Americans has proved a
freat bond between the state nd the people.” he declared. “The problem of the Soviet government is to keep up with the people and to maintain a sense of enthusiasm, which is almost a childish pride, open and unabashed.” he said.
Popular Enthusiasm “Our studies also show that English is chosen by students in Russia at a ratio of our to one over any other.” he revealed.
In spite of such popular enthusiasm. the speaker found a difinite realization that the state may crack down on individuals at any time. They seem to feel that they are no longer controlled by terror but only by fear.
The Princeton scientist, sponsored by the Haynes Foundation, will lecture at SC again on Wednesday and Thursday.
Nina Foch Praises Failures as Actor's Best Friend in Speech
By BOB (¡OLD
Failure w'as called an actor's best friend when Nina Foch, stage, screen and television star, spoke to members of SC's drama department .Friday, on what is an actor?”
“Too many performers are afraid to try something new,” she said, “after they have found something the public’s accepted, something they call safe. When they get over this and ‘dare’ to try something new, then they become a true artist.” Speaking in Stop Gap Theatre, Miss Foch referred to a “good actor” as someone who lias “guts.” “When they’ve got this,” she continued, “they can take criticism, even failure, and learn a lesson from it.”
Difficult Art “We have chosen a difficult profession, more difficult than most for many reasons,” she continued. “There is the very obvious one of too many people for too few jobs, which we have all had drummed into our ears by the people who care about welfare.
Miss Foch said an actor is not a “personality.” A person with some particular trait or mannerism may at one time hold an audience by it. the actress claimed. but it is not something a person can capitalize on.
Mystical Qualities “When an actor of this type | gets turned down,” she declared, “he, himself, is turned down. Also. there is no opportunity to develop this mystical thing, and like all natural assets, you cannot guarantee that it will appear on demand.
“An actor is the person who can forget the talent or ability he possesses. These two traits,” Miss Foch asserted, ‘‘are only I seen by the spectator. Reading any seven critics writing about the same actor will bear this out.
“An actor accepts the possibility that he has talent and personality and goes on to the more important matters of his profession that are under control,” Miss Foch maintained.
Various techniques, speech methods, manners of moving, dancing, singing and dressing
were named among his profes-j sion.
I - Objective understanding and ' the ability to see a play in “the play s meanings and not in the actor's personal views'’ were also cited as necessary skills for | an artist.
(Continued on Page 2)
STOP GAP GUEST—Miss Nina Foch, addressing students
Friday afternoon said that failure is an actor's best friend. Miss Foch, in her speech "What Is an Actor?" fold drama students that "Too many performers are afraid to try something new." When they get over this, they will become a "true artist."
PAGE two Southern California page three
Beatniks, Bullfighting Come On Campus
DAI LYi TROJAN
Poltry Teaching Force Plagues Colleges
VOL. L LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1959 NO. 90
Board To Vote on Eligibility Today
Topping Accepts Post As Host of Songfest Spring Extravaganza
Bv JOE JARES Daily Trojan .Managing Editor
Dr. Norman Topping, president of the university, has accepted the post of official host for Songfest, the SC student body’s song extravaganza in the Hollywood Bowl, scheduled for Saturday night, May 16*.
Selection as the official host ; '
Barnes, Evans Ask for Special Protest' Meeting To Decide Eligibility Rule
for Songfest. the largest collegiate musical in America, is the h.criiest honor SC students can bestow upon a member of the facultv or administration.
Comm ittpp Chairman Jim Stewart said. "Dr. Toppings pi-escnce will certainly add to our show, and we could think of no better wav to honor him on the comoletion of his first year at the helm.’’
The official host acts as master of ceremonies, welcoming the audience, and introduces the numerous acts, besides helping to provide continuity and Personality to the entire production.
Previous Hosts
SC Apothecary Offers Trojans Tablets, Cures
By MIKE ROBINSON
One of the most colorful departments on campus is the University Dispensary, which offers all of the popular items sold in pharmacies at a 10 per cent student discount.
Located in Sc. 102. the dispensary is a great splash of colored bottles, boxes and labels. In-Last year's host was Dr. Rob- eluded in its stock are tranqui-ert Craig, professor of business lizers. wonder-drugs, pills . . . administration in 1he School of hut don’t dare ask for a “pill” Commerce since 1942. In addi- or a “tranquilizer” or “wonder-1ion to being a member of the drug.”
California Bar Association and General Terms
an active Republican, he is an If a brazen individual should
happen to let one of these general terms slip while in the presence of co-manager Ronald Woj-nas. he is liable to be severely reprimanded.
Trained to be specific. Wojnas is against general terms. “A pill,” he explains, “is a round-object. a tablet is flat and a capsule is oblong.” Is Wojnas overdoing it? A mistake in asking for a capsule when a pill is meant or vice-versa has often caused deaths.
Everything Poison Strange as it may seem. Woj-r.as includes “poison” in his list of generalizations. He says that “a poison can bp anything. Even water is poison.”
Explaining this statement, he said lhat although a poison is usually considered a toxic substance which can kill in relatively small doses, anything taken in excess can kill a person and therefore be called “poison."
Many people who become impatient if they do not get their prescription filled immediately probably do not realize that except for the co-managers Woj-nas and Dr. John W. Berger, all of the men behind the counter are students.
SONGFEST HOST — Songfest committee members Jane Kiel (left) and Linda Hickey (right) show Dr. Norman Topping last year's Songfest record album. Dr. Topping
Daily Trojan Photo by Mika Robinson
has accepted the post of official host for the big event in the Hollywood Bowl. Last year's official host was Dr. Robert Craig of the School of Commerce
Dr. Dockson Offers Method To Defeat Depression Blues
avialion research expert and the ou ner of an engineering company in Los Angeles.
Rack in 1957. Dr. Robert Gordon. then the counselor of men, was the host; preceded by Dr. Rufus B. von KleinSmid. well-known expert on international relations and chancellor of the university. Dr. Albert S. Rau-benheimer. educational vice president : and Dr. Bernard Hvink. then the schools dean of students.
ur total output will not always be at the peak nor will prices always be held at the same level,” he said.
High Living
Dr. Dockson pointed out that our rate of growth might He somewhat less than Russia's, but he also said it was a “small and inconsequential'’ price to pay for an economv that offers us the highest living standard in the world, and at the same time, a degree of freedom unequalled in any other country.
He pointed out that by 1975 the U. S. will have more people than currently live in Great Britain and Canada, creating a population total between 214 and 1 244 million.
“An increase of this magnitude cannot help but mean a tremendous rise in business activity,” he said.
Consulting Economist Dr. Dockson, who is also a consulting economist for the Union Bank of Los Angeles, said the future is bright for real estate because of this tremendous rise in population.
This future population will need housing, schools, hospitals, government, business and service buildings of all kinds.
The economic environment of the future is expansionary and this is bound to have an important effcct upon real estate.
Periodic Down Turns He added that individual communities and industries are certain to suffer from periodic down turs resulting from overexpansion or over-production, but the nation as a whole will tend towards an ever higher level of output.
“Periods of over-all decline will be temporary and need not reach catastrophic proportions,” he said, “thus, the short term forces affecting real estate wdll be operating around a long term
Skier Snyder Slips on Sleety Slope; Muscles and Morale Twisted in Fall
Dailv Trojan Photo bv Bob Holst*
KRATKA CASUALTY—Dr. William Snyder along with a siuaent examine the philosophy professor's ski wounds that were incurred last weekend. Dr. Snyder twisted his ankle and patella after falling victim to the skiers' "achilles heel."
“I’ll ski again—but I’ll ski scared!” laments Dr. William S. Snyder, assistant professor of philosophy.
His second attempt at the snow sport last week gave him a three-fold legacy: sprained ankle, twisted knee and 10 days on crutches.
Mourns Mutilation Casting a mournful glance at his mutilated right leg, Dr. Snyder related the perilous consequences of his Kra-ta Point trip on Thursday.
“It was a combination of factors that caused the calamity,” he recalled. “And what a combination — icy conditions, lack of ability and. that Achilles heel of even the most experienced skier, the mogul..”
Ski-Slang The mogul, he explained, is ski-slang for “bump.” “To elucidate,” he continued, “I couldn’t handle myself on the sleety slope. I took a turn too fast. I went head over heels, wounding my ankle, my knees and confidence in my skiing prowess.”
Returns Here Only slightly incapacitated, he returned to school Friday to deliver philosophy lectures to his classes In Mudd Hall, the School of Philosophy.
“I have an MG but I can’t use it now,” said Dr. Snyder, who is borrowing a car with
automatic shift during his convalescence.
Try, Try Again Asked if he plans to visit the slopes again, he replied valiantly. “Yes! I fully in-| tend to try it again in the fall.” Hedonism, Stoicism, humanism or perhaps the more current existentialism: j it is a moot point which of ) these philosophies imbued him with the courage to “give it another try.”
His outlook is a rational one. In the future, he de-i clares, he will have considerably more respect for the disaster that can be wrought by “those little sticks of wood.”
Federal Service Recruits Students
Gov ernment representatives will be on campus tomorrow to interview students interested in the Federal Service.
Frank Mason, district manager of the Los Angeles Social j | Security office, says that Congress recently permitted hiring graduates who have a “B” average. or are in the upper one-fourth of their class, at w'ages beginning at $415 a month. The recent figure was $336 which is the usual Federal starting salary for college graduates.
The team of Federal interviewers will l>e available for consultation at Ihe University Employment Bureau from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
upward trend.”
“A balanced economic growth pattern is far more important than a trend line as steep or steeper than Russia’s,” he said.
The economist said an annual net increase in households of about one million per year could be expected betw'een now and 1970.
Dancing Coed Glories Greek Muse in Show
The first creative performance master's thesis in dance in the history of SC will be presented by Mary Tiffany. She is a gard-uate student and instructor in dance for the physical education department.
Miss Tiffany will set a precedent at this university on April 30, when she and her assistants bring a half-hour prodtiction entitled “Sappho” to the Bovard stage.
Rehearsing Now
Now in rehearsal, the production is based upon the poetry fragments of Sappho, one of the first poetesses of the archaic period of Greece. Her thesis problem is to project and comment on the woman Sappho and to extend the experience of this great poetess through movement, drama, poetry, and music.
Miss Tiffany’s thesis guidance committee is composed of Dr. Lois Ellfelt end Dr. Eleanor Metheny, professors of physical education and John Blankenchip, assistant professor of drama.
Dance Expressions “It takes much more organization, planning and creative energy to express something in dance rather than words,” Dr. Ellfelt said. “And ideas must be conveyed through movement that have remained unsaid in any other medium.”
In addition to performing her thesis. Miss Tiffany will write out the script of “Sappho” for permanent record in the library, and has arranged to have the entire production filmed by the cinema denartment.
Uses Realism The program will be a combination of dance, music and drama. Using both realism and abstractionism, the poetry fragments in seven scenes with a prologue and epilogue, will be related to the scenes of Dawn, Love as Passionate Love. Lullaby to Her Little Girl. Hymn to Aphrodite, Indecision. Friendship and Frustrations of Age.
An accomplished and sensitive dancer in her own right, Miss Tiffany will portray the title role, and will include nine other women in her production, symbolically representing the nine muses. Sappho has been considered the tenth muse. Four of the nine women will form a Greek-style speaking chorus and the other five will dance.
A special ASSC Board of Protest meeting will be held at noon today to determine the constitutionality of last week's decision giving electoral eligibility to two grade-point deficient ASSC candidates, Wayne Warge and Ted Schmidt.
Senator-at-Large Dayle Barnes and Knight Gary Evans accused the committee on Friday of illegally deciding in favor of the two political aspirants. Today ' the board may either reverse or j affirm their previous decision.
The entire controversay rests \ on the fact that Warga. a senior class presidential hopeful, has a cumulative grade shortage and
Schmidt, international relations president candidate, has a grade average below 2.5 from the last semester.
Grade Minimum
Article V, Section 3 of the A-SSC Constitution says that all candidates for ASSC offices must have a eulmulative average of at least 2.5 and at least a 2.5 average for all units completed in the semester preceding the ASSC election semester in which they are candidates.
This means that in all work ; completed at SC both candidates must have an average of at least
2.5 and must have achieved a
2.5 last semester.
Both Warga and Schmidt fall below this minimum under one , of its provisions.
Senator Barnes, who is also a ! candidate for senior class presi-: dent, said that he was in an awkward position but this Board of Protest ruling goes beyond mere personalities.
Devious Prescedent
“The Board has overstepped j their limits,” he said, “for anv-; one who does not have a scholarship average of at least 2.5 should not be allowed to run for office.
“This year's Board is setting a devious prescedent.” he continued. “It is allowing people to carry on their political activities in conflict with the ASSC Constitution.
Asks Reversal
“Since this decision. I am sure that the members of the Board have read their constitution and
a re-vote is now in order,” he sneered.
Evans, who wrote the official letter asking for a reversal of the decision, changed his mind as to the seriousness of the matter when the Board of Protest informed him that they had added the stipulation that both candidates must attain a 2.5 average before they could resume office.
Further Violation
Although Evans seemed satisfied enough. Barnes claimed that this was further violation of the constitution and should be reconsidered.
President Scott Fitz Radolph. an ex-officio member of the board, made the point that the Board of Protest does not have to explain their actions to anyone but the Senate.” he said.
First Crisis
This key protest to the Board's decision marks the first major election crisis this year. Today's meeting will decide whether or not Barnes’ protest will be held
valid.
The Board members: Juanita Sakajian. elections comissioner; Mike Donahue, sena^or-at-large and chairman: Kathy Niemeyer, AWS president; Mardythe O'Mara. ASSC vice president; and Larry Litchy. senator-at-large: will vote on the “constitutionality” of the matter today.
Dud Johnson, activity advisor, said that the decision of the Board would be final, needing only the approval of the Senate for final authority.
Protests Objection
Warga. one of the candidates in the dispute said. “I petitioned my grades because my cumulative shortage was one-tenth below that required by the ASSC Constitution. I was given letters from Dr. Gordon and Mr. John McCoy, head of the Journalism School, attesting to my abilities and participation in school activities. I see no reason why there should be any objection to the decision of the Board of Protest.”
Dr. CantrilTo Continue Psychology Lectures
Dr. Hadley Cantril. the Princeton psychologist who last week told SC faculty why Russian civilians are friendly to American visitors, will speak tonight at 8 in 133 FH.
As a result of his mass psychology study. Dr. Cantril discovered that Russians are friendly to American visitors because they want to know more about U.S. living standards.
Form Respect Dr. Cantril. head of the Institute for International Research at Princeton University, said that Russians have been so impressed with the Soviet’s slogan. ‘catch up with and exceed the standards of living in America.’ that their desires to do so invariably spill over and take the form of respect for Americans who have achieved them.
“They are also curious to know whether or not Russia has caught up with American stand-
ards and. if not, just how far behind they are. This desire to equal Americans has proved a
freat bond between the state nd the people.” he declared. “The problem of the Soviet government is to keep up with the people and to maintain a sense of enthusiasm, which is almost a childish pride, open and unabashed.” he said.
Popular Enthusiasm “Our studies also show that English is chosen by students in Russia at a ratio of our to one over any other.” he revealed.
In spite of such popular enthusiasm. the speaker found a difinite realization that the state may crack down on individuals at any time. They seem to feel that they are no longer controlled by terror but only by fear.
The Princeton scientist, sponsored by the Haynes Foundation, will lecture at SC again on Wednesday and Thursday.
Nina Foch Praises Failures as Actor's Best Friend in Speech
By BOB (¡OLD
Failure w'as called an actor's best friend when Nina Foch, stage, screen and television star, spoke to members of SC's drama department .Friday, on what is an actor?”
“Too many performers are afraid to try something new,” she said, “after they have found something the public’s accepted, something they call safe. When they get over this and ‘dare’ to try something new, then they become a true artist.” Speaking in Stop Gap Theatre, Miss Foch referred to a “good actor” as someone who lias “guts.” “When they’ve got this,” she continued, “they can take criticism, even failure, and learn a lesson from it.”
Difficult Art “We have chosen a difficult profession, more difficult than most for many reasons,” she continued. “There is the very obvious one of too many people for too few jobs, which we have all had drummed into our ears by the people who care about welfare.
Miss Foch said an actor is not a “personality.” A person with some particular trait or mannerism may at one time hold an audience by it. the actress claimed. but it is not something a person can capitalize on.
Mystical Qualities “When an actor of this type | gets turned down,” she declared, “he, himself, is turned down. Also. there is no opportunity to develop this mystical thing, and like all natural assets, you cannot guarantee that it will appear on demand.
“An actor is the person who can forget the talent or ability he possesses. These two traits,” Miss Foch asserted, ‘‘are only I seen by the spectator. Reading any seven critics writing about the same actor will bear this out.
“An actor accepts the possibility that he has talent and personality and goes on to the more important matters of his profession that are under control,” Miss Foch maintained.
Various techniques, speech methods, manners of moving, dancing, singing and dressing
were named among his profes-j sion.
I - Objective understanding and ' the ability to see a play in “the play s meanings and not in the actor's personal views'’ were also cited as necessary skills for | an artist.
(Continued on Page 2)
STOP GAP GUEST—Miss Nina Foch, addressing students
Friday afternoon said that failure is an actor's best friend. Miss Foch, in her speech "What Is an Actor?" fold drama students that "Too many performers are afraid to try something new." When they get over this, they will become a "true artist."
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Turning Around a Life Adrift
Deep in the Delta, across a four-lane road from a field of sheep, Josh Jarboe stood on a windswept stadium floor in mid-March, naked from the waist up.
Virtually every inch of his torso, back and arms was inked: an angel, a scorpion, the Grim Reaper; the names of his mother, grandmother, little sister; the motto Live Now, Cry Later. His dreadlocks were pulled back and faded orange at the ends. When he smiled, as he did often, his mouth gleamed with gold.
It was pro day at Arkansas State, one of dozens of last-look auditions around the country before this month’s N.F.L. draft. At least 16 scouts huddled around Jarboe with stopwatches and clipboards, examining him with the inscrutable gaze of county fair judges eyeballing a prize calf.
Yet the men there to time, test and measure Jarboe, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver, seemed less interested in how fast he ran the 40 than in answering the same question people have asked the last five years.
Was Josh Jarboe a thug, or did he just play one on YouTube?
The fallout from a freestyle rap video that Jarboe performed before his freshman season at Oklahoma — about assault rifles, sex and shooting somebody — has tailed him through four colleges in five years.
Since leaving his sketchy neighborhood on the eastern edge of Atlanta, a hip-hop incubator where he played in strip clubs during high school and regularly ran into rap stars like Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka, Jarboe has landed in a series of decidedly un-urban outposts: Norman, Okla.; Troy, Ala.; Boonesville, Miss.; and now Jonesboro. It is one of the strangest, most circuitous routes of any player preparing for the draft. It is a path crossed by rap and guns — then rapping about guns, recorded in a dormitory lobby on an Oklahoma teammate’s cellphone and posted on YouTube. The video ignited an early national debate on privacy and social media. It also nearly extinguished Jarboe’s career.
That was followed by an expulsion in Alabama, a rock-bottom stint at a junior college in Mississippi, and then resurrection in Arkansas by the coach at the center of the book and movie “The Blind Side.”
Justified or not, Jarboe became the thug-life face of every talented college player who was ever kicked out of college and never heard from again.
Except that he never quite went away. Many scouts and draft handicappers now predict that Jarboe, a big, physical wide receiver with uncommon quickness for his size, will be a late-round draft pick, or at least will be invited to an N.F.L. training camp. For the son of a single mother and a father who was a pimp, the initial payoff could be as much as $500,000.
“I told him: ‘There’s a lot of money out here. Make sure you pick it up,’ ” said his agent, Chris Martin, a former N.F.L. player based in Chicago who flew in for the workout.
But alert to the New Puritanism of sorts ushered in by Commissioner Roger Goodell, the scouts here wanted to be sure Jarboe was worth the risk.
They grilled him for hours in private interviews. Most had talked with his many college coaches; Hugh Freeze, the “Blind Side” coach, who had Jarboe for a season at Arkansas State before moving to Mississippi, said about 10 N.F.L. teams had called. He told them what he tells everybody: “Josh is truly one of my favorites. He’s proven the last two years a change occurred.”
Jarboe’s senior day escort was Freeze’s 14-year-old daughter. Last December, he also earned a degree in psychology.
“Character is a big thing with N.F.L. scouts and teams,” said Jon Carr, a national scout for the Houston Texans. “You want to see if he’s matured and can handle being a pro. I think he’s a young man who knows he’s made a lot of mistakes. A lot of guys in the league have done that. But if he repeated those mistakes before, will he repeat them again?”
Carr added: “Then there’s the video in Oklahoma. I haven’t watched that yet.”
A Video’s Repercussions
It lasts just 74 seconds. The lighting is bad. It’s hard to tell if Jarboe’s dyed dreads are more red or fuchsia. Other students walk past and pay no attention. Somebody nearby can be heard playing pool.
It was just a bunch of teammates, white and black, at the end of summer classes taking turns rapping into a phone camera inside “the Bud,” an athletic dorm named for the former Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson. Jarboe went last. The lyrics, off the top of his head, are an almost cartoonish mix of violence and profanity — standard issue from the American hip-hop songbook.
Jarboe, whom some recruiters rated the third-best incoming freshman receiver in the country behind A. J. Green and Julio Jones, never gave the rap another thought. He flew to Atlanta the next day to visit family before the Sooners’ 2008 fall camp.
A week later, the video had become a sensation. Jarboe had no idea what was going on when Coach Bob Stoops called and told him to take it down. It was too late: Jarboe’s hard looks and rough words had been shared and seen by tens of thousands of fans, alumni and boosters in Oklahoma and beyond.
Stoops initially supported Jarboe. He said that the Internet had intruded on what previously was private space and that nobody could live up to that level of scrutiny.
But Jarboe entered college on thin ice. That spring, before a high school track meet outside Atlanta, he was arrested in a friend’s parked car with a stolen gun. Jarboe contended that it was not his, and felony charges were reduced to misdemeanors. Cedar Grove High School expelled him; he graduated after completing his courses online. Oklahoma stuck by him but put him on a zero-tolerance leash.
A day after Stoops’s public support, as pressure swelled from the news media, alumni and administrators, the coach called Jarboe to tell him his career at Oklahoma was over. Jarboe broke down.
“It was the first time I saw football can be taken away,” he said. “Before, I was getting away with things. Then I saw it could all be shut down.”
Sports columnists, bloggers and educators debated his exile. Some saw Jarboe as caught in a modern mash-up of street culture, technology and teenage cluelessness.
Ray Bonner, Jarboe’s coach at Cedar Grove High, defended him as a victim of a cultural divide.
“My players rap,” Bonner told The Oklahoman. “To Josh, he didn’t do anything because he wants to be a rapper.”
Bonner later told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Bet he won’t do a video again — unless he’s being paid by Interscope Records.”
A Tough Path
Atlanta produces rappers the way other cities make cars or movies or software. So even as his football reputation spread as he grew up, Jarboe wanted to rap.
“Where I come from, you didn’t see any football players; there were no Tom Bradys you’d run into,” Jarboe said. “Rappers and strippers were all I knew. I’d end up at a party and see T. I., Ludacris, Crime Mob. I wanted to be just like them.”
Jarboe held an essential street credential. His father, Jerry, always around but in and out of his life, was a pimp with all the accessories: cars, clothes, and 19 children with six women. Jarboe knows all his brothers and sisters — like him, they have first and last names that start with J.
(Jerry Jarboe referred to his job as “life and money management,” and said that he was out of the business.)
“That’s deep,” Bonner said. “He’s seen things most 16- or 17-year-olds don’t see in a lifetime.”
Jarboe’s mother, Sheila Dudley, who had two children by Jerry Jarboe and worked as a data processor, tried to shield him from his father’s life by keeping him busy with sports. He started playing football when he was 4 and soon was so good that opposing teams demanded to see his birth certificate. By his senior year in high school, he was named to the all-state first team. Gucci Mane watched one of his practices.
Yet for most of that time, rap was Jarboe’s first love. He joined a group called Black Mobb, and local high school students downloaded its raps to their phones. On weekends, Black Mobb performed at clubs for teenagers and fought rival groups.
Jarboe lost some teeth one night in a fight with Waka Flocka’s crew. That is how he wound up with a gold grill — “my golds,” he called them.
Some patrons would hide guns in bushes and garbage cans around the parking lot before entering, then race to retrieve them as soon as they exited. (Jarboe said that he did not carry a gun, but that others in his group did.)
“Winning the fight isn’t who wins,” he said. “It’s who gets out the door first.”
One night, by the time Jarboe and his friends left a club, another group had lined up in the parking lot, guns aimed at the door. Somebody pushed Jarboe down just as a bullet grazed his neck. One reason he never cuts his dreads is to hide the burn mark.
“I feel so lucky,” he said one afternoon in Atlanta, sitting in the parking lot of the now-deserted club. “There were so many shootouts. Lot of people died.
“That was supposed to be me. Dead.”
Days after Jarboe’s departure from Oklahoma, a parade of colleges promised to resurrect his football career. He chose Troy, a Division I program with a reputation for rehabilitating athletes.
“We went on the word of the Oklahoma coaches who recruited him — they liked him,” said Neal Brown, then Troy’s offensive coordinator and now at Kentucky. “He was a risk for us. We had to take guys like that at Troy.”
It did not work out. Jarboe sat out as a freshman — the year Oklahoma played in the title game — and with his red dreads and Atlanta swagger, he attracted the wrong kind of attention. Even during his rapping days, he had always been a good student and hard-working athlete, but at Troy he cut classes, skipped training, broke team rules. His sophomore season was uninspired.
Off the field, the university police arrested him in January 2009 after an altercation with a former girlfriend in the cafeteria. The charge of misdemeanor harassment was dismissed. He was arrested again as a sophomore during an Alabama snowstorm when a campus security guard charged that Jarboe threw a snowball at him during a mass student snowball fight.
The coaches had had enough. But they did not cut him loose until they found another place for him to play: Northeast Mississippi Community College.
Within hours of Jarboe’s being booted from his third school in two years, as he toted everything he owned in a single bag, a graduate assistant drove him from Troy’s campus to a truck stop in Birmingham, Ala., where a coach from Northeast Mississippi picked him up.
“He got in the car, and from that moment, I knew this kid realized this is rock bottom,” said Brad Boyette, the Northeast Mississippi assistant. “That was the point at which he rebounded and came back.”
“Within 15 miles, tears started running down his face. He must’ve told me 10 times during that 195-mile trip: ‘Coach, I’m not going to let you down. Thank you for the opportunity.’ ”
Jarboe’s memory: “It was like going to jail.”
If Troy was Rehab U., this was the Mississippi School of Last Chances.
“He was open about the mistakes he made; he wasn’t going to hide it,” said Patti Ann Webb, then the team trainer, who became what Jarboe described as a surrogate mother to him. “Not only did he feel like a failure, he was embarrassed. He knew he had to change. We were his only way out.”
Jarboe flourished in the small-college, small-town (population 8,700) atmosphere. While many of his Atlanta friends were being jailed or shot, he would call Webb to brag that he had made honor roll.
On the field, playing Thursday nights in front of small but enthusiastic crowds against teams from community colleges like Coahoma and Itawamba, he finally showed the potential he never reached at Troy.
“His talent is unreal,” said Coach Ricky Smither, comparing Jarboe to Julio Jones, whom he had coached in high school.
Jarboe was tested more severely off the field. Boyette contended that the campus police singled him out, often baiting him to get a reaction.
“They really put the heat on him,” Boyette said. “They wanted him off campus. They thought he was a threat. It goes back to the way the kid looks; he has a criminal look to him. But he’s the furthest thing from that.”
Webb added: “They tried to antagonize him, and he rose above it. It’s when he grew up. Before, he would’ve reacted to those people’s actions.”
Jarboe appeared ready for his last move. Major colleges, including Pittsburgh and Southern California, called but waited to make offers. Jarboe’s coaches called Freeze.
Freeze had a reputation as a fair and compassionate coach from his days aiding a homeless Michael Oher in high school. But Arkansas State was Freeze’s first college head coaching job, and although he liked Jarboe’s talent, he did not know about his head.
“My first response was, ‘I can’t do that,’ ” Freeze recalled. “ ‘I’m a new coach, and I’m not sure how that will go over.’ ”
But Freeze met Jarboe in Mississippi. He drove there with an assistant and the university chancellor. Freeze said it was the most emotional recruiting interview he had ever conducted.
“It was one of those moments in recruiting where you’re convinced after a kid looks at you and says, ‘Coach, please give me a chance to rewrite my story,’ ” Freeze said. “I grilled him pretty hard. It wasn’t me having to draw stuff out of him. He went through the whole story. He didn’t try to cover up.”
Freeze added: “Thank God I took the time to hear his heart. I had the history of Michael Oher behind me, and they were so much alike. Sometimes you should take chances.”
Fighting for a Future
Pro day in Jonesboro wound down. Jarboe finished his sprints and slipped into the blue sweats he got in January at an all-star game in Montgomery, Ala., where scouts interviewed him continually. Some of those scouts now tugged at their jackets at Liberty Bank Stadium. They were a grizzled, gimlet-eyed bunch, but Jarboe was used to the scrutiny.
“I been doing this all my life,” he said. “Every team I played for, I had to do it for them all over again. They’d say: ‘We heard about you. Can you do it?’ ”
He was back in Atlanta the next day, spending most of it watching his sister, a sophomore at Clark Atlanta University, compete at an outdoor track meet. He sat in the stands for hours with his mother, his father and two of his high school coaches.
“I told him you just got to recreate yourself,” said Dudley, who hates tattoos, hates rap, but loves her son. “I’m always going to be in his grill.”
At the end of pro day, that grill gleamed even in the weak Delta light.
“Yeah, I’ve surprised myself,” Jarboe said. “I’ve seen myself change into a good, sane-headed person. Someone who knows what the word future means. This is my last chance, and I know it. I do this right, it can turn me into what I need to be.”
He added: “I know I can handle it. I been through so much.”
More in Pro Football (2 of 14 articles)
Chuck Fairbanks, a Fitful Football Coach, Dies at 79
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History of random kindness
This great article by Jack Broom of the Seattle Times gives a brief run-down of the urban legend of random acts of kindness, tracing it back to 1982 when peace activist Anne Herbert wrote, “practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” on a placemat in a Northern California diner.
Here’s the intro into Broom’s article:
Anonymous acts of kindness catch on
Before Bob Haslam had a chance to thank her, she was gone. In the drive-up lane at a Starbucks in Lynnwood, Haslam reached out for his usual — a nonfat raspberry latte with two Splendas stirred in. But the barista wouldn’t take his money.
“She leaned way out and said, ‘You’re not going to believe this, but the lady ahead of you paid for your latte. She said she wanted to make your day.’ ” Mary Ann Johnson had a similar experience. She had just finished a salmon pot-pie dinner at Chinook’s at Salmon Bay, topping it off with a chocolate sundae.
“When I got ready to go, the waitress told me, ‘Your meal’s been paid for by another patron. They said it was a random act of kindness.’ ”
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Matthews on 'N' word, gay teammates, broken thumb
Feb. 25, 2014
Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews. File/Press-Gazette Media
Written by
Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews on Tuesday expressed ambivalence about the NFL's proposed rule change to penalize the use of a racial slur – the “N” word – on the field.
In an interview with Boomer Esiason and Craig Caron on WFAN radio in New York, Matthews said that on one hand, policing language on an NFL field will be difficult and a potentially slippery slope.
“You’re teetering on a fine line, obviously,” he said. “Where does this start, where does it stop? But I think this is all an effort to clean up the game, so who knows how this will play out? Who knows if this will actually be passed? I know the NFL is doing everything in their power to not only limit – especially after this Jonathan Martin case and where the league is going, to make this a family friendly environment. The reality is this is a tough sport played by tough men. It’s an emotional sport as well, and tempers fly.”
But Matthews said he also understood the desire to eliminate this historically charged word from the game regardless of who is using it.
“It’s more so that players are using it as a term of endearment or how it’s used in pop culture and society these day,” Matthews said. “I think they’re just trying to clean it up in that regard. It’s hard for me to comment on that, a guy who obviously doesn’t use the word. But at the same time I think the players using it are not understanding the magnitude of it and using it as a term of endearment. I think that’s where the NFL would like it to change.”
Matthews also said that the Packers would have no difficulty assimilating an openly gay player into their locker room.
“No, we don’t have a problem and I don’t think we would,” Matthews said, “because the unique thing about the NFL locker room that every player can attest to is the fact that we don’t see race, religion or sexual orientation. We see simply, can you help us win ball games, can you help us produce on the football field?
“And I think that’s what makes it so unique and so much different than PC America. That’s why you can have a multitude of players who are black, white, Polynesian, gay, whatever it may be in this case, and come together and play for a common goal. I really don’t think it will be an issue. I think it will be something more for the fans to use as fodder, as they make fun of any player.”
In an interview on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on ESPN radio (via Rob Demovsky at ESPN.com), Matthews said he’s still undergoing physical therapy three times a week for the broken thumb he had surgically repaired for a second time in late December.
“I’ve been able to work out with a few limitations,” he said, “but from talking with the doctors, there shouldn’t be any limitations once next season rolls around. It’s just been a pain because obviously you look at it, it’s just a broken thumb. But it’s such an aggravating injury for a pass-rusher, especially in the manner in which I did it twice and having to have it surgically repaired twice, it doesn’t make it for an easy offseason in recovery.”
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Friday, May 9, 2008
"Gal" Friday(s) just keep on "Dancing"
Not so much for the has-been performers who appear there to shake a leg, or the plethora of sports figures (whose fan base keeps them alive from one week to the next, talented dancer or not).
No for me it's the delicious assortment of fetching female dancers who sadly get paired up all too often with real schmuck male stars who can barely walk and chew bubble gum at the same time, let alone swirl across the ballroom floor.
So here is a a big heads up to four of my faves: Karina Smirnoff (who really got cheated out of a well-earned win with partner Mario Lopez a couple of years ago). Emmett Smith of the NFL (who along with his partner,Cheryl Burke) beat them out, is one of those sports guys whose fans overly supported him beyond his actual dancing abilities. Cheryl winning back-to-back trophies was the only positive note on that sorry occasion.
No comments:
How it all began ....
In 1933, publishers at Eastern Color Press, intent to make better use of their printing equipment (which frequently sat idle between jobs), came up with the idea of printing an 8-page comic section that could be folded down from the large broadsheet to a smaller 9-inch by 12-inch format. The result was the first modern comic book. Containing reprints of newspaper comic strips, this experimental comic book titled "Funnies On Parade" was given away for free. It proved so popular that the following year Eastern published "Famous Funnies" and took the bold step of selling the comic for ten cents through chain stores. The enterprise was a smashing success and Eastern began churning out numerous reprints on a monthly basis. Other publishers, eager to get in on the profits, jumped on the bandwagon and the comic book industry was born!
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Copyright Notice: The original of this document is
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Political and Social Problems
The only reason to treat nuclear power differently from all
the other developments in the field of physics is its staggering
possibilities as a means of political pressure in peace and
sudden destruction in war. All present plans for the organization
of research, scientific and industrial development, and
publication in the field of nucleonics are conditioned by the
political and military climate in which one expects those plans
to be carried out. Therefore, in making suggestions for the
postwar organization of nucleonics, a discussion of political
problems cannot be avoided. The scientists on this Project do not
presume to speak authoritatively on problems of national and
international policy. However, we found ourselves, by the force
of events, the last five years in the position of a small group
of citizens cognizant of a grave danger for the safety of this
country as well as for the future of all the other nations, of
which the rest of mankind is unaware. We therefore felt it our
duty to urge that the political problems, arising from the
mastering of atomic power, be recognized in all their gravity,
and that appropriate steps be taken for their study and the
preparation of necessary decisions. We hope that the creation of
the Committee by the Secretary of War to deal with all aspects of
nucleonics, indicates that these implications have been
recognized by the government. We feel that our acquaintance with
the scientific elements of the situation and prolonged
preoccupation with its world-wide political implications, imposes
on us the obligation to offer to the Committee some suggestions
as to the possible solution of these grave problems.
Scientists have often before been accused of providing new
weapons for the mutual destruction of nations, instead of
improving their well-being. It is undoubtedly true that the
discovery of flying, for example, has so far brought much more
misery than enjoyment or profit to humanity. However, in the
past, scientists could disclaim direct responsibility for the use
to which mankind had put their disinterested discoveries. We
cannot take the same attitude now because the success which we
have achieved in the development of nuclear power is fraught with
infinitely greater dangers than were all the inventions of the
past. All of us, familiar with the present state of nucleonics,
live with the vision before our eyes of sudden destruction
visited on our own country, of Pearl Harbor disaster, repeated in
thousandfold magnification, in every one of our major cities.
In the past, science has often been able to provide adequate
protection against new weapons it has given into the hands of an
agressor, but it cannot promise such efficient protection against
the destructive use of nuclear power. This protection can only
come from the political organization of the world. Among all
arguments calling for an efficient international organization for
peace, the existence of nuclear weapons is the most compelling
one. In the absence of an international authority which would
make all resort to force in international conflicts impossible,
nations could still be diverted from a path which must lead to
total mutual destruction, by a specific international agreement
barring a nuclear armaments race.
It could be suggested that the danger of destruction by
nuclear weapons can be prevented - at least as far as this
country is concerned - by keeping our discoveries secret for an
indefinite time, or by developing our nucleonic armaments at such
a pace that no other nations would think of attacking us from
fear of overwhelming retaliation.
The answer to the first suggestion is that although we
undoubtedly are at present ahead of the rest of the world in this
field, the fundamental facts of nuclear power are a subject of
common knowledge. British scientists know as much as we do about
the basic wartime progress of nucleonics - with the exception of
specific processes used in our engineering developments - and the
background of French nuclear physicists plus their occasional
contact with our Projects, will enable them to catch up rapidly,
at least as far as basic scientific facts are concerned. German
scientists, in whose discoveries the whole development of this
field has originated, apparently did not develop it during the
war to the same extent to which this has been done in America;
but to the last day of the European war, we have been living in
constant apprehension as to their possible achievements. The
knowledge that German scientists were working on this weapon and
that their government certainly had no scruples against using it
when available, was the main motivation of the initiative which
American scientists have taken in developing nuclear power on
such a large scale for military use in this country. In Russia,
too, the basic facts and implications of nuclear power were well
understood in 1940, and the experiences of Russian scientists in
nuclear research is entirely sufficient to enable them to retrace
our steps within a few years, even if we would make all attempts
to conceal them. Furthermore, we should not expect too much
success from attempts to keep basic information secret in
peacetime, when scientists acquainted with the work on this and
associated Projects will be scattered to many colleges and
research institutions and many of them will continue to work on
problems closely related to those on which our developments are
based. In other words, even if we can retain our leadership in
basic knowledge of nucleonics for a certain time by maintaining
the secrecy of all results achieved on this and associated
Projects, it would be foolish to hope that this can protect us
for more than a few years.
It may be asked whether we cannot achieve a monopoly on the
raw materials of nuclear power. The answer is that even though
the largest now known deposits of uranium ores are under the
control of powers which belong to the "western" group (Canada,
Belgium and British Indies); the old deposits in Czechoslovakia
are outside this sphere. Russia is known to be mining radium on
its own territory; and even if we do not know the size of the
deposits discovered so far in the USSR, the probability that no
large reserves of uranium will be found in a country which covers
1/5 of the land area of the earth (and whose sphere of influence
takes in additional territory), is too small to serve as a basis
for security. Thus, we cannot hope to avoid a nuclear armament
race, either by keeping secret from the competing nations the
basic scientific facts of nuclear power, or by cornering the raw
materials required for such a race.
One could further ask whether we cannot feel ourselves safe in
a race of nuclear armaments by virtue of our greater industrial
potential, including greater diffusion of scientific and
technical knowledge, greater volume and efficiency of our skilled
labor corps, and greater experience of our management - all the
factors whose importance has been so strikingly demonstrated in
the conversion of this country into an arsenal of the Allied
Nations in the present war. The answer is that all that these
advantages can give us, is the accumulation of a larger number of
bigger and better atomic bombs - and this only if we produce those
bombs at the maximum of our capacity in peace time, and do not
rely on conversion of a peace time nucleonics industry to
military production after the beginning of hostilities.
However, such a quantitative advantage in reserves of bottled
destructive power will not make us safe from sudden attack. Just
because a potential enemy will be afraid of being "outnumbered
and outgunned," the temptation for him may be overwhelming to
attempt a sudden unprovoked blow - particularly if he would
suspect us of harboring agressive intentions against his security
or "sphere of influence." In no other type of warfare does the
advantage lie so heavily with the agressor. He can place his
"infernal machines" in advance in all our major cities and
explode them simultaneously, thus destroying a major part of our
industry and killing a large proportion of our population,
aggregated in densely populated metropolitan districts. Our
possibilities of retaliation - even if retaliation would be
considered compensation for the loss of tens of millions of lives
and destruction of our largest cities - will be greatly
handicapped because we must rely on aerial transportation of the
bombs, particularly if we would have to deal with an enemy whose
industry and population are dispersed over a large territory.
In fact, if the race of nuclear armaments is allowed to
develop, the only apparent way in which our country could be
protected from the paralyzing effects of a sudden attack is by
dispersal of industries which are essential for our war effort
and dispersal of the population of our major metropolitan cities.
As long as nuclear bombs remain scarce (this will be the case
until uranium and thorium cease to be the only basic materials
for their fabrication) efficient dispersal of our industry and
the scattering of our metropolitan population will considerably
decrease the temptation of attacking us by nuclear weapons.
Ten years hence, an atomic bomb containing perhaps 20 kg of
active material, may be detonated at 6% efficiency, and thus have
an effect equal to that of 20,000 tons of TNT. One of these may
be used to destroy something like 3 square miles of an urban
area. Atomic bombs containing a larger quantity of active
material but still weighing less than one ton may be expected to
be obtainable within ten years which could destroy over ten
square miles of a city. A nation which is able to assign 10 tons
of atomic explosives for the preparation of a sneak attack on
this country, can then hope to achieve the destruction of all
industry and most of the population in an area from 500 square
miles upwards. If no choice of targets, in any area of five
hundred square miles of American territory, will contain a large
enough fraction of the nation's industry and population to make
their destruction a crippling blow to the nation's war potential
and its ability to defend itself, then the attack will not pay,
and will probably not be undertaken. At present, one could easily
select in this country a hundred blocks of five square miles each
whose simultaneous destruction would be a staggering blow to the
nation. (A possible total destruction of all the nation's naval
forces would be only a small detail of such a catastrophe.) Since
the area of the United States is about six million square miles,
it should be possible to scatter its industrial and human
resources in such a way as to leave no 500 square miles important
enough to serve as a target for nuclear attack.
We are fully aware of the staggering difficulties of such a
radical change in the social and economic structure of our
nation. We felt, however, that the dilemma had to be stated, to
show what kind of alternative methods of protection will have to
be considered if no successful international agreement is
reached. It must be pointed out that in this field we are in a
less favorable position than nations which are either now more
diffusely populated and whose industries are more scattered, or
whose governments have unlimited power over the movement of
population and the location of industrial plants.
If no efficient international agreement is achieved, the race
of nuclear armaments will be on in earnest not later than the
morning after our first demonstration of the existence of nuclear
weapons. After this, it might take other nations three or four
years to overcome our present head start, and 8 or 10 years to
draw even with us if we continue to do intensive work in this
field. This might be all the time we have to bring about the
re-groupment of our population and industry. Obviously, no time
should be lost in inaugurating a study of this problem by
experts.
The prospect of nuclear warfare and the type of measures which
have to be taken to protect a country from total destruction by
nuclear bombing, must be as abhorrent to other nations as to the
United States. England, France, and the smaller nations of the
European continent, with their congeries of people and
industries, are in an entirely hopeless situation in the face of
such a threat. Russia, and China are the only great nations which
could survive a nuclear attack. However, even though these
countries value human life less than the peoples of Western
Europe and America, and even though Russia, in particular, has an
immense space over which its vital industries could be dispersed
and a government which can order this dispersion, the day it is
convinced that such a measure is necessary - there is no doubt
that Russia, too, will shudder at the possibility of a sudden
disintegration of Moscow and Leningrad, almost miraculously
preserved in the present war, and of its new industrial sites in
the Urals and Siberia. Therefore, only lack of mutual
trust, and not lack of desire for agreement, can
stand in the path of an efficient agreement for the prevention of
nuclear warfare.
From this point of view, the way in which nuclear weapons, now
secretly developed in this country, will first be revealed to the
world appears of great, perhaps fateful importance.
One possible way - which may particularly appeal to those who
consider the nuclear bombs primarily as a secret weapon developed
to help win the present war - is to use it without warning on an
appropriately selected object in Japan. It is doubtful whether
the first available bombs, of comparatively low efficiency and
small size, will be sufficient to break the will or ability of
Japan to resist, especially given the fact that the major cities
like Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe already will largely be
reduced to ashes by the slower process of ordinary aerial
bombing. Certain and perhaps important tactical results
undoubtedly can be achieved, but we nevertheless think that the
question of the use of the very first available atomic bombs in
the Japanese war should be weighed very carefully, not only by
military authority, but by the highest political leadership of
this country. If we consider international agreement on total
prevention of nuclear warfare as the paramount objective, and
believe that it can be achieved, this kind of introduction of
atomic weapons to the world may easily destroy all our chances of
success. Russia, and even allied countries which bear less
mistrust of our ways and intentions, as well as neutral
countries, will be deeply shocked. It will be very difficult to
persuade the world that a nation which was capable of secretly
preparing and suddenly releasing a weapon, as indiscriminate as
the rocket bomb and a thousand times more destructive, is to be
trusted in its proclaimed desire of having such weapons abolished
by international agreement. We have large accumulations of poison
gas, but do not use them, and recent polls have shown that public
opinion in this country would disapprove of such a use even if it
would accelerate the winning of the Far Eastern war. It is true,
that some irrational element in mass psychology makes gas
poisoning more revolting that blasting by explosive, even though
gas warfare is in no way more "inhuman" than the war of bombs and
bullets. Nevertheless, it is not at all certain that the American
public opinion, if it could be enlightened as to the effect of
atomic explosives, would support the first introduction by our
own country of such an indiscriminate method of wholesale
destruction of civilian life.
Thus, from the "optimistic" point of view - looking forward to
an international agreement on prevention of nuclear warfare - the
military advantages and the saving of American lives, achieved by
the sudden use of atomic bombs against Japan, may be outweighed
by the ensuing loss of confidence and wave of horror and
repulsion, sweeping over the rest of the world, and perhaps
dividing even the public opinion at home.
From this point of view a demonstration of the new weapon
may best be made before the eyes of representatives of all United
Nations, on the desert or a barren island. The best possible
atmosphere for the achievement of an international agreement
could be achieved if America would be able to say to the world,
"You see what weapon we had but did not use. We are ready to
renounce its use in the future and to join other nations in
working out adequate supervision of the use of this nuclear
weapon."
This may sound fantastic, but then in nuclear weapons we have
something entirely new in the order of magnitude of destructive
power, and if we want to capitalize fully on the advantage which
its possession gives us, we must use new and imaginative methods.
After such a demonstration the weapon could be used against Japan
if a sanction of the United Nations (and of the public opinion at
home) could be obtained, perhaps after a preliminary ultimatum to
Japan to surrender or at least to evacuate a certain region as an
alternative to the total destruction of this target.
It must be stressed that if one takes a pessimistic point of
view and discounts the possibilities of an effective
international control of nuclear weapons, then the advisability
of an early use of nuclear bombs against Japan becomes even more
doubtful - quite independently of any humanitarian
considerations. If no international agreement is concluded
immediately after the first demonstration, this will mean a
flying start of an unlimited armaments race. If this race is
inevitable, we have all reason to delay its beginning as long as
possible in order to increase our headstart still further. It
took us three years, roughly, under forced draft of wartime
urgency, to complete the first stage of production of nuclear
explosives - that based on the separation of the rare fissionable
isotope U-235, or its utilization for the production of an
equivalent quantity of another fissionable element. This stage
required large-scale, expensive constructions and laborious
procedures. We are now on the threshold of the second stage -
that of converting into fissionable material the comparatively
abundant common isotopes of thorium and uranium. This stage
requires no elaborate plans and can provide us in about 5 - 6
years with a really substantial stockpile of atomic bombs. Thus
it is to our interest to delay the beginning of the armaments race
at least until the successful termination of this second stage.
The benefit to the nation, and the saving of American lives in
the future, achieved by renouncing an early demonstration of
nuclear bombs and letting the other nations come into the race
only reluctantly, on the basis of guesswork and without definite
knowledge that the "thing does work," may far outweigh the
advantages to be gained by the immediate use of the first and
comparatively inefficient bombs in the war against Japan. At the
least, pros and cons of this use must be carefully weighed by the
supreme political and military leadership of the country, and the
decision should not be left to considerations, merely, of
military tactics.
One may point out that the scientists themselves have
initiated the development of this "secret weapon" and it is
therefore strange that they should be reluctant to try it out on
the enemy as soon as it is available. The answer to this question
was given above - the compelling reason for creating this weapon
with such speed was our fear that Germany had the technical skill
necessary to develop such a weapon without any moral constraints
regarding its use.
Another argument which could be quoted in favor of using
atomic bombs as soon as they are available is that so much
taxpayers' money has been invested in these Projects that the
Congress and the American public will require a return for their
money. The above-mentioned attitude of the American public
opinion in the question of the use of poison gas against Japan
shows that one can expect it to understand that a weapon can
sometimes be made ready only for use in extreme emergency; and as
soon as the potentialities of nuclear weapons will be revealed to
the American people, one can be certain that it will support all
attempts to make the use of such weapons impossible.
Once this is achieved, the large installations and the
accumulation of explosive materials at present earmarked for
potential military use, will become available for important peace
time developments, including power production, large engineering
undertakings, and mass production of radioactive materials. In
this way, the money spent on war time development of nucleonics
may become a boon for the peace time development of national
economy.
We now consider the question of how an effective international
control of nuclear armaments can be achieved. This is a difficult
problem, but we think it to be soluble. It requires study by
statesmen and international lawyers, and we can offer only some
preliminary suggestions for such a study.
Given mutual trust and willingness on all sides to give up a
certain part of their sovereign rights, by admitting
international control of certain phases of national economy, the
control could be exercised (alternatively or simultaneously) on
two different levels.
The first and perhaps simplest way is to ration the raw
materials - primarily, the uranium ores. Production of nuclear
explosives begins with processing of large quantities of uranium
in large isotope separation plants or huge production piles. The
amounts of ore taken out of the ground at different locations
could be controlled by resident agents of the international
Control Board, and each nation could be allotted only an amount
which would make large scale separation of fissionable isotopes
impossible.
Such a limitation would have the drawback of making impossible
also the development of nuclear power production for peace time
purposes. However, it does not need to prevent the production of
radioactive elements on a scale which will revolutionize the
industrial, scientific and technical use of these materials, and
will thus not eliminate the main benefits which nucleonics
promises to bring to mankind.
An agreement on a higher level, involving more mutual trust
and understanding, would be to allow unlimited production, but
keep exact bookkeeping on the fate of each pound of uranium
mined. Certain difficulty with this method of control will arise
in the second stage of production, when one pound of pure
fissionable isotope will be used again and again to produce
additional fissionable material from thorium. These could perhaps
be overcome by extending control to the mining and use of
thorium, even though the commercial use of this metal may cause
complications.
If check is kept on the conversion of uranium and thorium ore
into pure fissionable materials, the question arises how to
prevent accumulation of large quantities of such material in the
hands of one or several nations. Accumulations of this kind could
be rapidly converted into atomic bombs if a nation would break
away from international control. It has been suggested that a
compulsory denaturation of pure fissionable isotopes may be
agreed upon - they should be diluted after production by suitable
isotopes to make them useless for military purposes (except if
purified by a process whose development must take two or three
years), while retaining their usefulness for power engines.
One thing is clear: any international agreement on prevention
of nuclear armaments must be backed by actual and efficient
controls. No paper agreement can be sufficient since neither this
or any other nation can stake its whole existence on trust into
other nations' signatures. Every attempt to impede the
international control agencies must be considered equivalent to
denunciation of the agreement.
It hardly needs stressing that we as scientists believe that
any systems of controls envisaged should leave as much freedom
for the peace development of nucleonics as is consistent with the
safety of the world.
The development of nuclear power not only constitutes an
important addition to the technological and military power of the
United States, but also creates grave political and economic
problems for the future of this country.
Nuclear bombs cannot possibly remain a "secret weapon" at the
exclusive disposal of this country, for more than a few years.
The scientific facts on which their construction is based are
well known to scientists of other countries. Unless an effective
international control of nuclear explosives is instituted, a race
of nuclear armaments is certain to ensue following the first
revelation of our possession of nuclear weapons to the world.
Within ten years other countries may have nuclear bombs, each of
which, weighing less than a ton, could destroy an urban area of
more than five square miles. In the war to which such an
armaments race is likely to lead, the United States, with its
agglomeration of population and industry in comparatively few
metropolitan districts, will be at a disadvantage compared to the
nations whose population and industry are scattered over large
areas.
We believe that these considerations make the use of nuclear
bombs for an early, unannounced attack against Japan inadvisable.
If the United States would be the first to release this new means
of indiscriminate destruction upon mankind, she would sacrifice
public support throughout the world, precipitate the race of
armaments, and prejudice the possibility of reaching an
international agreement on the future control of such
weapons.
Much more favorable conditions for the eventual achievement of
such an agreement could be created if nuclear bombs were first
revealed to the world by a demonstration in an appropriately
selected uninhabited area.
If chances for the establishment of an effective international
control of nuclear weapons will have to be considered slight at
the present time, then not only the use of these weapons against
Japan, but even their early demonstration may be contrary to the
interests of this country. A postponement of such a demonstration
will have in this case the advantage of delaying the beginning of
the nuclear armaments race as long as possible. If, during the
time gained, ample support could be made available for further
development of the field in this country, the postponement would
substantially increase the lead which we have established during
the present war, and our position in an armament race or in any
later attempt at international agreement will thus be
strengthened.
On the other hand, if no adequate public support for the
development of nucleonics will be available without a
demonstration, the postponement of the latter may be deemed
inadvisable, because enough information might leak out to cause
other nations to start the armament race, in which we will then
be at a disadvantage. At the same time, the distrust of other
nations may be aroused by a confirmed development under cover of
secrecy, making it more difficult eventually to reach an
agreement with them.
If the government should decide in favor of an early
demonstration of nuclear weapons it will then have the
possibility to take into account the public opinion of this
country and of the other nations before deciding whether these
weapons should be used in the war against Japan. In this way,
other nations may assume a share of the responsibility for such a
fateful decision.
To sum up, we urge that the use of nuclear bombs in this war
be considered as a problem of long-range national policy rather
than military expediency, and that this policy be directed
primarily to the achievement of an agreement permitting an
effective international control of the means of nuclear
warfare.
The vital importance of such a control for our country is
obvious from the fact that the only effective alternative method
of protecting this country, of which we are aware, would be a
dispersal of our major cities and essential industries.
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Bollywood actresses who married industry person but not actors!
When it comes to Bollywood divas and their marriage, everyone usually presumes that the tinsel town beauties will marry an actor or someone else from the film fraternity itself. While many actresses do get hitched with the film stars or others from the glam world only, there are a few divas who choose industry person as their life partners rather than lead actors.
1. Vidya Balan and Siddharth Roy Kapur
Bollywood actress Vidya Balan got married to film producer Siddharth Roy Kapur in a low-key affair where there were no Bollywood biggies present. The duo have been happily married since 2012. The two had met at a Filmfare event and hit it off instantly.
[ecp code=”4″]
2. Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra
Rani Mukherji and director-producer Aditya Chopra’s relationship had always been an open secret. Even though the two of them chose to keep mum about it, speculations about the duo were rife. On April 21, 2014, Rani and Aditya, surprised everyone with their marriage news. They got married in Italy with just their close friends and family around. The couple are now a proud parents of a little girl Adira.
She is an aspiring writer and has been into our the domain of content writing for a year. She joined Bollywood Papa as an intern and soon took over full-fledged writing for Bollywood. She contributes news articles for Bollywood Papa and intends to write on diverse issues on Bollywood.
Contact Email: [email protected]
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Mag-Stripe Reader Input
DataWedge
6.8
Overview
Magnetic Stripe Reader (MSR) Input is used to acquire data from a "mag-stripe" card such as a credit or debit card. The information stored on the black magnetic strip is transferred to the device when the card is "swiped" through the MSR. Information is encoded in an open format using the ANSI x4.16 standard and usually relates to the carrier's identity and/or financial institution. DataWedge can acquire and output the raw data from most cards that use the ANSI x4.16 format. For cards that also adhere to ISO/ABA specifications published by the ISO and American Bankers Association, developers can opt to enable Zebra encryption, which protects data immediately upon acquisition and at all times thereafter. Once enabled on a Zebra device, encryption cannot be disabled.
Under the ANSI magnetic stripe standard, data is stored on the card in three tracks. Unencrypted data can be acquired from any of the individual tracks or from all three at once. The same is true of data encrypted using Zebra's Enhanced Mode encryption. Zebra Original Mode encryption treats all three tracks as a single entity.
The three modes of MSR card encoding, two of which include encryption
Enabling Encryption
Enabling encryption on a device cannot be undone. Once a device has been configured to encrypt ISO/ABA data, it can never again be configured to output raw ISO/ABA data; switching between Original and Enhanced encryption modes is the only permitted change on such devices. Encryption applies only to ISO/ABA data; all other MSR-acquired data is output in unencrypted form using Non-ISO Mode.
MSR Input
Check the "Enabled" box in the MSR Input section of the desired Profile(s): MSR input enabled in the "DWDemo" Profile
Note: DataWedge also provides beep sounds and other feedback to indicate scanning results. See the Scan Params section for more information.
MSR Output
DataWedge outputs MSR data only through intents. This is true whether acquired data is open or encrypted. It is therefore necessary for the receiving application to be capable of accepting and processing data from an intent bundle. To help simplify the use of MSR data for application developers, DataWedge automatically parses acquired data, formats it for specific uses, and places the modified data into specific tags. For example, the code for printing a receipt might make use of one of the "Masked Data (ASCII)" tags, which displays all but the last four digits of the credit card number as asterisks.
For modifying the acquired data, DataWedge offers only the formatting options shown in the sections below. Options for formatting data beyond those shown can be found in the ID TECH SecureHead User Manual. Custom data formatting is the sole responsibility of the developer.
To get MSR data:
Intent.getStringtExtra()
The method call above returns all data readable from the card. The table below lists the data fields contained in the tag.
Non-ISO Mode
Non-ISO Mode is the default mode on any device on which encryption is not enabled. This mode outputs the data without encryption exactly as read form the card. Its three status tags (in the Mapping table below) indicate the presence of data in each of the corresponding tracks on the card.
On devices with encryption enabled, Non-ISO Mode is invoked only when reading a card that is not ISO/ABA compliant; data from such cards is otherwise encrypted using Original or Enhanced Mode and can never be configured otherwise.
MSR data from all three tracks is contained in the tag: com.symbol.datawedge.msr_data
Non-ISO Field-to-Tag Mapping
Card Data Field
Maps to DataWedge Tag
Track 1 Status
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track1_status
Track 2 Status
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track2_status
Track 3 Status
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track3_status
All MSR Data (see Fields Table, below)
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_data
Non-ISO Fields
Field Number
Description
Notes
1
STX
2
Length
3
Card Encoding Type
4
Track 1-3 Status
5
Track 1 Unencrypted Length
0 = "No track 1 data present"
6
Track 2 Unencrypted Length
(always present)
7
Track 3 Unencrypted Length
0 = "No track 3 data present"
8
Track 1 Data
(if present)
9
Track 2 Data
(always present)
10
Track 3 Data
(if present)
11
LRC
12
Checksum
13
ETX
Enhanced Mode
Zebra Enhanced Mode encrypts data on each track separately, enabling data to from each track to be handled separately, if desired. Tags for obtaining the data are shown below.
MSR data from all three tracks is contained in the tag: com.symbol.datawedge.msr_data
The tag above returns all data readable from the card. The table below lists the data fields contained in the tag.
Enhanced Mode Field-to-Tag Mapping
Card Data Field
Maps to DataWedge Tag
Track 1 Status
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track1_status
Track 2 Status
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track2_status
Track 3 Status
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track3_status
Track 1 Encrypted data present
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track1_encrypted_status
Track 2 Encrypted data present
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track2_encrypted_status
Track 3 Encrypted data present
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track3_encrypted_status
Track 1 Masked Data (ASCII)
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track1
Track 2 Masked Data (ASCII)
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track2
Track 3 Masked Data (ASCII)
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track3
All MSR Data (see Field table for details)
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_data
Track 1 Encrypted Data (HEX)
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track1_encrypted
Track 2 Encrypted Data (HEX)
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track2_encrypted
Track 3 Encrypted Data (HEX)
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track3_encrypted
Track 1 Hashed
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track1_hashed
Track 2 Hashed
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track2_hashed
Track 3 Hashed
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_track3_hashed
DUKPT Serial Number (KSN)
com.symbol.datawedge.msr_ksn
Enhanced Mode Fields
Field Number
Description
Notes
1
STX
2
Length
3
Card Encoding Type
4
Track 1-3 Status
5
Track 1 Unencrypted Length
0 = "No track 1 data present"
6
Track 2 Unencrypted Length
(always present)
7
Track 3 Unencrypted Length
0 = "No track 3 data present"
8
Clear/Masked Data Sent Status
9
Encrypted/Hashed Data Sent Status
10
Track 1 Masked
(if present)
11
Track 2 Masked
(always present)
12
Track 3 Masked
(if present)
13
Track 1 Encrypted
(if present)
14
Track 2 Encrypted
(always present)
15
Track 3 Encrypted
(if present)
16
Track 1 Hashed
(if present)
17
Track 2 Hashed
(always present)
18
Track 3 Hashed
(if present)
19
KSN (DUKPT Serial Number)
20
LRC
21
Checksum
22
ETX
Original Mode
Zebra Original Mode encrypts data on the three tracks as a single entity, preventing track data from be handled separately except as contained in the tags described below, which Zebra created as a convenience according to the most common use cases. All readable data from all three tracks on the card is placed in the tag com.symbol.datawedge.msr_data and can be parsed as desired by the developer.
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CJI concerned over weaknesses in legal profession
Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir on Saturday expressed concern over the falling standards of the legal profession and said the weaknesses in it needs to be rectified.
"Look at the standards that we have set for ourselves. How far have we been able to maintain them? How far have we been able to maintain during the fifty years these standards, these values? There are many reasons for the falling standards," the CJI said at the golden jubilee celebrations of the Bar Council of India (BCI).
"Lawyers are sometimes not fully and adequately ready during matters of the court and these are weaknesses that need to be rectified. Etiquettes and manners can make a world of difference," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Attorney General GE Vahanvati said there was a need to do away with distinction made between lawyers of the trial court and higher courts in designating them as senior advocates.
"We have to recognise the diversity of the Bar. Though the Advocates Act provides for designation of senior advocates, this distinction appears to be reserved only for those who practice in the higher judiciary. Section 16 of the the Act which provides for designation of senior advocates does not make any such distinction.
"Why is it then that it has not been thought necessary to acknowledge the contribution of outstanding lawyers of the district courts who are equally good if not better and equally thorough and equally respected as those given the distinction of senior advocates," Vahanvati said.
The CJI also spoke about the arrears of cases and stressed the need for adopting the alternative dispute resolution mechanism, like lokadalats and mediation for settling the disputes.
"Today dockets of the court are quite difficult to manage. Maybe there are various reasons for it. One is rising population, then the number of cases are increasing. This is bound to happen," he said.
Kabir said there was need to adopt the model of primary health centres to reach the doorstep of villagers for providing them with justice and asked the BCI and State Bar Councils to increase awareness among the rural masses.
"There is need to work towards setting up legal aid centres in the rural and outlying areas on the lines of primary health centres. These centres would not only increase awareness among the people, but would also provide them with means for dispute resolution through mediation and lokadalats," he said.
Further, he appreciated the introduction of mobile vans to dispense legal aid to the poor at their doorstep.
"These are things that the BCI must indulge in," the CJI said and called lawyers to brace itself for the changes coming up with the introduction of Internet and globalisation.
He also welcomed the student exchange programmes with foreign universities proposed by BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, as absolutely necessary.
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Silane functional adhesive composition and method of bonding a window to a substrate without a primer
United States Patent 7789990
Abstract:
The invention is an adhesive composition comprising one or more polymers having a flexible backbone and silane moieties capable of silanol condensation; one or more hydrophobic silanes having one or more hydrocarbyloxy groups and one or more hydrocarbyl groups; one or more catalysts for the reaction of silane moieties with active hydrogen containing compounds. Preferably, the adhesive composition further comprises one or more heat stabilizers and/or light stabilizers. In another embodiment, the invention is a method of bonding a window to a coated substrate, such as a window in a vehicle, which comprises applying to the window or the coated substrate an adhesive as described; contacting the window with the coated substrate wherein the adhesive is located between the window and the substrate; and allowing the adhesive to cure.
SILANE FUNCTIONAL ADHESIVE COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF BONDING A WINDOW TO A SUBSTRATE WITHOUT A PRIMER
Primary Examiner:
Tucker, Philip C.
Assistant Examiner:
Orlando, Michael N.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Dobrusin & Thennisch PC
Claims:
What is claimed is:
1. An adhesive composition comprising one or more polymers having a flexible backbone and silane moieties capable of silanol condensation; one or more hydrophobic silanes having one or more hydrocarbyloxy groups and one or more hydrocarbyl groups; and one or more catalysts for the reaction of silane moieties with active hydrogen containing compounds wherein the hydrophobic silanes correspond to the formula wherein R3 is separately in each occurrence a hydrocarbyl or hydrocarboxy group; R4 is separately in each occurrence a hydrocarbyl group; and x is separately in each occurrence an integer of about 1 to about 9.
2. An adhesive composition according to claim 1 which further comprises one or more of a heat stabilizer or a light stabilizer.
3. An adhesive according to claim 2 wherein the groups bound on the silicon atoms comprise one or more of alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl or alkaryl groups and one or more alkyloxy, alkenyloxy, cycloalkyloxy or alkaryloxy groups.
4. An adhesive according to claim 3 wherein at least one of the ligands bound to each silicone atom is alkenyl and the remainder is alkyl or alkoxy.
5. An adhesive according to claim 4 wherein the alkenyl group on each silane atom is a vinyl group, the alkyl group is methyl or ethyl and the alkoxy group is methoxy or ethoxy.
6. An adhesive composition according to claim 1 wherein R3 is separately in each occurrence an alkyl, alkaryl, alkenyl, alkenyloxy, cycloalkyloxy, aralkyloxy, or alkoxy group; R4 is separately in each occurrence an alkyl, alkaryl or alkenyl group; x is separately in each occurrence an integer of about 1 to about 7.
7. An adhesive composition according to claim 1 wherein R3 is separately in each occurrence an alkyl or alkoxy group; R4 is separately in each occurrence an alkenyl group; x is separately in each occurrence an integer of about 1 to about 5.
8. An adhesive composition according to claim 2 comprising: A) from about 40 to about 80 parts by weight of one or more silane functional polymers; B) from about 0.1 to about 1.2 parts by weight of one or more hydrocarbyl silanes C) from about 0.01 to about 2.0 parts by weight of one or more catalysts; and D) from about 0.01 to about 5 parts by weight of one or more light stabilizers and/or heat stabilizers.
9. An adhesive according to claim 8 wherein the silane functional polymer has a backbone of a polyolefin, polyurethane, polyester or polyether.
10. A method of bonding glass to a painted substrate which comprises A) applying an adhesive according to claim 1 to either of glass or the unprimed painted substrate; B) contacting the glass and the unprimed painted substrate such that the adhesive is disposed between the painted substrate and the glass; and C) allowing the adhesive to cure to bond the glass to the painted substrate.
11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the painted substrate is the flange of an automobile adapted for holding a glass window into the automobile.
12. A method according to claim 11 wherein both the painted substrate and the glass surface is unprimed.
13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the glass surface to which the adhesive is applied has a ceramic or organic frit applied thereto.
14. A method according to claim 10 wherein the adhesive further comprises one or more of a heat stabilizer or a light stabilizer.
15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the groups bound on the silicon atoms of the hydrocarbyl silane comprise one or more of alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl or alkaryl groups and one or more alkyloxy, alkenyloxy, cycloalkyloxy or alkaryloxy groups.
16. A method according to claim 15 wherein at least one of the ligands bound to each silicon atom is alkenyl and the remainder is alkyl or alkoxy.
17. A method according to claim 15 wherein the alkenyl group on each silicon atom is a vinyl group, the alkyl group is methyl or ethyl and the alkoxy group is methoxy or ethoxy.
18. A method according to claim 11 wherein the adhesive comprises D) from about 40 to about 80 parts by weight of one or more silane functional polymers; E) from about 0.1 to about 1.2 parts by weight of one or more hydrocarbyl silanes F) from about 0.01 to about 2.0 parts by weight of one or more catalysts; and D) from about 0.01 to about 5 parts by weight of one or more light stabilizers and heat stabilizers.
19. A method according to claim 10 wherein the silane functional polymer has a backbone of a polyolefin, polyurethane, polyester or polyether.
20. A window structure comprising a window bonded to a frame or a flange adapted to hold the window in place by means of an adhesive wherein the adhesive used to bond the window to the flange or frame corresponds to the adhesive of claim 1.
21. A method according to claim 10 wherein R3 is separately in each occurrence an alkyl, alkaryl, alkenyl, alkenyloxy, cycloalkyloxy, aralkyloxy, or alkoxy group; R4 is separately in each occurrence an alkyl, alkaryl or alkenyl group; x is separately in each occurrence an integer of about 1 to about 7.
22. A method according to claim 10 wherein R3 is separately in each occurrence an alkyl or alkoxy group; R4 is separately in each occurrence an alkenyl group; x is separately in each occurrence an integer of about 1 to about 5.
Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a silane functional adhesive composition and to a method of bonding a window to a coated substrate using the adhesive. In a preferred embodiment the adhesive can bond a window into a structure without the need for a primer for the coated substrate and/or the window.
Polyurethane sealant (adhesive) compositions are used for bonding non-porous substrates, such as glass, to nonporous substrates; these are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,237 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,533, both incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,237 describes a polyurethane sealant containing urethane prepolymers which have been further reacted with secondary amine compounds containing two silane groups. U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,533 describes a polyurethane sealant containing urethane prepolymers which contain silane groups which have been prepared by reacting a polyisocyanate having at least three isocyanate groups with less than an equivalent amount of an alkoxysilane having a terminal group containing active hydrogen atoms reactive with isocyanate groups to form an isocyanatosilane having at least two unreacted isocyanate groups. In a second step, the isocyanatosilane is mixed with additional polyisocyanate and the mixture is reacted with a polyol to form a polyurethane prepolymer having terminal isocyanato groups and pendant alkoxysilane groups. EP 856,569 discloses the use of polyoxyalkylene polymer terminated with silanes having hydrolyzable groups bonded thereto blended with a polyoxyalkylene polymer having no cross-linking groups to bond glass to metal, incorporated herein by reference.
When such adhesives are used to bond glass substrates to coated substrates, such as for window installation in vehicle manufacturing, the lap shear strength of the bonded substrate may be less than desirable for safety or structural purposes. Consequently, a separate paint primer comprising a solution of one or more silanes is typically applied to a coated substrate prior to the application of the adhesive in most vehicle assembly operations for bonding the windshield and the rear window to the vehicle. The use of a primer in assembly operations is undesirable in that it introduces an extra step, additional cost, the risk of marring the coated surface if dripped on an undesired location and exposes the assembly line operators to additional chemicals.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,828,403 (incorporated herein by reference) discloses an adhesive composition which comprises a siloxy functional polymer, a dialkyltin carboxylate or alcoholate catalyst and a secondary amino straight chain alkyl trialkoxy silane adhesion promoter. The adhesive bonds to coated substrates without the need for a primer but does not bond to windows without the need for a primer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,016 (incorporated herein by reference) discloses an adhesive composition comprising A) one or more polymers having a flexible backbone and silane moieties capable of silanol condensation; B) one or more titanates or zirconates having one or more ligands comprising hydrocarbyl phosphate esters and/or a hydrocarbyl sulfonate esters; and C) an anhydrous strong organic acid which is miscible with the polymer and enhances the bonding of the adhesive to a coated substrate in the absence of a primer having improved long term durability over the adhesives disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,828,403.
Automotive OEMs have demanded that the paint suppliers provide more robust acid resistant paint systems which stand up to harsh environmental conditions. These paint systems are difficult to bond to due to the increased chemical resistance of the paints. One problem with developing an adhesive which bonds to these paint systems on an automobile is that there are several different paint chemistries. The automobile producers also demand an adhesive for bonding glass into a vehicle which cures rapidly so that the vehicle can be moved without the glass falling out or slipping from the desired location. Additionally, it is important that the adhesive demonstrates stability prior to application, and that is does not cure before being applied to bond the window into the vehicle. If the adhesive cures in the delivery system in the auto plant, the assembly time must be shut down while the adhesive delivery system is purged. Such a shut down is very costly for the automotive companies and must be avoided. In addition to the above needs, such adhesives need to demonstrate rapid cure upon exposure to ambient conditions. The adhesive needs to bond, or link up, to the unprimed coated surface as soon as possible so the risk of the window moving from where it is placed is reduced. Automobiles last upwards of 10 years and the adhesive needs to maintain its integrity and hold the window into the vehicle for the life of the vehicle under a variety of difficult conditions. Thus, what is needed is an adhesive which can be applied to the automotive paints, especially difficult to bond to paints, and to bond glass into a vehicle without the need to use a primer for the coated surface, the window surface or both. Desirably the adhesive demonstrates strong adhesion, adhesive strength, rapid cure, fast link-up, good stability and long term durability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is an adhesive composition comprising one or more polymers having a flexible backbone and silane moieties capable of silanol condensation; one or more hydrophobic silanes having one or more hydrocarbyloxy groups; and one or more hydrocarbyl groups; and one or more catalysts for the reaction of silane moieties with active hydrogen containing compounds. Preferably, the adhesive composition further comprises one or more heat stabilizers and/or light stabilizers. Preferably, the groups bound on the silicon atoms comprise one or more of alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl or alkaryl groups and one or more alkyloxy, alkenyloxy, cycloalkyloxy or alkaryloxy groups. More preferably, each silicon atom has bonded thereto at least one alkenyl with the remainder of the groups bonded thereto being alkyl or alkoxy.
In one embodiment, the invention is a method of bonding a window to a coated substrate, such as a window in a vehicle. The process comprises applying to the window or the coated substrate an adhesive as described herein; contacting the window with the coated substrate wherein the adhesive is located between the window and the substrate; and allowing the adhesive to cure. Preferably, one or both of the coated substrate and window are unprimed, more preferably both.
The adhesive and method of the invention allow the bonding of a window to a coated substrate without the need for priming the surface of the substrate, the window or both. This is especially useful for bonding windows into automobiles. The adhesive further demonstrates excellent adhesive and cohesive strength, excellent stability before application, rapid cure rate, rapid link up and long term durability.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The adhesive composition of the invention contains a polymer having a flexible backbone and having silane moieties capable of silanol condensation. The polymer with a flexible backbone can be any polymer with a flexible backbone which can be functionalized with a silane capable of silanol condensation. Among preferred polymer backbones are polyethers, polyurethanes, polyolefins, polyesters and the like. Among more preferred polymer backbones are the polyethers and polyurethanes, with the most preferred being the polyethers. Even more preferably, the polymer is a polyether having silane moieties capable of silanol condensation. In one embodiment, the polymer useful in the invention is a polymer as disclosed in Yukimoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,707; Iwakiri et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,914; Yukimoto U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,270; Yukimoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,900; or Suzuki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,467, all incorporated herein by reference. More preferably such polymers are oxyalkylene polymers containing at least one reactive silicon group per molecule. The oxyalkylene polymer which can be used in the present invention includes polymers having a molecular chain represented by Formula (1): —(R—O)n— (1) wherein R represents a divalent alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and preferably 2 to 3 carbon atoms; and n represents the number of repeating units. The oxyalkylene polymer may have a straight chain or a branched structure, or a mixed structure thereof. From the viewpoint of availability an oxyalkylene polymer having a repeating unit represented by Formula (2) is preferred: —CH(CH3)CH2O— (2) The polymer may contain other monomer units but preferably comprises the monomer unit of Formula (1) in a proportion of at least about 50 percent by weight, more preferably about 80 percent by weight or more and most preferably 100 percent. Oxyalkylene polymers having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of about 1,000 or more are preferred. Those having a Mn of about 2,000 to about 50,000 are even more preferred, and with about 2,000 to about 30,000, most preferred.
The terminology “reactive silicon group” or “reactive silane capable of silanol condensation” means a silicon-containing group in which a hydrolyzable group or a hydroxyl group is bonded to the silicon atom and which is cross-linkable through silanol condensation reaction. While not limited thereto, typical reactive silicon groups are represented by Formula (3):
wherein R1 and R2 each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms or a triorganosiloxy group represented by (R′)3SiO—, wherein each of the three R′ groups, which may be the same or different represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; when there are two or more of each of the R1 or R2 groups, each of the R1 and R2 groups may be the same or different, and the R1 can be the same or different from R2; X is independently in each occurrence a hydroxyl group or a hydrolyzable group; a is independently in each occurrence 0, 1, 2 or 3; and b is independently in each occurrence 0, 1 or 2; and m represents 0 or an integer of from 1 to 19; wherein a and b are chosen to satisfy the relationship a+Σb≧1.
The hydrolyzable group represented by X is not particularly limited and is selected from conventional hydrolyzable groups. Specific examples are a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkoxy group, an acyloxy group, a ketoximate group, an amino group, an amido group, an acid amido group, an amino-oxy group, a mercapto group, and an alkenyloxy group. Preferred among them are a hydrogen atom, an alkoxy group, an acyloxy group, a ketoximate group, an amino group, an amido group, an amino-oxy group, a mercapto group, and an alkenyloxy group. An alkoxy group is more preferred with a methoxy or ethoxy group being most preferred, for ease in handling due to its mild hydrolyzablility. One to three hydroxyl groups or hydrolyzable groups may be bonded to one silicon atom, and (a+Σb) is preferably 1 to 5. Where two or more hydroxyl groups or hydrolyzable groups are present per reactive silicon group, they may be the same or different. The reactive silicon group may have one or more silicon atoms. A reactive silicon group in which silicon atoms are linked to form siloxane bondings may have as much as 20 silicon atoms. From the standpoint of availability, reactive silicon groups represented by Formula (4) shown below are preferred:
wherein R1, X, and a are as defined above. R1 is preferably an alkyl group, e.g., methyl or ethyl; a cycloalkyl group, e.g., cyclohexyl; an aryl group, e.g., phenyl; an aralkyl group, e.g., benzyl; or a triogansiloxy group of formula (R′)3SiO— in which R′ is methyl or phenyl. R′ and R′ are most preferably a methyl group.
The oxyalkylene polymer contains at least one, and preferably about 1.1 to about 6 reactive silicon groups per molecule. If the number of the reactive silicon group per molecule is less than 1, the polymer has insufficient curability, failing to achieve satisfactory rubbery elasticity. The reactive silicon group may be placed either at the terminal or in the inside of the molecular chain of the oxyalkylene polymer. An oxyalkylene polymer having the reactive silicon group at the molecular terminal thereof tends to provide a rubbery cured product having high tensile strength and high elongation.
In one embodiment, the backbone can be a flexible polymer such as a polyether or polyolefin, having silicon moieties having bound thereto. A flexible polymer with unsaturation can be reacted with a compound having a hydrogen or hydroxyl moiety bound to silicon wherein the silicon moiety also has one or more carbon chains. The silicon compound can be added to the polymer at the point of unsaturation by a hydrosilylation reaction. This reaction is described in Kawakubo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,254, column 12, lines 38 to 61; U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,751; U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,597; U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,927; U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,833, incorporated herein by reference.
The prepolymer is present in the adhesive composition in a sufficient amount such that the adhesive is capable of bonding a window to another substrate, such as metal, plastic, a composite or fiberglass. Preferably, the substrates are coated and more preferably the substrates are coated with acid resistant paints, such as silane modified acrylic melamine coatings, melamine carbamate coatings, two part urethane coatings, or acid epoxy cure coatings. The adhesives of the invention are especially good for bonding windows to the silane modified acrylic melamine and the melamine carbamate paints. Preferably, the prepolymer is present in an amount of about 40 parts by weight or greater based on the weight of the adhesive, more preferably about 45 parts by weight or greater, and most preferably about 50 parts by weight or greater. Preferably, the prepolymer is present in an amount of about 80 parts by weight or less based on the weight of the adhesive, more preferably about 75 parts by weight or less, and most preferably about 70 parts by weight or less. As used herein unless otherwise specified, parts by weight refer to 100 parts by weight of the adhesive composition.
The adhesive composition may further comprise one or more catalysts which catalyze the silanol condensation reaction. Catalysts useful for the silanol condensation reaction are well-known in the art. Among preferred catalysts useful for silanol condensation are tin compounds such as, dialkyltin(IV) salts of organic carboxylic acids, such as dibutyltin diacetate, dimethyl tin dilaurate, dibutyltin dilaurate, dibutyltin maleate or dioctyltin diacetate; tin carboxylates, such as tin octylate or tin naphthenate; reaction products of dialkyltin oxides and phthalic acid esters or alkane diones; dialkyltin diacetyl acetonates, such as dibutyltin diacetylacetonate (also commonly referred to as dibutyltin acetylacetonate); dialkyltinoxides, such as dibutyltinoxide; tin(II) salts of organic carboxylic acids, such as tin(II) diacetate, tin(II) dioctanoate, tin(II) diethylhexanoate or tin(II) dilaurate; dialkyl tin (IV) dihalides, such as dimethyl tin dichloride; and stannous salts of carboxylic acids, such as stannous octoate, stannous oleate, stannous acetate, or stannous laurate. These silanol condensation catalysts may be used individually or in combinations of 2 or more. Preferred catalysts are the dialkyl tin dicarboxylates, dialkyl tin oxides, dialkyl bis(acetylacetonates), reaction products of dialkyltin oxide and phthalic acid esters or an alkane dione, dialkyltin halides and dialkyl tin oxides. Even more preferred catalysts are dibutyltin dilaurate, dimethyltin dilaurate, dibutyltin maleate, dibutyltin diacetate, tin octylate, tin naphthenate, reaction products of dibutyltin oxide and phthalic acid esters or pentanedione, dibutyl tin diacetylacetonate, dibutyltinoxide, dimethyl tin chloride and the like. The amount of catalyst used in the formulation is that amount which facilitates the cure of the adhesive without causing degradation of the adhesive after cure. The amount of catalyst in the adhesive formulation is preferably about 0.01 parts by weight or greater, more preferably about 0.1 parts by weight or greater, and most preferably about 0.2 parts by weight or greater, and preferably about 5 parts by weight or less, even more preferably about 1.0 parts by weight or less and most preferably about 0.4 parts by weight or less.
The adhesive composition further comprises a hydrocarbyl silane. The hydrocarbyl silane is added to enhance adhesion and the durability of the adhesion to window and coated surfaces, especially such surfaces that are unprimed. A hydrocarbyl silane is a compound having a silicon or siloxane backbone, hydrocarboxy groups and hydrocarbyl groups bound to the silicon atoms. Preferably, the silicon atoms or the hydrocarbon groups bonded to the silicon atoms do not have hydrophilic functional groups, such as hydroxyl, amino and thiol groups. The hydrocarbyl groups are preferably alkyl, alkaryl or alkenyl, more preferably alkyl or alkenyl. A preferred alkenyl group is a vinyl group. Preferred alkyl groups are lower alkyl, preferably C1-4 alkyl, even more preferably methyl or ethyl and most preferably methyl. Preferably, one or more of the silicon atoms in the hydrocarbyl silane has at least one, and preferably one alkenyl group bonded thereto. More preferably, each silicon atom has an alkenyl group bonded thereto. Hydrocarboxy groups are preferably alkyloxy, alkenyloxy, cycloalkyloxy or aralkoxy groups. More preferred hydrocarbyloxy groups are alkoxy, with C1-4 alkoxy being even more preferred, ethoxy and methoxy even more preferred and methoxy most preferred. Preferably, the hydrocarbyl silane corresponds to Formula 5
wherein
R3 is separately in each occurrence a hydrocarbyl and hydrocarbyloxy groups;
R4 is separately in each occurrence a hydrocarbyl group; and
x is separately in each occurrence an integer of about 1 to about 9.
Preferably, R3 is separately in each occurrence an alkyl, alkaryl, alkenyl or alkoxy group; more preferably an alkyl or alkoxy group; even more preferably an alkoxy group and most preferably a lower alkoxy group. Preferred lower alkoxy groups are C1-4 alkoxy, with ethoxy and methoxy more preferred and methoxy most preferred. Preferably, R4 is separately in each occurrence an alkyl, alkaryl or alkenyl group; more preferably an alkenyl group; and most preferably a vinyl group. Preferably, x is separately in each occurrence an integer of about 1 to about 7; and most preferably an integer of about 1 to about 5. In a preferred embodiment the hydrocarbyl silane corresponds to Formula 6
In a more preferred embodiment the hydrocarbyl silane corresponds to Formula 7
Preferred hydrocarbyl silanes comprise DYNASYLAN® 6490, DYNASYLAN® 6498, DYNASYLAN® 6598 silanes available from Degussa Corporation. The hydrocarbyl silane is present in a sufficient amount to enhance the adhesion to the coated substrate and the window surface. Preferably, adhesion to unprimed surfaces is enhanced. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive composition of the invention is bonded to a ceramic frit or organic frit applied to the surface of the window, and more preferably the frit is unprimed. Preferably, the hydrocarbyl silane is present in the composition in an amount of about 0.1 parts by weight or greater, more preferably about 0.3 parts by weight or greater and more preferably about 0.4 parts by weight or greater. Preferably, the hydrocarbyl silane is present in the composition in an amount of about 2 parts by weight or less, more preferably about 1.5 parts by weight or less and more preferably about 1.2 parts by weight or less.
In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive includes a light stabilizer. Any light stabilizer which facilitates the system maintaining a durable bond to the substrate for a significant portion of the life of the structure to which it is bonded may be used. Preferred light stabilizers are hindered amine light stabilizers. Hindered amine light stabilizers generally include those available from Ciba Geigy such as TINUVIN™ 144, n-butyl-(3,5-di-ter-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)bis-(1,2,2,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl) malonate; TINUVIN™ 622, dimethyl succinate polymer with 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidine ethanol; TINUVIN™ 77, bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate; TINUVIN™ 123, bis-(1-octyloxy-2,2,6,6, tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate; TINUVIN™ 765, bis(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl)sebacate; CHIMASSORB™ 944 poly[[6-[1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-butyl)amino]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diyl][(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl)imino]-1,6-hexanediyl[(2,2,6-tetrameth
yl-4-piperidinyl)imino]]) available from Cytec; CYASORB™ UV-500, 1,5-dioxaspiro(5,5) undecane 3,3-dicarboxylic acid, bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl)ester; CYASORB™ UV-3581, 3-dodecyl-1-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl-pyrrolidin-2,5-dione) and CYASORB™ UV-3346, poly[(6-morpholino-s-triazine-2,4-diyl)[2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl)imino]-hexamethylene [(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl)imino]]. More preferred hindered light amine stabilizers include TINUVIN™ 123 bis-(1-octyloxy-2,2,6,6, tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl)sebacate and TINUVIN™ 765 bis(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl)sebacate. A sufficient amount of light stabilizer to enhance the bond durability to the substrate may be used. Preferably, the light stabilizer is used in an amount of about 0.1 parts by weight or greater based on the weight of the adhesive composition, more preferably about 0.2 parts by weight or greater and most preferably about 0.3 parts by weight or greater. Preferably, the amount of light stabilizer present is about 3 weight parts or less, based on the weight of the adhesive composition, more preferably about 2 weight parts or less and most preferably about 1.5 weight parts or less.
The adhesive compositions useful in this invention may further comprise stabilizers which function to protect the adhesive composition from moisture, thereby inhibiting advancement and preventing premature crosslinking of the polymer capable of crosslinking in the adhesive formulation. Included among such stabilizers are hydrocarbyl alkoxysilanes, such as vinyl trimethoxysilane, calcium oxide, p-toluenesulfonyl isocyanate (PTSI), diethylmalonate and alkylphenol alkylates. Such stabilizers are preferably used in an amount of about 0.1 part by weight or greater based on the total weight of the adhesive composition, preferably about 0.5 parts by weight or greater and more preferably about 0.8 parts by weight or greater. Such stabilizers are preferably used in an amount of about 5.0 parts by weight or less based on the weight of the adhesive composition, more preferably about 2.0 parts by weight or less and most preferably about 1.4 parts by weight or less.
The adhesive compositions used in the invention may further comprise an adhesion promoter known to those skilled in the art, such as those described in Mahdi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,828,403, column 11, line 50 to column 12, line 57 and Wu, U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,033 at column 5, line 38 to columns 6 and 7, line 35, both incorporated herein by reference. Preferable adhesion promoters are the amino alkoxy silanes, vinyl alkoxy slanes, isocyanato alkoxy silanes and isocyanurate functional alkoxy silanes. More preferred of the additional adhesion promoters include gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy silane, gamma-isocyanato-propyltrimethoxy silane, n-phenyl-gamma-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, gamma-isocyanatopropylmethyldimthoxy silane, gamma-isocyanatopropyltriethoxy silane, beta (3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltriethoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropylmethyl-dimethoxy silane, tris-(gamma-trimethoxysilyl-propyl)isocyananurate, vinyltriethoxysilane, or vinyltrimethoxysilane. Such additional adhesion promoters are present in a sufficient amount to promote the adhesion of the adhesive to the glass or other substrate surface to the desired level usually determined by testing the lap shear strength and failure mode of the bond to the substrate. Preferably, the amount of adhesion promoter is about 10 parts by weight or less based on the weight of the adhesive; more preferably about 5 parts by weight or less and most preferably about 2 parts by weight or less. Preferably, the amount of adhesion promoter is about 0.01 parts by weight or greater based on the weight of the adhesive; more preferably about 0.1 parts by weight or greater and most preferably about 0.5 parts by weight or greater.
The adhesive compositions can also contain heat stabilizers known in the art. Among preferred heat stabilizers are alkyl substituted phenols, phosphites, sebacates and cinnamates. Preferably, the amount of heat stabilizer is about 5 parts by weight or less based on the weight of the adhesive; more preferably about 2 parts by weight or less and most preferably about 1.0 part by weight or less. Preferably, the amount of heat stabilizer is about 0.01 parts by weight or greater based on the weight of the adhesive; and most preferably about 0.3 parts by weight or greater.
In another preferred embodiment, the adhesive compositions used may further comprise an ultraviolet light absorber. Any ultraviolet absorber which enhances the durability of the bond of the adhesive to the substrate may be used. Preferred UV light absorbers include benzophenones and benzotriazoles. More preferred UV light absorbers include those from Ciba Geigy such as TINUVIN™ P, 2-(2′-hydroxy-5′-methylphenyl)-benzotriazole; TINUVIN™ 326, 2-(5-chloro-2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methylphenol; TINUVIN™ 213 poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), (α,(3-(3-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-oxopropyl)-ω-hydroxy; poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), (α,(3-(3-(AH-benzotriazol-2-yl)-5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-oxopropyl)-ω-(α,(3-(3-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-
4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-oxopropyl); TINUVIN™ 327, 2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxyphenol)-5-chlorobenzotriazole; TINUVIN™ 571, 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-6-dodecyl-4-methylphenol, branched and linear; TINUVIN™ 328, 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-bis(1,1-dimethylpropyl)phenol and from Cytec such as CYASORB™ UV-9,2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone; CYASORB™ UV-24, 2,2′-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone; CYASORB™ UV-1164, -[4,6-bis(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]-5-(octyloxy)phenol; CYASORB™ UV-2337, 2-(2′-hydroxy-3′-5′-di-t-amylphenyl)benzotriazole; CYASORB™ UV-2908, 3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid, hexadecyl ester; CYASORB™ UV-5337, 2-(2′-hydroxy-3′,5′-di-t-butylphenyl)-5-chlorobenzotriazole; CYASORB™ UV-531, 2-hydroxy-4-n-octoxybenzophenone; and CYASORB™ UV-3638, 2,2-(1,4-phenylene)bis[4H-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one]. More preferred UV light absorbers include CYASORB™ UV-531, 2-hydroxy-4-n-octoxybenzophenone and TINUVIN™ 571 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-6-dodecyl-4-methylphenol, branched and linear. Preferably, the UV light absorber is used in a sufficient amount to enhance the durability of the bond of the adhesive to the substrate. Preferably, the UV absorber is used in an amount of about 0.1 parts by weight or greater, based on the weight of the adhesive composition, more preferably about 0.2 weight parts or greater and most preferably about 0.3 parts by weight or greater. Preferably, the UV light inhibitor is used in an amount of about 3 parts by weight or less based on the weight of the adhesive composition, more preferably about 2 parts by weight or less and most preferably about 1 parts by weight or less.
The composition may further comprise a silicone-containing dehydrating compound. U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,228 discloses silicon-containing dehydrating compounds at column 10, line 27 to column 11, line 12, incorporated herein by reference. The silicon-containing dehydrating compound having three or four hydrolyzable groups bonded to the silicon atom is used to improve the storage stability of the curable polymer composition of the present invention, namely, to prevent increase of viscosity or gelation during storage. The hydrolyzable group bonded to the silicon atom of the silicon-containing compound may be the same as described above in connection with the silicon-containing reactive group. Preferably, the hydrolyzable group of the dehydrating compound is more reactive than that of the silicon-containing reactive group. When the number of the hydrolyzable groups bonded to the silicon atom of the silicon-containing compound is less than 3, the storage stability is not sufficiently improved, since the hydrolyzable groups of the silicon-containing dehydrating compound preferentially react with water in the composition, whereby the storage stability of the composition is improved.
Preferably, silicon-containing dehydrating compounds of Formula 8: R54-nSiXn Formula 8 wherein R5 is a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group, and X is a hydrolyzable group provided that when two or more X are present, they may be the same or different, and n is 3 or 4. R5 is preferably a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms. Specific examples of R5 are substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups (e.g. methyl, ethyl, vinyl, methacryloxypropyl, etc.), substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups (e.g. phenyl, methylphenyl, etc.) and the like. As the hydrolyzable group X, an alkoxy group is preferred. Specific examples of the silicon-containing dehydrating compound are trimethoxysilane, triethoxysilane, methyl-dimethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, ethyl silicate, methyltriethoxysilane, n-propyltrimethoxysilane, methyldiisopropenyloxysilane, methyltriisopropenoxysilane, phenyldimethoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, vinyl-trimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, γ-methacryl-oxypropyltrimethoxysilane, methyldiacetoxysilane, methyltriacetoxysilane, γ-amino-propyltrimethoxysilane, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, γ-mercapto-propyltrimethoxysilane, γ-glycidoxy-propyltrimethoxysilane, bis(dimethylketoximate)-methylsilane, bis(cyclohexylketoximate)-methylsilane, etc. Among them, alkyltrimethoxysilanes and vinyltrimethoxy silane as preferred; with trimethoxyvinyl-silane and trimethoxymethylsilane more preferred since they are easily available and have better dehydration effects.
The amount of the silicon-containing dehydrating compound is selected such that the composition remains uncured before application to a substrate. The amount of the silicon-containing dehydrating compound is from about 0.01 to 10 parts by weight and more preferably from about 0.1 to 5 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the adhesive composition. When the amount of the silicon-containing dehydrating compound is less than the above lower limit, the storage stability of the curable polymer composition is not sufficiently improved, while when said amount is larger than the above upper limit, the curing rate of the composition decreases.
The adhesive composition may contain other additives commonly used in adhesives formulations as known to those skilled in the art. The adhesive of the invention may be formulated with fillers known in the art for use in adhesive compositions. By the addition of such materials, physical properties such as viscosity, flow rates, sag and the like can be modified. However, to prevent premature hydrolysis of the moisture sensitive groups of the prepolymer, it is preferable to thoroughly dry the fillers before admixture therewith.
Optional components of the adhesive of the invention include reinforcing fillers. Such fillers are well-known to those skilled in the art and include carbon black, titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate, surface treated silica, titanium oxide, fumed silica, and talc. Preferred reinforcing fillers comprise carbon black. In one embodiment, more than one reinforcing filler may be used, of which one is carbon black, and a sufficient amount of carbon black is used to provide the desired black color to the adhesive. Preferably, the only reinforcing filler used is carbon black. The reinforcing fillers are used in a sufficient amount to increase the strength of the adhesive and to provide thixotropic properties to the adhesive. Preferably, the reinforcing filler is present in an amount of about 1 part by weight of the adhesive composition or greater, more preferably about 15 parts by weight or greater and most preferably about 20 parts by weight or greater. Preferably, the reinforcing filler is present in an amount of about 40 parts by weight of the adhesive composition or less, more preferably about 35 parts by weight or less and most preferably about 33 parts by weight or less.
Among optional materials in the adhesive composition are clays. Preferred clays useful in the invention include kaolin, surface treated kaolin, calcined kaolin, aluminum silicates and surface treated anhydrous aluminum silicates. The clays can be used in any form which facilitates formulation of a pumpable adhesive. Preferably, the clay is in the form of pulverized powder, spray dried beads or finely ground particles. Clays may be used in an amount of about 0 part by weight of the adhesive composition or greater, more preferably about 1 part by weight or greater and even more preferably about 6 parts by weight or greater. Preferably, the clays are used in an amount of about 20 parts by weight or less of the adhesive composition and more preferably about 15 parts by weight or less.
The adhesive composition of this invention may further comprise plasticizers so as to modify the rheological properties to a desired consistency. Such materials are preferably free of water, inert to reactive groups and compatible with the polymer used in the adhesive. Preferable plasticizers are well-known in the art and preferable plasticizers include alkyl phthalates, such as dialkyl phthalate, partially hydrogenated terpene, commercially available as “HB-40”; trioctyl phosphate; epoxy plasticizers; toluene-sulfamide; chloroparaffins; adipic acid esters; castor oil; toluene; xylene; n-methyl-pyrrolidinone; and alkyl naphthalenes. The preferred plasticizers are the phthalates. The more preferred plasticizers are the dialkyl phthalates. The amount of plasticizer in the adhesive composition is that amount which gives the desired rheological properties, which is sufficient to disperse the catalyst and other components in the system and to give the desired viscosity. The amounts disclosed herein include those amounts added during preparation of the prepolymer and during compounding of the adhesive. Preferably, plasticizers are used in the adhesive composition in an amount of about 0 part by weight or greater based on the weight of the adhesive composition, more preferably about 2 parts by weight or greater, even more preferably about 4 parts by weight or greater and most preferably about 6 parts by weight or greater. The plasticizer is preferably used in an amount of about 45 parts by weight or less based on the total amount of the adhesive composition, more preferably about 40 parts by weight or less, even more preferably about 30 parts by weight or less and most preferably about 25 parts by weight or less.
Optionally, the adhesive composition may further comprise a thixotrope. Such thixotropes are well-known to those skilled in the art and include alumina, limestone, talc, zinc oxides, sulfur oxides, calcium carbonate, perlite, slate flour, salt (NaCl), and cyclodextrin. The thixotrope may be added to the adhesive of the composition in a sufficient amount to give the desired rheological properties. Preferably, the thixotrope is present in an amount of about 0 part by weight or greater based on the weight of the adhesive composition, and preferably about 1 part by weight or greater. Preferably, the optional thixotrope is present in an amount of about 10 parts by weight or less based on the weight of the adhesive composition and more preferably about 2 parts by weight or less.
As used herein, all parts by weight relative to the components of the adhesive composition are based on 100 total parts by weight of the adhesive composition and all percentages by weight are based on the weight of the adhesive composition. The adhesive compositions of this invention may be formulated by blending the components together using means well-known in the art. Generally, the components are blended in a suitable mixer. Such blending is preferably conducted in an inert atmosphere and in the absence of atmospheric moisture to prevent premature reaction. It may be advantageous to add plasticizers to the reaction mixture for preparing the prepolymer so that such mixture may be easily mixed and handled. Alternatively, the plasticizers can be added during blending of all the components. Once the adhesive composition is formulated, it is packaged in a suitable container such that it is protected from atmospheric moisture. Contact with atmospheric moisture could result in premature cross-linking of the prepolymer.
The adhesive composition of the invention is used to bond porous and nonporous substrates together. The sealant composition is applied to the window surface or the other substrate, preferably the window surface, and is thereafter contacted with a second substrate. Thereafter, the adhesive is exposed to curing conditions. In a preferred embodiment, the other substrate is a plastic, metal, fiberglass or composite substrate which may optionally be coated. This method is especially effective for substrates coated with an acid resistant paint. In preferred embodiments, the surfaces to which the adhesive is applied are cleaned prior to application; see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,525,511; 3,707,521 and 3,779,794, incorporated herein by reference. The glass is prepared by cleaning the surface to which the adhesive composition is to be applied. A solvent wipe can be used to do this. Generally, a cloth or other device with an appropriate solvent applied thereto is used to clean the surface. Thereafter, a primer may be applied to the portion of the window to which the adhesive is to be applied. Glass primers and application methods for such primers are well-known in the art. Typically, the primer is applied with a brush or by a robot. A primer is not necessary where the adhesive is formulated so as to eliminate the need for one. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the substrate is a building or an automobile. The adhesive is preferably deposited as a bead on the portion of the glass to be bonded into the substrate. The bead can be deposited by any known method to those skilled in the art. In one embodiment, the bead can be deposited using a caulk gun or similar type of manual application device. In another embodiment, the bead may be deposited by an extrusion apparatus such as a robotic extrusion apparatus. The adhesive is located on the portion of the window which will be contacted with the structure into which it will be bonded. In one preferred embodiment, the adhesive is placed about the periphery of one face of the window. Typically, the adhesive is in the form of a bead located about the periphery of the window. Preferably, the bead is a profiled shape along the cross-sectional plane. In the embodiment where the window designed for use in automobiles, the bead is applied to the portion of the glass to be contacted with the flange of the automobile window. The window can then be placed into the structure with the adhesive contacting both the window and the structure to which the window is to be bonded into. This contacting is performed by means well-known to those skilled in the art. In particular, the window can be placed in the structure by hand, by the use of a robot and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the window is glass or coated plastic with an abrasion resistant coating (coated plastic) applied thereto. Preferably, the window has a ceramic frit or organic frit deposited about the periphery of the window. Generally, the adhesives of the invention are applied at ambient temperature in the presence of atmospheric moisture. Exposure to atmospheric moisture is sufficient to result in curing of the adhesive. Curing may be further accelerated by applying heat to the curing sealant by any means known to one skilled in the art, for instance by convection heat or microwave heating. Preferably, the sealant of the invention is formulated to provide a working time of about 6 minutes or greater, more preferably about 10 minutes or greater. Preferably, the working time is about 20 minutes or less and more preferably about 15 minutes or less. Further, the adhesive of the invention demonstrates a lap shear according to the process described hereinafter after three days of curing at 23° C. and 50 percent relative humidity (RH) of about 360 psi (2.48 mPa) or greater and more preferably about 500 psi (3.45 mPa) or greater. Preferably, the adhesives of the invention demonstrate a tack free time of 40 minutes or less.
Molecular weights as described herein are determined according to the following procedure: determined using the Waters Model 590 Gel Permeation Chromatograph. This unit is connected to a multiwave length detector and a differential refractometer to measure the elution volume. A column of styrogel is used for the size exclusion and it can determine molecular weights from 250 to 50,000. The molecular weight of the prepolymer is then determined by measuring the elution volume through this column using tetrahydrofuran as the eluting solvent. The molecular weight is then calculated from a calibration curve of molecular weight vs. elution volume obtained from a polystyrene polyethylene glycol column. The quoted molecular weights are weight average molecular weights unless otherwise specified.
SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
The following examples are provided to more fully illustrate the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the claim. Unless otherwise stated, all parts and percentages are by weight.
The following are tests used for the prepared sealants.
Quick Knife Adhesion Test (OKA)
A 6.3 mm (width)×6.3 mm (height)×76.2 mm (length) size sealant bead is placed on 101.6 mm×101.6 mm piece of an acid resistant paint panel and the assembly is cured for a specific time in the condition of 23° C. and 50 percent relative humidity. The cured bead is then cut with a razor blade through to the painted surface at a 45 degree angle while pulling back the end of the bead at 180 degree angle. Notches are cut every 3 mm on the painted surface. The degree of adhesion is evaluated as adhesive failure (AF) and/or cohesive failure (CF). In case of adhesive failure, the cured bead can be separated from the painted surface, while in cohesive failure, separation occurs within the sealant bead as a result of cutting and pulling. The tested paint substrate can be used as supplied or treated by wiping with isopropanol (EPA) or naphtha (NP).
Weatherometer
The Weatherometer (WOM) was operated according to SAE J1895 conditions. The samples after exposure to the WOM were tested according to the Lap Shear tests described hereinafter.
Lap Shear Test
The glass coupon is 2.5 cm width by 7.5 cm length and has a 5 cm band of ceramic frit. The ceramic frit of the glass coupon was treated by wiping a cloth containing BETASEAL® 43518 primer available from the Dow Automotive business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, wiping off the BETASEAL® 43518 primer with a clean cloth and thereafter applying to the glass BETASEAL® 43520A primer available from the Dow Automotive business unit of The Dow Chemical Company. A sealant bead approximately 6.3 mm wide by 6.3 mm high is applied along the width of the glass and approximately 6 mm to 12 mm from the primed end. The painted metal coupon is immediately placed on the adhesive and the sample is allowed to cure at the condition of the 23° C. and 50 percent relative humidity for 7 days. The cured sample was then pulled at a rate of 1 inch/minute (2.5 cm/min) with an Instron Tester. Where the description indicates the sample is primerless to glass, the glass coupons were cleaned only with the isopropanel and no glass primer was applied.
Table 1—Ingredients
TABLE 1
SAX ® 4001
Trifunctional polypropyleneoxide polyether with
Prepolymer
dimethoxymethyl silyl terminal groups having
a molecular weight of about 20,000
SILQUEST ® 94922
Bis-(3-trimethoxysilyl propyl) amine
Adhesion Promoter
DYNASYLAN 64903
Methoxy functional vinyl siloxane oligomer
NEOSTAN U2204
Dibutyl tin bisacetylacetonate
Catalyst
WESTON TNPP5
trinonylphenylphosphite
TINUVIN ™ 5716
2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-6-dodecyl-4-
methylphenol, branched and linear
TINUVIN ™ 7656
bis(1,2,2,6,6,-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate
1Trademark of Kaneka Corporation.
2Trademark of OSI Specialties.
3Trademark of Degussa.
4Trademark of Nitto Kasei Co., Ltd.
5Trademark of Crompton.
6Trademark of Ciba Geigy.
EXAMPLES 1 TO 3
Moisture curable sealant compositions were prepared under anhydrous conditions by compounding silylated prepolymers with the components described in Table 2. The components, except carbon black, were charged to a one gallon planetary mixer and mixed for 15 minutes under vacuum at speed 3. The vacuum was broken with nitrogen and dried carbon black (cooled to room temperature) was added and wet out for 3 minutes at speed 2 with no vacuum. Then the mixture was mixed for 15 minutes under vacuum. At this point, the adhesive mixture was scraped down and then was mixed for an additional 10 minutes under vacuum. Finally, the adhesive was packaged into plastic tubes.
TABLE 2
Example
1
2
3
Component
Wt %
Wt (g)
Wt %
Wt (g)
Wt %
Wt (g)
1
SAX ™ 400(Silylated polymer)
56.2
843.0
55.7
835.5
57.9
868.5
2
Alkyl phthalate plasticizer
12.8
192.0
11.59
173.8
9.39
140.8
3
SILQUEST ™ 9492
0.5
7.5
1
15
1.0
15
4
DYNASYLAN ™ 6490
0
0
0
0
0.6
9
5
U-220 in 711P, 10%
2.5
37.5
2.5
37.5
2.5
37.5
6
WESTON ™ TNPP
0
0
0.61
9.15
0.61
9.15
7
TINUVIN ™ 571
0
0
0.8
12
0
0
8
TINUVIN ™ 765
1.0
15
0.8
12
1.0
15
9
Carbon black
27
405
27
405
27
405
100.00%
1500.0
100.00%
1500.0
100.00%
1500.0
Panel Preparation
Metal coupons (2.5 cm width by 10 cm length) were spray-coated the DuPont's GEN® IV basecoat and flashed. Then, the metal coupons were spray-coated again with DuPont's GEN® IV clear coat and flashed. They were baked in an oven for 29 minutes at 285° F. (141° C.).
Test Conditions
QKA and lapshear adhesion were tested after exposure to the following various conditions:
Condition 1: samples were cured for 7 days at 23° C. and 50 percent relative humidity.
Condition 2: samples were cured initially for 7 days at 23° C. and 50 percent relative humidity and then exposed to 38° C. and 100 percent relative humidity for 14 days.
Condition 3: samples were cured initially for 7 days at 23° C. and 50 percent relative humidity and then exposed to the weatherometer conditions of SAE J1885 for 2,000 hours.
Condition 4: samples were cured initially for 7 days at 23° C. and 50 percent relative humidity and then immersed in the 90° C. water bath for 9 days.
OKA of Adhesives 1 to 3
QKA samples of Adhesives 1 through 3 were prepared on the DuPont's GEN® IV coated panels. Similar samples were prepared on the isopropanol wiped glass coupons with sag bent bismuth-zinc frit. All of samples were quick knife tested according to the description before after the Conditions 1 and 2. The results are shown in Table 2. 100 percent cohesive failures were observed in each instance.
Lap Shear Adhesion Test of Adhesives 1 to 3
Lap shear samples of Adhesives 1 through 3 were prepared using DuPont's GEN®IV coated panels as the first substrate and the isopropanol wiped glass coupons with sag bent zinc frit as the second substrate. Similar lap shear samples of Adhesives 1 through 3 were prepared except using the isopropanol wiped glass coupons with sag bent bismuth-zinc frit as the second substrate. All of samples were tested with the Instron after exposure to Conditions 1 and 2. The results are shown in Table 2. 100 percent cohesive failures were observed in each case except Adhesives 1 and 2 had shown 35 percent and 20 percent adhesion failure to glass respectively on the zinc frit glass after Condition 2.
Table 3—QKA and Tests for Examples 1 to 3
TABLE 3
Example
1
2
3
QKA (quick knife
adhesion)
Substrate:
GEN ™ IV
unprimed
Condition 1
100% CF
100% CF
100% CF
Condition 2
100% CF
100% CF
100% CF
Bismuth-Zinc frit
glass, IPA Wiped
Condition 1
100% CF
100% CF
100% CF
Condition 2
100% CF
100% CF
100% CF
Lapshear
Zinc frit glass and
GEN ™ IV-ES,
IPA
Wipe on glass,
Naptha wipe on
panel
Condition 1
571 psi/100% CF
497 psi/99%
525 psi/100% CF
CF
Condition 2
289 psi/35% AF
300 psi/20%
515 psi/100% CF
AF
Bismuth-Zinc frit
glass and
GEN ™ IV-ES,
IPA
Wipe on glass,
Naphtha wipe on
panel
Condition 1
558 psi/100% CF
563 psi/99 CF
466 psi/100% CF
Condition 2
481 psi/100% CF
511 psi/98%
522 psi/100% CF
CF
Durability Test of Adhesives 1 to 3
Lap shear samples of Adhesives 1 through 3 were prepared on the DuPont's GEN®IV panels as the first substrate and the isopropanol wiped glass coupons with sag bent bismuth-zinc frit as the second substrate. Similar lap shear samples of Adhesives 1 through 3 were prepared except using the isopropanol wiped glass coupons with sag bent zinc frit as the second substrate. All of samples were tested with the Instron after exposure according to Condition 3. Results are shown in Table 4. 100 percent cohesive failures were observed in each case except Adhesives 1 and 2 had shown 50 percent and 10 percent adhesion failure to glass respectively on the bismuth-zinc frit glass after Condition 3.
Table 5 shows the QKA adhesion results for Examples 1 and 3 after exposure according to Condition 4. Example 3 has showed very good hot water stability.
TABLE 5
QKA, Zinc frit glass,
IPA Wiped
90° C. water
Example
immersion test:
1
3
Condition 4
30% AF/70% TF
100% CF
AF: Adhesion failure
TF: Thin film left on the substrate
CF: Cohesive failure
EXAMPLES 4 TO 5
Several formulations were prepared as described above. Different levels of hydrocarbyl silane were used and the formulations are listed in Table 6.
TABLE 6
Example
4
5
Component
Wt %
Wt (g)
Wt %
Wt (g)
1
SAX ™ 400(Silylated
57.9
868.5
57.9
868.5
polymer)
2
PALATINOL ™ 711P
9.69
145.35
9.09
136.35
3
SILQUEST ™ 9492
1
15
1.0
15
4
DYNASYLAN ™ 6490
0.300
4.50
0.9
13.50
5
U-220 ™ in 711P, 10%
2.5
37.5
2.5
37.5
6
WESTON ™ TNPP
0.61
9.15
0.61
9.15
7
TINUVIN ™ 571
0
0
0
0
8
TINUVIN ™ 765
1
15
1.0
15
9
CSX652A ™
27
405
27
405
100.00%
1500.0
100.00%
1500.0
Lap shear samples of Examples 3 through 5 were prepared on the DuPont's GEN®IV panels as the first substrate and the isopropanol wiped glass coupons with sag bent zinc frit as the second substrate. All of samples were tested with the Instron after exposure according to Conditions 1 and 2. The results are shown in Table 7. 100 percent cohesive failures were observed in each case for Examples 3 and 5. Example 4 had shown 5 percent adhesion failure (5AF) to the glass frit and 7 percent adhesion failure (7AF) to the GEN®IV panel from Condition 1. Example 4 showed 10 percent adhesion failure to the glass frit from Condition 2.
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How Big is an Exabyte? 5 Exabytes = 37,000 new libraries
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Follow This Show
While a 7 year old Afrikan girl gets shot in the head and killed by Detroit police and mourning, protesting and passivity are suffice, Afrikans in Kingston Jamaica are having shoot outs with Police to protest the arrest and possible extradition of an alleged drug and weapons trafficker to the United States.
Why are our people willing to put their lives on the line and go against the system for criminals but unwilling to do so when it comes to our babies?
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States wanting to cut Medicaid rolls may face showdown with feds
Financially strapped governors, Congress and the Obama administration could be headed for a showdown over the Medicaid health care program, which covers 48 million poor, disabled and elderly people nationwide.
WASHINGTON — Financially strapped governors, Congress and the Obama administration could be headed for a showdown over the Medicaid health care program, which covers 48 million poor, disabled and elderly people nationwide.
Arizona's governor already has asked for permission to drop people from the joint federal-state program, which states say is eating up huge portions of their budgets. But to do so, it needs a green light either from Congress or the Obama administration.
If it doesn't get one? States warn that they may need to slash payments to doctors and hospitals and make deep cuts in other programs, such as education. They could even thumb their noses at the law and cut eligibility, which would force the Obama administration to decide whether to cut all federal Medicaid funding to them.
The new health care law requires states to maintain their Medicaid eligibility levels for adults until 2014, when much of the law kicks in. In the meantime, federal funds that helped most states maintain their Medicaid programs — part of the 2009 economic stimulus package — come to an end in June, even as enrollment remains at an all-time high while the nation struggles to recover from the recession.
Republicans in the House of Representatives generally want to allow the states more leeway, but their only hope is to get some members of the Democratic-controlled Senate on board.
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said in an interview that he was aware that states were under pressure to cut eligibility and that he'd "look at" options. Still, he said, any such effort should "find a way to maintain as much coverage as we can."
He and other Democrats, including Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, said they'd like to extend the expiring Medicaid aid until 2014.
The odds are against making such a move. Republicans have complained bitterly about the stimulus funding. Now that they control the House, they're stressing the need to narrow the ballooning federal budget deficit.
Arizona, which says its Medicaid spending has gone from 17 percent of its general fund in 2007 to nearly 30 percent this year, recently asked the administration for permission to drop coverage for 280,000 Medicaid recipients. The state argues that it's already more generous than most states are — it's one of only seven that cover childless adults — and says Medicaid costs are jeopardizing other priorities.
Other states also are likely to seek waivers. "The states are reaching a crisis point fiscally," said Dan Mendelson, the CEO of Avalere Health, a consulting firm. Still, allowing states to drop coverage "runs directly counter to the goals" of the Obama administration, he said, adding that it would lead to "an erosion of coverage before the next (presidential) election."
Earlier this month, the National Governors Association and the Republican Governors Association urged congressional leaders to let them downsize their programs. Matt Salo, the director of the Health and Human Services Committee at the National Governors Association, said that some governors' staff members were warning congressional offices that unless they got help, they might have to ignore the law and change their eligibility rules anyway.
If that occurred, the federal government would have to decide whether to stop sending Medicaid money to those states. Even without the extra stimulus aid, the federal government on average pays 57 percent of the cost of the joint program; in some states it's as much as 75 percent.
The health law and the stimulus program require states to maintain eligibility, just as other agreements between the states and Congress do where matching federal funds are involved. Without such rules, there "isn't a mechanism that the states will use funding the way it is intended by Congress," Mendelson said. "States have taken a lot of federal money over the past couple of years with strings attached, and these are the strings."
Under the law, Medicaid will expand sharply in 2014, when 16 million more people are expected to become eligible for the program. The federal government will pick up the full tab for the newcomers for the first three years, then the federal share tapers down to 90 percent by 2020.
When he was asked whether he'd support loosening the eligibility rules for states, Donald Berwick, the administrator for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said he was sensitive to the states' situation.
His solutions, however, were to point states to funding that he said already was available to them, such as subsidies to establish insurance exchanges. Moreover, he added, his agency plans to make recommendations to states on ways to lower costs by improving care. One example is reducing hospital admissions, said Cindy Mann, the director of the federal Center for Medicaid and State Operations.
Democrats in Congress have additional ideas, but most have little chance of proceeding because they go against Republican priorities of reducing federal spending and control.
Harkin, for example, said he also planned to look into an idea that had surfaced in the past: turning Medicaid over entirely to the federal government. "Maybe the federal government should take over the whole thing, and in exchange states would do other things," he said.
(Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent news service and is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization that's not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.)
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Many of us forget that the shops close just a little bit earlier on bank holiday and only realise when it is too late.
Instead of scrambling around in your purse and trying to get your car keys into the ignition to get to Asda before it closes, be prepared and make sure you know when the shops close on this bank holiday Monday on May 6.
The larger shops close early on a Sunday and operate on reduced hours on bank holidays.
Follow us on Instagram - On the Hull Live Instagram page we share gorgeous pictures of our stunning city - and if you tag us in your posts, we could repost your picture on our page! We also put the latest news in our Instagram Stories. Click here to follow Hull Live on Instagram .
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Indigenous leader tells about aching nine year palm oil conflict
By Michael Rice
Pak Japin is a quiet, slim, and softly-spoken man from the village of Silat Hulu, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. I met him at a recent documentary screening in Bali on the fringe of the Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) annual conference, where he spoke about his community's nine year-long conflict with palm oil company Golden Agri Resources Ltd (GAR).
Documentary shines light on the darkest palm oil conflicts
The documentary "Menata Asa Di Jalan Terjal Kebun Kelapa Sawit" (Lit the Candle in the Darkest Palm Oil Conflict) produced by INFIS beautifully depicts the stories of two distant communities as they struggle to resolve long-standing grievances with encroaching palm oil companies: Pak Japin's community of Silat Hulu and the community of Sima Village in West Papua. The stories of these two communities follow similar paths and reflect the hundreds of unresolved conflicts across Indonesia between communities and palm oil companies.
Pak Japin was chosen by his community to represent their story to the outside world. After the film screening, organised by Both ENDS' partner organization Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM), Pak Japin was asked about the impacts on his community. As he told his story it became clear why the people of Silat Hulu chose this man to be their voice in Bali. He sat erect with a tense energy that vibrated from his index finger and he spoke with such passion and intensity that he had no need for the microphone that he clutched tightly in his left. The anger and conviction in his voice left no-one in doubt that the conflict in Silat Hulu continues unresolved, and that the hurt suffered by his community is far from over.
He told the audience about the escalating impacts on his community, and his voice trembled with the frustration of nine years of being ignored, with the indignation of being challenged to prove his community's claim to the lands they had occupied for generations, and with the fury of watching the company that had taken those lands profiting from the oil palms it had planted there. He spoke about forest clearing and dispossession that happened in 2008 as though it happened yesterday. He spoke about his community's many pleas for help to politicians, regulators and GAR falling on deaf ears for years.
The English translator struggled to keep pace with his words and I was spellbound by the passion and energy that this short man exuded. I can't recall everything he said, but his message was clear: 'We were here first, and we will never give up'.
Community stories emblematic of bigger picture of environmental and human rights violations
The stories of Silat Hulu and Sima Village are unique, yet they are also emblematic of many communities' experiences with palm oil in Indonesia. An experience typified by a lack of notice, lack of information, lack of consultation, lack of consent, land-grabbing, illegal forest clearing, unfulfilled promises of wealth and prosperity, depleted and polluted watersheds, contaminated rice paddies, polluted rivers, and division and conflict between families and within communities.
Pak Japin and the Silat Hulu community claim that the plantation has stolen 1,406 hectares of their communal land: a drop in the ocean for a company the size of Golden Agri Resources, but of crucial importance to the community. The Silat Hulu community, with the support of Institut Dayakologi, ELSAM and others, has been attempting to negotiate a private resolution with GAR for several years and finally seemed to make headway two years ago when a 'mutual verification process' for the disputed area was proposed. Agreement on how that process will be implemented now seems within reach.
However, there is deep concern about how a small community like Silat Hulu can obtain a fair and lasting outcome through private negotiation with a company of relatively infinite resources and expertise. The remarks of a GAR representative after the film screening - challenging the film's message, belittling the impacts Pak Japin described, and blaming the community for failing to prove their title to the disputed lands - was a worrying sign that the company staff involved in addressing the community's grievances do not fully understand them. The sad irony that a GAR representative came and speak against an indigenous leader in an intimidating manner at the screening of a film documenting testimonies of company intimidation seemed lost on the company man.
Few options available to resolve grievances and deliver redress for communities
For an outsider to the dispute, this power dynamic is concerning. Yet Pak Japin and the civil society groups that support him remain optimistic about achieving a negotiated solution. The Silat Hulu community has already sought justice in the courts, a slow and costly process without any clear results, so the decision to negotiate a settlement is understandable.
GAR is a member of the RSPO, so the Silat Hulu community could also raise its dispute under the RSPO's grievance mechanism. It is obvious why GAR would want to avoid a formal, public complaint, but GAR's avoidance of scrutiny to the RSPO standard will undermine the credibility of the RSPO system. For the Silat Hulu community, the RSPO's grievance mechanism may be too slow and may not offer a guaranteed solution. There may be few incentives for the community to start a new process if a negotiated outcome now seems within reach, though it is important that alternative dispute resolution processes remain open.
For Pak Japin, his community and the CSOs that support them, I hope a solution can be found and that GAR is willing to engage with the community's grievances in good faith and work towards a fair, just and durable solution. In the meantime, Both ENDS will work towards ensuring the RSPO's grievance mechanism can provide the kind of support and redress that communities so desperately need. I want to see the traditional rights of indigenous communities like Pak Japin's respected and protected in accordance with recognised principles of international law, as also embraced by RSPO, and I will keep working with our partners in Indonesia on ways to bridge the accountability gap for communities living on the palm oil frontier.
Postscript: Since the publication of the blog post above, GAR and Both ENDS have spoken about the events and discussion that took place at the public film screening in Bali described in the blog post above. It was agreed to consider the Silat Hulu case further and explore, together with the local parties most immediately concerned – i.e. the Silat Hulu community, Institute Dayakologi, ELSAM and others, whether there are in fact unsettled issues between the community and the company, and if so what they are and possible avenues for resolving these issues legitimately, comprehensively and fairly.
Between 2010 and 2013, Both ENDS, together with Indonesian and Dutch organisations and universities, conducted a project in the district of Sanggau in West-Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, Indonesia. The project was meant to help local communities with the recognition of their land rights and. This is a beautiful short documentary about how the people of one of these villages responded to the ever expanding palm oil plantations around them.
The production of palm oil is often accompanied by deforestation, environmental destruction and land grabbing. Local communities and activists who stand up against these problems are often threatened. Now the RSPO has taken significant steps in recent months to tackle these issues.
In 2005, a palm oil company approached the villagers of Kiungkang in West-Kalimantan, Indonesia, with offers to convert their farms to oil palm smallholdings. Many farmers agreed to the proposal because of the high monthly incomes promised by the company that they could earn from the oil palms. Unfortunately, the palm oil dream turned out to be an illusion.
Last week, indigenous leaders from various countries were in Paris to urge action on deforestation and human rights abuses at the multi-stakeholder meeting of the Amsterdam Declarations Partnership. The group, invited by Forests Peoples Programme and Both ENDS, presented a publication 'Supply chain solutions for people and forests' containing a set of practical recommendations from local communities on how to make supply chains more sustainable and fair.
Both ENDS has, as a member of the RSPO, participated in a dialogue with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Netherlands is the largest importer of palm oil in Europe and wants to promote sustainable trade and production chains.
On 30 September 2017 Both ENDS submitted a position statement on the draft Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil National Action Plan. The draft National Action Plan purports to represent a blue print for improving the sustainability of the Indonesian palm oil industry. However, Both ENDS has significant concerns about the logic, rationale and purpose behind the draft National Action Plan and its legitimacy as a benchmark for a sustainable palm oil industry.
Together with civil society organisations from all over the world, the Fair Green and Global (FGG) Alliance aims for socially just, inclusive and environmentally sustainable societies in the Netherlands and the Global South.
We are outraged and saddened to hear that Hernán Bedoya, a brave Colombian community leader and human rights defender, has been brutally murdered. After numerous threats to his life and despite all the best efforts of local groups to provide him with protection (such as bullet proof vests, cell phone etc.) he was shot dead by paramilitaries last Friday the 8th of December, while riding home on his horse.
By 2020, the EU wants a larger percentage of fuel used for transportation to consist of renewable sources, such as biofuel. Many European countries have therefore made the blending of biofuels in diesel and gasoline mandatory. A large proportion of this biofuel is now palm oil.
Both ENDS and Forest Peoples Program have formally requested the European Parliament, Commission and Council and the EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström, to consult indigenous and local communities impacted by EU trade in palm oil and other agricultural commodities in formal EU policy deliberations on these topics. Why did we decide to do so and what's it all about? Our colleague Michael Rice sheds some light on the matter.
Between 2010 and 2013, Both ENDS, within an alliance of Indonesian and Dutch organisations and universities, conducted a pilot project to improve the spatial planning in the district of Sanggau in West-Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, Indonesia, to help local communities with the recognition of their land rights. We can show you a beautiful documentary about one of the villages in this district, Terusan.
This week, from 12 until 16 February, fourteen indigenous leaders and human rights defenders from forest countries came to the Netherlands to call upon Dutch policy makers to take serious action against human rights abuses, land grabbing and further deforestation in relation to large scale agriculture, timber logging and mining. The Dutch harbours of Rotterdam and Amsterdam receive enormeous amounts of soy and palm oil, both for the Dutch market and for further transport into Europe and elswhere.
Our mission
Together with environmental justice groups from the Global South, Both ENDS works towards a sustainable, fair and inclusive world. We gather and share information about policy and investments that have a direct impact on people and their livelihood, we engage in joint advocacy, we stimulate the dialogue between stakeholders and we promote and support sustainable local alternatives.
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Team Reputation
Ever thought about how your team is perceived by other teams or by other customers, internal or external? I think most of us focus on two things – the reputation of the company and our individual skills and experience – when we’re job seeking, and I think that makes sense. But is it enough? Does it make a difference how the team you’re joining is thought of?
When I arrived at my first assignment in the military years ago I was everything you’d expect – curious, excited, all the rest. Then I got to my platoon and found out that they (we) were restricted to the barracks. Why? They had been fighting. On the parade ground. At night. In their underwear. With each other! It took a while for that stain to wear off and until it did, no matter how good I was, I was only as good as the reputation of the team I was on.
Since then I’ve worked on a lot of teams. The best team I worked on was three of us, arguably each the best at what we did in our respective areas across a very large organization. We worked hard, we built relationships, and that translated into a lot of respect and lee way. I worked with a team for a while that was treated as overhead, with the goal of reducing that overhead still more – not fun. Most teams have had pretty good people, but many of them have struggled with the reputation part.
Reputation often stems more than you might expect from whoever leads the team. Yes, the team has to deliver, but the team tends to reflect the attitude and approach and values of the manager. If the manager has a good reputation then usually the team does.
There are often opportunities to be found on bad/failing teams, but it’s never as fun as joining a team that has a great reputation. It’s hard to assess during the interview, but worth a try. To some degree you can tell by the interview itself, the things they focus on and how they treat you, but it’s not the same as finding out how the rest of the world sees the team.
Does your team have a good reputation? How important do you think team reputation is to enjoying work? Got a good horror story about a bad team? Let’s continue this in the discussion forum.
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DC has released a preview of Flash #13 to Maxim. The preview pages pick up on threads in both Flash #0 and Flash Annual #1 and tease the main story coming up in Gorilla Warfare: Grodd and his army invade Central City.
Flash #13 by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato arrives in stores next week. It’s perhaps worth noting that while we’ve seen three Flash #1 issues since 2006, this is the first time one of those series has made it to #13.*
*Of course, if we’re counting issues and not issue numbers, this series hit thirteen last month, and the 2007 Wally West relaunch went for 17 issues after it picked up where the initial run left off at #231.
If we are being pedantic this series hit *fourteen* issues last month since we now have issue 12, issue zero and the annual. I am counting the annual in this because, unlike old-style annuals, it wasn’t a separate story but an extra-long episode of the current arc.
This has just reminded me of my one gripe about the current series. It doesn’t actually have arcs, because there has not yet been an end point to any of them. Instead it is just one thing after another without any break.
The last two pages of the annual are a good example of what I mean. The story is about to end. Captain Cold is talking about family and the need to stick together. The Rogues are about to wander off to regroup or not, when BAM, enter the gorillas, and we are off again.
I would like just once for the story to actually finish – leaving Barry to reflect / eat pizza / smile ruefully / whatever, and start a new adventure the following issue. The never ending storyline is starting to give it the feeling of a Bold and Beautiful style soap opera…
This is as old as cinema with it’s ‘cliffhangers’. It’s designed to keep you hooked so that you don’t think…”Well, that was a good story, but I think I’ll go try something else now.” It’s a very understandable business tactic.
What’s getting me confused is that by only keeping up through the Previews I’m always going “huh?” when the actual book is said to be out; like “wasn’t that put out weeks ago?” Heh.
Not a number counter. I can care less who had more issues, what I want are issues that I care to spend money on.
Btw, apparently Didio shot off his mouth again at some convention and there’s a rumor that Young Justice the cartoon isn’t going to be renewed because of some legal snafus regarding Wildstorm characters and royalty dues or something.
Gah.
Entertainment legal stuff is like some of the worst family reunions I was forced to watch as a kid.
Done-In-One stories are, sadly, the rarity these days, especially given the industry’s drive for TPB sales. I don’t mind the current ongoing storyline as long as it is told well and is entertaining.
I think this season of Young Justice is supposed to be the last although I don’t know the exact reasons behind why. What I find upsetting is that a few weeks ago, Cartoon Network debuted the last half of YJ’s second season along with the second season of Green Lantern:The Animated Series.
Bart was still in the show, forming quite the neat friendship with Jaime Reyes, Blue Beetle. But now, due partly to CN’s ongoing celebration of their 20th anniversary, they pulled both shows from the line-up till January of next year.
What gives? I don’t mind if you want to postpone the shows for your celebration, but don’t start showing the new episodes, getting me pulled into them, and then suddenly yank them off the air for the next few months.
I’m not in the US so I am camped miles away from the Young Justice wagons:)
I wasn’t meaning to contrast the never-ending soap opera feel with done-in-ones, so much as serials that have a definite end. Another example: I have just sat and reread the first 22 issues of Gotham Central, an amazing series. This illustrates exactly what I mean. The first arc is 6 issues and features Mister Freeze. It has an ending, and issue 7 has the start to a new story that will turn out to feature Two-Face.
There is no point at which anyone says “That’s it for you Freeze. Now what’s that behind me? Ohmigod! Look out, its Two Face and he’s after us!”
The problem with this approach (which may in fact be editorially mandated and may be happening across the new 52) is that it ends up resembling pinball more than drama. And, after a while, that becomes less interesting.
On the next to last page of issue 5 We get a concluding scene that has Manuel or a clone saying We are…Mob Rule, as he sits brooding. So yes that’s an end.
But the next frame has Flash and Dr Elias talking about the EMP blast and by the end of the page we are into the next arc, and on the next page the issue finishes with “We’ve got to destroy the speed force!”
So when you put the comic down you are not thinking about how the story ended. You are now thinking about how the new story will develop. I would have been happier if it had finished with Flash and Patty and the remnants of Mob Rule brooding.
I am liking Manapul and Buccellato’s Flash a lot. I am just feeling that they should slow down sometimes to make the fast passages stand out
That is an awfully nit-picky line of thinking. If that is your beef, your complaint should be less with M&B and more with comic book storytelling for the last 30-40 years (not to mention movies and TV shows which do the exact same thing – laying a thread for a future installment to pick up from).Nick recently posted: I Saw Casino Royale Again – And it holds up
Argh. I just found a Funko 3D Bookmark featuring Batman (with an ad on the back for Joker…but can’t find any info on the net for a Flash or a Superman….or anything at all, really. Really want Flash or Supes although Bats is cute enough. Got this little guy at Target (Books section) anyone seen?
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Welcome to amanda hayden photography
I have been drawn to photographs for as long as I can remember. There was something so surreal in how time would stand still on paper. With the click of a shutter the world could stop. That moment forever remained. I get so excited about every chance I have to snap photos and am always looking for ways to be unique and creative with what I do. I strive to capture life as it happens. Some fun tidbits about me...
- I wear flip flops until it snows, and the snow has to stick!
- I have a 1 year old who is FULL of personality and is the center of my world!
- I used to live and work in the Dominican Republic
- I'm addicted to Pinterest!
- I have 6 tattoos
- I'm training for a marathon (EEK!)
- I LOVE taking pictures!
{innocent} LOVE the mess!
November 27, 2009
What do you get when you combine the most adorable kids with an up for anything mom? A GORGEOUS MESS!!! I suppose, tis the season! There was snow.. there was tinsel, wrapping paper, bows… you name it!! I think i’m still pulling “snow” out of my hair! hehehe Merry Christmas (almost) and enjoy your sneak peek!
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Today Nintendo releases “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” for the Switch, providing another entry into a legendary franchise that has sold more than 100 million copies. The frenetic gameplay and child-friendly characters have been mainstays in neighborhood basements and college dorm rooms for more than a generation. They continue to cause untold broken controllers and shattered relationships.
Underneath the seeming randomness of the races and battles is an ironclad rule of law enforced on Mario and Wario alike. In “Mario Kart,” Lakitu the game master rules the courses with perfect neutrality, allowing former enemies to compete (mostly) fairly while still being truly themselves.
The rule of law is the legal principle of a system of preferably written but at least set rules and standards that are equally applicable to all. Unless otherwise stated, the king gets no special treatment compared to the pauper, nor the other way around. The result of any adjudication should be the same regardless of which judge a party goes before.
In Mario Kart, All the Same Rules Apply to Everyone
In “Mario Kart,” every race starts with the same 3-2-1 countdown and Lakitu, the little goggled Koopa in a cloud, releases the racers to three laps around the track. The racers can then do just about anything, including gliding and driving on walls, in their race to the finish. Randomness abounds, with the racers able to collect and use items ranging from the relatively innocuous bananas to the game-altering blue shell.
None of the characters can subvert these rules. Bowser may be powerful enough to recreate solar systems, but he sits in his go-kart like everyone else. Mario may be the designated hero, but he gets no special privileges except having his name on the game. The lesser-known characters, from the Koopa Kids to the Shy Guys, have an opportunity to compete on equal terms for once instead of getting jumped on or squished. In the universe of the game, the rule of law is set.
Now, for the players outside the game chucking their controllers, it may seem that things are unfair. The game does cheat against the player the better he does. The AI gets faster. The items weaken. But in a sense, this is “fair” is under the rule of law. The player knows the rules going in and continues to play. It may be obnoxious and downright communist for the last-place player to be given a Bullet Bill that rockets him to first place or the game to only give those in first coins that don’t really do anything, but that shows the rule of law can exist outside of natural law.
Nothing inherent in the races would lead to which algorithm should be used to provide items to racers in which position, nor must there be. The rules are the same and sensible in their nonsense. Some bodies of water can be driven through while others cannot, but it’s always the same bodies and all racers react the same. The squid a player releases blinds all the other players equally, until they use a mushroom or run over a chevron. As I said, sensible nonsense can still be the rule.
The Rule of Law Creates Stability for Good and Evil Alike
Now, why would Bowser, king of the Koopas, demean himself to live by the rule of law, especially one enforced by his former peon? He has numerous castles, can spit giant fireballs, and stomp just about everyone. But even with all that and more, he cannot stop a plumber from overthrowing his kingdom at will. In “Mario Kart” under these rules, Bowser can win just as easily as Mario and knows what input will result in which outputs.
Bowser the criminal receives a new way to use his talents where he can still achieve dominance. Perhaps most importantly, when he loses under this civilized order, he can race again. When he loses under the rule of might, he gets dropped into burning lava and his castle collapses on top of him.
Mario likewise gives up his primary role of hero, as well as allowing Bowser and his lackeys a renewed chance at success and freedom. He is forced to extend some mercy in allowing Lakitu to treat them as neutral instead of evil. Mario, however, gets the threat of a Koopa Kingdom diminished as long as the criminal elements are ordered in a way that is mutually beneficial or at least not destructive.
The benefits given by treating the bad and good equally may at first seem to be a better reward for the bad, but this allows long-term success for the virtuous as well. The rule of law creates stability instead of the see-saw of power between the Bowser and Mario regimes so all the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom can take a joy ride on the beach.
Speaking of the other members of society, the rule of law in Mario Kart shows that cultural pluralism demands an equal rule of law for each member to be truly himself without fear of retribution. When a villainous character like Waluigi hits another racer with a red shell, Waluigi isn’t punished for it. The substance of his character is entirely divorced from how the rules apply to him.
Wario and Waluigi can still grimace and growl, even grumble that “everybody cheated” when they lose, but as long as the system of law and fair judges are in place, they don’t rebel. If Lakitu allowed some racers to flip bananas and others not only because of who they were, the prejudiced racers would rightly look somewhere else than the road to settle the score. Chants of “burn it down” don’t come from citizens with a firm belief in the rule of law. They come from the overlooked and those distrustful after being burned too many times from those enforcing the ever-changing rules.
Adam Mathews is an intellectual property attorney with his B.S.M.E, B.A., and J.D. from the University of Notre Dame. He happily lives in Lebanon, Ohio with his wife and two children. Follow him on Twitter @AdamMDG.
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Monthly Archive
This week we had the privilege of having a Q&A and casual lunch with Greg Lambrecht, the inventor of the wine preservation gadget called Coravin that I blogged about last December. Since I have been using this device in the NYC market almost daily, I thought what else is there to know? Turns out quite a bit.
The story of its development is fascinating. Before inventing the Coravin, he invented lots of medical devices, such as better, more comfortable ways to administer chemotherapy to patients (and not surprisingly, many of these medical devices had needles). When his wife became pregnant with their second child, he needed a way to tap into his wine without committing to the consumption of an entire bottle. The approach in developing this wine saving device was truly scientific as well, with lots of trial and error. Nitrogen was apparently a runner up to argon, but at the five year mark of tasting control samples, the wines under nitrogen didn’t hold up. Under argon? No detectable difference between a new and ‘accessed’ bottle.
Our office wine room is littered with Coravin’d bottles that did not, in fact, stand the test of time. It was necessary to sample any bottle before taking it out (the latest turned bottle was a Dupont Tissanderot Mazis-Chambertin 1996, sigh). So here are some tips for how to have this NOT happen:
First, it is essential to clear the needle of air and/or wine before EVERY use, otherwise you are introducing oxygen to that bottle. You can watch a demonstration here.
Second, throw away the yellow needle and spout protectors. Keeping them on creates the perfect environment for microbial spoilage, which can also be transferred to the wine resulting in a slow death.
Lastly, besides Greg being so absolutely likable, there is still a lot of excitement about the Coravin and the product is about to go international. I even had a few of my buyers attend this seminar and they got to play with it first hand. Greg does admit that in his years of developing the product, he never even considered that his biggest supporters would be in wine distribution.
We all know the basic four when it comes to tasting: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. In fact, these four have been the unchallenged quartet since the days of Aristotle and Plato.
To this pantheon has now been added Umami (introduced in the 19th century), which is now generally accepted as the ‘fifth’ taste. Umami can most simply be described as savory, and is often encountered in the world of tasting saké. (Check out the Umami Information Center to learn more).
It is apparently MUCH more complicated than this, however. An article in today’s New York Times now suggests there may be way more than five, for example: “fattiness, soapiness and metallic”. Scientists now not only recognize additional receptors on the palate previously unknown, but also that there may be additional receptors in the intestine. Moreover, the majority of these taste receptors are operating on an unconscious level. This has helped us steer clear of poisonous foods as well as to recognize what is nutritious. Based on these tastes, we are either “thrilled or repulsed”.
It’s a fascinating topic, and humbling to know how little we understand about taste. And now off to breakfast!
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Council President Rebecca led with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a prayer.
MINUTES:
Rebecca asked if there were any additions or corrections to the July minutes; there being none, minutes were approved as written.
OLD ITEMS:
Special Distribution SEA funds for 2018 (paving project, next round of funding) – The application has been submitted and received by INDOT.
Update on Main Streets Program – Rebecca reported that Mary Shaw with OCRA attended the last meeting and reassured everyone that things are moving along as they should be.
Update on stop signs at SR 75 – The LED stop signs are still not installed yet. If they are not in place by the end of August, Rebecca will get in touch with her contact at INDOT to find out when we can expect this to be completed.
Spotlight of Town Ordinances – No ordinances will be highlighted in August because Old Fashion Days schedules will be included in the water bills. Ordinance 132.06 will be highlighted in September to remind residents that there are to be no obstructions in open alleyways or streets. This opened up discussion regarding who is responsible for maintaining alleyways in the Town. Harold indicated that the Town is responsible for this maintenance, however, if there is vegetation or overgrowth from a resident’s backyard, then those residents need to take care of that. It was determined that Kirk Vittetow and Shawn Leep (where his property meets Ladoga Avenue) need to receive letters. Beth will take care of sending these next week.
Town Flag Project – One entry has been received so far, and it was circulated at the meeting. Becky is expecting additional entries, as the project was advertised in The Republican today.
Update on French Drain – Mark spoke with Kirk of Sellers Excavating. He doesn’t think there’s anything they can do to help improve this situation, other than the property owner moving his sump pump to a different location. Mark will pass this information along to the property owner, but will also try to speak with Brent Sellers to see if he has any other ideas.
Update on AED Grant – This grant was denied by the Hendricks County Community Foundation. Marshal Berry has some ideas that he will present during his time to report.
Update on Painting of the Hydrants – Mark reported that this is still in progress, they haven’t had time to do it yet.
New Sidewalks – Mark reported that he will be meeting with Ralph Whitaker sometime in September.
Update regarding Mr. Goode and Mr. Koopman – Jimmy presented the Council with paperwork from Mr. Koopman that he obtained from Jerod Chew, District Conservationist with the USDA indicating that this property is not a true wetland. Upon Review by Harold, it was determined that Mr. Goode needs to take care of his property. The Town will send a letter to Mr. Goode to notify him that he needs to mow the grass.
Ordinance 2017-2 – Park location. Ordinance 2017-2 was presented for a second read. This ordinance amends the location of the park from the “West edge of town” to the “East end of town”. Jimmy made a motion to pass on second read as written; Rebecca seconded. Since all Council members were not present, a final reading will take place at next month’s meeting.
NEW ITEMS:
November Ham and Bean Supper — Becky reported that this will take place on Saturday, November 4th. She presented 2 lists of businesses in Town and asked that Jimmy and Mike go to each business on their list to solicit donations for the supper. These can be either items to raffle off or monetary donations. Jimmy took one and Tammy will leave one in the office for Mike.
Ice Cream Social for Main Street – The Main Street Committee would like to close Broadway Street for the Ice Cream Social. They have talked to Perillos, and they did not object. They would like to set up the night before, and Mark didn’t
see a problem with this. He will call Brenda Fleece to let her know this would be fine. Signs have been placed in the flower pots along Main Street, and plans are coming along for this event.
“Whirligigs” for School Signs – Becky spoke with her contact at INDOT, and he indicated that these deteriorate very quickly, and does not recommend using them. Yellow flashing lights are better. They cost around $3,000.00 each and would have to be paid for by either the Town or the School. He did believe that the Safe Routes for School grant might
August Minutes – page 2
be able to be used for this purpose. Becky is attending an INDOT meeting on August 24th and will investigate this further, as the Town does not have the funds to purchase these, and she doesn’t believe the school would either.
Old Fashion Days Security – Becky had a meeting with John Berry and Linda Miller. Old Fashion Days has a budget of $450.00 to pay John for security during the festival. Becky felt that John should be paid equally with the County officers that will be providing security as well, and proposed that the Town should pay John an amount “not to exceed $500.00” above and beyond his regular salary, for the many hours he will spend working security for Old Fashion Days. John will keep a record of his hours. For the record, John believes that the amount of $500.00 is too much. Jimmy made the first motion and Rebecca seconded. Linda reported that the Old Fashion Days Committee has insurance, and that they are also requiring each vendor to have a certificate of insurance as well. The Town will need a copy of the insurance certificate from Porters, Linda will take care of that. Linda also stated that John and Kevin are working on an emergency plan in the event of inclement weather, which will direct visitors to take cover at the churches and school. They will use the siren and PA system to direct people to these locations, and they will give a copy of the plan to each vendor. Linda asked if signs for Old Fashion Days could be placed in the flower pots in Town for this year, Becky and Mark agreed. John is working on the road closure for the festival, as well as help for traffic control during the parade. Becky said that there needs to be “no parking” signs between McKinley and Nebraska Streets so people do not obstruct the parade.
REPORTS:
Mark – The new garage door is going to be $90.00 more than the price quoted. He ordered the dark brown, and it should be here in the next week or two. Joe Goldsmith is replacing the ballasts in the streetlights with the newer LED ones as they need replacing, and Mark is getting new plastic globes to replace the broken ones.
NSPD – Marshal Berry spoke with a dealer regarding the AED, and she is willing to donate one. He would like to do a fundraiser that he was made aware of by Christie Patterson, with the Pittsboro PD. Papa John’s will come and sell pizza slices and donate a certain amount to the agency. John will look into this, and would like to set it up for a Tuesday, so that we wouldn’t be competing with Perillos. He felt like it would be best to try and raise some funds for the AED and combine that with the dealer donating so it would help defer their cost. Regarding the body camera, Mark Wood hasn’t gotten the information to him yet. The North Salem State Bank is willing to help with this. The body cam would be linked through the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department if we can get things done on our end on time. John wanted to thank everyone for their support in allowing him time away to go to church camp last week.
Council – After reviewing Marshal Berry’s monthly report, Becky would like to see about working a part-time Deputy into the budget since John continues to get busier. Becky would also like to schedule another Shred Day and Heavy Trash Day for this fall. Harold suggested integrating the Shred Day during the Ham and Bean Supper if Ray’s would do it in the evening. Becky would like to try and set up the Heavy Trash Day for Tuesday, September 19th to help residents get rid of unwanted items after Old Fashion Days. Jimmy reported that there is a vehicle in town that is regularly ignoring the stop signs. Marshal Berry indicated that he is aware of the situation, but has been unable to catch him in the act. He will continue his efforts to do so.
Harold Blake – Harold checked into renting the building out that’s next to the garage. It can be rented as long as it is advertised and rented for fair market value. Mark will check into the cost of providing the space with water, heat, and air conditioning. Harold inquired about the garage that burned on 75 North in Town. If something isn’t done with the property very soon, the owner will need to fence this off for safety reasons.
Clerk-Treasurer – No report.
PUBLIC:
None
ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:03 pm. The next Council Meeting will be September 7th at 6:00 pm.
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[V1.0 only: create a new Folder at "~/Library/Caches/OpenMoko Flasher"]
press the Refresh button (which loads the list of packages on the server)
select and load the rootfs (takes some minutes for approx. 40 MByte)
[V1.0 and V1.1 only: open the Console application and show the console.log]
Now, on your OpenMoko, hold the AUX button while pressing the Power button for 5 seconds
the BOOT menu should appear
connect the USB cable
Press the Flash button
the BOOT menu screen on the OM should show an indication that it has been switched to DFU mode
if it fails), unplug the OpenMoko shortly and replug and try again (experience shows that it is needed up to three times)
if it successfully flashed, you should be able to boot the OpenMoko and continue configuring AJZaurusUSB
The dfu-utils tool is included in the OpenMoko Flasher application; you can access it as OpenMoko Flasher.app/Contents/MacOS/dfu-util ; alternatively, you can compile dfu-util manually as described at http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/User:SNMoore
Connecting to your device
USB
You can telnet, SSH, SMB or do whatever you want if you install software that enables you to set up TCP/IP network over your USB connection.
MacOS X does not provide such a driver for RNDIS/Ethernet Gadget. But you can use an open source (GPL) universal driver http://www.dsitri.de/wiki.php?page=AJZaurusUSB which is developed for handheld devices like iPAQ, Sharp Zaurus, and Motorola A760. Download it and install according to manual found inside of the package.
After reboot, you should have a new Ethernet interface in your System Preferences/Network. Set up the network manually for that interface by using these addresses:
This might conflict with some WLAN routers which also use the 192.168.0.0 network.
You should be able to connect to your Neo! Try using ping 192.168.0.202 and the roundtrip time should be between 1 and 2 ms.
NOTE: the software is sometimes a bit flaky, and a reboot of the Mac seems to bring it back. It is especially critical about hot unplugging the OM and sleep modes of MacBooks. This may even result in a Kernel Panic.
Telnet, ssh, SMB
To Be Done.
ssh
After making the USB connection work, start ssh:
ssh -l root 192.168.0.202
If you don't have installed the key, it will ask for a "yes" on the first connection and for a password on each other. This is "root" unless you change it.
[V1.0 only: create a new Folder at "~/Library/Caches/OpenMoko Flasher"]
press the Refresh button (which loads the list of packages on the server)
select and load the rootfs (takes some minutes for approx. 40 MByte)
[V1.0 and V1.1 only: open the Console application and show the console.log]
Now, on your OpenMoko, hold the AUX button while pressing the Power button for 5 seconds
the BOOT menu should appear
connect the USB cable
Press the Flash button
the BOOT menu screen on the OM should show an indication that it has been switched to DFU mode
if it fails), unplug the OpenMoko shortly and replug and try again (experience shows that it is needed up to three times)
if it successfully flashed, you should be able to boot the OpenMoko and continue configuring AJZaurusUSB
The dfu-utils tool is included in the OpenMoko Flasher application; you can access it as OpenMoko Flasher.app/Contents/MacOS/dfu-util ; alternatively, you can compile dfu-util manually as described at http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/User:SNMoore
Connecting to your device
USB
You can telnet, SSH, SMB or do whatever you want if you install software that enables you to set up TCP/IP network over your USB connection.
MacOS X does not provide such a driver for RNDIS/Ethernet Gadget. But you can use an open source (GPL) universal driver http://www.dsitri.de/wiki.php?page=AJZaurusUSB which is developed for handheld devices like iPAQ, Sharp Zaurus, and Motorola A760. Download it and install according to manual found inside of the package.
After reboot, you should have a new Ethernet interface in your System Preferences/Network. Set up the network manually for that interface by using these addresses:
This might conflict with some WLAN routers which also use the 192.168.0.0 network.
You should be able to connect to your Neo! Try using ping 192.168.0.202 and the roundtrip time should be between 1 and 2 ms.
NOTE: the software is sometimes a bit flaky, and a reboot of the Mac seems to bring it back. It is especially critical about hot unplugging the OM and sleep modes of MacBooks. This may even result in a Kernel Panic.
Telnet, ssh, SMB
To Be Done.
ssh
After making the USB connection work, start ssh:
ssh -l root 192.168.0.202
If you don't have installed the key, it will ask for a "yes" on the first connection and for a password on each other. This is "root" unless you change it.
|
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|
Tag: Coconut Oil
One of my favorite add-ons is the Asian Pack! It always gives me the excuse to make up a big batch of stir fry. Today I wanted to do something different. Why not egg rolls! Simple enough, as all I needed were the wrappers. These egg rolls receive their heat from the dried Chiles de árbol in the pack. The coconut kiss, is a result of the rolls being fried in Bountiful Baskets scented organic Coconut Oil. Trust me, my house smelled amazing all day! Continue reading “Spicy Coconut Kissed Egg Rolls with Dipping Sauce Trio”
One of the things that happens the night before Basket Day is using up the remnants of whatever is left in the veggie drawer in the fridge. One of the easiest things to do (and currently one of our favorites) is to go Indian – with a veggie tikka masala.Continue reading “Vegetable Tikka Masala”
The tropical pack is one of my favorites. I open it and the smell immediately transports me to far off beaches filled with refreshing flavors and cool breezes. I will admit though, it is also one of the most intimidating packs for me. Each item seems like it takes special knowledge and intense preparation. In my house, the coconut has often gone to waste (let’s share a moment of silence for the untimely loss of a coconut). The pineapple, kiwi, and mango generally end up tossed in a smoothie (yum- but snore). And the rest of the stuff usually gets incorporated into my weekly meals ending up in a less-than-tropical-flavor. I don’t know about you but using the tropical pack limes to make Southwest Ranch Dressing just seems wrong (although the dressing is SO good- but that’s for a different post). Continue reading “A Visit to the Tropics…Via Cake!”
A few months ago, I contributed for the soft white wheat berries on a whim. I had never ground my own wheat and didn’t even own a device that would do it. I read that you could eat it like oatmeal in the morning or in tabbouleh salad so I was convinced that I would find fabulous things to do with them. Continue reading “Wheat Berry Snacks”
Watching a good movie while enjoying a homemade pizza is a common occurrence in our house and since no picky eating is allowed it’s easy to try different toppings with success.
One of our favorite movies is Secondhand Lions. It’s the story of a young boy who gets uprooted to live with relatives he doesn’t know and the adventures that follow. Since this movie takes place in Texas and because we’re in Texas it made sense to create a pizza using leftover brisket. After all, there is nothing like Texas brisket! Hope you enjoy the movie and the pizza as much as we did.
Steve Jones is a fellow Photographer and PhotoTips Member and Mentor. If you check out his images you will see that he is a renowned Star Trails (Night Sky) and Avian (Bird) Photographer. He is also an amazing chef! http://www.sjlarue.com/
Looking for a new and unique way to fix your butternut squash from this week’s basket?
Try Garam Masala Butternut Squash Soup. It’s a slighly spicy, different twist on traditional squash soups. Garam Masala is a mixed spice used commonly in Indian dishes. Garam Masala can be purchased pre-mixed or made on your own. See the bottom of a previous blog post for how to make your own garam masala if you cannot find it commercially.
Last night, my son had a serious cookie craving. Too bad I had almost no cookie-making ingredients! I decided that I would try a flourless, low sugar oatmeal cookie (mostly because I had no flour and hardly any sugar), and after discovering I was out of raisins, I substituted dried apple pieces. The result was a crispy, yummy, oatmeal cookie full of autumn flavors. My 4 year old devoured the cookies and I loved that they’re pretty healthy, for cookies. And they gained their unique moniker because I can’t type on my smartphone. I was typing the recipe up on Facebook, and oil became oik. My sister decided there was no other name for them. If you want to give them a try, here’s the recipe:Continue reading “Oik Cookies”
The last two months have brought about great changes in my kitchen. We have recently discovered that many of my 7-year-old’s chronic pain issues are due to numerous, severe allergies- both food and environmental. I was already committed to having a “non-processed” pantry and she was already gluten-free so I thought I had the home-cooking lifestyle down pat. But the discovery of allergies to all grains, many fruits and vegetables, and to other basics including olive oil and raw local honey, really set my mind whirling. So much of what I thought was healthy was in fact hurting her. Though I was truly grateful to finally get some answers for my girl I felt depressed, overwhelmed, and totally ill equipped for the task at hand. But, being a somewhat plucky, hard-to-keep-down kind of gal, I quickly got over my pity party and did the best thing I could do. I started to research and started to get into the kitchen and experiment.Continue reading “Cuckoo For CoCoNut (Oil that is)”
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{
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|
Specifications:
Manufacturer's Part Number:
01502203
Sparco Steering Wheel Hubs are required to properly install your Sparco Steering Wheel. They are made to fit your specific vehicle to provide you with the easiest and best fitting steering wheel hub. These steering wheel hub adapters are vital for installing a 6 bolt Sparco steering wheel into your vehicle.
|
{
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}
|
THE NAVY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
By Edward J. Marolda
The Vietnam Navy (VNN) came into existence, fought its battles, and faded into history in a short span of twenty years (1955-1975). But, during that time the VNN, with the assistance of American advisors, became one of the world's largest navies with 42,000 men and women and 672 amphibious ships and craft, 20 mine warfare vessels, 450 patrol craft, 56 service craft, and 242 junks.
The organizational changes to the Vietnam Navy during those two decades reflected the evolution in the service's mission and responsibilities. Initially, the Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnamese Armed Forces, an army officer, controlled the Navy Staff and its chief. With the encouragement of American naval advisors, the general staff established the billet of Chief of Naval Operations, which handled the administration, if not the operational control, of the naval service.
In the early years, the navy's combat forces consisted of the Sea Force (renamed Fleet Command in January 1966), River Force, and Marine Corps (made a separate military service in April 1965). Recognizing that the sea was a likely avenue of approach for Communists infiltrating from North Vietnam or moving along the South Vietnamese littoral, in April 1960 the navy established the paramilitary Coastal Force and in July 1965 formally integrated it into the navy.
The different missions of the navy's combat forces determined how they were operationally controlled. The units involved in open sea and coastal patrol missions operated first in five Sea Zones, then in four Naval Zones (after October 1963), and finally four Coastal Zones (after April 1965). The coastal zones, from the 1st in the north to the 4th in the Gulf of Siam, corresponded to the army's I, II, III, and IV Corps areas. Coastal Force junks patrolled the offshore waters from 28 bases along the coast. The regional operations of the Coastal Force were directed from coastal surveillance centers set up in Danang, Cam Ranh, Vung Tau, and An Thoi.
The River Force, organized into river assault groups on the French model of Dinassaut (naval assault divisions), initially served the army divisions closest to its Mekong Delta naval bases at Saigon, My Tho, Vinh Long, Can Tho, and Long Xuyen. In the early 1960s, the navy also formed the River Transport Escort Group to protect the vital foodstuffs being convoyed to Saigon, and the River Transport Group to move army forces throughout the delta. In April 1965, the Joint General Staff established the III and IV Riverine Areas to manage River Force operations. The navy was given sole responsibility for handling operations in the Rung Sat "Special Zone," a maze of rivers and swamps south of Saigon.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the United States supplemented the modest force of ships and craft turned over to the VNN by the French with hundreds of naval vessels, including escorts (PCE), patrol rescue escorts (PCER), motor gunboats (PGM), large support landing ships (LSSL), large infantry landing ships (LSIL), tank landing ships (LST), medium landing ships (LSM), and minesweeping launches (MLMS). These vessels improved the ability of the oceangoing force to patrol the 1,200-mile coastline, provide gunfire support for troops ashore, and carry out amphibious landings and open sea operations.
The River Force received a fleet of smaller vessels, including specially converted mechanized landing craft (LCM) that served as monitors, command boats, troop transports, minesweeping boats, patrol vessels, and fuel barges. The United States also provided the river sailors with 27 American-built river patrol craft (RPC). Unfortunately, these vessels proved to be too noisy, underarmed, and easily slowed by river vegetation.
Armed with these combatants, the Vietnam Navy played an increasing role in the fight for South Vietnam. Along with American naval forces, the Fleet Command and the Coastal Force seized or destroyed thousands of junks, sampans, and other craft ferrying enemy munitions and personnel along the coast. The Coastal Force also carried out many amphibious raids, patrols of shallow inlets and river mouths, and troop lifts. These operations played an important part in the allied campaign to deny the enemy easy access to the coastal regions. For instance, during Operation Irving in October 1966, ground forces and junk units in II Coastal Zone cooperated to kill 681 Viet Cong guerrillas. Even though Communist forces sometimes overran the triangular-shaped fortifications of the Coastal Force, they more often failed to overcome the defenders.
In addition to offshore patrol, Fleet Command ships also patrolled the larger Mekong Delta rivers and protected merchant ships moving between the sea and the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. The VNN paid a price for its success on the rivers, however. In one period during 1966, enemy river mines sank an LSSL and damaged an LSIL and a utility landing craft (LCU). Viet Cong mines also sank several of the command's minesweeping launches in the Rung Sat during 1966 and 1967.
While the VNN sometimes crowned its operations with victory and its sailors often fought bravely, serious deficiencies plagued the service throughout its existence, but especially during the 1960s. Careerism and political activity on the part of many naval officers weakened the war effort. The coup d'etat against President Diem in November 1963 and the political troubles of 1965-1966, in which the navy figured prominently, damaged the morale of officers and bluejackets alike and distracted them from their military mission.
The training of sailors, many educationally unprepared in the technical skills essential for the operation of complex vessels, weapons, and equipment, was generally inadequate. Low pay and austere living conditions prompted many sailors to desert the colors over the years and frustrated recruitment.
The material condition of the navy raised even more serious concerns. Hull and equipment deterioration in the World War II- era ships and craft was a serious problem, as was the lack of sufficient spare parts, supplies, and fuel. Compounding the problem was the inability of the ship and boat repair facilities in South Vietnam to handle the workload generated by the high-intensity operations of 1967-1969.
Because of these personnel and material problems, the Vietnam Navy rarely had 50 percent of its ships and craft in operation for blue-ocean, coastal, or river missions.
The VNN's fortunes rose, albeit temporarily, with Washington's decision to turn the war effort over to the Vietnamese and withdraw U.S. military forces from Southeast Asia. In early 1969, President Richard M. Nixon formally adopted as U.S. policy the so-called "Vietnamization" program. The naval part of that process, termed ACTOV (Accelerated Turnover to the Vietnamese), involved the phased transfer to Vietnam of the U.S. Navy's river and coastal combatant fleet. As entire units came under Vietnam Navy command, control of the various combat operations passed to that naval service as well. Hence, the VNN took on sole responsibility for river assault operations when the joint U.S. Army-Navy Mobile Riverine Force lowered its colors and transferred 64 riverine assault craft in the summer of 1969.
The Vietnam Navy performed well during the allied push into Cambodia in the spring of 1970. On 9 May, a combined Vietnamese-American naval task force, under Vietnamese command, steamed up the Mekong River and secured control of that key waterway from Communist forces. The combined flotilla stormed enemy-held Neak Luong, a strategic ferry crossing point on the river. Then, the Vietnamese contingent of river combatants pushed on to Phnom Penh.
In July 1970, the U.S. Navy ceased its offensive missions on I Corps's Cua Viet and Hue rivers and by the end of the year its other major operations throughout South Vietnam. During that time, Commander U.S. Naval Forces, Vietnam, transferred to the VNN 293 river patrol boats and 224 riverine assault craft. The Vietnam Navy grouped these fighting vessels into riverine assault interdiction divisions (RAID), river interdiction divisions (RID), and river patrol groups (RPG).
The same process worked with the offshore patrol operation during 1970 and 1971. As part of the U.S. Navy's ACTOV program and the U.S. Coast Guard's SCATTOR (Small Craft Assets, Training, and Turnover of Resources) program, the United States transferred to the VNN complete control of the coastal and high seas surface patrol operations. The American naval command transferred four Coast Guard cutters, each equipped with 5-inch guns, radar escort picket ship Camp (DER 251), Garrett County (LST 786), and various harbor control, mine craft, and logistic support vessels. In the midst of this activity, the American and Vietnamese naval forces managed to sink or turn back all but one of the eleven Communist ships that attempted to infiltrate contraband into South Vietnam during 1971. By August 1972, the VNN took on responsibility for the entire coastal patrol effort when it took possession of the last of 16 American coastal radar installations.
In addition to ships and craft, the U.S. Navy, under the ACTOVLOG (Accelerated Turnover to the Vietnamese, Logistics) program, transferred to the Vietnam Navy its many combat and logistic support bases. The first change of command occurred in November 1969 at My Tho and the last in April 1972 at the former centers of American naval power in South Vietnam, the bases at Nha Be, Binh Thuy, Cam Ranh Bay, and Danang.
By 1973, the Vietnam Navy possessed the material resources to carry on the fight alone. The 42,000-man naval service marshaled a force of over 1,400 ships and craft to meet the enemy on the rivers and canals of South Vietnam and in the South China Sea. The relatively young, dramatically expanded, and still developing Vietnam Navy had great potential, but it needed time to mature.
The Vietnam Navy never got that time. Disenchanted with the American venture in Southeast Asia, during 1973 and 1974 the United States drastically cut financial support for the Vietnamese armed forces. The Vietnam Navy was compelled to reduce its overall operations by 50 percent and its river combat and patrol activities by 70 percent. To conserve scarce ammunition and fuel, Saigon laid up over 600 river and harbor craft and 22 ships. The enemy did not target the waterways during this period, but the respite was short lived.
In little more than a month during the spring of 1975, Communist ground forces seized all of northern and central South Vietnam, bypassing any VNN concentrations. The Vietnam Navy's ships and sailors soon joined the hurried exodus of troops and civilians from the I and II Corps areas. With the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975, many of the VNN's ships and craft put to sea and gathered off Son Island southwest of Vung Tau. The flotilla of 26 Vietnam Navy and other vessels, with 30,000 sailors, their families, and other civilians on board, joined the U.S. Seventh Fleet when it embarked the last of the refugees fleeing South Vietnam and headed for the Philippines.
Thus ended the Vietnam Navy's short, if dramatic history. The VNN's sailors often fought with bravery and determination, killing many of the enemy and suffering heavy losses of their own. But, their valor and sacrifice was not rewarded with victory in the Vietnam War.
RVN NAVY'S ART WORKS BY VU KHAI CO
CLICK THE LEFT THUMBNAIL TO VIEW THE SLIDE SHOW OF VIETNAM NAVY'S PHOTO COLLECTION (a total of 54 color and B&W photos)
THE CADETS OF NHA TRANG'S NAVAL ACADEMY
THE RVN NAVY'S CAMPS & TRAINING CENTERS
ORGANIZATION AND PROGRESSIVE ACTIVITIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM NAVY
By Commander Thong Ba Le, RVN Navy
1. BACKGROUND HISTORY
The Vietnamese Navy was founded in 1952 with the assistance of the French Navy. In the beginning there were no Vietnamese Naval Officers who had the experience to command. By the request of the Vietnamese Government, the French temporarily continued to be in charge until August 20, 1955, the date that Vietnamese Naval Officers completely commanded the Navy Forces. There were about 2000 personnel from the beginning, with 22 vessels consisting of: Patrol Coastal Escort (PCE), Landing Ship, Mechanized (LSM), Landing Ship Infantry, Large (LSIL), Landing Ship Support, Large (LSSL), Mine Sweeper (YMS) and six River Assault Groups. The Navy then was formed into two main Combat Forces: Sea Forces and River Forces.
In 1959, North Vietnamese Communists started developing a movement to sneak troops and equipment into the Republic of Vietnam's territory. In order to stop the Communists from using the East Sea to sneak troops and weapons by boats to the coastline of South Vietnam, the RVN's Navy, along with the mentioned ships, organized a Luc Luong Hai Thuyen (Coastal Junk Force) with 200 boats. These motor propelled and sail junk boats, manned by Regional Irregular Forces personnel and local fishermen recruited for the occasion, kept watch along the 1,200 mile coastline. The name Coastal Junk Force was later changed to Regular Forces and came to be known as Duyen doan (Coastal Groups) and was under the command of the Coastal Zones. While organizing the Coastal Junk Force, the Sea Force was also modernized and developed with the receiving of warships that were transferred from the United States Navy.
The period between 1959 and 1966 was noted for the considerable advance of the RVN Navy in every field involved: the operations activities, the training facilities and the logistics capability. These fields had developed and improved as well as the overall organization and management of the Navy. The total number of gunboats, warships and junk boats increased from 94 units to 560 vessels and the number of personnel grew to 16,000 from 3,000 in 7 years. In addition, from October 1966, Luc Luong Lien doan Tuan Giang (The River Patrol Groups), previously under the command of Dia Phuong Quan (The Regional Irregular Forces), were included in the Command and the Organization of the Republic of Vietnam Navy.
In 1968, in order to quickly improve the role of the RVN Armed Forces in fighting against the aggression of North Vietnamese Communists, the RVN Navy and the U.S. Navy carried out plans to turns over all assets of the U.S. Navy to the RVN Navy in a program named "Accelerated Turn Over to Vietnam" (ACTOV). This plan was executed swiftly and effectively and was accomplished before schedule. As a result, at the end of 1972, the number of warships, gunboats and junk boats had reached a total of 1,500 vessels and more than 40,000 officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted men. There were 16 Radar Surveillance Sites and 16 Naval Support Bases and Operational Support Units. The Vietnamese Navy Headquarters was organized into three main components:
* The Combat Forces
* The Logistics Branch
* The Training Element
2. THE NAVY HEADQUARTERS ORGANIZATION
The Vietnamese Navy Headquarters was the brain of the Republic of Vietnam Navy. It was responsible for the operation, management and development of the Navy and was divided into 8 prominent branches as follows:
The Combat Forces were important elements of the Navy that consisted of seven Zone Navy Headquarters and 9 different Forces as listed:
* 5 Coastal Zones
* 2 Riverine Zones
* The Nation Capitol Special Zone
* The Rung Sat Special Zone
* The River Patrol Group
* The Navy Fleet
* The Amphibious Force
* The Patrol Boat River Force
* The Special Task Force
* The Marine Corps
* The Coastal Security Service
3.1 The 5 Coastal Zones
In order to coordinate operations of the territorial and tactical organizations, there were 5 Coastal Zones established and named as First Coastal Zone, Second Coastal Zone and so on. Their primary responsibilities were to maintain the Seaboard and Coastal security including the island territory. Their other missions were to stop and prevent the enemy's illegal infiltration by sea and to conduct operations of their naval units to support and reinforce the appropriate Army Tactical Corp. The main units of the Coastal Zones were Duyen doan (the Coastal Groups), Hai doi Duyen phong (the Coastal Patrol Maritime Groups), Dai Kiem Bao (Radar Surveillance Sites) and Can Cu Hai Quan (Naval Bases) located in their territories. Along the coast of the Republic of Vietnam, there were 20 Coastal Groups and 16 Radar Surveillance Sites; each Coastal Group was equipped with 12 motor-propelled junk boats of various types:
* Yabuta junk boat
* Ferrous Cement junk boat
* Kien Giang junk boat
Each Coastal Patrol Maritime Group was manned with gunboats including Patrol Craft, Fast (PCF), "Swift" and WPB (former U.S. Coast Guard 82ft-patrol boat).
3.2 The Riverine Zone
There were two Riverine Zones in the RVN Navy:
* The Third Riverine Zone operated in the rivers and water ways of the Army Third Corps' territory
* The Fourth Riverine Zone operated in the rivers and waterways of the Army Fourth Corps' territory.
Their primary responsibilities were to maintain and secure the safety on the rivers, to prevent and stop the enemy's troops and equipment from coming either through or into their operating areas, to provide support in combined operations and also to assist the Local Pacification and Developing Program. Besides the Naval Bases, the other main units of the Riverine Forces were The River Assault Groups which were equipped with old gunboats left by the French Navy including: Monitor, LCVP, LCM Commandment, STCAN FOM.
3.3 The National Capitol Special Zone
The Naval Force that operated in the rivers surrounding the Nation Capitol Special Zone was responsible for security. It provided protection for the Capitol as well as coordinated the operations of all naval units in Saigon and its surrounding areas and provided administrative support to the Navy Headquarters.
3.4 The Rung Sat Special Zone
The Vietnamese Navy was designated to be responsible for securing the traffic on the strategic and vital rivers that connected Saigon and the East Sea, the were Long Tao River and Soai Rap River. The Rung Sat Special Zone was covered with jungle of water plants that created ideal areas for VC guerrilla warfare; therefore it was difficult to protect and provide the safety to the thousands of merchant ships steaming in and out through these rivers. But the Navy Forces in charge of this task did a great job of securing the ships' safety without incident in recent years.
3.5 The River Patrol Group
The River Patrol Group, previously under the Command of the Regional Irregular Forces, was later assimilated into the Navy and consisted of 24 River Patrol Companies, 3 repair and maintenance Companies and a Training Center in Cat Lai. The companies were organized to provide operations support to their designated districts and secure the safety on rivers and waterways. They were manned with LCM-3 landing crafts and Harbor Patrol boats.
3.6 The Navy Fleet
The Vietnamese Fleet was the main force of the Navy, consisting of warships with capabilities to operate in the open sea. The Vietnamese Fleet was divided into three Task Groups: Task Group I, Task Group II and Task Group III.
Task Group I: All ships of Task Group I carried out the responsibility of patrolling in the Vietnamese territorial waters to stop the illegal infiltration of the enemy from the North and provided naval gunfire and support in combined operations with the friendly Forces. The Task Group I was manned with:
Task Group II: This Task Group provided transportation, amphibious operations, supplies, repair and maintenance to gunboats and gunfire support in the operations areas. Task Group II also carried out Medical assistance and Civilian psychological and political warfare programs with its two Hospital ships that were equipped with X-ray facilities; dental care units, labs and clinics. These two Hospital ships frequently visited villages located along the coast and rivers in the Mekong Delta to help people who lived in the concentrated area and need medical assistance due to the lack of medicine and medical facilities in their areas. Task Group II consisted of:
Task Group III: This Task Group patrolled in the open sea to discover and immediately stop the infiltration of the enemy and coordinated in combined operations and provided naval fire support to friendly forces. Task Group III was manned with:
The River Patrol Force was founded in October 1969 and consisted of 14 River Patrol Groups, divided into 6 River Patrol Task Groups. Their primary responsibility was to patrol, to secure the safety of the rivers and to stop and prevent the infiltration of the VC through the Task Force's responsible areas from the border of Cambodia and Vietnam. Each River Patrol Group was manned with Patrol Fast Boats (PBR), which had very high speeds and the capability to go into narrow creeks and shallow waters and were very easy to maneuver.
3.9 The Special Mission Force
With the concept of using a variety of units to operate in a combined territory to carry out special missions, the Task Group was manned with the following groups:
* 07 Riverine Attack Group
* 02 Minesweeping Group
3.10 The Marines Corps
The Republic of Vietnam Marines Corps had been organized into Divisions, and although they were in the Organization of the Navy, they were still placed as part of the Reserved Forces of the General Headquarters of Vietnamese Arms Forces.
3.11 The Coastal Security Service
The Coastal Security Service was an organization of the Navy that was placed under the operational command of Nha Ky Thuat (The Strategic Technical Directorate or STD) to carry out special maritime missions along the coastline of Vietnam.
4. OPERATIONAL COMMAND AND CONTROL
To be more effective in conducting naval operations, the Navy Combat Units were placed under the Operational Command and Control of The Tactical Mobile Riverine Headquarters and the Tactical Mobile Sea Headquarters.
4.1 The Tactical Mobile Riverine Headquarters
The headquarters commanded and controlled the operations in rivers located in the territories of The Army III Corps, The Army IV Corps and The Nation Capitol Special Zone to stop and prevent the enemy's sneaking of troops and supplies and to secure the safety of the waterways and to support the Army Divisions in operations Tran Hung Dao 36,41,43,44.
4.2 The Tactical Mobile Sea Headquarters
In order to effectively maintain control over the entire Republic of Vietnam territorial waters, the Tactical Mobile Sea Headquarters was established to command and to control maritime operations Tran Hung Dao along the coastline and to stop and prevent the infiltration of the North Vietnamese Communists by boats. The Organization also provided naval gunfire support to friendly forces in the responsible operational areas and to assist in the Pacification programs of the Government. There were 5 Sea Operations Zones and each zone was controlled by a Task Force and manned with about 100 ships, gunboats and junk boats. The Sea Operations Zone consisted of three tactical areas:
* The area between the coast to 12 miles was assigned to junk boats, Patrol Craft, Fast- Swift boats (PCF), Patrol Gunboats (PGM) to maintain patrolling.
* The area between 12 miles to 53 miles was designated to and patrolled by Destroyers, Frigates and Patrol and Escort Ships (PCE).
* The area between 53 miles to 100 miles from shore was responsible of the surveillance of the long range airplanes of the VN Air Force that were flying out from inland to patrol in this tactical area.
5. LOGISTICS
The Logistics Command Headquarters supported the logistics and supplies to the Naval operational units. The following facilities were placed under the management of the Logistics Command:
* The Navy Shipyard, The Supply Center, The Facility and Utility Center and The Electronics Repair Center
* 07 Naval Support Bases that located in Danang, Cam Ranh Bay, Cat Lo, Nha Be, An Thoi, Dong Tam and Binh Thuy.
6. TRAINING
There were 3 Training Centers in the Vietnamese Navy; they were located at Nha Trang, Cam Ranh Bay and Saigon:
* The Nha Trang Naval Training Center: With the capability to train from 1,200 to 1,500 personnel included the Naval Officer School, the Advanced Specialty School and the Specialty School.
* The Cam Ranh Naval Training Center: With the capability to train from 1,500 to 1,800 personnel including The Fleet School, The Damage Control School, the Specialty School and the Basic School.
* The Saigon Naval Training Center: With the capability to train 200 students for the Command and Staff School, the Non-Commissioned Warrant Officer School, the Specialty School and other short term training classes.
There was also the Cat Lai Training Center of the River Patrol Group that was used to train Non-Commissioned Officers, Specialty Programs and Supply School.
7. THE RESULTS:
From November 1966 to January 1973, the Republic of Vietnam Navy successfully achieved the following victories in combat:
* 2219 North Vietnamese Communists were killed
* 1277 North Vietnamese Communists were captured
* 6798 Detained
* 509 VC returned in Open Arms Program
Weapons captured: 382 big guns and 2851 individual weapons. The RVN Navy also sank and captured 467 VC junk boats and destroyed 14 North Vietnamese ships that infiltrated to the South Vietnam on the following places and dates:
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Get Off Your Ass Promotion:From Friday, April 2nd through Monday, April 5th, Get a $5 discounted ticket - all price points, all levels
Only during the pre-sale!
Also get this exclusive 3D ticket laminate!
* While Supplies Last, limited to 6 tickets per order
** Does Not Apply to Boise, Oklahoma City and Montreal
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Fullerton Grove - Jones & Emmons designed homes in Fullerton
I am very interested in buying a home in the Fullerton neighborhood known as Fullerton Grove, and would appreciate any current information. I am aware of the history of the Tract, but do not know if there is anything being done to preserve these very early (1953) examples of Jones & Emmons modern home design.
A drive through the neighborhood would break your heart, so few of the homes have been restored. It would be a challenge, but well worth the effort to get folks interested in buying and restoring these small (1100-1400 sq ft) but affordable homes. For a little history about these homes visit: (http://www.fullertonheritage.org/Resources/archstyles/eichler.htm)
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Damian Thompson is Editor of Telegraph Blogs and a columnist for the Daily Telegraph. He was once described by The Church Times as a "blood-crazed ferret". He is on Twitter as HolySmoke. His latest book is The Fix: How addiction is taking over your world. He also writes about classical music for The Spectator.
Diplomatic row over Catholic order that honoured Assad of Syria; Archbishop Nichols urged to intervene
I reproduce below a letter to Archbishop Vincent Nichols on behalf of the Infante Don Carlos, Duke of Calabria and Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George. To cut a long story short, the Duke heads one of two rival branches of the Order; it is small, rather grand and, so far as I can tell, has better credentials than the other, headed by the Duke of Castro, based in Naples and vigorously promoted in London by its Delegate, the PR man and Labour Party donor Anthony Bailey, of whom you can read a profile here. (Amusingly, Mr Bailey calls himself "His Excellency" when playing this role; he is also described as the Order’s "worldwide Grand Magistral Delegate for Inter-Religious Relations".)
Anyway, Bailey's Constantinians – who enjoy strong support from the Magic Circle, including HE Cormac Card. Murphy-O'Connor – are planning some sort of ceremony in Westminster Cathedral this autumn. The other Constantinian branch is outraged. Hence this letter from Carlos Abella y Ramallo, Grand Chancellor of the Calabrian branch.
A storm in a teacup? In other circumstances, perhaps. But note the references to Syria in the letter. The Magic Circle Constantinians have been remarkably relaxed, shall we say, in their dealings with certain Middle Eastern dictatorships: the letter draws Archbishop Nichols's attention to "the scandalous awards of the Constantinian Gold Medal to the Presidents of the Republics of Syria and the Yemen". Those awards have been the subject of controversy for years, and never more so than now. Archbishop Nichols is being put on the spot here. It will be interesting to see how he responds. Perhaps he should ask himself whether he should remain as a chaplain to the Assad-honouring Constantinians.
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What type of exercise do you engage in? Weights, Yoga, Pilates, running, elliptical and the list goes on. Is one better than the other?! Tough question, with no easy answer. The answer may be in another question – How is your stamina? Whatever type of exercise program you follow does it provide you the ability to sustain prolonged physical effort?
If you do lost of cardio you will have a well developed cardiovascular system but may not be able to lift heavy weights; if you only lift (body building/split routines) you can lift heavy weights but will have almost no stamina. The Yoga and Pilates genre is great for flexibility, some strength and slightly better when it comes to stamina but not great.
So what is the approach needed if you want true stamina beyond just being able to run/do cardio mile after mile?
Well from a class or group exercise standpoint it would have to be crossfit. It’s a perfect blend of strength and stamina work. However there is a steep learning curve and chance of injury. But the answer was aforementioned – you need a blend.
Good examples of athletes that have the “blend” are boxers and MMA fighters. They have a great combination of strength and stamina. Surprise, surprise I have been doing martial arts for 30 years.
My current program is 3-4 days of martial arts training, 2-3 days of cardio and 1-2 days of lifting but when I lift it is a non stop burn, sort of like a MetCon in crossfit but longer and I hope safer.
I’m not advising anyone to fight round after round, but do you have the stamina to do it? Strive for that type of stamina and I promise you, your level of fitness will be superior!!
Here is quick update on my knees. I have started back with my martial arts training and all is going well, actually no aches and pains at all so far.
I recently changed my whole workout routine and will be avoiding heavy squats, with a much greater focus on functional movements and calisthenics. This type of training is surely still a test of my knee(s) integrity but more from a volume standpoint. That being said, I have been sore and tired after these workouts but again no issues with my knees.
I also just started my “kick/punch” training (12-15 rounds of heavy bag work, with both punches and kicks) and so far the knees feel good as well.
The only thing I haven’t tried is running, my cardio work has been all elliptical. Running in my last bout of knee issues was absolutely the main driving factor. Seeing as how this current regimen is working, I don’t feel like rocking the boat so l’ll stick with the current regimen.
Long story short it seems that the Synvisc One shots (http://bit.ly/2oz6x7P) are working.
So as I was training one of my clients the other day, it hit me that I may actually not be able to keep up with him/my programming. It was certainly bitter sweet seeing one of “pupils” doing so well but this also came on the tails of starting to feel winded while training martial arts and a realization that I can’t rest on my laurels.
It then dawned on me that since my last 10k race and my knee issues I have done zero cardio and only split routines for weight lifting. This would be great if I was a bodybuilder doing mass work in the winter but it doesn’t do much for my physical fitness and martial arts training. Am I in shape, yes certainly, am I fit…I think not currently.
That being said today was day one of my new training program and programming will be roughly as follows.
Two days of lifting focusing are minimal rest, lots of calisthenics, kettlebell work and functional movements.
Other days will be filled with cardio – elliptical, some running if my knees can handle it, and as much stretching as possible (at least 3 days a week), I really want to finally achieve a lotus position.
I will also try to maintain my current Kung Fu training at 3-4 days a week.
First and foremost, here is my disclaimer – I am not a Doctor and this is purely anecdotal.
I have had multiple surgeries for various sports/aggro life style issues over the years. Meniscus repairs on both of my knees and nerves removed from my both of my feet due to Morton’s neuromas. All of these surgeries have gone very well and were most certainly needed.
Here are the surgeries I have not had:
I have a 10mm tear in my supraspinatus in my right shoulder that my Doctor insisted I needed surgery on and told me after I mentioned a second opinion that all I would hear was I would need the surgery. I even went so far as to schedule a rotator cuff repair surgery and at the last second I cancelled.
I went on to rehab my shoulder on my own, I recommend if you are in this situation that you get the help of a good Physical Therapist (I can make recommendations). I won’t get into the particulars of my rehab but again get help from a PT, not everyone has twenty years in the health and fitness industry and I started my fitness career as a Physical Therapy aide and still to this day rely heavily upon my knowledge gained from that work experience.
That being said, I eventually went on to benching 255lb., I would also not recommend the bench press to anyone with shoulder issues, but thats just me being stubborn. Either way my point is that I didn’t get the surgery and I seem to be doing pretty well.
Another issue I am dealing with currently is another meniscus tear in my right knee. Often times a popliteal cyst develops with this condition. Extra synovial fluid in the knee generated due to the irritation in the knee becomes encapsulated by a coating that comes off the tendons and forms a cyst in the back of the knee. When that cyst gets big enough it starts to become uncomfortable. I went to see my Doctor about the issue and of course he recommended if it continued to have a meniscal repair.
I decided to hold off. I got a cortisone shot, I had the cyst drained by another Doctor, modified my workouts, rehabbed the knee on my own (again go to a Physical Therapist for your rehab), and the issue has calmed down. I will also be getting Synvisc One shots in both knees in the very near future as preemptive strike (http://bit.ly/2DlEpLH). I am back to my martial arts training and hope to be squatting 315lb. by Spring.
Is my path the right way or the wrong way, it’s neither it’s just my path. All I am suggesting in this anecdote is that you seek second opinions when facing surgery, not just from an Othopedic Doctor but a good Physical Therapist as well.
When all you have is a hammer, everything look like a nail. In my experience I didn’t always go with the hammer.
I hope this helps and please feel free to ask me questions about my experience and also feel free to ignore everything I have said as well.
It’s been a while since I have blogged, so I thought I’d give you a quick update.This will hopefully give some hope to those recovering from injuries.
So if you follow my ramblings you’ll know that I recently had a couple of foot surgeries, two in each foot in November 2016 and January 2017. The feet are doing well all things considered and I have entered into my first race since the “incident” The Turkey chase http://turkeychase.com on November the 23rd (come and run with me!!).
This is the first running I’ve done since the surgeries and the comeback has been a little trying but I’m confident that I’ll be ready for the event. It may not be my fastest 10k, but surely I will cross he finish line.
I have also started back at martial arts training and have also started teaching again. I will teaching the kids class on Fridays at 5PM which I love!! Bring your kids www.taiyimkungfu.com !!
With this uptick in my movement based training (I have been lifting weights steadily after stopping everything when I had the surgeries since March) my right knee has been a little unhappy. I have had meniscus repairs in each knee and in both knees developed popliteal cysts (very common with meniscus tears). My surgeon removed the cyst in the left knee but not in the right knee, and at times the cyst in my right knee will fill again, causing a tightness, general discomfort some pain.
It’s a simple fix, all that is needed is to drain the cyst. Recently I started training a very gifted orthopedic doctor – Dr. Gobind Sahi http://advancedorthopc.com/specialists/dr-sahi.php , (go see him if you have any orthopedic issues, he is amazing!!). I let him know about my issue and he was able to see me and take care of my cyst issue with great care and speed. I was in and out of his office in less than a half hour.
I need to rest for two days and will be back to full speed by this Friday, thank you Dr. Sahi!!
If there is a will, there is a way, don’t let injuries stop you from moving forward. With the right doctors, the right care, and the willingness it can be done.
I hope if you are injured that you get back up to speed ASAP. If you are having trouble navigating these waters please contact me. I specialize in post-rehab, and for what I can’t do for you, I will refer you to the experts I have met and made relationships with over the years.
There has been a change taking place within the industry and it has come to my hometown or should I say the hometown of my business JETT Training llc. For as many years as I can remember I have run JETT Training within the walls of Fitness First in Bethesda, MD while paying a fair and actually quite modest “trainer fee”.
This pass month – June 2017 with very short notice Fitness First was forced to close. Seeing the change in the winds I always kept my foot in the door at a gym a few miles north of Bethesda, Team Eckenrode Gym and Fitness. This is currently my new venue and I am very happy with the owner and the management.
Now to my point, as the rapacious development efforts in Bethesda are coming to fruition, Fitness First was squeezed out. When development of this type takes place the only types of gyms that can afford the new high rent are corporate gyms. Corporate gyms as rule do not allow independent trainers.
So where do the independent trainers go to practice their trade. I am extremely fortunate to have found a home at Team Eckenrode http://teameckenrode.com, however there are those of my colleagues that are still undecided, and others that have decided to become trainers at corporate gyms. I really don’t recommend the corporate gym option for several reasons. Your clients will no longer be yours, they will belong to the corporate gym and if you leave you can’t take them with you as there will be a non-compete and a proximity clause. You will also be working twice as much for half the pay (best case scenario if you are lucky).
That being said independent trainers as in most big cities are forced to exist in the nooks and crannies of the industry. Small boutiques studios, friends and or colleagues that own Yoga and Pilates studios, martial arts studios etc. There is no formula here and most of these relationships/studios are hard to find and tend not to be as well equipped as actual gyms. But if there is a will there is a way, and there are many a trainer that have had great success with this approach. The other option is to do strictly in-home training, which works quite well but many training hours are lost in transit.
On the client side of this equation, it can be a tough transition if the new venue of choice doesn’t offer all the amenities that they were used to in a gym. There may be no classes, no childcare, no towels etc. There can also be geographical challenges, I personally stand to lose five to six clients as a result of my change of venues. However this phenomenon is nothing new and many clients are already used to not having everything under one roof and are already taking an a la carte approach to their fitness needs or as I call it the “Manhattanization” effect on the fitness industry. What does Manhatanization mean, well to the gym industry it is what happens in all the larger cities, as mentioned earlier the independents exist in the nooks and crannies and clients have their fitness needs met in an a la carte fashion.
I think at the end of the day, independent trainers need to always be on the look out for places to train their clients because nothing is forever and your base of operations could change at anytime. If possible try to find a gym that is independent friendly and tell every trainer you know to join ASAP, there is strength in numbers. That is the situation I am in now and if the owner decides to close up shop the 50-60 independent trainers have a strong chance of rallying together to finance a new gym/base operations. Don’t wait until you have no options, always have a back up plan and talk with your colleagues about how you would handle a forced change of venue.
I will also add in this bit of advice always treat everyone in this manner – “I may work for you one day, and you may work for me one day”. You never know what the future holds and the more friends you have in the industry the more options you will have.
It seems an age since I have written a blog post, so I thought I’d check in with the JETT Nation and see what you’re up to.
I personally have been trudging along with my recovery from multiple foot surgeries (two neuroma surgeries on each foot). My last surgery was January the 13th, 2017 and my current rehab routine consists of trying to walk barefoot when I can and slowly testing the waters with my martial arts training. I have been able to resume weight lifting an am making good progress, and the elliptical doesn’t seem to bother me as far as my cardio is concerned.
It’s nice to be back in the game even if not at 100%, I am trying to remain as active as I can while convalescing but I truly think it will take a full year to get back to where I was before all the issues with my feet started.
Enough about me…what is the JETT Nation up to these days? Are you running, lifting, riding, swimming, becoming a yogi etc., let me know I would be interested to hear as I am very much living vicariously through the physical experiences of my clients these days.
Even if your not following a fitness routine I’d love to hear from your and maybe I can help change that. Especially if you are dealing with injuries, not only because that is one of fortes but because I have lived through many injuries in my day an my own issues have led me to better help my clients over the years.
Just how hard do we really need to train? Is more always better? How much is enough? These are tough questions to answer. Especially considering that we all come in various shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels.
First and foremost anyone starting an exercise program should be healthy and medically cleared. I will of course tell you the easiest and safest way is to workout is with a qualified personal trainer or fitness coach.
Here is the approach I take with my clients:
Believe it or not most of my clients, whether they are athletes or stay-at-home-moms, follow a rather similar program. My programming is heavily focused on proper function and functional movements.
Function – meaning are you are moving properly – focuses on avoiding a situation where we are building fitness on top of dysfunction. Functional movements are exercises that provide strength building that has crossover into to the real world, or real strength as I like to call it.
The previous section is based on specific programming that may be above the average person’s base of knowledge. Again a trainer is a good idea – to be safe in your training you either need to know what you’re doing or train with someone that does and have good function.
All that is left in the scheme of safe and effective training is intensity. Here is where the largest variance lies with my clients. Each age cohort, and level of physical fitness, requires a different level of exercise intensity and is also the area of most potential risk and injury (assuming all conditions of function and proficiency are met).
Your level of intensity should be age and population appropriate and geared towards your current level of fitness. Someone beginning a training program that has been sedentary for a long period of time cannot be expected to train with the same intensity as an elite athlete. However it seems that some feel the need to always push beyond and this is a sure path to injury. Whatever your level of fitness, the intensity of training should match it and not exceed. Even an elite level athlete has his/her limits.
There are times when the general population or the athlete can push hard, but it must still be at measured pace. Most training programs are progressive. Even the most elite level athletes don’t take this fact lightly; a professional fighter doesn’t have a fight every day, and a runner doesn’t run a marathon every day. Many athletes actual taper their training programs as they are approaching a max physical output.
There is nothing wrong with maximal efforts when you are prepared, and I regularly encourage my clients to get involved in some type of competitive event to give them a goal and help them become more fit. But as I’ve said many times the output must be measured and prepared for.
Train hard but don’t train to destruction and watch how many maximal outputs you are performing. Then you will be one large step closer to training injury free.
This is a question that has been much debated over the years and does not come with an easy answer. I can tell you what has worked with my clients over my twenty years of training.
I cater to the general population, which let’s face it, thats most of us. I like to see two days of lifting a week, three to four days of cardio and a sound diet. Let me now elaborate on my three tiered approach.
With weight-lifting or negative resistance training I like full body workouts set up in a push/pull fashion, with a heavy emphasis on functional movements. I also like to focus on corrective movements based on the Functional Movement Screen (http://www.functionalmovement.com/fms) that I give to all my clients.
The cardiovascular approach we take is very low risk. Two days of elliptical and two days of spinning. Both are no impact cardiovascular options which is key to safety and continuance of regular cardiovascular training. Elliptical training should be done at 55-65% of maximal heart rate to help build a strong cardiovascular base. Spinning covers the need for interval training which is essential. See link for good explanation: http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=7_good_reasons_to_try_interval_training.
As far as diet is concerned, we have a very specific approach that combines a detox cleanse and simple to follow five meal a day approach. It is very much based on being able to fit into the busy schedules that everyone seems to have these days. For more details see link: http://jettllc.biz/services/nutrition/.
I hope this helps and if you are interested in further explanations or just general FAQs please feel free to peruse our website www.jettllc.biz.
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Eric worked with my varsity football playing son on an aggressive weight lifting routine and high protein meal plan. He also sent regular recipe ideas all of which helped my linebacker kid get accepted to Purdue University.
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A Generous Gift From Yuong Sang Church
On October 16, 2016, Yuong Sang Presbyterian Church held an inauguration service for their new senior pastor Rev. Greg Paek. During this celebratory evening, the church generously presented a $300,000 gift to Dr. Peter A. Lillback, president of Westminster Theological Seminary. This gift will act as seed capital for the residence halls in Westminster’s new campus plan.
Fulbright Scholar Cephas Tushima Visits Westminster
Westminster is honored to welcome Dr. Cephas Tushima to our campus this month. Dr. Tushima, a Westminster alumnus (Ph.D. ‘09), currently serves at Jos ECWA Theological Seminary (JETS) in Jos, Nigeria, and is visiting the U.S. for one year on a Fulbright Scholarship.
Westminster is honored to welcome Dr. Cephas Tushima to our campus this month. Dr. Tushima, a Westminster alumnus (Ph.D. ‘09), currently serves at Jos ECWA Theological Seminary (JETS) in Jos, Nigeria, and is visiting the U.S. for one year on a Fulbright Scholarship.
A program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Scholarship-in-Residence program is a distinguished honor, with 800 scholarships granted annually. The goal of the Fulbright program is to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between people in the U.S. and other countries.
Dr. Tushima’s Fulbright Scholarship was granted through Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA. As part of this program, Dr.Tushima will travel around the country speaking at a variety of graduate institutions—we are grateful that Westminster is one of them.
While he is here on October 20th, Dr. Tushima will lecture in Dr. Iain Duguid’s Old Testament History and Theology class, discussing a culturally unique approach to Genesis 3. Dr. Duguid is looking forward to the fresh, cultural perspective that Tushima will bring to his students. “I think this will be a really rich educational experience for the students to see what a familiar passage of Scripture means through a different cultural context,” said Duguid.
While on campus, Dr. Tushima will also speak and spend time with students at the Global Mission Fellowship. If you are on campus, come hear him speak about the church in Nigeria and ask questions about his ministry.
Since he returned to Nigeria after completing his Ph.D. at Westminster, Dr. Tushima has sought to equip his fellow Nigerians with the skills they need to preach the Word of God biblically and winsomely. Founded in 1990 by the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), JETS is one of a handful of schools in Nigeria that offer graduate-level programs in theology. Dr. Tushima serves the seminary as the Deputy Provost of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Biblical Studies. In addition, Tushima travels around Nigeria hosting preaching conferences with the aim of training both pastors and lay leaders to preach and shepherd their congregations effectively.
Along with his extensive experience in preaching and teaching, Dr. Tushima has written and published multiple scholarly papers, articles, and ebooks, including his doctoral dissertation, “The Fate of Saul’s Progeny in The Reign of David” (Cambridge: James Clark & Co., 2012).
When he isn’t teaching, preaching, or writing, Dr. Tushima is advocating for theological education in Nigeria. Dr. Tushima presides over an association of theological institutions that is seeking to have a bill passed through the Nigerian Congress to provide accreditation of theological programs throughout the country.
We have been honored to receive regular updates on Dr. Tushima’s ministry in Nigeria over the past few years, and we are very pleased to be able to welcome him back to campus to speak to our students. Mark your calendars for October 20, 2016!
Witmer to Retire in September, 2017
After twenty years of dedicated service to Westminster Theological Seminary, Dr. Timothy Z. Witmer, Professor of Practical Theology, will retire in September 2017. He will be transitioning to full-time pastoral ministry at St. Stephen Reformed Church (PCA) in New Holland, PA, a church that, by God’s grace, he led from the UCC to the PCA.
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Westminster is excited to introduce a new Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in preaching. In the words of professor R. Kent Hughes, the preaching concentration “makes good preachers better.” The program is designed to enable pastors to hone their Christ-centered hermeneutic, enhance their biblical exposition skills, and inculcate an expository methodology.
CCEF Partnership Takes On New Forms
CCEF and WTS have engaged in strategic planning, focusing on their respective missions, goals, and opportunities. What has emerged in our discussions is a vision for online education. CCEF and WTS are excited about these changes.
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Your Needs Come First At The Rutkowski Law Firm
The Rutkowski Law Firm is a full-service law firm with locations in Bloomfield Hills and Rochester, Michigan. Dedicated to providing superior legal services, we maintain your best interests as our first priority and work around the clock to make sure your needs are planned for.
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A graduate of Western Michigan University and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Michael has always had a business focus. As the founder of Rutkowski Law Firm, he uses his business acumen to his advantage every day. Michael worked as a Workers' Compensation Plaintiff's Attorney before deciding to open the Rutkowski Law Firm in 2013.
Collin D. Dickey
A graduate of Hampden-Sydney College and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Collin takes pride in developing strong advisory relationships with his clients. He places the utmost importance in open communication with clients in order to build positive attorney-client rapport.
Anisha D. Rutkowski
A graduate of Western Michigan University and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Anisha worked as a Judicial Clerk for the Michigan Supreme Court for two terms, among other clerkships. Anisha focuses her attention and has extensive background in both research and legal drafting matters within Rutkowski Law Firm.
Kendra R. Rozboril
A graduate of Albion College and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Kendra started her career as a Law Clerk at Rutkowski Law Firm. She takes comfort in helping clients in their time of need by concentrating her efforts on Probate and Elder Law issues.
Patrick L. Carrier
A graduate of Loyola University and Notre Dame Law School, Patrick started his professional career with Dunn/Gibbons, a boutique civil litigation practice in Grand Rapids. He represents families in estate planning and elder law matters for the Rutkowski Law Firm.
Legal Team
The Rutkowski Law Firm has a strong Legal Team to provide all of our clients with superior customer service. With varying backgrounds and practice areas of expertise, our Legal Team is here to help you. Visit our Legal Team page to meet everyone!
Rutkowski Law Firm Networking Events
Rutkowski Law Firm is involved in, and hosts a variety of Professional Networking and Social Events. Visit our Events page for more information. View All Events
Testimonials
Making the Process Easy
HUGE THANK YOU!!! to the Rutkowski Law Firm for helping me execute my estate plan. If you want to ensure your loved ones are taken care when you are gone whether it's for a will, trust, power of attorney, etc. reach out to them. Mike, Colin, and Trisha were fantastic to work with and made the process easy.
- Mike Swader
2017-06-05T15:31:25+00:00
HUGE THANK YOU!!! to the Rutkowski Law Firm for helping me execute my estate plan. If you want to ensure your loved ones are taken care when you are gone whether it's for a will, trust, power of attorney, etc. reach out to them. Mike, Colin, and Trisha were fantastic to work with and made the process easy. - Mike Swader
http://www.rutkowskilawfirm.com/testimonials/2046/
White Glove Treatment at Rutkowski Law Firm
After procrastinating for many years I finally decided to get my will and trust done. I expected it to be a lengthy and cumbersome process but I was pleasantly surprised! I chose Rutkowski Law Firm because I saw an ad in the local paper and they were convenient to where I lived. What I got was “white glove” treatment, a very professional and friendly staff, and most importantly, immediate response to all my questions and concerns. I worked with Michael Rutkowski and Trisha Harris—a great team! Without hesitation I would recommend them to anyone looking to get their “affairs in order”.
- Susan Reno
2017-06-05T15:31:53+00:00
After procrastinating for many years I finally decided to get my will and trust done. I expected it to be a lengthy and cumbersome process but I was pleasantly surprised! I chose Rutkowski Law Firm because I saw an ad in the local paper and they were convenient to where I lived. What I got was “white glove” treatment, a very professional and friendly staff, and most importantly, immediate response to all my questions and concerns. I worked with Michael Rutkowski and Trisha Harris—a great team! Without hesitation I would recommend them to anyone looking to get their “affairs in order”. - Susan Reno
http://www.rutkowskilawfirm.com/testimonials/2047/
Professional, Personable, & Easy to Work With
Excellent experience working with The Rutkowski Law Firm. Michael was very professional , personable, and made the whole family feel at ease. Just an overall good experience with issues that aren't always easy to deal with. Thanks Rutkowski Law Firm.
- Jeremy Martin
2017-06-05T15:32:15+00:00
Excellent experience working with The Rutkowski Law Firm. Michael was very professional , personable, and made the whole family feel at ease. Just an overall good experience with issues that aren't always easy to deal with. Thanks Rutkowski Law Firm. - Jeremy Martin
http://www.rutkowskilawfirm.com/testimonials/2048/
Communicated with us on a regular basis…
We felt very comfortable throughout this process. Staff were all very professional and thorough. Communicated with us on a regular basis and as necessary.
Tom - Rochester, MI
5.0
2018-01-08T15:54:58+00:00
We felt very comfortable throughout this process. Staff were all very professional and thorough. Communicated with us on a regular basis and as necessary. Tom - Rochester, MI
Invest in a living trust for the peace of mind
I would definitely encourage people to invest in a living trust for the peace of mind. Knowing your assets & personal effects are going to your beneficiaries & not some smooth talker stealing your parents life saving & assets when you start becoming mentally impaired. Robert & Diane- Orion, MI
5.0
2018-02-16T08:41:51+00:00
I would definitely encourage people to invest in a living trust for the peace of mind. Knowing your assets & personal effects are going to your beneficiaries & not some smooth talker stealing your parents life saving & assets when you start becoming mentally impaired. Robert & Diane- Orion, MI
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93-year-old feels bullied by WDM mobile home park manager's long list of demands
In Iowa, residents have reported a litany of issues in manufactured housing parks across the state. Sales of the homes have been on the rise the past seven years, industry officials say.
Lee Rood / The Register
Buy Photo
Dorothy Funk outside her manufactured home at Western Village.(Photo11: Lee Rood/The Register)Buy Photo
Dorothy Funk strolls up to the door of her double-wide mobile home in West Des Moines in a perky leopard-print ensemble, proudly showing off the cozy living room with white couches and red accents she's kept up since 1977.
Funk says she's "93 going on 66," and enjoyed 39 of the past 40 years she’s lived among other seniors in Western Village mobile home park at 2000 Grand Ave.
Not 2017, though. This year has been stressful as hell, she said.
Over the summer and fall, the widow has received several notices giving her 48 hours to comply with different orders to do work on her manufactured home and garage.
The most recent from park manager Nancy Shelley came late last week and gave Funk until Monday to paint her white home, or at least get the job scheduled.
Failure to comply meant risking eviction from the private Wes Des Moines park for those 55 and older.
"I know we're seniors, but we still have our brains," Funk complained. "This is senior abuse."
Buy Photo
A notice Dorothy Funk received Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, urged her to paint her home. Failure to comply can result in an eviction notice, the park manager said.(Photo11: Lee Rood/The Register)
Funk’s manufactured home is older, but it is not in bad shape — inside or out. There’s dirt splattered around some of the skirting, some faded paint near the side door and cracks in the driveway, but no more than most regular wear and tear on a home.
In 2010, in a yearlong series called “Trapped,” I documented some of the worst living conditions you can imagine in mobile home parks across Iowa.
The stories underscored how state law affecting mobile home residents is so lopsided, tenants can be — and are — kicked out of the private parks for almost any reason.
The worst problems were in rogue parks owned by a Colorado millionaire, where decrepit and unsafe homes were being sold off to the poorest of the poor.
Those who churned through such parks frequently lost their down payments and all the cash shelled out for improvements because the old trailer homes they'd purchased were too frail to move.
Park owners would then resell the homes, even though some didn't have legal title.
Funk’s problem is almost the reverse. The standards she and the 250 other lot renters in Western Village are being held to are very high — though still at the whim of the park manager, Shelley.
Shelley, 80, said she’s requiring more preventive upkeep at Western Village at the request of owner MHCI. She said the previous park manager was fired for being too lax, and she intends to make sure the place doesn't go downhill.
Every Thursday, Shelley said, she patrols the park, writing residents up for not edging their lawns, pulling weeds, putting garbage cans in the garage, or hanging curtains in the windows.
"Dorothy was not singled out," she said. "Last week, I wrote up 21 houses."
Shelley said she had no intention of evicting Funk, but she also couldn't say whether she was done making demands for work. When I mentioned she held the power to evict any tenant, she smiled and replied, "yes."
Tuesday morning, I contacted Justin Pounder, MHCI’s vice president of operations. He acknowledged the company did ask Shelley to assure Western Village remains a “five-star community.”
But he said he didn’t know Funk was 93, and he said Shelley needs to do her work compassionately.
"That's someone we would value," he said of Funk. "I will certainly rectify that."
I told Pounder that Funk just spent around $2,000 doing repairs previously requested by Shelley, and that it was unclear to her how much more work the new park manager would demand.
Funk also contended she’s been a perfect resident all these years and has always stayed on top of her home's needed repairs. But she also lives on a fixed income and had to have 10 blood transfusions this year for anemia.
Excessive repairs aren't in the budget.
Pounder said he personally would have a look at her home and assess the issues, if there were any.
“Nancy is somewhat strict. We don’t want the park to deteriorate," he said. "We’re trying to prevent what has happened at so many other parks. But it has to be done the right way.”
Almost no protection
Part of Funk’s concerns would be alleviated if Iowa legislators had passed a measure proposed after the “Trapped” series ran in 2010.
House Study Bill 600 would have required landlords to at least provide a legitimate reason for terminating someone's lease in a mobile home park.
Other provisions of the bill called for a minimum one-year lease and giving tenants 14 days to make up back rent, instead of the current three.
That legislation, like several others before it over the past 20 years, was supported by several housing groups and others who advocate for the vulnerable.
But it was dead on arrival, in large part because of opposition by lobbyists for park owners.
Most residents' forfeit ownership of their homes because they cannot move them.
Kornya said Legal Aid recently took action in a case where a park manager broke the finger of a pregnant woman while trying to block the sale of a manufactured home by someone being evicted.
He said Iowans need only glance at the state's law governing manufactured housing communities, 562B, and compare the rights of residents to those in Iowa's Landlord Tenant Act, 562A, to see how much more vulnerable mobile-home dwellers are.
"There are also scam situations where both the mobile home and the land are being rented, and the landlord will try to take advantage by enacting two separate leases for the lot and dwelling," he said.
In doing so, the landlord is attempting to skirt the requirements of the Landlord Tenant Act as well as local housing code requirements, he said.
Legal Aid cannot lobby for better state or local ordinances, but it has gone to great lengths to try to protect families who need the kind of affordable housing the nation's roughly 60,000 mobile home parks offer.
Des Moines' affordable housing problem
Attorneys there recently submitted a brief on behalf of several largely Hispanic families being ousted from a mobile home park on the south side of Des Moines.
The brief requests that Iowa's Court of Appeals reverse a district court decision ordering owner Mark Ogden to cease operations as a mobile home park on the northwest corner of Indianola Road and Park Avenue.
In it, the lawyers noted research showing that those who live in manufactured housing have roughly half the median income of other families, about $26,000.
They also noted long waiting lists for affordable housing, which has become a major issue as the metro area grows and the federal budget for subsidized housing shrinks.
The day after I called Pounder, Dorothy received a message from Shelley. She said it told her to disregard the last notice ordering her to paint her home. And the manager asked to let her know if there was anything MHCI could do to help her.
Funk is hoping MHCI, which just raised its lot rent, will continue to do right by her after 40 years as a solid customer.
But advocates for the poor and elderly say it's a pity that state or local laws don't do more to protect people like her.
Lee Rood's Reader's Watchdog column helps Iowans get answers and accountability from public officials, the justice system, businesses and nonprofits. Contact her [email protected], 515-284-8549 on Twitter @leerood or at Facebook.com/readerswatchdog.
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We are certain some of you wish you could escape from all the gatherings and gift exchanging during the festive season, however not all of us can afford a getaway every now and then. But no worries! Be it the shopaholic or the adventurer, we’ve got the budget vacation just for you.
Note: All prices were accurate at time of search, prices may fluctuate on a daily basis.
For the Shopaholic: Bangkok
For the shopaholics, do not give Bangkok (aka shopping heaven) a miss! Super affordable clothes, accessories and shoes are abundant AND the best part is bargaining for an even lower price! But you do get what you pay for so don’t expect the quality of the clothes to be superb and try not to get overly excited and bust your budget on the first day.
Credit: aroimakmak
Get your shopping done at Platinum Mall and Chatuchak Market in the day and then check out the night markets at Khao San, Patpong, Rod Fai Market or Petchburi at Pratunam!
Credit: NerdNomads
How can we forget about food?! Eat your fill at SukhumvitSoi 38 and immerse yourself in the local dining atmosphere! Must tries are the Grilled Seafood/Meat, Thai Wanton Noodle, Phad Thai and Mango Sticky Rice. It has been said that you can have a feast there for just 150Baht (approx. $6)!
For the Scenery Lover: Phuket
If you are about soaking in the scenery and getting to know more about the culture of a place, Phuket might be your ideal destination. Consider staying at a guesthouse and travel down to locations such as the famous Patong Beach, Wat Chalong Temple, Phi Phi Island and the Big Buddha.
Credit: patong-sunbeach
Credit: tripadvisor
If you’re lucky, you might even be able to catch some intense Muay Thai action aka Thai boxing at Patong Beach.
Credit: Stylearia
For somewhere off the beaten track, check out the heritage rich Old Phuket Town. You will find shrines, temples, ornate and beautifully preserved ‘shophouses’, quaint cafes, tiny printing shops, impromptu private and public museums and even a mini ex-red light district.
For the Beach Freak: Langkawi
You need not spend a fortune just to feast your eyes on the marvellous scenery of the clear blue ocean! Laze around in Langkawi, an isle on the west coast of Malaysia, which also happens to have crystal clear waters that you can use as a backdrop for some Instagram worthy shots.
Best of all, it’s possible to book the budget friendly resorts located near the picturesque Langkawi Beach!
Credit: hafiez301
Travelling around would be an issue if you don’t rent a car so instead of travelling out, explore the vicinity of your resort! Stay somewhere nearby, walk down to the Pulau Payar Marine Park and sign up for the beach package that costs approximately $59.05 for a chance to snorkel and swim with the fishes. Psst.. it’s a full day thing so you don’t have to be worried about getting bored.
Credit: amigo.my
And if you are somewhere near Langkawi’s iconic Eagle Square, make sure to take a picture there and strike it off your bucket list!
For the History Enthusiast: Ho Chi Minh
People with the passion to learn more about what happened during the Vietnam War would love Ho Chi Minh. It is not only rich in history and but also the largest city in Vietnam with a fast growing economy.
Credit: english.cinet.vn
Learn more about the history of this beautiful place through various means such as visiting the War Remnants Museum or the Cu Chi Tunnels in a half day tour to find out more about these tunnels which were used by the Vietnam soldiers back during the Vietnam war.
Credit: buravi
As for your accommodation, do try out the Hong Kong Kaiteki Hotel. It’s a once in a lifetime experience, you don’t get to sleep in an enclosed capsule that is big enough to fit one everyday right?
For the Adventurer: Phang Nga
For the thrill seekers, Phang Nga Bay or aka James Bonds Island is just for you. Other than enjoying the scenic view of the majestic nature and the turquoise blue ocean, you can also put your kayaking skills to action by kayaking around Phang Nga Bay which is approximately $150 for a day tour where you’ll get to see the crystalline limestone caves up close and personal. Or you can even go for rock climbing, white water rafting and biking.
If you have enough budget, you can even consider exploring nearby town Krabi, which is around 1.5 hours away by bus for just 80Baht (approx. $3.20)!
Credit: booking
Bike Cycle Hostel is a peaceful and the perfect stay for youths. You can get a private room for 2 or even go for the dorm for 4. Their rates are super affordable and it includes free bicycle rentals and breakfast! We approve.
Any location that caught your eye? It’s never too early to plan for your trip, so start saving up!
Established in 1988, Teenage is Singapore’s first and number one youth publication, and the ultimate companion guide for young adults who want to know the latest in entertainment news, fashion and music trends.
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List of Roman Emperors
List of Roman Emperors - History, Facts and Information The following list contains the names, dynasties and historic eras of all the Roman Emperors. The list is definitive and includes all of the usurpers. The following details outline important dates and events which help when searching the list of Roman Emperors:
The period of the Roman Republic lasted 509 BC – 27 BC, ending with death of Julius Caesar, the Dictator
The first Roman Emperor was Augustus Caesar and his marked the beginning of the Roman Empire from 27 BC - AD 476
In 285 the Roman Empire was split in half by Diocletian - The Western Roman Empire and the other half became known as the Eastern Roman Empire or the Byzantine Empire
The Western Roman Empire ended officially with the abdication of Romulus Augustus on 4 September 476. Historically, his reign has been used to mark the fall of Rome and the onset of the Dark Ages and this is where the List of Roman Emperors ends
The content of this article provides interesting history, facts and information about the rulers of Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire including a full list of all of the Roman Emperors.
List of Roman EmperorsThe content of this List of Roman Emperors category provides details, articles, facts and information about the most powerful men in the Ancient world.
List of Roman Emperors
Dynasty
List of Roman Emperors Names
List of Roman Emperors of the Julian-Claudian Dynasty27 BC to AD 68
List of Roman Emperors of the Julian-Claudian DynastyJulius Caesar(Dictator)Augustus Caesar"The first Roman Emperor"Tiberius"The Emperor who trusted Sejanus and lived in Capri"Caligula"The Evil Emperor who proclaimed himself a god"Claudius"The bumbling Emperor who married the infamous Messalina"Nero"The mad tyrant who blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome"
The Year of the Four Emperors 68 - 69 AD Beginning of the Flavian Dynasty
Galba"The old man the first in the Year of the four Emperors"Otho"The greedy ruler who lasted just three months"Vitellius"The man who killed his dissolute son"Vespasian"The Emperor who built the Colosseum"
List of Roman Emperors of the Flavian Dynasty 69AD - 96AD
List of Roman Emperors of the Flavian DynastyVespasianTitus"The Emperor who destroyed the temple in Jerusalem"Domitian"The evil emperor who murdered thousands of Christians"
List of Five Good Emperorsand the Nervan / Antonine Dynasty(96–192)
List of Five Good EmperorsNerva"The first of the Five Good Emperors"Trajan"The Emperor who left the legacy of Trajan's market and Column"Hadrian"The Emperor who built Hadrian's Wall"Antoninus Pius"The Excellent Emperor"Marcus Aurelius"The Philosopher, last of the Five Good Emperors"
List of Roman Emperors of the Antonine Dynasty
List of Roman Emperors of the Antonine DynastyLucius Verus( ruled jointly with Marcus Aurelius)Commodus"More savage than Domitian, more foul than Nero".
List of Roman Emperors of the Severan dynastySeptimius SeverusCaracalla"The common enemy of mankind."Geta"The hated brother of Caracalla..."Macrinus"The Praetorian guard who killed Caracalla..."Diadumenian(son of Macrinus)"Boy-Caesar - killed when he was 10 years old"Elagabalus"He married a Vestal Virgin and then took a husband..."Alexander Severus"He who revoked all former edicts against the Christians"
Crisis of the Third Century Year of the Six Emperors(238)Start of the Barracks Emperors(238 - 268)
List of Roman Emperors - Barracks EmperorsPhilip the Arab"Philip and Severa - the first Christian imperial couple"Philip II"The boy emperor who died in his mother's arms"Pacatian"The Usurper from Bulgaria..."Jotapian"The Usurper from Syria..."Trajan Decius "One of the most cruel persecutors of the Christians"Herennius Etruscus"Killed by a Goth's arrow"Hostilian"The Emperor who died from the Plague"Trebonianus Gallus"The Emperor, the Plague, the Persians and the mutiny"Volusian"The son who was raised to the position of Joint Emperor"Aemilian"Three months as Emperor, then death"Valerian"The Emperor who was skinned and stuffed with manure"Gallienus"Famine, Plague and the 'Thirty Tyrants"
List of Roman Emperors of the Illyrian DynastyClaudius II (Gothicus)"He fought the Goths, the Vandals and Traitors..."Quintillus"Champion of the Senate"Aurelian"The illiterate military genius..."Zenobia(Empress) "The Warrior Queen..."Tacitus"The Emperor who followed the Interregnum..."Florianus"The Emperor who ruled for 88 days..."Probus"The Emperor who believed that idle hands make mischief..."Carus"The Frugal emperor..."Numerian"The Emperor whose body was left to rot..."Carinus"The debauched Emperor suspected of incest..."Nigrian"Was this infant the product of incest?"Julian of Pannonia"The last usurper before the Roman Empire was split..."
List of Roman Emperors of the Valentinian dynastyValentinian I"The Emperor given to fits of rage..."Valens"The Emperor who allowed the Goths to settle on Roman territory..."Procopius(usurper) "The last of the Constantinian dynasty dies..."Gratian"The Emperor who was deserted and murdered by his soldiers..."Valentinian II"The Emperor who was strangled to death..."Theodosius I"The Emperor who resisted the Barbarians..."Magnus(usurper) "Was this Emperor the nephew of Old King Cole?"Flavius Victor"The Usurper whose mother was a Queen of the Britons..."Eugenius"Executed by beheading"Arcadius"The Emperor who hired Alaric the Goth..."
List of Roman Emperors of the Western Empire(394 - 476)
List of Roman Emperors of the Western EmpireHonorius"The End of the Gladiators and the Sack of Rome..."Constantine III"The Usurper Emperor who was ordained a priest..."Constans II"The Usurper Emperor who was betrayed by his general..."Priscus Attalus "The Usurper Emperor who was banished..."Jovinus"The Emperor who defeated at the siege of Valence..."Sebastianus"The Usurper Emperor whose head was sent to the imperial court..."Constantius III"Emperor who retrieved the western empire from disaster..."Ioannes"Captured, mutilated and killed in the Roman Circus..."Theodosius II Valentinian III"The Vandals were coming and so was Attila the Hun..."Marcian"The Emperor who refused to recognize the emperors of the West"Petronius Maximus"The Assassin Emperor..."Avitus"The Emperor who was backed by the Visigoths..."Leo I"Known as 'the great Thracian' by friends, 'the Butcher' by his enemies..."Majorian"The Emperor who gained victories over the Franks & Vandals..."Libius Severus"The Puppet Emperor who was probably poisoned..."Anthemius"The Emperor who believed that he was a victim of sorcery..."Olybrius"Pawn of Ricimer, who died of dropsy..."Glycerius"The Exiled Emperor ..."Julius Nepos"The Emperor who was killed by the man he had deposed..."Romulus Augustus"The Last Roman Emperor..."
List of Roman Emperors
Facts, Information and Definitions of the Dynasties of the Ancient Roman EmperorsFacts, Information and Definitions of the Dynasties of all of the Ancient Roman Emperors mentioned in the list of Roman Emperors
List of Roman Emperors - Julian-Claudian Dynasty - 27 BC to AD 68The Julian-Claudian Dynasty 27 BC to AD 68. This dynasty is known as the Julio-Claudians because its Emperors belonged to the patrician families called the Julii and the Claudii. Some of the most famous of all of the emperors belonged to this dynasty including the first Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar who was followed by Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero.
List of Roman EmperorsThe Year of the Four Emperors 68 - 69 ADThe Year of the Four Emperors 68 - 69 AD and the beginning of the Flavian Dynasty. Following the suicide of Nero there was a brief period of civil war in Rome which resulted in the Year of the Four Emperors which saw the successive rise and fall of Galba, Otho and Vitellius until the final accession of Vespasian who became the first ruler of the Flavian Dynasty.
List of Roman Emperors - Flavian Dynasty 69AD - 96ADThe Flavian Dynasty 69AD - 96AD. Vespasian who became the first ruler of the Flavian Dynasty followed by Titus and Domitian. Vespasian and his son Titus built the Roman Colosseum.
List of Roman Emperors - Five Good Emperors & Nervan / Antonine Dynasty (96–192)The Five Good Emperors and the Nervan / Antonine Dynasty (96–192). The Five Good Emperors were Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. The Five Good Emperors were so named by the political philosopher, Niccolo Machiavelli who gave them this name in 1503 due to their good government and the respect given to them by the people of Rome. The Nervan and Antonine dynasty consisted of the "Five Good Emperors" (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius) together with Lucius Verus, who ruled jointly with Marcus Aurelius, and Commodus the son of Marcus Aurelius.
List of Roman Emperors - Year of the Five Emperors (192 - 193)The Year of the Five Emperors (192 - 193). Following the murder of Commodus Rome saw a year of turmoil and chaos in Rome. Pertinax becomes emperor but is murdered by angry soldiers. The empire is then sold to Didius Julianus who is soon ousted and Pescennius Niger is proclaimed emperor in Syria. Septimius Severus then marches on Rome and disarms the Praetorian Guard which resulted in Claudius Albinus being recognized as Caesar. He loses the power struggle with Septimius Severus who is proclaimed Emperor and begins the Severan Dynasty.
List of Roman Emperors - Crisis of the Third Century (235 - 284)The Crisis of the Third Century was the period in Roman history following the death of Alexander Severus when Rome entered into the era of Military Anarchy commonly known as the Crisis of the Third Century. During the Crisis of the Third Century not one single Emperor died of natural causes. Revolts sprung up in virtually all of the provinces and ambitious men struggled for power. During the crisis there were civil wars, street fights between the citizens of Rome and soldiers of the imperial guard, fierce foreign enemies, plagues, famines, fire and earthquakes.
List of Roman Emperors - Year of the Six Emperors (238)The Year of the Six Emperors (238) and the start of the Barracks Emperors. There were six emperors in 238 AD and each of them were officially recognized by the Roman Senate. Their names were Maximinus Thrax, Gordian I, Gordian II, Balbinus, Pupienus and Gordian III. By the end of the Year of the Six Emperors five had died a violent and bloody death leaving the 13 year old Gordian III as the sole Roman Emperor.
List of Roman Emperors - Barracks Emperors (238 - 268)The "Barracks Emperors" (238 - 268) who were all military generals who seized power by force. Taxation was high, the economy was failing and Roman territories were being captured by barbarians and the Roman government was unstable. The people of Rome were in despair. The decline of Rome seemed almost inevitable. During this uncertain era and violent environment the promise of an afterlife seemed to be the only thing to hope for. And people started to turn towards a new religion, Christianity.
List of Roman Emperors - Gallic Emperors (260 - 273)The Gallic Emperors (260 - 273). The Gallic Empire is the name given to the independent realm that existed for a brief period during the Crisis of the Third Century. The Gallic Empire consisted of the breakaway Roman provinces of Germany, Gaul, Britannia, Spain and Portugal. Finally the emperor Aurelian sought to reunite all the empire and marched against the Gallic empire. Aurelian fought against the last of the Gallic emperors. He was victorious and Tetricus and his son surrendered and the Gallic territories were restored to the empire.
List of Roman Emperors - Illyrian Emperors (268 - 285)The Illyrian Emperors (268 - 285). The "Illyrian emperors" is the name given to the Roman emperors who governed the Roman Empire between 268 and 282. Illyria was a region in the western part of today's Balkan Peninsula. The people for Illyria were renown for their military prowess and they became an important source of manpower for the Roman army. Because of their military strength many of the emperors from this period came from Illyria.
List of Roman Emperors - Roman Empire split Western and Eastern Roman Empire in 285ADIn 285 the Roman Empire was split in half by Diocletian - The Western Roman Empire and the other half became known as the Eastern Roman Empire or the Byzantine Empire
List of Roman Emperors - Constantinian dynasty (285 - 364)The Constantinian dynasty (285 - 364) is named after its most famous Emperor, Constantine I. The dynasty is also called Neo-Flavian because every Constantinian emperor bore the name Flavius, similarly to the rulers of the first Flavian dynasty in the 1st century. The Constantinian dynasty ruled from the rise of Diocletian in 285 to the death of Julian the Apostate in 364.
List of Roman Emperors - Valentinian dynasty (364 - 394)The Valentinian dynasty (364 - 394) derives its name from the first of the dynasty's Emperors - Valentinian I. Orthodox Christianity became the officially tolerated variant of the faith and the Empire became irrevocably split into two halves.
List of Roman Emperors - Western Empire (394 - 476)The Western Empire (394 - 476) The Western Roman Empire ended officially with the abdication of Romulus Augustus on 4 September 476. Historically, his reign has been used to mark the fall of Rome, the Decline or Fall of the Roman Empire and the onset of the Dark Ages. During this period the city of Rome was sacked by the Visigoths in 410 and by the Vandals in 455 signalling the disintegration of Roman authority and the Fall of the Roman Empire. This is where the List of Roman Emperors ends.
List of Roman Emperors - Eastern Empire (Byzantine)The Empire was to live on in the east for many centuries although it was significantly reduced in size. It became an essentially regional power which was centered on Greece and Anatolia. This medieval stage of the Roman Empire is referred to as the Byzantine Empire.
List of Roman EmperorsThe content of this List of Roman Emperors category on life in Ancient Rome provides free educational details, facts and information for reference and research for schools, colleges and homework. Refer to the Colosseum Sitemap for a comprehensive search on interesting different categories containing the history, facts and information about Ancient Rome.
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British Columbia Takes Action With Renewable Fuel Regulation
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 12, 2008) - British Columbia's leadership in moving towards low-carbon fuels was confirmed this week with the publishing of new regulations requiring 5% renewable content in gasoline and diesel fuel supplied in the province by 2010. The regulation is a significant step towards B.C.'s goal of reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent below 2007 levels by 2020.
The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association congratulates British Columbia for their commitment to cleaner burning renewable fuels.
"B.C. continues to lead in the development of smart environmental policy by ensuring the use of cleaner renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel," said Gordon Quaiattini, President of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. "These regulations will not only reduce the carbon foot print of the province's transportation sector, but also reduce urban air pollution and support agricultural economies, such as in the Peace country."
The renewable fuels industry in B.C. will continue to work collaboratively with petroleum distributors to provide information when and where British Columbians need it, about the benefits of renewable fuels, and how they can best make use of them.
"The B.C. biodiesel industry looks forward to working with the province, the petroleum industry, and the transportation sector to optimize the benefits from the wider use of biodiesel and other renewable fuels," said Ian Thomson, President of the B.C. Biodiesel Association. "We fully support the province's long-term goal of using biomass available in the province to make transportation fuels, and know that the first wave of renewable fuels will be a critical part in the development of advanced renewable fuels."
The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote renewable transportation fuels through consumer awareness and government liaison activities. CRFA membership is composed of representatives from all levels of the ethanol and biodiesel industry, including: grain and cellulose ethanol producers, biodiesel producers, fuel technology providers, agricultural associations, and auto makers.
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All posts tagged: Golden Hour
Our pick of the key stories from the past week, including Victor and Sergey Kochetov’s hand-tinted images, Ingvar Kenne’s images of parties in the Australian outback, and JeongMee Yoon’s Pink and Blue Projects
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Posts tagged askengadgethd
A Netflix Watch Instantly app is pretty much a standard feature on home theater devices these days, but with so many options, how do you choose which one to use? That's what our friend Don wants to know, but we'll let him describe the situation first:
I've got plenty of options on what to use for N...
One unfortunate side effect of the connected TVs and set-top boxes invading living rooms is a whole new set of remotes to deal with. This week our question comes from Steven who has a stable of four remotes he'd like to slim down, but he's not sure how to make it all work:
Just bought a Samsung 5...
Sure, sometimes our queries are incredibly specific, super high end or relate to a deeper need for a comfortable home life, but sometimes a guy just needs a new TV. This is the case for our friend Jared, but we'll let him spill the details:
My TV just died. It was a 50 inch Vizio Plasma unit. I'v...
As much as we love drilling holes, running cables and troubleshooting issues in search of the perfect home theater, there's a certain point where it makes sense to call in a professional to do the job instead. Today our question comes from Casey, who is trying to figure out where to draw that line:...
As much as we love DIY projects, HTPC owners know that from time to time the "yourself" part can be the most frustrating one when things don't work quite right. That's where our friend Chris finds himself on his current project, and he's looking for a way out:
"Last year, I built my latest generati...
Our friend Nathan is a simple guy with simple needs. He just wants to stream MKVs from a DLNA server to watch on his HDTV and he doesn't want to pay a lot or do a lot of work to do it. We'll let him break down the situation:
I was about to buy an Apple TV for $99 with the express purpose of hacking...
It's been quite a while since we checked in on the midrange receiver market, but our friend Simon's query has brought this crucial home theater component back to the forefront:
"It's way past time for me to get a new receiver, my old one doesn't even have HDMI and I'm ready for a full audio upgra...
You can't walk down an electronics store aisle without three or four connected or smart TV platforms jumping out at you, but which one is actually the best? That's the question our friend Dwight wants to have answered, but we'll let him break down the situation:
"I'm looking into buying a new HDT...
We know, we know, projectors have been woefully underrepresented here, but this week it's their time to shine. We've fielded more than one question about what projector to buy but this week it's a little different. Our friend Paul already has his beamer, but so far it's only pointed at a nearby wal...
It's been a while since we addressed this one, but the possibility of setting up an HTPC or media streamer, ripping ones DVD/Blu-ray collection and putting the discs out to pasture for good is an attractive idea to many. For our friend Stanford, that's the question, but also with an eye towards doi...
It's that time of year, for the family to get together... and carefully plan which big box retailer they're going to spend the night camped outside of to obtain a slight discount on a flat screen TV of questionable quality. At least, that's what it's like if you're in Scott's family, but we'll let ...
Sure you can always go Windows Media center CableCARD style, but what if you just want to record a few clips of what's already coming out of your set-top box or available via ClearQAM on your PC? We'll let Bruce lay it out for you:
What is the best method or hardware for the amateur to use in a PC...
As your home theater setup grows, for many a problem is moving components out of line of sight, and still being able to control them. While for a few a Bluetooth or other RF technology takes care of remote control issues, the majority of devices still rely on IR control, and making that work is wha...
We're no stranger to questions about audio setups on Ask Engadget HD, and we've even covered a bit about what to do for those seeking the best home theater experience with headphones. Still, we're a bit unfamiliar with what to do when you want to use headphones, but throw in the additional demand o...
While you may already be drooling over a Super Hi-Vision TV, in the present day we're still pretty limited when it comes to resolution. While 1080p HDTVs have been around long enough to dominate the market at most price points, there are still plenty of 720p models hanging around, and Brian's consi...
Every HDTV purchase comes with its own set of considerations, and for our friend Philip, the main one is playing videogames. You can keep your THX certifications and internet connected widgets, we need to know what will contribute to the greatest kill/death ratio, period:
"I just graduated and m...
Having a computer in the living room isn't an uncommon sight around here, but trying to cut down the number of living room components can lead to some interesting questions. This week, Kit is wondering if he can get a quality audio setup without a dedicated receiver:
I am a big HTPC enthusiast a...
We get asked this question all the time, what's the best thing to watch and listen to on a new home theater setup? Our friend Jeremy just got everything set up the way he wants it, and now it's time to pick out some demo material, but we'll let him ask the questions:
"I've finally put all the fin...
We're pretty used to wondering about what kind of computer is best suited for connecting to your HDTV, but what if it also has to pull double duty as an on the go workhorse? That's the dilemma of our friend Scott:
"'I've been looking to buy a nettop PC with an Atom/ION to use as my HTPC, like the...
We've dealt with plenty of novices considering making the jump to CableCARD and Windows Media Center, but what about someone with a more complex setup and list of requirements? Enter our friend Daryl, currently using a 20TB home server feeding ripped discs to a Mac Mini running Plex, and a TiVo for...
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KUALA LUMPUR, 30 March 2009: The Federation of Private Medical Practitioner’s Association of Malaysia (FPMPAM) today urged the government not to rush to liberalise healthcare services here through the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) healthcare liberalisation.
FPMPAM president Dr Steven Chow said this was because the Malaysian healthcare services sector in particular was not ready for that (liberalisation).
The healthcare liberalisation through Afta is schedule to start next year.
He said presently there was an absence of a suitable legal and regulatory framework to prevent the exploitation of the national healthcare market by foreign businesses, which may be driven solely for commercial interests.
“Rushing towards liberalising the healthcare services without a proper regulatory framework, would jeopardise the overall healthcare system in the country,” he said in a statement today.
He said there was a need for Asean to move towards harmonisation of healthcare standards such as in the European Union (EU)) before opening up market access but this should be done as a gradual process.
Chow said without proper safeguards, the move would exacerbate Malaysia’s healthcare woes as market forces and business sense was unlikely to encourage foreigners to start their business in small towns, where the problem of shortage and poor access to healthcare services was more apparent.
“But more importantly, we cannot rush this process, especially if it is for the sake of boosting medical tourism. Healthcare is not just another business commodity.
“The government needs to answer how it sees the liberalisation of healthcare fitting into the larger process of healthcare reforms earmarked under the 10th Malaysian Plan. We need to ensure that this move will benefit the people of Malaysia and not just businesses,” he said.
Chow added that the framework must not compromise the quality of care and be able to monitor the conduct of foreign doctors as well as provide an avenue to protect patients.
The Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) was signed in 1992 to liberalise the healthcare, air travel and electronic commerce sectors by 2010.
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This is the realm of mindless beings who have only bodies without consciousness. So are they a bunch of statues? Maybe there's no point in trying to conceptualize it. Just curious, if anyone has insights. Thanks.
Rain soddens what is kept wrapped up,But never soddens what is open;Uncover, then, what is concealed,Lest it be soddened by the rain.
Jechbi wrote:This is the realm of mindless beings who have only bodies without consciousness. So are they a bunch of statues? Maybe there's no point in trying to conceptualize it. Just curious, if anyone has insights. Thanks.
They have no mentality of any kind. They are just gigantic lumps of rūpa lounging about in the Brahma world. They differ from statues in that they are kammically generated material continua (rūpa-santati). When the kamma that generated this rebirth is exhausted then they break up and a new citta-santati gets kickstarted by a past citta from the life before they became impercipient beings.
No, not that big. If they are born in the standing posture they are said to be 12 yojanas (192 km) in height. But that only applies to Brahmas reborn as Asaññasattas. Humans reborn there will be in the sitting posture and so will look rather shorter.
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Adultfrinendfinder
Have you ever gotten bad relationship advice? Typically this advice comes from people who are in bad relationships. The best relationship advice comes from those in good, solid relationships. If you have a friend who jumps from relationship to relationship and seems to have a roller coaster love life, then chances are great, you will not get good advice. Communication is key in a good relationship.
Make sure that you stay invested in your partner. This means to invest your time and energy into your partner, just as you would invest your time and energy into something that interested you. This means to ask questions about their day, and actually care to hear the response. It is also important to know about their needs and wants and strive to meet them. Conflict can be healthy in a good relationship. This does not mean you have to scream in each other’s faces, or have a violent altercation.
A conflict can be as simple as sitting down to talk and disagree and work out a plan that suits both parties. It is very important to remember that it is not always about winning, sometimes it is important to give and take. It is also important to have friends and outside interests. Your partner may not like baseball, but you love it. It is healthy and refreshing to sometimes go out with friends with the same interests.
Allow your partner the same freedom. It is also important to have similar interests and spend quality time together. Even if that means watching a great movie together, or going to play mini golf, whatever makes you and your partner happy, then do it! Often! Dates are so important. It is crucial to spend time together. Try new things together. Try a cooking class, or even a pottery class. Intimacy is another huge part of a great relationship. Touch is the biggest part of intimacy. Be knowledgeable about what your partner likes. It is also important to note that there will be ups and downs in any relationship, but it is very important to realize that there will be problems that you cannot face alone.
If your relationship is not making you happy, or you cannot stop arguing, maybe you should consider some counseling to help get your relationship back on track. Relationship advice is very easy to come by, but if you work hard, have patience, and stay committed, any relationship can work.
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Pyaar Ka Dard Hai 15th October 2013 Written Episode Update
The episode starts with Adi saying, we need to act fast. Pankhudi says we need to find the original will. Adi says he have to get Bhatia. Adi says he will meet maa and go. Pankhudi says maa is upset since morning. Adi asks what happened?
Dadaji tells Diwakar that he will meet Pankhudi after going to Mumbai and reside at her house. Diwakar gets tensed and asks him to stay back. But Dadaji says he will go for sure.
Adi says I know it is difficult for her but people will asks like that. Pankhudi says it is not easy for her to answer the people. Maa comes and says these type of questions may come and asks him to come after informing them. Adi says he thought to surprise Pankhudi and you were fast asleep. Maa asks Pankhudi not to lie and asks Adi to think about Pankhudi
before doing anything. Adi leaves for office.
Kapil thinks Adi has paralysed him actually and looks at some project file. Avantika comes and he sits on time. Avantika takes the cube and solves it. She asks, don’t you feel you should have solved it by now. She asks him to get off the wheelchair. Kapil is shocked. Avantika says Adi told him about it. She asks to sit at the peon desk. Kapil is shocked. She asks him to not raise the voice. She asks him to sit at the reception. She tells Kapil that you have started the game and you have to finish it. She orders her employee to take him to the peon desk.
Doctor tells Sheela and Harish that Rubel has a remarkable recovery but his condition had worsen but now he is stable. Sheela and Harish goes to see him.
Govardhan mama asks Diwakar about his visit to Mumbai, he says he will solve the problem.
Avantika meets Ambika and says she couldn’t understand at first. But later realised that Adi took the step for Pankhudi and Rubel’s safety. Ambika says we have old thinking and for us, our daughter should stay with her family. Avantika says Adi took a practical decision and he is not wrong. Ambika says she is having only 1 daughter and she don’t want her to spend half of her live like her. Avantika is shocked and hurt. Ambika says sorry. Avantika says it is ok, as a mom is saying this. She gets Harish call and he informs her that Rubel’s condition have gone worse but now he is stable. Avantika is shocked. Then he asks about Pankhudi. Avantika tells Pankhudi that Rubel is stable now. Ambika says Adi and Pankhudi will be united after Rubel returns. Avantika says she is very lucky to get pankhudi as her daughter in law. Ambika says that’s why Pankhudi is forgetting her mayka (maternal home).
Anuradha is talking on phone with Pankhudi and says she is relieved and happy to see Adi and her relation alive. She says Adi was right that he don’t need any certificate to live their relation. Chachiji comes and Anuradha cuts the call. Chachiji says it means your mother in law has lost and they have win. She asks her to prepare and distribute sweets. Avantika comes and says we should have party. We should celebrate. She asks her, whether she thought they will get seperated. She says it is a disaster for her. She advices her to accept her mistakes. Chachiji stares at her. Avantika says she don’t want her to get harsh punishment because of her old age. She says you have to face the humiliation too. She says she came to get some papers from Adi’s room and says, it is good that I met you and give my condolences.
Rahul asks Revathi to come for a coffee. Revathi refuses and says her father has trusted her and she didn’t want to break his trust. Rahul tells her about some music group. He says, he is being professional and asks her to come to his apartment. He says you can meet pankhudi there too.
Chachiji asks Anuradha to take care of kitchen. Anuradha says Shanky kaka is preparing food and says she is feeling dizziness. Adi looks at Kapil. Chachiji says she don’t care if she is alive or dead. Kapil shouts maa.
Kapil says, Anuradha must not be well else she could have work. Chachiji says you should not speak. Kapil says, Anuradha is his wife and he will speak if anyone speaks badly with her. Chachiji gets angry on him and says you are doing a mistake. Adi tells Anuradha that he will have food outside. Anuradha tells Kapil that you are forced to do this on someone else insistence and says she feels good that he told her wife.
Harish tells Pankhudi that he is relieved that her mom is with her. Pankhudi asks him to take care. Adi comes and asks her to come. Pankhudi says, we shall take maa permission. Adi asks permission from Ambika and says I want to take Pankhudi out for a day.
Precap:
Chachiji thinks she will end Pankhudi and sees the car coming from the other way. She comes near Pankhudi may be to push her.
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Do We Need To Protect Our Children From TV?
Nowadays, in life areas of children’s education and parenting it is very popular to speak and discuss about the television being a bad, negative and degrading household appliance. Often we like to call the TV a baby-sitter or people who watch much TV couch potatoes. It shows our negative attitude towards TV and its offered programmes. But it doesn’t show our usual reality in the everyday life. Therefore I’m not sure I could completely agree with this opinion. I see three main discussion points about TV in a child’s life: How much time to let her spend watching TV? How to manage useful information on TV programmes? What does my child learn?
Many parents are worried about the time which is spent on watching TV and cannot understand where the line is between useful watching and the danger of damaged eyesight. They worry about their decision accuracy and about the point of the society. Once I asked the doctor what is a good limit for watching TV. She said: “Don’t watch TV!” Okay, I think it is the best way but in real life I see it is not working. Everyone is spending some time on TV. The question is still current. How much time do you let your child spend on TV watching. In our family we are more realistic as the doctor mentioned. We choose a watching limit for our child of forty minutes per day. I think this time is enough to ensure healthy vision. I suggest that everyone in modern life chooses a realistic time of watching TV and more important don’t let your child break the roles.
TV is not just a baby-sitter but has also become a teacher which speaks in interesting, fascinating and clear language. It is a teacher which is at the same age and understands children’s needs and interests. Many programmes are specially made and produced for children to help them get new experience and knowledge. Of course, that is television’s aim, to becom a friend and there is the danger. A child would prefer to spend time with the TV but avoid the contact with peers. Therefore I think it is very important to learn about the mass media. How to use them to our own benefit? How to understand and analyse the information, situations, ideas offered? It is work for parents, teacher’s, adults who need to discover the goals of mass media. Research shows that your child will learn much more effectively if he watches television with an adult who can explain what he doesn’t understand and answer questions. (Livingstone, 2008) Then I would like to agree that TV is very good base to speak about affairs in the world, about different situations in life, about different opinions. TV is a great force which could affect our lives but we need to learn how to use it to our benefit not to let it use us.
The third question is about TV as a learning tool. Yes, I could understand people who worry about the content of television. There is so much violence, intolerance, sexuality and other bad sides of life. There is so much aggression. And you see that your child likes that or is scared of that but she chooses to look at these situations. Why do I need to let her to watch these scenes? Well, you don’t! Adults need to choose programmes, movies, cartoons which are suitable for the children’s ages, interests, needs, development. Children’s TV also encourages humour and offers stories strong on the difference between right and wrong – and knowledge about TV characters becomes useful capital in the playground. (Livingstone, 2008) There are also so many programmes and cartoons about learning letters, numbers, songs, language. For example, my child likes to watch the cartoon “Dora the Explorer”. Sometimes I choose to watch it with him, sometimes I do something different but I know that these cartoons teach him language, manners, how to choose the right things and words, how to navigate in the area. This is also learning.
Anyway, as the critics saying, I would like to point out that TV could be an excellent learning tool if we as adults are interested in choosing the right selection of programmes. I wouldn’t say that television is just a degrading household appliance. I see that TV could become a good teacher if adult’s teach children how to use this mass media to their benefit.
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Lyanne turned 3 last Dec 31st. Phew! She's 3. Time flies. She's not as chatty as Lydia, special in her own way. Handy in the kitchen, loves podding beans, peeling chestnuts and make cookies! And once she comes in to help, she stays until the end. Sweet girl. She just started Kindergarden, in a 4 year old class, but she's just 3 years and 5 days old. I worried..but I think she's doing fine. She loves school.
She loves elephants. So, I made her an elephant cake. I was hoping it'll be something like Elly of Pocoyo. It wasn't very much like Elly, but haha, a cousin of mine said it's Elly the moment she saw it. So, I think.... I think... I think I am successful .. I think.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Dear Readers,
I've finally got all my goodies prepared and done! 5 more days to Reunion dinner and 6 more to the first day of CNY. Very near already!!
I have baked another 3 more cookies, peanut cookies, Goiabinhas and Sugar cookies.
Sorry I don't have the time to post up the two new cookies, maybe next time.
Today I'm baking Prune Layer Cake for an aunt to bring back to New Zealand after CNY.
I still have to do this
1. start cleaning the house
Yes, not yet, not time.. plus I don't have a maid to do this for me while I cook and bake. I'm the maid!
2, Stuff the fridge full with ingredients
Preparing for the reunion dinner and to anticipate another gathering with my buddies ont he 4th day. They are expecting a feast at my place! *Faint*
3. fill up angpow
I am always late for this, doing it just the day before. I guess I must do it earlier this year
4. Buy lots of Shandy and 100plus
Yesterday Jusco had Anglia Shandy at around RM25.. I think. But I heard they were all "sapu habis" within a short time.
5. And think of a cake for my mom whose birthday will be celebrated on day 1 CNY.
Headache! Fridge full and yet have to bake a few cakes....for mom, for my niece, for.......
What about u? How's ur To-Do list going on?
I'll be busy so I'll be on break for a fortnight.
I think you all will be too busy to read anything I post as well, hahahahah!
Friday, January 13, 2012
This is another traditional Chinese snack. There are 2 types, one is called DanSan 蛋散 and another QiaoGuo 巧果. You probably might have heard about the word DanSan from Southpark, Cantonese version. Cartman(fat boy) is known as Dansan in the translated version. Dansan is also used to describe someone who is useless. "Lei jek dansan la, zhan mou yoong!" 你只蛋散啦，真没用
Monday, January 9, 2012
Last year, I did a cookie week for CNY, this year and Fried-Up week. Hopefully next year when CNY lands on end of February, I'll be doing a Dried Up week for CNY, because the sky is blue and air is dry when January begins.. right up until end of February.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
I made this for Lydia's Year End School (Kindergarden) Party. Being in a small town, it's something new for everybody, including me that has never eaten anything "rocky road". The teachers told me it was very good (and special... and you may go nah) and every kid loved it. And the best time to try making such sweet stuff is when you have a large group of kids to feed. *evil grin*
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Recipe tried out in May 2011
Happy New Year! Err, a day late! Lyanne will start kindergarden this year and her first day will be on the 5th. I'm sure dear readers who are parents will be busy at this time of the year, especially those with new schoolers.
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The condor's recovery shows that endangered species can be brought back from the extreme brink. And there are plenty of other examples.
Gray wolves, which by the 1970s were wiped out of most of their North American range due to hunting, have bounced back to more than 3,500, thanks largely to reintroduction efforts. Northern elephant seals, hunted down to fewer than a hundred individuals, now number 150,000 along the West Coast.
But with dozens of new species going extinct every day—scientists say that more than 20,000 plants and animals are on the brink of disappearing forever—deciding which species to save is a tricky question.
This week, National Geographic will spotlight some of the world's most innovative and unusual efforts to save disappearing species, from the mountains of Tanzania to the plains of Missouri, in a series called "Last of the Last."
The series will focus on campaigns to bring back species deemed worth saving. Which raises a basic question: How do we decide which species to save?
In some cases, scientists and economists use algorithms and logistical models to determine a return on investment for trying to save the last of the last: If x dollars are put toward saving the spotted owl, it's possible to determine how many might be saved.
In practice, though, scientists and conservations prioritize based on a mix of public perception and a species' economic value—for instance, whether it's a popular seafood or brings tourism dollars to a state.
And there's a another, more subjective factor: How they feel about a particular piece of flora or fauna.
"What we decide to save really is very arbitrary—it's much more often done for emotional or psychological or national reasons than would ever be made with a model," Sanjayan says.
As in the case of the condor, he says, "people end up saving what they want to save—it's as simple as that."
Some conservationists argue that how we choose which species live or die is deeply flawed, that our bias for preserving cute and fuzzy animals diverts precious resources from creatures that actually keep our planet humming.
Ants, for instance, are essential environmental helpers, distributing seeds, aerating soils, and eating other insects that are often human pests, says Marc Bekoff, an ethologist at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Hugh Possingham, an expert in environmental decision-making at Australia's University of Queensland, says our obsession with "celebrity species" is likely detrimental to as many as thousands of other creatures in need.
Snakes and Spiders Need Not Apply
Endangered species that get a lot of love are often those that elicit the broadest public interest.
Tigers are often rated the most popular animal in surveys conducted in the West, says Eric Dinerstein, lead scientist of World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Conservation Science Program.
Elephants are another animal fan favorite, even though there are still a half a million left on Earth.
Many lesser known species of fish and frogs are in more dire straits, with just 20 individuals left in some cases, says Jean-Christophe Vie, deputy director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Global Species Programme.
A bias against smaller, less iconic animals also shapes the decisions of major donors.
"If you want to attract the attention of companies, you are not going to achieve that with snakes and spiders," says Vie, whose new organization Save Our Species helps match funders with conservation groups that share their interests.
"Sometimes you want to save a species because you find it extraordinary and appealing—that's the way humans are."
Show Me the Money
Whether a threatened species has any economic value can go a long way in determining whether or not it disappears.
Murray Rudd, an environmental economist at Britain's University of York, recalls working for the Canadian government in the early 2000s, when Nova Scotia's Atlantic salmon population dropped precipitously and mysteriously to about 250 fish.
Government scientists decided to take the expensive step of capturing some of the fish and breeding them in captivity to prevent their local extinction and to keep their genes diverse and healthy. The cost likely ran into the millions of dollars.
But for many Canadians, the expense was worth it: A survey of 2,800 Canadian households revealed that most were willing to pay $86 a year (U.S. $81.21) to support conservation of Atlantic salmon.
Such reverence has made Atlantic salmon an important part of Canada's economy, even though Canada hasn't allowed commercial Atlantic salmon fishing since the 1990s (most of the Atlantic salmon people eat is raised on fish farms).
In 2010, Atlantic salmon was worth $255 million in gross domestic product and supported 3,872 full-time jobs or their equivalent, according to a report commissioned by the Atlantic Salmon Federation, a conservation group.
Those numbers encompass recreational fishing and fishing by Canada's native peoples, collectively called the First Nation; tourism; education; and spending by governments, universities, and nongovernmental organizations.
The report was commissioned to "bolster the business case for ongoing intensive efforts to protect wild Atlantic salmon," Rudd says, an effort that he called "completely legitimate."
"But does that sort of lobbying take away funds from other species?” he asks. "Almost certainly, given the government of Canada's sparse budgets and light interest in environmental resources that do not have direct industry relevance."
And Rudd says the Nova Scotia program was a futile effort, since Atlantic salmon in the southern edge of their range had dropped to such low numbers that they were never going to rebound.
"Everyone loves Atlantic salmon," he says, but "funding salmon conservation was taking a lot of money that could go to leatherback turtles, right whales, or [other] lesser known endangered species in that area."
"Common Sense" Conservation
Rudd is keenly aware of the politics around species revival. In 2011, he led a study that asked nearly 600 conservationists around the world big questions about saving endangered species—including how priorities should be set around which to save.
The study, published in the journal Conservation Biology, found that 54 percent of conservationists agreed that scientists need to set criteria for a controversial concept known as "conservation triage."
Such thinking holds that conservationists need to quickly decide which species can be saved while realizing that others, in Rudd's words, "can't be saved no matter how much money we pour into them."
The University of Queensland's Possingham supports a logistical model he helped develop to determine the cost-effectiveness of saving a species, which he says is "just common sense."
The method builds on other logistical models that assess a species' value and threats against it by including two previously ignored criteria: the cost of management and the likelihood that the management will succeed—that a species will be saved from extinction.
Possingham says the model, called Project Prioritization Protocol (PPP), showed that focusing on just a species' value and threats to it is inefficient and that considering other factors substantially increases the numbers of species that can be managed successfully.
That argument echoes a wildlife management approach known as "the ecosystem method," which involves setting aside species-rich regions, rather than trying to save a single species.
"If we protect vast swaths of habitats that have value to people," says Sanjayan, "we also pick up benefits to endangered species along the way."
That goes a long way toward solving conservationists' dilemma of what to save by trying to save a lot all at at once. As conservationists know all too well, he says, "it's bloody hard to pick and choose."
Want to continue the conversation? Ask conservationist Quentin Wheeler, @DeanWheeler, about how to save Earth's rare species during a Twitter chat on Friday, December 20, at 11:30 am ET. Follow Quentin and use #NatGeoLive to tweet questions.
I am a 4th grader and I
think we kids can do small things that help the environment in a big way.
Forests are being cut down because of families like ours buying forest wood for
furniture and flooring. People throw trash in the streets that later goes into
the ocean. Oil drips out of our cars that wind up in the ocean. Fish suffocate
in plastic bags that wind up in the ocean and animals choke on candy wrappers
and other litter. I agree with Mr. Sanjayan that it is important to save the
endangered animals’ habitat so that they can survive. I think that both adults
and kids can help endangered animals.
I would like kids to re-use
sandwich bags and tupperware for their school lunches. I would also like kids
to make cloth bags for the grocery store out of old t-shirts and old blankets
instead of using plastic bags. We kids could pick up trash and to make less
trash ourselves by re-using things. Also we kids could use less water for
little things like showers and brushing our teeth. We could talk our parents
into getting rid of our lawns and plant native plants in our yards.
If we kids
did little things like these, the Earth would be a great place for the animals
to live in. There would be more animals and fewer endangered species. There
also wouldn’t be as much trash in the roads, rivers, and ocean so that fish
would be plentiful again. The Colorado River would get bigger again and so
would other rivers and lakes.
I agree that adults can do big
things for endangered animals by preserving habitat, while we kids can do small
things for the animals and the planet would be much better off because of our
love for our home.
It is sad to come to the realization that the human race has been forced to decide whether or not to save an animal. we as humans should not have the responsibility to save these species but, we should have the urge to save these specie from extinction. The human race is the main cause of the destruction of these small ecosystems in which these essential species lived. Therefore, being the cause of their destruction it should urge us to save these animals.
Taking into account the efforts currently being made by conversationalists, i am pleased to see the amount of work put forth towards saving these species. Now the inevitable question rises again. Which animal do we save first? The idea of saving certain species related to the saving of another, gives hope to save large amounts of animals. like Christine Dell'Amore stated "By setting aside land for wide-ranging tigers, for instance, lots of smaller, lesser-known species—like pangolins, sloth bears, swamp deer, and pygmy hogs—will receive an umbrella of protection." These ideas can help save more animals, but it is extremely important that we remember that every animal in our ecosystem is important, each contributes to the well-being of another.
We have to start with biodiversity conservation at the ground level - literally. Soil microfauna is being destroyed by toxic agrofertilizers and pesticides worldwide. This goes into the food chain, which in turn affects everything, including humans. Healthy soils are a starting point. The other stupidity is thinking that we can save an animal if we don't first save its habitat. Numerous tree species are endangered, yet many NGO's run around trying to save cute cuddly animals, but never think about spending a red nickel on planting the trees those animals use for habitat. All of this is made worse by the fact that the general public is sitting around waiting for their governments to do something, not recognixzing their own responsibility to the planet. Democracies are a threat to the environment, because politicians operate between 4 year elections, so long term planning doesn't seem to offer them any short term gains. This is just a brief list of some of the practical, cultural, social and political challenges we have to tackle for any conservation program to be successful. How long will humans survive for once we have killed off the last pollinating insect?
conservation based on likes and dislikes, perception of profitability and exploitation, uses and demands will only lead to further degradation of the environment and the species within it by lowering the standard and following a subjective selective process. This will inevitably contribute to the negatives surrounding the horrors of human interference in the natural world over the recent time
The term "moral responsibility" doesn't sit right with me. It should be a moral URGE for us to help these animals, not a responsibility. The human race is essentially the reason why these animals' habitats have been destroyed. And now we look upon their survival with facts, figures and debate. Trying to salvage some of the mess greed and industrialization on Earth has created. We may be deemed the most intelligent on Earth, but we certainly aren't applying it. We should be using our intelligence to help these animals, to be creating an Earth where no animal should have to go extinct through means of the human's faults. Am I dreaming of another world?
The slope is too slippery to save many, and is getting steeper. Sad to note every one of the critters most desired to be saved are mammals like us. We see much of our mammalian selves in them. But that's not saving ecosystems that support these mammals, and us. That's what we don't save from ourselves, because the entire ecosystem doesn't look like us to us. So it dies, as it globally is. We're finished as well for the same set of reasons, we just don't know it yet.
Good article Christine. It covers a vital question and one which my LinkedIn group Biodiversity Professionals has frequently discussed.
The idea of triage is anathema to some conservation scientists who believe that accepting the extinction of just one species, whatever the justification via mathematical modelling, is the slippery slope. Could it come to a choice between the cheetah or lion, or rhino or elephant? Perhaps not, but an argument could be made that this abstraction of life's value reduces decisions to mere equations. Fundraisers will certainly be reluctant to let go of the emotional impact of a cuddly doe-eyed animal. To my mind, conservation is a balance between the emotional connection we have to nature (E. O. Wilson's "biophilia") and pragmatic dollars and sense.
Talking of dollars and sense, a related topic here is the egregious over-spending of some large conservation organizations who spend more time and effort perpetuating their bureaucracies than actual muddy boots field conservation. For all the hand-wringing and boatloads of money thrown at conservation over the years, one would hope some progress would have been made - but precious little in reality. Just Google the word "greenwashing" and you'll see what I mean, but that's a topic for another blog post, if you dare!
We should try to save the species that benefit us the most. Like it or not, we ARE the dominant species. And survival of the fittest means that we should work for our OWN benefit first. It isn't as if lions worry about hunting other animals to extinction. Sharks don't care how many of a particular species of fish are left when they choose to eat one.
I don't care how rare something is, if it is not useful, it is not all that valuable. Anyone who has ever watched Pawn Stars knows that just because something is rare doesn't make it valuable.
And anything that is going extinct for reasons OTHER than humans should be automatically last on the list, unless they are extremely valuable to humans. In those cases, we are tampering with evolution. Like Jeff Goldblum says in Jurassic Park, dinosaurs (or in this case, other species) had their chance and were selected to die out.
I appreciate that what the article is saying about having to pick which species are worth saving but I think there are a lot of benefits from saving the cute and cuddly mammals.
Many conservation organisations will highlight the plight of a tiger or an elephant for two reasons.
Firstly, these cute animals can be used as a bit of a cash cow for conservation organisations. What's going to raise the most money for conservation projects? An elephant or a goliath spider? I don't think many people will disagree that conservation charities shouldn't try to raise as much money as possible for conservation.
Secondly, many of these cute and cuddly species can either be classed as either umbrella species or keystone species.
African elephants can be classed as a keystone species because many of the ecological and behavioural traits help to maintain the ecosystem requirements for many other species. So, funding elephant conservation projects in turn helps to conserve many other species.
Umbrella species also does a similar thing but the species in question may not has as much of an impact on other species ecological niches. Tigers, for instance, can be used as a conservation umbrella species. So people want to conserve, protect and enhance tiger populations. How do we do that? We first conserve their habitat. Then we conserve their prey species. In return, every other species that has a similar habitat as the tiger we are trying to save, will benefit from the conservation project and funding.
With that in mind, maybe we don't have as many choices to make when it comes to which species to save.
IT is not just furry and cute...it is also the fact that if one TYPE of frog or snake or ant disappears, it will not be as big a deal as if the ENTIRE species goes extinct. I'm sure if there were just 20 frogs left in the world, we would try to save them.
If we know that this is happening, why don't we emerge to it? They call dogs a "man's best friend", but even they can become extinct. It's just too bad that we are still trying to kill and hunt these animals. Yes, some are considered as food to us like chicken and lobster, but once these animals are extinct, they wont be there to eat and hunt for. Once those kinds of animals are extinct and we wont be able to have them as a delicacy, we'll feel guilty because we have killed that whole species and we will no longer get to eat it. So people of the world, stop this nonsense and start saving, not killing animals and doing this will save humanity, so come on and don't let animals become extinct, which is 3/4ths our/humans fault. (Written by my daughter, Age 9
The dangerous aspect of all these articles coming out about this issue
now, is that the media, ahem, and conservation biologists, are letting people believe that we have to make
choices, that we are going to continue to trash the planet so we have to
choose which species get to survive - NOT that we have to get our crap
together because this is not our planet to trash and not our right to
commit this level of genocide. The size of our population and our greed are the problem, if we can't compose ourselves to have that much self control, very few of the other animals will survive us and then we will follow them in demise.
Lions, tigers and bears! I'm choosing predators, and here's why: post-Climate civilization will need women to keep the peace. Women can learn leadership by identifying with predators and - like the rangers at Gir, India - training to be intermediaries between humans and animals who would kill them.
"Fanged Wilds and Women Program" aims to engage ladies with the "ecology of fear," for the good of ALL species. Please see our website and help grow this idea!
@Abe Bob Really? You're a 4th grader? So you must be around 9-10 years old, right? I am truly amazed at how smart and articulate you are! WOW!
You
make some very good points, and you put a lot of adults to shame with
your intelligence! I hope you become a respected and well known
scientist when you're older! The world desperately needs talented people
like you!
well said ,, i agree with you,,, it just that everyone is deceived by that curtain of economics and personal provincial gains that they base their judgements solely on profitability....its ridiculous and sad
@Roger Harris The art has never progressed to changing the global human culture that is driving these extinctions. The fact that a species can be saved temporarily but not permanently is due to the fact the underlying conditions of extinction, our behavior, is not being addressed, let alone changed.
@John Kalawak Sadly, the net of life can't be in tatters with only certain strands saved "to benefit us", and keep us from extinction ourselves. It requires the entire ecosystem that thrived with humanity for well over a million years. Our experiment in modern living and has produced a complete and deadly failure to ourselves. As the last people will see, soon.
@John Kalawak That's a little short sighted. Yep, many species have declined and become extinct for non human reasons.
But with the amount of pollution we put out into the environment and the amount of changes humans have made to the landscape through farming, mining and fishing, there aren't many species or habitats that we haven't affected for the worse.
Aside from the moral reasons to conserve and protect species, protecting them can have a positive effect on human health.
The environment and plant and animal species have been proven to provide benefits to people through exercise, health, education etc. There are many studies on the links between the environment and human health. I think you should look into them before expressing the opinion you have.
Also, the decline of species can provide a measure for the health of the environment. Don't forget that plants and animals need clean air, clean soils and clean water to survive, just like we do.
If species are declining, we have to ask, is it because the environment is damaged and how will that affect us?
Declining species can tell us that there may be something wrong with the environment that we really on for our own survival.
We don't fully understand what each and every species contributes to the ecosystem. If we lose a species, we may find that it played a crucial role in supporting us and other species. I think the best example is Bees as pollinators. Bees pollinate the crops we eat, so without them (and other pollinators), we wouldn't survive.
It's interesting that you point out that lions don't worry about hunting other species to extinction. It's interesting because, in Britain we have no large mammal predators left. This is because we hunted all the wolfs to extinction. Being an island nation, we haven't the luxury of large predators from Europe migrating to us.
The effect this has had is an explosion in the populations of various species of Deer. Now Deer seem to be very harmless. They are until you remove their main predator, in Britain this was the Wolf.
The effect this has had on the British landscape is terrible. Deer population shave over grazed farm land which effects the farmers economic growth. The Deer also will eat saplings and eat the bark of young trees. This and the over grazing of farm land prevents rejuvenation of the natural environment and harms the habitats of other species.
I suppose what I'm trying to explain, is that there is always a consequence to losing a species. We just may not notice it in our day to day lives.
@Rick Toner Several conservationists agree with you that we should save the rarest and the most ecologically valuable species. But what we should and what we do are two very different things—a lot of species are saved because we like them.
@Sarah Bexell Solid points that hit an iceberg when you mention our over population. The problem isn't long term but short term, right now we have too many people and too much progress to allow the natural world to survive intact. Unless you can erase a couple of billion men today you are talking about an impossibility. We are in a bottleneck for all species. Whatever we do long range the bottle neck will continue for a while. During this bottle neck the natural world will need all the help it can get from proactive mankind or we will come out of this bottleneck in a century or two to a fauna and flora impoverished world. We have to actively protect what we can now so that in the future what we save will flourish again when our numbers are fewer. In the longer term your points are of course self evident.
@Christa Witvrouwen No, we aren't. Not for most of them. IF you think that humans are the cause of the near extinction levels for all..or even MOST...of the 20,000 species near extinction, you are a fool.
@Christine Dell'Amore I think we like mammals because they are more similar to us, so we empathize more easily with them, and understand them better, through similar expressions of emotion. It's really hard to look at a crocodile or an ant and have any idea how it feels, but a wolf shows in its face, posture, and behavior, similar reactions to ours.
You can see that reflected in the ranking diagram above: very humanlike apes at the top, very social and emotional elephants next, cats like those we live with after that.
There's also the societal similarities that a lot of mammals have, namely in relationships with and behavior towards mates and offspring, which we can recognize and identify with more easily.
There's also the impact of litter sizes. Big mammals and birds tend to have few offspring at a time, which makes each one seem very precious. Reptiles, fish, and insects can have hundreds to thousands at a go.
It's like inflation or supply and demand. The "emotional" decision-making is in some ways a natural and internalized "conservation triage" that helps us see where our efforts will have the greatest relative impact. If we get down to just a few elephants, it's going to take centuries for there to be many elephants again. If we get down to a few ants, we could have millions again within a few months.
And as Sanjayan said, when we actively protect one animal and its environment, all the others benefit. I think we deeply already understand this, and it's internalized in our gut-reactions.
So while it's obviously important to outwardly appreciate, respect, and protect all species, I think the instinctual interests and affinities and emotional and psychological responses that we have towards other mammals and certain other creatures make a lot of sense, and are ultimately the key to why we want to protect the Earth and its inhabitants as they are now, and not simply devise ways to survive without them.
@Christine Dell'Amore Again...it is not just that they are cute or big. It is because mammals are more likely to have just one subspecies. Or at least fewer. There are hundreds of different types of snakes. So if we lose a few subspecies of snakes, there will still be plenty more left. But if we lose tigers or elephants, then we have no more tigers or elephants at all.
@Judy Bierman-Rudolph Your premise is invalid. You assume we are the chosen species and our consciousness "higher" instead of "different" which is exactly why everything is dying including us. Your Ultimate Imaginary Friend was created by humans to give ourselves a superior medal. But there is no superior being as there is no inferior being. There is only BEING, the colossal equality of existence.
@Judy Bierman-Rudolph Strange...you are SO religious that you actually think that God is such a prick that he will send you to hell simply for spelling his name, but you don't know the Bible enough to know that religion teaches us that animals were put on the earth specifically FOR humans.
@charlie linebarger@Sarah Bexell It is NOT the number of humans erp se that automatically endangers anything. It is the way we ACT. We could live much more like agricultural/hunter-gatherers at 10 billion and still not wipe out the numbers of species we are at almost 7 billion, which began before we were at 4 billion. It is because we see everything we kill, and allow to die because of our anti-'other' bad habits, as food or nuisance.
@John Kalawak@Christa Witvrouwen I suggest you have a bit more of an open mind. Yes, each species, including ourselves, are governed by competition laws but that doesn't give us the right to drive other species to mass extinction. We have morals and our actions do have an effect on the natural environment. If you think that our actions as a species isn't responsible for the decline of other species, then that is pure ignorance. Each species has a role to play in each ecosystem they live in. The complete ecosystem goes onto to support the top mammal / predator i.e us, the human race. By driving species to extinction or neglecting the plight of other species, we neglect the environment that supports our own health. We need other species to maintain the ecosystems we rely on t survive/
@John Kalawak@Christa Witvrouwen No, we have created the conditions for this current mass extinction. btw we ARE nature, just as much as non-human nature is. This process is as natural as our attempts to stop it would be, if we had the intelligence. The only reason it's happening is because we don't.
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pathways to success for youth blog
Six years ago I attended my first Breakthrough to Success training with Jack Canfield. I first met Jack at my very first professional development conference in the early 1980's. Thirty years later, as I was contemplating a major career change without a clear direction about what was next, I discovered Jack again.
I was working an academic schedule and had a month off. A friend suggested that I take a break from all things professional, download a romance novel she recommended and escape into the audiobook as I paddled my kayak around the lake near my house. When I signed on to Audible, Jack popped up on my computer screen as I was trying to download the novel Joanna had suggested. Apparently, the Universe had other plans for my time off. There was Jack, on the cover of his book The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, along with a "get it free if you join Audible today" offer.
With the help of my teen neighbor Liam, I downloaded the Success Principles book onto an MP3 player and set out on my kayak with my ear buds and a bit of curiousity. As I listened and learned about the Success Principles, Jack talked about his Breakthrough to Success (BTS) live event. His mention of BTS struck a chord in me in that gave me goose bumps. I learned a long time ago to pay attention to whatever gives me goose bumps. Through what I now see as divine intervention, at a time when resources were tight, everything in my world lined up to support me getting to BTS. Two months later I was in the training room in Scottsdale, Arizona ... and my life has never been the same.
I thought I was going to BTS to make a career change and leave the work I was doing with teens. Instead, I got tremendous insight as the result of the work we did in the training room. Each night I went back to my hotel room, got out my laptop and began to revise my class curriculum, incorporating the success principles I was learning and incorporating some of Jack's activities into my lesson plans. I came home and began teaching the success principles into the middle and high school classrooms I was working with as well as into the clinical and community settings I served.
I fully embraced the principles in my personal life and achieved profound results. I began living my life according to my passions and got clear about my life purpose. I set goals based on my passions and learned how to incorporate planned and inspired action and accountability into my daily life. The results were astounding! My relationships shifted, my work took on a whole new meaning and the fear that held me back for so long no longer controlled my choices. As I took 100% responsibility for my life and my choices and incorporated the tools I was learning into my daily life, my world, my work and my life transformed!
Two years later, with the support of a very generous benefactor, I completed Jack's Success Principles Train the Trainer program. Shortly thereafter, the Pathways to Success for Youth Project was born. I wrote some local grants, developed some private funds and piloted components of the success principles content into my classes as well as into my clinic's Peer Education program, professional and community trainings, and into my winter workplace where I run the ski and snowboard school at a local ski area.
Most of my time went uncompensated by money, but was compensated abundantly with results and breakthroughs in the young people and the adults I worked with. And my passion for bringing the Success Principles work to young people has grown exponentially and become my primary focus.
As of now, twenty team members have been trained in the Success Principles ... teens, twenty-somethings and adults with the experience, passion, vision and professional skills to support the vision. We've worked hard to raise the money and the support to continue our momentum. The next steps towards bringing this work to kids across the country are mapped out. We have already begun to raise the $100,000 needed for the development and production of a teen friendly video series to supplement the curriculum.
We are ready to move forward and are in the process of hiring a grant writer and gathering our team for the next phase of the project. And we are getting ready to implement an 8th to 9th grade transition retreat and a faculty development program focused on creating a positive school culture and classroom environments.
But first ... immense gratitude to all those who have supported us with donations, air miles, volunteer hours, gift cards, corporate matches, grants, moral support, scholarships, timeshare lodging, etc.
Please keep sharing our work, our website and our Generosity fundraising link so we can keep moving forward with our vision for youth. This is the kind of work that will transform our kids, our schools, our families, our communities and the planet.
With so much love and appreciation for your part in making this vision a reality,
It’s been almost a year since I went to Breakthrough to Success with the Pathways to Success for Youth team and it completely changed my life. I was skeptical before I went but the experience was nothing short of revolutionary.
Being in that room all week breaking down limiting beliefs, connecting to my self through mind body and spirit, and connecting to others through vulnerable, honest, caring connection completely changed the way I live my life.It all seemed divinely organized and came at the perfect time for me. personally. However, I saw the experience that the young people in our group had and I couldn't help but wish that I could have accessed those experiences and knowledge when I was younger.Being a teenager or a young adult is not easy. Life is full of insecurity, confusion, exploration, rejection, and pressure to find yourself and your path. But we don’t always get the unconditional love and support that we need. We doubt ourselves and our passions. We hear all the limiting beliefs that life, the people around us, and ourselves tell us over and over again.
Imagine being in a classroom or at an event where a young person begins to feel like they aren’t alone; that everyone else is going through the same stuff and everyone has the same insecurities, fears, hopes and dreams. I felt that at BTS first hand.
You start to ease up on yourself and believe in what you love. You feel support from those around you and stronger in the face of those who don’t support you. You start to believe that whatever it is that drives you and you feel passionate about IS possible; that you can do whatever you want in life. How powerful would that be?!
Pathways to Success for Youth aims to bring this experience to young people across the country. I believe that it has the power to alter the way we raise our young people and in turn build a stronger, more positive society. Don’t you think?
I invite you to visit our project's website to find out more about the vision and how you can get involved! If you are moved to support the Pathways to Success for Youth team visit http://www.pathwaystosuccessforyouth.com/how-you-can-help.html to see the many ways you can help. Any and all help is welcome and appreciated!
If you have the means to support the group and help bring more young people to BTS to have life-changing experiences and learn the tools to help others do the same, think about donating to our Generosity campaign.
Almost a year ago I attended Breakthrough To Success with the Pathways to Success for Youth Team. As i reflect back on my experience, my only wish was that these success principles were introduced to me at a younger age. I am still considered young, but I believe that my teens and early twenties would have been positively influenced and tremendously impacted by acquiring a greater sense of self-awareness and confidence. That's why I'm glad I am involved in the Pathways to Success for Youth Project and will be involved in their fall event bringing this work into the high school I graduated from!
I went into this conference with an open mind, hoping that I could tap into my life's purpose and walk away with a plan to fulfill this path. That didn't quite happen. But in 5 days, I left with life-changing tools that gave me the confidence to know that I was on my way to discover my purpose and the mindset to appreciate my life and all that it has to offer.
I spent most of my childhood and early twenties believing I would need to work extra hard to get what I wanted out of life, and that if anything came too easily, I wasn’t trying hard enough. I was always told over and over again that life wasn’t easy. It was this mindset that allowed me to think that I wasn’t good enough and that I would always have to try harder to be better. Essentially, I was making my life a lot more difficult than it needed to be.
After this conference, I was able to identify this limiting belief, recognize that I wasn’t doing a service to myself by inflicting so much stress and expectation. With the help of the tools I learned at BTS, I chose to let go of this belief so I could positively encourage myself through life’s challenges. BTS allowed me to see that I could begin to discern my life’s purpose and enjoy this discovery with:
A greater understanding of myself (your inner voice and intuition)
A love for me/being my own best friend—We are often our own worse enemy when we should be patting ourselves on the back for all that we do
A belief that my greatest gift to others and myself is to be ME
An acceptance of not always needing to know the “how” for reaching my goals and that it’s a balance of intention, effort, and timing
Recognition that I am in the control seat and can take 100% responsibility for my life and actions, which shape my world around me
A vision and feeling of what it would be like to get where I want to be, whether it is a business success or personal goal
More gratitude for my experiences, relationships, health, etc.
This just skims the surface of the wisdom I gathered from this experience.
During my week at BTS, my world and my heart were filled with incredible connections that have changed my life forever. I often think this conference is in my top 5 best things I have done with my life, but then I think, of that top 5, what beats it? The answer is nothing. BTS is #1 because it has enriched every part of my life and has become the foundation in all that I do. I feel like I've been gifted a new lens to view the world through, which allows me to see that anything is possible, that I am very lucky to have the gift of life to experience all that I can, and that love and compassion is truly the only way---love wins, love heals, love completes life. This event, Jack's success principles, and this wonderful community empower me to make the most of my time on this planet.
Again, my only wish was that these success principles were introduced to me at a younger age. I believe that my teens and early twenties would have been positively influenced and tremendously impacted by acquiring a greater sense of self-awareness and confidence. Although this wasn't possible for me, but it is being made possible through the Pathways to Success for Youth Program. Please consider making a donation to this foundation to send another group of young adults to BTS this year, so they can continue to bring these principles into schools to share this remarkable set of tools with all adolescents. Lets inspire our youth!
In the Fall of 2014, I almost let go of my vision to bring the Success Principles to teens. I needed a bigger paycheck. I loved the work I was doing with young people, but was just barely getting by. But the Universe kept calling me back! I can remember the day I finally gave in. "If I am meant to continue with my vision, you need to show me the money! I am going to take a nap while you figure it out"
I lay across the bed, buried my fingers in my cat's fur as she snuggled in for a nap and I fell asleep. I woke up to my phone vibrating above my head. I recognized the name. I answered. I got a job offer. A promotion to head up the ski school i had been working at part time for over 15 years. I love teaching skiing. I love working with people who are passionate about what they are doing. I would be responsible for developing a team of about 100 people who were passionate about what they were doing. And the salary was negotiable.
My first reaction was NO! I thought of the responsibility, the time commitment, and so many other reasons I shouldn't accept the position. I needed to decide. "A decision not to decide is a decision." I heard Jack Canfield's words ringing in my head. I gave myself 24 hours to decide. "It all comes down to just two choices. One choice leads you towards your vision. The other leads you away." I heard him say.
The Universe was always clear with me if I paid attention. It was always nudging me and showing me the next right step. This was the next right step. I knew it. It added passion to my life and gave me the money I was looking for. It was seasonal and allowed me to continue with my other work. Looking back, it was perfect in so many ways.
And I had no idea I was developing the skills to take even bolder and more powerful new steps that would lead me and the Pathways Team to the threshold we're standing on today.
In the Fall of 2014, I was sitting in a community forum meeting to discuss the heroin epidemic that has sunk it's teeth into our community and claimed the lives of several of our young people. I didn't want to get out of bed that day. I remember the feeling of resistance. We keep talking about the "problem". We are missing the solution. The name of the "problem" keeps changing; alcohol abuse, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, homelessness, etc. but we're not digging down deep enough for real solutions. Yes, Narcan will save lives and yes, we need effective treatment options, but ... I dozed off for a few minutes with my fingers running through my cat's soft fur. I woke up knowing I had to go.
I was seated at a breakout table titled "Education". We were assigned to the task of addressing heroin addition from an education standpoint. I spoke passionately about what I know. Kids need connection. They need to be engaged. They need passion and purpose and their own vision of success. Not what someone else tells them success looks like. They need tools to build self esteem, self worth and resiliency. The need to have a vision for their future that goes beyond the next fix or a baby to give them the love they're looking for. And they need skills and support to make their vision a reality.
The superintendent of schools sat across from me. At the end of the meeting he asked me if I was ready to work with him. A few months later, I was sitting in his office with his administrative team.
Fast forward to now. I just got a significant grant to support the Pathways to Success for Youth Team as we work with the middle and high school administration and faculty to implement a two and a half day student orientation retreat to improve school culture and create connection for the entire incoming freshman class. We are also implementing a faculty development program. We're also working on an all year program; the details are yet to be finalized. All we are doing will serve as a model for expansion to other schools.
And to think, I almost walked away. In fact I would have if I had not listened to my heart and followed the gentle nudges and the not so gentle pushes to take action.
In August, eight new members of the Pathways Team will be heading to Breakthrough to Success to train with Jack Canfield. This will make a total of twenty-two team members (some of who are my ski school staff!) with diverse skills, talents and life experiences who stand ready to assist in the next steps of the vision. as we move beyond the Mount Washington Valley.
With just a little over five weeks before we leave for Breakthrough to Success and just eight weeks before we head into the high school gymnasium to meet the freshman, I'm trusting the Universe's nudge and hoping that with a little help from our Generosity campaign and those of you who feel moved to contribute your support, that we'll be ready to take the next steps in getting this work to young people across the country!
To see the many ways you can support this powerful project, visit our How You Can Help! page
Wow! It's amazing how fast time goes by when you're doing what you love to do! The Pathways to Success for Youth Project has gathered some momentum and is moving forward towards our goal to bring the Success Principles to young people across the country (and to the adults who like to hang around with young people)! And while grant applications and funding possibilities were pending, my focus went to my winter gig.
In the winter, I take a break from my work in classrooms and bring my passion to the outdoors and to the mountains. I love to ski and I love to share my passion with as many people as I can! Two years ago, I became the director of the ski and snowboard school at a small NH family resort. I oversee a staff of just shy of 100 coaches, instructors and staff who are almost as passionate about sliding on snow as I am. Mikayla, the PTSY Team Leader, runs our children's ski program. It's been so fun for us to facilitate team building, professional development, customer service initiatives and change strategies using the Success Principles as the foundation of all we do. To that end, we have come to believe, without a doubt, that Jack's Success Principles work is powerful and much needed in settings that go well beyond the training room and even youth classrooms!
The majority of my staff is 25 or younger. I get lots of feedback telling me that this is the best job they've ever had and they love how they feel like a valuable part of a great team. The adults on staff, many of whom have been on staff for over 10 years, have been watching to see how my style was going to work. I conducted end of the season feedback sessions with all the staff. I asked one simple question ... a question that Jack suggests to get honest, open feedback.
"On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, how would you rate your experience at ski school this year?" If they didn't rank it a 10, I asked a followup question. "What would make it a 10?"
The responses were amazing ... from both young and "more mature" staff alike. The feedback was clear and actionable and fully supports my desire for continuous improvement in the product we put out on the hill and the staff who are providing our products to our guests. The word I heard my staff use the most to describe their experience was "connection".
I've heard the word "connection" or the phrase "lack of connection" or "disconnection" alot lately in the work I do with young people in my community. I've been involved in lots of professional and community conversations around the heroin epidemic that many communities around the country are facing. In addition to working with substance use and abuse, I also work with teens around healthy relationships, sexualty, bullying, academic performance, mental illness, family issues. The list goes on and on. One thing has become crystal clear to me. Connection, or rather a lack of connection, is deep down at the core of every issue. And connection seems to be something we need to pay more attention to when we're looking to address any of our social issues.
So as I shift my focus off snow and back into my school and community work, I am even more passionate than ever about the power of this work, the scope of possiblities and the potential of the Pathways to Success for Youth Project.
Stay tuned for an update on new funding support and an exciting school-based initiative the Pathways Team is working on for September! I am soooooo excited!
In the meantime, we're gearing up our fund raising initiatives to support our new Pathways to Success for Youth Team members to further expand our capacity to bring this work where it needs to go! Click here to see how you can help us get where we're going!
It's been several weeks since Breakthrough to Success ended and I had to part ways with some of the most inspiring, strong, loving people I have ever met. Integrating back into the real world has been a challenge, but one that I feel stronger, clearer, and more positive to confront my fears than ever before.
Yesterday a friend told me that it feels to her like I've been reborn. And it feels that way to me too! From the time I arrived in Scottsdale, AZ and was welcomed by Forrest, a beautiful being who radiates light and love, I felt connected, lighter, and so much more positive than I usually am.
That feeling throughout my week at BTS and in the time since has only gotten stronger.
Ever since I can remember I have been a worry wart. I have suffered from anxiety, social anxiety, and fear. Even though I knew this and worked towards getting better, I had never seemed to be able to get out of my own way. I had dreams but they seemed unreachable, unlikely. Although I've always been mostly positive about life and external outcomes, when it comes to myself, I have always been mostly negative.
At Breakthrough to Success, my biggest breakthrough was starting to feel self-confident, positive about myself and my possibilities, and connected to others in a real way that made me feel accepted and reassured. That small but revolutionary change inside of myself has made everything else seem easier and achievable. Now my dreams are possible and
I know that because I believe in myself, have the tools to ground and center myself, and have a support system of amazing people! Breakthrough to Success was the best week of my life and it was a turning point. I feel renewed, refreshed, recharged, and energized about the endless opportunities I have and the beautiful inner journey that I have embarked on.
Also, a bit on my feelings about Pathways to Success for Youth:
My Breakthrough to Success experience was life-changing. I learned how to believe in myself, love myself, and work whole-heartedly towards my dreams. I observed the processes of the young adults on our team as they experienced the magic of the week and I was moved and inspired by the changes I saw in them. I kept thinking to myself, “Wow, imagine how different my life may have been if I had had this experience at their age!”.
High school was tough for me. I had very little self-esteem and didn’t love or believe in myself. I followed directions and did what was expected of me without really looking inwards to what it was I really wanted. It has been 8 years since
I graduated high school and everyday I have been working towards being more kindto myself and living a life that inspires me and those around me. Going to Breakthrough to Success rocket launched my progress to places I didn’t even know I was working towards. I have confidence and love and passion and clarity as well as the deep desire to spread this feeling and knowledge I have gained. This work is essential for young adults.
I feel so grateful to have had this experience at my age (26) and now I want to help make sure that young adults can have this knowledge and experience sooner. Imagine a world where our young people graduate from high school with self-assurance, clarity of their passions and purpose, and the tools to connect with others in real ways that spark positive change! Not only will they be truly successful and happy, but they will make our world a better place. That sounds pretty good to me.
I feel so much love and light and magic in my life now and I am spreading it to others and I can see positive change happening around me! It’s incredible and I am so grateful to be a part of this experience and a part of the Pathways to Success for Youth team!
I learned some important lessons while on my trip to Breakthrough to Success; however I was mentally unprepared for the change I would experience and I was physically anxious because I didn't know what to expect or who I would meet.
During the first morning, I barely spoke and I wouldn't make eye contact. Everything changed during the first day as a result of two activities. First, we were asked to stand up and share hugs with strangers. Many of us were uncomfortable, some of us cried and many of us smiled because all we could feel was love and positive energy from each other. The second activity was sitting across from your partner for two minutes and making eye contact in silence. This was something that I had a lot of difficulty with. I soon became emotional. Some others did as well. Three-hundred people changed that day ... and the change continued.
By the last day, I became aware of the change that was occurring within me. I woke up every morning that week with my first feeling being joy; not the depression or anxiety I normally would have felt first thing. Mentally, I wasn't trying to schedule my day like I previously would.
I discovered that an emotional and spiritual bond with people can change the way you view life.
I noticed that I was more thoughtful when verbally expressing my thoughts to the friends I made and the group mates I traveled and roomed with.
I learned that rejection is a delusion of the mind. You are not rejected. Your life is just the same as it was even if someone had declined your request.
I learned that it is okay to ask for help. Yes, I did have a lot of trouble with learning this. I have the support of my family and friends, but I've always had trouble asking for help.
I realized that I could learn to love myself. This is the most operant thing I learned. I'm a pretty happy person. I have fun with life. I’m a hard worker. I love everyone. But I've had trouble loving myself.
Every day has been a great day ever since I arrived home. I'm taking these lessons and reminding myself of them daily. Breakthrough To Success changed my life.
Kids in school would benefit being taught the principles and tools I learned at BTS. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to open up, be yourself and be courageous with everything. Kids need to learn how to love themselves, which is something most all of us struggle with throughout life, whether we're willing to admit it or not.
Kids would also benefit from learning how to face difficulties and knowing that they aren't alone with anything, which is what a lot of people think. If kids had the opportunity to learn this in school, they would learn how to connect with others even if it was for a brief time; but that brief time has the potential to change lives. And that connection has the potential to transform school culture and beyond.
Kelly Sharp is 17 and entering her senior year. She plans to join the military and eventually become a psychologist.
Click here to learn more about the Pathways to Success for Youth vision to bring this work into schools.
Click here to learn more about how you can support the Pathways to Success for Youth Team.
Click here to learn more about Trisha Jacobson, the Founder of the Pathways to Success for Youth Team.
When I was asked to join the Pathways to Success for Youthteam this year I had no idea what to expect. However, I accepted the invitation and kept a very open mind to what I was about to experience.
Our week long training at Breakthrough to Success with Jack Canfield was eye opening. I am grateful to be able to develop such important life skills at such a young age. I have gained important tools and perspective that will help shape me as a person. I am ready to use the principles I learned from this seminar as I take the next step towards my dreams.
I cannot thank my team members enough for not only being there for this experience but also for letting me be myself every step of the way. A huge thank you to Trisha Jacobson, the founder of the Pathways to Success for Youth Project, and Mikayla Cerney, the Pathways to Success Team Leader, for giving me the chance to travel to Arizona and experience the importance of the Success Principles first hand. I am honored and grateful for not only all I've learned, but for all of the beautiful people that I got to meet in the process.
The Success Principles will change lives for the better. I look forward to helping others along their way as the team moves forward with the larger vision.
I am 19 and a sophomore at Keene State College with a double major in Journalism and Holocaust and Genocide Studies. I work full time as an editor for my college's newspaper, The Equinox, and want to become a journalist after I graduate. I hope to use my writing skills and further knowledge with genocide to change problems that I am passionate about not only in this country, but around the world. ~Olivia Belanger
On the red-eye back to Boston, the plane began to descend. I felt it drop down as my mind drifted back to consciousness. A movie began to play in my head. It spanned the six weeks prior to what is now known as our BTS adventure.
In the buffet line on June 27, 2015, at the last day of Train the Trainer, Patty Aubery, the President of the Jack Canfield Training Group, walked up to me and asked if I was going to bring a team of teens to Breakthrough to Success again this year.
In 2014, inspired by Jack Canfield and his Success Principles and my vision to bring it to young people across the US, I founded the Pathways to Success for Youth Project. In an effort to train a team of young people to support me and my vision, I brought a team of 7 to BTS in August, 2014. It was an amazing experience.
I had no plan to bring a team in August, 2015. I had already decided that the summer of 2015 was dedicated to finishing my next book. But Patty's question prompted thoughts to rapidly flash through my head. "That is 6 weeks away. It would be so awesome! We could pull it off. But it would be so much work! It's so expensive to travel with a team. We would need to raise lots of money. It would take a lot of time. What about my book?" And then another voice spoke in my head. A powerful voice that spoke firmly and clearly. "This is a powerful opportunity. You must do this. Say yes."
"I wasn't planning on it, but with some help, I can certainly pull it off. Yes, I'll bring a team!" I answered.
As the plane continued it's descent, my thoughts flashed from that conversation with Patty, to my phone call to Mikayla. "I've been offered an opportunity and I'm feeling like I need to go for it. Will you help me put together a team to attend BTS this August?" I asked. She confirmed that she was committed to helping me. We brainstormed a to do list on the phone and set a time to meet when I got home.
The movie scenes continued to flash in my head: surveying the existing team for potential candidates, fundraising ideas and events, creating our indiegogo page,the parent orientation, permission slips and the paperwork party, endless emails and fundraising posts to social media ... right up to the morning when the team gathered in my driveway to begin the journey Arizona and share our first night in Scottsdale before BTS began.
In just six weeks, Mikayla and I had pulled together an amazing team of people. The Universe was certainly part of the process. The right people said yes and organized their lives, their schedules, their finances and their mindsets. Lots of people donated scholarship tickets, travel vouchers, money and volunteer support to help offset the cost of the trip. We fully trusted and embraced the Universe's help to put together the perfect team that would mesh and connect to serve the greater good and the larger vision for the project. And the results were amazing!
Ultimately the team consisted of me, Mikalya, seven teenagers and five adults who knew me, my work, understood my vision and had the skills, talent and experiences that would help expand the capacity of the team as we moved forward to bring the Jack's work into the classroom.
As the plane continued to descend, I looked down at my iPad and noticed a Facebook notification from Nichole, one of the team members. I began to read what she had posted:
"So ... we are about an hour away from landing in Boston after possibly THE most uplifting, enlightening, insightful, empowering and magic filled week of my life. My heart is so full of gratitude and love and happiness!! Breakthrough to Success training was so incredibly inspiring and eye opening. Jack Canfield is a master teacher of our time and I feel so blessed to have been able to learn from him. I am excited to share his heart centered teachings with all those I can because this work is important. This work is what will change the world ..."
"Please turn off all portable electronic devices and stow them in preparation for landing," the flight attendant instructed. We landed and an amazing and enlightened but very sleepy team deplaned, loaded onto the shuttle and headed home.
This morning I finally had a chance to finish reading Nichole's post. Here's what she had to say about this amazing team as we all went through this transformational experience:
Trisha JacobsonThank you so so much again for this opportunity. Thank you for being a source and center of love and a fountain of Canfield Magic! It is divine work and I look forward to nurturing this work with you and with this group. I am so grateful to have crossed paths. Thank you!
Mikayla CerneyWow girl! You are a POWER HOUSE. A gift to EVERYONE around you. An angel on earth and an AMAZING young woman! I am so grateful and blessed to have had this week with you. I can't wait to watch this magic amplify like crazy after this past week's experience. Namastè.
Jennifer CollardWhat a beautiful, gentle, loving nurturing, STRONG, kind soul. I am so blessed by your presence in my life. Thank you for everything. You are an Angel. Namastè.
Drea KasianchukWhat a big, beautiful light you shine. Strong, determined, focused and ALWAYS smiling! I am going to miss that smile! You are the sunrise of life girl! A glorious gift! I love you and can't wait to see you again!
Whitney PrayYou are myth and magic to me! You have such an amazing swirl of energy in your being. It feels like a swirling milky way of starlight, adventure, love, moon light, sunlight, music, dreams and ACTION! How awe-inspiring! Thank you for the important role you play in this game of life and I can not wait for more adventures with you. I love you so so much!!!
Chelsea LathamWe didn't get much time, but you have such a beautiful, peaceful, strong energy. I look forward to a weekly check in and am so happy to have met you this week! Keep up the beautiful work you are doing, it's so important! Love and light.
Jackie DiFonzoHaha you make my heart so happy! You have such a gift for connecting with others and stirring up such goodness and happiness in others. Thank you for the constant smiles and laughter and for lifting up those around you with your gifts. Bellisimo!
Lea ThelemarckWhat a sweet, strong, powerful soul ... don't be afraid of that power. It is a glorious magical part of you that we all love and admire. You have such great things to do here. And you have an awesome support sytem that you have surrounded yourself with! Thank you for sharing in this magic!
Olivia BelangerYou're on your way to life a really cool life! Thanks for sharing in this week. You have a strong, consistent, lovely and beautiful energy. I can't wait to see what you go on to create with all of this! You are a painter of dreams! You are a beautiful part of an amazing team! Thank you!
Marz RobinsonThank you for being such a powerfully warm and loving soul. You have a beautiful way of supporting and binding together a group with the warmth and intense love in your heart. It really was a magical week and I'm so happy to have shared it with you. Keep on loving and growing and helping others feel safe and secure. Everybody needs someone to be that for them. It's a beautiful gift! Thank you for doing this for others.
Meg PerrinSUNSHINE! Something else we all need! Thank you for being a constant source of joy and light. There is a beautiful honest quality you have the ability to convey with just a look. Its pretty awesome how you share your magic and how easily you share that uplift and strong energy. Keep it up little sunflower! Love you! Thank you!
Kelly SharpI just love you! My heart swells just thinking about you. Thank you for that (I am literally tearing up as I write this! So few have that affect on me!) DANG! You touch my heart so deeply with the way you gently, soulfully, purposefully, honestly and purely connect with others. You see the light in them and you connect with that. It is one of the truly most beautiful things I have ever been so humbly blessed to witness. Thank you for being here and being with this circle. We all need you so badly. Thank you for helping me feel so deeply.
Chance BousquetYou have such a genuine loving kindness about you when we boil down the celebrity! The celebrity is an important and BIG piece of who you are and integral part of the work you have to do here. So don't lose it! But I truly love what's behind it! Thank you for making others find there own courage by being so fearless. I'm so happy to have connected with you this week.
This isn't the first time we've all been together, and it's not the last. What an awesome adventure we are on! So much to share and learn from each other! I am so greatly blessed.
I love you!Nichole
As I read what Nichole wrote about each one of our team members, my heart swelled with love and gratitude for her ability to capture the essence of each member in such a beautiful way.
I still don't have the words to express the full essence of the love shared and the connections and transformations that happened this week. I have not yet cried all the joyful tears I have to cry. I am sure the words will come as the full experience gets integrated into myself, my life and my work as we look ahead to taking the next steps towards our powerful vision. But for now, I hope you have enjoyed getting to know my team a little bit better and are more connected to the essence of their BTS experience and our vision for the future.
Perhaps you'd like to follow us. With love and connection like this and with our mission to bring Jack's powerful work to youth across the country, we're bound to change the world. That's a pretty big deal and we're just the team to do it. We'd love to have you join us!
Click here to see how you can support us or sign up below to receive get Pathways to Success for Youth updates.
Breakthrough To Success. Life Changing. Inspiring. Empowering. Heart Wrenching. The best thing I have done with my life!
Thank you Trish Jacobson, Founder of the Pathways to Success for Youth Project and Mikayla Cerney, Pathways Team Leader, for this incredible opportunity. I am grateful for the support of friends, family, communities and individuals across the country who understand the power of this work. This experience wouldn't have happened without YOUR help!
I have no words to express my gratitude for this eye-opening experience. I couldn't have imagined being welcomed with open arms by such a wonderful new family that loves me for ME! I am feeling incredibly grateful to Pathways team members Jen Collard, Whitney Pray, Nichole Tomacelli, Chelsea Latham, Meg Perrin, Olivia Belanger, Chance Bousquet, Kelly Sharp, Marz Robinson, Lea Thelemarck, Jackie DiFonzo, as well as Trish and Mikayla for your authenticity, wisdom, listening ears, humor, and hugs!
I am ready to embrace the world as a visionary for this work. I am ready to experience mastery with the use of these new tools and move forward supported by the strength, insight, and love that comes from the powerful bonds formed this past week at BTS!
Click here to learn more about the Success Principles and Jack Canfield's Breakthrough to Success.
Click here to learn more about how you can support the Pathways to Success for Youth Project in their next steps to bring this work to young people.
Click here to learn more about Trisha Jacobson and get a closer look at what she's up to.
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Satan lurks behind corruption: Pope
Vatican City, Feb 10 (IANS/AKI) Corruption can begin with little things and to stay on the right track we need to know how to reject life’s temptations – from greed to pride and vanity, Pope Francis said on Friday.
“Many corrupt people, many of the big fish who we read about in the papers, may have started with a small act,” Francis said in a sermon as he celebrated mass at the Vatican hotel.
“For example, the tradesman who fiddles the scales so that 900 grams reads as a kilogramme,” he said, quoted by Vatican Radio.
“Graft can begin with such small things,” he warned, recalling the Devil who in the guise of a serpent tricks Eve into eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
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Recap of the Republican Cage Match on Fox
I for one am not 100% convinced how much good debates really are in the months leading up to the Iowa Caucuses in February. Reality states that the American people are fairly busy after Halloween, becoming busier heading into Thanksgiving and are in a frenzy for several weeks leading up to Christmas. Be honest here; “what tax question from last night’s debate will you be remembering on January the 15th“? Furthermore, are you going to remember it was former Governor Mike Huckabee (in the first debate) that gave the answer you liked or was it the California Chihuahua named Carly Fiorina that gave the right answer?
Oh, I can hear the growls now. Ken, you can’t say that about Carly! I just call em as I see em. Does this lady ever actually smile at anything? Then when she does speak, it is usually interrupting the other candidates and then she goes on the attack. I am sorry, she just reminds of a Chihuahua. She doesn’t seem to have the ability to bite your head off, she just nips at your legs until you finally bleed to death. To be even more candid, if I hear one more time how she is good friends with Vladimir Putin and she is going to ignore him, I honestly think I am going to throw something at my television.
As if Carly’s anger issues were not enough, we had Governor John Kasich angry at everyone. I even Tweeted out last night that he appeared as though he was going to eat the camera at times. Kasich did give some good answers regarding debt, deficits, balancing the budget etc. but overall his demeanor seemed less than welcoming and he seemed to be giving the standard Republican talking points memo to me.
We almost had a full-scale cage match last night between Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and Florida Senator Marco Rubio over the subject of “just how strong should our military be and the role it should be playing on the world stage”. Of course, Rubio needs to present himself as a military hawk for a number of reasons, particularly because Florida has a very, very large military presence in Pensacola, Jacksonville, and many more cities. Kentucky, on the other hand, has one major Army base (Ft. Campbell) and that is pretty much all they have in terms of military presence.
In every debate, there is always at least one contender who delivers a line of the night. Sometimes we have two or three memorable lines, but last nights was delivered by none other than Donald Trump when asked about “how he planned on deporting 11 million illegal immigrants” from America back to whence they came. Donald responded with; “We are a country of laws, we need borders, we will have a wall, the wall will be built, the wall will be successful, and if you think walls don’t work, all you have to do is ask Israel.” BOOM! And the crowd roared their approval.
Many pundits last night (Charles Krauthammer, Karl Rove, Byron York to name a few) had said that Jeb Bush had to have a breakout night or he would become (their reference not mine) the “walking dead”. In other words, his campaign would be around, he would be talking a little, but nobody would be listening. Personally, I did not see Jeb with his breakout moment last night. He did have a moment when he decided to grab the gun, load it and point it at his head when he went after Donald Trump on immigration. That is when he served up Donald and begged him to shoot him, which Donald did with the memorable line of the night. Jeb almost literally did a grab a gun and shoot his campaign in the head when he went after Trump.
Believe it or not, one of the best performances turned in was in the first debate from none other than everybody’s favorite “in your face” Governor from New Jersey. Christ Christie had his talking points down and they were good. He delivered them with precision and he delivered them with passion.
I am sorry my friends, but getting excited over Dr. Ben Carson is like trying to get excited over a flu shot. It just isn’t there for me. While his uber soft-spoken style might attract some, it doesn’t impress me. It tells me that he is unsure of himself and is trying to evade the question. Carson was fumbling when it came to immigration, tax structures and his answer on the military was literally in the ozone layer some place. I couldn’t tell you what he said when I was listening to it, let alone now. Personally, I think Dr. Carson is a wonderful dad, great husband, supreme doctor, but it is time for him to go home. He is so far out of his league, it is almost embarrassing to watch him.
As the debate begin losing more contenders, we will see “who can handle” the pressure and who can’t. When we get down to that 4 or 5 range, that is when this is going to get very interesting. A couple of observations about what I think will happen.
Senator Cruz will shine like the North Star in a smaller field. Marco Rubio might be in trouble because he won’t be able to get away with quick one-liner answers to grab applause. Cruz will expose Rubio on several fronts. Donald Trump will be able to elaborate a bit more on his economic plans, but this is where it get’s dicey for Mr. Trump. He will now be expected to be more specific on his solutions. If he doesn’t have any workable and firm solutions, he had better get Dr. Sam Clovis in his office now and get these issues resolved. Lastly, Mr. Trump if you’re reading this, hire a debate coach. Seriously, last night you had several openings to jump in and show your expertise on a couple of subjects and you stood silent. YOU CAN’T DO THAT! There were literally several opportunities where it was quiet for a second, you could have launched and you did not. This is where the coach can be very helpful in teaching how to operate on a debate stage and be more effective.
Overall, great debate and the most impressive part was, “WE ACTUALLY HAD A DEBATE“! Hats off to Fox Business for running a great show! No stupid questions about fantasy football or their favorite movie and what they had for lunch. It was full of substance and the moderators were fabulous. Well done Fox!
About The Author
Ken Crow is one of the original Tea Party and Grassroots activist in America. Ken has invested the past 8-9 years speaking at major rallies, publishing articles and organizing for conservative candidates campaigns.
Ken was one of the original supporters of Donald J. Trump for President a full 4-months before his announcement as a candidate. America has some deep-seeded issues that are threatening our very liberty and freedom as a nation. Ken will continue on his mission of exposing the lies and fake news of the mainstream media and working diligently to "Make America Great Again."
When not speaking, writing or campaigning, Ken can be found traveling, playing golf or enjoying a good game of Texas Hold-Em Poker with friends. Ken lives in Iowa where he enjoys BBQing, playing with his pets, and loving life with his family and extended family.
You can order Ken's latest book "Ego in a Tea Bag" through Barnes and Noble or Amazon. com. Even the Washington Times said it is a great book.
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Molluscs are the most diverse marine phylum and this high diversity has resulted in considerable taxonomic problems. Because the number of species in Canadian oceans remains uncertain, there is a need to incorporate molecular methods into species identifications. A 648 base pair segment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene has proven useful for the identification and discovery of species in many animal lineages. While the utility of DNA barcoding in molluscs has been demonstrated in other studies, this is the first effort to construct a DNA barcode registry for marine molluscs across such a large geographic area.
One of the major questions in microbial ecology is “who is there?” This question can be answered using various tools, but one of the long-lasting gold standards is to sequence 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicons generated by domain-level PCR reactions amplifying from genomic DNA. Traditionally, this was performed by cloning and Sanger (capillary electrophoresis) sequencing of PCR amplicons. The advent of next-generation sequencing has tremendously simplified and increased the sequencing depth for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The introduction of benchtop sequencers now allows small labs to perform their 16S rRNA sequencing in-house in a matter of days. Here, an approach for 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing using a benchtop next-generation sequencer is detailed. The environmental DNA is first amplified by PCR using primers that contain sequencing adapters and barcodes. They are then coupled to spherical particles via emulsion PCR. The particles are loaded on a disposable chip and the chip is inserted in the sequencing machine after which the sequencing is performed. The sequences are retrieved in fastq format, filtered and the barcodes are used to establish the sample membership of the reads. The filtered and binned reads are then further analyzed using publically available tools. An example analysis where the reads were classified with a taxonomy-finding algorithm within the software package Mothur is given. The method outlined here is simple, inexpensive and straightforward and should help smaller labs to take advantage from the ongoing genomic revolution.
26 Related JoVE Articles!
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Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
Institutions: San Diego State University, University of California San Diego.
Here we introduce a series of thoroughly tested and well standardized research protocols adapted for use in remote marine environments. The sampling protocols include the assessment of resources available to the microbial community (dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic matter, inorganic nutrients), and a comprehensive description of the viral and bacterial communities (via direct viral and microbial counts, enumeration of autofluorescent microbes, and construction of viral and microbial metagenomes). We use a combination of methods, which represent a dispersed field of scientific disciplines comprising already established protocols and some of the most recent techniques developed. Especially metagenomic sequencing techniques used for viral and bacterial community characterization, have been established only in recent years, and are thus still subjected to constant improvement. This has led to a variety of sampling and sample processing procedures currently in use. The set of methods presented here provides an up to date approach to collect and process environmental samples. Parameters addressed with these protocols yield the minimum on information essential to characterize and understand the underlying mechanisms of viral and microbial community dynamics. It gives easy to follow guidelines to conduct comprehensive surveys and discusses critical steps and potential caveats pertinent to each technique.
Genotyping variants in the human genome has proven to be an efficient method to identify genetic associations with phenotypes. The distribution of variants within families or populations can facilitate identification of the genetic factors of disease. Illumina's panel of genotyping BeadChips allows investigators to genotype thousands or millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or to analyze other genomic variants, such as copy number, across a large number of DNA samples. These SNPs can be spread throughout the genome or targeted in specific regions in order to maximize potential discovery. The Infinium assay has been optimized to yield high-quality, accurate results quickly. With proper setup, a single technician can process from a few hundred to over a thousand DNA samples per week, depending on the type of array. This assay guides users through every step, starting with genomic DNA and ending with the scanning of the array. Using propriety reagents, samples are amplified, fragmented, precipitated, resuspended, hybridized to the chip, extended by a single base, stained, and scanned on either an iScan or Hi Scan high-resolution optical imaging system. One overnight step is required to amplify the DNA. The DNA is denatured and isothermally amplified by whole-genome amplification; therefore, no PCR is required. Samples are hybridized to the arrays during a second overnight step. By the third day, the samples are ready to be scanned and analyzed. Amplified DNA may be stockpiled in large quantities, allowing bead arrays to be processed every day of the week, thereby maximizing throughput.
Efforts to detect and investigate key oncogenic mutations have proven valuable to facilitate the appropriate treatment for cancer patients. The establishment of high-throughput, massively parallel "next-generation" sequencing has aided the discovery of many such mutations. To enhance the clinical and translational utility of this technology, platforms must be high-throughput, cost-effective, and compatible with formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue samples that may yield small amounts of degraded or damaged DNA. Here, we describe the preparation of barcoded and multiplexed DNA libraries followed by hybridization-based capture of targeted exons for the detection of cancer-associated mutations in fresh frozen and FFPE tumors by massively parallel sequencing. This method enables the identification of sequence mutations, copy number alterations, and select structural rearrangements involving all targeted genes. Targeted exon sequencing offers the benefits of high throughput, low cost, and deep sequence coverage, thus conferring high sensitivity for detecting low frequency mutations.
Wild animals are commonly parasitized by a wide range of helminths. The four major types of helminths are "roundworms" (nematodes), "thorny-headed worms" (acanthocephalans), "flukes" (trematodes), and "tapeworms" (cestodes). The optimum method for collecting helminths is to examine a host that has been dead less than 4-6 hr since most helminths will still be alive. A thorough necropsy should be conducted and all major organs examined. Organs are washed over a 106 μm sieve under running water and contents examined under a stereo microscope. All helminths are counted and a representative number are fixed (either in 70% ethanol, 10% buffered formalin, or alcohol-formalin-acetic acid). For species identification, helminths are either cleared in lactophenol (nematodes and small acanthocephalans) or stained (trematodes, cestodes, and large acanthocephalans) using Harris' hematoxylin or Semichon's carmine. Helminths are keyed to species by examining different structures (e.g. male spicules in nematodes or the rostellum in cestodes). The protocols outlined here can be applied to any vertebrate animal. They require some expertise on recognizing the different organs and being able to differentiate helminths from other tissue debris or gut contents. Collection, preservation, and staining are straightforward techniques that require minimal equipment and reagents. Taxonomic identification, especially to species, can be very time consuming and might require the submission of specimens to an expert or DNA analysis.
Optimization and Utilization of Agrobacterium-mediated Transient Protein Production in Nicotiana
Authors: Moneim Shamloul, Jason Trusa, Vadim Mett, Vidadi Yusibov.
Institutions: Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology.
Agrobacterium-mediated transient protein production in plants is a promising approach to produce vaccine antigens and therapeutic proteins within a short period of time. However, this technology is only just beginning to be applied to large-scale production as many technological obstacles to scale up are now being overcome. Here, we demonstrate a simple and reproducible method for industrial-scale transient protein production based on vacuum infiltration of Nicotiana plants with Agrobacteria carrying launch vectors. Optimization of Agrobacterium cultivation in AB medium allows direct dilution of the bacterial culture in Milli-Q water, simplifying the infiltration process. Among three tested species of Nicotiana, N. excelsiana (N. benthamiana × N. excelsior) was selected as the most promising host due to the ease of infiltration, high level of reporter protein production, and about two-fold higher biomass production under controlled environmental conditions. Induction of Agrobacterium harboring pBID4-GFP (Tobacco mosaic virus-based) using chemicals such as acetosyringone and monosaccharide had no effect on the protein production level. Infiltrating plant under 50 to 100 mbar for 30 or 60 sec resulted in about 95% infiltration of plant leaf tissues. Infiltration with Agrobacterium laboratory strain GV3101 showed the highest protein production compared to Agrobacteria laboratory strains LBA4404 and C58C1 and wild-type Agrobacteria strains at6, at10, at77 and A4. Co-expression of a viral RNA silencing suppressor, p23 or p19, in N. benthamiana resulted in earlier accumulation and increased production (15-25%) of target protein (influenza virus hemagglutinin).
Institutions: University of Alabama at Birmingham, INRA UR1067, INRA UR1037.
Due to the inherent difficulty and time involved with studying the myogenic program in vivo, primary culture systems derived from the resident adult stem cells of skeletal muscle, the myogenic precursor cells (MPCs), have proven indispensible to our understanding of mammalian skeletal muscle development and growth. Particularly among the basal taxa of Vertebrata, however, data are limited describing the molecular mechanisms controlling the self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation of MPCs. Of particular interest are potential mechanisms that underlie the ability of basal vertebrates to undergo considerable postlarval skeletal myofiber hyperplasia (i.e. teleost fish) and full regeneration following appendage loss (i.e. urodele amphibians). Additionally, the use of cultured myoblasts could aid in the understanding of regeneration and the recapitulation of the myogenic program and the differences between them. To this end, we describe in detail a robust and efficient protocol (and variations therein) for isolating and maintaining MPCs and their progeny, myoblasts and immature myotubes, in cell culture as a platform for understanding the evolution of the myogenic program, beginning with the more basal vertebrates. Capitalizing on the model organism status of the zebrafish (Danio rerio), we report on the application of this protocol to small fishes of the cyprinid clade Danioninae. In tandem, this protocol can be utilized to realize a broader comparative approach by isolating MPCs from the Mexican axolotl (Ambystomamexicanum) and even laboratory rodents. This protocol is now widely used in studying myogenesis in several fish species, including rainbow trout, salmon, and sea bream1-4.
Tetrad analysis is a valuable tool for yeast genetics, but the laborious manual nature of the process has hindered its application on large scales. Barcode Enabled Sequencing of Tetrads (BEST)1 replaces the manual processes of isolating, disrupting and spacing tetrads. BEST isolates tetrads by virtue of a sporulation-specific GFP fusion protein that permits fluorescence-activated cell sorting of tetrads directly onto agar plates, where the ascus is enzymatically digested and the spores are disrupted and randomly arrayed by glass bead plating. The haploid colonies are then assigned sister spore relationships, i.e. information about which spores originated from the same tetrad, using molecular barcodes read during genotyping. By removing the bottleneck of manual dissection, hundreds or even thousands of tetrads can be isolated in minutes. Here we present a detailed description of the experimental procedures required to perform BEST in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, starting with a heterozygous diploid strain through the isolation of colonies derived from the haploid meiotic progeny.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most widely used expression system for the production of recombinant proteins for structural and functional studies. However, purifying proteins is sometimes challenging since many proteins are expressed in an insoluble form. When working with difficult or multiple targets it is therefore recommended to use high throughput (HTP) protein expression screening on a small scale (1-4 ml cultures) to quickly identify conditions for soluble expression. To cope with the various structural genomics programs of the lab, a quantitative (within a range of 0.1-100 mg/L culture of recombinant protein) and HTP protein expression screening protocol was implemented and validated on thousands of proteins. The protocols were automated with the use of a liquid handling robot but can also be performed manually without specialized equipment.
Disulfide-rich venom proteins are gaining increasing recognition for their potential as therapeutic drug leads. They can be highly potent and selective, but their complex disulfide bond networks make them challenging to produce. As a member of the FP7 European Venomics project (www.venomics.eu), our challenge is to develop successful production strategies with the aim of producing thousands of novel venom proteins for functional characterization. Aided by the redox properties of disulfide bond isomerase DsbC, we adapted our HTP production pipeline for the expression of oxidized, functional venom peptides in the E. coli cytoplasm. The protocols are also applicable to the production of diverse disulfide-rich proteins. Here we demonstrate our pipeline applied to the production of animal venom proteins. With the protocols described herein it is likely that soluble disulfide-rich proteins will be obtained in as little as a week. Even from a small scale, there is the potential to use the purified proteins for validating the oxidation state by mass spectrometry, for characterization in pilot studies, or for sensitive micro-assays.
In internally fertilizing animals, seminal fluid is usually added to the spermatozoa, together forming the semen or ejaculate. Besides nourishing and activating sperm, the components in the seminal fluid can also influence female physiology to augment fertilization success of the sperm donor. While many studies have reported such effects in species with separate sexes, few studies have addressed this in simultaneously hermaphroditic animals. This video protocol presents a method to study effects of seminal fluid in gastropods, using a simultaneously hermaphroditic freshwater snail, the great pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis, as model organism. While the procedure is shown using complete prostate gland extracts, individual components (i.e., proteins, peptides, and other compounds) of the seminal fluid can be tested in the same way. Effects of the receipt of ejaculate components on egg laying can be quantified in terms of frequency of egg laying and more subtle estimates of female reproductive performance such as egg numbers within each egg masses. Results show that seminal fluid proteins affect female reproductive output in this simultaneous hermaphrodite, highlighting their importance for sexual selection.
In vivo methods such as ChIP-chip are well-established techniques used to determine global gene targets for transcription factors. However, they are of limited use in exploring bacterial two component regulatory systems with uncharacterized activation conditions. Such systems regulate transcription only when activated in the presence of unique signals. Since these signals are often unknown, the in vitro microarray based method described in this video article can be used to determine gene targets and binding sites for response regulators. This DNA-affinity-purified-chip method may be used for any purified regulator in any organism with a sequenced genome. The protocol involves allowing the purified tagged protein to bind to sheared genomic DNA and then affinity purifying the protein-bound DNA, followed by fluorescent labeling of the DNA and hybridization to a custom tiling array. Preceding steps that may be used to optimize the assay for specific regulators are also described. The peaks generated by the array data analysis are used to predict binding site motifs, which are then experimentally validated. The motif predictions can be further used to determine gene targets of orthologous response regulators in closely related species. We demonstrate the applicability of this method by determining the gene targets and binding site motifs and thus predicting the function for a sigma54-dependent response regulator DVU3023 in the environmental bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough.
Zebrafish have become a widely used model organism to investigate the mechanisms that underlie developmental biology and to study human disease pathology due to their considerable degree of genetic conservation with humans. Chemical genetics entails testing the effect that small molecules have on a biological process and is becoming a popular translational research method to identify therapeutic compounds. Zebrafish are specifically appealing to use for chemical genetics because of their ability to produce large clutches of transparent embryos, which are externally fertilized. Furthermore, zebrafish embryos can be easily drug treated by the simple addition of a compound to the embryo media. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH), mRNA expression can be clearly visualized within zebrafish embryos. Together, using chemical genetics and WISH, the zebrafish becomes a potent whole organism context in which to determine the cellular and physiological effects of small molecules. Innovative advances have been made in technologies that utilize machine-based screening procedures, however for many labs such options are not accessible or remain cost-prohibitive. The protocol described here explains how to execute a manual high-throughput chemical genetic screen that requires basic resources and can be accomplished by a single individual or small team in an efficient period of time. Thus, this protocol provides a feasible strategy that can be implemented by research groups to perform chemical genetics in zebrafish, which can be useful for gaining fundamental insights into developmental processes, disease mechanisms, and to identify novel compounds and signaling pathways that have medically relevant applications.
Localization-based super resolution microscopy can be applied to obtain a spatial map (image) of the distribution of individual fluorescently labeled single molecules within a sample with a spatial resolution of tens of nanometers. Using either photoactivatable (PAFP) or photoswitchable (PSFP) fluorescent proteins fused to proteins of interest, or organic dyes conjugated to antibodies or other molecules of interest, fluorescence photoactivation localization microscopy (FPALM) can simultaneously image multiple species of molecules within single cells. By using the following approach, populations of large numbers (thousands to hundreds of thousands) of individual molecules are imaged in single cells and localized with a precision of ~10-30 nm. Data obtained can be applied to understanding the nanoscale spatial distributions of multiple protein types within a cell. One primary advantage of this technique is the dramatic increase in spatial resolution: while diffraction limits resolution to ~200-250 nm in conventional light microscopy, FPALM can image length scales more than an order of magnitude smaller. As many biological hypotheses concern the spatial relationships among different biomolecules, the improved resolution of FPALM can provide insight into questions of cellular organization which have previously been inaccessible to conventional fluorescence microscopy. In addition to detailing the methods for sample preparation and data acquisition, we here describe the optical setup for FPALM. One additional consideration for researchers wishing to do super-resolution microscopy is cost: in-house setups are significantly cheaper than most commercially available imaging machines. Limitations of this technique include the need for optimizing the labeling of molecules of interest within cell samples, and the need for post-processing software to visualize results. We here describe the use of PAFP and PSFP expression to image two protein species in fixed cells. Extension of the technique to living cells is also described.
Marine elasmobranchs are valued animal models for biomedical and genomic studies as they are the most primitive vertebrates to have adaptive immunity and have unique mechanisms for osmoregulation 1-3. As the most primitive living jawed-vertebrates with paired appendages, elasmobranchs are an evolutionarily important model, especially for studies in evolution and development. Marine elasmobranchs have also been used to study aquatic toxicology and stress physiology in relationship to climate change 4. Thus, development and adaptation of methodologies is needed to facilitate and expand the use of these primitive vertebrates to multiple biological disciplines. Here I present the successful adaptation of RNA whole mount in situ hybridization and histological techniques to study gene expression and cell histology in elasmobranchs.
Monitoring gene expression is a hallmark tool of developmental biologists, and is widely used to investigate developmental processes 5. RNA whole mount in situ hybridization allows for the visualization and localization of specific gene transcripts in tissues of the developing embryo. The expression pattern of a gene's message can provide insight into what developmental processes and cell fate decisions a gene may control. By comparing the expression pattern of a gene at different developmental stages, insight can be gained into how the role of a gene changes during development.
While whole mount in situ's provides a means to localize gene expression to tissue, histological techniques allow for the identification of differentiated cell types and tissues. Histological stains have varied functions. General stains are used to highlight cell morphology, for example hematoxylin and eosin for general staining of nuclei and cytoplasm, respectively. Other stains can highlight specific cell types. For example, the alcian blue stain reported in this paper is a widely used cationic stain to identify mucosaccharides. Staining of the digestive tract with alcian blue can identify the distribution of goblet cells that produce mucosaccharides. Variations in mucosaccharide constituents on short peptides distinguish goblet cells by function within the digestive tract 6. By using RNA whole mount in situ's and histochemical methods concurrently, cell fate decisions can be linked to gene-specific expression.
Although RNA in situ's and histochemistry are widely used by researchers, their adaptation and use in marine elasmobranchs have met limited and varied success. Here I present protocols developed for elasmobranchs and used on a regular basis in my laboratory. Although further modification of the RNA in situ's hybridization method may be needed to adapt to different species, the protocols described here provide a strong starting point for researchers wanting to adapt the use of marine elasmobranchs to their scientific inquiries.
In the biological sciences there have been technological advances that catapult the discipline into golden ages of discovery. For example, the field of microbiology was transformed with the advent of Anton van Leeuwenhoek's microscope, which allowed scientists to visualize prokaryotes for the first time. The development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of those innovations that changed the course of molecular science with its impact spanning countless subdisciplines in biology. The theoretical process was outlined by Keppe and coworkers in 1971; however, it was another 14 years until the complete PCR procedure was described and experimentally applied by Kary Mullis while at Cetus Corporation in 1985. Automation and refinement of this technique progressed with the introduction of a thermal stable DNA polymerase from the bacterium Thermus aquaticus, consequently the name Taq DNA polymerase.
PCR is a powerful amplification technique that can generate an ample supply of a specific segment of DNA (i.e., an amplicon) from only a small amount of starting material (i.e., DNA template or target sequence). While straightforward and generally trouble-free, there are pitfalls that complicate the reaction producing spurious results. When PCR fails it can lead to many non-specific DNA products of varying sizes that appear as a ladder or smear of bands on agarose gels. Sometimes no products form at all. Another potential problem occurs when mutations are unintentionally introduced in the amplicons, resulting in a heterogeneous population of PCR products. PCR failures can become frustrating unless patience and careful troubleshooting are employed to sort out and solve the problem(s). This protocol outlines the basic principles of PCR, provides a methodology that will result in amplification of most target sequences, and presents strategies for optimizing a reaction. By following this PCR guide, students should be able to:
● Set up reactions and thermal cycling conditions for a conventional PCR experiment
● Understand the function of various reaction components and their overall effect on a PCR experiment
● Design and optimize a PCR experiment for any DNA template
● Troubleshoot failed PCR experiments
The degree to which planktonic microbes can exploit microscale resource patches will have considerable implications for oceanic trophodynamics and biogeochemical flux. However, to take advantage of nutrient patches in the ocean, swimming microbes must overcome the influences of physical forces including molecular diffusion and turbulent shear, which will limit the availability of patches and the ability of bacteria to locate them. Until recently, methodological limitations have precluded direct examinations of microbial behaviour within patchy habitats and realistic small-scale flow conditions. Hence, much of our current knowledge regarding microbial behaviour in the ocean has been procured from theoretical predictions. To obtain new information on microbial foraging behaviour in the ocean we have applied soft lithographic fabrication techniques to develop 2 microfluidic devices, which we have used to create (i) microscale nutrient patches with dimensions and diffusive characteristics relevant to oceanic processes and (ii) microscale vortices, with shear rates corresponding to those expected in the ocean. These microfluidic devices have permitted a first direct examination of microbial swimming and chemotactic behaviour within a heterogeneous and dynamic seascape. The combined use of epifluorescence and phase contrast microscopy allow direct examinations of the physical dimensions and diffusive characteristics of nutrient patches, while observing the population-level aggregative response, in addition to the swimming behaviour of individual microbes. These experiments have revealed that some species of phytoplankton, heterotrophic bacteria and phagotrophic protists are adept at locating and exploiting diffusing microscale resource patches within very short time frames. We have also shown that up to moderate shear rates, marine bacteria are able to fight the flow and swim through their environment at their own accord. However, beyond a threshold high shear level, bacteria are aligned in the shear flow and are less capable of swimming without disturbance from the flow. Microfluidics represents a novel and inexpensive approach for studying aquatic microbial ecology, and due to its suitability for accurately creating realistic flow fields and substrate gradients at the microscale, is ideally applicable to examinations of microbial behaviour at the smallest scales of interaction. We therefore suggest that microfluidics represents a valuable tool for obtaining a better understanding of the ecology of microorganisms in the ocean.
Microbiology, issue 4, microbial community, chemotaxis, microfluidics
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Non-radioactive in situ Hybridization Protocol Applicable for Norway Spruce and a Range of Plant Species
The high-throughput expression analysis technologies available today give scientists an overflow of expression profiles but their resolution in terms of tissue specific expression is limited because of problems in dissecting individual tissues. Expression data needs to be confirmed and complemented with expression patterns using e.g. in situ hybridization, a technique used to localize cell specific mRNA expression. The in situ hybridization method is laborious, time-consuming and often requires extensive optimization depending on species and tissue. In situ experiments are relatively more difficult to perform in woody species such as the conifer Norway spruce (Picea abies). Here we present a modified DIG in situ hybridization protocol, which is fast and applicable on a wide range of plant species including P. abies. With just a few adjustments, including altered RNase treatment and proteinase K concentration, we could use the protocol to study tissue specific expression of homologous genes in male reproductive organs of one gymnosperm and two angiosperm species; P. abies, Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus. The protocol worked equally well for the species and genes studied. AtAP3 and BnAP3 were observed in second and third whorl floral organs in A. thaliana and B. napus and DAL13 in microsporophylls of male cones from P. abies. For P. abies the proteinase K concentration, used to permeablize the tissues, had to be increased to 3 g/ml instead of 1 g/ml, possibly due to more compact tissues and higher levels of phenolics and polysaccharides. For all species the RNase treatment was removed due to reduced signal strength without a corresponding increase in specificity. By comparing tissue specific expression patterns of homologous genes from both flowering plants and a coniferous tree we demonstrate that the DIG in situ protocol presented here, with only minute adjustments, can be applied to a wide range of plant species. Hence, the protocol avoids both extensive species specific optimization and the laborious use of radioactively labeled probes in favor of DIG labeled probes. We have chosen to illustrate the technically demanding steps of the protocol in our film.
Anna Karlgren and Jenny Carlsson contributed equally to this study.
Corresponding authors: Anna Karlgren at [email protected] and Jens F. Sundström at [email protected]
This method is used to extract high molecular weight genomic DNA from planktonic biomass concentrated on 0.22 μM Sterivex filters that have been treated with storage/lysis buffer and archived at -80°C, and to purify this DNA using a cesium chloride density gradient. The protocol begins with two one-hour incubation steps to liberate DNA from cells and remove RNA. Next, a series of Phenol:Chloroform and Chloroform extractions are performed followed by centrifugation to remove proteins and cell membrane components, collection of the aqueous DNA extract, and several buffer exchange steps to wash and concentrate the extract. Part Five describes the optional purification via cesium chloride density gradient. It is recommended to work with less than 15 samples at one time to avoid confusion and cut down protocol time. The total time required for this protocol depends on the number of samples to be extracted. For 10-15 samples and assuming the proper centrifugation equipment is available, this entire protocol should take 3 days. Make sure you have the hybridization ovens set to temperature at the outset of the process.
DNA stable-isotope probing (DNA-SIP) is a powerful technique for identifying active microorganisms that assimilate particular carbon substrates and nutrients into cellular biomass. As such, this cultivation-independent technique has been an important methodology for assigning metabolic function to the diverse communities inhabiting a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic environments. Following the incubation of an environmental sample with stable-isotope labelled compounds, extracted nucleic acid is subjected to density gradient ultracentrifugation and subsequent gradient fractionation to separate nucleic acids of differing densities. Purification of DNA from cesium chloride retrieves labelled and unlabelled DNA for subsequent molecular characterization (e.g. fingerprinting, microarrays, clone libraries, metagenomics). This JoVE video protocol provides visual step-by-step explanations of the protocol for density gradient ultracentrifugation, gradient fractionation and recovery of labelled DNA. The protocol also includes sample SIP data and highlights important tips and cautions that must be considered to ensure a successful DNA-SIP analysis.
A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals
Authors: Philippe Henry, Alison Henry, Michael A. Russello.
Institutions: University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus.
Noninvasive genetic sampling approaches are becoming increasingly important to study wildlife populations. A number of studies have reported using noninvasive sampling techniques to investigate population genetics and demography of wild populations1. This approach has proven to be especially useful when dealing with rare or elusive species2. While a number of these methods have been developed to sample hair, feces and other biological material from carnivores and medium-sized mammals, they have largely remained untested in elusive small mammals. In this video, we present a novel, inexpensive and noninvasive hair snare targeted at an elusive small mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps). We describe the general set-up of the hair snare, which consists of strips of packing tape arranged in a web-like fashion and placed along travelling routes in the pikas’ habitat. We illustrate the efficiency of the snare at collecting a large quantity of hair that can then be collected and brought back to the lab. We then demonstrate the use of the DNA IQ system (Promega) to isolate DNA and showcase the utility of this method to amplify commonly used molecular markers including nuclear microsatellites, amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs), mitochondrial sequences (800bp) as well as a molecular sexing marker. Overall, we demonstrate the utility of this novel noninvasive hair snare as a sampling technique for wildlife population biologists. We anticipate that this approach will be applicable to a variety of small mammals, opening up areas of investigation within natural populations, while minimizing impact to study organisms.
Institutions: University of Toronto, University of Toronto, University of Toronto, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Stanford University , University of Toronto.
By virtue of advances in next generation sequencing technologies, we have access to new genome sequences almost daily. The tempo of these advances is accelerating, promising greater depth and breadth. In light of these extraordinary advances, the need for fast, parallel methods to define gene function becomes ever more important. Collections of genome-wide deletion mutants in yeasts and E. coli have served as workhorses for functional characterization of gene function, but this approach is not scalable, current gene-deletion approaches require each of the thousands of genes that comprise a genome to be deleted and verified. Only after this work is complete can we pursue high-throughput phenotyping. Over the past decade, our laboratory has refined a portfolio of competitive, miniaturized, high-throughput genome-wide assays that can be performed in parallel. This parallelization is possible because of the inclusion of DNA 'tags', or 'barcodes,' into each mutant, with the barcode serving as a proxy for the mutation and one can measure the barcode abundance to assess mutant fitness. In this study, we seek to fill the gap between DNA sequence and barcoded mutant collections. To accomplish this we introduce a combined transposon disruption-barcoding approach that opens up parallel barcode assays to newly sequenced, but poorly characterized microbes. To illustrate this approach we present a new Candida albicans barcoded disruption collection and describe how both microarray-based and next generation sequencing-based platforms can be used to collect 10,000 - 1,000,000 gene-gene and drug-gene interactions in a single experiment.
Microorganisms are present on all inanimate surfaces creating ubiquitous sources of possible contamination in the laboratory. Experimental success relies on the ability of a scientist to sterilize work surfaces and equipment as well as prevent contact of sterile instruments and solutions with non-sterile surfaces. Here we present the steps for several plating methods routinely used in the laboratory to isolate, propagate, or enumerate microorganisms such as bacteria and phage. All five methods incorporate aseptic technique, or procedures that maintain the sterility of experimental materials. Procedures described include (1) streak-plating bacterial cultures to isolate single colonies, (2) pour-plating and (3) spread-plating to enumerate viable bacterial colonies, (4) soft agar overlays to isolate phage and enumerate plaques, and (5) replica-plating to transfer cells from one plate to another in an identical spatial pattern. These procedures can be performed at the laboratory bench, provided they involve non-pathogenic strains of microorganisms (Biosafety Level 1, BSL-1). If working with BSL-2 organisms, then these manipulations must take place in a biosafety cabinet. Consult the most current edition of the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) as well as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for Infectious Substances to determine the biohazard classification as well as the safety precautions and containment facilities required for the microorganism in question. Bacterial strains and phage stocks can be obtained from research investigators, companies, and collections maintained by particular organizations such as the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). It is recommended that non-pathogenic strains be used when learning the various plating methods. By following the procedures described in this protocol, students should be able to:
● Perform plating procedures without contaminating media.
● Isolate single bacterial colonies by the streak-plating method.
● Use pour-plating and spread-plating methods to determine the concentration of bacteria.
● Perform soft agar overlays when working with phage.
● Transfer bacterial cells from one plate to another using the replica-plating procedure.
● Given an experimental task, select the appropriate plating method.
Institutions: Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, A*STAR-Duke-NUS Neuroscience Research Partnership, Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Genomes are organized into three-dimensional structures, adopting higher-order conformations inside the micron-sized nuclear spaces 7, 2, 12. Such architectures are not random and involve interactions between gene promoters and regulatory elements 13. The binding of transcription factors to specific regulatory sequences brings about a network of transcription regulation and coordination 1, 14.
Chromatin Interaction Analysis by Paired-End Tag Sequencing (ChIA-PET) was developed to identify these higher-order chromatin structures 5,6. Cells are fixed and interacting loci are captured by covalent DNA-protein cross-links. To minimize non-specific noise and reduce complexity, as well as to increase the specificity of the chromatin interaction analysis, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is used against specific protein factors to enrich chromatin fragments of interest before proximity ligation. Ligation involving half-linkers subsequently forms covalent links between pairs of DNA fragments tethered together within individual chromatin complexes. The flanking MmeI restriction enzyme sites in the half-linkers allow extraction of paired end tag-linker-tag constructs (PETs) upon MmeI digestion. As the half-linkers are biotinylated, these PET constructs are purified using streptavidin-magnetic beads. The purified PETs are ligated with next-generation sequencing adaptors and a catalog of interacting fragments is generated via next-generation sequencers such as the Illumina Genome Analyzer. Mapping and bioinformatics analysis is then performed to identify ChIP-enriched binding sites and ChIP-enriched chromatin interactions 8.
We have produced a video to demonstrate critical aspects of the ChIA-PET protocol, especially the preparation of ChIP as the quality of ChIP plays a major role in the outcome of a ChIA-PET library. As the protocols are very long, only the critical steps are shown in the video.
This video documents methods for collecting coastal marine water samples and processing them for various downstream applications including biomass concentration, nucleic acid purification, cell abundance, nutrient and trace gas analyses. For today's demonstration samples were collected from the deck of the HMS John Strickland operating in Saanich Inlet. An A-frame derrick, with a multi-purpose winch and cable system, is used in combination with Niskin or Go-Flo water sampling bottles. Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) sensors are also used to sample the underlying water mass. To minimize outgassing, trace gas samples are collected first. Then, nutrients, water chemistry, and cell counts are determined. Finally, waters are collected for biomass filtration. The set-up and collection time for a single cast is ~1.5 hours at a maximum depth of 215 meters. Therefore, a total of 6 hours is generally needed to complete the collection series described here.
Institutions: Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
High efficiency transformation is a major limitation in the study of mycobacteria. The genus Mycobacterium can be difficult to transform; this is mainly caused by the thick and waxy cell wall, but is compounded by the fact that most molecular techniques have been developed for distantly-related species such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. In spite of these obstacles, mycobacterial plasmids have been identified and DNA transformation of many mycobacterial species have now been described. The most successful method for introducing DNA into mycobacteria is electroporation. Many parameters contribute to successful transformation; these include the species/strain, the nature of the transforming DNA, the selectable marker used, the growth medium, and the conditions for the electroporation pulse. Optimized methods for the transformation of both slow- and fast-grower are detailed here. Transformation efficiencies for different mycobacterial species and with various selectable markers are reported.
Site-specific recombinase (SSR) technology allows the manipulation of gene structure to explore gene function and has become an integral tool of molecular biology. Site-specific recombinases are proteins that bind to distinct DNA target sequences. The Cre/lox system was first described in bacteriophages during the 1980's. Cre recombinase is a Type I topoisomerase that catalyzes site-specific recombination of DNA between two loxP (locus of X-over P1) sites. The Cre/lox system does not require any cofactors. LoxP sequences contain distinct binding sites for Cre recombinases that surround a directional core sequence where recombination and rearrangement takes place. When cells contain loxP sites and express the Cre recombinase, a recombination event occurs. Double-stranded DNA is cut at both loxP sites by the Cre recombinase, rearranged, and ligated ("scissors and glue"). Products of the recombination event depend on the relative orientation of the asymmetric sequences.
SSR technology is frequently used as a tool to explore gene function. Here the gene of interest is flanked with Cre target sites loxP ("floxed"). Animals are then crossed with animals expressing the Cre recombinase under the control of a tissue-specific promoter. In tissues that express the Cre recombinase it binds to target sequences and excises the floxed gene. Controlled gene deletion allows the investigation of gene function in specific tissues and at distinct time points. Analysis of gene function employing SSR technology --- conditional mutagenesis -- has significant advantages over traditional knock-outs where gene deletion is frequently lethal.
Layers of Symbiosis - Visualizing the Termite Hindgut Microbial Community
Authors: Jared Leadbetter.
Institutions: California Institute of Technology - Caltech.
Jared Leadbetter takes us for a nature walk through the diversity of life resident in the termite hindgut - a microenvironment containing 250 different species found nowhere else on Earth. Jared reveals that the symbiosis exhibited by this system is multi-layered and involves not only a relationship between the termite and its gut inhabitants, but also involves a complex web of symbiosis among the gut microbes themselves.
JoVE Visualize is a tool created to match the last 5 years of PubMed publications to methods in JoVE's video library.
How does it work?
We use abstracts found on PubMed and match them to JoVE videos to create a list of 10 to 30 related methods videos.
Video X seems to be unrelated to Abstract Y...
In developing our video relationships, we compare around 5 million PubMed articles to our library of over 4,500 methods videos. In some cases the language used in the PubMed abstracts makes matching that content to a JoVE video difficult. In other cases, there happens not to be any content in our video library that is relevant to the topic of a given abstract. In these cases, our algorithms are trying their best to display videos with relevant content, which can sometimes result in matched videos with only a slight relation.
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27 Juli 2012
Exercise Pitch Black 12 takes off in Northern Territory
Up to 100
military aircraft will be in the Northern Territory from July 27 until August
17 as the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) hosts international partners for
Exercise Pitch Black 12.
With 2200
participants coming from across Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, New
Zealand and the United States, Exercise Pitch Black will be held from RAAF
Bases Darwin and Tindal.
Air
Commander Australia, Air Vice Marshal Mel Hupfeld, said the biennial exercise
would this year feature a mix of first-time and returning participants, making
it the most advanced in the event’s 22-year history.
“For the
first time at Exercise Pitch Black, Australia will be fielding the Super
Hornet, Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, and KC-30A
Multi-Role Tanker Transport,” he said.
“The
Indonesian Air Force will make its debut appearance at Exercise Pitch Black 12,
and we’re very excited to see it attend with its Sukhoi Flanker fighter
aircraft.
“Singapore
has been a regular participant and will this year bring its F-15SG Eagle and
Gulfstream G550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning aircraft,” AVM Hupfeld said.
Participants
at Exercise Pitch Black 12 will utilise massive military training areas near
Bradshaw and Delamere to practice offensive counter air and offensive air
support operations with large formations of foreign aircraft.
“Regionally
and geographically, the Northern Territory is ideally placed for exercise
participants to bring together large formations of aircraft to conduct complex
operations,” AVM Hupfeld said.
“Conducting
Exercise Pitch Black 12 is a massive undertaking, not just for aircrews and
maintainers but also for the planning that is involved.”
During
Exercise Pitch Black 12, Air Force will conduct a handling display with an
F/A-18 ‘Classic’ Hornet over Mindil Beach Markets on August 9. An Open Day at
RAAF Base Darwin will be held on August 11 for the Darwin community.
“Air Force
has a deep bond with the Northern Territory extending back to 1938, and holding
these events is our way of extending a sincere thank you to the public for its
support,” AVM Hupfeld said.
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MEMBERS Yoga for Menopause & Peri-menopause
In this workshop you will learn the transformative yoga tools of asana (postures), pranayama (breath work), restorative yoga, mudras (hand positions), meditation, visualisation and self-reflection to minimize some of the difficult aspects of menopause. The emphasis of this class will be on calming, restful and rejuvenating yoga to induce deep healing on a hormonal level during this important transitional and potentially rejuvenating time.
This supportive workshop taught by Senior Yoga teacher Miriam Van Doorn will also provide practical information on Ayurvedic remedies, dietary guidelines, essential oils and other useful lifestyle tips for menopausal women.Bring your yoga mat, a journal, an open heart, and the desire to embrace and blossom into a Woman of Wisdom. Beginners welcome, no experience necessary.
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June 29 - July
3, 2014, Pereslavl-Zalessky (120 km to the north-east from Moscow), Russia
The Fourth International Valentin Turchin Workshop
on Metacomputation (META 2014) will be held in
June 29 - July 3, 2014, in an ancient
Russian town Pereslavl-Zalessky, on the bank of Pleshcheevo lake, in
Ailamazyan Program Systems Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences.
This
workshop belongs to a series of biannual workshops devoted to the memory of
Valentin Turchin
(1931-2010) and aims to bring together researchers working in the areas
of program analysis and program manipulation, collectively referred
to as metacomputation: supercompilation, partial evaluation, distillation,
mixed computation, generalized partial computation, slicing, verification,
as well as cross-fertilization with other modern research and development
directions, and their applications.
The proceedings will be published at a local publishing
house before the workshop. They will be made accessible in electronic
form via Internet.
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DARFUR/DARFUR | Currelly Gallery
Journey into the lives and landscape of the people of Darfur, Sudan, in this extraordinary multimedia exhibition, consisting of over 150 haunting images projected onto the façade of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal.
Created in September 2006 by American architect Leslie Thomas to bring the story of the Darfur crisis to the attention of the public and the media, DARFUR/DARFUR showcases colour and black-and-white photographs of village and refugee life, including bombing, the military response, and intimate portraits of those trying to survive the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Photographs taken by former U.S. Marine Brian Steidle and photojournalists Lynsey Addario, Mark Brecke, Helene Caux, Ron Haviv, Paolo Pellegrin, Ryan Spencer Reed, and Michal Safdie, help provide a visual interpretation of this rich cultural area. Edited by J. Matthew Jacob.
Edited projections will appear on the outside of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, accompanied by traditional Sudanese music, from dusk to 11:00 pm every evening. An additional unedited presentation will be displayed inside the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal lobby.
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Furniture is the collective term for the movable
objects which may support the human body (seating
furniture and beds), provide storage, or hold objects
on horizontal surfaces above the ground. Storage
furniture (which often makes use of doors, drawers,
and shelves) is used to hold or contain smaller
objects such as clothes, tools, books, and household
goods...
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Fun:
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BaraSkit.se - The
largest website with entertaining images in Scandinavia
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Blog
Blog
Theological Education in Kenya
Theological education in Kenya was founded on the premise of equipping and training local people to assist missionaries in their work. The early missionaries strove to determine what type of theological education was best fit for the indigenous population. At the time, these missionaries were mainly from the Church of England, Church of Scotland, African Inland Mission, Pentecostal Assemblies of God, and the Methodist Church among many others.
There has always been a local perception that theological education in Kenya, and most parts of Africa, is for people who did not or could not excel in other careers outside of the church. However, the truth is that theological education should provide a holistic leadership that can speak to the social, economic, and political spheres of the time. Theological education exists to equip the church to participate in God’s mission in the world. It is about following Jesus, learning from him, growing to be like him, and so becoming fishers of men wherever he sends, as Jesus taught in Matthew 4:19.
The history and context of theological education in Kenya started with the introduction of a center for training church ministers during the colonial period. The training center was the first Anglican divinity school in East Africa and was founded in 1903 in Frere Town, Mombasa, Kenya. The purpose of the divinity school was to teach God’s word to newly freed slaves. Frere Town was a town created by the British Governor of India and East Africa. Frere was named after an active Anglican layman working for the abolition of slavery. It was probably the first theological college in East Africa.
In 1955 the divinity school moved from Mombasa to Limuru, about 30 minutes outside the Kenyan capital city, Nairobi, and was renamed St. Paul United Theological College. The college was run by Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed, and Quaker ministers. Since then, St. Paul's United Theological College, now St. Paul University, has made an exceptional impact on the African Independent Churches by training their pastors in theology.
After Kenya attained her independence in 1963, the running of theological schools was left in the hands of church boards to coordinate with the missionary partners overseas. During this time, theological education was affordable and many were trained both locally and overseas. Since the church was and is the main consumer of theological college graduates, it has played both a positive and a negative role in the growth of theological education in Kenya.
Theological training takes many forms in Kenya today. For one, it happens in local churches through preaching, Bible study, and other organized activities where believers are systematically taught God’s word and application in their lives. There is also Theological Education by Extension in Kenya, popularly known as TEE. This is conducted in churches and is set up as Bible study groups that gather for a longer period of time. The primary textbook of TEE is the Bible and there are also reference study books which help the students study the Bible and apply it to life. At the end of the study the students are awarded certificates of completion.
In Kenya, we also have some churches that have ministry schools which deal mainly with topics such as outreach, exorcism of demons, and preaching. There are always divided opinions on ministry school and formal accredited theological schools. Those in ministry schools always point fingers at those in theological colleges saying that they have no connection with God since there their approach is more academic than spiritual. Whereas, those in theological schools cast aspersions at those in ministry schools saying that they do not have a firm grasp of the word of God and are hence prone to heresy.
At a more formal level, there are institutions of higher education that are residential and non-residential, distance learning programs, and in some internet savvy African countries, internet classes. Bishop Hannington Institute of Theology (BHI) in Mombasa is an Anglican-affiliated college. Despite being an Anglican college, there are students from other denominations who also attend the college.
Bishop Hannington Institute of Theology (BHI) is named after James Hannington, the first Anglican bishop of East Africa who was martyred in 1885 by being speared on his way to Uganda. BHI offers a three-year diploma in theology to ministers mainly of the Anglican church, Methodist, and other denominations. BHI started as a center called the Coast Bible Institute in 1991 with six students. Today the college graduates over 25 ministers every year. Since its founding, the college has trained over 400 ministers. The graduates of the college serve as church ministers or chaplains in secondary and primary schools, hospitals, and the armed forces.
Theological education in Africa has experienced challenges. The greatest challenge has been poor enrollment of students in formal theological schools prompted by the lack of resources. Many potential students cannot afford tuition and fees.
Another challenge to theological education in Kenya is combating heretical teaching. Kenya has witnessed the formation of many churches. These churches are mainly founded by pastors who do not have any formal theological training, but they have large congregations since they seem to address the people’s needs through preaching of what is in fact heresy. Many young people who would have joined theological training so as to become pastors see no need to, since they have witnessed ministers who can attract large congregations. This calls for sound theological education in order to avoid heretical teaching and spread of a prosperity gospel.
Africa is dealing with many contemporary issues such as corruption, AIDS, ethnic division, and political turmoil. The Kenyan church and the society in general need well trained pastors, ministers, priests, and lay leaders who can guide and lead members of the church and society. Africa direly needs Christians who can live out the transformational gospel of Jesus Christ in every sector of society. According to Torres, “The only theology that the Bible knows is a functional theology, that is to say, a theology in dialogue with the concrete reality, a theology in the service of praxis” (In Torres in Fabella, eds; 1978:213). The goal of theological education in Kenya should be transforming lives and maturing believers to become the salt and light of the world.
Rev. Dr. Martin Olando Wesonga has been the Principal of Bishop Hannington Institute of Theology (BHI) in Mombasa since 2013. He holds a Doctor of Theology from St. Alcuin Seminary and a Masters in Theology from Daystar University, Kenya. Prior to joining BHI, he served as Youth Pastor at St. Paul Anglican Church, Machakos, Kenya. You can contact Fr. Martin here.
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Tips on Killing Any Race of Locust for Gears Of War
This page contains Gears Of War Hints for Xbox 360 called "Tips on Killing Any Race of Locust" and has been posted or updated on Apr 2, 2007 by Oblivion Geek. Let us know what you think of this Hint by thumbs voting.
Game Boxshot & Details
Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Action Shooter Third-Person
Release: Nov 7, 2006
ESRB: Mature
Game Hints
Tips on Killing Any Race of Locust
Drone- All Drones have a burst-fire weapon and announce when they must reload. The best thing to use against all drones is thte "Gnasher Shotgun" listen for them to say they need to reload, roadie run over to them, and introduce him to your friend.
Grenadiers- Grenadiers lack common sense. They carry around a few frag grenades and a shotgun. Thinking they are so "powerful" they run over to you, ran back and since the shotgun can is most effective at a length the 3 meters, will produce minimal damage. Waste about a clip or so on their legs, and curb stomp them.
Theron Guards- These Locust know what they're doing. Carrying a Torque Bow , Theron Guards are very dangerous. Depending on what difficulty setting you are palying on, a Torque bow can kill you in 3 or 2 shots on Casual 2 or 1 on Hardcore, and 1 on Insane. 3 weapons proved most useful to me while playing the game on Insane.
1. The Lancer- When Theron Guards run over to you, cover slip and shred them to pieces, or, though powerful, Theron Guards also surrender to being shot in the legs. And, then you curb-stomp them.
2. The Gnasher- This shotgun comes in handy, it is useful for dropping human-sized Locust to their knees as well, including Theron Guards. The Gnasher can also kill Locust very fast, shot in the knees or not.
3. The Torque Bow- Give 'em a taste of their own medicine. Charge the bow up in blindfire mode, and before shot, slip out of cover and shoot your target. Theron Guards are all powerful and mighty until they get an exploding arrow jammed into their stomach.
Boomers- Are and VERY powerful. On the bright side, they're stupidity is their weakness, along with their strong build. Their build makes them walk a bit faster than a snail, and are vulnerable after shooting. Boomers don't get their name out of random. They actually do carry a rocket-launcher that proves very powerful on every difficulty. You will know a Boomer is in your presence when and about to fire when you hear a big voice say, "BOOM." If you hear this, get out of your current cover and move somewhere away from it. If a Boomer gets to close, which they will, though big a dumb, they are bloodthirsty, and will walk towards you and fire until you are blown into pieces. If one gets to close, it's THE END, they will walk around your cover, and force you to go somewhere else, but before that they will shoot you and you will either be severely injured or dead. The best way to kill them is after you have seen a big rocket fly past your head, get out of cover, and let loose a whole round of Lancer on them. Rinse and Repeat.
NOTE: You can also blind fire a grenade, this proves very handy as well.
Reavers- Thought you only encounter these in Act 5 [DESPERATION] they are annoying pests. On top of them are to Drones, one with a a Torque bow or other gun, and the other riding it, they will also do whatever it takes until you are dead. In Act 5 you are on a train, so with windows, when the Reavers pop up, run, and get to the nearest cover you can find, from here, blindfire the Drone riding it, and the Reaver will fall.
Berserkers- Berserkers aren't necessarily "dumb" they just have some disabilities. Berserkers are blind, and can easily sense you behind cover ot not with hearing and smelling. When they rat you out, get ready to roll. They will charge with great speed and kill you instantly on every difficulty! There is only one thing that kills them, the Hammer of Dawn. GOW gives hints as to when a Berserker will pop up after the first one, with a lot of Hammer of Dawns lieing around, take one, trust me, you'll need it. Two things that GOW challenges you with in Berserker encounters are for the Hammer of Dawn.
1. Open sky. [Outside]
2. Satellite coverage. [Anya's Job]
The coverage is easy, Marcus will contact control and inform them, and she will grant him the coverage. Open sky is a bit trickier, you will need follow the game until it leads you to an outside location. Act 4 it is in the 2nd or 3rd room in the Conservatory, where windows are broken.
General RAAM- RAAM is the strongest force Marcus and Dom will ever encounter in the game. Luckily there is only one. In Casual and Hardcore, RAAM is easy. In the preparation room, before fighting RAAM, take the torque bow hidden on the right side of the train behind a couple of wires. Get 660 [max] ammo for your Lancer, and proceed. RAAM has a protective shield formed by Kryll and a Troika as a weapon and is semi-fast, too, oh goody. Luckily, you are at the opposite sides of the cart as one another, but not or long. He will charge straight at you and Dom, blindfire charge the bow, get out of cover and fire, his Kryll shield will scatter, switch to your Lancer and fire a whole clip on him. Take cover once his kryll are back, and repeat. After you inflict enough damage, he will mumble something and his Kryll will come swarming at you, just stay in well-lit cover and you will be fine.
Now, on Insane, this is where it gets extremely hard. This time RAAM has a total of 7,000 health, and is one tough cookie. His troika turret will take you out in 3 or 4 shots. Just try doing the same thing, and with luck, you'll be fine.
Stuck on this game? Set a specific, clearly defined question and let other gamers answer your question or view answers to previously asked questions. If you think you are an Gears Of War expert then please try to help others with their questions.
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Navigation
The Rational Response Squad is a group of atheist activists who impact society by changing the way we view god belief. This site is a haven for those who are pushing back against the norm, and a place for believers of gods to have their beliefs exposed as false should they want to try their hand at confronting us.
Buy any item on AMAZON, and we'll use the small commission to help end theism, dogma, violence, hatred, and other irrationality. Buy an Xbox 360 -- PS3 -- Laptop -- Apple
This will probably be among one of my last threads here... I believe that I have found that which I came here to discover-- just have some loose ends to tie up. I appreciate all of you who helped me with my learning, it's definitly been an experience. So, here is my response to the Case Against Faith.
Granted, I am speaking from my own perspective, not from someone else's. I have been, what you might call a 'skeptic' for as long as I can remember, and it is in asking questions that I realized the point of making choices. The objective facts are the same for most everyone, what you choose to do with them.. is a different issue.
A few definitions before I start, feel free to cross reference them with the dictionary. Make sure to cross reference those words within the definition which might be important to understanding the first. So, here we go. I state these, because.. well-- if we all have our own definitions, that might be kind of hard. So I'll be using the language as prescribed by the dictionary. No descriptive linguistics here! (Maybe some).
Reason: 1) Basis for a belief 2) Statement given as justification 3) Sound Judgement; Good senseRational: 1) Having or exercising reason, sound judgement, or good senseIrrational: 1) Not in accordance with reason; utterly illogicalLogic: 1) A particular method of reasoning 2) The system or principles of reasoning applicable to any branch of knowledge or studyEvidence: 1) Grounds for a belief 2) That which tends to prove or disprove somethingTends: 1) To move or extend in a certain directionProve: 1) To establish the truth or genuineness ofSemantics: 1) The study of meaningEmpirical: 1) Derived from or guided by experience or experimentNecessary: 1) Being essential, indispensable, or requisiteSufficient: 1) Adequate for the purpose; enoughAssumption: 1) Something taken for granted; a suppositionAssertion: 1) A positive statement or declaration, often without support or reasonAxiom: 1) Self evident truth that requires no proof 2) Logic, Mathematics: a proposition that is assumed without proof for the sake of studying the consequences that follow from itFallacious: 1) Deceptive; misleading 2) Disappointing; delusive 3) Containing a fallacyFallacy: 1) A deceptive, misleading, or false notion
About the Author of "The Case Against Faith"
He seems very logical.
(What, you were expecting more? It was a well structured critique as well as fair in my view.)
He ask questions of the author and his interviewees. These questions appear to be valid for, in one way or another, the interviewee and the author just assume that all reading will accept just because they are given a response. Furthermore, some apparent, common sense, contradictions spawning from the statements that the book makes, are equally challenged. Both these methods of argument I consider valid, so I'm not going to be saying that they are not; I will address to all things I can. So, here I go, I will try to make my answers small, assertions simple, logic clean, and reason clear as I can. (Furthermore.. I will try summarize his arguments his quotes-- therefore I can address what I understand as the spirit of his argument). I do not necessarily write this response to give answers, merely ask more questions, that is.. after all, what I do many times. If you grow tired of not finding a straight answer to the original objection, for instance "Since Evil and Suffering Exist, A Loving God Cannot", then look at the end of each section.. there I will write my understanding of it, but I really feel as if my point by point response will give a more complete picture from which to understand my position. Whether representative of truth or not, this is a map of my reasoning at this point in my life.
In fact, Templeton says that suffering was a major reason why he turned away from the Christian faith, noting a photograph of an African woman holding her dead baby, who had died of starvation due to severe drought, in her arms. God allowed all of this suffering when all that the woman needed was a little rain. How can there be a loving God if He won't even send a little rain? (p. 14).
Quote:
For one, Kreeft says that finite humans are not capable of understanding the plans and reasoning of an infinite God. Kreeft illustrates his point with an analogy:
Imagine a bear in a trap and a hunter who, out of sympathy, wants to liberate him. He tries to win the bear's confidence, but he can't do it, so he has to shoot the bear full of drugs. The bear, however, thinks this is an attack and the hunter is trying to kill him. He doesn't realize this is being done out of compassion (p. 32).
This accurately sums up the argument of Strobel: God knows better than us, we cannot comprehend why these things happen.
Quote:
God may well know better than I, and what appears to me to be injustice could all be a part of a greater plan. I am imperfect, and cannot know that which a perfect God may know. However, Kreeft's argument that I cannot know what eventual good may come from some suffering is a fallacious "argument from ignorance."
Agreed. While his answer may be correct, this argument does little to advance the debate since the answer to a valid question is that the answer cannot be comprehended. If this answer were multiplied and given for every question, you might see where this sort of response would lead to.
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The bottom line is that if I am like the bear of Kreeft's analogy, unable to see the greater good to come from apparent injustice, then God should not be surprised that I see apparent injustice as genuine injustice.
Granted. He should not be 'surprised'.
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For there is no reason to assume that there is a greater good to come from injustice.
Granted as well. While I tread lightly on any assertion that there is "no reason" for any assumption, I will accept this assertion because I can think of no counterexample. If one sees something that seems like "injustice" they will not automatically assume that is, in fact, "justifiable".
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It may sound like Strobel, Kreeft, and I are using this woman as a debate tool[...]But these are real issues being raised, and they need to be discussed.
Agreed.
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To explain how suffering can lead to a greater good, Kreeft offers the analogy of when his daughter pricked herself and suffered a small amount of pain, but learned from it (p. 41)[...]A valid explanation for a little pain doesn't explain extensive, intense, and apparently gratuitous pain.
This might be where I would lay down my first contention. If I give an example:A person asks me, "Look at all this death in Iraq. How can the U.S. be justified in such a war?"I would answer, "The death in Europe during World War II was 100 fold, would you ask this same question of that war?"
What is valid for one instance of pain is not necessarily valid for another, yet, the element of truth (if accepted in the first explanation) can be applied to the second that being:Pain or suffering, no matter to what extent, is not reason enough to assume that pain and suffering are not without reason or justification; even as the number of death, no matter to what extent, is not reason enough to assume that war is not without reason or justification in a particular case.
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Why have I been fortunate, while so many others have not? Arguing that there must be no God because of the suffering in the world is sometimes called an "argument from outrage." But should one not be "outraged" at the injustice of the world?
Indeed.
Yet, even as you pointed out something earlier as fallacious, so this thing would be fallacious if its purpose is to win an argument. It does not make a logical conclusion, merely that makes the assertion that one should be outraged at such injustice. In this I agree, but if the purpose of it was to imply that there cannot be justification for something that "should cause outrage", then for that I cannot agree.
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Moreover, the fact that the poorest often suffer the most is, to me, very significant. In a debate with William Lane Craig, Corey Washington develops the point:
Significant?
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Relatively speaking, people really didn't suffer.
The disgust I find at one individual dying in a horrible way and another individual dying in a horrible way is not magnified by their socio-economic standing. I realize you may be saying, "as a whole" opposed to individually, and if this is what you meant, I would agree. The fact that their are nations of so much excess that they seem to burst at the seems while there remains nations in our world that are as they are, is a problem that I think needs addressing.
I cannot say I have an answer to correct this state of affairs.. but some day, perhaps I can help in some significant manner.
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So you have to think about what Craig is saying. God's going to allow the innocent, the weak, and the poor to suffer, so the rich can show their colors, can be courageous, and develop themselves into moral beings. That sounds kind of sick to me actually. I think this is totally incompatible with Christianity as you read it. Remember the proverb was that, "The meek shall inherit the earth," not that they shall be destroyed by it.[1]
However.. this statement seems to imply something that I don't believe is relevant to the central question. Let me present it you this way:
If God allows a rich, successful man, to suffer at the hands of another man, so that the one man gets his head sawed off as he screams for the other to stop; would that god be more or less loving than one who would allow such a thing to happen to a man of less riches?
If you mean those instances of suffering apart from the direct actions of another individual-- such as famine, natural disaster, or the such-- then I would suggest that if you accept that letting a rich man be harmed by another is not more or less a reflection on ones character than if that character let a poor man be harmed by another, then I would only go to point to my even earlier statement. When it comes to suffering as a result of natural elements, it is only as an indirect result of the order than humans have set up themselves. It is not that there is not enough food or resources to support or move all individuals into certain areas of greater resources, it is that nations keep people in and others out. There is a unequal dispersal of resource and space because that is what people, as a whole, have created. One might counter, "there is no way that industrialized nations can take in all citizens of these other nations"-- and that might be true.. a sudden influx of a group of people skilled in only non-industrialized tasks, would most certainly put a large burden on the receiving nation. Yet.. once again, this system is as it is merely as a result of the man made system itself.
In my view, "Man" is as much responsible for a person who dies from famine as a man is responsible for killing another. Feel free to disagree. I am stating these things to present reasoning, not to give answers.
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But God could solve the problem, or at least mitigate it a great deal, by sending more rain. Is this really too much to ask of a compassionate, miracle-working God?
I can only point to my earlier question. Would a god who mitigates pain by 'sending rain' be more or less loving even though, at the same time, he doesn't mitigate the pain of every other individual in a less general sense (murder, rape, torture, etc)? Both would be equally as easy for a God of infinite power? I have not stated my belief on God's personality.. or my understanding of the human condition, merely that these actions that you say increase your un-understanding of the possibility of an infinite are not necessarily the only rational conclusion to reach.
In my opinion it would be as hard to understand a god who 'allows' extreme suffering on the grand scale, then it would be as equally hard to believe in a god who 'allows' extreme suffering on the small scale.
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Kreeft says he purposely let his daughter bleed a little, for the learning experience--the greater good to come.
I really do not understand this man if this story is actually true. I would hope that if I was a parent I would not 'let' my kid touch a stove and then follow that up by not tending to his wound just because he will 'learn better'. I would pull his hand away. I would consul him. For he trusts me and would let me tend to his wound.
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The fact that a Christian would save the child if he could implies that Christians don't really believe that an apparently needless death serves any greater good.
Not necessarily.. As with the example of the father and their child: if harm is caused, I will tend to the harm for the harm is real and needs tending too. This would not change the fact that my child may have learned from the experience.
Whether or not their is "good that can comes from bad" exists independently (I would contend) from the "whether one should help to mitigate the bad."
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Kreeft, of course, claims that injustice not rectified in this life will be rectified in the next. He quotes Mother Teresa, who said, "In light of heaven, the worst suffering on earth, a life full of the most atrocious tortures on earth, will be seen to be no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel" (p. 47).
This I think belittles pain.
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In other words, in the grand scheme of eternity, the dead baby's needless death is "no biggie."
This I think belittles eternity. For mathematically.. finite life is insignificant next to infinite.
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But doesn't that make this life on Earth rather pointless?
I believe even an atheist would agree with this statement: we are living now, in the present, whether or not mathematically the existence of this time is insignificant to the existence of time itself, does not change the fact that life is real, present, and significant in this one.
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To defer to a person's unverifiable condition after death in order to find any resulting greater good appears remarkably forced--it is tantamount to admitting that there is no greater good to be found.
I must admit.. I always felt that in a moment of suffering, the statement "it's for the greater good" to be insensitive even as other: "it was there time", "you can't change life". In general, I feel, as though, in a moment of suffering, ones purpose should be to be there.. not to make sense of it.
We can now, living apart from it all, with the clarity of mind to look backwards and forwards with thought and deliberation, look at all things and find 'greater good' if we wish too.
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For we have to take it entirely on faith that this otherwise seemingly needless suffering resulted in any greater good at all.
While I have not defined my concept of this 'greater good' yet, I will in time.
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A related question concerns the existence of evil. Kreeft says that the complete elimination of evil would eliminate free will and the chance for true love, and claims that some evil and suffering is necessary to make us who we are:
This I think is a odd statement for him to make.
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It's like that old Twilight Zone television show, where a gang of bank robbers gets shot and one of them wakes up walking on fluffy clouds at the golden gate of a celestial city. A kindly white-robed man offers him everything he wants. But soon he's bored with the gold since everything is free, and the beautiful girls who only laugh when he tries to hurt them, since he has a sadistic streak. So he summons the St. Peter figure. "There must be some mistake." "No, we make no mistakes here." "Can't you send me back to earth?" "Of course not, you're dead." "Well, then I must belong with my friends in the Other Place. Send me there." "Oh, no, we can't do that. Rules you know." "But I thought I was supposed to like heaven?" "Heaven? Who said anything about heaven. Heaven is the Other Place." The point is that a world without suffering appears more like hell than heaven....
This on the other hand.. is a great analogy but not used in the manner in which he did. I will refer to it later.
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But you have to think of the consequences of everything you try to improve.
If God could have 'improved' anything, I think he would have. I think he uses this word rather haphazardly.
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Every time you use force to prevent evil, you take away freedom.
This, however, I agree with.
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If Kreeft believes that an Earth without pain and suffering would be like Hell, what exactly does Kreeft believe Heaven is like?
Once again. I don't agree with the way he used it... for this very reason. But.. I will refer to it later.
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Kreeft also asserts that simply recognizing "evil" as being "evil" in and of itself is a good argument for the existence of God. If there is no God, then there is no absolute definition of what is evil and what is not evil (p. 34).
I think you give a good enough response to this one. "The fact that many concepts don't have an ultimate meaning in a godless universe does not mean that they are without meaning to our biological nature." That is not to say that I don't believe there to be a validity in the concept he touches on, but more on that later.
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Why, then, is it necessary for us to lack absolute proof of God's existence? And what about Satan? Satan, when he chose to rebel against God, had absolute proof of God's existence. And yet he was still free to choose not to follow God. Again, why is it necessary for humans to lack absolute proof of God's existence?
More on this in my section response.
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God is often called our "Heavenly Father." If somebody's earthly father moved to another country and left no forwarding address, but left a few clues lying around as to where to find him, would we consider this earthly father worthy of seeking?
No. More on this in my section response.
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And during this quest, at times beliefs that were held as unquestionable by the majority have been proven false.
Yup.
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And Kreeft must, of course, also realize that 90% of all human beings that have ever lived have not believed in his God. Kreeft seems likely to believe that the followers of Buddhism, Hinduism, pagan religions, and so on are completely wrong, but he is happy to accept their members just for the moment to "prove" how "snobbish" atheism is.
In his defense.. I believe it would have been "snobbish" for a person to come along during the time when 90% of the world believed the world was flat and proceeded to tell them it was round, and that they were irrational, and that only those claiming the world was round were rational.
Because.. the concepts necessary for proving the world was round were not understood, therefore not accepted, at that time. To call someone irrational because they don't understand that mathematics posited the world was round before sailing or space travel 'saw' it, does seem terribly 'snobbish'.
I am not saying that Atheist are like this, merely pointing out that if an Atheist proposed to 'prove' to a theist that they are stupid for not understanding, or accepting, theories that have not been 'proven' themselves.. they would be equally as snobbish.
"To be an atheist", however, is no more "snobbish" then "to be a Christian".. one is just "being". So yes, I would agree with you in some respects that Kreeft is a bit "snobbish" himself, because this is the very thing I think he meant for people to accept.
RESPONSE: Theist choose to address this issue in many ways. Each way would seem to contain a bit of ambiguity sown into the fabric of its position. I will try, the best I can, to relate my position. As much as some might say that my positions are inherently contradictory to the writings of the Bible, I do not believe them to be. I believe them to be supported by the Bible, even as others understand their understandings to be. The question might come up, well then how do you know which is right? And truth be told, I do not. I merely have made the choice to live by those things I have chosen to live by through reasoning-- even as you do.
If you would like to argue the points of the Bible, If you feel that they are inherently contradictory, then I will read your contention and respond; however, you must give the one verse you feel to be most clear in its contradiction to the position I state. This is the only way I can see it be done.. otherwise people will just say: "Look at bibleiscontradictory.com." And I will.. but, how could I get around to all of it? I might be able to address all the questions of the site, but to transport those questions here would grow this thread exponentially.. as well as, even then, not satisfy the one who contested first.
Would it not be more efficient to just take one of your choice to present?
SUMMARY (Objection 1: Since Evil and Suffering Exist, A Loving God Cannot): I have accepted the Bible as truth. I have accepted that the God written of in its pages, is a real God. As such, I must address this objection within the context of that God, and not any other.
The words used very frequently to describe the Christian God by Christians are: loving, creator, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent.
I would agree these are our perceptions of him. As a Christian I accept that he is loving, for if he were any other than there would be no reason, that I can think of other than fear, to care for such a God. As a Christian I accept that he created all things, for if he did not then he is not God. As a Christian I accept that he has the capacity to do everything logically possible, for logically impossible things are logically impossible... while one might like to think a "square circle" could be created, it cannot logically be so since both the square and the circle are words designating concepts solely in the human mind. As a function of omnipotence, I, as a Christian, accept that he has the capacity to know all things, for omnipotence designates capacity for anything. As a Christian, I accept that existence, in all forms, is only sustained by his presence, and therefore, he is present (in some sense) in all things existent.
These are things I have chosen to believe in. So how do I make such concepts agree with the existence of suffering and evil in our world?
Here is my reasoning:
I believe the biggest problem within this debate is that both sides seem to automatically assume, or concede, the proposition that evil is a direct result from God, or in some way related to his wanting for it to go on longer, I do not believe this to be the case. I do believe it to be a reasonable argument to say that 'love' could not have existed without 'choice'. God, being a loving God, wanted that which he created to have to ability to love him back. Thus, freewill was placed into that which he created.
I further believe it to be a reasonable argument that, as a function of freewill, as a function of our heightened stated of consciousness, we are curious beings. We are. I do not believe history would give an example of a "non curious" being, for curiosity is the means by which we live.. it is the reason we attempt to crawl, taste food, walk, and so many other things. I am not discounting the possibility that these could be things as instinctual as a reflex.. yet I believe them both to be equally improvable or untestable theories. Furthermore, I am not saying that free will is curiosity, just that it is a necessary result of freewill. We wish to experience what we have not experienced.
And here is where I move to analogy to present my position:If a father watches over his son, giving him all those things which are good for him, does this mean that the son will not wants those things which the father cannot give? Of course not. One asks the question.. one wants an answer. Yet, even as a parent cannot explain the experience of being burned by fire, so God could not explain the experience of being apart from him; for the very words used in the descriptions of burning and apartness, would require experience to understand. Or is one born with the innate ability to understand the concept of 'hot', 'burn', 'sting'.
The concept of sin is not one that brings about punishment from God but of de facto separation. Even as one must leave a house to try and live life on his own, so one must leave god to try and live on his. This is how I interpret the seemingly decreasing, direct interaction, interaction that God did with regards from the beginning of the Bible, where it was God having a direct conversation to Cain or the fire cloud above the Hebrews, and the end, where God had to become man to interact.
While many would like to think that we are more civilized now than thousands of years ago, it does not change the fact that we are perhaps even more barbarous now than then. Is killing someone because they are of a different race more or less barbarous than killing indiscriminately?
As a whole, humanity has long since continued on its journey to explore the experience of life as is. I know this might sound like I'm saying, "If only we would all serve God perfectly, then everything would be fine", I do not believe so. It is possible that I could be wrong however, I believe that it is so far removed from where we are that it does not seem a realistic goal. You, even I, explore those things we should not, and do those things we don't feel as if we should do. "I do what I do not want to do.." as Paul once wrote. All evil in the world is a direct result of our actions (as a whole), not of God's. God means only to sustain us until our curiosity runs out and our final choices are made.
Who knows when that might be. When it does come, and the story has been told, one will have made the choice, explicitly or implicitly through their life, which thing he cherishes more. If it his independence, then so be it, God will grant them their independence. If it be dependence, then so be it, God will bring them home. The desire to experience life away from God will no longer be existent, even as a child who has burnt himself enough will not longer wish to explore the curiosity of touching fire.
Hell.. you might say, is an apparent, common sense, contradiction to the concept of a loving God. I would probably agree with you on this point. I cannot imagine that if Man, to live, needs God to sustain him, how God, who is all-loving, can sustain an individual for the purpose of eternal torment/torture.
Yet, the belief in hell (of this sense) is not necessitated by scripture. Yes, there is a concept of "hell"-- but not necessarily one of eternal torment/torture. Feel free to disagree with me, and point out the particular part of scripture you feel to be most obvious on your point.
As I have stated before, when the time comes that our curiosity has been fulfilled, our choices will have been made, the story complete, we will live forever or die forever, wiped from existent by "eternal fire".
Thanks for reading my paper, and taking the time to respond to at least the first section. As you might imagine, I don't find your counter-arguments compelling, and here is my counter-response:
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What is valid for one instance of pain is not necessarily valid for another, yet, the element of truth (if accepted in the first explanation) can be applied to the second that being:Pain or suffering, no matter to what extent, is not reason enough to assume that pain and suffering are not without reason or justification; even as the number of death, no matter to what extent, is not reason enough to assume that war is not without reason or justification in a particular case.
Perhaps. But, you had agreed with me that to assume that some greater good it to come without a reason to is a fallacious argument from ignorance.
And, one issue that I didn't get into in my article is, the implausibility of a perfect diety needing any sort of "bad" to enact his "good". How can perfection require imperfection in order to bring about a delayed perfection?
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The disgust I find at one individual dying in a horrible way and another individual dying in a horrible way is not magnified by their socio-economic standing. I realize you may be saying, "as a whole" opposed to individually, and if this is what you meant, I would agree.
Remember that you are responding to something that I myself didn't say, I was quoting someone else. If I had said it myself, I think I would have tried to clarify it the way you seem to realize it really means. While anybody directly impacted by the San Francisco quake might have sufferred as much as anybody directly impacted by the Armenian quake. But, the real point was, there were lots fewer of the later than the former. And, the reason there were lots more of the later is directly related to the economic statuses. Which shows that God doesn't protect the poor, they get screwed. Take New Orleans for example...
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I cannot say I have an answer to correct this state of affairs.. but some day, perhaps I can help in some significant manner.
Or perhaps you won't. More argument from ignorance.
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When it comes to suffering as a result of natural elements, it is only as an indirect result of the order than humans have set up themselves. It is not that there is not enough food or resources to support or move all individuals into certain areas of greater resources, it is that nations keep people in and others out.
Well, for one, God made humans imperfect, right? So how can we be faulted for coming up with imperfect systems? Second of all, let's pretend, for discussion purposes, that man were to create a pretty fair system, where most everybody has reasonably good standard of living. People would still die in natural disasters. There would be fewer people to die, if all housing was well made. But it isn't practical or even possible to build every house to withstand every earthquake, tornado, tsunami, etc.
Also, what you are not dealing with is the fact that regardless of what humans *could* do to protect ourselves from natural disasters, it is STILL (allegedly) God's system that there are natural disasters to have to deal with at all. And, aparantly, such a system is really necessary, as there aren't natural disasters in heaven, as I understand it anyway.
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Whether or not their is "good that can comes from bad" exists independently (I would contend) from the "whether one should help to mitigate the bad."
You can contend that if you wish, but it is contradictory. If "bad" can result in eventual "good," then removing the "bad" would remove the eventual "good. " Basically, you are saying, whether you realize it or not, that you really can't know what eventual "good" might come, but you can see the "bad" now, so it makes sense to alleviate the "bad" now and not assume there will be a "good" later. Which means, essentially, you agree with me that there is not a good reason to assume that eventual good always come from bad. If it did, then it wouldn't make sense to help mitgate the bad.
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This I think belittles eternity. For mathematically.. finite life is insignificant next to infinite.
True, but that makes all life on earth insignificant. The entire life of the whole universe, is insignificant next to infinite.
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I would agree these are our perceptions of him. As a Christian I accept that he is loving, for if he were any other than there would be no reason, that I can think of other than fear, to care for such a God.
Then why was God such a vindictive, unloving SOB in the OT? Did you know that one of the very early schools of Christian thought, before "orthodox" became orthodox, was the Jesus was a *different God* than Yehweh, and Jesus came to save us from the bad Yehweh!
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I do believe it to be a reasonable argument to say that 'love' could not have existed without 'choice'. God, being a loving God, wanted that which he created to have to ability to love him back. Thus, freewill was placed into that which he created.
I don't believe that "freewill" can really exist, either with or without God. If God created me, he created my personality, my instincts, my needs and desires. For example, as a heterosexual male, I'm biologically wired to desire females. On the other hand, if I was castrated, I would no longer have hormones and no longer have sexual desire.
What part of creation is *not* under the direct control of an omniscient, omnipotent being? Nothing.
My intent was just to leave this thead as is.. but my respect for you as a sincere person, as well as the original writer of this article, draw me into debate. There will be 7 other threads coming in time, once I finish some work here, that will address the 7 more parts of your article-- but, until then, I'm still here.
Before you being.. I'd like to state something, something I try to say over and over again in very post I do.
I believe the only thing you can know for sure is that you are here. "I think therefore I am." Everything else.. are things you just take for granted.. none of it is "objective" in the purest sense... everything is an "argument of ignorance" however, in most cases, people just accept what you have accepted and therefore both individuals go on their merry way.
This is not to say that any is any more or less ignorant than the other.
All function rests on the unfounded assertion that "If I see something, and a sufficient amount of other people see the same thing, then it is real."
So when someone tries to put themselves higher than me because they are somehow.. "more knowledgeable" "are more rational because they only accept things which have "reason"".. then I take it with a grain of salt.
Because if each one of these individuals applied the same measure of "reason" to everything.. then there acceptance of that earlier assertion has no more reason than mine, a belief in God. They are accepted because individuals believe them to aid in functioning.. not for any reason beyond that.
What you do.. from that point on.. however, is a different issue. People are "irrational" or "rational" because they claim to believe something then to not act in accordance, either because of ignorance or because of contradictory beliefs.
So once again.. I write my thoughts down, this is my reasoning.. the "reason" is the Bible. That is where Christian Theology is supposedly based of.. so I will type from that perspective.
caseagainstfaith wrote:
Thanks for reading my paper, and taking the time to respond to at least the first section. As you might imagine, I don't find your counter-arguments compelling, and here is my counter-response:
A counter-response to a counter-response.. so what does this make this? Let's just call it a conversation broken up by days as opposed to seconds.
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What is valid for one instance of pain is not necessarily valid for another, yet, the element of truth (if accepted in the first explanation) can be applied to the second that being:Pain or suffering, no matter to what extent, is not reason enough to assume that pain and suffering are not without reason or justification; even as the number of death, no matter to what extent, is not reason enough to assume that war is not without reason or justification in a particular case.
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Perhaps. But, you had agreed with me that to assume that some greater good it to come without a reason to is a fallacious argument from ignorance.
All things being equal.. yes, I did agree. But all things are not equal.. we have thousands of years of philosophy, history, and science; so much so that I would venture to say that every perception of every event, is influenced by some external stimuli.
Even as one accepts a science book as reason to believe that the earth revolves around the sun, so I accept I state that the bible is reason to believe that there is more than just what we see.
They are choices we make.. choices of where to put our trust. I don't mean to say that the bible and a science book are contradictory.. merely that one chooses to trust the content as well as the writers. Why do I choose the Christian idea of a God over others? I have my reasons... but thats not for this thread.
Furthermore, I am not saying that either the science book or the bible are infalliably true... merely that they influence ones perception of things.
If there was no science book, no outside influence, there would be no reason to believe the earth revolves the sun; even as if there was no book (of any type), no outside influence, then there would be no reason to believe that perhaps there is more to suffering then just the instance of suffering.
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And, one issue that I didn't get into in my article is, the implausibility of a perfect diety needing any sort of "bad" to enact his "good". How can perfection require imperfection in order to bring about a delayed perfection?
I have conversations with my cousin all the time.. whenever he goes through a rough spot. Years later he'll tell me.. "God wanted me to go through that hell so that I could come to this point"-- I reply: "Maybe.. or maybe you just took the long route to where you would have been anyway."
God, (and I'm speaking from a theological standpoint once again), gave us everything good... we wanted the bad. I do not believe God is enacting "better" then before, merely trying to get us back to where we started.
I believe them to be two different concepts.
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The disgust I find at one individual dying in a horrible way and another individual dying in a horrible way is not magnified by their socio-economic standing. I realize you may be saying, "as a whole" opposed to individually, and if this is what you meant, I would agree.
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Which shows that God doesn't protect the poor, they get screwed. Take New Orleans for example...
This is complicated.. in my mind at least. I don't believe God "protects" anyone.. I do believe that all things come from him.. de facto. Life, love, hope.. abstract concepts.. are from him. Food, shelter, levies, these are things under man's control.
Perhaps.. one could make the argument that at one time God did have a hand in these other things (OT).. but I addressed my reasoning behind this growing separation in my first post.
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I cannot say I have an answer to correct this state of affairs.. but some day, perhaps I can help in some significant manner.
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Or perhaps you won't. More argument from ignorance.
Heh.. I don't mean about God. This was a statement from a separate viewpoint.. at some point.. I wish to do help people of poor nations in a more significant manner than I can now. This was all I was saying.
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When it comes to suffering as a result of natural elements, it is only as an indirect result of the order than humans have set up themselves. It is not that there is not enough food or resources to support or move all individuals into certain areas of greater resources, it is that nations keep people in and others out.
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Well, for one, God made humans imperfect, right?
No.
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So how can we be faulted for coming up with imperfect systems?
I don't believe the system of freewill to be anything but what it was meant to be.
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Second of all, let's pretend, for discussion purposes, that man were to create a pretty fair system, where most everybody has reasonably good standard of living. People would still die in natural disasters. There would be fewer people to die, if all housing was well made. But it isn't practical or even possible to build every house to withstand every earthquake, tornado, tsunami, etc.
If this ever happens.. we will discuss it then. I could simple contend that all people could be concentrated into areas where such sorts of natural disasters do not occur. Until this happens.. or until some study is done.. neither of us will have evidence to back up our claims.
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Also, what you are not dealing with is the fact that regardless of what humans *could* do to protect ourselves from natural disasters, it is STILL (allegedly) God's system that there are natural disasters to have to deal with at all.
Earthquakes are caused as a result from our liquid inner core, if I understand the earths plates correctly, hurricanes the result of moving pressure systems, etc. While I would imagine a counter argument would be, "Why would not God create such a system where these things did not have to occur?" Possibly so.. I would imagine some natural laws would have to be changed, but nothing is outside of his hand, right?
Possibly. Then I would only refer to my previous statement. These things are not "bad" in and of themselves.. neither do people need to die as a direct result from them.
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And, aparantly, such a system is really necessary, as there aren't natural disasters in heaven, as I understand it anyway.
Who says that? Of course.. they probably wouldn't be called "disasters" anymore. What would they be called? Natural?
Here.. they are called disasters because people die and billions of dollars of damage are created. I would imagine.. in some other place.. they would just be called.. "really big storm".. "twirling black cloud".. "giant wave".
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Whether or not their is "good that can comes from bad" exists independently (I would contend) from the "whether one should help to mitigate the bad."
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You can contend that if you wish, but it is contradictory. If "bad" can result in eventual "good," then removing the "bad" would remove the eventual "good. "
We can't keep on moving between the "cosmic" and the "finite". "Cosmically", on some bigger stage, perhaps some "good" will come from the "bad", even as a burn takes away the desire to touch fire, but on the individual level.. why would I not tend to the burn?
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Basically, you are saying, whether you realize it or not, that you really can't know what eventual "good" might come, but you can see the "bad" now, so it makes sense to alleviate the "bad" now and not assume there will be a "good" later.
Once again.. I think you're mixing up concepts-- I do not believe purposefully. One can easily alleviate the affects of "bad" now and still assume that there will be "good", experentially, latter. Why can I not tend to my sons burn, yet still be able to say, "Well, now you've learned."
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If it did, then it wouldn't make sense to help mitgate the bad.
I think this confusion might come from many Christians who would like to say.. "God made you sick so that you will confess your sins and come back to him". Or perhaps on a grander scale, "God killed all those people as punishment to their country for the evil they have done."
I do not believe this to be the case.. and I thought I made that clear earlier. Evil is done by man.. nobody else. A person is hurt by another person.. and thus I help alleviate the pain.. and I will always do so until my death. But my belief, based off outside influence, still lets me believe that there is more than just this.
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This I think belittles eternity. For mathematically.. finite life is insignificant next to infinite.
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True, but that makes all life on earth insignificant. The entire life of the whole universe, is insignificant next to infinite.
Mixing up concepts again. I made it very clear these years, the 60 or more years I live, are insignificant when placed next to cosmic eternity itself.. that does not mean that it is not significant to me, now.
If you remember.. this response was in response to something you and Strobel stated, he belittled pain, you belittled eternity (in my opinion). I was just drawing up a point of contention.
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I would agree these are our perceptions of him. As a Christian I accept that he is loving, for if he were any other than there would be no reason, that I can think of other than fear, to care for such a God.
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Then why was God such a vindictive, unloving SOB in the OT?
Hmm.. if earth is mans experiment into evil.. an experiment that must run it's course.. I would contest that God was doing all that was necessary to sustain us. Whether in foresight or in an eye-for-eye manner, he sustains us.
I'm sure you've heard this one before.. but, even a doctor knocks out a patient and pulls out an arm to sustain the body as a whole.
I know that might seem cold, comparing people to an arm, but analogies are all the same in that they are ambiguous.
The idea however, is only that sometimes someone must do something gruesome to make sure everyone does not die.
Because if everyone died before we, as a people, lived long enough.. then everything would have to start over.. God would create a new pair, and then, freewill and curiosity would lead them to the same place.
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Did you know that one of the very early schools of Christian thought, before "orthodox" became orthodox, was the Jesus was a *different God* than Yehweh, and Jesus came to save us from the bad Yehweh!
I did. Did you know that scientist once thought that the sun revolved the earth? Many times people have the same facts, same words, and yet they come to different conclusions.
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I do believe it to be a reasonable argument to say that 'love' could not have existed without 'choice'. God, being a loving God, wanted that which he created to have to ability to love him back. Thus, freewill was placed into that which he created.
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I don't believe that "freewill" can really exist, either with or without God. If God created me, he created my personality, my instincts, my needs and desires. For example, as a heterosexual male, I'm biologically wired to desire females. On the other hand, if I was castrated, I would no longer have hormones and no longer have sexual desire.
God created Man, your parents created you.
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What part of creation is *not* under the direct control of an omniscient, omnipotent being? Nothing.
I do not understand how you make this jump. Omnipotent only refers to capacity. While God "could" directly control everything.. he does not, he created the system, we do the rest.
I did not take as much time in this response as I did my last.. but hopefully it addresses some things.
Thanks for reading my paper, and taking the time to respond to at least the first section. As you might imagine, I don't find your counter-arguments compelling, and here is my counter-response:
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What is valid for one instance of pain is not necessarily valid for another, yet, the element of truth (if accepted in the first explanation) can be applied to the second that being:Pain or suffering, no matter to what extent, is not reason enough to assume that pain and suffering are not without reason or justification; even as the number of death, no matter to what extent, is not reason enough to assume that war is not without reason or justification in a particular case.
Perhaps. But, you had agreed with me that to assume that some greater good it to come without a reason to is a fallacious argument from ignorance.
And, one issue that I didn't get into in my article is, the implausibility of a perfect diety needing any sort of "bad" to enact his "good". How can perfection require imperfection in order to bring about a delayed perfection?
Precisely. How cany an omnipotent being rely on any contrivance.
The theist error here is that his thinking is necessarily backwards. He does not start with first principles - 'god's omnipotence and omniscience', instead, he works backwards, from our world, and tries to link it back to omnipotence and omniscience
But if there is an omnipotent, omniscient creator, then nothing in our world can be necessary! So the theist has no right to assume that our parameters of existence must be the parameters of existence. Given omnipotence/omniscience, we would not expect our world at all, and this is precisely why the arguent for evil, or pain, or for contrivance ought to shake theistic belief.
We can call this error the Panglossian error.
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The disgust I find at one individual dying in a horrible way and another individual dying in a horrible way is not magnified by their socio-economic standing. I realize you may be saying, "as a whole" opposed to individually, and if this is what you meant, I would agree.
Remember that you are responding to something that I myself didn't say, I was quoting someone else. If I had said it myself, I think I would have tried to clarify it the way you seem to realize it really means. While anybody directly impacted by the San Francisco quake might have sufferred as much as anybody directly impacted by the Armenian quake. But, the real point was, there were lots fewer of the later than the former. And, the reason there were lots more of the later is directly related to the economic statuses. Which shows that God doesn't protect the poor, they get screwed. Take New Orleans for example...
Excellent point.
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I cannot say I have an answer to correct this state of affairs.. but some day, perhaps I can help in some significant manner.
Or perhaps you won't. More argument from ignorance.
Yes. The argument goes: there are things that people have not known, that they later learned. Ergo, this thing I currently don't know has an answer.
The fact of the matter is, if you don't know, you can't use the fact that there are some cases where ignorance is overcome as a reason why you should still hold to your position! All you can say is at the present time, this argument is a reason why you should reconsider your opinion.
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When it comes to suffering as a result of natural elements, it is only as an indirect result of the order than humans have set up themselves. It is not that there is not enough food or resources to support or move all individuals into certain areas of greater resources, it is that nations keep people in and others out.
Well, for one, God made humans imperfect, right? So how can we be faulted for coming up with imperfect systems? Second of all, let's pretend, for discussion purposes, that man were to create a pretty fair system, where most everybody has reasonably good standard of living. People would still die in natural disasters. There would be fewer people to die, if all housing was well made. But it isn't practical or even possible to build every house to withstand every earthquake, tornado, tsunami, etc.
Yes, there's an infantile wish* hidden in the theist argument - that we can all live happily ever after. Human existence seems to belay that notion - there is always some suffering no matter how hard we try.
(Infantile wish is a freudian term, not meant as an insult, we ALL have such wishes - i.e. wishes that go against reality!)
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Also, what you are not dealing with is the fact that regardless of what humans *could* do to protect ourselves from natural disasters, it is STILL (allegedly) God's system that there are natural disasters to have to deal with at all.
Excellent point. The entire situation is akin to putting an infant in a room with a rattle snake and a stick, and saying 'well, I gave the kid a chance". The question that should arise is: Why the snake? But the theist focuses on the stick.
If there is an omnipotent, omniscient 'god' that loves the infant, it staggers reason to hold that such a being would create such a situation.
If you had total control over every facet of your own child's life, would you give him leprosy? Sounds ridiculous, but a theist must answer "YES, I WOULD!" if he wishes to be consistent, for this is precisely what he believes his 'ever flowing fountain of moral goodness' does to some of his beloved creation.
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And, aparantly, such a system is really necessary, as there aren't natural disasters in heaven, as I understand it anyway.
Yes, the entire enterprise seems for naught.... if you look at it from the point of view of first principles .
So the theist must avoid this, and work backwards again.
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Whether or not their is "good that can comes from bad" exists independently (I would contend) from the "whether one should help to mitigate the bad."
You can contend that if you wish, but it is contradictory. If "bad" can result in eventual "good," then removing the "bad" would remove the eventual "good. " Basically, you are saying, whether you realize it or not, that you really can't know what eventual "good" might come, but you can see the "bad" now, so it makes sense to alleviate the "bad" now and not assume there will be a "good" later. Which means, essentially, you agree with me that there is not a good reason to assume that eventual good always come from bad. If it did, then it wouldn't make sense to help mitgate the bad.
The outcome for the theist is that he can no longer decide what is really good or what is really bad! He is forced to admit that bad might be good, good might be bad.
He is forced to concede that he no longer has a moral system, as he can no longer evaluate any action as good or bad... anything good may ultimately prove bad, and vice versa.
The theist must then concede that he relies on a secular moral system.
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This I think belittles eternity. For mathematically.. finite life is insignificant next to infinite.
True, but that makes all life on earth insignificant. The entire life of the whole universe, is insignificant next to infinite.
Belittilng human life for a delusion of grandeur is truly an evil action.
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I would agree these are our perceptions of him. As a Christian I accept that he is loving, for if he were any other than there would be no reason, that I can think of other than fear, to care for such a God.
Then why was God such a vindictive, unloving SOB in the OT? Did you know that one of the very early schools of Christian thought, before "orthodox" became orthodox, was the Jesus was a *different God* than Yehweh, and Jesus came to save us from the bad Yehweh!
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I do believe it to be a reasonable argument to say that 'love' could not have existed without 'choice'. God, being a loving God, wanted that which he created to have to ability to love him back. Thus, freewill was placed into that which he created.
I don't believe that "freewill" can really exist, either with or without God. If God created me, he created my personality, my instincts, my needs and desires.
This god must be responsible for every parameter of existence that would affect any choice you make. He must be perfectly responsible for everything being precisely as it is... ergo omnipotent/omniscient creation obviates free will.
Even if this 'god' were to 'abdicate' and remove himself from the process, this would fail, as this god would make this choice knowing fully well what would happen, and this 'god' would still be responsible for every parameter of the being that made the choice.
So the free will defense for theodicy must fail, unless the theist special pleads to omnipotence as truly unlimited even by 'logical' restrictions.
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For example, as a heterosexual male, I'm biologically wired to desire females. On the other hand, if I was castrated, I would no longer have hormones and no longer have sexual desire.
What part of creation is *not* under the direct control of an omniscient, omnipotent being? Nothing.
Precisely
To answer that X is not under the control of "god' is to deny his role as the creator.
To answer "nothing" is to concede to the problem.
Checkmate. Nicely played, Case. Always enjoy seeing you on this site, I give out your web adress every time one of the apologists you deconstruct is mentioned here.
I do not understand how you make this jump. Omnipotent only refers to capacity. While God "could" directly control everything.. he does not, he created the system, we do the rest.
I need to write a paper just on this topic, as it comes up frequently. I want to respond to just this point in this response, and maybe use it as a basis for a future paper.
I know analogies are imperfect tools, but, I hope this one will have some explanitory power. Say I were to run someone over with my car, and I get arrested for manslaughter. And I respond, "I didn't do nothing, I just pressed that little lever thingy on the floorboard, and this carrige thing I was sitting in lurched and killed the man." You wouldn't buy that defense because 1. I took a specific action and 2. I knew what would happen by taking that action. Even though I had nothing to do with the engineering of the vehicle, or the production of the gasoline, etc., I still knew what would happen when I pressed the gas pedal. Direct cause and effect, right?
Of course, if I was a native that had never seen a car before in my life, and somehow stumbled upon civilization, got in a vehicle, started to investigate the nobs, well, then my defense would be reasonable. I would have no way to have known that pressing the gas pedal while moving the gearshift into drive would do anything. I should not be held accountable for having killed the person. But God, being omniscient and omnipotent, could never be like the native, not knowing what the outcome of His actions would be.
And so, like the human that presses on the gas pedal of a car, God is BY DEFINITION in control of everything He does. If He isn't, then he isn't omniscient and omnipotent. So, when you say: "he created the system, we do the rest" -- that is incorrect. By creating the system, he necessarily does the rest.
I do not understand how you make this jump. Omnipotent only refers to capacity. While God "could" directly control everything.. he does not, he created the system, we do the rest.
I need to write a paper just on this topic, as it comes up frequently. I want to respond to just this point in this response, and maybe use it as a basis for a future paper.
I would very much like to read that paper.
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I know analogies are imperfect tools, but, I hope this one will have some explanitory power. Say I were to run someone over with my car, and I get arrested for manslaughter. And I respond, "I didn't do nothing, I just pressed that little lever thingy on the floorboard, and this carrige thing I was sitting in lurched and killed the man." You wouldn't buy that defense because 1. I took a specific action and 2. I knew what would happen by taking that action. Even though I had nothing to do with the engineering of the vehicle, or the production of the gasoline, etc., I still knew what would happen when I pressed the gas pedal. Direct cause and effect, right?
If you want to accuse the Christian God of Manslaughter under the rational of the US system of laws.. I have no problems with this. I don't think you would win however, not with this analogy (I mean.. the guy in the analogy).
Just to use the analogy in my favor.. and how I understand it. My view of the system is.. "God created the car.. man pressed the gas and put himself underneath the tire."
But regardless, there is however, a big jump between Manslaughter and Murder, 1st or 2nd degree.
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But God, being omniscient and omnipotent, could never be like the native, not knowing what the outcome of His actions would be.
To create or not to create.. that is the question. If God created us, then it was only a matter of time before we fell, if he did not, then we would not have fallen but, yet, we wouldn't exist either.
Granted.. only within the construct of the belief. I'm just giving my understanding of it.
Tod, responded before you and I'd just like to address something: Everyone.. works backwards Tod, not just religious folk. Scientist do not work forward.. they are just trying to understand what has always been. If they someday "figure out all there is to know" and don't find God.. so be it. However, they may find him as well. At which point he'll put out his hand and say.. "Here you go.. I'm made up of Hydrogen."
In any case.. was just pointing out: Religion fits the world to a thought, Science fits the world to nothing (it has no goal but the pursuit of knowledge).
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And so, like the human that presses on the gas pedal of a car, God is BY DEFINITION in control of everything He does.
God is in control of everything He does.. agreed. How would I not agree with that?
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If He isn't, then he isn't omniscient and omnipotent.
I'm not omniscient or omnipotent.. I'm in control of what I do.
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So, when you say: "he created the system, we do the rest" -- that is incorrect. By creating the system, he necessarily does the rest.
Analogies are imperfect tools indeed.. but this one was all over the place. It tries to make me concede that God created the car, presses the gas, knows a man to be underneath, and is therefore "doing" as much as me "killing" a person intentionally...
If I know all.. and I'm all powerful.. I created something.. "E=MC2".. valid.. in and of itself.. can be used for great things.. and I know this.. I also know that it can be used for horrible things.. yet the great things far outweigh any bad. And so I use it to create a system of energy from matter to wipe away the need for all fossil fuel.. with a single providing the world with a source of energy that can heat them at night and cool them during the day.. as well as every other benefit that comes about through limitless energy. Are you trying to tell me I'm as directly responsible for the creation of the atom bomb, not only the atom bomb but every instance of its use, as I am for these other things?
That wont' work in the court of the law.. and I probably wont' accept it here either.
Because if it were the case.. the owner of any gun used in the "accidental shooting" of anyone, even if it wasn't the original own, would be charged and put in prison.. for he "knew" when he bought it that it could be used to kill people.
I think the big thing here would be the distinction between "could" and "would".. God knew it "would" happen.. humans only know things "could" happen. But nevertheless, in the sense of God, if I could try and reason this out again-- there were two choices.. either create or don't. If he created.. "this" would happen... and if didn't.. "nothing" would. I do not see how this is negligent.
It's not only "knowing".. it's also "negligence" as well.. was God "negligent"? Well.. thats a different issue. Some may say he is.. I.. on the other hand.. much prefer existence to non-existence.
Once again.. not saying that god is necessarily the source of everything.. I realize that there are other plausible explanations to how we came to be.
Because if it were the case.. the owner of any gun used in the "accidental shooting" of anyone, even if it wasn't the original own, would be charged and put in prison.. for he "knew" when he bought it that it could be used to kill people.
What you aren't getting is, God wouldn't merely know that x *could* be used for evil, he would know exactly when and where it *would* be used for evil.
If I gave you a gun, I might know that it could be used for evil. If I gave it to you just after you said, "man, I wish I had a gun to blow away my two-timin' spouse", I think I would have at least some responsibility if you indeed used it to kill your spouse. Now, if I also created YOU, and your personality, such that you would kill your wife if she cheated on you; and created her, such that she would cheat on you; and created the people who made guns with personlities to make guns; and the physics to make guns work; and the earth with the compounds to make guns, etc., how am I not responsible for all of this?
What theists seem to think is that personality, desires, instincts, etc., create themselves, and so God is "off the hook". But that is simply not true. I didn't create my own personality any more than I created my own DNA. Do you think I created my own DNA?
Because if it were the case.. the owner of any gun used in the "accidental shooting" of anyone, even if it wasn't the original own, would be charged and put in prison.. for he "knew" when he bought it that it could be used to kill people.
What you aren't getting is, God wouldn't merely know that x *could* be used for evil, he would know exactly when and where it *would* be used for evil.
I responded to this. So.. either you're not reading.. or your just ignoring.
When it comes to the "would" question.. it's a matter of "negligence".. since we're debating as if this were the court of law. If it is proven that I absolutely know someone will die as a result of my actions.. then the question becomes whether there was any other action I could have taken.
It's easy to say that "God is omnipotent.. he could have done anything.. including freewill without the possibility of evil."
Now that.. is contradictory.
I believe.. yes.. evil was a result of freewill (one that is temporary.. but still.. a result).. yet could God have done anything else? As I stated before... to create.. or not to create.. or perhaps create without freewill.. I'm not sure there is rational middle ground when it comes to christian theology.
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What theists seem to think is that personality, desires, instincts, etc., create themselves, and so God is "off the hook".
Heh.. You stated before that theist believe that God created everything. I believe everything existent (concrete.. not abstract. Actions are abstract.. they do not exist apart from the person doing them.) exists because of him. You, me, the tree, etc etc etc. I do not believe that he "creates" everything-- that would seem foolish to me, for he does not "create you".. he merely created the things that make you possible.
[quote[ But that is simply not true. I didn't create my own personality any more than I created my own DNA. Do you think I created my own DNA?
Yes... yes I do.. I believe you created your own DNA. I realize this question was rhetorical in nature..
It's easy to say that "God is omnipotent.. he could have done anything.. including freewill without the possibility of evil."
Now that.. is contradictory.
No, it is not, because your leaving out that our free will is already limited. Your argument, again and again, commits the Panglossian error of implicitly assuming our world is a set of necessary givens. But this is false if there is an omnipotent omniscient creator.
The 'christian' 'god' created the nature of free will, and all parameters of existnece, ergo this god 'limits' free will as it is...
Also, your argument commits a second error - why does the theist hold that we have 'free will'? Because the theist claims we need the freedom to love god or follow god, or the like.
Well, none of this necessitates the existence of rape or murder, ergo the free will argument cannot even justify such actions even potentially. If all that free will is required for is a freedom to 'choose god' then there is no need to allow for rape or murder. And since our will must already be limited by the parameters of existence, as created by this 'god' with full forthought, to those who say "well, this limits our actions' - they merely leave out that this must already take place.
So the free will defense doesn't even work, provided the theist could argue for free will in a divine system. And he can't do this anyway. So theist is back at square zero, with the problem of evil still at his feet, waitng to be dealt with.
And so, like the human that presses on the gas pedal of a car, God is BY DEFINITION in control of everything He does. If He isn't, then he isn't omniscient and omnipotent. So, when you say: "he created the system, we do the rest" -- that is incorrect. By creating the system, he necessarily does the rest.
Precisely.
'God' the ironworker, and why the free will (theodicy) defense for evil fails
In brief: If there is an omnipotent, omniscient creator, then this creator must be perfectly responsible for creating every parameter of existence. Anything that exists, or could potentially exist, only exists contingent upon the fiat of an omnipotent, omniscient creator.
Most theists can agree to this, but few can follow the ramifications (other than Calvinists), for it follows from this logic that the free will defense for the problem of evil fails, for it cannot absolve an omnipotent/omniscient creator for the ultimate responsibility for evil - as this creator's perfect responsibility for creating every parameter of existence precisely as it is, would necessarily obviate free will. Whatever is responsible for free will would be precisely as it is, because of this god's fiat.
Note: This is not solely an argument from omniscience, it is primarly an argument from perfect responsibility.
Let's review:
Many may still balk at the fact that an omnipotent, omniscient creator must have perfect responsibility for 'his' creation, so it may help to follow along more concretely:
It necessarily follows that such a creator is
1) is responsible for creating the concept of free will,
2) responsible for its nature, which means responsible for creating its limits/parameters
3) responsible for granting it to his creation (when he need not have done so, despite the possible deleterious outcomes it might cause for his creation) and
4) completely responsible for the creating every aspect of the nature of humans precisely as they are, as well as their their enviroment that influences their 'choices', precisely as it is, with full ability to make any change, anywhere, at any time.
5) Of this is is done without any 'limit' upon this god's fiat, for any limit must be contingent upon this 'god's' fiat in the first place!
To hold that this 'god' must do X is to commit the Panglossian error.
All of this means that 'free will' cannot coexist in a universe entirely contingent upon the fiat of an omnipotent, omniscient creator. It must follow that anything that occurs necessarily ocurrs as a ramification of an entity that this god is perfectly responsible for, because this creator is not only perfectly responsible for every aspect of the person's character that makes the decision, not only responsible for every aspect of the environment that influences the decision, but also responsible for the very parameters of existence that would lead to the situation in the first place! I.e. not only the nature of the chooser, but the nature of what the chooser can choose and not choose!
Here's a nice follow up on this point written by Knight of Baawam, concernig how theists fail to respond to the argument:
Which is why all the xer sects save Calvinism (with their doctrine of predestination) are dishonest on this point. I have yet to meet an xer who will deal with their god being both omniscient, omnipotent, and the creator of everything at the same time in an argument. They always leave a part out while making their claims, e.g. "Just because god knows everything doesn't mean he forces you to act in a certainway", leaving out of course the notion that god created everything.
They simply can't deal with all the concepts at once, so they leave one out and imagine that they've taken care of everything. And when called on it, they scream at you and retreat into "it's just god's will/god works in mysterious ways", in essence conceding the point.
Such is the problem with mutually-exclusive and self-contradictory concepts trying to be shoehorned onto a tribal phallic symbol.
Now, here is an example that helps illustrate the point:
Inagine you want to stress test a pieceof metal that is going to be used in a building. You need it to bear up a certain weight, or it will prove to be unsafe for construction.
So you stress test it..., because you don't know what load it can bear. You apply a chosen amount of weight per square inch that you hold to be required to keep the building up, and if the metal cracks, you realize you need a better metal.
Now, imagine god is making the building. Let's tune in and watch:
God the Iron Worker
One day, god decides to make a building. He decides that the metal must be able to bear 2000 pounds per square inch. He decides this based entirely on fiat, of course, as god can never do anything out of necessity, as he is unlimited in what he does, because any limit can only exist contingent upon omnipotence.
So 'he' 'makes' a metal. This metal can bear 1900 pounds per square inch. 'He' then tests the metal, and it shatters. "No good", 'he' says, and makes another, this time, able to bear 1900 pounds per square inch.
'He' tests it again. It shatters. "Damn" he says, "No good again." 'God' conjures up another piece. This one can bear 1900 pounds per square inch.....
Getting the point yet? An omnipotent, omniscient metal worker need not test the metal, for perfect metal worker is responsible for the fact that the metal passes or fails the test in the first place. Whatever 'is', is, by this creator's fiat. There can be no 'necessity' that this 'god' must adhere to or obey... for every 'fact' that 'exists' itself exists solely through the fiat of this 'creator in the first place.
So the test is arbitrary, and necessarily so, because 'fact' that the metal must be able to bear 2000 pounds itself is arbitrary. This 'creator' could make ANY level of stress pass, or fail the test, for the test itself is necessarily arbitrary!
This simple exercise helps us grasp that an omnipotent, omniscient creator must, necessarily, be perfectly responsible for every aspect of existence that in turn must dictate every outcome, because there can be nothing that is not itself contingent upon this 'god's' fiat.
It therefore follows that 'god' cannot be all powerful/all knowing AND the creator of the universe AND create beings with free will AND then find them guilty for their behaviors, because such a god must also be perfectly responsible for every single solitary aspect of existence that determines their guilt, in the first place. An omnipotent, omniscient iron worker is perfectly responsible for his metal, just as a omnipotent, omniscient creator is perfectly responsible for every factor within his creation that would produce 'sin' including the concept of 'sin' itself.
'God' creates ALL the parameters of existence - all of them... he decides the parameters of the metal, AND the test! 'God' could make the metal stronger or reduce the stress bearing ability required, or do away with the concept of needing to bear stress altogether.... or, to get more abstract, 'he' could do away with the metal or even do away with the CONCEPTS of "metal", and "test" altogether and just make a building without them.... so the free will argument makes no sense, and fails in it's true goal - to absolve god from the true guilt for "sin", if it did exist.
To hold that there can be any necessity in a universe created by an omnipotent omniscient creator is known as the Panglossian error. It is the presumption that elements in our lives are givens, yet, that there is a god upon which all is contingent! And this is the error that the free will argument relies upon.
When considering human behavior and morality, consider that god would have to be responsible for creating the very concepts of existence, behavior, humanity, morality, choice, 'good', "evil', and so on, with none of them being necessary parts of existence. Ergo, this god would have to control every aspect of a "choice', including human character, prediliction and every single solitary other aspect that shapes the choice!
Poof goes free will in such a universe. Even if it existed, it would be moot.
Parameters of existence
What do I mean when I use the term 'parameter of existence'?
What I mean is any aspect of reality, all of which would be under the purview of an omnipotent being. And, an omnipotent, omniscient creator is necessarily perfectly responsible for his own creation. This is so because this creator is responsible for creating all the parameters of existence, which in turn determine all outcomes.
Any and all of the parameters could have been different, so this god is responsible for them being as they actually are. Ergo this omnipotent being is perfectly responsible for his creation being precisely as it is, this includes the existence of free will, and it's limits. If there is an omnipotent, omniscient creator, the universe didn't have to work the way it currently works, it could exist without any of these things.
When I say 'parameter of existence', I mean every single aspect of existence, including the fact that existence exists. This 'god" would be responsible for the following: existence itself, the existence of our universe, the various'laws of physics - i.e. basic cosmology of our universe. To continue, this god would be responsible for the existence of concepts, or ideas, as well as the particular concepts and ideas that do exist, including ideas like 'good' and 'bad' and 'right' and "wrong'.
This god would be responsible for creating matter and energy, as well as responsible for the forms matter takes in the universe. This god would be responsible for creating the concept of life, of biology, and psychology. This god would be responsible for creating the concept of humanity, character, personality, temperament, as well as perfectly responsible for the particular personalities and temperaments that exist in humans.
This god would then be responsible for creating concepts like free will, and choice, including the existence of the idea of choice itself! As this god is also responsible for creating character and the environments within which people live, every possible factor that influences a free will choice, it necessarily follows that an omnipotent, omniscient creator necessarily obviates free will. After all, this god creates not only 'free will' but the parameters of free will. ... he decides what the limits are! He also decided the penalties for 'infractions', including the the very idea of a need for infractions and penalties!
A theist ought to ask:
Does he (god) create and control the environment we live in?
Does he create and control the possible range of human temperament, personal, character?
Does this god control the possible range of experiences we can experience?
Is he perfectly responsible for creating the universe as he "wills" it to be?
Is he resposible for creating every parameter of existence?
If so, how can this god not be perfectly responsible for his own creation, and thusly, every event that occurs within it?
Or, to make things even more direct:
How can there be any necessity in a universe where everything exists contingently upon the fiat of an omnipotent, omniscient creator?
It's easy to say that "God is omnipotent.. he could have done anything.. including freewill without the possibility of evil."Now that.. is contradictory.
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No, it is not, because your leaving out that our free will is already limited. Your argument, again and again, commits the Panglossian error of implicitly assuming our world is a set of necessary givens. But this is false if there is an omnipotent omniscient creator.
The 'christian' 'god' created the nature of free will, and all parameters of existnece, ergo this god 'limits' free will as it is...
Granted.. but we created the concept of "freewill", not God. I don't think God created a "circle".. we did. I don't think that God created "freewill". It's mans attempt to describe existence.. nothing more. I use the word because it we would have a very difficult time talking within words and without coherent concepts. So I accept it. And within our understanding of "freewill", we cannot have it if we do not have the ability to choose our own will.
But I gave you ground last time.. or at some time previously. I do believe that God could have created some alternative concept in which we would have nothing but the will to follow him.. and while we would not know that we were restricted in will, God would. Now.. why should God care? That's a different issue.. but thats not the argument you made.
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Also, your argument commits a second error - why does the theist hold that we have 'free will'? Because the theist claims we need the freedom to love god or follow god, or the like.
Well, none of this necessitates the existence of rape or murder, ergo the free will argument cannot even justify such actions even potentially. If all that free will is required for is a freedom to 'choose god' then there is no need to allow for rape or murder.
As we define freewill (at least.. I'm assuming you define it the same way) it merely allows for the ability of will over ourselves. no more limits exist. Within our concept.. how can you say "no need to allow" a particular direction of will?
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To those who say "well, this limits our actions' - again, our free will is already limited in that there are physically impossible actions. Hence this argument fails.
Ah.. I see where your going with this. I would have to contend, once again, in the concept of our freewill you have the ability of will over yourself.. not over nature. If "rape" "murder" were "natural concepts" then I would be contradicting myself.. but I do not believe them to be "natural concepts" even as I don't believe "gravity" to be a individual concept.
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So the free will defense doesn't even work, provided the theist could argue for free will in a divine system. And he can't do this anyway.
I do not understand how you make this jump. Omnipotent only refers to capacity.
Here's the error: who 'decides the capacity' in the first place?
"god"
So you're argument fails.
Heh. Capacity refers to the ability... not the other definition of capacity which refers to a limit. God has the 'ability' to do anything, does not necessarily mean he 'does' everything. Is that more clear?
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While God "could" directly control everything.. he does not,
Sorry, but you're just not paying attention. This 'god' creates all the parameters of existence, and this alone dicates all possible outcomes.
I create a car. I give it to a person.. he smashes it with a sledge hammer and then drives it around.
I did that?
"Dictating all possible outcomes" and "directly controlling everything" are two distinctly different things. If you cannot see this.. I will try and think of an example.
I believe.. yes.. evil was a result of freewill (one that is temporary.. but still.. a result)..
Are you saying "freewill" is temporary, or it is temporary that freewill can result in evil and eventually it won't? In any case, you still can't deal with the problem that it is implausible for a perfect being to need "temporary" imperfections in order to bring about a future perfection!
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I believe everything existent (concrete.. not abstract. Actions are abstract.. they do not exist apart from the person doing them.)
Nonsense. Actions are concrete, they are physical. If I pick up a hammer, I have engaged muscles (physical) attached to tendons (physical) attached to bones and skin (physical) to apply a physical force to physical object.
Now, we can try to get into whether the MIND is physical or not. I surmise you are a dualist, as most theists, meaning that (probably) you think the mind is partially the physical brain and partially some spiritual essense or soul or something. Correct? Well, for one, there is lots and lots of evidence that the mind is indeed purely physical. I' like to recommend this article by Keith Augustine:
But, even if we were to suppose, contrary to the available evidence, that there is some soul or spiritual essense, well, then where did THAT come from? Do souls self-generate, or does God create them? Even if we assume a soul, the proverbial buck still stops with God!
... you're leaving out that our free will is already limited. Your argument, again and again, commits the Panglossian error of implicitly assuming our world is a set of necessary givens. But this is false if there is an omnipotent omniscient creator.
The 'christian' 'god' created the nature of free will, and all parameters of existnece, ergo this god 'limits' free will as it is...
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
Granted.. but we created the concept of "freewill", not God.
I'm not quite sure what you mean here. Do you mean the term itself, or 'free will' in of itself?
I don't think God created a "circle".. we did. I don't think that God created "freewill". It's mans attempt to describe existence..
Ok, but this would only mean that humans are giving names to potentials that 'god' is responsible for. This is not creation.
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nothing more. I use the word because it we would have a very difficult time talking within words and without coherent concepts. So I accept it. And within our understanding of "freewill", we cannot have it if we do not have the ability to choose our own will.
You can't use the dire outcome of my refutation as a reason to reject my argument! If it is the case that we cannot have it if we do not have the ability to choose our own will, then this means that you must surrender your god claim as it is your god claim that creates the problem in the first place.
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But I gave you ground last time.. or at some time previously. I do believe that God could have created some alternative concept in which we would have nothing but the will to follow him..
Why would this be bad? NO theist ever gives a reason why it would be bad to be a blissful robot in paradise. They simply assume it would be bad.
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and while we would not know that we were restricted in will, God would. Now.. why should God care? That's a different issue.. but thats not the argument you made.
But I think it is important to explore this. If we wouldn't know the difference, and we were happy, what is lost precisely?
Notice also that your argument relies on persuasive rhetoric.
"Would you prefer to be free, or be forced"?
Of course we say free.
But what if you reworded it thusly:
"Would you prefer to be saved from error and pain, and in paradise, or would you prefer to be left on your own devices, in ignorance, and in eternal pain"?
Notice that the choice is the same... just the persuasive terms have changed.
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Also, your argument commits a second error - why does the theist hold that we have 'free will'? Because the theist claims we need the freedom to love god or follow god, or the like.
Well, none of this necessitates the existence of rape or murder, ergo the free will argument cannot even justify such actions even potentially. If all that free will is required for is a freedom to 'choose god' then there is no need to allow for rape or murder.
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As we define freewill (at least.. I'm assuming you define it the same way)
This is a problem, agreed. I hold to soft determinism - the ability of the brain to weight options and make selections. I reject the idea of a strict Libertarian free will, free from all causes.
My view is called compatiabalism. I don't hold to it as a dogma, as I am open to strict determinism as well.
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it merely allows for the ability of will over ourselves. no more limits exist.
The problem is the part where you say "will" and 'over ourselves"
What is our 'will" in your theology? It is created by god, shaped by god, and given to us by 'god', without our 'choice' (Obviously!) and with full forknowledge of what choices we would make.
Then, we must ask "what is 'ourselves'?
Again, in your theology, we exist contingent upon this god's fiat.... our nature is precisely as it is, by fiat.
Ergo, I must ask: if this god creates the will precisely as it is, and our selves, precisely as they are, with perfect responsibility.. what's 'left' that is free?
Answer: there can be nothing.
Solution: There is a solution for you. But you won't take it.
The solution is to insist that omnipotence can create a situation that we would define as internally contradictory.
But to take this path is to concede that one's position is 'beyond reason'
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Within our concept.. how can you say "no need to allow" a particular direction of will?
Not sure what you mean here.
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To those who say "well, this limits our actions' - again, our free will is already limited in that there are physically impossible actions. Hence this argument fails.
Ah.. I see where your going with this. I would have to contend, once again, in the concept of our freewill you have the ability of will over yourself.. not over nature.
I am glad you see my direction, this makes me happy. But again, as per your theology, what is 'yourself' if not a part of nature that exists precisely as it is, completely contingent upon the fiat of an omnipotent, omniscient god?
What element is outside of 'god' and absolutely 'necessary' i.e. outside the purview of 'god'?
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If "rape" "murder" were "natural concepts" then I would be contradicting myself.. but I do not believe them to be "natural concepts"
What on earth do you mean here? Do you concede that these acts exist? If you do, then they exist contingent upon your creator.
It sounds like you're reaching for a word game, a game of 'let's define X negatively, and then argue that negatives don't 'exist'
The problem is that for a negative to have any meaning, it must exist within a universe of discourse, and this discourse gives it a positive ontology, making it an existent.
Do you follow this? If not, please do not be shy about asking, because it says nothing about your intelligence to ask about my terms... my terms may simply differ from how you would say it.
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So the free will defense doesn't even work, provided the theist could argue for free will in a divine system. And he can't do this anyway.
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Um.. why can't he do this?
As I stated above, omnipotence and omniscience obviate free will, in that they lead to a perfectly responsible creator. There can be nothing outside the scope of his responsibility... whatever you relied on to choose anything, would exist, precisely as it is, by the fiat of this creator..... whatever you choose from, these options would only exist by the fiat of this creator.
Whatever it was that influenced you to pick B over A (and that's stupid, coz A is so much better) would also exist.... precisely as it is, by the fiat of this perfectly responsible creator.
Sorry, but you're just not paying attention. This 'god' creates all the parameters of existence, and this alone dicates all possible outcomes.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
I create a car. I give it to a person.. he smashes it with a sledge hammer and then drives it around.
I did that?
Again, as Todangst points out, you are not paying attention. If yoiu make a car, you didn't create ALL of the parameters of its existence. You didn't design the property of atoms that allow them to become cars. You didn't design humans to have the ability to make cars, hammers, or to drive cars.
When I first introduced my analogy about the car, I prefaced it with saying that analogies are imperfect. I had some apprehension that you would try to use similar analogies, but more fatally flawed ones, like you are doing. Your analogies aren't giving the people involved omnipotence and omniscience, making your analogies totally worthless.
Heh. Capacity refers to the ability... not the other definition of capacity which refers to a limit.
Then you make a distinction without any difference: Ability speaks to limits. Able/not able.
Now you must ask yourself: "Who decides what the limit is, in my theology, and can this 'decider' change it?"
You must find that whatever limits exist, it exists solely by the fiat of your 'god' in the first place. Where else would it come from. To try and hide from the problem by assigning it to 'god's 'nature', you must then answer: can he change this 'nature', even potentially?
If not, then you've left theism and entered into pantheism - a god that follows physical laws.
So arguing that omnipotence doesn't lead to the necessary obviation of any limit fails...
So your'e back to square one.
Or, square zero really.
Here's a good analogy... imagine a 'god of doors' - a being who instantly can create any door, anywhere.. can he bump into a wall?
I supppose, but it's his choice.
Your 'god' cannot be limited by a limit, if all limits are contingent upon him.
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God has the 'ability' to do anything, does not necessarily mean he 'does' everything. Is that more clear?
The point here is not that he 'does everything' but that whatever limits exist, must exist as per the fiat of this creator, ergo the functional outcome is unlimitedness.
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While God "could" directly control everything.. he does not,
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Sorry, but you're just not paying attention. This 'god' creates all the parameters of existence, and this alone dicates all possible outcomes.
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I create a car.
Sorry, but cannot create a car. You can make a car from components.
You are not omnipotent. You are not omniscient. You are not responsible for the parameters of existence.
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I give it to a person.. he smashes it with a sledge hammer and then drives it around.
I did that?
Please read my comments above, in the 'god' the iron worker' post, from the Knight of Bawaa
The problem here is that your analogy fails, because it reles on you as a replacement for 'god' and you are not omnipotent, you are not omniscient, you are not the creator of all the parameters of existence.
You didn't create the character of the person, or the nature of the environment. You didn't create all the possible outcomes, or options to choose from.
You don't have perfect responsibility for every single solitary aspect of existence, they do not rely on you contingently, they do not exist through your fiat.
Or your Audi.
Sorry...
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"Dictating all possible outcomes" and "directly controlling everything" are two distinctly different things. If you cannot see this.. I will try and think of an example.
I believe.. yes.. evil was a result of freewill (one that is temporary.. but still.. a result)..
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Are you saying "freewill" is temporary, or it is temporary that freewill can result in evil and eventually it won't? In any case, you still can't deal with the problem that it is implausible for a perfect being to need "temporary" imperfections in order to bring about a future perfection!
I mentioned this in my first response to you.. so.. I don't know if you didn't read it.. or perhaps I as unclear-- but I will say again.
A function of freewill is curiousity. A function of curiousity is to experience what we have not experienced. In the beginning we had not experienced life "apart from God". And so.. we explored it.
To say that we will be more perfect then then we before is an incorrect understanding of this concept. Is a child more perfect after he burns himself just because he knows what burning feels like? No.. he just has more knowledge.
Granted.. omnipotent as he as (as I have agreed).. he could have placed the experience (necessary to understand) into our minds already.. but.. to place experience never experienced into ones mind-- seems contra-freewill. If you believe this, in the context of christian theology, would have been the better choice-- then it was a choice of God's (according to Christian theology).. and to place the experience in peoples mind or to let them choose it.. are they not the same?
Once again.. you might say.. "God can do anything! He could have made it so that freewill did not need experience to quench curiousity!" Granted.. but we are speaking of our concept of freewill.. not of some non existent concept. If you wish to define free will as "The power of will but without curiosity" then so be it.. I do not think you will gain many supporters.
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I believe everything existent (concrete.. not abstract. Actions are abstract.. they do not exist apart from the person doing them.)
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Nonsense. Actions are concrete, they are physical. If I pick up a hammer, I have engaged muscles (physical) attached to tendons (physical) attached to bones and skin (physical) to apply a physical force to physical object.
I think you fail to understand what I mean by this. If you did not exist.. things would still exist, your actions would not. If you did not exist.. the matter and energy the you are composited of.. would still exist.. your actions would not. This is what I mean by everything existent is existent because of him.
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Now, we can try to get into whether the MIND is physical or not.
It is physical.. your thoughts are not.
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I surmise you are a dualist, as most theists, meaning that (probably) you think the mind is partially the physical brain and partially some spiritual essense or soul or something. Correct?
I believe there is some concept to the mind that cannot be understood at this moment. Perhaps someday. And if by "spiritual essense" or "soul" as in.. something that can exist apart from the brain-- no, I do not believe so.
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Well, for one, there is lots and lots of evidence that the mind is indeed purely physical. I' like to recommend this article by Keith Augustine:
But, even if we were to suppose, contrary to the available evidence, that there is some soul or spiritual essense, well, then where did THAT come from? Do souls self-generate, or does God create them? Even if we assume a soul, the proverbial buck still stops with God!
Well.. I don't have to address this-- because.. well.. I don't I speak of these things the same way you do. I am me, my body, my mind. If I died, physically, I would be dead.
To say that we will be more perfect then then we before is an incorrect understanding of this concept. Is a child more perfect after he burns himself just because he knows what burning feels like? No.. he just has more knowledge.
Sooo.... In heaven, do people have no more curiousity? Do they know everything and therefore no longer need to explore anything? What do you do, sit around all day and go "God is Great! God is Great!" Won't that get a bit boring after, say a googolplex-cubed years?
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
I think you fail to understand what I mean by this. If you did not exist.. things would still exist, your actions would not. If you did not exist.. the matter and energy the you are composited of.. would still exist.. your actions would not.
And if the earth didn't exist, it wouldn't be orbiting the sun. And if the sun didn't exist, things wouldn't be orbiting it nor us being warmed by it. So what? If I don't exist, then I won't do the actions I do, I fail to see that as any revelation. As long as I do exist, the actions I take are physical.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
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Now, we can try to get into whether the MIND is physical or not.
It is physical.. your thoughts are not.
But that is demonstrably false. You are welcome to try having a lobotomy and find out for yourself. Or Alzheimers Disease. Or a bullet in your brain. Or, as in my case, depression. My thoughts are much different when I swallow these little pills of physical chemical compounds then when I don't swallow them. Or you could try getting castrated and see if that doesn't impact your sexual desire. Your argument is simply and flatly demonstrably false.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
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But, even if we were to suppose, contrary to the available evidence, that there is some soul or spiritual essense, well, then where did THAT come from? Do souls self-generate, or does God create them? Even if we assume a soul, the proverbial buck still stops with God!
Well.. I don't have to address this-- because.. well.. I don't I speak of these things the same way you do.
Oh, baloney. You're not answering because you are without an answer.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
I am me, my body, my mind. If I died, physically, I would be dead.
And not doing the actions you would do if you're not dead. Another stunning revelation!
But that is demonstrably false. You are welcome to try having a lobotomy and find out for yourself. Or Alzheimers Disease. Or a bullet in your brain. Or, as in my case, depression. My thoughts are much different when I swallow these little pills of physical chemical compounds then when I don't swallow them. Or you could try getting castrated and see if that doesn't impact your sexual desire. Your argument is simply and flatly demonstrably false.
I would add two more arguments
1) The localization of cognitive abilities to particular brain areas.
We can add brain localization to that... if the mind were independent of the brain, why would ablation, or lesions to particular areas of the brain eliminate specific cognitive functioning.
2) The fact that immateriality has no ontological status... it is a set of negative claims, devoid of any universe of discourse.
Arguments for immateriality are only arguments from ignorance, and worse they violate everything we know of physics. Basically, they only amount to confusing abstractions for immateriality, becuase of the fact that third person ontology differs from first person ontology.
... you're leaving out that our free will is already limited. Your argument, again and again, commits the Panglossian error of implicitly assuming our world is a set of necessary givens. But this is false if there is an omnipotent omniscient creator.
The 'christian' 'god' created the nature of free will, and all parameters of existnece, ergo this god 'limits' free will as it is...
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
Granted.. but we created the concept of "freewill", not God.
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I'm not quite sure what you mean here. Do you mean the term itself, or 'free will' in of itself?
I mean "freewill" is a term we have created to describe something we perceive. If God had changed the parameters.. well then.. I'd imagine we'd be having a different conversation. But.. restricted to this term.. which has its logical limitations (even as a circle does).. how can you say "God is all powerful, he can do the illogical"? I mean.. you can say it.. but I think it would be as irrelevant as the question: Can God created a square circle?
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I don't think God created a "circle".. we did. I don't think that God created "freewill". It's mans attempt to describe existence..
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Ok, but this would only mean that humans are giving names to potentials that 'god' is responsible for. This is not creation.
Now I am not understanding you. What does naming something have to do with it's creation? I named my dog TJ, doesn't mean I had something to do with its creation.
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nothing more. I use the word because it we would have a very difficult time talking within words and without coherent concepts. So I accept it. And within our understanding of "freewill", we cannot have it if we do not have the ability to choose our own will.
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You can't use the dire outcome of my refutation as a reason to reject my argument!
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Hah.
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If it is the case that we cannot have it if we do not have the ability to choose our own will, then this means that you must surrender your god claim as it is your god claim that creates the problem in the first place.
Once again.. this sentence is constructed in such a way that I cannot understand. Could you make into a system of necessary and sufficient conditions? Then maybe I can better address it.
If X => YIf Y => ZX
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But I gave you ground last time.. or at some time previously. I do believe that God could have created some alternative concept in which we would have nothing but the will to follow him..
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Why would this be bad? NO theist ever gives a reason why it would be bad to be a blissful robot in paradise. They simply assume it would be bad.
I didn't assume it would be bad. It wouldn't be anything at all. Without choice.. there is nothing-- for I would venture to say that your consciousness is a function of your freewill.. or do you not choose what you think of?
But like I said.. I don't think it would be bad. But if it were the case.. I wouldn't think at all.
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and while we would not know that we were restricted in will, God would. Now.. why should God care? That's a different issue.. but thats not the argument you made.
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But I think it is important to explore this. If we wouldn't know the difference, and we were happy, what is lost precisely?
If this were the case.. nothing would be lost for we would know nothing else. However, my understanding of God (according to my rational of course) is one that is loving. True.. he could give the illusion of freechoice.. but still-- he would know it was an illusion.
I can take my kid to the local amusement part and tell him it's disneyland.. he'll never know the difference. Doesn't mean that I don't know, and that I realize what I'm telling him is untrue.
"Yes.. you have free will.. you're not forced to be here.. well.. kind of.. you are.. because you don't really have free will"
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Notice also that your argument relies on persuasive rhetoric.
"Would you prefer to be free, or be forced"?
Of course we say free.
But what if you reworded it thusly:
"Would you prefer to be saved from error and pain, and in paradise, or would you prefer to be left on your own devices, in ignorance, and in eternal pain"?
Notice that the choice is the same... just the persuasive terms have changed.
Heh. True. They do have different emphasis.. yet the choice is still the same. I'm not trying to convince you of something.. I'm just explaining my rational.
Yet.. still-- it doesn't really matter what your choice is as to your creation. I mean.. concede for a moment that God exists.. just for the purpose of this sentence..
You choose "saved from error and pain, and in paradise".. fine-- snap.. we're all there.
Yet.. the only way this can be done is to start from the beginning.. to once again.. a point where God is given the choice to give "freewill" (as we understand it) or not. What choice he makes is of no matter to us.. but it is matter to him. (e.g. the parent analogy)
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Also, your argument commits a second error - why does the theist hold that we have 'free will'? Because the theist claims we need the freedom to love god or follow god, or the like.
Well, none of this necessitates the existence of rape or murder, ergo the free will argument cannot even justify such actions even potentially. If all that free will is required for is a freedom to 'choose god' then there is no need to allow for rape or murder.
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As we define freewill (at least.. I'm assuming you define it the same way)
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This is a problem, agreed. I hold to soft determinism - the ability of the brain to weight options and make selections. I reject the idea of a strict Libertarian free will, free from all causes.
My view is called compatiabalism. I don't hold to it as a dogma, as I am open to strict determinism as well.
It's times like these I wish I read the dictionary more often.
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it merely allows for the ability of will over ourselves. no more limits exist.
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The problem is the part where you say "will" and 'over ourselves"
What is our 'will" in your theology? It is created by god, shaped by god, and given to us by 'god', without our 'choice' (Obviously!) and with full forknowledge of what choices we would make.
Yes.. without our "choice" it was given to us. By God's choice. But like I said before.. and now again.. if it was any other way (and I'm really trying to stretch my imagination) then we would not know it.. and only God would.
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Then, we must ask "what is 'ourselves'?
Again, in your theology, we exist contingent upon this god's fiat.... our nature is precisely as it is, by fiat.
Okay.. if I understand the term 'fiat' correctly.. I could accept this, tentatively.
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Ergo, I must ask: if this god creates the will precisely as it is, and our selves, precisely as they are, with perfect responsibility.. what's 'left' that is free?
God gave something.. we define it as freewill.
God created nature.. as is.
God forsees all that is to be, perfectly.
If I know.. KNOW.. exactly what decision you are going to make for a particular situation-- does that mean YOU are not still making the decision?
This would be an interesting philosophically question.
However.. it seems trivial. God knows or does not know the end and every particular movement you will make. You believe you are making the decision.. granted.. even within this sphere you can argue that you have the decision.. but even as you stated above.. why did God not give us the "illusion" of freewill? Where everything is possible except the bad?.. I said.. because it would seem to go against his character.
Yet.. with this philosphical question we are perhaps presented with another... perhaps now we only have the "illusion" of freewill.. we may have nothing at all.
Only God knows. Or without God, then no one does. But no matter which the case, we merely act in accordance with the game we've been set up in.
(I use this metaphor lightly.. do not take it to far).
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Answer: there can be nothing.
Solution: There is a solution for you. But you won't take it.
With God there can be no freewill. Without God we cannot define objectively "freewill." Either way.. we will never know. If the former we say.. "God knows everything.. we make no decisions." In the latter we can only say "We have the illusion of freewill-- but it's very possible that its merely the actions predestined by genetics themselves."
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The solution is to insist that omnipotence can create a situation that we would define as internally contradictory.
But to take this path is to concede that one's position is 'beyond reason'
"Will" is the power over ones thoughts and actions (in accordance with natural law).
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Within our concept.. how can you say "no need to allow" a particular direction of will?
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Not sure what you mean here.
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To those who say "well, this limits our actions' - again, our free will is already limited in that there are physically impossible actions. Hence this argument fails.
Ah.. I see where your going with this. I would have to contend, once again, in the concept of our freewill you have the ability of will over yourself.. not over nature.
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I am glad you see my direction, this makes me happy. But again, as per your theology, what is 'yourself' if not a part of nature that exists precisely as it is, completely contingent upon the fiat of an omnipotent, omniscient god?
What element is outside of 'god' and absolutely 'necessary' i.e. outside the purview of 'god'?
Ah.. now I definitely see your mind. But.. once again.. look up stairs. To me.. these seem as illogical a question to ask as "I wonder if I am". To question self determination is a seemingly practice in self determination. Granted.. we may only have an illusion of free will.. genetics and all. The question is.. how would we know that our freewill was an illusion? We may have an understanding of genetics (at some point in time) to say.. look at all these things.. look at all these things that they determine.. for instance:
Genetics say that I will punch someone in the face on my 13th birthday, at my house, and now.. I know this.
Can I change it? Can I make a new decision? Or would that new decision just be an "illusion of free will" once again?
This may all be an illusion.. but.. whether theistic or secularistic.. I don't see how one would ever go about understanding, or knowing, whether or not it is an illusion or not-- for it would seem to be a practice in disproving itself.
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If "rape" "murder" were "natural concepts" then I would be contradicting myself.. but I do not believe them to be "natural concepts"
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What on earth do you mean here? Do you concede that these acts exist? If you do, then they exist contingent upon your creator.
It sounds like you're reaching for a word game, a game of 'let's define X negatively, and then argue that negatives don't 'exist'
I never said they don't exist.. I merely stated that they exist as expressions of freewill.. and are not independent of aforementioned ability of will.
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The problem is that for a negative to have any meaning, it must exist within a universe of discourse, and this discourse gives it a positive ontology, making it an existent.
Do you follow this? If not, please do not be shy about asking, because it says nothing about your intelligence to ask about my terms... my terms may simply differ from how you would say it.
Ontology. Is the main word.
Everything else I can figure out. I'm having a bit of trouble mainly because you seemed to have pulled a phrase out of a larger argument.
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So the free will defense doesn't even work, provided the theist could argue for free will in a divine system. And he can't do this anyway.
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Um.. why can't he do this?
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As I stated above, omnipotence and omniscience obviate free will, in that they lead to a perfectly responsible creator. There can be nothing outside the scope of his responsibility... whatever you relied on to choose anything, would exist, precisely as it is, by the fiat of this creator..... whatever you choose from, these options would only exist by the fiat of this creator.
I choose to kill.Kill was forseen by God.God created me in such a way that he knew this would come about.
I grant all these things. I have already. Yet, since we seem to be putting the character of God on trail at this particular moment.. I merely go back to the original question.. was he negligent? Is there any other system he could have created in which none of these things could have happened, at the same time, giving us the same freedom we now "understand" (I put understand in quotes.. because.. well.. it might be an illusion. ?
Even without God.. think of it on your own for a moment.. logically.. could you conclude a simple setup in which freewill could exist without restricting curiousity?
"YES!" Is not an answer.
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Whatever it was that influenced you to pick B over A (and that's stupid, coz A is so much better) would also exist.... precisely as it is, by the fiat of this perfectly responsible creator.
I thought about going into some of those points, but I figured that article by Augustine I linked to would be a better source if Gizmo wants more detailed information. And, of course, you could as well. And, yeah, to go too deep into this would be another topic.
To say that we will be more perfect then then we before is an incorrect understanding of this concept. Is a child more perfect after he burns himself just because he knows what burning feels like? No.. he just has more knowledge.
Sooo.... In heaven, do people have no more curiousity? Do they know everything and therefore no longer need to explore anything? What do you do, sit around all day and go "God is Great! God is Great!" Won't that get a bit boring after, say a googolplex-cubed years?
I did not say no more curiousity. I said this particular curiosity would be fulfilled. Just because a kid burns himself doesn't mean he still is curious about the swing set.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
I think you fail to understand what I mean by this. If you did not exist.. things would still exist, your actions would not. If you did not exist.. the matter and energy the you are composited of.. would still exist.. your actions would not.
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And if the earth didn't exist, it wouldn't be orbiting the sun. And if the sun didn't exist, things wouldn't be orbiting it nor us being warmed by it. So what? If I don't exist, then I won't do the actions I do, I fail to see that as any revelation. As long as I do exist, the actions I take are physical.
Granted. But as the sun doesn't really have a choice (as we understand choice) as to what it warms up.. neither the earth in its orbit.. do you not seem a small different between what you consider "actions" and what you consider there "actions" to be.
I'm just trying to understand you.. as well as help you understand me.. because we might have different understandings of the word "actions".
I do not say.. "The suns actions are not as they should be" "The earth acts in a manner it shouldn't".. I can say the same for me. Granted.. as Tod pointed out.. individual actions, based of choice, may just be an "illusion" of choice granted to us by God (or, as I countered, by genetics).. yet.. if this is so.. then it is an illusion we will never be able to prove.. or disprove (at least I can not think how we would go about this.. for as soon as someone tells me that I will act a certain way and do a specific think.. I will still have the choice to do something else. (at least I believe I would be able to).
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
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Now, we can try to get into whether the MIND is physical or not.
It is physical.. your thoughts are not.
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But that is demonstrably false. You are welcome to try having a lobotomy and find out for yourself. Or Alzheimers Disease. Or a bullet in your brain.
Heh.. your thoughts are a function of your physical brain. I only meant to imply the complexity of thoughts. People say they are the controlled firing of ions.. and they may very well be--
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Or, as in my case, depression. My thoughts are much different when I swallow these little pills of physical chemical compounds then when I don't swallow them. Or you could try getting castrated and see if that doesn't impact your sexual desire. Your argument is simply and flatly demonstrably false.
Heh.. I agreed with you.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
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But, even if we were to suppose, contrary to the available evidence, that there is some soul or spiritual essense, well, then where did THAT come from? Do souls self-generate, or does God create them? Even if we assume a soul, the proverbial buck still stops with God!
Well.. I don't have to address this-- because.. well.. I don't I speak of these things the same way you do.
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Oh, baloney. You're not answering because you are without an answer.
You seem to really like to jump to conclusions.. you did it first in my original post when I made a personal statement as to what I hope to do in the future.. and you took it as an argument of ignorance-- when I was making no argument with that statement. Further.. you conclude here that I am being dishonest in some respect.. when I do not believe that I have given you reason to assume this.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
I am me, my body, my mind. If I died, physically, I would be dead.
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And not doing the actions you would do if you're not dead. Another stunning revelation!
Heh. Capacity refers to the ability... not the other definition of capacity which refers to a limit.
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Then you make a distinction without any difference: Ability speaks to limits. Able/not able.
Omnipotence = the ability to do anything.
This was my original contention. Where are you headed off too?
People like to say omnipotence as if he "does" everything.. I was originally trying to clear it up. I don't know how we went so far off tangent.
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If not, then you've left theism and entered into pantheism - a god that follows physical laws.
Perhaps he does.. perhaps he doesn't. I do not find this particularly important within theistic faith. People like to say "God created something out of nothing".. but God could just have easily created "something out of something"-- unless of course.. we are assuming that God himself is nothing.. in which case he would have nothing to work with.
But I go off the point. Physicals laws are laws as we understand them now.. the product of Science. Science may very well add or adjust these laws as we go on. I mean.. it might be fun to try to say "God fits into these and doesn't fit into these"-- but I would deem it rather pointless since I already conceeded that God has the ability to do anything.
Does he?
Hmm..
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So arguing that omnipotence doesn't lead to the necessary obviation of any limit fails...
You use big words that I need to look up. I'm only a kid.. geez. As for this. I keep on pointing out.. since the beginning!.. that the character of a God (in the Christian Sense) does not rely on whether he was negligent-- not whether he knew the outcome.
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So your'e back to square one.
Sweet.. so I was in square two
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Or, square zero really.
Dang it.
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God has the 'ability' to do anything, does not necessarily mean he 'does' everything. Is that more clear?
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The point here is not that he 'does everything' but that whatever limits exist, must exist as per the fiat of this creator, ergo the functional outcome is unlimitedness.
I think this keeps on coming back to the beginning.. we like to say.. "unlimited power" then he can do anything. And this very well is the understanding that I have. Yet.. while even I choose to act in accordance with those beliefs I have choosen to hold.. so I would project onto God that he does the same.
He knows the different possibilities.. and whether he choose this one (which would allow evil but give free will (our understanding of it)) or that one (which would not allow evil but not give fre will (our understanding of it)).. it's all a matter of what he choose to do.
Once again.. I have granted that evil is in the world as a function of God's creation. But was it negligent?
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While God "could" directly control everything.. he does not,
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Sorry, but you're just not paying attention. This 'god' creates all the parameters of existence, and this alone dicates all possible outcomes.
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Please read my comments above, in the 'god' the iron worker' post, from the Knight of Bawaa
The problem here is that your analogy fails, because it reles on you as a replacement for 'god' and you are not omnipotent, you are not omniscient, you are not the creator of all the parameters of existence.
You didn't create the character of the person, or the nature of the environment. You didn't create all the possible outcomes, or options to choose from.
You don't have perfect responsibility for every single solitary aspect of existence, they do not rely on you contingently, they do not exist through your fiat.
Or your Audi.
Sorry...
You guys respond very fast. Heh.. I'm going to sleep now.. it's 1:30am and I got a test tomorrow.
But.. I responded to this particular question in an earlier response.. after I realized what you were saying.
"Freewill".. is the question.. and if god new the result of his perfectly designed creation.. is he not "directly controlling" everything.
And perhaps.. I'm just uncomfortable with the terminology.. which is why I asked in th eearly post whether you see a difference between "directly controlling everything" and "dictating the outcome"?
Ah.. I see where your going with this. I would have to contend, once again, in the concept of our freewill you have the ability of will over yourself.. not over nature.
I was thinking about heading in this direction as well. You of course grant that I don't have the "freewill" to flap my arms and fly to Pluto. I have physical constraints. But, I don't think you fully appreciate the impact of this. Like, we are conversing via this medium called the Internet. You wouldn't have the "freewill" to have this conversation if there was no Internet. If you used an automobile to go to work today, you wouldn't have the "freewill" to have done so if automobile's didn't exist. What do you do for a living? I'm a computer programmer by profession. I wouldn't be able to do that if computers didn't exist.
If you like to eat ice cream, you wouldn't be able to if ice cream didn't exist. To you like wacking off to lesbian porn, you wouldn't be able to if you didn't have a dick, or if females didn't exist, or if lesbians didn't exist, or medium such as computers or magazines didn't exist. I know I'm being crude, but, my point is, EVERYTHING YOU DO, is impacted by your PHYSICAL environment. EVERY CHOICE YOU MAKE is limited by your PHYSICAL environment. Even to comtemplate flapping my arms and flying to Pluto, I wouldn't be able to do if Pluto didn't exist! I'm saying that even when I notice my own limitations, I only notice them because of the existence of physical things to tell me that something else might be conceivably possible.
You seem to really like to jump to conclusions.. you did it first in my original post when I made a personal statement as to what I hope to do in the future.. and you took it as an argument of ignorance-- when I was making no argument with that statement. Further.. you conclude here that I am being dishonest in some respect.. when I do not believe that I have given you reason to assume this.
Your objection here is valid. In fact, I considered editing out that section, but I was too late, as another post had followed. I don't like it when theists "mind read" and say that I "really believe in God and just don't want to admit it", so, I should not "mind read" theists. But, I can say that, well, your response *at least* qualifies as a dodge of a question... <g>
Ah.. I see where your going with this. I would have to contend, once again, in the concept of our freewill you have the ability of will over yourself.. not over nature.
I was thinking about heading in this direction as well. You of course grant that I don't have the "freewill" to flap my arms and fly to Pluto. I have physical constraints. But, I don't think you fully appreciate the impact of this. Like, we are conversing via this medium called the Internet. You wouldn't have the "freewill" to have this conversation if there was no Internet. If you used an automobile to go to work today, you wouldn't have the "freewill" to have done so if automobile's didn't exist. What do you do for a living? I'm a computer programmer by profession. I wouldn't be able to do that if computers didn't exist.
If you like to eat ice cream, you wouldn't be able to if ice cream didn't exist. To you like wacking off to lesbian porn, you wouldn't be able to if you didn't have a dick, or if females didn't exist, or if lesbians didn't exist, or medium such as computers or magazines didn't exist. I know I'm being crude, but, my point is, EVERYTHING YOU DO, is impacted by your PHYSICAL environment. EVERY CHOICE YOU MAKE is limited by your PHYSICAL environment. Even to comtemplate flapping my arms and flying to Pluto, I wouldn't be able to do if Pluto didn't exist! I'm saying that even when I notice my own limitations, I only notice them because of the existence of physical things to tell me that something else might be conceivably possible.
And? I'm afraid you're going to need to connect this back into the particular place where it belonged in the argument.
This whole tangent of an argument popped out because I said.. "everything that exists, exists because of God"-- this was my way of explaining my understanding of "omnipotence".. meaning-- if God were not here, neither would be the existence.
People like to say omnipotence as if he "does" everything.. I was originally trying to clear it up.
But it must do everything. Here is why:
If a being is omnipotent, then any limit that would limit it would be within its control. Any limit would be contingent, or dependent upon the omnipotent being in the first place.
To say "but this would violate physics, or logic' is just arguing to dire consequences. In other words, if you are falling off the empire state building, you can't argue that there must be a parachute on your back, otherwise you'd die.... the fact that it would suck to fall and die is not a reason to believe there is a parachute.
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If not, then you've left theism and entered into pantheism - a god that follows physical laws.
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Perhaps he does.. perhaps he doesn't. I do not find this particularly important within theistic faith.
Here's the problem: if your 'god' follows physical laws, then he no longer is god. Whatever determined the laws is god.
If nothing determined them, then there is no need for a god in the first place.
So it's kind of important.
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But I go off the point. Physicals laws are laws as we understand them now.. the product of Science. Science may very well add or adjust these laws as we go on. I mean.. it might be fun to try to say "God fits into these and doesn't fit into these"-- but I would deem it rather pointless since I already conceeded that God has the ability to do anything.
Does he?
Hmm..
I again wish to direct you to a key point: what is responsible for the limit in the first place? Wouldn't any limit be contingent upon an omnipotent creator by definition?
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So arguing that omnipotence doesn't lead to the necessary obviation of any limit fails...
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You use big words that I need to look up. I'm only a kid.. geez.
Sorry man, but you are very smart so it's hard to remember that you're just a kid. What I mean by this is the existence of any limit that would limit a 'god' must created by that god in the first place.
So, do you see the problem?
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The point here is not that he 'does everything' but that whatever limits exist, must exist as per the fiat of this creator, ergo the functional outcome is unlimitedness.
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You guys respond very fast. Heh.. I'm going to sleep now.. it's 1:30am and I got a test tomorrow.
But.. I responded to this particular question in an earlier response.. after I realized what you were saying.
"Freewill".. is the question.. and if god knew the result of his perfectly designed creation.. is he not "directly controlling" everything.
And perhaps.. I'm just uncomfortable with the terminology.. which is why I asked in th eearly post whether you see a difference between "directly controlling everything" and "dictating the outcome"?
My argument is stronger than just the omniscience problem, my argument holds that an omnipotent creator must also have perfect responsibility for his own creation.
Tod, responded before you and I'd just like to address something: Everyone.. works backwards Tod, not just religious folk. Scientist do not work forward.. they are just trying to understand what has always been.
Since the argument about "working backwards" was Todangst's, I may not do his argument justice. But, here is what I was thinking about this...
It seems to me (correct me if I'm wrong), but that scientists do indeed "work backwards" to come up with hypotheses to explain things. The scientist observes something, the postulates what might be happenning to explain the observation. *BUT*, testing hypotheses involves working forwards: making predictions and testing them.
For example, the scientist may observe the proverbial apple falling from a tree, and make a hypothesis about gravity. *Then*, once he/she has made their hypothesis, they test it: "well, if my hypothesis is correct, then if I drop 'x' object from 'y' height, it should hit the ground with 'z' force."
But with theism, there is only the working backwards part, trying to fit God into a hypothesis about the observable world, but no working forward to make predictions and test the hypothesis. If the theist posits a hypothesis that keeps God in the equation, that is where the investigation ends.
I've just started reading Victor Stenger's new book: _God: The Failed Hypothesis_. I haven't got very far in it yet, but, in his preface, he says that what I've said here is basically his approach: make testable predictions based on the "God Hypothesis", and see if they pan out or not. He says that his approach wouldn't disprove any and all possible gods, depending on what you might define a 'god' to be. He was specifically working on the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God hypothesis.
And? I'm afraid you're going to need to connect this back into the particular place where it belonged in the argument.
Well, basically, you have, for lack of a better term, 'dodged' answering what exactly it is that makes the alleged choices of "free will". I was thinking about another possible paper to write, on the topic of "The Soul of the Gaps". As you may know, sometimes theists will posit God as the answer to some gap in our knowledge. If we have gaps in our understanding of the origin of life, God is posited as the answer to that gap. A "God of the Gaps".
Well, even though the arguments that me, Todangst, and the article I linked to by Keith Augustine, seem to show that the mind is indeed a physical operation of the brain, there will presumably always be at least some gaps in our understanding of this. And, as long as there is at least some gap in this understanding, there is a place to posit a "soul of the gaps", something for the soul to do that is "beyond" the physical mind.
Yet, while I concede this is technically possible, as the knowledge of the brain expands, the possible function of this "soul of the gaps" diminishes. Does the "soul" control language? Well, no, that is found in the physical brain. Does the "soul" possess memories? No, that is also found in the physical brain. Does the "soul" control sexual desire? Well, no, that is in hormones. So, what exactly could this "soul" do even if it does exist? Doesn't look like much to me.
But, as I said earlier, I think it a fair question to ask, what, exactly, makes these choices that is open to this alleged free will? It seems to me that you have to either assert it is physical, like most atheists do, or assert it is spiritual, like most theists do. But, as I've already said, there is sufficient evidence to discount the mind being non-physical -- but even if it wasn't, even if there is a "soul", this had to either create itself, or be created by God.
The last time I brought this up, you were reticent to respond, and then I implied that your reluctance was intentional avoidance. Well, my implication may have been inappropriate, but I think the fact remains that it is a legitimate question to ask: "What, exactly, makes decisions, and where does it come from?
And? I'm afraid you're going to need to connect this back into the particular place where it belonged in the argument.
Well, I guess I didn't yet answer your question here yet. And, I'm not sure I know how best to express my point. I'm pretty sure that Todangst knows where I'm going with this, and might help clarify. But I'll give it a shot:
First, our "free will", if it exists at all, has huge amounts of limits. So, if you were to argue that God doesn't want to limit our free will and therefore, as an unfortunate consequence, we have evil in the world --then the vast amounts of limits we obviously do have on our "free will" disprove this assertion. Everything that we do, from the most "good" to the most "evil", -- and even merely think about doing -- is shaped by what we even can do, and by our drives, instincts and personality. All of these factors, our physical limits, drives, instincts and personality, HAD to come from somewhere. (Unless you want to assert that they self-arise, which I don't think you do.) So, if we assert that they did come from somewhere, then either it was natural or supernatural. In a nutshell, if it was natural, then atheism is right, if it was supernatural, theism is right. But, as I've said several times herein, if theism is right and God, the supernatural, and the soul exist, the "buck" necessarily must stop with God. If, as Todangst says, if everything exists *by* God's fiat, then everything *IS* per God's fiat.
Tod, responded before you and I'd just like to address something: Everyone.. works backwards Tod, not just religious folk. Scientist do not work forward.. they are just trying to understand what has always been.
Since the argument about "working backwards" was Todangst's, I may not do his argument justice. But, here is what I was thinking about this...
It seems to me (correct me if I'm wrong), but that scientists do indeed "work backwards" to come up with hypotheses to explain things. The scientist observes something, the postulates what might be happenning to explain the observation. *BUT*, testing hypotheses involves working forwards: making predictions and testing them.
For example, the scientist may observe the proverbial apple falling from a tree, and make a hypothesis about gravity. *Then*, once he/she has made their hypothesis, they test it: "well, if my hypothesis is correct, then if I drop 'x' object from 'y' height, it should hit the ground with 'z' force."
But with theism, there is only the working backwards part, trying to fit God into a hypothesis about the observable world, but no working forward to make predictions and test the hypothesis. If the theist posits a hypothesis that keeps God in the equation, that is where the investigation ends.
Yes. If a theist starts with first principles: omnipotence and omniscience, he must end in a world of magic, where there are no problems of evil, etc.
However, this would force the theist to admit that his religious claim is false. So he must avoid this, by workign backwards, and trying to shoehorn reality into his fantasy.
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I've just started reading Victor Stenger's new book: _God: The Failed Hypothesis_. I haven't got very far in it yet, but, in his preface, he says that what I've said here is basically his approach: make testable predictions based on the "God Hypothesis", and see if they pan out or not. He says that his approach wouldn't disprove any and all possible gods, depending on what you might define a 'god' to be. He was specifically working on the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God hypothesis.
And? I'm afraid you're going to need to connect this back into the particular place where it belonged in the argument.
Well, I guess I didn't yet answer your question here yet. And, I'm not sure I know how best to express my point. I'm pretty sure that Todangst knows where I'm going with this, and might help clarify. But I'll give it a shot:
First, our "free will", if it exists at all, has huge amounts of limits. So, if you were to argue that God doesn't want to limit our free will and therefore, as an unfortunate consequence, we have evil in the world --then the vast amounts of limits we obviously do have on our "free will" disprove this assertion. Everything that we do, from the most "good" to the most "evil", -- and even merely think about doing -- is shaped by what we even can do, and by our drives, instincts and personality. All of these factors, our physical limits, drives, instincts and personality, HAD to come from somewhere. (Unless you want to assert that they self-arise, which I don't think you do.) So, if we assert that they did come from somewhere, then either it was natural or supernatural. In a nutshell, if it was natural, then atheism is right, if it was supernatural, theism is right. But, as I've said several times herein, if theism is right and God, the supernatural, and the soul exist, the "buck" necessarily must stop with God. If, as Todangst says, if everything exists *by* God's fiat, then everything *IS* per God's fiat.
Precisely.
And here is another point that theists simply refuse to even acknowledge, let alone respond to:
The theist claims that the reason we have free will is because god wanted us to 'choose' him freely. If this is the reason for free will, given that free will already has limits, there is no reason why people ought to have the freedom to commit any evil action, such as rape or murder, that has nothing to do with the free choice to follow or not follow 'god'.
Those who respond by saying 'this takes away free will" forget, yet again, that our free will is already limited, AND that the supposed reason free will has NOTHING to do with any actions that could bring harm to others.
Even worse (and notice how every theist argument ends in an "and even worse" an action like murder deprives the free will choices of another.
So, there is no reason for murder in this theological system.... free will does not require it, and it actually serves to lessen the opportunity for others to actualize their free will!
I did not say no more curiousity. I said this particular curiosity would be fulfilled. Just because a kid burns himself doesn't mean he still is curious about the swing set.
But you said that "evil" was temporary, as a result of our curiosity. So, it seems to me that if this is the case, you have to assert either both evil and curiousity are temporary, or both are eternal. So, which is it?
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
Granted. But as the sun doesn't really have a choice (as we understand choice) as to what it warms up.. neither the earth in its orbit.. do you not seem a small different between what you consider "actions" and what you consider there "actions" to be.
Well, I think I tried to address this in the couple of posts above this one, where I discussed, what, exactly makes "choices"?
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
Heh.. your thoughts are a function of your physical brain. I only meant to imply the complexity of thoughts.
My neurons have received no meaning from this statement . Seriously, this makes no sense at all to me. Thoughts are physical, but the "complexity" of thought isn't? Does this have any meaning at all? Ya got me...
People like to say omnipotence as if he "does" everything.. I was originally trying to clear it up.
Tod wrote:
But it must do everything. Here is why:
If a being is omnipotent, then any limit that would limit it would be within its control. Any limit would be contingent, or dependent upon the omnipotent being in the first place.
To say "but this would violate physics, or logic' is just arguing to dire consequences. In other words, if you are falling off the empire state building, you can't argue that there must be a parachute on your back, otherwise you'd die.... the fact that it would suck to fall and die is not a reason to believe there is a parachute.
You keep on using "limits" as if I used it. I said "ability" (if I remember correctly).
Ability is not limits, as I contested to tod, it is merely ability.
I have the ability to kill this fly thats been flying around me.. does this mean if I choose not to kill it that I am somehow limited in my original ability?
If this is what you are saying.. I will have to think on it some more as to how to proceed from there. Because to me this seems a simple idea-- perhaps I was no clear before-- but if its not.. I will question my perception of the idea.. and perhaps it is not as simple as I thought.
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If not, then you've left theism and entered into pantheism - a god that follows physical laws.
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Perhaps he does.. perhaps he doesn't. I do not find this particularly important within theistic faith.
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Here's the problem: if your 'god' follows physical laws, then he no longer is god. Whatever determined the laws is god.
If nothing determined them, then there is no need for a god in the first place.
So it's kind of important.
Once again.. ability and limit. Is God limited by physical law? No. Could he choose to abide by them? Yes.
"If nothing determined them, then there is no need for a god in the first place."Our small understanding of natural laws still leaves much to be desired.. whether God does or does not abide by natural law.. exists independently of whether the universe "needed him".
Just a thought.
I'll expand if you wish.
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But I go off the point. Physicals laws are laws as we understand them now.. the product of Science. Science may very well add or adjust these laws as we go on. I mean.. it might be fun to try to say "God fits into these and doesn't fit into these"-- but I would deem it rather pointless since I already conceeded that God has the ability to do anything.
Does he?
Hmm..
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I again wish to direct you to a key point: what is responsible for the limit in the first place? Wouldn't any limit be contingent upon an omnipotent creator by definition?
Once again.. you are using the word 'limit' as if I have been using it all along.. this is not the case. We must distinguish between my saying ability.. and you saying that I said "limit".
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So arguing that omnipotence doesn't lead to the necessary obviation of any limit fails...
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You use big words that I need to look up. I'm only a kid.. geez.
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Sorry man, but you are very smart so it's hard to remember that you're just a kid. What I mean by this is the existence of any limit that would limit a 'god' must created by that god in the first place.
So, do you see the problem?
Heh.. I'm 23.. so technically not a kid. I just think of myself as one... always up for learning. My vocab leaves much to be desired.
Once again.. "limit" "ability".If there is no distinction between the two.. then you must say so.. but I am still under the impression that they deal with different things.
If I have the ability to everything.. it means I don't have any limits... yet it doesn't mean that I choose to do everything.
I could do everything.. but it's not a necessary condition.
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The point here is not that he 'does everything' but that whatever limits exist, must exist as per the fiat of this creator, ergo the functional outcome is unlimitedness.
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You guys respond very fast. Heh.. I'm going to sleep now.. it's 1:30am and I got a test tomorrow.
But.. I responded to this particular question in an earlier response.. after I realized what you were saying.
"Freewill".. is the question.. and if god knew the result of his perfectly designed creation.. is he not "directly controlling" everything.
And perhaps.. I'm just uncomfortable with the terminology.. which is why I asked in th eearly post whether you see a difference between "directly controlling everything" and "dictating the outcome"?
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My argument is stronger than just the omniscience problem, my argument holds that an omnipotent creator must also have perfect responsibility for his own creation.
Anyway, I bet you will do well on your test. Take care.
Turns out my teacher got sick.. so the test is tomorrow.
We'll see how it turns out.
As per this question.
I have not stated that God is anything but responsible for his creation. Once again.. I point to the question. Was he negligent in it?
Furthermore I asked a question, is there a difference between "directly controlling everything" and "dictating the outcome"? The answer of this one seems to come down to the concept of freewill. Which attempts to disprove seem as illogical as trying to disprove logic using logic.
I believe God knew what would become of everything-- what would be the result of anything he created-- how it would affect other things-- what choices you would make within the construct of his creation.. but-- once again.. it's a philosphical question of free will. If God knows all these things, does that mean you never had a choice? Do we have freewill? or would it just be the illusion of freewill? Does one knowing what your decision will be take away from the idea that you are deciding it? Hm.. I'll wait for your response.
Tod, responded before you and I'd just like to address something: Everyone.. works backwards Tod, not just religious folk. Scientist do not work forward.. they are just trying to understand what has always been.
caseagainstfaith wrote:
Since the argument about "working backwards" was Todangst's, I may not do his argument justice. But, here is what I was thinking about this...
It seems to me (correct me if I'm wrong), but that scientists do indeed "work backwards" to come up with hypotheses to explain things. The scientist observes something, the postulates what might be happenning to explain the observation. *BUT*, testing hypotheses involves working forwards: making predictions and testing them.
I don't understand. If one is working backwards to explain something.. how can it ever be that he is working forwards? Someone puts a simple (non multivariable) calculus problem in front of me.. it has a question, and an unknown answer. I'm working to find that answer. The fact that I work through different hypothesis, making predictions, and testing them in order to find the answer.. does nothing to change the fact that the answer was always there. I'm always facing backwards.
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For example, the scientist may observe the proverbial apple falling from a tree, and make a hypothesis about gravity. *Then*, once he/she has made their hypothesis, they test it: "well, if my hypothesis is correct, then if I drop 'x' object from 'y' height, it should hit the ground with 'z' force."
But with theism, there is only the working backwards part, trying to fit God into a hypothesis about the observable world, but no working forward to make predictions and test the hypothesis. If the theist posits a hypothesis that keeps God in the equation, that is where the investigation ends.
I have God in the equation.. my investigation still continues. I hypothesis is the beginning of all things.. this is not to say that I do not wish to investigate and see in what manners this world works.
I realize that many Christians might say.. "God did it" no need to try to figure out a question anymore.. I do not see this as the case. It's not who did it.. but rather "how" that science tries to answer. Which is why if Science leads somewhere.. I'm all for following it to it's conclusion.
To put this in your example. If a scientist observes the proverbial apple falling from the tree, he can say "God" and end discussion there; he can say "In what way does this thing work?"; or he can say "God. In what way does this thing work?."
The first leads nowhere. The later lead to hypothesizing and testing. The only difference is that the later addresses "who" as well as "how"-- the former only "how".
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I've just started reading Victor Stenger's new book: _God: The Failed Hypothesis_. I haven't got very far in it yet, but, in his preface, he says that what I've said here is basically his approach: make testable predictions based on the "God Hypothesis", and see if they pan out or not. He says that his approach wouldn't disprove any and all possible gods, depending on what you might define a 'god' to be. He was specifically working on the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God hypothesis.
I've read a summary of it. Lets see if we can't work out the idea without me reading some book for the moment. I can't really debate the author.. so if I disagree with an assumption.. what do I do?
And? I'm afraid you're going to need to connect this back into the particular place where it belonged in the argument.
caseagainstfaith wrote:
Well, basically, you have, for lack of a better term, 'dodged' answering what exactly it is that makes the alleged choices of "free will". I was thinking about another possible paper to write, on the topic of "The Soul of the Gaps". As you may know, sometimes theists will posit God as the answer to some gap in our knowledge. If we have gaps in our understanding of the origin of life, God is posited as the answer to that gap. A "God of the Gaps".
I believe in only one gap... that being.. the beginning of the universe. I admit that it could be some sort of circular (non beginning) entity.. as well as I admit it could be through some "god". Everything else.. is fair game.. and possibly, can be argued, that it is within reach of the human mind. If we just have more time.
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Well, even though the arguments that me, Todangst, and the article I linked to by Keith Augustine, seem to show that the mind is indeed a physical operation of the brain, there will presumably always be at least some gaps in our understanding of this. And, as long as there is at least some gap in this understanding, there is a place to posit a "soul of the gaps", something for the soul to do that is "beyond" the physical mind.
I did not say there "must" be a soul.. I just voiced my opinion that the concept of conscious is an interesting and complex thing. If.. at somepoint.. man is able to control the release of ions in such a manner as to stimulate a brain into verifiable consciousness.. I will say "Wow-- I guess my consciousness is as simple as release of ions".
Until then I will only say that the release of ions has been proven only to be "necessary" for I idea of consciousness.. not necessarily "sufficient".
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Yet, while I concede this is technically possible, as the knowledge of the brain expands, the possible function of this "soul of the gaps" diminishes. Does the "soul" control language? Well, no, that is found in the physical brain. Does the "soul" possess memories? No, that is also found in the physical brain. Does the "soul" control sexual desire? Well, no, that is in hormones. So, what exactly could this "soul" do even if it does exist? Doesn't look like much to me.
Why are we still talking about the soul? I have stated that I do not believe in it as you are assuming I do, or how it "must be" understood.
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But, as I said earlier, I think it a fair question to ask, what, exactly, makes these choices that is open to this alleged free will?
Consciousness
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It seems to me that you have to either assert it is physical, like most atheists do, or assert it is spiritual, like most theists do.
I could be physical. The bible (in my understanding) does not necessitate the existence of consciousness apart from the body. "The dead know nothing".
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But, as I've already said, there is sufficient evidence to discount the mind being non-physical -- but even if it wasn't, even if there is a "soul", this had to either create itself, or be created by God.
There is "evidence".. I'm not sure there is "sufficient" evidence. Sufficient evidence would require "consciousness" to say that it was no longer "consciousness". Yes.. we say that when the brain has no more waves.. that the person does not exhibit any of the characteristics we apply towards a "conscious" being.. does that mean he is has no more consciousness?
Once again. The only way to "prove" that mind is purely physical is to "prove" that only the physical can create consciousness. (e.g. Through control ion stimulation of a brain.. hook up some lips.. eyes.. and go for it.)
It may very well be the case that it is a purely physical idea.. I do not see how this plays into the argument as a whole however.
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The last time I brought this up, you were reticent to respond, and then I implied that your reluctance was intentional avoidance. Well, my implication may have been inappropriate, but I think the fact remains that it is a legitimate question to ask: "What, exactly, makes decisions, and where does it come from?
Consciousness allows for decisions to be made. What is sufficient for consciousness? Don't know. What seems to be necessary for consciousness? The brain.
And? I'm afraid you're going to need to connect this back into the particular place where it belonged in the argument.
caseagainstfaith wrote:
Well, I guess I didn't yet answer your question here yet. And, I'm not sure I know how best to express my point. I'm pretty sure that Todangst knows where I'm going with this, and might help clarify. But I'll give it a shot:
First, our "free will", if it exists at all, has huge amounts of limits.
Your actions are limited by what is physically possible.. your "will" is not. I can "will to fly by flapping my wings".. does this mean I can fly by flapping my wings? No.. merely that I "will" it.
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So, if you were to argue that God doesn't want to limit our free will and therefore, as an unfortunate consequence, we have evil in the world --then the vast amounts of limits we obviously do have on our "free will" disprove this assertion.
Actions.. not will.
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Everything that we do, from the most "good" to the most "evil", -- and even merely think about doing -- is shaped by what we even can do, and by our drives, instincts and personality.
Hmm.. tentatively agreed.
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All of these factors, our physical limits, drives, instincts and personality, HAD to come from somewhere.
Hm.. DNA perhaps? Which yes.. I believe was a system put in place by God.
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(Unless you want to assert that they self-arise, which I don't think you do.)
Yes.. I arose myself.
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So, if we assert that they did come from somewhere, then either it was natural or supernatural. In a nutshell, if it was natural, then atheism is right, if it was supernatural, theism is right. But, as I've said several times herein, if theism is right and God, the supernatural, and the soul exist, the "buck" necessarily must stop with God. If, as Todangst says, if everything exists *by* God's fiat, then everything *IS* per God's fiat.
I do not disagree with this. The buck stops with god. We use this terminology all the time.. "The buck stops with the president" "The buck stops with the principal".. yes.. inevitably the "buck" would stop with an omnipotent, omniscient God.
I may see a glimpse of the point you are trying to make-- and I'm not sure I agree.. because I like to think that I have control over my direction .. are saying that because God knew what would become of creation, in every single aspect, that he "controls" you even as if here were pulling the strings at this moment?
I see a disparity between the two. Perhaps you do not. An analogy would help.
Tod, responded before you and I'd just like to address something: Everyone.. works backwards Tod, not just religious folk. Scientist do not work forward.. they are just trying to understand what has always been.
Since the argument about "working backwards" was Todangst's, I may not do his argument justice. But, here is what I was thinking about this...
It seems to me (correct me if I'm wrong), but that scientists do indeed "work backwards" to come up with hypotheses to explain things. The scientist observes something, the postulates what might be happenning to explain the observation. *BUT*, testing hypotheses involves working forwards: making predictions and testing them.
For example, the scientist may observe the proverbial apple falling from a tree, and make a hypothesis about gravity. *Then*, once he/she has made their hypothesis, they test it: "well, if my hypothesis is correct, then if I drop 'x' object from 'y' height, it should hit the ground with 'z' force."
But with theism, there is only the working backwards part, trying to fit God into a hypothesis about the observable world, but no working forward to make predictions and test the hypothesis. If the theist posits a hypothesis that keeps God in the equation, that is where the investigation ends.
Yes. If a theist starts with first principles: omnipotence and omniscience, he must end in a world of magic, where there are no problems of evil, etc.
Isn't that what this whole conversation has turned into? You seem to conclude before there is conclusion that I must do anything.
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However, this would force the theist to admit that his religious claim is false. So he must avoid this, by workign backwards, and trying to shoehorn reality into his fantasy.
I admit.. I may be guilty of a bit of "shoehorning". But even as "shoehorning" won't allow you to fit a size 9 foot in a size 4 shoe.. so "shoehorning" has its limits as well.
This does not address my original contention however in that both science and religion both work backwards.
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I've just started reading Victor Stenger's new book: _God: The Failed Hypothesis_. I haven't got very far in it yet, but, in his preface, he says that what I've said here is basically his approach: make testable predictions based on the "God Hypothesis", and see if they pan out or not. He says that his approach wouldn't disprove any and all possible gods, depending on what you might define a 'god' to be. He was specifically working on the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God hypothesis.
And? I'm afraid you're going to need to connect this back into the particular place where it belonged in the argument.
Well, I guess I didn't yet answer your question here yet. And, I'm not sure I know how best to express my point. I'm pretty sure that Todangst knows where I'm going with this, and might help clarify. But I'll give it a shot:
First, our "free will", if it exists at all, has huge amounts of limits. So, if you were to argue that God doesn't want to limit our free will and therefore, as an unfortunate consequence, we have evil in the world --then the vast amounts of limits we obviously do have on our "free will" disprove this assertion. Everything that we do, from the most "good" to the most "evil", -- and even merely think about doing -- is shaped by what we even can do, and by our drives, instincts and personality. All of these factors, our physical limits, drives, instincts and personality, HAD to come from somewhere. (Unless you want to assert that they self-arise, which I don't think you do.) So, if we assert that they did come from somewhere, then either it was natural or supernatural. In a nutshell, if it was natural, then atheism is right, if it was supernatural, theism is right. But, as I've said several times herein, if theism is right and God, the supernatural, and the soul exist, the "buck" necessarily must stop with God. If, as Todangst says, if everything exists *by* God's fiat, then everything *IS* per God's fiat.
Precisely.
And here is another point that theists simply refuse to even acknowledge, let alone respond to:
I thank you for predicting what I will and will not do before I do anything. Give me some credit. I am a theist. So either this statement needs some qualification like "many" or "most".. or it would be inaccurate.
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The theist claims that the reason we have free will is because god wanted us to 'choose' him freely. If this is the reason for free will, given that free will already has limits, there is no reason why people ought to have the freedom to commit any evil action, such as rape or murder, that has nothing to do with the free choice to follow or not follow 'god'.
I addressed this somewhat with COF. "Freewill" is the ability to choose a "will". "Will" does not have limits (at least within our understanding of freewill).. or would you say that there is anything in the entire universe.. that I could not "will"?
I "will" to fly. I cannot. This is not a limit on my "will".. this is a limit on my capabilities as a human in a natural world.
Granted.. perhaps god could have "limited" the capabilities, and parameters, of a human in a natural word. But.. for instance.. to limit such things as "rape" and "murder".. would require (from my understanding of logic) a natural law that would not allow sex and would not allow movement.. for "murder" is a function of ones ability to move. "Rape" a function of ones ability to have sex.
So.. god limits functions.. but not will. So one can still "will" to murder but cannot do so. One can "will" to rape an individual.. but cannot do so. All because of physical limitations (generally applicable laws.. such as gravity). \
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Those who respond by saying 'this takes away free will" forget, yet again, that our free will is already limited, AND that the supposed reason free will has NOTHING to do with any actions that could bring harm to others.
Once again.. I disagree with your assumption that it is limited-- as stated before.
I think you might be trying to back me into a corner where I will admit that God could have created "freewill" only within the realm of choosing or not choosing him.. and not for anything else such as "who else you love... who you would like to have a relationship with.. etc etc etc" and that this would be the "better" of the two options.
I don't think you can. I don't think you would believe so either. Granted.. we would not have known the difference if it was that way or this.. but God would have known the limitations he had put on "will"-- why should he care? Another issue.
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Even worse (and notice how every theist argument ends in an "and even worse" an action like murder deprives the free will choices of another.
I haven't ended any of my arguments with "and even worse"
"Free will" does not deprive another of "free will". Ones ability to act upon his/her "will" can however lead to a point where one will no longer be able to exercise his "freewill".
"Freewill" to me, would seem as the concept of freedom. I have freedom. If I'm killed at the hands of another.. it does not take away from the fact that I have freedom. Merely that I am no longer able to act on those things which my freedom allowed.
"He took away his freedom when he killed him" is inaccurate rhetoric (I believe) for "He took away his ability to practice freedom."
I have a car. Some kills me. I still "have" the car, technically-- I'm just not able to use it.
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So, there is no reason for murder in this theological system.... free will does not require it, and it actually serves to lessen the opportunity for others to actualize their free will!
It doesn't "lessen" it "removes" the ability to actualize their free will.
Because.. well. they're dead.
To "lessen" the ability to actualize free will would require a limitation on the mind itself.. when someone kills you.. they do not "limit" it.. they "destroy it".
I guess this can best be explained in the plainest of logical terms.
The opposite of "all" is not "none".. but "some". (Logical Concepts 101.. if I remember the concept correctly)
I did not say no more curiousity. I said this particular curiosity would be fulfilled. Just because a kid burns himself doesn't mean he still is curious about the swing set.
But you said that "evil" was temporary, as a result of our curiosity. So, it seems to me that if this is the case, you have to assert either both evil and curiousity are temporary, or both are eternal. So, which is it?
Heh.. "So which is it?"
I would say that you are misunderstanding me. Or at least misunderstanding the concept of "curiousity".. "curiousity" only goes so far as to the point where one is longer curious about a particular thing. I'm curious about this cracker thats on my text.. I wonder how it tastes.. I wonder if its good.. etc.
Once I eat it.. I'll have the choice of eating more or not.
At some point however, it is possible, that I will not longer be "curious" as to what the cracker tastes like.. I'll just know.. and I'll know that its not something I wish to experience again, because, well.. there bad crackers.
I stated in my original response that "evil" is merely the corruption of good.. and its depravity can only be experienced from that which is the source of all good.
I gave an analogy earlier.. saying that "even as one must leave the parents house to experience life away from the parents.. so Man left to experience life away from God".
Curiousity to experience life "away" from God will one day be satisfied.. even as my curiosity for these crackers was satisfied.
This does not take away "Curiosity" in general.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
Granted. But as the sun doesn't really have a choice (as we understand choice) as to what it warms up.. neither the earth in its orbit.. do you not seem a small different between what you consider "actions" and what you consider there "actions" to be.
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Well, I think I tried to address this in the couple of posts above this one, where I discussed, what, exactly makes "choices"?
As did I. If this is still a problem after all the reading.. we will have the opportunity to address it again.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
Heh.. your thoughts are a function of your physical brain. I only meant to imply the complexity of thoughts.
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My neurons have received no meaning from this statement Laughing. Seriously, this makes no sense at all to me. Thoughts are physical, but the "complexity" of thought isn't? Does this have any meaning at all? Ya got me...
Heh. Did I said.. "I only meant to imply that complexity of thoughts is not a fully physical idea." No.. I just said "I only mean to imply the complexity of thoughts."
Which is all I mean to imply.. the concept of "thoughts" is a complex one.. how they come about... what is necessary for them.. what is sufficient for them... it's complex. That's all I was saying. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. (I thought I did... but.. I usually "talk" conversations.. not "write" them.)
I don't understand. If one is working backwards to explain something.. how can it ever be that he is working forwards? Someone puts a simple (non multivariable) calculus problem in front of me.. it has a question, and an unknown answer. I'm working to find that answer. The fact that I work through different hypothesis, making predictions, and testing them in order to find the answer.. does nothing to change the fact that the answer was always there. I'm always facing backwards.
Well, I was working off Todangst's argument. Had I wanted to raise the basic issue he was raising, I think I would have chosen different termonology, as "forwards" and "backwards" are relative terms. But, that said, I do think thing his point has validity, whether the termonology is the best or not. Making hypotheses and testing them are very different in approach. Making a hypothesis is looking at an observation, and trying to deduce what mechanism may be at work. Testing a hypothesis is the reverse, taking the hypothesis, making predictions based on the hypothesis, and seeing if observation pans out. Whether you like calling them "forwards" and "backwards" or not, the fact remains that in making a hypothesis you go from observation to hypothesis, and testing a hypothesis you go from the hypothesis to observation.
So, with theism, we take an observation, say "natural disasters kill people" and try to hypothesize why this happens in light of the assumption God exists. But you don't do the reverse: if an omniscient, omnipotent, loving God exists, then what might we expect the world to look like? If you do that, you will find that observation doesn't match what you would expect.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
I have God in the equation.. my investigation still continues.
Yes, your investigation continues, in the direction of, "God exists, then why do we observe 'x'?" Not in the direction "if God exists, then what should we observe?" That would be like a flat earther saying "the earth is flat, then why do we see things like ships disappearing over the horizon?" If you work like that, you can always come up with some hypothesis: "maybe light bends over distance and that makes it look like ships disappear". But, until you test they hypothesis, saying "if light bends making ships look like it disappears, then what else might we expect if that is the case?" and test it, then you've only done half the work. Theism only does half the work.
I don't understand. If one is working backwards to explain something.. how can it ever be that he is working forwards? Someone puts a simple (non multivariable) calculus problem in front of me.. it has a question, and an unknown answer. I'm working to find that answer. The fact that I work through different hypothesis, making predictions, and testing them in order to find the answer.. does nothing to change the fact that the answer was always there. I'm always facing backwards.
caseagainstfaith wrote:
Well, I was working off Todangst's argument. Had I wanted to raise the basic issue he was raising, I think I would have chosen different termonology, as "forwards" and "backwards" are relative terms. But, that said, I do think thing his point has validity, whether the termonology is the best or not. Making hypotheses and testing them are very different in approach. Making a hypothesis is looking at an observation, and trying to deduce what mechanism may be at work.
Accepted.
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Testing a hypothesis is the reverse, taking the hypothesis, making predictions based on the hypothesis, and seeing if observation pans out.
You mean.. "seeing if the prediction pans out."
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Whether you like calling them "forwards" and "backwards" or not, the fact remains that in making a hypothesis you go from observation to hypothesis, and testing a hypothesis you go from the hypothesis to observation.
So, with theism, we take an observation, say "natural disasters kill people" and try to hypothesize why this happens in light of the assumption God exists. But you don't do the reverse: if an omniscient, omnipotent, loving God exists, then what might we expect the world to look like? If you do that, you will find that observation doesn't match what you would expect.
Although I drew a connection between science and theology in that they both work backwards... I never stated that they are the same (in fact I believe that I explicitly stated that I don't believe them to be the same).
And it is for this very reason. Yah... I'm sure it's nice to say "If God omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent then pain and death should not exist." But that's not a scientific statement by ay stretch of the imagination.. its an assertion.. that must be defended-- which is what we have been doing this whole time.
To say that it cannot happen (as if it were fact, within the construct of this conversation) is dishonest within the context of this conversation. It's like you've ignored the whole coversation.. not addressed particular points.. merely jumped to the end.
Fine... I'll make the same type of assertion. "If God omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent then pain and death should exist."
There.
But we just seemed to ignore the whole past conversation.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
I have God in the equation.. my investigation still continues.
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Yes, your investigation continues, in the direction of, "God exists, then why do we observe 'x'?" Not in the direction "if God exists, then what should we observe?" That would be like a flat earther saying "the earth is flat, then why do we see things like ships disappearing over the horizon?" If you work like that, you can always come up with some hypothesis: "maybe light bends over distance and that makes it look like ships disappear". But, until you test they hypothesis, saying "if light bends making ships look like it disappears, then what else might we expect if that is the case?" and test it, then you've only done half the work. Theism only does half the work.
Your statement here is working the wrong way-- even in science this would not work.
Newton did not say.. "If gravity exists, what should this apple do?".. no-- for he did not know what "gravity" was. He stated (I'd imagine).. "This apple fell, why?"
We start with the observation.. just as you stated before..
The observation?:
The world is as it is, why?
Hypothesis: God.
Added: Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent.
How can these coexist?
Well.. thats what this conversation is about. It's reasoning.. its not science. Science would require you to disprove, scientifically, that an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent being could not create a world such as this one.
Obviously that seems like an odd request.. but thats how science works.. "experimentation".
Since we cannot "experiment" with these abstract concepts... we reason with them.
Which is what we are doing.
Just don't state as fact what has not been concluded as fact within this "conversation": this would be "begging the question" as was so kindly pointed out to me by this forum.
Essentially, they are two words the mean the same thing, or roughly. If I have the "ability" to do something, it is within the "limits" of my ability. If I do not have the "ability" to do something, then it is outside my "limits".
If God somehow doesn't have the ability to do something, something must be limiting him. But, by definition of omnipotence, nothing is outside of his ability. But, this leads to logical contradictions. Like the age-old, "can God make a rock so big that he can't lift it?" If he can't make such a rock, that is a limit, but if he could make such a rock, then his not being able to lift it is a limit. But God is limitless, so neither could be true.
Your statement here is working the wrong way-- even in science this would not work.
Newton did not say.. "If gravity exists, what should this apple do?".. no-- for he did not know what "gravity" was. He stated (I'd imagine).. "This apple fell, why?"
Yes, it DOES work that way. Once you make the hypothesis of gravity, you then expand on it. Do denser object fall faster than slower objects? You perhaps hypothesize that heaver objects do fall faster than slower objects. So you head to the side of a building and drop different density objects, and find that your hypotheis has been falsified. That's why there are such things as experiments, working from hypothesis to observation and NOT observation to hypothesis.
One of the points in Victor Stenger's book that I actually didn't realize is, its not considered legitimate to revise a hypothesis due to an experiment not working out as expected, and then consider the experiment a confirmation of the new hypothesis! Like in my previous example, if you hypothesized "denser objects fall faster," and your experiments do not confirm this, it isn't valid to change the hypothesis to "denser objects do not fall faster" and consider your experiment a confirmation of this new hypothesis. If you change your hypothesis, you have to make a new prediction that you don't yet know the answer to, and make a new experiment. In short, at least according to Dr. Stenger, you MUST do the confirmation in reverse order from making the hypothesis.
Essentially, they are two words the mean the same thing, or roughly. If I have the "ability" to do something, it is within the "limits" of my ability. If I do not have the "ability" to do something, then it is outside my "limits".
If God somehow doesn't have the ability to do something, something must be limiting him. But, by definition of omnipotence, nothing is outside of his ability. But, this leads to logical contradictions. Like the age-old, "can God make a rock so big that he can't lift it?" If he can't make such a rock, that is a limit, but if he could make such a rock, then his not being able to lift it is a limit. But God is limitless, so neither could be true.
Perhaps.. but I didn't say God had the "ability" to do "something", I said that he had the "ability" to do everything.
So.. if by "limit" you and he meant.. he has the "limit" of doing anything outside of "everything"-- then fine.
But I don't think thats what you guys were meaning.
Quote:
But, by definition of omnipotence, nothing is outside of his ability.
Which is why I always said he has the "ability" to do anything.
This all came up because of an earlier contention that God "must" do everything just because he is "omnipotent"... I contended, no, merely he has the "ability" to do anything.. no that he "must" do everything.
As for your rock analogy.. I addressed this earlier to.
I said anything "logically" possible because it is only through logic we can speak.
"Can god make a rock so big that even he can not lift it?"
Has problems on two issues.. 1.) It requires me to concede that God has a limit to his ability to lift.. as well as concede he has a limit to his ability to create.
Both of the concessions would be illogical while held up to the concept of "omnipotence" and therefore I would be "not smart" to allow you to ask this question without challenging the illogical nature of the question itself.
Its the same as "Can you prove to me that logically, logic is illogical?"Logic is a concept. It cannot prove itself illogical.
"Can an omnipotent character create a rock so big that even he could not carry?"Omnipotence is a concept. It refers to limitlessness.. so.. the rock would be infinitely big and his ability to carry would be infinitely large as well. The moment you try and measure either of these things.. the concept stops.. and it is no longer in line with the concept of "omnipotence" anymore-- and therefore the question would no longer apply.
Your statement here is working the wrong way-- even in science this would not work.
Newton did not say.. "If gravity exists, what should this apple do?".. no-- for he did not know what "gravity" was. He stated (I'd imagine).. "This apple fell, why?"
Yes, it DOES work that way. Once you make the hypothesis of gravity, you then expand on it. Do denser object fall faster than slower objects? You perhaps hypothesize that heaver objects do fall faster than slower objects. So you head to the side of a building and drop different density objects, and find that your hypotheis has been falsified. That's why there are such things as experiments, working from hypothesis to observation and NOT observation to hypothesis.
... You erased the part after that.
Observation comes before hypothesis in both those cases.
"The apple falls.""The world is as it is."
These are observations.
Now.. hypothesis differ from here..
Now here is where science and philosphy diverge..
Philosphy deals with reasoning.. science does with reasoning that is testable.
Omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresent.. are not testable concepts... only reasoned within their understanding. So while scientist would test their hypothesis.. philosphy only fits the facts to the concepts.
Once again.. this is all a side issue. Such a small issue as me drawing a similarity between religion and science in ONE respect.
That one respect being:
That they both have the same set of facts.. merely differ on what is considered a legitamate hypothesis.
There are lots of points throughout your posts on in this thread that I had been meaning to respond to. I suspect it will take a bit of writing to get through all the points I want to respond to. So, I'm just posting this as a "head's up! expect more crap from Case!"
Second of all, let's pretend, for discussion purposes, that man were to create a pretty fair system, where most everybody has reasonably good standard of living. People would still die in natural disasters. There would be fewer people to die, if all housing was well made. But it isn't practical or even possible to build every house to withstand every earthquake, tornado, tsunami, etc.
You responded:
If this ever happens.. we will discuss it then. I could simple contend that all people could be concentrated into areas where such sorts of natural disasters do not occur. Until this happens.. or until some study is done.. neither of us will have evidence to back up our claims.
I believe the fact that people die in natural disasters even in areas of good housing provides prima facie evidence that my position is correct. And your posulation of people being concentrated in areas without natural disasters, despite the fact that there is no such place on earth, nor could we all fit if there were, is an "ad hoc" argument without merit.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
Possibly. Then I would only refer to my previous statement. These things are not "bad" in and of themselves.. neither do people need to die as a direct result from them.
Give me a plausible scenerio where everybody on earth could be protected from natural disasters. And, as Todangst pointed out, even if you could, it would be like putting a toddler in a room with a snake and a stick and saying, "I gave the kid a chance".
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
Here.. they are called disasters because people die and billions of dollars of damage are created. I would imagine.. in some other place.. they would just be called.. "really big storm".. "twirling black cloud".. "giant wave".
Give me a break! THAT'S YOUR ARGUMENT??? For one, I always thought that heaven was a spiritual realm where there was no physical air to make physical storms. But, regardless, SO WHAT? Of what possible relevance are storms that can't do anything? What possible difference could it make if they exist or not?
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
One can easily alleviate the affects of "bad" now and still assume that there will be "good", experentially, latter. Why can I not tend to my sons burn, yet still be able to say, "Well, now you've learned."
Think this through. What you are saying is, that there is no "good" to come from more "bad" after some point. That the burn the child got was sufficient lesson in itself, and therefore continued "bad", continuing to let the child suffer, has no value. But then you are implicitly admitting that not all bad results in eventual better good. If it did, then you should keep beating the crap out of your kid as every beating will result in even better stuff in the future.
By the way, this is essentially how Mother Teressa thought, the fucking bitch. If you think she helped aleviate sufferring, you've been lied to. She thought sufferring was good and therefore withheld treatment. But, see, if God really does reward sufferring, then she was right. What she did is perfectly justifiable IF her contentions were true. Just like, if the Mulim terrorists are right that they will be rewarded for flying planes into buildings, then 9/11 was a perfectly reasonable thing to do. Which is among the reasons I really fucking hate theism.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
I made it very clear these years, the 60 or more years I live, are insignificant when placed next to cosmic eternity itself.. that does not mean that it is not significant to me, now.
But it really shouldn't be! If you have Bill Gate's money, a few million missing somehow won't hurt him in the least. If you have an infinite lifetime, why should these "60 or more years" mean a fucking thing to you?
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
I know that might seem cold, comparing people to an arm, but analogies are all the same in that they are ambiguous.
In this particular case, your problem isn't the analogy itself, it is the flawed reasoning behind it. For a doctor might have to sacrifice an arm for he isn't perfect and can't avoid loosing something in order to save something more valued. But God, by being perfect, doesn't have the limitation of imperfection, requiring him to have to accept some bad to get good.
In general, from my position, it is a lot easier to have analogies that aren't terribly misleading. For if a human in a scenerio that I give would be "in control" of the situation, then surely an omnipotent creator would be "in control" in an analagous situation, no? But, on the other hand, if you have an analogy where the human has a limitation, your analogy is instantly doomed because God would have no such limitation. So, you might think it unfair, but, basically, analogies are useless for your position, but not for mine. So, the instant you bring up a limited human analogy, you have lost the point.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
And if by "spiritual essense" or "soul" as in.. something that can exist apart from the brain-- no, I do not believe so.
I'm confused here. How can you have life after death, if you concede that there is no non-physical soul?
Quote:
I said:
...exactly, makes these choices that is open to this alleged free will?
You responded:
Consciousness
Okay, so what is "consciousness"? I've asked whether it is physical or nonphysical, and you seemed to accept it being physical. Which is quite strange for a theist, I've never heard a theist to hold such a position, and seems to eliminate life-after death. But, my main question is, how does "consciousness" operate? What rules makes "consciousness" choose one option over another? And where did the design of this operation come from? It came from God, right?
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
Your actions are limited by what is physically possible.. your "will" is not. I can "will to fly by flapping my wings".. does this mean I can fly by flapping my wings? No.. merely that I "will" it.
Well, first, if this was an accurate statement, why not have more limits on physicality? Why not prevent me from killing you and taking away your free will, if I could still "will" for you to die?
But, secondly, its not an entirely accurate statement. For we can only imagine to a certain extent beyond our experience. We can imagine flapping our arms and flying to Pluto, because we have the knowledge that flying, to some degree, is possible. And we have the knowledge that Pluto exists. Granted, different people have a stronger imagination than others. But, nobody a 200 years ago couldn't have possibly imagined, "gee, it'd really be cool if somebody would invent the computer so I can surf the web and play World of Warcraft!" These concepts were so far removed from the experience of people 200 years ago, that they couldn't really even "will" to surf the web or "will" to play World of Warcraft.
RhadTheGizmo wrote:
Yes.. I arose myself.
Are you joking, or is this a serious assertion?
Well, there are more points you raised that I want to address, but, the wife is calling me for dinner, so I'll stop for now. Perhaps your response to this will alter what I might have said to some of your other points anyway...
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The Kitten Whisperer in the Kitten Chronicles
My Dad was escorted out by my mom, relatives and plenty of angels at about 4:05 a.m. this morning. It was very peaceful as in one minute he was breathing, the next minute he was not. He slipped into a coma at about 8:30 pm last night.
Nightly, Dad always announced his homecoming to humans, dogs, cats (the horses in the distant barn) – well really, any being that was listening by saying: “the meal ticket is home”. It was the heartwarming funny of the house. Well, the meal ticket is home.
Both my parents were big animal lovers and we were fortunate to have them all around us. I am fortunate now to have this very silly/sweet entertainment.
Even though life has changed dramatically on this end, I am keeping my plans for teaching in Florida – see you there!!
YouTube – Olivia the kitten whisperer and other reminiscent moments in the kitten chronicles. This little video is only a minute long – a minute over a month ago. Hard to imagine they have grown this much. Funny that they recognize the little audible squeeks and as I have replayed this video the kittens look at me like “where is that kitten?” Oh they are funny. Did I mention that Olivia is the best Kitten Whisperer ever? And we know Isabella has maintained her Aunty Belly status.
As I say in my description of the video – we are in leap stage. We are thankfully not pulling ourselves up on everything by shredding. However, all curtains are potentials for a chinese fire drill. Now everyone is sweetly sleeping.
Each of the kittens are going to be part of the “what’s in a name?” contest on my website. I’m having the best story of how an animal either picked his/her name or whether the name fits the animal…..this contest will be announced in my newsletter and will be judged by my Communication with all Life University students. And there are great prizes I might add!!
When I first saw the little pile of kittens, I couldn’t help but to wonder about all of them. Who would they be? I’m not saying they were formless blobs, they had form, they had squeak. They were big heads with little bodies. Little lives that I wanted to protect, but still – who are they?
As eyes opened, there was a little more life. Queen Latifah was nearly the first one I named. She was always staring at me. My niece fell in love with her. I just figured Queen Latifah was her at home baby name if my niece was to take her, like a barn name or a nickname. My friend Ellen has a big huge white dog that throws her energy around also and her nick name is Queen Latifah.
As the eyes opened and the personalities slowly appeared, Queen Latifah became a bigger and bigger personality. So the question is – what came first the chicken or the egg? Is she this brassy, funny, sexy broad because I gave her that archetypal name – or did I see that spark of bigness the moment her eyes opened?
How did you name your pet? Does the name fit? Does the name carry archetypal value or does it hinder the blooming of your companion?
I can tell you one thing – Queen Latifah can beat her brothers and sister up the curtains – oy.
p.s. Queen Latifah whined a bit with my niece and my neice moved on to another kitten. Queen Latifah chose us (she tries as often as she can to sleep with the dogs!)
Isabella loves Francesca – the momma kitty. Up until the point that Francesca arrived, Isabella (the black lab) had a charmed life as the baby. Suddenly a new ‘baby’ came and HAD BABIES – WOW. That can really be a buzz killer.
There was some definite acting out….in the form of peeing. It was definitely the middle child syndrome. Who am I know in this new configuration? Who will I be?
No matter how much I would console Isabella on the one hand, there is another part of her that I needed to buck up. I have kittens now to tend to. I have the horses, dog walks, jumping ropes, the demands of clients, a 90 year old father, not to mention I have started an Animal Communication University for crying out loud. I can’t go back to putting you on a leash and having you shadow me I thought to myself. I counsel clients daily on such challenges – so I did what I would have advised. Put her on the leash and gave her a job.
In fact, now she acts as if I still have the leash on and is by my side as if to prove she’s gotten over it. Also, at 7 weeks when this photo was taken, she went up and took care of the exhausted momma cat. Her job is Auntie Belly.
Isabella is a great aunt. She’s not quite as obsessed as Olivia. Olivia has become the kitten whisperer and has taken that on as her career. (It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.) Olivia didn’t have time to be jealous. This also stems from the first year of her life, Alexandria (my beloved cat) ignored her to the point of distraction. So Olivia just watches cats in hopes that one of them will pay attention to her. (Now she has doting kittens).
Isabella as an aunt is a little removed, tolerant and loving on her terms. She’s not acting out anymore. Kittens fall asleep on her. It’s actually quite amazing how well everyone gets along and watches out for each other.
Please view the Youtube – The Kitten Chronicles…..It’s a very cute, sweet and to the point moment with the kittens. They are at that age that they have to go. At least a couple…..this has been interesting because I know in my heart of hearts there are perfect situations for these kittens. I have loved and adored them. They are outstanding – each of them have a personality…..each of them can play or sleep independently , each of them can play with each other…..they come running to me especially but are curious and accepting of all people and they LOVE dogs.
Their mom came to me as a ferral barn cat. Okay – that SO didn’t happen. What has happened as I’ve written about previously (scroll down) there is a chance that Francesca (momma kitty) is the cat reincarnated that disappeared 2 years ago. So just as a recap – I got Francesca on the two year anniversary of Alexandria’s departure.
And she was pregnant. And when I got Alexandria – my friend Jenni Hetrick and I dispersed Alexandria’s kittens so fast, I still regret not keeping one.
These kittens are not barn cats. Or Ferral. So my greatest hope for them is that they go where they are loved. As much as I’d love to say I’ll keep them all, the reality is – there may be better places for them. This is a brutal reality in terms of wildlife where I live. I will keep them if that is our fate – as I LOVE them and adore them and feel like we suffer from an abundance of cuteness around here. Yet, if a situation that is better than us presents itself – then it’s meant to be.
The kittens from left to right are Madeline, Henry, Lance, Buster Keaton, Queen Latifah and Tony Robbins.
All from the lovely mother Francesca……of course my dog Olivia is officially the Kitten Whisperer and my other dog Isabella is Auntie Belly.
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Little Turtle found these super cute little fungi at Yager Tree Farm, where The Girl and her father always get their Christmas trees and wreaths. They were both terribly saddened to hear that one of the owners, Judy, passed away in October.
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Our dedicated volunteers come from near and far—but June “Volunteer of the Month” Nicolei Gupit may outdistance everyone. Over the several years she’s been a volunteer, Nicolei has lived in the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan (where she’s now resides, teaching elementary, middle and high school students) while she still volunteers for KidWorks.
Summer at KidWorks is vital for so many reasons. Our goal is to create a safe, wholesome place for our students to spend their time. Just as importantly, we want to offset what educators call the “summer slide.” That’s where students of any age level can slip academically when they are away from the classroom.
How many volunteer hours would it take to fully sample every single one of KidWorks’ life-affirming programs? For Stephen Ruvalcaba—our January “Volunteer of the Month”—the answer would be 750 hours.
That’s because Stephen completely dedicates himself to whomever and to whatever he has made a commitment. The remarkable tally of 750 hours was logged between when he first began volunteering in June 2016 until the end of 2017.
“Stephen has been such a great volunteer, being a part of programs that include preschool, after school tutoring and even special events,” says Tiffany San, Volunteer Coordinator & Development Assistant. “He’s always so willing to help with whatever task needs to be done. Stephen is deeply appreciated by all of the staff, volunteers and students.”
Stephen has also been a hands-on volunteer with our summer program, student campus visits and field trips, golf classic and Foundation for Success luncheon.
He recalls a particularly poignant moment with one of our high school students, in whom he recognized God-given artistic talent.
“She said her drawings represent how she feels,” Stephen says. “I urged her to make a comic book out of her drawings and to tell a story through her artwork. I mentioned that there are wonderful careers that her talent could one day make possible, such as an illustrator, author or movie producer. She began work on the comic book project and it made me so happy to see her start to pursue her passion.”
Stephen has seen first-hand how the partnership between our staff, volunteers and donors makes a lasting positive impact on our students.
“I have seen kids struggling to read, who pick up a book and read to me,” he says. “I’ve witnessed students having trouble with math who eventually gain the confidence to help teach other kids how to work out a problem. I have seen so many talented students thrive when they receive encouragement to overcome their fears of social norms and to stand out.”
Even as he dedicated all those hours to our students, Stephen kept a focused eye on his own education. He graduated this month from West Coast University with a bachelor of science degree in nursing.
“My goal is to become an intensive care unit or emergency room nurse,” Stephen says.
When not helping to encourage young minds at KidWorks or pursuing his career goals, Stephen enjoys Malaya, his family’s Siberian Huskie. He’s also coached and played football.
We are very grateful for each of Stephen’s hundreds of volunteer hours—and we are even more grateful for him! Congratulations on being named January “Volunteer of the Month,” Stephen.
Kyle Team, our December “Volunteer of the Month,” gets those questions all the time from the dozens of KidWorks elementary school students who have come to rely on her for homework help and spiritual development since she first began volunteering nearly four years ago.
“Two core principles guide me to do my best with the kids,” Kyle says. “First, I do everything I can to recall all their names and call them by name. That makes such a difference; they know you personally remember them. Second, I’m consistent. Students really appreciate it when you are there on a regular basis. Oftentimes, their lives have many challenges, and they truly appreciate reliability and dependability.”
Kyle is also a member of the KidWorks’ board of directors, where she is highly valued for her strategic thinking skills and long-term vision for our growth and financial sustainability.
Says Lisa Gels, Manager of Partnerships & Donor Relations: “Kyle can always be counted upon to follow-through on her commitments, and she has been very instrumental in bringing new partners and volunteers to KidWorks, and in deepening the involvement of others who are already engaged with us.”
Kyle enjoys her dual role as a board member and tutoring volunteer.
“The contrast is that as a board member you prepare in advance, review agenda items and make certain to be very organized,” she says. “For a tutoring session, I just bring myself, remaining flexible to whatever a particular student may need during the 90 minutes we are together.”
Kyle has been especially effective in developing and strengthening the partnership between KidWorks and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Newport Beach, where she is a church leadership elder.
KidWorks is honored to be one of about a dozen ministry partners selected by the church. She works closely on that partnership with Lisa Gels, along with church member Joe Cristina, also a KidWorks volunteer and leader of our Avanti Music program.
Kyle is married to David, a real estate developer. Their children are Jordan, 25, who works in corporate public relations and Brian, 22, who is employed in the computer technology field.
“We love to ski and have probably been on every mountain range in California, Colorado, Utah and Idaho,” Kyle says. As part of her very active church life, Kyle also conducts Bible studies for new or expectant mothers, and invites friends over to her home for Bible lessons and discussions.
We are very grateful for Kyle’s leadership as a member of our board and for her enduring positive impact on every KidWorks student she helps each week. Congratulations on being named December “Volunteer of the Month,” Kyle
Three-year-old Stephany Torres can’t yet tell you a whole lot about why she wants to join her brothers and sisters at KidWorks—she just knows it sure looks like tons of fun.
Next year, she’ll be eligible to enroll in our state-licensed preschool, where she’ll learn colors, shapes, counting to 20 and maybe even how to write her name. For now, she says that the KidWorks preschool holds out an irresistible allure: “Toys!” she shouts, when asked what she most looks forward to.
Stephany’s parents—Jesus and Karina—head a family that embodies our hopes and dreams for the central Santa Ana community. They are an especially close family and share KidWorks’ passion for instilling in children a love of learning, the arts, leadership and spiritual development.
All of their other children are active participants in KidWorks various programs: Evelyn, 15; Jesse, 11; Ashley, 10; Andrew, eight and Alex, five.
Music and baseball are at the top of the list of the Torres’ favorite activities, and they find ample opportunity to enjoy both through KidWorks’ programs.
Evelyn is an accomplished musician and singer who is part of our Avanti Music and Love in Music programs. She is also an active member of our Youth Empowerment Network (YEN), a group of dedicated teens who develop, design and address issues that impact themselves, their families and their neighborhoods. Also involved in Love in Music are Ashley, who is learning the violin; Jesse, who says playing the flute is the best way to relax after taking a grueling math test at school (he’s also a YEN member) and Andrew, who says the piano lets him express himself creatively.
Jesus is a dedicated father who coaches baseball and watches over his children when Karina is at the Dan Donahue Center attending Parent Advisory Council meetings or otherwise helping out. Karina is also very active in making central Santa Ana a safer place.
Recently, she helped form a Neighborhood Watch group for the apartment complex where she and her family live. The City of Santa Ana required that she secure a minimum of 10 signatures from her fellow tenants—so Karina rallied all the residents and got 30 to sign up.
“When we walk in the neighborhood, we still have to pass by gangs and observe illegal drug use,” Karina says. “The presence of these situations can start to seem normal, but it never should. KidWorks is a place that reminds us of the limitless potential for good in our community.”
The Torres family has come to rely on KidWorks at all times. For several years, Jesus could not find work due to a slowdown in the commercial and residential construction industry and was forced to take a job in Texas for eight months working on oil rigs. At the time, Karina was pregnant with Alex.
“While I was away, KidWorks became a second home for my family,” Jesus recalls. Adds Karina, “It takes time for me to build up trust, and I soon came to see that KidWorks would be there for us no matter how big or small a need my family might have.”
Says Sonia Rios-Guzman, our Parent Engagement Coordinator: “Both Jesus and Karina constantly demonstrate to their children what it means to have a servant heart. Our staff and volunteers are so delighted every time we see them walk through our doors.”
“It seems as though our family is always coming from or going to KidWorks,” Karina laughs. We are grateful for the amazing ways KidWorks is making so many positive changes in the lives of our children, our family and our community. We are excited to see even more students and families served at KidWorks in 2018.
Did you know that the International Olympic Committee has for the first time included skateboarding as part of the Summer Games at Tokyo, Japan, in 2020? A group of five KidWorks’ youth are especially excited about this addition.
They comprise the Youth for Active & Safe Communities (YASC) committee within our Youth Empowerment Network (YEN), a group of dedicated teens who develop, design and address issues that impact themselves, their families and their neighborhoods.
Skateboarding has been a key area of their focus for over a year now, says Maria Ruvalcaba, our Youth & Community Engagement Coordinator—Active Transportation.
“Active transportation—such as biking, walking and skateboarding—is how many of our youth get to school, appointments and other destinations,” Maria says. “Being physically active is part of our advocacy for healthy diets and exercise.”
The five youth in YASC do much more than spend time on their skateboards. They have become proactive spokespeople for sanctioned skate parks in Santa Ana.
“Santa Ana has just one skate park within the entire city,” Maria says. “Our goal is a skate park in each of the six wards within Santa Ana before the Summer Olympics kick off in 2020.”
To that end, YASC has spoken before the Santa Ana City Council, Parks and Recreation Department and met with other elected officials. They have also partnered with such skateboard advocacy groups as the Tony Hawk Foundation, Action Sports Kids Foundation and OC Ramps.
In October, Edwin Ruiz spoke at a walk/bike conference in Sacramento, where he shared his perspective that the streets are often dangerous for skateboarders, whereas skate parks are safe and sanctioned environments.
“My passion for skateboarding has grown ever since I noticed that it brings youth together as a family as we encourage each other,” Edwin says. “This has motivated me to work on improving our streets and adding more skate parks to keep other youth like myself active and safe.”
“Funding for five more skate parks is far from finalized, yet our youth are committed to working through each detail and taking every step,” Maria says. “Their latest effort is a detailed data gathering project within neighborhoods to assess attitudes and preferences by the community relative to skate parks.”
Maria says that in addition to skate park advocacy, the experience is providing our youth with valuable training in leadership and team work.
“Skate boarding can suffer from a less than positive image,” Maria says. “I think our YASC youth are doing a wonderful job changing that undeserved image.”
You’ll meet some of the most interesting people serving on the KidWorks’ Board of Directors. In addition to their dedicated commitment to the students and families we reach, they are also all highly accomplished and generous individuals in their own right.
Thank you St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church for coming to KidWorks for your Serve Day 2016. KidWorks has been a long time ministry partner of St. Andrew's and on Saturday, September 17th, many members of their congregation came to our Dan Donahue Center for a Serve Day.
Volunteers hosted a carnival for our families and participated in reading buddies with our K-5th grade students. Another team of volunteers revamped our storage space to accommodate more instruments for our music program, Avanti.
Avanti leader, Joe Cristina, led a group of volunteers in working directly with our music students and we ever had a parenting workshop.
One of the most well-known and beloved verses in the bible is Matthew 6:21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This powerful message was brought to life this summer for our kindergarten through fifth grade students by Calvary Chapel’s Iglesia La Puerta Church.
Pastor Armando Reyes and 15 Iglesia La Puerta church members—including youth and adults—led the vacation bible study that took place the final week of our summer program. The church also hosted a fun day for neighborhood families on the Sunday following the conclusion of our summer program.
“Our youngsters absolutely loved the volunteers and the way they creatively made this bible verse relevant to their lives,” says Noemi Juarez, KidWorks’ Director of After School Programs. “The church volunteers told stories to the kids, helped then make crafts and even shared fun snacks that related to our ‘The Island’ summer theme.”
Noemi said that the students learned that treasurers are not just material items, but more importantly the people, faith and values that they hold dear in their hearts.
Noemi also thanked Teen Challenge for leading a similar bible study activity at our Bishop Manor satellite center and the Christ Before You Ministry organization for a fun beach day they hosted for students attending summer programs at our Cedar Evergreen Center.
On Saturday, August 20, 2016 we hosted our largest community event of the year, The Townsend Street Fair. The theme for this year’s fair was Neighborhoods of Action and Hope. Our goal was to increase awareness and access to health related services to strengthen the local community, celebrate its positive attributes, and bring different resources from the community to Central Santa Ana.
Over 50 organizations and businesses attended, all of which brought fun activities for youth and children. Participating organizations included: PBS SoCal, Santa Ana College, Orange County Health Care Agency, Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers and Community Health Initiative of Orange County, which offered free information and guidance on free and low-cost community services and educational and college opportunities.
18 corporate groups, nearly 700 volunteers, over 3000 pairs of shoes, and 1 amazing goal. Saturday, May 21, 2016 was an amazing day of partnership in Santa Ana. KidWorks joined forces with Love Santa Ana Initiative and OneOC for a day of beautification projects at Madison Elementary School and beyond!
Employees from Disneyland, Pacific Life, and Taco Bell, and other corporations teamed up with local community groups to benefit KidWorks and the community here in central Santa Ana.
Our commitment is to restore at-risk neighborhoods one life at a time ... with the goal of transforming the neighborhood
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domingo, 5 de marzo de 2017
CDC Office of Public Health Genomics (OPHG) conducts horizon scanning (a systematic research method to find and follow novel technologies appearing in the literature) to identify and track the progress of genomic tests as they move from research into clinical and public health practice. As an aid in organizing horizon scanning results, OPHG ranks genomic tests, and family health history applications, by levels of evidence. See detail.
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Discussion of the scope of review to which an arbitration award is
subject. [333-334]
This court declined to decide whether an out-of-State attorney's
representation of a party at a Massachusetts arbitration proceeding constituted the unauthorized practice of law, where even assuming that the representation might constitute the unauthorized practice of law, the conduct would not provide a basis to vacate the award, because absent fraud, corruption, or other undue means under G. L. c. 251, s. 12 (a) (1), errors of law or fact did not constitute sufficient grounds to set aside the award. [334-337] SPINA, J., concurring, with whom COWIN, J., joined.
This court concluded that an arbitration panel did not exceed its
authority in awarding monetary damages as a sanction for the plaintiff's discovery violations, where the parties' agreement contained a broad arbitration provision containing no limitation on the panel's authority to fashion relief, and where the governing rules of arbitration provided arbitrators with broad authority to fashion remedies during arbitration proceedings and to oversee discovery. [337-340] SPINA, J., dissenting, with whom COWIN, J., joined.
CIVIL ACTION commenced in the Superior Court Department on August 24, 2001.
The case was heard by Francis R. Fecteau, J.
After review by the Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court granted leave to obtain further appellate review.
John O. Mirick (Jessica H. Munyon with him) for the plaintiff.
John D. Geelan, of New York (Michelle M. Hansen with him) for the defendant.
GREANEY, J. We granted further appellate review to decide whether the arbitration award in this case should be vacated. The losing party in the arbitration, Superadio Limited Partnership (Superadio), seeks that relief on two grounds: (1) that the attorney representing Walt "Baby" Love Productions, Inc. (Baby Love), who was licensed to practice law in New York, but not in Massachusetts, engaged in the unauthorized practice of law by representing Baby Love at the arbitration proceeding here; and (2) that the arbitration panel lacked authority to impose monetary sanctions for Superadio's violation of a discovery order. We affirm the judgment confirming the award.
The background of the case is as follows. In May, 1995, Superadio and Baby Love entered a radio network agreement (agreement) wherein Superadio became the exclusive advertising sales agent for an existing radio program and a proposed new radio program produced by Baby Love. Under the agreement, the net revenues collected from the sale of advertising airing on the radio programs were to be divided equally between Superadio and Baby Love. The agreement provided that it "shall be interpreted" under Massachusetts law and that "[a]ny dispute arising under the [a]greement, including but not limited to any dispute concerning payments due, shall be arbitrated under the rules of the American Arbitration Association [AAA] before a panel of the [AAA] sitting in Boston, Massachusetts." After an extension, the agreement terminated on December 31, 1998.
A few months later, Superadio filed a demand for arbitration, alleging that Baby Love had withheld approximately $150,000 in advertising revenues that should have been shared with Superadio. The disputed revenue allegedly derived from advertisements that had been booked by Superadio during the term of the agreement, but had not aired until after the agreement
Page 332
had terminated. Baby Love filed an answer and a counterclaim asserting that Superadio had violated the agreement by refusing to turn over advertising revenues that Superadio had collected on Baby Love's behalf for advertisements that had aired before the agreement terminated. Baby Love sought $841,239 in damages. Superadio agreed that Baby Love was entitled to approximately $75,000 of those revenues, but held the money to offset the amount which Superadio claimed it was owed.
The parties selected a panel of three arbitrators (panel). By agreement of the parties, the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the AAA (AAA rules), would govern the proceeding. The panel entered a partial summary judgment award, finding that Superadio had no right to offset, and ordering Superadio to pay the withheld amount to Baby Love.
The parties proceeded with discovery on the remaining claims to be arbitrated. Baby Love claimed that Superadio was not complying with its discovery requests and sought intervention from the panel. On August 21, 2000, the panel entered an order directing Superadio either to satisfy certain discovery requests "by September 22, 2000," or to pay Baby Love "$1,000 per day until Superadio is either in compliance or until the date of the [h]earing, whichever shall occur first." The parties were notified that the failure to produce discovery would result in the exclusion of such discovery as evidence at the arbitration hearing. Superadio did not comply with the discovery order and, on September 28, 2000, withdrew its demand for arbitration. Baby Love proceeded to arbitrate its counterclaim.
At some point in the proceedings, Superadio objected to the appearance of Baby Love's attorney, an attorney licensed to practice law in New York, but not in Massachusetts, contending that the attorney was engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. The attorney had not sought admission pro hac vice in Massachusetts, and Baby Love had not retained local counsel.
The panel conducted a hearing on the case in June, 2001, and did not permit either party to introduce documents or witnesses that it had not produced in response to a reasonable discovery request. On July 23, 2001, the panel entered its award. The panel concluded that Baby Love had supported its claim that
Page 333
Superadio had underreported the amount of advertising revenues owed. The panel, however, could not enter an award for contract damages because of Baby Love's inability to prove its damages, an inability attributable to Superadio's failure in discovery to produce documents relevant to the damages issue. The panel concluded that, under Rule 23 (c) of the AAA rules (which we shall set forth later in this opinion), it had the authority to impose a sanction on Superadio for violating the panel's August 21, 2000, discovery order, and imposed a sanction in the amount of $271,000. The amount represented an assessment of $1,000 per day from September 23, 2000 (the day following the deadline for discovery compliance), to June 20, 2001 (the day that the arbitration hearing commenced). The panel noted that Superadio could have tolled the accrual of sanctions by producing the ordered discovery, which Superadio admitted was in its possession. The panel added to its award certain costs and prejudgment interest, amounts not in dispute, for a total award of $287,566.83. In addition, the panel noted that Superadio, by filing its demand for arbitration, had agreed to abide by the AAA rules, which permit nonlawyers to represent parties at an arbitration proceeding. In view of the applicable AAA rules, the panel rejected Superadio's argument that the representation of Baby Love by a licensed out-of-State attorney constituted the unauthorized practice of law.
in G. L. c. 251, § 12. Judicial intervention is permitted where an award "was procured by corruption, fraud or other undue means," § 12 (a) (1), or where the "arbitrators exceeded their powers," § 12 (a) (3). "An arbitrator exceeds his authority by granting relief beyond the scope of the arbitration agreement . . . by awarding relief beyond that to which the parties bound themselves . . . or by awarding relief prohibited by law" (citations omitted). Plymouth-Carver Regional Sch. Dist. v. J. Farmer & Co., 407 Mass. 1006, 1007 (1990). "Arbitration, it is clear, may not 'award relief of a nature which offends public policy or which directs or requires a result contrary to express statutory provision' . . . or otherwise transcends the limits of the contract of which the agreement to arbitrate is but a part." Id., quoting Lawrence v. Falzarano, 380 Mass. 18, 28 (1980).
2. We first take up Superadio's argument that the arbitration award was procured by undue means, see G. L. c. 251, § 12 (a) (1), because Baby Love's attorney, a New York attorney not licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, engaged in the unauthorized practice of law by representing Baby Love in the arbitration. As a general proposition, an attorney practicing law in Massachusetts must be licensed, or authorized, to practice law here. Whether representation of a party by an out-of-State licensed attorney at a Massachusetts arbitration proceeding constitutes the practice of law, is an issue of first impression.
Under the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct, which became effective on January 1, 1998, well before the arbitration proceedings in this case had commenced, a lawyer "shall not . . . practice law in a jurisdiction where doing so violates the regulation of the legal profession in that jurisdiction." Mass. R. Prof. C. 5.5, 426 Mass. 1410 (1998). This rule is supplemented by G. L. c. 221, § 46A, which provides:
"No individual, other than a member, in good standing, of the bar of this commonwealth shall practice law, or, by word, sign, letter, advertisement or otherwise, hold himself out as authorized, entitled, competent, qualified or able to practice law; provided, that a member of the bar, in good standing, of any other [S]tate may appear, by permission of the court, as attorney or counselor, in any case pending
Page 335
therein, if such other [S]tate grants like privileges to members of the bar, in good standing, of this common wealth."
See DiLuzio v. United Elec., Radio & Mach. Workers, Local 274, 391 Mass. 211, 214-215 (1984) (as constitutional matter, Legislature cannot give permission to practice law, but may enact laws in "aid of the judicial prerogative"); Lowell Bar Ass'n v. Loeb, 315 Mass. 176, 179 (1943) (explaining that statutes "may aid by providing machinery and criminal penalties, but may not extend the privilege of practising law to persons not admitted to practice by the judicial department"). Neither the rule nor the statute, however, defines what constitutes the practice of law. While "[t]he judicial department is necessarily the sole arbiter of what constitutes the practice of law," id. at 180, the task of doing so is not easy and, in most cases, will depend on the facts of each case. See Matter of Chimko, 444 Mass. 743, 749 (2005).
"(c) A lawyer admitted in another United States jurisdiction, and not disbarred or suspended from practice in any jurisdiction, may provide legal services on a temporary basis in this jurisdiction that:
". . .
"(3) are in or reasonably related to a pending or potential arbitration, mediation, or other alternative dispute resolution proceeding in this or another jurisdiction, if the services arise out of or are reasonably related to the lawyer's practice in a jurisdiction in which the lawyer is admitted to practice and are not services for which the forum requires pro hac vice admission . . . ." [Note 2]
Adoption of this rule is currently under consideration in Massachusetts
Page 336
by the standing advisory committee on the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct. Many States have adopted a rule of professional conduct similar or identical to ABA Model Rule 5.5 (c) (3). [Note 3] We note also that, while the Restatement (Third) of the Law Governing Lawyers § 3 (2000), does not expressly address arbitration, it generally permits an out-of-State attorney to "provide legal services" in another jurisdiction to a client so long as the matter is reasonably related to the attorney's home-State practice. [Note 4]
We need not decide in this case whether an out-of-State attorney's representation of a party at a Massachusetts arbitration proceeding constitutes the unauthorized practice of law. In view of the current study of ABA Model Rule 5.5 (c) (3), by our standing advisory committee, prudence dictates that this question await the committee's report and our action thereon. We conclude that, even assuming that the representation might constitute the unauthorized practice of law, the conduct would not provide a basis to vacate the award. "Absent fraud, [corruption,
Page 337
or other undue means under G. L. c. 251, § 12 (a) (1),] errors of law or fact are not sufficient grounds to set aside an award." Lynn v. Thompson, 435 Mass. 54, 61 (2001), cert. denied, 534 U.S. 1131 (2002), quoting Plymouth-Carver Regional Sch. Dist. v. J. Farmer & Co., supra. Nothing Superadio has argued persuades us that either Baby Love or its New York attorney procured the award through "undue means," that is, in an underhanded, conniving, or unlawful manner similar to corruption or fraud as those terms are used in arbitration law and practice. See National Cas. Co. v. First State Ins. Group, 430 F.3d 492, 499 (1st Cir. 2005), and cases cited. [Note 5]
The panel's authority derives from the parties' agreement, which contains a broad arbitration provision, and from the AAA rules, which the agreement incorporates and which have a broad remedial provision. The arbitration agreement provides that "[a]ny dispute arising under the [a]greement, including but not limited to any dispute concerning payments due, shall be arbitrated under the rules of the [AAA]." This provision is all-encompassing and contains no limitation on the panel's authority to fashion relief. In concluding that the dispute resulting in the challenged sanction did not arise from the agreement, but from the conduct of the arbitration, see Superadio Ltd. Partnership v. Walt "Baby" Love Prods., Inc., supra at 550, the Appeals Court failed to follow strictly the strong presumption of arbitrability, see Drywall Sys., Inc. v. ZVI Constr. Co., 435 Mass. 664, 666 (2002). In so doing, the Appeals Court over-
Page 338
looked the essence of the dispute -- Superadio's conduct of withholding materials that established Baby Love's damages, namely, the amount of money owed because of Superadio's alleged violation of the agreement. Such a matter, damages owed for breach of the agreement, related to the core of the agreement. As such, the dispute was one encompassed by the terms of the agreement.
"The arbitrator may grant any remedy or relief that the arbitrator deems just and equitable and within the scope of the agreement of the parties, including, but not limited to, specific performance of a contract" (emphasis added).
Rule 23 provides:
"(a) At the request of any party or at the discretion of the arbitrator, consistent with the expedited nature of arbitration, the arbitrator may direct (i) the production of documents and other information, and (ii) the identification of any witnesses to be called.
"(b) At least five (5) business days prior to the hearing, the parties shall exchange copies of all exhibits they intend to submit at the hearing.
"(c) The arbitrator is authorized to resolve any disputes concerning the exchange of information" (emphasis added).
Noteworthy in these rules is the absence of any language limiting the means by which an arbitrator or arbitration panel may resolve discovery disputes, or language restricting the application of the broad remedial relief of rule 45 (a) to final awards (and precluding the grant of broad remedial relief to interim awards). The rules, construed together, and supported by the broad arbitration provision in the agreement and the absence of any limiting language prohibiting a monetary sanction for discovery violations, authorized the panel to resolve discovery
Because the panel entered its award based on its interpretation of the AAA rules, particularly, rule 23 (c), in the absence of fraud (which is not alleged), Superadio is bound by the panel's interpretation of the arbitration rules. See Bernard v. Hemisphere Hotel Mgt., Inc., 16 Mass. App. Ct. 261, 263- 264 (1983), and cases cited. Finally, we reject Superadio's argument that the
Page 340
absence of an express provision in G. L. c. 251, the Uniform Arbitration Act for Commercial Disputes, providing an award of sanctions for discovery violations, evidences an intent by the Legislature to prohibit such a sanction. [Note 8] The proper inquiry is whether the sanction is prohibited by statute. See Plymouth-Carver Regional Sch. Dist. v. J. Farmer & Co., 407 Mass. 1006, 1007 (1990). The Legislature has chosen not to curtail an arbitrator's comprehensive and flexible remedial powers so long as those powers derive from the agreement. Cf. Softkey, Inc. v. Useful Software, Inc., supra at 837 (award of attorney's fees in arbitration proceedings prohibited by statute unless provided in arbitration agreement). The award here, based as it is on the monetary assessment imposed for Superadio's violation of discovery, gives Baby Love a measure of relief in damages that would otherwise have been impermissibly denied because of Superadio's intransigence, hardly an "injustice" as touted by the dissent. Post at 343.
Judgment affirmed.
SPINA, J. (concurring in part and dissenting in part, with whom Cowin, J., joins). I agree with that portion of the court's opinion concerning the practice of law, but I respectfully dissent from that part of the opinion that affirms the award of a monetary sanction for discovery violations.
The court bases its holding on "the broad arbitration provision in the agreement and the absence of any limiting language prohibiting a monetary sanction for discovery violations." Ante at 338. Arbitrators probably have authority under the arbitration agreement to impose a wide range of sanctions against a party who disobeys an order for discovery, including but not limited to refusing to allow the disobedient party to support or oppose corresponding claims or defenses, prohibiting the disobedient party from introducing certain matters in evidence, and taking
Page 341
certain facts as established in accordance with the claim of the party obtaining the discovery order. However, the power to enforce a discovery order is limited under G. L. c. 251, § 7 (e), to application to a judge for enforcement of a subpoena.
General Laws c. 251, § 7 (e), gives to arbitrators the authority to "issue such orders as they deem necessary . . . on requests for enforcement of production both prior to and after the commencement of the hearing." We have said that when discovery requests are not complied with, the proper enforcement procedure is for the arbitrator to issue a subpoena pursuant to G. L. c. 251, § 7 (a), and if the party or witness persists in its refusal to comply, the arbitrator or the party seeking enforcement of the discovery order may make application to a judge for enforcement of the subpoena. Thereafter "the decision to enforce or to quash the subpoena[] is a matter within the . . . discretion" of a trial court judge. Hull Mun. Lighting Plant v. Massachusetts Mun. Wholesale Elec. Co., 414 Mass. 609, 617 (1993). That is the only enforcement mechanism available under the statute. If the Legislature had intended to grant additional powers, it would have done so. An arbitral power to impose a monetary fine for disobeying a discovery order is inconsistent with G. L. c. 251, § 7.
This conclusion is consistent with the nature of the power to impose monetary sanctions for disobedience of a discovery order. The power is extraordinary, and it arises from the power of contempt. See, e.g., Imprescia v. Imprescia, 392 Mass. 101, 106 (1984); Ayash v. Dana Farber Cancer Inst., 46 Mass. App. Ct. 384 (1999). See also Mass. R. Civ. P. 37 (b) (2) (D), as appearing in 390 Mass. 1208 (1984). The power of contempt is a "power inherent in all courts to enforce obedience, something they must possess in order properly to perform their functions." Root v. MacDonald, 260 Mass. 344, 355 (1927), quoting Myers v. United States, 264 U.S. 95, 103 (1924). This court has noted that the power of contempt is one of the distinguishing features between courts and arbitrators. "[W]hile it is sparingly to be used . . . the power of courts to punish for contempts is a necessary and integral part of the independence of the judiciary, and is absolutely essential to the performance of the duties imposed on them by law. Without it they are mere boards of
The Legislature may, by express statutory grant, confer the power of contempt on others. See Lawson v. Rowley, 185 Mass. 171, 172-173 (1904) (statute expressly gave to justices of peace power to punish contempt by fine, but absent further express grant to punish in any other way, power limited to punishment by fine). See also Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's London v. Argonaut Ins. Co., 264 F. Supp. 2d 926, 943-945 (N.D. Cal. 2003). The Legislature did not expressly grant to arbitrators the power to punish contempt, and absent such a grant, it should not be inferred. See Lawson v. Rowley, supra.
We need not decide whether the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) could grant such authority where the parties and the Legislature have not done so, and where such authority is inconsistent with the statute. In any event, AAA rules do not expressly grant such authority, and the power to impose monetary fines should not be inferred from broad, nonspecific language.
Finally, there is no way to know whether the $1,000 daily fine imposed here is punitive or compensatory, particularly where the arbitrators have stated that they cannot ascertain the plaintiff's damages. See School Comm. of New Bedford v. Dlouhy, 360 Mass. 109, 115 (1971) (compensatory nature of civil fine for actual losses sustained by contumacious conduct requires evidentiary support). "Contempts have been classified as either criminal or civil. . . . If the penalty is not imposed wholly for the benefit of the aggrieved party, but in part at least is punishment for the affront to the law, the contempt is deemed criminal. If . . . the power of the court is used only to secure to the aggrieved party the benefit of the decree, either by means of a fine payable to the aggrieved party as a recompense for his loss through disobedience to the decree, or by means of imprisonment terminable upon compliance with the decree, then the contempt is deemed civil." Godard v. Babson-Dow Mfg. Co., 319 Mass. 345, 347 (1946). Because "[t]he punishment of [criminal contempt] is solely for the vindication of public authority and the majesty of the law," Hurley v. Commonwealth,
The injustice in this case is aggravated by the fact that Superadio likely has been ordered to pay a punitive fine for the benefit of a private party, which itself is illegal, and the effect of the court's decision is to render the order unappealable.
I agree with the Appeals Court's analysis and would hold that the arbitrators exceeded their authority by imposing a fine as a discovery sanction. I would vacate that portion of the award that grants a fine of $271,000, pursuant to G. L. c. 251, § 12 (a) (3).
FOOTNOTES
[Note 1] Winstar Radio Productions, LLC, is the successor in interest to the corporation involved in the underlying dispute, Walt "Baby" Love Productions, Inc. We collectively refer to these entities as Baby Love.
[Note 2] Comment [12] to Rule 5.5 of the American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct (2003) provides: "The lawyer, however, must obtain admission pro hac vice in the case of a court-annexed arbitration or mediation or otherwise if court rules or law so require."
[Note 3] While the matter is generally governed by rule, a few courts have decided the issue. See Williamson v. John D. Quinn Constr. Corp., 537 F. Supp. 613, 616 (S.D.N.Y. 1982) (rejecting claim that out-of-State attorney and firm were foreclosed from recovery obtained in connection with services rendered in arbitration proceeding because not authorized to practice law in that State); Colmar, Ltd. v. Fremantlemedia N. Am., Inc., 344 Ill. App. 3d 977, 989 (2003) (concluding that out-of-State attorney's representation of client during arbitration proceeding did not constitute unauthorized practice of law). But cf. Matter of Creasy, 198 Ariz. 539, 541-544 (2000) (concluding that disbarred attorney violated order of disbarment because engaged in practice of law by representing party at private arbitration proceeding). Since the Creasy opinion, ABA Model Rule 5.5 (c) (3) has been adopted in Arizona. See Ariz. R. Prof. C. 5.5 (c) (3) (2005). Out-of-State attorneys engaging in arbitration proceedings in Arizona, however, must inform their clients that they are not admitted to practice in Arizona, and "must obtain the client's informed consent to such representation." Ariz. R. Prof. C. 5.5 (e). We note that Superadio's reliance on Birbrower, Montalbano, Condon & Frank, P.C. v. Superior Court, 17 Cal. 4th 119, cert. denied sub nom. Birbrower, Montalbano, Condon & Frank, P.C. v. ESQ Business Servs., Inc., 525 U.S. 920 (1998), is misplaced. In that case, it was determined that the out-of-State attorneys had engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, but "none of the time that the New York attorneys spent in California was spent in arbitration." Id. at 133.
[Note 4] Section 3 of the Restatement (Third) of the Law Governing Lawyers (2000), provides: "A lawyer currently admitted to practice in a jurisdiction may provide legal services to a client . . . at a place within a jurisdiction in which the lawyer is not admitted to the extent that the lawyer's activities arise out of or are otherwise reasonably related to the lawyers's practice . . . ."
[Note 5] Superadio does not argue that the term "undue means" under G. L. c. 251, § 12 (a) (1), encompasses conduct different from what that term has been construed to contemplate under the Federal Arbitration Act.
[Note 6] Superadio inappropriately relies on MCR of Am., Inc. v. Greene, 148 Md. App. 91 (2002). That case concerned an issue, whether an arbitrator had the authority to sanction a party's attorney for misconduct, that is not involved here. Id. at 112. Superadio's reliance on Baxter Health Care, Corp. v. Harvard Apparatus, Inc., 35 Mass. App. Ct. 204 (1993), is also misplaced. That case concerned an award of attorney's fees that was expressly prohibited by statute. Id. at 208.
[Note 8] Justice Spina essentially makes the same argument, with the twist that the authority to impose monetary sanctions lies solely with a court and arises from the power of contempt. Post at 341. While a court certainly does possess such authority, such authority does not arise solely from the power of contempt, but rather may also arise from an agreement, as pointed out in the above text.
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Woodbury | Events at www.kare11.comWoodbury | Events at www.kare11.comhttp://events.kare11.com
en-usCopyright 2012, DataSphereSat, 25 May 2019 09:05:24 PSTSat, 25 May 2019 09:05:24 PSTLocal NewsDataSphere30Woodbury - Home Improvement & Design Expohttp://events.kare11.com/Woodbury_Home_Improvement_Design_Expo/336205382.html
http://events.kare11.com/Woodbury_Home_Improvement_Design_Expo/336205382.htmlSat, 19 Oct 2019 10:00:00OCT 19, 2019, – HOME Improvement and Design EXPO™ Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm HealthEast (Bielenberg) Sports Center (BSC), 4125 Radio Dr, Woodbury, MN 55129 Attention all home improvement enthusiast! Don’t miss your opportunity to explore up to 150 exhibitors featuring the latest products, services and information to help turn your dream home into a reality. Start your next projects off to the right start. Talk with the experts and get free tips and renovation ideas! Meet builders, remodelers, landscapers, designers, painters, architects, interior designers and more. Hourly prize drawings that include Good Earth Restaurant Gift Cards, a Home Depot Gift Card and Expo Guys Famous Hot Sauce!, Play Booth Bingo for a chance to win a NEW tablet Computer. Find everything from bathroom and kitchen renovations to lawn and landscape. Even get help with your home décor! It’s everything from inside/out to home/lawn! Main Stage filled with on-going speaker presentations, demonstrations and entertainment all day long. $6 at the door or FREE with food shelf donation.
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I originally put 20 as thats the maximum number and I wasn't sure what interest there would be. I'll give it another week or two then we'll stop any new entries and narrow down the settings and roster options everyone prefers ready for the draft.
Friday 29th August is favourite for the draft so far, don't forget to vote on the league home page.
On a separate note I'm thinking of putting the winners team name on the trophy together with the year. Only for fun but a small trophy to keep adds a bit of interest. So choose a name you're happy with!
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This class a self paced class for the students of any level.
You will be working on your current series of postures guided and assisted by your teacher. Primary and Intermediate series charts are available at the studio
*Allergy Advice. If you are allergic to cats, the venue may not be suitable for you.
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Cedars are strong, aromatic softwoods that are capable of enduring outdoor elements, the most common of which is the Western Red Cedar. Western Red Cedar can sustain wet environments without succumbing to rot, and as a result is commonly used for outdoor projects such as patios, outdoor furniture, and building exteriors. This wood can be easily found at most home centers for a moderate price.[12] $50 - $100Alaska Dream HouseBathroomBedroomChildren's and Kid's Room Furniture and Toy PlansCraftroomDesk, Desk Systems and Project Table Plansdining roomentry wayFarmhouse Style Furniture PlansIndustrial Style Furniture PlansKids and Toysliving roomModern Style Furniture PlansNursery and BabyofficeRustic Furniture Plansstorage and organizationTeensIntermediateSide and End Table PlansBuffet, Sideboard and Credenza PlansCabinet PlansNightstands
With the advances in modern technology and the demands of industry, woodwork as a field has changed. The development of Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) Machines, for example, has made us able to mass-produce and reproduce products faster, with less waste, and often more complex in design than ever before. CNC Routers can carve complicated and highly detailed shapes into flat stock, to create signs or art. Rechargeable power tools speed up creation of many projects and require much less body strength than in the past, for example when boring multiple holes. Skilled fine woodworking, however, remains a craft pursued by many. There remains demand for hand crafted work such as furniture and arts, however with rate and cost of production, the cost for consumers is much higher.
Making an art or a design on a wooden piece is a hectic task and requires good art skills. But there is another much easier way to carve a beautiful art on any wood surface. For this, you will need the image or graphic that you want to transfer, a piece of wood, freezer paper, etc. I, myself have made several such designs. At the source below, you can find a step by step guide for transferring a graphic image to the wood.
From the source tutorial, you can get illustrates to the instruction about the plan. Everything is fairly described as diagrams, images, the list of supplies and tools need etc. The process to this plan is very easy to understand and follow for if you are having some basic woodworking knowledge. Make sure to collect all the supplies you need before you start with the project. You may even ask any question directly in the comment section of the tutorial post and also comment the images of your final product if you have completed it. Either way, I hope that you will manage to build this one nicely.
This is definitely going to be one of the easiest woodworking projects you’ll be reading about today. So why not just get started? The tutorial link is given below. Just do exactly what they are saying in the tutorial and you will end up making a beautiful wooden doormat just like the one in the image above. They are using pine wood to build this doormat. You can choose any wood material that best suits your budget.
A few days back, I was searching for some cool DIY plans. So, I got to work and ended up coming up with some easy to follow project and an awesome new ice chest cooler to have out on the deck! It was going to be perfect for summer hangouts and barbecues. It was a fun and practical plan to work on and I know you will have fun tackling select a design from this plan and start building your own. Enjoy learning how you can build a rustic cooler also sing the video tutorial and source tutorial plan!
Every project needs some tools and material to build on. The tools and material you will need in this plan include Miter saw, jigsaw, measuring tape screws and screwdriver etc. We will suggest you take high-quality material for the plan. Read the source tutorial and watch the video tutorial below for more details. Follow all the steps properly to make a nice and strong Rustic cooler. The tutorial explains the procedure for building this awesome gift. Make sure to use the only high-quality material for any woodworking project.
Some tools required to build a picture frame are a table saw, miter saw, measuring tape, wood glue etc. A table saw with a backing board and miter gauge can be used to get the right angle and lengths of picture frame every time. You can use builders square to arrange the final cut pieces before nailing, screwing or gluing. Check out the video tutorial below for more details.
Yes Seriously! You can build an easy bed frame yourself without any other’s help. As everyone knows the starting point of any bedroom is a gorgeous bed. However, you also need something that lets you enjoy peaceful slumber in comfort and warmth, but since the bed took as the focal point of the room, you may need something that looks really good too. From the source tutorial, you can get illustrates to the instruction about the plan. Everything is fairly described as diagrams, images, the list of supplies and tools need etc. The process to this plan is very easy to understand and follow for if you are having some basic woodworking knowledge. Make sure to collect all the supplies you need before you start with the project. You may even ask any question directly in the comment section of the tutorial post and also comment the images of your final product if you have completed it. Either way, I hope that you will manage to build this one nicely.
This is another example of small woodwork projects that require good time and woodworking skills. This item is built using multiple wooden parts. Each part is shaped in a specific design and then all parts are attached together to make the final TV set. I have never tried building this one, mostly because I don’t own an iPhone, but also because making this item is not an easy task. By the way, it works fine with all kinds of phones.
My planer blasts shavings all over the shop floor. I decided to make my own dust chute from 4-in. PVC sewer pipe (which has thinner walls than regular Schedule 40 pipe) and a couple caps. I cut a slit in the pipe and used a heat gun to soften the plastic. That allowed me to open the slit. (Heating PVC releases fumes; ventilation is critical.) I then drilled holes in the flap and screwed it to the planer housing. Finally, I cut a 2-1/2- in. hole in one of the end caps to accept my shop vacuum hose. Works great! — Luis Arce. Here’s what else you can do with PVC pipe. With the advances in modern technology and the demands of industry, woodwork as a field has changed. The development of Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) Machines, for example, has made us able to mass-produce and reproduce products faster, with less waste, and often more complex in design than ever before. CNC Routers can carve complicated and highly detailed shapes into flat stock, to create signs or art. Rechargeable power tools speed up creation of many projects and require much less body strength than in the past, for example when boring multiple holes. Skilled fine woodworking, however, remains a craft pursued by many. There remains demand for hand crafted work such as furniture and arts, however with rate and cost of production, the cost for consumers is much higher.
With two varieties, red and white, oak is known to be easy to work with and relatively strong. However, furniture makers often opt for white oak over red oak for its attractive figure and moisture-resistance.[12] Depending on the kind needed, oak can probably be found at a local home center or a lumberyard for a bit pricier than other hardwoods.[12][13] Building a Wooden Office Desk Organizer is an easy task for a professional woodworker, but not so much for normal people like you and me. But that doesn’t mean you cannot do this. Two years ago, I had almost no woodworking experience, but now I make most of my household and office wooden items by myself. This saves me a lot of money. And believe me when I say this; you can also manage to make wonderful wood items with a little practice and some woodworking experience.
There is significant evidence of advanced woodworking in ancient Egypt.[1] Woodworking is depicted in many extant ancient Egyptian drawings, and a considerable amount of ancient Egyptian furniture (such as stools, chairs, tables, beds, chests) has been preserved. Tombs represent a large collection of these artefacts and the inner coffins found in the tombs were also made of wood. The metal used by the Egyptians for woodworking tools was originally copper and eventually, after 2000 BC bronze as ironworking was unknown until much later.[2]
A bottle carrier is a bucket like carrier used to carry beer bottles and so. Yes, the same one you must have used to carry your six-pack. Drinker or not, a bottle carrier is a useful item for everyone. It can be used to carry around or store small items around a household. And it is also very easy to build one. I have several of these lying around my house. Also known as wooden beer totes, this is one wood item you will absolutely love to make. It is also super easy to build. Another awesome thing about this coffee table is that it is also has a storage unit. So you can store drinks, and other stuff in the half barrel of your table and then close or open it whenever you need. Pete has also constructed a video for this tutorial for which you can find the link below. It illustrates the same process in a video guide that shows you the exact process to be followed while building this whiskey barrel coffee table. Luckily, we have also managed to find a detailed video tutorial of the Barn door project that illustrates the process of building a Barn door of your own. The steps and instructions in the video tutorial are different from the source links listed above. Actually, you can make different types of designs for your Barn door depending on which one you can afford easily and DIY on your own. A bottle carrier is a bucket like carrier used to carry beer bottles and so. Yes, the same one you must have used to carry your six-pack. Drinker or not, a bottle carrier is a useful item for everyone. It can be used to carry around or store small items around a household. And it is also very easy to build one. I have several of these lying around my house. Also known as wooden beer totes, this is one wood item you will absolutely love to make. It is also super easy to build. I’m 91 years old, but I still enjoy spending time in the wood shop. I like to make wooden toys and give them to my great-grandkids and charity groups. One trick I’ve learned over the years is to use emery boards—the kind for filing fingernails— to sand small parts. Emery boards come in different sizes, and some are more abrasive than others, so I keep an assortment on hand. — Joe Aboussleman There is no cost to use the database. Registering is not required. You should be able to browse the database and click through the links. Having said that, considering the fact there are so many browsers out there being used, this site's software might not allow some visitors to browse, it all depends on the Internet traffic, and your browser's compatibility. Not happy with the selection of sanding blocks at the hardware store, I made a few of my own from hardwood scraps left over from a woodworking project. I cut each one to 3/4 in. x 1-1/2 in. x 4-1/2 in.—which is just the right size to wrap a quarter sheet of sandpaper around. And the “kerf” cut helps hold the sandpaper in place until I’m ready to change it. —Tim Olaerts. Here are 41 more genius sanding tips you need to know.
Not happy with the selection of sanding blocks at the hardware store, I made a few of my own from hardwood scraps left over from a woodworking project. I cut each one to 3/4 in. x 1-1/2 in. x 4-1/2 in.—which is just the right size to wrap a quarter sheet of sandpaper around. And the “kerf” cut helps hold the sandpaper in place until I’m ready to change it. —Tim Olaerts. Here are 41 more genius sanding tips you need to know.
Old doors laid across sawhorses make great temporary workbenches, but they take up a lot of space when you’re not using them. Instead of full-size doors, I use bifold doors with hinges so I can fold them up when I’m done working. They’re also easier to haul around in the pickup for on-the-road jobs. — Harry Steele. Here are 12 more simple workbenches you can build.
Here, I am writing about another DIY project that involves the use of an old furniture piece. I think that the idea of reusing and recycling old furniture has got to me. Anyways, I am starting to love it. This project involves using an old door to build a beautiful multi picture frame, as you can see in the image below. This frame looks really wonderful and can be used to hold many pictures at a time.
Tired of waiting for finish to dry on one side before finishing the other side? You can purchase standoffs, but it’s also really easy to make them yourself. Simply drive 2-in. drywall screws through 2-in. x 2-in. squares of 3/4-in. thick stock. The screw points will leave a divot in the finish that can be touched up later, but I always let the back side of my project rest on the screws while the finish dries. — Matt Boley. Plus: Check out these 32 other handy hints for frugal shop rats.
There is significant evidence of advanced woodworking in ancient Egypt.[1] Woodworking is depicted in many extant ancient Egyptian drawings, and a considerable amount of ancient Egyptian furniture (such as stools, chairs, tables, beds, chests) has been preserved. Tombs represent a large collection of these artefacts and the inner coffins found in the tombs were also made of wood. The metal used by the Egyptians for woodworking tools was originally copper and eventually, after 2000 BC bronze as ironworking was unknown until much later.[2]
Simply soak a washcloth in water and ring it out a bit so it’s not sopping wet. Put the damp washcloth on the affected area. The water will wick through the wood, and that’s fine. Now, with your iron on its highest setting, place it on the damp washcloth over the affected area, and make small movements back and forth and in circles. Press down firmly and continue until your wash cloth is dry. It won’t take long to evaporate. At this point, the wood fibers are absorbing the water and should expand back to where they were originally. Continue this process and repeat by adding more water until the dents rise up to be flush with the rest of the material. Cutting a miter joint that closes up perfectly and maintains a 90 degree angle is really satisfying. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen. Here’s a quick fix for a slightly open miter joint; rub the shank of a screwdriver along the miter at a steep angle, from both sides of the joint. Chances are, you’ll be the only one that knows it wasn’t perfect to begin with! Try this amazing miter project!
Softwood is most commonly found in the regions of the world with lower temperatures and is typically less durable, lighter in weight, and more vulnerable to pests and fungal attacks in comparison to hardwoods. They typically have a paler color and a more open grain than hardwoods, which contributes to the tendency of felled softwood to shrink and swell as it dries.[9] Softwoods usually have a lower density, around 25-37lb/cu ft, which can compromise its strength.[9] Density, however, does vary within both softwoods and hardwoods depending on the wood's geographical origin and growth rate. However, the lower density of softwoods also allows it to have a greater strength with lighter weight. In the United States, softwoods are typically cheaper and more readily available and accessible.[9] Most softwoods are suitable for general construction, especially framing, trim, and finish work, and carcassing.[10][9] The best thing about the toy chest is that it is very easy to build. All you need is the basic understanding of woodworking and a few tools to get started. You can also modify your kid’s toy chest in any way you want or build in a different design or color different from the one pictured above. You can try some other designs for your plan in the below-mentioned link.
This is probably one the easiest woodworking projects you will find here. Although easy, a doormat is an equally important and useful item for households. As you can see in the image below, you will only need some 2X2 wooden boards and rope to build a simple doormat. This doormat is mostly useful for outdoor and porch. It will easily remove all the mud from your shoes with just one wipe. It is also very easy to clean and looks fabulous even if it is dirty.
Softwood is most commonly found in the regions of the world with lower temperatures and is typically less durable, lighter in weight, and more vulnerable to pests and fungal attacks in comparison to hardwoods. They typically have a paler color and a more open grain than hardwoods, which contributes to the tendency of felled softwood to shrink and swell as it dries.[9] Softwoods usually have a lower density, around 25-37lb/cu ft, which can compromise its strength.[9] Density, however, does vary within both softwoods and hardwoods depending on the wood's geographical origin and growth rate. However, the lower density of softwoods also allows it to have a greater strength with lighter weight. In the United States, softwoods are typically cheaper and more readily available and accessible.[9] Most softwoods are suitable for general construction, especially framing, trim, and finish work, and carcassing.[10][9]
Using shelving in your room or kitchen is a great way to arrange and de-clutter space… I know, such ground-breaking term it is. Do not write me off yet, I just want to show you how you can build some clean floating corner shelving that appears to have no brackets. You can create them at no cost, and the hardest part of the plan is figuring out what you are going to put on these shelves when you are finished. I know this seems really simple and you may already know how to read a tape measure so just hear me out on this one! Often times with woodworking you need to make exact measurements and cuts and it’s rarely pretty even numbers like 15 inches or 15 1/2 inches. It’s usually like 15 5/8 inches or 15 9/16 inches. So, really knowing how to read a tape measure in its entirety is important. And I’ve created a quick post on how to read a tape measure the easy way along with a helpful free printable.
Copyright 2018 by Cut The Wood. CutTheWood.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Additionally, CutTheWood.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.
When you are gathering inspiration for barn door Plan, be sure to note the cost of the tools used in the plan. Barn door tools can often cost more than your actual door! But, there are many clever and affordable do it yourself tools options in the tutorials mentioned below! Let us explore some DIY Barn Door Tutorials. Just click on the blue text below and check some amazing fun Barn doors. They might be different from the one shown in above picture.
Some tools that are required for this project are Miter saw, drilling machine, pencil, tape measure, screws, etc. Those, who prefer a video tutorial instead, can visit the below link to a YouTube video tutorial that illustrates the process of creating a DIY Beer Bottle Crate. The video tutorial explains every step properly so that anyone can make a Beer bottle crate easily.
Building a bookcase or bookshelf is a fairly simple woodworking plan that you can get done in just a day or two. This is also a low-cost project as well and since the project idea is free, you don't have to worry about busting through your budget. Just follow the simple steps in the tutorial and enjoy your own company building a simple bookcase on this weekend. Often times at first glance a board looks straight and the fact that it is actually bowed or has some warping isn’t always obvious. So the trick to knowing for sure, is to hold the board up towards your face, with the other end on the ground, and look at it at a downward angle (as shown in the below photo). This method will allow you to see if it is bowing at all. Hi Liz. I am sorry you were having trouble unsubscribing to the newsletter. Your information has been updated. Your email address has been removed from our Woodworkers Guild of America E-Newsletter mailing list. Please allow up to 5 business days for your request to be completed. If you have any questions, please contact our customer service team at 1-855-253-0822. Fir, also known as Douglas Fir, is very inexpensive and common at local home centers. It has a characteristic straight, pronounced grain with a red-brown tint. However, its grain pattern is relatively plain and it does not stain well, so Fir is commonly used when the finished product will be painted. While commonly used for building, this softwood would also be suitable for furniture-making as well.[12]
Typically furniture such as tables and chairs is made using solid stock from hardwoods due to its strength and resistance to warping.[10] Additionally, they also have a greater variety of grain patterns and color and take a finish better which allows the woodworker to exercise a great deal of artistic liberty. Hardwoods can be cut more cleanly and leave less residue on sawblades and other woodworking tools.[10] Cabinet/fixture makers employ the use of plywood and other man made panel products. Some furniture, such as the Windsor chair involve green woodworking, shaping with wood while it contains its natural moisture prior to drying.
You can also make one for elders and put it in your garden or terrace or anywhere in the house. Elders can use it to relax and kids can use it to play or sleep. Although this is a really beautiful piece of woodwork, it is not that easy to make. Only someone with good woodworking skill can think of making this swing set. Also, I couldn’t find a good tutorial that illustrates the process of building a wooden boat-shaped swing set. Most Probably, I will write one when I build mine.But if you really want this swing set like right now, I would suggest you hire a good woodworker, who can build something similar. Or just search the internet and maybe you get lucky enough to find a tutorial for this. Good luck either way.
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“Batman Begins” is all about a man who battles his enemies and inner demons. It’s about fear, acceptance, morality and reality: Batman is not a superhero. He doesn’t have extraordinary powers. He’s human, physically and emotionally.
Bruce Wayne is a fascist at heart – but has enough moral fiber to resist devolving into an executioner. “That is the only thing that separates us from them,” Bruce says in “Batman Begins.” And that’s something that the film latches on to – amongst other topics – and what makes it not only the best of the “Batman” movies, but also a great film by any standard.
Christopher Nolan, the British filmmaker who bent all the rules in 2000 with the nonlinear and mind-boggling masterpiece “Memento”, directed “Batman Begins.” When news first broke, many message boards churned with disgruntled fans claiming he was “selling out” by helming this project. What Nolan has actually done is take a severely over-bloated, seemingly unredeemable series of films and completely reformed them; “Batman Begins” opens with digital bats encompassing the screen, which is important, because otherwise countless cinemagoers would be sitting awestruck for sixty minutes, wondering whether they’ve walked into the wrong film.
“Begins” opens somewhere in Asia. Bruce has voluntarily become a prisoner in order to research the lives of criminals. When he is visited by a mysterious guru named Ducard (Liam Neeson), Bruce is freed from jail and becomes Ducard’s protégé. Ducard is a member of the League of Shadows, an ancient ninja brotherhood bent on the destruction of all evil and wrongdoing. Of course, their methods are flawed. Bruce flees back to Gotham City after refusing to murder a rapist on Ducard’s command. He invests stock in his father’s old company, Wayne Corp., and uses the underground lab of the facility to “borrow” high-tech military weaponry.
Bruce and his butler, Alfred (Michael Caine), hide the equipment underneath the Wayne Estate in a creepy old bat cave. Bruce takes on the persona of Batman and begins to fight crime under the watchful eye of the corrupt city.
Gotham’s only honest cop, Sgt. Gordon (Gary Oldman), who comforted Bruce as a child after his parents died, is the only person who believes Batman means well – others think he is a sadistic criminal, especially after a famous mob boss (Tom Wilkinson) is found pinned to a skylight, his drug-smuggling thugs all left unconscious.
Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes) meanwhile finds reason to believe that the city’s resident psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy), may be involved in a scheme to harm Gotham with the help of an outsider – she is subsequently put on a hit list and Batman, who learns the truth, races against time to save her. (Oh, yeah, she was Bruce’s childhood friend, too; which is more a convenience than a coincidence.)
I admire the technical skill of this production. The fight scenes are fast and blurred – I usually hate this, but it works well in “Batman Begins,” because we’re meant to fear the unknown. Sounds are used to great effect. Cinematically, Batman becomes a movie monster on occasion – the scene where a group of smugglers are picked off one-by-one in the darkness, with scattering sounds overhead and screams and gunshots piercing the silence, brings to mind Ridley Scott’s “Alien.” In another segment, Batman questions Crane while he is on drugs, which results in some truly terrifying images that will shock children who are familiar with Batman as a flawless hero.
I also like the fact that Nolan – who admittedly does not prefer using modern special effects – bases his film around the characters so much indeed that he uses very little CGI. Apart from a few action sequences and swarms of bats, most of “Batman Begins” is real, and that really impressed me. (I do not like modern effects, either.) I could tell the city was real, I could tell the Batmobile was real, and I could tell Batman was real. Remember the segment in “Batman and Robin” where they surf 30,000 feet above ground on pieces of an exploding rocket ship and look like cartoon characters? There’s none of that crap here.
The script is by David Goyer, who co-wrote the visionary “Dark City.” That film was heavily influenced by German expressionism – it moved quickly, awkwardly, with scenes interrupting other scenes out of the blue.
“Batman Begins” is formed on a similar scale. During action sequences, it’s not rare to suddenly see other characters, far away, in the middle of a discussion, before cutting back to the action. I would usually detest this, because in most American films it’s a sign of poor editing, sloppy writing or bad direction; but I think it works here – not because it’s a comic book movie like “Sin City,” but because it’s just the style of the film itself. Complemented by the fast editing and Nolan’s impressive direction, “Batman Begins” walks the fine line between pretentiousness and sloppiness – it is artsy and careful, clocking in at 2 hours and 20 minutes, but the edits and fight sequences are clearly inspired.
Bale is perfect as Batman, and the best yet, because he fits every aspect of the character; he is believable as a smug, ruthless playboy. We can see him as a troubled young man haunted by his past and an unbearable sense of guilt. And in the suit, he looks confident without being comfortable – he’s still learning how to adapt. We can imagine how far he will progress in the sequels when, at the end of “Begins,” he has finally become the Batman we all know.
The rest of the cast range from above average to very good: Michael Caine is fun as Alfred; Katie Holmes is surprisingly better than expected, Gary Oldman is great whilst Morgan Freeman and Rutger Hauer are pushed aside somewhat, serving little purpose. Liam Neeson is somewhere in between.
The movie is grim like Burton’s but more realistic, and not as glossy and perfect; the suit is imperfect, Batman’s technology and secrets are exposed, the Batmobile is ugly and efficient, and the bat cave was originally part of the underground railroad and doesn’t have any gadgets or special super-duper display cases for the suits. (I never did understand the point of encasing the Bat Suit in a special shiny glass container when no one was supposed to even see it except Bruce and Alfred.)
In an era when bigger is better, and audiences are used to Batman making his appearance on-screen in mere minutes of each film, “Begins” does something completely unexpected (and risky). It actually takes its time. Bruce Wayne doesn’t don his famous suit and cape for the first hour of the film – and when he finally does, the costume isn’t fantasized. It’s imperfect, awkward and ugly. And best of all, there are no bat-nipples this time. All considered, is it really so surprising that “Batman Begins” has only made a disappointing $71 million in its first week? Audiences are not used to blockbusters of such depth, scale and grandeur. Especially if it has the word "Batman" in its title.
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SALE
Description
The AeroComfort 2.0 is the perfect solution for cyclists wishing to protect their precious load when travelling by plane but don't want to use a hard case, which can (for example) be difficult to fit inside small cars. The bag is complete with Tinkoff Saxo Team logos to the front.
Tried and tested by pro cycling teams such as Liquigas, Astana and Saxobank, the AeroTech 2.0 optimises load, safety, comfort and handling when travelling with your bike. Taking into account the geometry of a bike during design means you don't even have to remove the handlebars for transportation. Ideal for any kind of racing bike frame.
Handlebar Friendly - You can keep your adjustment searched for a long time, with Aerocomfort 2.0 you dont have to move or remove the handlebar of your bike. Perfect for the integrated handlebars.
HD Foam Padding - High density foam padding is all around your bike, Aerocomfort is fully padded with an exclusive foam developed to a more efficient shock absorption.
Gears Guard - Included in the Anti-shock Bike frame comes a useful protection that can save your rear derailleur from the heavy lateral impacts.
Focused Protection - External lateral shield cups and the Reinforced Bottom was engineered to protect the wheels hubs from shocks and impacts and avoid abrasions to the bag.
Key Features:
Inside Stabiliser System (ISS) offers an innovative adjustable strapping combination and a saddle cover hold the bike steady during transport
External lateral shield cups offer a reinforcement to avoid abrasions to the bag and protect the wheel's hubs
A reinforced bottom allows for a foundation with an anti-tear material that preserves the bikes vulnerable parts
Double padded inner pockets with zippers for wheels measuring up to 700c
Product Details
Delivery & Returns
Express Delivery Available
If ordered before 8pm, delivered by courier next working day. Available on orders placed before 8pm (2pm weekends and Bank Holidays) for delivery next business day. Applies to most delivery addresses within mainland UK.
How long will it take to arrive?
Please remember to add postal time (2-3 working days) to obtain a complete estimate of delivery to your door.
How will I know it has been sent
You will receive an email to confirm when your item has been sent.
You can also check the status of your order and individual items by accessing your account details and following the prompts.
Please allow 10 working days from dispatch of your order before notifying us of any late deliveries.
It may be advisable to check with your neighbors to see if your delivery has been left with them, check any places it could be left such as: garage, porch, or behind garbage cans if it was too big to fit through your mailbox. Contact your local post office to see if the item has been returned to the depot as undelivered and awaiting collection.
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Make Your House Imporvement Projects Easier
Make Your House Imporvement Projects Easier
Office and commercial flooring are a lot various than the flooring in our houses. It not only requirements to be highly durable, but must look appealing as well. Industrial flooring must include to the elegance of the interiors with out overpowering it.
Since you have selected whether you would like bamboo, cherry, birch or any other quantity of wood flooring for your house, youre ready to colorize it for you. Wood is historically stained in an work to permit it to be much better match with your d?cor. Stains come in each color of the rainbow - even pink and aqua! So you can match your wooden flooring to whatever colour you want.
You have been coveting for the hardwood floors of your neighbor's. you can envision how the family members space would look with these easy and shiny flooring panels; you can choose a correct accent rug. You would also be conscious that you can buy laminate flooring and nonetheless get the exact same beautiful and shiny look but at a a lot reduced cost.
There are numerous flooring businesses. Harmony, NC is filled with numerous of them so you can usually discover one that is close to you that can provide the kinds of flooring and options you are searching for. Numerous of them will offer free estimates and they will come to your home so that you can get the region properly calculated. Getting numerous businesses in one region is also good so that you can consider benefit of competitive pricing. You ought to always get in touch with at minimum one other Cheap carpet and flooring to ensure that you are getting a great offer.
If you are resurfacing your hardwood flooring simply because they are previous searching, then you will begin out with check here a hefty duty sander called a drum sander. You will be able to rent this sander at any rental shops or developing facilities simply because they are extremely popular and frequently used. To strip off the finish you will need 24 grit sand paper on the drum sander. A drum sander goes in a straight line so you will require to head towards a wall and go in a straight direction until you come to the wall, then you will require to flip about and head for the opposite wall. Do this until the entire flooring is carried out.
Lay out the flooring of your space to attain the optimum coverage of every sheet without cutting them. Verify the room for square. You might have to cut the sheets for an whole side of a room to maintain the relaxation of the sheets square but by dong so, set up of the remaining sheets will go much quicker. Most Flooring contractors use ring shank six penny nails to fasten the plywood. These type nails will not pop or back again out more than time. They can also be tough to pull back out if you bend one.
Surf the internet or yellow pages for a quantity of contractors. Contact around three to four businesses and get estimates from each one. Compare their prices, supplies, and reputation. You can do research about their track record and skill by asking for references or samples of their prior work. Verify reviews from previous clients to find out if there are any negative comments about their craftsmanship and service.
The flooring you add in your house is developed to final for many years. The choice for what you place in your home is completely up to you. There are a lot of choices for flooring. Tustin companies should at least be able to provide you with enough info about the topic so that you can make the very best feasible choice for your house and your family. Cork is a resilient, environmentally friendly product that can very attractive on the floors of your house. The options might be overpowering, but that's why you have a expert to help you.
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Exploring the Outdoors of Kosovo for Turkish Tourists
A group of Turkish tour operators experienced first-hand what awaits their future clients who will choose Kosovo as a destination.
Through a collaboration between TÜRSAB, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies and Swisscontact, four tour operators and the President of the Turkish Mountaineering Federation were part of a four-day familiarization trip, which provided them with an opportunity to explore what Kosovo has to offer for outdoor enthusiasts in particular.
The four-day exploration trip itinerary included also parts of northern Albania and Montenegro, as the Peaks of the Balkans is considered as an attractive package for people looking to find adventure outdoors. The itinerary and the guides were arranged for by Balkan Natural Adventures, a Kosovo-based tourism agency.
Part of the program for the famtrip included some of Kosovo’s most famous outdoor products: Via Ferrata Ari and the zipline in Rugova mountains, hiking in the area. The groups were accommodated in the guest houses along the way, while their experience was made complete by the typical local hospitality, traditional food and stories. The trip ended in Prizren, south of Kosovo, a city known for its diverse historical and cultural heritage.
An expected follow-up activity is that the tour operators will begin to include Kosovo in their packages and advertise the offer.
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